Is the doctrine of grace separate from Judaism, or an extension of it?
The doctrine of grace is completely separated from Judaism, yet it is also an extension of it. Scripture presents progressive revelation, so the revelation given to Paul does not cancel what came before but builds upon it. It fulfills prior promises rather than replacing them.
Les explains that the whole sphere of doctrine called grace was completely separated from Judaism, and yet an extension of it. He connects this to progressive revelation: as soon as Paul received these revelations, it did not cancel everything that had gone before but built on it. The Abrahamic covenant brought Israel to the point of Messiah’s coming, and the Old Testament was fulfilled, not canceled. When Israel rejected the Messiah, God saved Paul and said He would send him far hence to the Gentiles. Jesus did not teach the twelve to go to the Gentiles with a gospel based on His death, burial, and resurrection, because that had not yet happened; Paul’s message is centered on that.