Which Old Testament laws are Christians obliged to keep, which are they not obliged to keep, and why?
At first glance, Jesus’ words in Matthew 5.17–20 seem to indicate that Christians are obliged to keep each and every commandment in the Old Testament. But, as I pointed out in yesterday’s devotional, we know that the New Testament Christians did not feel obligated to observe any number of laws.
Those very same Christians looked to the Old Testament laws for ethical guidance on other issues, however. In Romans 13.9–10, Paul writes: “The commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not covet,’ and whatever other commandments there may be, are summed up in this one rule: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”
Why are some laws obligatory, but not others?
Christian theologians usually answer that question by distinguishing three kinds of Old Testament laws. Ceremonial laws pertain to the worship of ancient Israel: the Temple, animal sacrifice, the priesthood, kosher diet, and circumcision. Civil laws pertain to the government of ancient Israel: the boundaries between the twelve tribes, criminal offenses and their punishments, taxes, and military policy. Moral laws pertain to the behavior of God’s people. The Sixth through Tenth Commandments (Exodus 20.12–17)—covering parent-child relationships, murder, marital fidelity, theft, perjury, and envy—are the most obvious examples.
Generally speaking, Christian theologians argue that Christians are not obligated to keep the ceremonial laws. “These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ” (Col. 2.17). In other words, according to Paul, God gave the ancient Israelites a Temple, priesthood, and sacrificial system as a prophetic example of what the coming Messiah would be and do. So, the writer of Hebrews describes Jesus as “a high priest…who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man” (Heb. 8.1, 2) and as the one who “was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people” (9.28). When the Messiah came, the Temple, priesthood, and sacrificial system would no longer be necessary.
The New Testament does not treat the civil laws of ancient Israel in depth. However, Christian theologians generally argue that they are not obligatory for Christians because they were intended only for the nation of ancient Israel while it lived in the Promised Land (although they may give us examples of how a just government can operate).
That leaves the moral laws. New Testament writers explicitly argue that Christians must keep these commandments. To keep them is to fulfill “the law of love” (see Rom. 13.1, 2 above). Jesus seems to have these commandments uppermost in his mind when he says, “Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5.19), for these are the commandments he discusses when he describes a righteousness that surpasses that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law (5.20–48).
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Seems to me that this message is telling us that the ceremonial law is not binding on Christians today, but that the moral law (the Ten Commandments) are binding (and maybe only by the grace of God can be kept in His strength and not ours). In most of today’s Christian circles the “least” Commandment to be observed is the Sabbath one — assuming that the original seventh-day Sabbath of the Law (which is the fourth Commandment by most Protestants and the third Commandment by Roman Catholics and Lutherans) given verbally to Adam and Eve by God at creation (and later on in God’s own handwriting given to Moses) is today’s Saturday. Is the first day on our calanders (which is Sunday; “observed” but not “kept” by most Christians) really the right day, or is the correct day the seventh day on our calendars (Saturday, kept by very few Chirstians; mainly Seventh-day Adventists and Baptists and a few Evangelical churches)? If it can really be proven that Saturday is the true Sabbath and Sunday is a false sabbath (as Webster’s dictionary has stated in past publications) then, lo and behold, most Christians shun the fourth (or third) Commandment and more highly “favor” any of the other nine. This would make the Sabbath one the “least” of these Commandments throughout most of Christianity, correct? What’s the warning in Matthew 5:19? Has God yet blessed the first day of the week (Sunday) so that we have His blessing (and help) to keep it holy, or can that only be afforded to the blessed-forever seventh day (Saturday)? God (the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) wants us to be holy every day, of course, but hasn’t he chosen but one day of seven to be observed as holy above the rest (and for rest, not for work)? So, are not seventh-day Sabbath keeping Chistians resting — rather than working — out salvation according to an important part of God’s original plan? If anyone who observes Sunday tells me that — because of any calendar changes in the past — no one really knows what day on our modern calendars is truly the original seventh day, then that person can’t really be sure what day is truly the first day (Sunday, the day of our Lord’s resurrection). Am I correct? It’s been 2,000 years, and the Son of God was falsely accused over and over of trangressing the seventh-day Sabbath. If it were true then that knowledge of the seventh day was somehow lost, all He would have had to tell his accusers was, “I’m Lord of the Sabbath, and I’m telling you this day that this is not truly the Sabbath, so I’m breaking no commandment that My Father and I gave you.” Can you imagine that? I can’t. He knew what day the Sabbath was, and he never transgressed it (nor any other of the Commandments), or we’d all be lost (because He kept all the Commandments in our place). I could go on and on with questions here, my brothers and sisters, but I’ll just leave the rest of this between you and God. Blessings to all. ~ RFH [email protected]
Absolutely. It is easier for the apostasy to follow men’s traditions and mythology than to obey the Creator. After all, they don’t seek the coming kingdom on earth. They seek heaven – again, from mythology. If the Holy Spirit is working in a person, these things are clear. How? By asking for forgiveness of everything taught by men, then focusing on the Spirit’s teachings. Those who do this are shocked.
Jesus clearly says that if you break one of my commandments and teach other to to the same you will be called the least in heaven. Why are Christians trying to be the least in heaven. Christians teach that the sabbath is dead and the old laws are dead. The Christians church has been lieing and marching people to hell. Wake up