How does one determine what parts of the Old Testament are directly applicable to life now? For example, does Leviticus 15 still hold true? If not, how does one explain Matthew 5:17-20? Thanks for your serious consideration of these questions.
This truth upsets, to no end, the, so called, New Testament Christian but there is nothing in the Old Testament that is not applicable for the follower of Jesus today, as your passage in Matthew illustrates. The Leviticus 15 passages would be, only, common sense, take away the advances in medicine today.How does one determine what parts of the Old Testament are directly applicable to life now? For example, does Leviticus 15 still hold true? If not, how does one explain Matthew 5:17-20? Thanks for your serious consideration of these questions.
Myles,How does one determine what parts of the Old Testament are directly applicable to life now? For example, does Leviticus 15 still hold true? If not, how does one explain Matthew 5:17-20? Thanks for your serious consideration of these questions.
If the Old Testament law is still applicable to a T, then men would not be able to shave their beards, cut their hair, and no one would be able to wear a shirt made up of more than one type of fabric.
You're telling me it's a sin to cut my hair? Lol. Every pastor in America is guilty if that's the case.
Absolutely not.
To Myles-2-Chem
One of main reasons was the death penalty was enacted during the time of Moses was ensure the future lineage & earthly vessel for our Lord Jesus Christ & also the continuance of the saints & elect.
That is why God the Father enacted a strict diet & laws for those who transgressed it. The population was low during the time of Moses. I'm guessing it was less than a billion.
Could you imagine what would have happened if all the crazy beliefs people felt right in the heart do, was left uncheck & ran rampant?
People having sex with animals, with their parents & siblings, excessive drug use, burning children alive, wars & rapes, men having sex [unprotected] with other men.
When our Lord Jesus Christ arrived the population reached a level [besides a myriad of other unknown factors] for Him to arrive in fleshly body. Meaning if even when sin run rampant there is plenty enough people to keep the world going with Their guidance of course.
Including the sophistication of prison/dungeons So the death penalty was postponed until the Great White Judgment. Animal sacrifices were suspended because the Son of Man was the perfect sacrifice.
All of the O.T. laws need to be examined with the with the N.T. but the main thing is this:
the death penalty & animal sacrifices have been voided/postponed & divorces are now banned.
After that, pretty much most of the laws are still in effect.
However if youre filled with the Holy Ghost it would be unnecessary to know the laws. It will be written in your heart. For example.
The bible does not talk about internet inappropriate content, invitro-fertilization, & overpopulation [that I am aware of] however being filled with the Holy Ghost you know will know what will be pleasing to the Lord.
Myles,OzSpen,
I tend to gravitate toward similar views to those you state, but I still am not completely comfortable meshing this with Mat 5:17-19. What do you make of these verses?
Myles,OzSpen,
I tend to gravitate toward similar views to those you state, but I still am not completely comfortable meshing this with Mat 5:17-19. What do you make of these verses?
There seems to be three issues in this passage to help us gain a biblical understanding of how the OT relates to NT believers. Was the Law or the Prophets abolished when Jesus fulfilled them? Note that it states 'Law OR the Prophets' and not 'Law AND the Prophets'.“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes 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 does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (ESV)
So, there is a time factor involved in Jesus' keeping the Law and fulfilling the Law or the Prophets. It was BECAUSE OF the cross that Jesus FULFILLED the Law. We know this from verses such as Gal. 3:28:So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God (ESV).
2. We know from some (not all) references in the NT that the aspect of the Law that was done away with, dealt with OT ceremonies and types. These types from the Law of Moses were fulfilled through Jesus, our Passover lamb (see 1 Cor. 5:7). Jesus fulfilled the laws that predicted his first coming (see Hebrews, chapters 7-10). So, I think we can safely conclude that Jesus did away with the ceremonial and typological aspects of the Law of Moses. This Law was not destroyed by Jesus but it was fulfilled in Him.There is neither Jew nor Greek ... for we are all one in Christ Jesus (ESV)
So this command (as well as the rest) of the Ten Commandments were for the people in the land of Israel, a theocratic kingdom. It is not for NT believers.Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you (ESV).
jf,Also, I just want to be clear that I do NOT believe that following any law, any rule, OT or not, will help gain ANYONE entrance to heaven. For me, if I eat bacon, it's a sin because G-d told me not to. It's like when G-d told Jonah to go to Nineveh. For him, not going was a sin. For the others, it wasn't sin not to go because G-d never told them to. So if I violate this, it's sin and I must repent and get right with G-d just as if I had committed any other sin. But eating kosher doesn't get me any closer to heaven. It's simply a sign of my obedience to G-d.