LoveGodsWord
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If you read my post to you I was very careful to state very clearly that "fulfilling" God's "shadow laws" does not mean they are abolished but that they are fulfilled in that to which they point to and are continued in that to which they have pointed to based on better promises under the new covenant *Hebrews 8:1-6. This was of course all in context to the old and new covenant laws for "remission of sins". That is, all the ceremonial "shadow laws" of the old covenant to do with the earthly Sanctuary, the Levitical Priesthood, animal sacrifices and sin offerings and the prophetic "shadow laws" that pointed to Christ as God's sacrifice for the sins of the world *John 1:29 and his role under Gods new promises *Hebrews 8:1-6 as our great High Priest of the order of Melchizedek (King Priest) *Hebrews 7:1-28; Hebrews 8:1-13; Hebrews 9:1-28 ministering on our behalf under the new covenant *Hebrews 10:1-22.You should not interpret fulfilling God's laws are meaning essentially the same thing as abolishing them when Jesus said that he came to fulfill the law in contrast with saying that he came not to abolish them, but rather Jesus fulfilled the law by teaching us how to obey them by word and by example. In Galatians 6:2, bearing one another burdens fulfills the Law of Christ, yet you do not consistently interpret that in the same way.
While there is an old covenant with "shadow laws" for remission of sins based on an earthly Sanctuary with its own laws based on the Levitical Priesthood, and animal sacrifices for sins and sin offerings and other prophetic "shadow laws" under the old covenant pointing to things to come in Christ as God's sacrifice for the sins of the world and the work of Jesus on our behalf in the new covenant in the Heavenly Sanctuary not made with hands based on better promises, the key thing to remember here is that we are in the new covenant now and not the old covenant. To go back to the old covenant laws for remission of sins that included an earthly Sanctuary, animal sacrifices and the Levitical Priesthood would in fact be to deny the very Christ they point to. In fact Paul makes this very clear when talking to the JEWS in Hebrews 10 when he says (see context of Hebrews 10:1-23); [26], For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more a sacrifice for sins, [27], but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries. The context of Hebrews 10:26-27 is to Jesus as God's sacrifice for sin once and for all and His role as our great High Priest of the order of Melchizedek ministering on our behalf under the new covenant. There is now under the new covenant, no more animal sacrifices for sin, no more earthly Sanctuary, no more Levitical Priesthood because they have been fulfilled to that to which they pointed to and that is Christ and His ministration in the Heavenly Sanctuary on our behalf. So are these "shadow laws" for remission of sins abolished? Of course not! They are fulfilled in that to which they were pointing to and are continued in Gods' sacrifice for the sins of the world once and for all and the new ministration and role of Jesus as our great High Priest in the Heavenly Sanctuary not made with hands of which the earthly was only a copy of the heavenly *Hebrews 8:5. To go back to the "shadow laws" for remission of sins (animal sacrifices, sin offerings, earthly Sanctuary, Levitical Priesthood) once we have been given a knowledge of the truth of God's Word would be to deny the very Christ to who they pointed to under God's new covenant promise *Hebrews 10:1-27.While the New Covenant is based on better promises and has a superior mediator, it still involves following the same law, which has always pointed toward Christ (Hebrews 8:10).
I am not talking about these law you have listed here. I am talking about the old covenant "shadow laws" for remission of sins (earthly Sanctuary, animal sacrifices and the Levitical Priesthood). I agree with you that while under the old covenant even the ceremonial "shadow laws" for remission of sins can be considered "moral laws" because moral laws are essentially instructions for "right doing" so obeying all of Gods laws if we are still under the old covenant are essentially following God's laws for right doing in regards to our relationship with God and our fellow man. Under the old covenant when one sins we do the right thing in seeking God's forgiveness by providing animal sacrifices for sins at the temple through a Levite Priest. This was God's appointed way under the old covenant laws for remission of sins in order to seek God's forgiveness and so was the right thing to do under the old covenant laws for remission of sin. However the problem you have here is that we are no longer under the old covenant we are now since the death and resurrection of Christ under a new covenant made of better promises. The Mosaic "shadow laws" for remission of sins, pointed to and are fulfilled in Christ as Gods' sacrifice for the sins of the world *John 1:29 and Jesus as is now our great High Priest who now ministers on our behalf in the heavenly Sanctuary not made with hands. Therefore today, we no longer find God's forgiveness through animal sacrifice for our sins but in God's sacrifice once and for all *Hebrews 10:10-14; John 1:29; Hebrews 7:25-28; Hebrews 9:12. Therefore to offer animal sacrifices today when these "shadow laws" are fulfilled and continued in Christ would no longer be considered "right doing" but wrong doing therefore no longer "moral laws" because to follow the old covenant laws for remission of sins would be to deny the very Christ and the Word of God to whom the "shadow laws" for remission of sin point to."Mishpat" is mainly in regard to righteousness, justice, judgement, judicial rulings, and civil disputes, such as all of the laws listed in Exodus 21, like in regard to what happens if you strike someone and they die or the law against kidnapping, which has nothing in particular to do with ceremony. So even though mishpat can be in regard to ceremony, that does not mean that you can shoehorn your concept of ceremonial law into mishpat, especially because unlike the Bible your concept of ceremonial law is distinguished from moral and judicial law. I have no problem with you describing some of God's laws as being ceremonial, but I do have a major problem was with you describing those laws as being ceremonial as opposed to moral, especially because the Bible never makes that distinction and never suggests that it can ever be moral to disobey God. Out of many translations listed at Biblehub, only three of them translated Numbers 9:3 using the word "ceremonies", but even if that were the correct translation, it does not establish that any of the authors of the Bible consider there to be a subcategory of ceremonial law, especially one that was in contrast with moral and judicial law.
Actually that is not quite true. The Greek word "dogma" meaning civil, ceremonial or ecclesiastical laws is used two times in the new testament scriptures. Once in Colossians 2:14 and the other in Ephesians 2:15. In both cases it is used to refer to laws in ordinances. As posted earlier the context to Colossians 2:14 is Colossians 2:11-13 which is to the "shadow laws" of circumcision and the true meaning of baptism and in Colossians 2:16 to meat and drink offerings, new moons, and sabbaths in the feast days. The death of Christ being further explained in Ephesians 2:15-16 where it is written, [15] having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even THE LAW OF COMMANDMENTS CONTAINED IN ORDINANCES (dogma); for to make in himself of two one new man, so making peace [16], And that he might reconcile both to God IN ONE BODY BY THE CROSS, having slain the enmity thereby. Jesus is God's sacrifice for the sins of the world *John 1:29 - No more "shadow laws" for sin offerings now under the new covenant based on better promises *Hebrews 10:10-14."Dogma" is never once used by the Bible to refer to any of God's laws. It means "decree, edict, or ordinance", "decree" means "an official order issued by a legal authority", "edict" means "an official order or proclamation issued by a person in authority", and "ordinance" means "authoritative order; a decree". You can take your pick, but "dogma" does refer to a charge or a legal ruling that is against someone, such as that someone has been found guilty of murder. And again, it was the charges that were against people being crucified that were nailed to their crosses (Matthew 27:37). This has nothing to do with fulfilling any of God's laws or with any of them being nailed to the cross. The context is Paul encouraging the Colossians not to let anyone judge them and stop them from keeping God's holy days, so it is ironic when people try to use this passage to justify their refusal to keep God's holy days. Jesus began his ministry with the Gospel message to repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand, and in Titus 2:14, it does not say that Jesus gave himself to free us from any laws, but in order to redeem us from all lawlessness, so saying that there were any laws that were nailed to the cross undermines both what Jesus accomplished through his ministry and through the cross.
Agreed, so in order to be a part of God’s Israel under the new covenant promise *Hebrews 8:10-12; Hebrews 10:1-18 we must believe God’s Word. God’s Word is not only the old testament scriptures but also the new testament scriptures and Jesus taught us from the Torah, man does not live by bread alone but by everyone Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God in Matthew 4:4 from Deuteronomy 8:3. Of course all scripture is God breathed as shown in 2 Timothy 3:16. So according to Jesus, God’s Israel in the new covenant are all those who believe and follow God’s Word *John 10:26-27; John 8:37-51; Romans 9:6-8.It is contradictory for someone to want to become grafted into Israel while wanting nothing to do with following the instructions that God gave to Israel.
It is those who refuse to believe and follow God’s Word once given a knowledge of the truth that are not a part of God's Israel in the new covenant. Some do not believe and follow what God's Word says out of ignorance and in times of ignorance when someone does not know any better God winks at but when we are given a knowledge of the truth of God's Word then God calls all men everywhere to believe and follow it *Acts of the Apostles 17:30-31. According to the scriptures if we deny God’s Word then He will deny us *2 Timothy 2:12 and denying God's Word shows we are not from God because we do not speak and do what His Word says *John 3:34; 1 John 2:3-4. The new covenant scriptures as shown already in Hebrews 7:1-28; Hebrews 8:1-13; Hebrews 9:1-28 and Hebrews 10:1-21 which are Gods’ Word show that the “shadow laws” for remission of sins that include the earthly Sanctuary, the ceremonial laws for remission of sins, the Levitical Priesthood, animal sacrifices and sin offerings and other prophetic laws have all been fulfilled in Christ as God’s sacrifice for the sins of the world *John 1:29. The new covenant is the new ministration where the “shadow laws” are fulfilled in JESUS as our great High Priest ministering on our behalf in the heavenly Sanctuary not made with hands of which the earthly was only a copy *Hebrews 8:1-6 and are today continued in Him who loved us and washed us in His own blood. To deny Gods’ word in the new covenant and return back to the “shadow laws” of the old covenant, that are now fulfilled in the Messiah is to deny the very Messiah to which they point to and to deny the very words of Christ to which the whole Torah points to.All of the Mosaic Law is God's word, so you are disbelieving and refusing to follow God's word. We should live in a way that points towards Jesus by keeping the laws that point toward him instead of living in a way that points away from him by refusing to follow those laws. You can't have your cake and eat it too, so it can't be the case that we should no longer continue to follow God's laws and that those laws are continued in Christ. Christ fulfilled the law so that we would have an example to follow, not so that we could be free to refuse to follow him, and those who are in Christ are obligated to walk in the same way he walked (1 John 2:6).
Something to pray about.
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