I have to seek your forgiveness in this, I read hastily and did not consider my post.
Alright, you've got it.
I would like to ask another question. If there are one set of laws for Jews and another for Gentiles, can this not explain why the law would be different for each? Thus it would be not about cultural context?
That sort of makes sense, only here's the problem I see with it: The laws for the Gentiles say, don't do these few bad things. The laws for the Jews say, don't do these few bad things, and these few hundred other things. It doesn't make sense to me for God to say to a Gentile that he
must do something a Jew would be
forbidden to do. But if I interpret the clothing passage the way you're suggesting, that's precisely what it would be. If a rationale for a law goes back to the creation account, it must be for all humanity, yet God would be asking the Nazirites to
dishonor him if this was a for-all-time thing. Doesn't make sense, especially since the Old Testament is supposed to point to the New (Galatians 3:24), and if you dishonor the Son, you dishonor the Father (John 5:23, 1 John 2:23).
Do you think that a Christian should walk around naked, devoid of modesty?
Of course not. In most cultures, walking around naked in public is unacceptable. We are to "live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse [us] of doing wrong, they may see [our] good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." (1 Peter 2:12) We're of course going to be different in our own ways; we're not going to do anything that's against our faith, but that will have us standing out enough. There's no benefit for us to stick out any further than that. Hence, we go by whatever is culturally acceptable, so long as it is Biblically acceptable.
Also please enlighten me about an instance where God 'changed His mind' in the Prophetic tradition, as in my studies I am yet to come across such an instance.
Surah 16:101 tells us that one revelation is substituted for another: "When We substitute one revelation for another,- and Allah knows best what He reveals (in stages),- they say, 'Thou art but a forger': but most of them understand not."
Also, the Hadiths show Mohammed bargaining down the number of prayers a Muslim is to offer daily: (
source)
Then I passed by Abraham and he said, 'Welcome! O pious Prophet and pious son.' I asked Gabriel, 'Who is he?' Gabriel replied, 'He is Abraham. The Prophet added, 'Then Gabriel ascended with me to a place where I heard the creaking of the pens." Ibn Hazm and Anas bin Malik said: The Prophet said, "Then Allah enjoined fifty prayers on my followers when I returned with this order of Allah, I passed by Moses who asked me, 'What has Allah enjoined on your followers?' I replied, 'He has enjoined fifty prayers on them.' Moses said, 'Go back to your Lord (and appeal for reduction) for your followers will not be able to bear it.' (So I went back to Allah and requested for reduction) and He reduced it to half. When I passed by Moses again and informed him about it, he said, 'Go back to your Lord as your followers will not be able to bear it.' So I returned to Allah and requested for further reduction and half of it was reduced. I again passed by Moses and he said to me: 'Return to your Lord, for your followers will not be able to bear it. So I returned to Allah and He said, 'These are five prayers and they are all (equal to) fifty (in reward) for My Word does not change.' I returned to Moses and he told me to go back once again. I replied, 'Now I feel shy of asking my Lord again.' Then Gabriel took me till we '' reached Sidrat-il-Muntaha (Lote tree of; the utmost boundry) which was shrouded in colors, indescribable. Then I was admitted into Paradise where I found small (tents or) walls (made) of pearls and its earth was of musk."
That's a change of mind.
