LoveGodsWord
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True. So do you believe we are still under the old covenant Mosaic "shadow laws" for remission of sins? Are we still under the earthly Sanctuary law, the laws of the Levitical Priesthood and the old covenant laws of animal sacrifices and sin offerings?God's laws teach us how to testify about Christ. For example, God's righteous laws teach us how to testify about Christ's righteousness, so we should live in a way that testifies about Christ's righteousness by following those laws, but if we are testifying about Christ while disobeying those laws, then we are bearing false testimony against his righteousness.
According to God's Word dear friend, we are living in the new covenant today based on better promises *Hebrews 8:6 not the old covenant Mosaic "shadow laws" for remission of sins (Hebrews 10:1-17). All of these "shadow laws" all pointed to and are fulfilled and continued in the body of Christ (Colossians 2:17).
Today these old covenant laws for remission of sins are no longer the same as they were under the old covenant. In the new covenant these same "shadow laws" are fulfilled in Jesus and are continued in Him to who they pointed - the body of Christ (Colossians 2:17). In the new covenant Christ is the coming Messiah and God's perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world once and for all (John 1:29; 36; Hebrews 10:10; Hebrews 9:1-28; Hebrews 10:14-24; 1 John 2:2; Romans 5:8; Ephesians 5:2; Hebrews 10:10-12; 1 Peter 2:24; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 John 4:10).
Jesus in the new covenant is also our Great High Priest *Hebrews 7:1-25 now of the order of Melchizedek (King Priest) ministering on our behalf in the Heavenly Sanctuary that the Lord pitched and not men *Hebrews 8:2 of which the earthly was only a copy *Hebrews 8:5
So with this being said dear friend my question for you here for your prayerful consideration..
If the "shadow laws" for remission of sins (Hebrews 10:1-17) from the old covenant (the earthly Sanctuary law, the laws of the Levitical Priesthood and the old covenant laws of animal sacrifices and sin offerings) are today fulfilled and continued in Jesus (the body of Christ) as the promised Messiah as shown in the scriptures above are we following God's Word by living in the shadows of the old covenant that have been fulfilled and continued in Christ and His ministration on our behalf in the new covenant?
We are in the new covenant now to which these "shadow laws" are now fulfilled in the body of Christ (Colossians 2:17). To stay living in the "shadow laws" for remission of sins of the old covenant when these shadows are fulfilled and continued in Christ and Gods' new covenant promises therefore would not be living in a way that testifies of God's righteousness but would be living in a way that denies Christ as the promised Messiah and God's sacrifice for the sins of the world once and for all as did the very Jews that rejected the Christ and crucified God's promise of salvation for all mankind.
No. Paul in Colossians 2 is discussing the Mosaic "shadow laws" stating that they are all shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. That is all these laws for remission of sins, circumcision, Levitical Priesthood, earthly Sanctuary, laws of animal sacrifices and sin offering are all now fulfilled and continued in the body of Christ who is now here and sacrificed on our behalf (scripture provided in the previous sections). This includes the annual Feast days that all point to Jesus and God's plan of salvation in the new covenant, pointing to Jesus as God's sacrifice for the sins of the world and His new ministration as our Great High Priest *Hebrews 7:1-25 ministering on our behalf in the Heavenly Sanctuary that the Lord pitched and not men *Hebrews 8:2 of which the earthly was only a copy *Hebrews 8:5.It says that they are foreshadows of what is to come, not of what has already come, but either way we should live in a way that testifies about Christ by following those laws. We should structure every aspect of our lives in a way that testifies about the heavenly pattern by following God's instructions for how to do that in His law. In 1 Corinthians 5:6-8, Paul spoke in regard to how Passover foreshadowed Christ by drawing the connection of him being our Passover Lamb, however, instead on concluding that we no longer need to keep Passover now that Christ has come, he concluded that we should therefore continue to keep the feast.
For example as posted earlier Paul does not say anywhere in the scripture that we are to continue to keep the Passover of the old covenant as we are now in the new covenant with the scripture stating; 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 [7], Purge out therefore the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, as you are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us:[8], Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. As can be shown in this scripture Paul is not telling us to continue keeping the old covenant Passover he is telling us that what the shadow Feast of the Passover pointed to and that is as Colossians 2:17 says is the body of Christ. The Passover was the shadow pointing to the body of Christ that has now arrived and is fulfilled in Christ and continued in Christ in the new covenant based on better promises *Hebrews 8:1-6.
Paul is not telling the Colossians believers who were Gentile believers to keep the Feasts in Colossians 2:16-17 [16] as the scripture says; Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: [17] Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.In Colossians 2:16-17, Paul was encouraging them to continue to keep God's feasts and to not let anyone judge them for obeying God. Even if your interpretation were correct, Paul didn't have the authority to countermand God.
The key here is v17 these were all "shadows laws" pointing to the body of Christ in which they are fulfilled and continued in. Like "circumcision" pointing to a new heart by faith. These things are no longer a requirement for salvation as Christ our Passover is now sacrificed for us in which these shadows are now fulfilled and continued in under a new covenant based on better promises. Jesus is our Great High Priest *Hebrews 7:1-25 ministering on our behalf in the Heavenly Sanctuary that the Lord pitched and not men *Hebrews 8:2 of which the earthly was only a copy *Hebrews 8:5. To worship God in a manner that denies the very Christ to which the "shadow laws" all point to under the new covenant scriptures is to deny the very God we claim to believe and follow and rejecting Jesus as the Savior of all mankind.
Lets be honest here dear friend. No one keeps the annual Feasts today without a Levitical Priest, animal sacrifices and sin offerings and an earthly Sanctuary which are all a requirement for practicing old covenant laws that are required for the annual Feast days. So please do not pretend that you keep them. Even if we keep them we are denying the very Christ to who they point to under the new covenant in which we are now living.
Of course Paul equated the Mosaic "shadow laws" for remission of sins with the Law of Christ as it was these Mosaic laws that testified and prophesied of Christ and God's sacrifice for the sins of the world and a new covenant based on better promises that the promised Messiah would bring in. The old covenant "shadow laws" testified of the coming Messiah and God's new covenant promise. Of course Paul was not openly deceiving people. He was sharing God's Word showing all people what the Mosaic "shadow laws" for remission of sins pointed to and were fulfilled and continued in under the Gods' new covenant promise - the body of Christ (Colossians 2:17).In 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, Paul said in a parallel statement that he was not outside the law of God, but under the Law of Christ, so he equated the Mosaic Law with the Law of Christ. He was not openly admitting to deceiving people, but was speaking about giving up his rights in order to meet people where they were at.
Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 that he became all things to all people, removing the stumbling blocks that may cause all people to reject God's Word so that he had the opportunity to lead all people both Jews and gentiles to Jesus as the promised Messiah to which the old covenant laws pointed to. 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 [19], For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant to all, that I might gain the more. [20], And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; [21], To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. [22], To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. [23], And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.
The scriptures above are very clear if you take the time to read them through. Paul became all things to all people that he might reach all people. He did not brake the law to reach people as he knew that under the new covenant we are no longer subject to the Mosaic laws now fulfilled in and continued in Jesus as the promised Messiah. In the case of the Jews, he put himself under the Mosiac "shadow laws" out of love for his Jewish brethren so as not to cause offense and become a stumbling block to those Jews telling everyone that he is teaching against the laws of Moses.
As posted earlier, and shown through the scriptures Paul never completed a Nazarite vow as by God's providence he never made the sin offerings required to complete the vow on the 8th day.In 1 Corinthians 10:14-22, it is sinful to eat meat from the altar, but it verses 23-31, it was not sinful to eat mean that had previously been offered to idols. The Nazarite vow is about our relationship with God, not about deceiving others. The fact that Paul was prevented from paying for their offerings does not detract from the fact that it was his intention to do so.
As posted earlier, Paul did not take the Nazarite vow because he had to. He took the vow so as not to be a an offense to those Jews which believed he was teaching against the laws of Moses. *Acts of the Apostles 21:21. So Paul's motive for taking the Nazarite vow in Acts of the Apostles 21:20-24 was to remove the bias and hostility of the Jews so he became all things to all people so he could win them to Christ *1 Corinthians 9:19-23.
Paul and the four men did these things out of love, to avoid causing unnecessary offense to their Jewish brothers and sisters. That’s what Paul taught in 1 Corinthians regarding eating meat sacrificed to idols. It is not sinful to eat meat sacrificed to idols, but if it causes your brother offense, then don’t do it. Paul and the four men took a Nazirite vow and Paul had Timothy circumcised, because of the Jews – out of love for them, to avoid causing unnecessary offense to give himself opportunity to preach the gospel.
So was Paul wrong in taking the Nazarite vow? Possibly but not necessarily. According to the scriptures and God's providence we are told that Paul in fact never completed the Nazarite vow as he was never able to offer animal sacrifices required to complete the vow.
Hope this is helpful.
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