Old Covenant / New Covenant ?

[Moros]

Alright, here is my question. It was ruled that most of the law of Moses was annuled for Christians, the new covenant replacing the old. The Jews had the ten commandments, dietary laws, covenant of circumcision, ect that they had to follow to save them. When Christ came, well, we got Christ to save us, and thus the 12 ruled that old covenant practices were replaced by the blood of Christ.

I know that circumcision was ruled un-necessary. What else?

Basically, I've been researching this and got frustrated at the lack of a straightforward answer.

If you all could PLEASE make a list, naming which specific laws of the Pentateuch are un-necessary for Christians to follow, I would be grateful.

In the Apostolic Age, the Church had to make one painful transition. It had begun, of course, in Palestine among the Hebrew people, for God had chosen this people to be a light to the world, to be the first to receive the Messiah and to tell the world about Him and eternal life in Him. However, many of the chosen nation of Israel did not choose to follow Christ, and so the torch of faithfulness to Christ largely passed to the Gentile peoples, to former pagans, as the Prophet Isaias had foretold some 700 years earlier (Is 2:2; 60:3, 5). The question immediately arose whether Gentile Christians had first to be circumcised and observe the law of Moses - whether, in essence, they had to become Jews first in order to become Christians. The Apostles were not found in full agreement. The Apostle Paul was very insistent that it was not necessary, and a Council was convened at Jerusalem attended by all the Twelve. St. James, leader of the church at Jerusalem, presided. By the light of the Holy Spirit, the Apostles ruled that new Christians did not need to be circumcised or observe all of the law of Moses.

Again, if someone could list the laws that were invalidated, I would appreciate.

 

[Moros]

Would you say this is accurate for orthodox christians?

if not, please correct those wrong in this list.

For a long time the church has been divided on the issue of Dispensationalism. The Covenant churches teach their are two equal covenants, one for the church and one for Israel. The Dispensationalist churches teach one covenant of grace for the church and Israel, but different Dispensations or ages. We are now in the church age and not in the Dispensation of the Mosaic Law.

Lets look at what the early church taught on this subject.

Mathetes 130 AD
Epistle to Diognetus 3,4 - Christians do not offer sacrifices, nor abstain from meets, nor observe the Sabbath or new moon festivals, nor become circumcised like the Jews do.
Epistle to Diognetus 5 - Christians follow the customs of their native lands in regard to marriage, food, clothing, and conduct. They marry and have children but they never have abortions. They obey all the laws of their country.
Epistle to Diognetus 11 - He (Mathetes) was taught directly by the apostles. Jesus is uncreated (from everlasting)

Justin Martyr 165 AD
Dialogue 11 - Christ did away with the entire law of Moses, and circumcision.
Dialogue 19 to 23 - Circumcision, food laws, and Sabbaths were for a teaching. Circumcision began with Abraham and the Sabbath and the rest began with Moses.
Dialogue 43 - Circumcision began with Abraham. The Sabbath, sacrifices, offerings, and feasts began with Moses.
First Apology 67 - Christians meet together on Sunday.
Dialogue 10 - Christians live like all other gentiles, not observing the festivals, Sabbaths, new moon, or the rite of circumcision.
Dialogue 51,52 - Jewish Prophets ceased after John.

Ignatius - 30 to 107 AD
Trallians 9 - Christians do not observe the Sabbath but the Lord's day

Irenaeus 177 AD
Against Heresies 1.10 - What the church believes: One God, the Father Almighty, Maker of all things; and in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who became incarnate for our salvation; and in the Holy Spirit, who proclaimed through the prophets the dispensations of God, and the advents, and the birth from a virgin, and the passion, and the resurrection from the dead, and the ascension into heaven in the flesh of the beloved Christ Jesus, our Lord, and His future manifestation from heaven. The raising up anew all flesh of the whole human race. The angels who transgressed and became apostates, together with the ungodly, and unrighteous, and wicked, and profane among men, will be cast into everlasting fire. Those who have kept His commandments, and have persevered in His love, some from the beginning of their Christian course, and others from the date of their repentance, with everlasting glory.
Against Heresies 3.11 - Montanists set at nought the gift of the Spirit, which in the latter times has been, by the good pleasure of the Father, poured out upon the human race, do not admit that aspect of the evangelical dispensation presented by John's Gospel, in which the Lord promised that He would send the Paraclete (John 16); but set aside at once both the Gospel and the prophetic Spirit. Wretched men indeed! who wish to be pseudo-prophets, forsooth, but who set aside the gift of prophecy from the Church; acting like the Encratitae who, on account of such as come in hypocrisy, hold themselves aloof from the communion of the brethren. We must conclude, moreover, that the Montanists can not admit the Apostle Paul either. For, in his Epistle to the Corinthians, he speaks expressly of prophetical gifts, and recognizes men and women prophesying in the Church. Sinning, therefore, in all these particulars, against the Spirit of God.
Against Heresies 3.15 - Jesus and the Father are the only true God. Jesus gave Moses the dispensation of the Law.
Note: He talks a lot about dispensations (of the Law, of Christ, of the church, of the day of the Lord ...)
Against Heresies 4.4 - The Law started with Moses and ended with John.
Against Heresies 4.16 - Men were never released from the Decalogue. We however do not observe the Sabbath, or circumcision.
Against Heresies 4.34 - Jesus fulfilled the Law and prophets, then did away with it, and gave a new covenant.
Against Heresies 5.8 - In the dispensation of Law the clean animals represented spiritual man and the unclean animals represented the carnal man.
Against Heresies 5.17 - "He has destroyed the handwriting" of our debt, and "fastened it to the cross;"
Against Heresies 5.32 - Some of the orthodox are ignorant of God's dispensations.

Clement of Alexandria 192 AD
Stromata 5.3 - There are seven dispensations.

Tertullian 210 AD
Marcion 4.12 - Jesus annulled the Sabbath.
Marcion 5.2 - Galatians proves the Mosaic Law is fully abolished.
Marcion 5.11 - 1 Corinthians, the veil of Moses refers to the complete doing away with the old dispensation. Christ being messiah and abrogation of Moses Law.
Jews 1.3 - Circumcision was temporary.
Jews 1.4 - Sabbath was temporary.
Jews 1.5 - Sacrifices were temporary.
Marcion 1.20 - Paul in Galatians means the Law given by god then fulfilled and done away with in Christ. Not that it was given by another god.

Origen 230 AD
OFP 1:2:1 - Teaches there are many dispensations

 

[deu58]

Hello Osel

I really do not think you are going get a straight answer here either.Everybody here has a different view and opinion on what the New Testament means to them. There are those who hold beliefs that certain portions of the Mosaic law are still binding today and even those who
hold that belief do not agree on which portions are or are not. There are New Testament believers here who believe we are under no legal or religious obligation to any one. Others who think the bible is outdated and the doctrines of yesterday do not fit the times of today

Personally, The historical evidence you posted looks good to me but then there are those who would claim that many of those documents are forgeries and have been tampered with by the Catholic church to support their own doctrinal positions.

I would say that if you are happy with the Church you are in then stay there and serve God to the best of your ability with in that church. Study your Bible for yourself and do not be surprised if you find certain areas where you and your church may differ in opinion. This will happen no matter what church you belong to. Pray with out ceasing to God to guide you into his truth as he wants it to be revealed to you. If you learn more to trust God then if you are in the wrong place, whether that be church or in personal beliefs, he will be the one to let you know and he will be the one to move you.

Do not be easily swayed by the opinions of men and listen to no one who can not support there position from the bible. There are those who will try to sway you to their belief by using a few select verses that sound good to the ear but after solid study and prayer you may find they are incorrect. You need to be able to defend your stance using the entire bible not just a few select parts that elsewhere in the bible you may find is no longer a valid teaching today.

For example lets say you are living in a remote non Christian country and a missionary is teaching that you must be circumcised according to the Law of Moses to be a Christian and he only shows you the Old Testament relevant to his own belief. You do no research or study your self so what is going to be the result? You are going to get circumcised and teach others they to most be circumcised if they wish to receive salvation. This is an obvious example but there are many today trying to promote their personal doctrines that are not so easily detected with out serious Study and devotion to God. Pray for spiritual discernment.

If you truly trying to serve God with a true heart do not be afraid of the minor errors in in your personal beliefs. Nobody knows it all. That is why Jesus makes us this promise.

2co 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

yours in Christ
deu58

 

[Moros]

Thanks for the reply. My general hope here was that there was a general set.

I posted it in here to avoid Roman Catholic doctrine and Protestant "Sola Scripturists."

Perhaps my fellow Orthodox follow more OT laws than others. I'm still fairly new to this.

Circumcision and the dietary laws are two obvious ones.