The Old Testament for Christians

[ArmyMatt]

Jesus said "If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that house or town." I think that applies to forums too, and I will follow this advice. I posted to the Messianic forum where I got a better reception.

you would be more welcome if you did not make it seem like you are the intellectual savior to free us, the brainwashed masses. especially when you have zero evidence to support what you are saying.

 

[Word_Cuts_Deep]

Yeshua said:

Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

In Revelations 21 we have:

Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

& also in Isaiah 66:

Isa 66:22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.
Isa 66:23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.
Isa 66:24 And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.

For those who may believe the Torah was done away at the cross, we need to remember the words of Yeshua & that he told his followers, not even to let it come to mind that he came to do away with the Torah.

Most believe the Gentiles were not required to keep the Sabbath ect, but this is not true at all, seeing it was spoken of the Gentiles in saying:
Isa 56:6 Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;
Isa 56:7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.
Isa 56:8 The Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.

Now in this verse: The Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.

Yeshua calls them thee other sheep in:
Joh 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

& again it speaks of this shepherd Yeshua in saying:
Eze 37:22 And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:
Eze 37:23 Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.
Eze 37:24 (And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.)

The way we walk in his (judgments & statues) is:
Eze 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
Eze 36:27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

& for this Paul concludes:
Rom 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Thru out the book of Acts, we see the Disciples(Talmidim) of Yeshua keeping the Sabbath & Feast days.

We can even see the Gentiles keeping the Sabbath in:
Act_13:42 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.

So clearly Gentiles followers of Yeshua were keeping the Sabbath, & indeed its required for them.

Most verses in Acts, where the disciples of Yeshua were keeping the Sabbath day.

Paul's custom was to go into the synagogue on the Sabbath day: Acts 17:2

Yeshua had the same custom: Luke 4:16

We're to walk as Yeshua walked: 1 John 3:6

Acts 13:13 (NKJV) Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem. Acts 13:14 But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down. Acts 13:15 And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, "Men [and] brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on."

Shalom!

 

[GregoryTheNonTheologian]

Q. What is the Old Testament?

A. The Old Testament is God's ethics explained in a collection of many types of writing.

Paraphrasing Metropolitan Philaret's Longer Catechism of the Orthodox Church, the Old Testament is a Testament of God's promising men a divine Savior and preparing them to receive Him through gradual revelations, prophesies and types. The New Testament is, on the other hand, the Testament of God actually giving men the aforementioned divine Savior.

 

[GregoryTheNonTheologian]

Q. Then what is the point of the Old Testament for Christians?

A. Those with true faith in Christ should want to follow Christ which clearly includes trying to adhere to God's will and God's will includes the ethics of the Old Testament. Jesus prayed that "Thy will be done" (Thy referring to God). James said "faith without works is dead". Being ethical is referred to in Christianity as "works". Since faith should imply works, works are proof of faith.

St. Paul wrote that all Scripture is given that the man of God may be made perfect (2 Timothy 3:17). As Christians, we profess to love Christ, which therefore leads us to keep His commandments (John 14:15;14:21;14:23). Since the Lord commands us to be perfect (Matthew 5:48), it follows that we should wish to read Scripture. Since the Church, which is the pillar and foundation of truth (1 Timothy 3:15) includes the Old Testament in the Canon of Scripture (3rd Council of Carthage of 397 and Council of Trullo in 697, the canons of which were accepted in Canon II of the 7th Ecumenical Council in 787), it then follows that the Old Testament also is given to man that he may be made perfect.

 

[GregoryTheNonTheologian]

Q. Is this [i.e. God's] ethics required for salvation?

A. No, not in the Christian view. The Christian view is that salvation comes from faith in Christ.

According to the Concise Oxford English Dictionary, the word "ethics" as singular means "the branch of knowledge concerned with moral principles". If we presume that "moral" in this context conforms to the first definition of the word in the COED - "concerned with the principles of right and wrong behavior" - and not the second - "based on or adhering to the code of behavior that is considered socially right or acceptable" - then the question can be rephrased:

"Is the knowledge that comes from God concerned with principles of right and wrong behavior required for salvation?"

This question does not really make any sense, as knowledge from God of the principles of right and wrong behavior comes to us as a result of our salvation, and is not, rather, a prerequisite. As Paul wrote, quoting the Prophet Jeremiah, For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them (Hebrews 10:14–16).

This does not mean, however, that having entered into the New Covenant that our wrong behavior is somehow excused. On the contrary, as we further read:

Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works (Hebrews 10:19–24)