Old Testament Law for New Testament Christians?
Old Testament Law for New Testament Christians?
In the book of Exodus, God gave the Mosaic Law to Israel through Moses on Mount Sinai. The nation of Israel was a ‘theocratic’ nation – where the Lord was the King. Like any King, the Lord too had rules for His people. We need to note that the law was given after they had been saved by the blood of the Passover lamb and redeemed from slavery (Exo. 20:2), and while they were living as pilgrims on the earth by God's grace (Exo. 19:4).
The Mosaic Law (Hebrew “torah” meaning "teaching") was God’s rules for the Jewish people. It is generally divided into three categories:
1. The MORAL Law
This dealt with God’s rules for holy living (Exo. 20:1-17);
2. The CIVIL Law
This dealt with Israel's legal and social life as a nation (Exo. 21:1 – 23:33); and
3. The CEREMONIAL Law
This dealt with the form and ritual of Israel's worship of the Lord, including the sacrificial system (Exo. 24:12-31:18).
The law expressed God's nature and disposition, i.e., his love, goodness, justice, and hatred of evil. The Israelites were expected to keep the whole law of God since they were ‘His’ People (Lev 19:2). The law also pointed them to the coming Messiah – Jesus Christ. It acted as a temporary guardian for God's people until Christ came (Gal 3:22-26).
The question today is, are we as Christian believers obligated to observe the Old Testament laws and Jewish festivals today?
In the early Church there was a confusion among new Jewish Christians. Some were of the opinion that Christian believers had to observe the Jewish Law in order to follow their Christian faith. Some Churches and believers still teach that the New Testament Church is still under the Mosaic Law.
Paul wrote to the Galatians to correct a problem created by Jews from Judea who were trying to bring his converts under the Mosaic Law. He talks about the Law and the believer’s relationship to it. The goal is to reveal the believer’s freedom in Christ.
Paul was trained as a Pharisee and became a zealot of Judaism and the Mosaic Law. Paul thought he was doing God’s will and keeping the Law in arresting, torturing, and killing those who believed Jesus was the promised Messiah. And then he had an encounter with the risen Christ! God in his amazing grace saved Saul of Tarsus (Paul). No one ever experienced such a radical change in outlook and direction as Paul. As a Hebrew of the Hebrews, God sent him to Gentiles. As a legalistic zealot, God revealed righteous living apart from the administration of the Mosaic Law.
Jesus Christ came in fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecies and in keeping with the law. His death, burial and resurrection has overruled the Mosaic Contract by establishing a NEW Covenant for all his followers – both Jews and Gentiles.
Today we DO NOT observe the “Civil and Ceremonial Law” such as the circumcision, the festivals and the Sabbath - since this was specific to the Jewish people. We do not offer sacrifices since Christ was sacrificed “once for all” for the sins of mankind. We do not observe the “Passover” or the “Day of Atonement” since this is all fulfilled in Christ. When we partake of the Communion elements, we observe “His death, burial and resurrection”. He told us to “do this in remembrance of me.”
We are no longer “under the law” but we are “children of promise.” However, we DO observe God’s “Moral Law” – the Ten Commandment - as this is for ALL people.
God accepts us as righteous on the basis of what Christ has done,
Not on the basis of what we have done.