I didn't realize this thread was resurrected. Cool.
The first thing that's important to recognize is that the Old Testament law was given to the nation of Israel, not to Christians. Some of the laws were to reveal to the Israelites how to obey and please God (the Ten Commandments, for example). Some of the laws were to show the Israelites how to worship God and atone for sin (the sacrificial system). Some of the laws were intended to make the Israelites distinct from other nations (the food and clothing rules). These laws meant specifically for the Jewish people, and were not given to the Gentiles. So that's one way in which the law is not applicable to Christians. They never applied to people who were not part of the nation of Israel (e.g. most Christians were never part of the Jewish covenant, and therefore never under the old law).
Most Christians were not under the covenant of Israel?
Most Christians were Jewish... How were they not under the covenant of Israel?
The second reason why the old laws are not binding on Christians is because right there in Matthew 5:17-18, Jesus says he came to fulfill the law, and that's exactly what he did. The word "abolish" in biblical Greek means "destroy", and Christ intended to ensure his followers that his mission was not to destroy God's word but to "fulfill" it. For example, the laws about animal sacrifice for atonement is fulfilled because Jesus' sacrifice on the cross atones for the sins of all mankind. Therefore, the law regarding sacrifice has been fulfilled. Circumcision was a law established by Abraham to be the mark of the covenant. But again, since the new covenant was established and replaces the old one, the law of circumcision has been fulfilled.
First issue... Where do you get that a new covenant will replace the old one. When Abraham made the covenant of circumcision, it lasted until Jesus's covenant according to you because the new covenant replaced the old one. Between them though, there was Moses' covenant, wasn't there? Why didn't Moses' covenant replace Abraham's in the first place? Because once a binding, everlasting covenant, always a binding, everlasting covenant. (That's what everlasting means...)
Find me, in the Torah which was binding to Jesus and his followers, a verse that says that we will make a new covenant, that will
REPLACE the old one. Key word being
REPLACE
Also, since Jesus died for the Jews (circumcised) AND the gentiles (uncircumcised), EVERYONE who believes is one of God's chosen.
Alright. So there is a verse in the Torah which says : YOU HAVE TO CIRCUMCISE, THROUGHOUT YOUR GENERATIONS. THIS IS AN EVERLASTING COMMANDMENT. Jesus comes, years later, dies on a cross, and that means everyone who is not circumcised is fine?
So the purpose of circumcision doesn't exist anymore. There are many other examples about how the Old Covenant law has been fulfilled by Jesus in some way (e.g., Mark 7:14-19 Jesus declares all foods clean).
But how can one prophet come and change the word of another prophet. Is the word a prophet not the word of God? Does the word of God change? Is he not perfect? Does he change his mind throughout the generations?
He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring [Genesis 17:12]
Both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. [Genesis 17:13]
I'm sure Paul, or Matthew or whoever it was had the authority to change what Jesus believed was God's word.
Christians believe that Jesus established a New Covenant when he died on the cross. We believe that this New Covenant is the one that should apply to Jews today, as well as all gentiles since Christ died for the sins of ALL MANKIND.
That's all fine, but you should add on the the previous ones, not neglect and ignore them.
Jeremiah 31:31-33
31 The day is coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. 32 This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife, says the Lord. 33 But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the Lord. I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
Malachi 3:1
Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming, says the Lord of Heavens Armies.
Great! Where's the part that says that this covenant will replace the previous one?
As the apostle Paul explains:
]Remember, most Christians are Gentiles who were never part of the Old Covenant. We were never bound by these laws in the first place (the Jews were)
Today, yes this is true. But would this mean that you believe that the first Jews to follow the Christianity wave and convert were in the wrong?
In addition, most Christians do not work on Saturday and most businesses are closed on Saturday. So many do in fact observe the Sabbath.
Now you are contradicting yourself. Why not work on the Sabbath if these laws don't apply to you. Do these people live in the USA, but follow the laws of Afghanistan?
More to the point, Christians generally believe that EVERY day should be kept Holy, not just one day of the week.
Jews believe that too. Which is why we wake up every day before work and go to synagogue to pray. Then during the afternoon, we stop whatever it is we're doing, and go to synagogue once again to pray. And then again another time in the evening. And some even pray in their bed before they go to sleep. We pray to God before eating anything, and we pray to God after having eaten anything. We pray to God after having gone to the bathroom. When we are not praying; eating; working; spending quality time with the family; or in the bathroom, we are suggested, and some might say required, to study any holy subject related to Torah. I haven't even scratched the surface of what Jews do during a regular day to keep it holy. Even when we go shopping for groceries or for clothes, there are laws that we need to think of and follow to make sure our lives are as holy as possible, on a day to day basis.
The same way that Clark Kent is both the son of Jor-El and the son of Jonathan Kent.
Sorry, I'm a Superman fan. My point is, although Jesus was conceived through devine will (ie: God is his "biological" father so to speak), Jesus is in fact Joseph's adopted son and he was raised by Joseph and Mary. Since Joseph is a descendant of David. An adopted son still takes on the family name of whatever family he is adopted into. That makes Jesus a descendant of David, in a manner of speaking.
Really??? Do you honestly believe what you are saying or are you just trying to convince yourself? If a Cohen or Levite adopts a child, is that child a Cohen or Levite? Who cares what the family name is. We are talking about tribal inheritance. If Superman adopts me, I will not inherit his powers.
I'm not sure how scholars interpret it (because I don't consider myself to be one), I can only tell you how I interpret it.
Appreciated. Unfortunately I disagree with your interpretation.
