LeviticusToday the book filled with sacrificial directions gave commandment to the Israelite people that they must celebrate during the Sabbath and during certain celebrations. I wonder what it would have been like for the farmers of that day who may have had to give up a potential perfect week of harvesting because their crops ripen during the time of the harvest. This point of comparison between cultures leads to an even bigger question of what is the true relationship between the laws and commandments of the old testament and the fulfillment of Christ in the new testament. This question is highly debated among different sects of Christianity. I think today's chapter in Acts provides significant insight into this relationship. Acts 15 states 19 "It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. 21For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath." here peter exempts new Christians from some of the laws of Moses because of our culture, but Christ said "I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished" in Matthew chapter 5. Here he explains that the laws will not be removed until heaven and earth disappear.
Dr. Paul House makes the assertion that all commandments of the old testament should be followed unless explicitly exempted in the new testament. Peter here seems to be saying that the majority of the law depends on culture, and Christ said that the smallest stroke of the pen will not disappear until heaven and earth disappear.
how should this relationship be interpreted given the different presentations even with in the bible?
This question is quite difficult. Jesus also states in the verse before the one mentioned above (in Matthew 5) that he did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it.
ReplyDeleteI just read this commentary on this topic and it is very interesting.
http://www.gotquestions.org/abolish-fulfill-law.html
Has everything been accomplished? Hasn't the law been accomplished through Jesus Christ? Jesus Christ fulfilled the sacrificial system of the law and everything else about the law. Maybe Jesus was talking about nothing changing from the law until he died and rose again.
Jesus fulfilled the law...so now instead of focusing on how we need to keep everything in the law...we need to focus on how we can keep harmony amongst us (the believers). We need to learn how to compromise and really live by the idea in 1 Cor 8:13-- "Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall"
We need to act in love and really focus on others rather than ourselves.
Just a thought... :-)
thats the way i read it at first too, but when ever this discussion is mentioned it includes the reference to heaven and earth disapearing. heaven and earth are still here... so where does that put us
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