The word of God is to be obeyed but some of the Old Testament laws are challenging to apply such as the law of capital punishment for incorrigible children (Exodus 21:18-21), adultery (Leviticus20:10) and false teachers (Deuteronomy 13:1-11). The question whether it is wrong for a man to trim his beards (Leviticus 19:27) or whether he can wear clothes mixed with linen and wool (Deuteronomy 22:11) also comes in. some Old Testament laws have been specifically discontinued while many have been repeated in the New Testament. Many Christians choose which to follow from the Old Testament. It was in the meeting in Jerusalem that the apostles and elders clarified on how to apply the Old Testament to the church.
On the issue of circumcision, they discussed on how the law of Moses applies to the life of a Christian (Acts 15:6). Worth noting that salvation is by faith from the preaching of the church from the beginning as Peter’s testimony (Acts 10-11) confirm that circumcision and the law of Moses were not required in contrast to the worries of the Pharisees (Acts 15:5). But the directions given to the Gentiles were to abstain from fornication (1 Corinthians 6:18; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 5:3), from blood, from things strangled and from things sacrificed to idols (1 Corinthians 10:25-29; 32). In respect to fornication, it was sinful but the other practices were not inherently sinful but would, in the Jewish context, be a provocation; as we find Jesus saying all food is clean (Mark 7:19) in addition to Peter’s vision (Acts 10-11).
We also note the Christians are not under the mosaic law because it was only given to Israel and not to the church. The church is distinct from Israel chronologically as Jesus spoke of the church as future (Matthew 16:18) in his earthly ministry, the coming of the Holy spirit (Acts 1:5) and its fulfilment (Acts 11:15-16); and since the baptism of the Holy spirit is putting Christian into the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13) which is the church (Colossians 1:18) we can say the church did not exist until the Pentecost (Acts 2). The establishment of Christ is the cornerstone of the church (Ephesians 2:20-23) and the church is delivered to him at the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18), as the dead are raised in Christ; unique with the church and not Israel as the Old testament people will also be raised according to Daniel 12:2. In addition to the distinction in chronology, the church is distinct from Israel in Citations. After the church was established Israel is referenced as distinct from the Gentiles (Acts 3:12; 4:8-10; 5:21-35 and 21:28; 1 Corinthians 10:32; Romans 10:1). The Jews and non-Jews who believed in the church age are one body, the church (Ephesians 2:11-23; Colossians 3:11), and the non believing Jews are still a distinct people for whom God has a special plan (Romans 11). The church is not the people to whom the mosaic law was made and so the law does not apply to the church. The commands of the church makes it distinct from Israel as certain commands given to the church were not given to Israel (eg the Ordinance of the Lord’s supper and baptism), and the commands of circumcision were not given to the church. Much of the Old testament laws have been restated in the New Testament but some are not; as we find from the ten commandments that nine have been restated in the New testament with the command for keeping the Sabbath day holy not obligated (Romans 14:1-5; Colossians 2:16).
Christ is the end of the law to believers (Romans 10:4) and so Christians are not under the mosaic law. The law is completed because Christ has fulfilled the law perfectly (Matthew 5:17; Hebrews 4:15), and since Christ’s righteousness is imputed to Christians (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 4) believer’s have a fulfilment of the law imputed as well. Christians are only guided by the law of Christ (Romans 8:2; 1 Corinthians 9:21; Galatians 6:2; James 1:25; 2:8, 12), and this law is to love our neighbours as ourselves (John 13:35; cf. Matthew 22:39); called the royal law (James 2:8), as love does no wrong to the neighbour (Romans 13:8-10).
Haven died to the law (Romans 7:1-6) through Christ Christians are not under the mosaic law. The picture of the relationship we have with the law is seen in Romans 7:2-3, as we have died with Christ (2Corinthians 5:14-15; Colossians 2:20; 3:3) and so our obligation to the law is ended (Galatians 2:19-20). It is we who have died (Matthew 5:17-19), not the law and so it is not abolished, so all Christians have died with Christ and have been released from the law.
The replacement of the Old covenant (Exodus 31:12-17), represented by the Sabbath by the New covenant (Luke 22:20) represented by the Lord’s super indicates that Christians are not under the mosaic law as seen the contrast with the later law of Moses and the New covenant that leads to life not death (2Corinthians 3:1-11). The ministry of death and condemnation is replaced by the ministry of spirit in terms of surpassing glory. The New
Testament forms the code of conduct for believers in the church age, some of which
are identical to what was required under the Law.
When the priesthood is changed the law must change (Hebrews 7:12), and because the priesthood is changed, Christians are not under the Mosaic Law. Christ is our priest (Hebrews 2:17; 3:1; 4:14; 6:20), and he was from the tribe of Juda, not a Levi and so the law must have been changed because if the law of priesthood remain he would not have been qualified to act as our priestly mediator (1 Timothy 1:5) to whom we pray through as high priest (Hebrews 4:14-16), and the Old has been replaced by the new (Hebrews 8:7-9); the old completely taken away for the new to exist (Hebrews 10:9).
Paul was not under the mosaic law and so Christians are not under the mosaic law (1 Corinthians 9:19-23), as he notes that if one is led by the spirit then he is not under the law (Galatians 5:18). Moreover he notes that the purpose of the law was to guide Jews to Christ and so Christians are not under the law (Galatians 3:23-26), and God gave laws to govern His people during different periods of time. This we find in that it was not inherently immoral for Adam and Eve to eat from the tree in the garden but it violated God’s direction for them and it is not necessarily righteous to build an ark, but it was God’s command to Noah.
The Old Testament has an important role in the life of a Christian as all scriptures is inspired by God and profitable (2 Timothy 3:16). Information on how God worked in the lives of other people is to instruct and encourage us and being released from the law should not discourage us from reading the word rigorously, because the Old Testament is guide us from temptation (1 Corinthians 10:1-12), and instructs us to persevere with hope (Romans 15:4). We also learn from the Old Testament wisdom books such as Psalms and proverbs, as well as learn more of God’s character from the Old Testament books. While God is revealed more clearly in the New Testament through Christ (Colossians 2:17; Hebrews 10:1), the Old Testament was still accurate and profitable (2 Timothy 3:16-17). God serves mankind in a like manner as parents do to children (Matthew 7:9-11; Hebrews 12:5-10), with different household rules according to the maturity of the children. New rules instructions come in and others are removed as the children grow; and so god treats people differently at different times to develop them.
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