Introduction
Should Christians keep the Old Testament (OT) law? The question of how Christians should relate to the Mosaic law has been debated since the founding of Christianity. An example of this debate can be found in the New Testament (NT) in Acts 15 where we find a sharp disagreement within the church in Jerusalem over whether or not a person must keep the Law of Moses in order to be a Christian. Since the time of the apostles, opinions regarding the Christian’s relation to the Law have ranged from rejecting the OT wholesale to treating all of the OT laws as still in effect. We will look at the teaching of the NT to determine how the Christian should relate to the Law and then we will look at some of the practical implications of that relationship.
The OT Laws Do (Not) Apply Today1
The Law is not binding on Christians (in a legal sense)
First of all, the NT makes it clear that the OT laws are not binding on Christians – at least not as law. Jesus, in Matthew 5:17, says that he has come to fulfill the Law, and what is fulfilled is no longer enforced. The conclusion of the debate in Acts 15 is that Christians do not need to be circumcised or keep the Law of Moses. Paul repeatedly insists that Christians are not to bind themselves to the Law. He says in Galatians 3:13 that “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us.” In Galatians 4 Paul creates an allegory in which Sarah represents the new covenant and Hagar represents the old covenant. The conclusion of the allegory is to cast out Hagar because Christians are children of Sarah. Likewise, in Romans 7 Paul compares the old and new covenants to a widow getting remarried (to the new covenant) after her first husband (the old covenant) has died. Practically the entire letter to the Hebrews could also be called upon to testify that the old covenant has been fulfilled and has been superseded by the new covenant. So the NT states in a variety of ways that the Christian is not bound by the Law.
The Law is All or Nothing
Not only is the Christian not bound by the Law, but it is literally impossible for Christians to keep most of the laws in the OT. Many laws are so time and place dependent that they cannot be carried out today. In light of this fact many Christians have created a three-part division of the Law: moral, ceremonial, and civil. Those who divide the Law as such suggest that it is only the moral law that is binding on the Christian, not the ceremonial or civil. While there is an element of truth to this idea, dividing the law presents more problems than it solves.2
First of all, nowhere in the Bible is such a division suggested, so any division of the Law is an arbitrary framework being laid on the Bible. Not only is there no hint of such a division in the Bible, but we are told that the Law is either binding in whole or not binding at all; there is no dividing the Law (Galatians 5:3). Also, upon reflection we can see that such a division is impossible to make. It is a moral imperative to follow all of God’s commands, so how can we separate the moral aspect from the ceremonial or civil laws? The Law clearly makes it a moral duty for those under the Law to make sacrifices, keep the weekly Sabbath, keep the clean/unclean regulations, etc.
Either we keep the Law, or we do not keep the Law. So in order to remain consistent with both the NT and logic we need to accept that the OT laws (even the beloved ten commandments) are not at all binding on Christians in a legal sense. However, that is not to say we should reject the OT and its laws, because there are in fact two ways in which the OT law is binding on Christians.
The Law is binding on Christians as it overlaps with NT commands
First, and perhaps most obviously, the OT laws are binding on Christians when those laws are repeated in the NT. That is to say, we are bound by such laws not because they are in the old covenant, but because they are part of the new covenant. For example, laws such as “do not murder”, “do not commit adultery”, and “honor your parents” are all repeated in the NT. Not only are some laws from the OT found in the NT, but we often find that laws in the OT are amplified in the NT by focusing on the principle underlying the law. For example, “do not murder” becomes “do not be angry” and “do not commit adultery” becomes “do not lust”. So the OT laws are binding on Christians when they are also found in the NT.
The Law is binding on Christians as a guide and teacher
As Paul tells Timothy, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Likewise, in Galatians 3:24 Paul explains that the Law was a tutor intended to point us towards Jesus. With this in mind we can say that while the Law is not binding in a legal sense, the principles underlying the Law are binding on the Christian because the Law was meant to teach us.
The principle underlying some of the laws, especially the sacrifices, point to and are fulfilled by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The more we learn about those laws the more we will understand what the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus means for us. Other laws have underlying principles which teach us how we ought to treat others. As we learn about these laws we will be better able to identify how God desires His people to act in different situations. Still other laws show us how serious sin and it’s consequences are.
Ultimately, when we love God with all of our being and love our neighbors as ourselves we will be fulfilling the principles of the Law. This is why Paul, while asserting that Christians are not bound by the Law, can still say that if we live by faith then we in fact establish the Law (Romans 3:31).
Implications For Christians
With the above discussion in mind, what implications does the not-binding / binding of the Law have for the Christian? Two come to mind:
Christians should not ignore the OT
It’s an unfortunate fact that many Christians do not emphasize the OT as part of their studies, yet the OT is just as much given to us by God as the NT. If the OT is to be our tutor then we have to listen to what it says. No, the laws are not binding on us, but we learn about God (who gave the laws), we learn the underlying principles of the laws, and we learn from the mistakes of those who failed to keep the laws.
Care must be taken when “proof-texting” from the Law
Since the Law is not binding on the Christian in a legal sense, proof-texting from the Law must be done with care. Without taking the whole Bible into account, proof-texting from the Law is easily counter-proof-texted. It is better to use the Law as part of a larger argument, taking into account the Bible as a whole.
For example, if Leviticus 18:22 is cited by itself as a proof against homosexuality, an easy counter would be to point out that it is inconsistent to hold to Leviticus 18:22 while wearing a shirt made from polyester and cotton, thus breaking the command in Leviticus 19:19 to not wear clothes made with two kinds of material. Instead of citing Leviticus 18:22 by itself to show that homosexuality is sinful, it would be better to state that homosexuality is consistently denounced throughout the Bible and never approved of. Then the argument against homosexuality can be fleshed out with various passages in the Bible, including Leviticus 18:22, to illustrate the point.
Conclusion
The relationship between the OT laws and the Christian is extremely important for us to get correct – it’s a matter of obeying God. Some ignore the OT, others try to enforce the OT laws, but what does the Bible say for itself? The NT consistently asserts that the Law is not binding on Christians as a law; however, the NT also reminds us that the Law was given to us as a teacher and guide and so we should listen to what it has to teach us. It is as though the Law has been taken off of the back of the Christian and placed into his hands: no longer a burden, but a tool.3
Notes
- David A. Dorsey’s article “The Law of Moses and the Christian: A Compromise” is a very helpful analysis of the issue and contributed greatly to organizing my thoughts on the subject. The article can be found online here.
- Wenham, Gordon. The Book of Leviticus. The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, Eerdmans, 1979. pp. 32.
- Dorsey, David. “The Law of Moses and the Christian: A Compromise.” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society. vol. 34, no. 3, 1991, pp. 331.
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