The Mosaic Law: Does It Apply to Today’S Christian?

Copyright © 2016 by Duke F. McGee.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, King James Version. Cambridge Edition: 1769; King James Bible Online, 2016. www.kingjamesbibleonline.org.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 09/21/2016

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

749343

CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Assumptions

Methodology

Introduction

Glossary

Short History Of God’s Law

Introduction

The First Laws Given by God to Adam

The Fall or the Breaking of the First Law

Man’s New State and Relation to God

The Deluge

Laws given to Noah

The Importance of Blood

Historical Setting Of The Mosiac Law

From Noah to Moses

Mount Sinai

The Giving Of The Mosaic Law

Preliminary Law

God to dwell with Israel

Levitical Code

Laws and Regulations given in the Wilderness

Restated in the Promised Land

Some Final Comments on the Law of Moses

Purpose And Application For The Ancient Israelite

Introduction

Purpose for the Ancient Israelite

Application for the Ancient Israelite

The New Testament And The Mosaic Law

Introduction

Christ and the Law

Christ on the Law

Contentions about the Law

Christ Purpose in regards to the Law

The Apostles and the Early Church on the Law

Interpretation Of The Law

Structure of the Law

On the Natural law and God’s law

The Law And The New Testament Saint

Introduction

On what does our righteousness rest?

How can you say a New Testament Saint is not bound to the Law?

What then is the purpose of the Law today?

What then is our standard for morality?

Applications For The New Testament Saint

Introduction

Priestly Regulations

Sacrifice

Sanctification

Separation

In Summary

Questions And Answers

Christians only have to follow the Ten Commandments.

Only the moral law applies to Christians today.

Only the Laws restated in the New Testament apply to New Testament Christians.

Can a Christian be a Homosexual?

Can a Christian eat Pork?

Can a Christian be in a mixed marriage?

Can a Christian wear cotton and silk together?

God only loves me when I obey the Law.

God is only pleased with me when I obey the Law.

What about church authority?

Do we still have to keep the Sabbath?

What is our liberty as a New Testament Christian?

Can a Christian get tattoos?

Is not the Law unfair, it seems unjust?

Can A Christian Drink?

Summary to Questions

One Final Application

Bibliography

Appendix 1

The 613 Mitzvot (Commandments) Of The Torah

Appendix 2

Laws Of The Bible In Outline Format

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

T he author wishes to express sincere appreciation to Pastor Robert Larrabee, Pastor Paul Ball and Pastor Ray Boutwell for years of encouragement and edification. To Pastor Shawn Creamer and Pastor Charles Meek my missionary pastors who continue to challenge and edify. To Mike Ruffridge, who was and is always a good sounding board and encouraged deeper studying into the Word of God. To Manny Rodríguez, another brother who also encourages deeper study and reflections on the Word of God, and to Fran Jones who challenged me to seek and learn, to question my motives and to remember whom we should seek to impress. Mrs. Jones, here is that paper and only 30 years past the due date. Thanks also to the many friends and colleagues for their valuable input. And to my wife Robin, my chief editor and overseer of my use of the English language, honey, here is another; (semi-colon). And lastly to my mother, without whom I would not be…

ASSUMPTIONS

The following assumptions are made:

1. That God created all things that exist.

2. That God has the right to set regulations for His creation.

3. That the Word of God is pure, correct and historically accurate.

4. That God, by the Word of God, is the final authority on all matters.

5. That man fell from grace.

6. That God has had a redemptive plan for man from the beginning.

7. That Jesus Christ is the culmination of that plan.

8. And that Christ is the only way to redemption.

T he author is aware that assumptions are usually stated in scientific and mathematical papers; however, I felt it was important, because of the great diversity in denominational beliefs, to state some basic beliefs (assumptions) that the reader may have a point of reference for the body of the text.

METHODOLOGY

T oo many times, we read books, articles or papers on Christianity and we are left to wonder where the author is coming from or what his approach is for interpreting Scripture. So right here, at the start, I would like to declare my method of interpretation and on which translation of the Scripture I rest. First, I take the Word of God (Scriptures) to be infallible, inerrant and without contradiction. I believe that God said what He meant and meant what He said, and it is our task and responsibility to rightly divide the word of truth. On all matters of life and spirit the Scripture is the final authority; in saying this, the Scripture will be the primary source material for the whole of this paper. When speaking of the Scripture I am referring to the Authorized Version 1611. I believe this is the preserved Word of God for the English speaking people. I realize this is another hotly debated topic and we do not have the time or the space to debate it here, as this would be a distraction from the main topic. I will say though, outside of textual criticisms, biblical preservation, manuscript evidence, dynamic or formal equivalence translation and a host other topics in this debate, it all comes down to this; who is the final authority? We as Christians need to take a stand, we need to pick a version or translation that we believe is the Word of God and say thus saith the word of God. If we do not, we set ourselves up as the final authority and not God; we don’t like how one version says something, so we go to another and another until we find one that says what we want or that proves our point. This is not being transformed by the Word of God, but making the Word of God to conform to us and our biases. It is a matter of faith or belief, we either trust that God (believe) has preserved His Word ¹ or that He lied and did not.

My Interpretative Method is to take all Scripture as literal, except in those cases where there is no doubt as to its figurative nature, and will conform to the following outline:

1. Rely on what the Bible says

2. Take the language in a normal sense

a. Figurative language still conveys a normal meaning

b. The simplest most obvious interpretation is usually the correct one

c. "Where the plain sense of scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense; therefore take every word at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning unless the facts of the immediate text clearly indicate otherwise" (Cooper, 1947, 1949)²

3. Take Scripture in Context

a. Follow the progression of thought in each passage

b. Find the purpose of the speaker

c. Who is speaking and to whom are they speaking

4. Compare Scripture with Scripture

a. There are no hidden or secret passages

b. Scripture does not contradict Scripture

5. Remember God reveals thing through progressive revelation

a. One step at a time

b. Scriptural truth builds on Scriptural truth

6. All Scripture glorifies God

INTRODUCTION

T he question of the Law in the Word of God and how it applies to the New Testament Saint was one of the first questions asked of the Apostles and the reason for the first Church council in Jerusalem. It has been debated down through the centuries and is still debated today. The Old Testament Law, especially the Levitical Code or Mosaic Law, has been the cause of many denominational splits over the years and has been used as a wall of separation between Jew and Gentile.

We will set out to answer the question, Does the Mosaic Law apply to the New Testament Christian? And if so, how do we make that application? We will first examine the origins of the Law and follow its development from creation to Moses. Then look into its application and perversion from Moses to the time of Christ. We will then see what Jesus Christ and the Apostles had to say about the Law and its relevance. After this we will attempt to answer the above question and make applications, if any, for today’s New Testament Saint. Lastly, we will look at some arguments for and against our application.

GLOSSARY

Antediluvian [an(t)ēdə'loōovēən] of or belonging to the time before the Biblical Flood

Conscience [kon-shuhns] the inner sense of what is right or wrong in one’s conduct or motives, impelling one toward right action: to follow the dictates of conscience; sense of the quality of one’s character and conduct

Dispensation [dis-pən-'sā-shən] an exemption from a law or from an impediment, vow, or oath

Ethics [eth-iks] a system of moral principles; that branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and to the goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions.

Exodus (the) the deliverance of the descendants of Abraham from slavery in Egypt as recorded in the books of Moses.

Grace [greys] the free and unmerited favour of God shown towards man

Hermeneutic [hər-mə-'nü-tik]. is the study of the principles of interpretation, a method or principle of interpretation.

Holy [hoh-lee] dedicated or devoted to the service of God: having a spiritually pure quality

Homiletics [hom·i·let·ics] the art of writing and preaching sermons.

Judaize [jü-dē-ֽīz] to adopt the customs, beliefs, or character of a Jew; to make Jewish

Levitical [li-vit-i-kuhl] of or relating to the book of Leviticus containing moral precepts and many of the laws concerning the Temple ritual and construction

Mitzvot 43817.png commandments

Morality [muh-ral-i-tee] conformity to the rules of right conduct

New Covenant the Covenant made by Jesus Christ at Calvary. An open covenant to any and all that will accept it. A covenant based on Divine grace rather than the Mosaic Law

Old Covenant the Covenant (agreement) between God and the Israelites. Based on the Mosaic Law

Sanctification [sangk-tuh-fa-ka-shun] the act of making holy; set apart as sacred; consecrate

Sin any transgression of the law, (1 John 3:4)

Subdue to bring (land) under cultivation: to bring under control especially by an exertion of the will

SHORT HISTORY OF GOD’S LAW

Introduction

M ost of the regulations in the Mosaic Law did not originate with the Mosaic Law, but are actions or subjects that God regulates with the Mosaic Law. For this purpose, before we can begin to answer the question Does the Mosaic Law apply to the New Testament Christian? we will first need to look at the history and development of God’s law. This will give us an understanding of the purpose of the law, past applications, misunderstandings or misapplication of the law, and failures in performance of the law.

The First Laws Given by God to Adam

Adam, the first man, was given a set of laws directly from God. These laws can be found in Genesis chapter two, which is a recap or summary of the sixth day of creation, the very day that God created man. This set of laws had both dietary and regulatory aspects. The regulatory included the command to be fruitful and multiply (to fill the earth with their offspring) and to subdue the earth (Genesis 1:28³). Adam was given dominion over all of creation. With this rule over creation, man was also given the responsibility for that rule. Adam was also given a dietary law, every herb bearing seed and every tree with fruit yielding seed (Genesis 1:29⁴). God then planted a garden in Eden and placed Adam in it (Genesis 2:8⁵). In this garden God planted every fruit bearing tree along with two other trees, the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. There Adam was given specific commands in relation to the garden. He was commanded to dress and keep it; Adam was given the responsibility for the gardens appearance and maintenance. Adam was also given one prohibition or negative command, which was not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:17⁶). With this prohibition God also gave the consequences of the failure to obey, death. After placing Adam in the garden and giving him these commands, God then set about the process of creating a help meet for Adam. God then created another one of each of the beasts of the field and fowls of the air and brought them to Adam to see what he would name them and so Adam could find or have this help meet (Genesis 2:19-20⁷). Whatever Adam called them, that was their name. This is significant in that:

• First, Adam had the authority to classify or name the animals; Adam’s demonstration of that he was acting on the dominion aspect of the commands given him;

• Second, it shows Adam’s reasoning and logic skills, the naming of the animals was not the primary purpose, the primary purpose was to find a help meet for Adam. None of the animals met the requirements of help meet specifically for Adam. After Adam had determined this, God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep, took a rib from him and created woman (Genesis 2:21-22⁸).

When Adam was presented with the woman God had created from him, he named her Eve and instituted another law, the law of marriage (Genesis 2:23-24⁹). With this law he also instituted the bases of society and family relations. He states that it was for marriage that a man was to leave his father and mother and then cleave unto his wife, the two becoming one flesh.

The laws given to Adam by God along with the laws instituted by Adam can be said to be the original laws or the first set of laws and are commonly referred to as the Adamic Law.

The Fall or the Breaking of the First Law

The transgression of the first law is recorded in Genesis chapter 3. The attack came on the law of God in the form of a question: Yea hath God said… This was and still is the primary attack on any of God’s commandments. We will explore this in more depth later on. For now let us look into the events leading up to the breaking of God’s law.

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. (Genesis 3:1-7)

In this narrative we have the conversation between Eve and the Serpent. The serpent starts out with a statement calling into question the word of God: Yea hath God said. Again, this question has rung out down through the ages and is still used today by those who scoff and mock God.

Eve’s first error was changing the word of God; she added neither shall ye touch it. This was a more restrictive command and also in opposition to what the Lord had told them. God had given Adam the command to keep and tend the garden. By necessity they would have had to touch the tree to prune and care for it. In making the command more restrictive, then by violating that more restrictive aspect, with no consequences (by touching the tree she did not die) it was easier to violate the real prohibition of not eating the fruit. She also seems to have studied the fruit and begin to justify her actions. She saw it was good for food, pleasant to the eye and she thought it would make one wise. After this reasoning, with that desire to be wiser than God she did eat and gave to her husband. At this point we may wonder where Adam was for this whole conversation. We really don’t know— he could have been standing right beside her or on the other side of the garden. The thing with Adam is that he went in eyes wide open. He knew the consequences; he was the one God had directly given the commandments. Adam had a choice to make. Choose to obey God or follow his wife. Instead of choosing God, Adam chose Eve. He made a conscious decision to reject God.

"For as by one man’s disobedience