Jeremiah didn’t know the Sabbaths would be canceled

Question: You cite Jeremiah 31, indicating that Sabbath feasts and kosher diets are no longer connected to sin in the New Covenant. I don’t think Jeremiah knew that when he referred to “my laws.” The law anticipated that circumcision would be of the heart, and the sacrifice presented to God was our own bodies in…

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Law of God and Law of Moses: Are They the Same?

by Terry Wane Benton Seventh-Day Adventists have long made the claim that the “law of God” is the moral and permanently binding “Ten Commandments” that were kept inside the ark of the covenant while claiming that the “law of Moses” was different. They claim it was “ceremonial” law and placed “in the side of the…

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The Time of Reformation

by Terry Wane Benton The Book of Hebrews makes the argument that we had, in the past, been using carnal, earthly things in service to God (Hebrews 9:1-11) but would, from the Old Testament perspective, see a “time of reformation” (Hebrews 9:10) in which we would put down the carnal, earthly types and shadow things…

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Why are the laws for remarriage different between the Old Law and New Law?

Question: If the marriage law is universal, why is the remarriage law in Deuteronomy 24 different from Romans 7:2 in that the guilty party who gets married to a second spouse can go back to his/her first husband? Answer: The two laws of God are different. “Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I…

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Legal Rights in the Old Testament

by Kastin Carroll House to House, Vol. 28, No. 12 “For this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people'” (Deuteronomy 4:6). Presumption of Innocence Everyone was presumed innocent until proven guilty, and…

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Two “Tills”

by Terry Wane Benton Matthew 5:18 has two “tills.” “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Matthew 5:18). The meaning of Matthew 5:18 in giving us two “tills” is this: “Until heaven and earth pass”…

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What if a virgin bride did not bleed on her wedding night?

Question: Good evening Jeff, I recently got into a discussion with someone regarding Deuteronomy 22:13-21, specifically verses 15-17. He seems to think that the evidence being talked about here was blood, something I do not disagree with. I told him that I have heard that not every woman bleeds when she has sex for the…

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Why would God give a law that had to be taken away?

Question: You shared this verse: “Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:24-26). After the tutor…

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When Jeremiah Said “New” – (Hebrews 8:7-13)

by Terry Wane Benton The moment Jeremiah used the word “new” in speaking of a coming “new covenant,” there was the immediate implication that the Sinai covenant, then in place, was becoming obsolete and ready to vanish away. The idea of “vanishing away” (Hebrews 8:13) is not that you would be unable to read that…

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Why was flour allowed as a substitute for a sin offering?

Question: Dear brother in Christ, I am seeking your kind guidance for the following: When blood was required to be shed for sin as an atonement, how is it that a flour offering can be considered where there is no blood present in it? Can you please kindly clarify? Answer: For a sin offering, a person…

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No Condemnation

by Ken Green Text: Romans 8:1-4 The major theme the apostle is dealing with continues to be the results of justification by faith. This thesis was taken up in Romans 5:1, “Therefore having been justified by faith, we have…” The closing verses of chapters 5, 6, and 7 serve to underscore the direction of the…

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What is meant by “handwriting of ordinances”?

Question: What is meant by the “handwriting of ordinances” that Paul says was against “us” (including himself along with his audience)? Was the church at Colosse Jewish, Gentile or both? Answer: Colosse is located in the area that we now know as Turkey. The city was located in a valley about 100 miles east of…

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The Guardian of the Law

by Matthew W. Bassford When visitors from denominational backgrounds come to our assemblies, they are often puzzled by our tradition of a-cappella singing. “Why don’t they use instruments?” they wonder. If we explain that the Scriptures do not authorize the use of instruments in worship, they may be Biblically savvy enough to point to passages,…

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Limits of the Old Testament

by Terry Wane Benton The Old Testament was the inspired, God-given rule of law for the nation of Israel. It was not given to all people. “The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us” (Deuteronomy 5:2-3). Nehemiah spoke to God about the history of Israel: “You came down also on…

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What law was Paul referring to in Romans 3:19-20?

Question: I have a few questions about the Law in the Bible that I hope you can help answer, please. I am looking for specific information or verses and not general information, please. I may have some follow up questions after you reply if I need to clarify my understanding regarding any of your responses…

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Why do you say that the 613 laws of the Old Testament are a myth?

Question: Can you please point me to the area of teaching that shows the 613 laws are a Jewish myth? I would like to study this too. Answer: The claim that there are 613 laws in the Old Testament first appeared in the third century A.D. when a Jewish Rabbi, named Simlai, mentioned it in…

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Was fornication not a sin under the Old Testament?

Question: Since the Old Testament had no shedding of blood for fornication, could it be considered a sin under the Old Testament? Answer: There were numerous types of offerings given to God depending on the circumstances. A sin-offering was given when the person’s sin did not have restitution included in the punishment. “Now if a…

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From Saul to David, From David to Jesus

by Edwin Crozier Paul makes a subtle but profoundly powerful argument in his sermon at Antioch of Pisidia (Acts 13:16-41). The people, Paul explains, asked for a king (Acts 13:21). So God gave them Saul the son of Kish. As far as the worldly-minded would be concerned, Saul was a pretty good king. The Benjamites…

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Isn’t Acts 2:38 under the Old Covenant?

Question: Hello, I have a question for you. Isn’t Acts 2:38 still under the Old Covenant? I notice that everyone saved after Acts 2:38 was told to just believe. Acts 2:38 was intended for those Jews who were under the Old Covenant and it is the last we see of water baptism until the New…

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The Handwriting of Requirements Was the Law of Moses

by Terry Wane Benton Photo by Greg Rosenke on Unsplash Paul said the “handwriting of requirements” was “against us” and “was contrary to us” and “He (Jesus) has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14). As a result of this, no one could judge you in food or…

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Which law is the law?

Question: I have a friend who has fallen into the World Mission Society Church of God which is an anti-Christian cult. I have been trying to witness to her and she had presented me with different beliefs that I’m having trouble answering in regards to the law. I was hoping you could help with a…

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Opened Eyes and Burning Hearts

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Opened-Eyes-and-Burning-Heart.mp3 by Andy Cantrell Finding Our Purpose from the Past

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If the Law was abolished, what is written in our hearts?

Question: Good sir, Please, just for clarification, I want to ask: If the law has been abolished, what laws did God promised beforehand that He will write in our hearts? Paul gave us the reason why the law (the Ten Commandments) was weak. He said, “the law was weak in that it was through the flesh.”…

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Why were the Israels not to mix two different kinds of seed?

Question: What is meant by the command not to mix two different kinds of seed in Leviticus 19 and Deuteronomy 22? Would this mean that humans should not selectively breed new hybrids? Answer: “You shall keep My statutes. You shall not let your livestock breed with another kind. You shall not sow your field with…

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Why were the tithes taken to Jerusalem in the New Testament?

Question: I use your site so much for lessons and study and appreciate the articles and answered questions. I have a question that I wondered about after doing a “giving” study. I asked in a ladies’ group, too. On a study of giving under the New Law vs. Old Law. Tithes were taken to Jerusalem,…

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Uncleanness

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Students of the Bible are frequently confused by the Old Testament laws regulating uncleanness. Many do not understand the purpose of the laws and often wonder if they impact the Christian in some way or not. The concept of unclean is certainly an old one. It predates Moses, being first mentioned…

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Why is John the Baptist the last prophet in the Bible?

Question: Why is John the Baptist the last prophet in the Bible? (Luke 16:16) Answer: “The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it” (Luke 16:16). “From the days of John the Baptist until…

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Did God give Moses the commandment to circumcise?

Question: In John 7:21 when Jesus says, circumcision is not of Moses but of “the Fathers,” is he implying that God never gave Moses the commandment of circumcision? I know that this command is written in Genesis 17:10. However, Jesus seems to be implying that this law never came from Moses. Answer: “Did not Moses…

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The Law and the Commandments

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/LawAndTheCommandments.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Deuteronomy 30:6-16   I.         Seventh-Day Adventists insist that the only acceptable day of worship is the seventh day of the week, the Sabbath day.             A.        To get to that belief, they insist that the Ten Commandments are separate from the rest of the Law of Moses.             B.        While the “ceremonial laws” were…

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Are the Ten Commandments separate from the Law of Moses?

Question: I am a member of the Lord’s church. I ask for your help in helping me answer the below response from two who believe that the Sabbath has not been abolished. The site they are referring to is your site on the subject of Answering the Sabbath Observance that I forwarded to them, hoping that would…

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Burnt Offerings

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/BurntOfferings.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Hebrews 9:24-10:10   I.         The sacrifices of the Old Testament can be confusing because they are classified in different categories, such as by how they were done (heave, wave, burnt), what they were for (sin, trespass, vow, voluntary, peace), what they were (firstfruits, food, drink), or even how they smelled…

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Do the redemption laws only apply to firstborn sons?

Question: In your article on Jephthah’s vow, you used the verses Exodus 13:2, 12-15 that all firstborn children belong to God, and as such Jephthah couldn’t redeem her. But I’ve heard commentaries saying that these verses only talked about males. Is there something I’m missing in this? Thanks in advance and God bless. Answer: “Consecrate to…

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Jewish Feasts and Festivals

by Kyle Campbell via Truth Magazine In order to fully understand the Jewish religion and people, and to gain a greater perspective of a number of events in the New Testament, one needs to study the Jewish feasts and festivals. The Jewish feasts and festivals were scheduled at specific times in the annual calendar and they…

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Why are we not supposed to cut the sides of our hair?

Question: Why are we not supposed to cut the sides of our hair? Answer: “You shall not shave around the sides of your head, nor shall you disfigure the edges of your beard” (Leviticus 19:27). The word that is translated as “shaved” means to strike off with violence, and the word rendered “disfigured” in this…

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