Posts Tagged ‘Old Law’
You can’t be saved unless you become an Israelite
Question: You refer to Jeremiah 31:31 as a proof text to prove that it is no longer necessary to keep the Sabbath. Have you noticed who the New Covenant is made with? It is with the House of Israel and the House of Judah. Paul cites this in Hebrew 8:8 also. If you don’t belong…
Read MoreWhy was proof required of virginity in the Old Testament?
Question: What if a woman has had oral sex with her boyfriend? Can she just repent and be forgiven? The Old Testament seems very harsh concerning death for them both. Why did God forbid it? I never had any blood when I first had sex. I was supposed to be a virgin up until the…
Read MoreJephthah’s Daughter
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton The story of Jephthah recorded in Judges 11:29-40 has caused difficulties for Bible students. Jephthah, by the Lord’s leading, is about to wage a major battle against the Ammonites. Before going off to battle, Jephthah makes a vow to God. The first thing that greets him from his home when he…
Read MoreMarried to Christ
by Keith Sharp The theme of Romans is the gospel, God’s power to save all who believe (Romans 1:16-17). This is equivalent to saying we are justified by faith apart from the law (Romans 3:20-31). The law that is no part of our justification is the law given through Moses to Israel (Romans 2:12-27; 3:21).…
Read MoreCould masters under the Old Testament law beat or kill their slaves?
Question: I know what the Scriptures teach about how we Christians today are to treat our fellow man and that it is a serious sin to murder, that being so, Is it true that during the Old Testament age the slave masters had the right to severely beat or to even kill their slaves? Answer: The slave laws…
Read MoreHow can the Sabbath be moved when Christ said he did not come to destroy the law?
Question: Christ did not come to destroy the law but to magnify it. He magnified the law from the letter of the law to the spirit of the law by saying to lust after a woman in one’s mind is equivalent to adultery. But in magnifying the law how can the Sabbath be moved from…
Read MoreSince Christians are spiritual Israel, shouldn’t they be following the Ten Commandments?
Question: In the current age, Christians are spiritual Israel. Hence, the Ten Commandments would still apply to us just as they did to physical Israel. Answer: This point alludes to Romans 2:23-29: “You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? For “the name of God is blasphemed among…
Read MoreSince Jesus said to keep the commandments, shouldn’t we keep the Sabbath?
Question: Christ was asked in the Bible, “Lord, what must I do to enter the kingdom of Heaven?” Christ replied, “keep the commandments” and named a few of them. Since keeping the Sabbath was one of them, shouldn’t we keep the Sabbath today? Answer: You are referring to the question asked by the rich young…
Read MoreHow important is the Sabbath day?
Question: How important is the Sabbath day (Saturday)? Is it something that we have to do? Thanks for the help. Answer: Ever since the covenant changed with the death of Jesus, the observance of the Sabbath has ceased to be a requirement. The law brought down from Mt. Sinai by Moses, which included the laws…
Read MoreDo the Ten Commandments apply to Christians?
Question: If we, as Christians, no longer follow the laws of the Old Testament, does that also apply to the Ten Commandments? Answer: People today tend to look at the Ten Commandments as an entity separate from the Mosaical Law. Yet, these ten commandments were the prelude to the body of laws Moses brought down…
Read MoreDid the apostle Paul keep the laws found in the Torah?
Question: Did the apostle Paul keep the laws found in the Torah? If so, why do people reject them today? Answer: “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might…
Read MoreWhat is the difference between a priest and a Levite?
Question: What is the difference between the priests and the Levites in the Old Testament? Answer: Initially, God offered to make the entire nation of Israel a nation of priests. “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people;…
Read MoreWere the covenants for the Israelites only?
Question: The New Covenant is made with the House of Judah and the House of Israel only (Hebrews 8:8). Indeed, the New Covenant could not be made with any people who did not first have an Old Covenant. Answer: The reference to Hebrews 8:8 is a part of a quote from Jeremiah 31:31-32 which reads, “Behold, the days are…
Read MoreObserving the Sabbath
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton The first mention of the Sabbath day appears in Exodus 16. It is true that God rested on the seventh day after creating the world in six days. However, in the nearly 3,000-year record which was given in Genesis, there is no mention of mankind observing a Sabbath day. In fact,…
Read MoreDo Jews and Christians both follow the teachings of the Old Testament?
Question: Do Jews and Christians both follow the teachings of the Old Testament? Answer: The Old Testament was given solely to the nation of Israel. “And Moses called all Israel, and said to them: “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your hearing today, that you may learn them and be…
Read MoreWere only the sacrificial ordinances abolished from the Law?
Question: It is my understanding that the law remains, and only the sacrificial ordinances were abolished because Christ shed his blood for us once and for all. Answer: The difficulty in declaring that only a portion of the Mosaical Law was ended by Christ is in determining where to draw the line. One of the…
Read MoreWhy We Don’t Follow the Old Testament
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Our Bibles are composed of two major parts, an Old Testament and a New Testament. Why were these names selected? A testament is a will or a covenant. We still use the word today when we speak of a person’s “last will and testament.” These names indicate that the Bible is…
Read MoreHow can the Old Covenant be everlasting and yet come to an end?
Question: Since the Old Testament in many places talks about the “everlasting covenant” with the Israelites, why is it no longer everlasting? Answer: The word “everlasting” does not necessarily mean “infinite.” The world is described as lasting forever, but we know from II Peter 3 that there is a terminating point. Instead, the correct definition…
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