Should Christians keep the law?

[otseng]

From the thread Keeping the commandments:

Do you keep the law?

Questions for debate:
Should Christians keep the law?
If so, how much of the laws should we keep?

[Sojournerofthearth]

[Replying to post 86 by 2timothy316]

he said to be sure to keep 6 of them in particular.

Acutally, He named 5... Because his intent was to point out to the young man that he was guilty of coveting.

Soj

[2timothy316]

[Replying to post 86 by 2timothy316]

he said to be sure to keep 6 of them in particular.

Acutally, He named 5... Because his intent was to point out to the young man that he was guilty of coveting.

Soj

You're thinking of the Ten Commandments. There were more than 10 commandments in the Law of Moses. Because there are more commandments than 10 there were 6 Jesus named. To love one's neighbor has themselves is one of the commandments of the Law of Moses. To love one's neighbor as themselves is not one of the Ten Words (commandments) though. The problem with the young man was that he valued money more than following Jesus, as Jesus pointed out.

Also, the commandment was not simply one mustn't covet, it was "You must not desire your fellow mans house. You must not desire your fellow mans wife nor his slave man nor his slave girl nor his bull nor his donkey nor anything that belongs to your fellow man.

Merriam Webster defines covet as: to desire (what belongs to another) inordinately or culpably

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/covet

The rich person didn't want to lose his own stuff. It wasn't that desired someone else's things. Under the definition of the word, one can't covet something they already own.

[Sojournerofthearth]

[Replying to post 91 by 2timothy316]

To love ones neighbor is to follow the last 6 commandments. To love God is to follow the first 4. Since he was a young man, I would imagine most of those riches belonged to his family. But Jesus did not mention Coveteousness at all. And yet, only this man was directed to abandon his wealth...this one who said he had kept the commandments from his youth.

Soj

[2timothy316]

[Replying to post 91 by 2timothy316]

To love ones neighbor is to follow the last 6 commandments.

Those 6 and more. The whole Law, including beyond the 10 Words, hangs on 2 laws, to love ones neighbor as themselves and to love Jehovah with all our heart, mind and soul. (Matt 22:36, 40) Yet the man asked what needed to be kept and rather than spell out all the festivals, Sabbaths etc etc, he focused on what the high points of the law were.

To love God is to follow the first 4.

This is what love means, that we go on walking according to his commandments. (2 John 6)

and

"Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. In turn, whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will clearly show myself to him. (John 14:21)

Since he was a young man, I would imagine most of those riches belonged to his family. But Jesus did not mention Coveteousness at all. And yet, only this man was directed to abandon his wealth...this one who said he had kept the commandments from his youth.

Soj

The 10 Commandments or 10 Words, was something the young man was apparently already following. Jesus it seems felt the man's sincere want to please Jehovah his God. Yet Jesus gave him another command to leave all of his material belongings behind and follow him. So while the young man did seem to love God and His Son, he didn't love them more than his belongings and money. So the man wasn't following what the Law hung on, namely you must love God more than everything else. So the moral of the story is, one can follow the law or the Ten Commandments but break what the Law hangs on, which is just as serious. Yet one can break a Law commandment yet keep what the Law hangs on. For example: Back in Jesus day if a person broke their arm on the Sabbath, it was decreed unlawful to set the bone on the Sabbath. Risking serious and permanent harm for the sake of the Sabbath breaks what the Law of love that the Law hangs on. The Sabbath came into existence for the sake of man, and not man for the sake of the Sabbath." (Mark 2:27)

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 1 by otseng]

We Jehovahs Witnesses believe the Mosaic Law code has been abolished, we dont have to keep any of it. Christans are under Christian law.


JW

Then Jehovah's Witnesses do not follow Jesus:

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

You don't keep any of the Mosaic Law? Then your religion teaches murder, theft, adultery? I doubt it.

Christian law prohibits murder, theft and adultery so we have that covered. Thanks for asking.

[brianbbs67]

Keeping all 613 commandments or 1613(I have yet to hear an answer to that) as I heard one describe, will not save you. They are just the instructions. Salvation always came only from God. In whatever form He presented. Should we follow the bible commands of Moses? Yes, out of respect for God, but they won't save us. God knows and is the only who saves.

Yeshua is a great guide back to Godly practices and His Torah(literally instructions). As we look at these ancient laws, the decalogue divides them into groups. The circumstances of where and under what rule we live decide the rest. We are not under an Israelite Theocracy. Those can't be enforced until the return. Niether can the sacrifices and ceremonies be enforced as no Temple. The bible does tell us that it all will be again. When the Messiah regns for God, here.

So, the question I see is the same one Israel and Judah faced in exile. Do you follow as much as you can, legally and wait on the rest? Or just do as much as God instructs in the situation you're are in knowing its all coming back at some point? I prefer to be as ready as possible.

[2timothy316]

Yeshua is a great guide back to Godly practices and His Torah(literally instructions). As we look at these ancient laws, the decalogue divides them into groups. The circumstances of where and under what rule we live decide the rest. We are not under an Israelite Theocracy. Those can't be enforced until the return. Niether can the sacrifices and ceremonies be enforced as no Temple. The bible does tell us that it all will be again. When the Messiah regns for God, here.

You say, the Bible tells us but your post is void of scriptures that 'tell us'. I have read no scripture that says that sacrifices are to return. In fact I read quite the opposite.

"After first saying: You did not want nor did you approve of sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sin offerings"sacrifices that are offered according to the Law" then he says: Look! I have come to do your will. He does away with what is first in order to establish what is second. By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time." - Hebrews 10:8-10

According to the Bible, "he does away with what is first", meaning the sacrificial law, in order to establish the second, which is the offering of the body of Jesus Christ.

It does beg the question, what do you think the purpose was of the Jews sacrificing animals in the first place? The Bible says that is Law was "a shadow of the good things to come." (Heb 10:1) What was the sacrificial Law a shadow of?

[brianbbs67]

[Replying to post 96 by 2timothy316]

I don't know this site but they list most of the verses pertaining to sacrifices returning.

https://www.compellingtruth.org/millenn ... fices.html

[onewithhim]

[Replying to post 96 by 2timothy316]

I don't know this site but they list most of the verses pertaining to sacrifices returning.

https://www.compellingtruth.org/millenn ... fices.html

It couldn't be, as the writer of Hebrews succinctly brought out. Jesus gave himself as the final, real sacrifice that God accepted in the TRUE TEMPLE not made with hands. There is no more need for any sacrifices.

[brianbbs67]

[Replying to post 96 by 2timothy316]

I don't know this site but they list most of the verses pertaining to sacrifices returning.

https://www.compellingtruth.org/millenn ... fices.html

It couldn't be, as the writer of Hebrews succinctly brought out. Jesus gave himself as the final, real sacrifice that God accepted in the TRUE TEMPLE not made with hands. There is no more need for any sacrifices.

Then what of these verses that say it will? God said it will?

Quote of text:

During the millennial kingdom, will there be animal sacrifices?

Though it may sound strange, the Bible does indicate that animal sacrifices will take place during the millennial kingdom. Ezekiel 43"46 offers the most developed prophecies regarding these practices as it deals with the Jewish temple that will exist during the millennial kingdom and what takes place in it. Specifically, the line of Zadok will offer sacrifices (44:15). Specific animal sacrifices are described in chapters 45"46 and include rams, lambs, and bulls.

In addition to Ezekiel, Isaiah discusses sacrifices in the future millennial kingdom, stating: "their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar" (Isaiah 56:7). Zechariah 14:16 adds, "Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths." This celebration would also include animal sacrifices. Jeremiah 33:18 notes that during this time period, "the Levitical priests shall never lack a man in my presence to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to make sacrifices forever."

Some object to the idea that animal sacrifices will take place during the millennial kingdom, believing this is no longer needed following the work of Christ on the cross. For example, Hebrews 10:11-12 states, "Every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God." If Christ paid the sacrifice for our sins, why will animal sacrifice continue in the future?

While not every aspect of this question is answered in Scripture, it is clear that the continued use of animal sacrifices during the millennial kingdom is a fulfillment of God's prophecies made long ago. If animal sacrifices do not resume in this time period, this will mean God has not kept His promises in this area. Yet God always keeps His promises (Deuteronomy 7:9).

These sacrifices did not take away sin in the Old Testament, but were done in obedience to the Lord in repentance of sin. In a similar way, future animal sacrifices during the millennial kingdom will not take away sin, but will serve as a reminder or memorial to the Lord (Hebrews 10:3). This is not unlike the way Christians take the Lord's Supper during this current time period (or church age) as a reminder of Jesus' death and resurrection.

Though the thought of animal sacrifices during the millennial kingdom may sound strange to today's Christians, the sacrifices will be a fulfillment of God's prophecies and serve as an act of worship to the Lord. Christ Himself will reign during this time, offering a new meaning to these offerings as they are presented in the kingdom as Jesus reigns as Messiah and King