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Are we still required to follow Mosaic law?

Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2012 4:13 pm
by Sam1995
Apologies if this is a double post.

I would love to hear some of your personal viewpoints on this!

[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. - Matthew 5:17 NIV]

Definition of "fulfill" - "Bring to completion or reality; achieve or realize (something desired, promised, or predicted)."
Definition of "abolish" - "Formally put an end to."

From Matthew 5:17, it leaves me slightly unclear as to whether or not we are still required to follow Mosaic law, I understand that we are saved by grace through faith but what does this mean? Are we actually required to follow mosaic law? Or is Jesus not talking about mosaic law here?

Like I said, interested in hearing your thoughts on this!

God bless,

SB

Re: Are we still required to follow Mosaic law?

Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 2:45 am
by Proinsias
Lots of recent & ongoing thoughts on this over here.

Re: Are we still required to follow Mosaic law?

Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 6:37 am
by PaulSacramento
Are we required to follow it? No.
Can we choose to follow it, yes.

Re: Are we still required to follow Mosaic law?

Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 8:28 am
by Sam1995
PaulSacramento wrote:Are we required to follow it? No.
Can we choose to follow it, yes.
It's something like that I was looking for! lol

Thanks friend, God bless!

SB

Re: Are we still required to follow Mosaic law?

Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 10:28 am
by PaulSacramento
Sam1995 wrote:
PaulSacramento wrote:Are we required to follow it? No.
Can we choose to follow it, yes.
It's something like that I was looking for! lol

Thanks friend, God bless!

SB
You will find those that disagree with my view and that have scriptural backing for their understanding that we are still under SOME of the Mosaic Law, the big 10 typically.

Re: Are we still required to follow Mosaic law?

Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 10:34 am
by Sam1995
PaulSacramento wrote:
Sam1995 wrote:
PaulSacramento wrote:Are we required to follow it? No.
Can we choose to follow it, yes.
It's something like that I was looking for! lol

Thanks friend, God bless!

SB
You will find those that disagree with my view and that have scriptural backing for their understanding that we are still under SOME of the Mosaic Law, the big 10 typically.
Haha "the big 10," could one not argue that they are essenial anyway because they fit in with many laws within many countries in today's society? It would be punishable not to follow some of them, regardless of faith...

SB

Re: Are we still required to follow Mosaic law?

Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 10:50 am
by PaulSacramento
Sam1995 wrote:
PaulSacramento wrote:
Sam1995 wrote:
PaulSacramento wrote:Are we required to follow it? No.
Can we choose to follow it, yes.
It's something like that I was looking for! lol

Thanks friend, God bless!

SB
You will find those that disagree with my view and that have scriptural backing for their understanding that we are still under SOME of the Mosaic Law, the big 10 typically.
Haha "the big 10," could one not argue that they are essenial anyway because they fit in with many laws within many countries in today's society? It would be punishable not to follow some of them, regardless of faith...

SB
The theological debates typically center around the Sabbath command.
Few few will argue about the other 9 commandments.
There are over 600 Mosaic Laws and not even most jews keep all of them.
Many laws are only for the priestly class, some are ceremonial and others were causal laws under circumstances that no longer apply to Us or to Gentiles in general (arguably).
In short, even those that believe we are to keep the Mosaic Laws, they do NOT believe we are to keep ALL of them and tend to "pick and choose" which ones they follow based on their understanding of the bible.

Re: Are we still required to follow Mosaic law?

Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 1:43 pm
by Sam1995
Ah, I see! Thank you for clearing that up!

SB

Re: Are we still required to follow Mosaic law?

Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 10:36 am
by theophilus
God has given two kinds of commands. He has given moral laws which apply to everyone at all times. Jesus summarized these laws in two commands: Love God with all your power and love your neighbor as yourself.

He has also given commands to specific individuals and groups. They apply only to the people to whom they were given and often are only in effect for a limited time.

The Mosaic law contains both kinds of commands. It includes ceremonial laws given only to the Jews, such as circumcision, animal sacrifice, and dietary laws. But many of the commands are instructions on how to put into practice God's universal moral standards. Those in the last group still apply; the others do not.

But we should still study the laws we are no longer required to obey because they reveal spiritual principles that still apply today. Here are a couple of examples of this:

http://clydeherrin.wordpress.com/2012/0 ... m-the-law/

http://clydeherrin.wordpress.com/2012/0 ... and-linen/

Re: Are we still required to follow Mosaic law?

Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 12:19 pm
by RickD
Are we still required to follow Mosaic law?
Who exactly is the "we" in your question? And, why do you think "we" were ever required to follow the Mosaic law?

Re: Are we still required to follow Mosaic law?

Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 12:49 pm
by Sam1995
RickD wrote:
Are we still required to follow Mosaic law?
Who exactly is the "we" in your question? And, why do you think "we" were ever required to follow the Mosaic law?
"we" refers to today's Christians, and I asked the question because my ethics teacher made a statement which didn't sit well with me, we had been studying Christian ethics and he made the statement "many Christians today don't even follow Mosaic law even though Jesus told us He did not come to get rid of the laws, so we should still follow them."

SB

Re: Are we still required to follow Mosaic law?

Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 12:55 pm
by PaulSacramento
Since Jesus never commented DIRECTLY on how gentiles are to keep the Law ( if we are to keep), we have to go on what was written by the apostles.

Re: Are we still required to follow Mosaic law?

Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 12:56 pm
by Sam1995
Was just asking mainly for clarification because I'm not too sure on what to think! Especially considering I have ethics again tomorrow afternoon and want to have a case against what my teacher had said! ;)

SB

Re: Are we still required to follow Mosaic law?

Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 1:00 pm
by PaulSacramento
Sam1995 wrote:Was just asking mainly for clarification because I'm not too sure on what to think! Especially considering I have ethics again tomorrow afternoon and want to have a case against what my teacher had said! ;)

SB
Well, that is a theological question not an "ethics" one so why on earth are you discussing bible theology in an ethics class?

Re: Are we still required to follow Mosaic law?

Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 1:02 pm
by Sam1995
PaulSacramento wrote:
Sam1995 wrote:Was just asking mainly for clarification because I'm not too sure on what to think! Especially considering I have ethics again tomorrow afternoon and want to have a case against what my teacher had said! ;)

SB
Well, that is a theological question not an "ethics" one so why on earth are you discussing bible theology in an ethics class?
Believe it or not, it's a sub-topic within the topic of "Christian ethics," I don't know why, exam board specifications are weird...

SB