Israel had civil laws that pertained to them and them alone. This included sacrifices, dietary laws, circumcision, cleanliness codes, court legislation, etc. These laws served to mark them out as unique from all the world.
Christian theology, in short, teaches that Jesus as the promised Messiah is the end of all that. There is no divide between a national people and the rest of the world. Rather that divide is by faith, and is open to all people of all nations and all tongues and all ancestry without having to become Jewish. Rather the bible says,
Galatians 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise.
So then those laws that served to mark national Israel (Abraham's physical, bloodline descendants) out as unique have met their end in Christ. They have served their intended purpose, and are now done.
This is why the MORAL teachings of scripture (Old and New Testament) are still upheld while the Civil laws of Old Testament Israel are not.
- fanofnothing 2012-05-09 12:39:22 (150 views)
- bongo 2012-05-11 16:20:01 (68 views)
