Just when did this notion of the new testament overturning the old testament law become popular?

Question

Every time someone here mentions the old testament, a chorus of answerers respond that Jesus overturned OT law. (But when I asked the obvious question why not delete it from the bible, not one Christian agreed).

But when did this notion take hold? Christians were still routinely burning witches until the 1600's. When I last attended church services and sunday school 40 years ago we were taught there were 10 commandments, not 6, or 3, or 2 or 1.

Is the notion just a convenient myth to get Christians here out of difficulty? Or is it the belief of one sect that is influential on YA. Or is it some more widespread, recent craze?

Answer 1

Jesus did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it.
The usual O/T law the minsters of today are speaking about is the one of sacrificing animals for atonement of sins. Jesus is the last Sacrifice, because God wanted it that way. The blood of animals could never "cover" a person's sin, however; the Son of God's certainly can.
As far as getting rid of the O/T- that can never happen- The Old Testament pointed to Jesus- the Commandments are in the old.
The stories and lessons that God wanted us to learn and learn by are in the O/T.

Answer 2

There are two laws of the old testament. One was the Mosaic law and the other is the Moral Law otherwise reffered to as the Ten Commandments. Jesus fulfilled the law as others have stated. In relation to the Mosiac law it meant that it was no longer needed as is revealed to us in the New Testament especially in the vail of the temple being rent in to showing Jesus had finished the work of atonement. Jesus did however uphold the Moral Law which is recorded for us in the conversation he had with the young man in Matthew 19 and Mark 10. Jesus also made this plain for all in Mark 12: 29-31 when he described the two tables of the law - Love God above all and your neighbor.

Answer 3

Around the time of the writings of the New Testament.

The idea that the New Testament "supersedes" the Old Testament is referred to as "replacement theology". The concept is that the biblical history of man is full of covenants between man and God (Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus). Each covenant is considered to fulfill or complete the covenant before it. Within this theology, the New Testament is considered to override the Old Testament, because Jesus established a new covenant with mankind.

Biblical references to this new covenant can be found in Hebrews 8-12, Jeremiah 31, and Matthew 26-27.

It's important to note that not all Christians adhere to replacement theology.

Answer 4

Galatians 3:24-25- Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith
VS 25- But after that faith is come we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

Men could not keep the law cause they weak in the flesh Romans 8:3, so thats why Jesus came as well.
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. Gal.3:13

No we should not cut out the Old Test, but we are not under that law. Most of that law was for the Levites who was priest so God could keep the line clean for the coming of Jesus. Try keeping the laws of the New Test that Jesus commanded. Those are the ones we follow.

Answer 5

The new testament does not overturn the old testament. Jesus came to fulfill the laws in the old testament, thus we no longer have to sacrifice an animal every time we sin. This does not mean the "rules" have changed, simply the method for atoning for violations of those rules.

Answer 6

Probably people are reading the Bible for themselves more now a-days then your generation did. Since people are more likely to read a modern translation than the old King James version, people can use a version that they can actually understand for themselves rather than rely upon the pastor to explain everything.

Of course, it is not as clean-cut as all that. Paul says over and over again that we are no longer under the Law of Moses, but then he turns around and talks about sin using terms that only make sense if you are familiar with the OT law and you know the definitions of the words that Paul is using.

You cannot just toss out the OT, because, the NT is a little had to understand if you do not have the OT to provide a background, a context, and definitions of some words and phrases that the apostles used.
....................................................................
For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."

But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

~Galations 5:14-26
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation

Answer 7

Jesus himself said he did NOT come to over turn the law. Anyone saying he did has been the victim of poor teachings and should read the bible themselves.

Answer 8

I think it was when they figured out that changing the sabbath to Sunday by Constantine was not supported by the bible at all, so they figured they'd use the new testament to get themselves out of trouble for it. Kinda hard to twist "remember the sabbath and keep it holy" into "or if you want, you can change it to Sunday if its more convenient" without some kind of justification.

Answer 9

"Christians were still routinely burning witches until the 1600's."

Uh, that's when the witch-burning craze happened. Witchburning was more a Reformation phenomenon than a Medieval one.

Answer 10

Keyser Söze,
Yeah, some people are unable to understand it.