To obey or not to obey the Old Testament?

Question

Much of the silliest stuff in the bible comes from the old testament. Like stoning your children. Women marrying their rapists. Ya know, all that good stuff. When put on the spot, the typical apologist christian says,
"These rules made sense in the time they were drawn up. They don't all apply anymore."

So what about the Ten Commandments? They all come from the Old Testament. Shouldn't we dump those silly old rules too?

I say we keep the Ten Commandments but also bring back stoning your children.

Answer 1

Yep its a bit hypocritical to say you follow a book that guides the direction of your life, but then pick and choose the rules you think are fit for you. It would be the same as me telling a judge that he should let me go because I don't believe that embezzlement has a place in todays society.

Answer 2

Hi TLG,
The Old Law (Testament) was written for the Jewish People. We are told to follow the New Testament Scriptures. The Old Law is "for our learning" much like a History Book. The Tem Commandments were a part of it also. I hope that this makes some sense. There are a number of so-called Christians that don't understand that the Old Law is no longer in force. But we are told so in the scriptures. If you have additional questions you are welcome to write a note, I will answer it. Have a great weekend.
Thanks,
Eds

Answer 3

There is a difference between purely Jewish law and universal law in the OT. Some of the laws were destined to be characteristic of Jews only and some are universal. (True for all people all time) It doesnt exactly take a Bible scholar to see the differences. Of what we read in the NT, ALL sexual sin is STILL forbidden. That is stated so many times in the NT I fail to see how there is still any debate today over it. Actually I do see, because a number of people are trying to justify their unGodly lifestyles by knowlingly confusing and clouding the Scriptures.

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. -1 Corinthians 6:10

If you claim to be a Christian then you mustve read the Bible. And the Bible categorically condemns the act of homosexuality. If you feel that you cannot live withint the confines of a natural hetero marriage, then you need to stay single and dont ever have relations with the same sex. One cannot expect to enter Heaven and not listen to what God has said.

If it makes you feel any better, I have a really bad temper and lust, and I have to be content with not killing people that make me mad or sleeping with lots of girls! We all have our challenges in life and you have available to you from God what it takes to persevere.

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. -James 1:12

Answer 4

Mat:22:37-40---Thou shalt love the Lord Thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul and with all thy might. This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

This verse has the clear answer to your question. Love the Lord, and love others, those two commandments sum up the Mosaic Law. The only thing that changed from the Old Testament to the New is that by the blood of Christ you won't burn in the pits of hell for breaking one of the Ten Commandments---because we're all human right?

Answer 5

2nd tim 3:16 All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work.

the bibles entire contents including the old test IS the word of god . now why do some not want to go by the old test? because the islamc bible and the jewish bible is also the old test!
thats right all three are brothers .see how the devil works? he has them all seperated just like he wants .soon he will be gone

Answer 6

First calm down and realize the things u say. THE CHILDREN WHO WERE STONE in the bible were the ones who weren't obedient to their parents. All the laws of god apply except animal sacrifice. The law (old testament) & testimony (New testament) if they speak not according to this, there is no light in them.

Answer 7

I don't think your interpretation of Biblical law is correct...but to answer your question all who are Christians are saved by faith...Which means they are made new therefore they are not under the law the law is a part of who they are.. We having been made new are now followers of the law by nature not because the law is over us. The ten commandments represent who a new creature is.. We do not have a law to tell us not to murder because we are not murderers but made holy and new by the atonement provided by God through Jesus Christ our lord.

Answer 8

Surprise! Stoning children (who disrespect their parents) was never done.

Scholars of the time and since interpreted the Torah in such a way that they understood that the only reason was so narrow and impossible that they could keep the edict and never enforce it. It was read as a test from God as to how to obey without doing wrong.

Answer 9

That's funny, I've been wondering that myself, but you beat me to asking th question. :)

Answer 10

Funny you should ask!

Pius XII: Mystici Corporis, 29: "And first of all, by the death of our Redeemer, the New Testament took the place of the Old Law which had been abolished; then the Law of Christ together with its mysteries, enactments, institutions, and sacred rites was ratified for the whole world in the blood of Jesus Christ...but on the Gibbet of His death Jesus made void the Law with its decrees fastened the handwriting of the Old Testament to the Cross, establishing the New Testament in His blood shed for the whole human race. "To such an extent, then," says St. Leo the Great, speaking of the Cross of our Lord, "was there effected a transfer from the Law to the Gospel, from the Synagogue to the Church, from the many sacrifices to one Victim, that, as Our Lord expired, that mystical veil which shut off the innermost part of the temple and its sacred secret was rent violently from top to bottom."
30: "On the Cross then the Old Law died, soon to be buried and to be a bearer of death, in order to give way to the New Testament of which Christ had chosen the Apostles as qualified ministers"
Council of Trent, ch 1, 793: "but not even the Jews by the very letter of the law of Moses were able to be liberated or to rise therefrom"
Council of Trent, Session 6, ch 2: "that He might both redeem the Jews, who were under the Law"
Council of Trent, Canon 1: "If anyone shall say that man can be justified before God by his own works which are done through his own natural powers, or through the teaching of the Law...let him be anathema."
Council of Florence, DS 695: "There are seven sacraments of the new Law: namely, baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, penance, extreme unction, orders, and matrimony, which differ a great deal from the sacraments of the Old Law. For those of the Old Law did not effect grace, but only pronounced that it should be given through the passion of Christ; these sacraments of ours contain grace, and confer it upon those who receive them worthily."
Council of Florence, DS 712: "It firmly believes, professes, and teaches that the matter pertaining to the law of the Old Testament, of the Mosiac law, which are divided into ceremonies, sacred rites, sacrifices, and sacraments, because they were established to signify something in the future, although they were suited to the divine worship at that time, after our Lord's coming had been signified by them, ceased, and the sacraments of the New Testament began; and that whoever, even after the passion, placed hope in these matters of the law and submitted himself to them as necessary for salvation, as if faith in Christ could not save without them, sinned mortally."
"All, therefore, who after that time observe circumcision and the Sabbath and the other requirements of the law, it declares alien to the Christian faith and not in the least fit to participate in eternal salvation, unless someday they recover from these errors. Therefore, it commands all who glory in the name of Christian, at whatever time, before or after baptism' to cease entirely from circumcision, since, whether or not one places hope in it, it cannot be observed at all without the loss of eternal salvation."
Pope Benedict XIV, Ex Quo Primum, #59: "However they are not attempting to observe the precepts of the old Law, which as everyone knows have been revoked by the coming of Christ."
Pope Benedict XIV, Ex Quo Primum, #61: "The first consideration is that the ceremonies of the Mosaic law were abrogated by the coming of Christ and they can no longer be observed without sin after the promulgation of the Gospel."
Pius VI, DS 1519-1520 (condemned the following): "Likewise, the doctrine which adds that under the Law man 'became a prevaricator, since he was powerless to observe it, not indeed by the fault of the Law, which was most sacred, but by the guilt of man, who, under the Law, without grace, became more and more a prevaricator'; and it further adds, 'that the Law, if it did not heal the heart of man, brought it about that he would recognize his evil, and, being convinced of his weakness, would desire the grace of a mediator'; in this part it generally intimates that man became a prevaricator through the nonobservance of the Law which he was powerless to observe, as if 'He who is just could command something impossible, or He who is pious would be likely to condemn man for that which he could not avoid' (from St. Caesarius Serm. 73, in append., St. Augustine, Serm. 273, edit. Maurin; from St. August., De nat, et "rat., e. 43; De "rat. et lib. arb., e. 16, Enarr. in psalm. 56, n. I),-- false scandalous, impious, condemned in Baius (see n. 1504).
1520 20. "In that part in which it is to be understood that man, while under the Law and without grace, could conceive a desire for the grace of a Mediator related to the salvation promised through Christ, as if 'grace itself does not effect that He be invoked by us' (from Conc. Araus. II, can. 3 [v.n. 176]),-- the proposition as it stands, deceitful, suspect, favorable to the Semipelagian heresy.