Christians: Why do you ignore the Old Testament?

Question

I've heard it claimed it's because Jesus did away with the OT, but don't you realize that nothing has changed? Jesus himself said:

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill." (Matthew 5:17 NAB)

And let's not forget:

"It is easier for Heaven and Earth to pass away than for the smallest part of the letter of the law to become invalid." (Luke 16:17 NAB)

So basically, the OT stands forever until the end of Heaven and Earth.
And yet, I would get frowned on for selling my daughter to slavery (Exodus 21:7) or buying slaves (Lev. 25:44).
I know many Christians who work on the Sabbath but are not put to death (Exodus 35:2) and eat shellfish, which is an abomination (Lev. 11:10).
Almost all Christians I know trim the hair at their temples (Lev. 19:27) and wear mixed fabrics (Lev. 19:19), and yet gathering the town for a public stoning is not accepted by most Christians.

So what gives, guys? Is a stoning in order or what?

Answer 1

No one should be ignoring the OT if they are a self-professed Christian.

Some portions of the bible use ancient instruments of rhetorical comparison, metaphors, and objective reporting of historical events.

One cannot take a few verses here and there and form an entire theology around them without understanding the systematic messages in the entire bible.

Unfortunately, some believers and non-believers will pick and choose their biblical verses to make a point, yet fail to synthesize the verse(s) with an overall thematic theological message.

So, to properly understand the bible you must first have a solid grounding in what is referred to as biblical hermeneutics. The term hermeneutics was derived from two words--the Greek verb hermeneuein, meaning to interpret, and the noun hermeneia, meaning interpretation.

**Hermeneutics is described as the development and study of theories and interpretation of the understanding of sacred texts.**

Some principles to keep in mind as you interpret the bible:

- Understanding the subject according to its social and historical context
- Assessing the historical social construction between the researcher and the subject
- Relating ideographic details to general theoretical concepts through abstraction and generalization
- Being sensitive to potential pre-conceptual theoretical contradictions between research design and actual findings
- Being aware of possible multiple interpretations among participants for a given sequence of events
- Being conscious of potential biases or systematic distortions in the subject’s narratives

For those who have studied hermeneutics formally or informally, it becomes easier to determine when metaphors or ancient instruments of rhetorical comparisons are being made in the scriptures. Hence when I train future clerics, church teachers, etc., they are equipped with the right tools to then expound to others.

Despite the difficulties in reading such a profound book, investigation will also reveal that there exists NO SINGLE SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY that has been shown to prove error, factually or doctrinally, in the Bible. Yes, there is plenty of speculation and hypotheses, but not a single verifiable fact.

A good text to start with: "Principles of Biblical Interpretation", by Louis Berkhof

Start here:
http://www.bible-interpretation.com/
http://www.monergism.com/directory/link_category/Hermeneutics/

Answer 2

I think the book of Hebrews covers this fairly thoroughly. The OT isn't abolished. Jesus is the perfect sacrifice however, meaning the consequences for breaking the OT laws has been taken by him.

What did Jesus mean when he said that he came to 'fulfill' the law and the prophets?

I hope you're not living under the law friend, because salvation is by faith through grace, not works or application of the law.

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just read 'sunest...' answer - pretty clear if you're looking for an accurate answer to your question without opening up the Bible.

Answer 3

i'm no longer the only right guy or woman to respond to this. The old testomony is the old covenant between God and mankind. whilst Jesus got here to die for the be conscious it somewhat is whilst the recent covenant grow to be all started. policies replaced and that's the fast answer to why the policies are no longer taken actually. i'm sensing you're no longer a christian or non secular. you will no longer get what grow to be stated above or till you have a transformation of heart. as some distance using fact the ten commandments. That grow to be a distinctive tale. those are issues that definitely everyone can not sleep too. in contrast to stoning somebody that woks on the sabbath, and so on. additionally God says some thing approximately trusting those that are put in fee and in government. With that stated the countless stoning rules could truthfully destroy the countless different rules that we've right this moment. so some distance as you thinking that public development showing the ten commandments on a factors of them. i won't argue with them. it is an argueable occasion. We using fact the u . s . grow to be all started on a christian history from the fore fathers and founders of this u . s . a .. it is the reason they're nevertheless up. We would have reached a factor that it's not longer suited to show those in our countries public homes. so some distance as you attempting to make a factor your argument isn't valid. it fairly is seen a crimson haring. you're attempting to hold mild to some thing that's no longer on the subject count number of no count number if or no longer the ten commandments ought to be published in public homes. right that's a controversy that ought to be vaild. Christians have self assurance that they are able to pass away areas out of the old testomony using fact of unruly infants, or somebody choosing up sticks on the sabbath ought to be stoned to death. Or a sufferer ought to marry a rapist, slavery, or ingesting 1st Baron Beaverbrook or lobster is punishable by employing death.... yet they save the ten commandments. why is this? i'm not sure a thank you to respond to this question. I gave it my only right opinion. i do no longer recommend for this to be indignant while you're analyzing this. i'm only imparting you with my own awareness. i do no longer characterize any church or non secular group as an entire. i wish this delivers some solutions which you're searching for.

Answer 4

I don't get how you could read the bible and not have knowledge on these things. Even though the words of the Old Testament still stand. You have to understand that when Jesus came he was the ultimate sacrafice. The Jews did not stone eachother everytime they did one little thing wrong, they would all be dead. They had to sacrafice calves etc. to be forgiven.. At some point though if one is doing to many evil things God has to put the useless branch away. In this time, how could we stone eachother if we are sinners?. You see when the mob picked up stones to kill the adulteress, Jesus said let the sinless be the first to cast the stone. So who has the right to judgement? God or man. One who is sinless, or one who fails almost everything put in front of him.?

Answer 5

I read your post three times trying to discern what made sense about it, and what didn't. I can't even put it in argument form because questions (especially ones as utterly devoid of any rational sense as this one) do not constitute an argument. I came to the conclusions that such irrelevant questions and the misguided fools who ask them because they have no understanding of what Christ meant when He said these words, beyond knowing how to read and write, and simply trying, but failing, to cast apersions on believers and the Word, really are not deserving of an answer. So, I'll amuse myself with answering the last point of of your pointless series of questions by stating that you personally should be thankful that stupidity isn't a stoning offense in these goofy but trying times. Besides, Christians haven't been ignoring anything. Where have you been since true Christians have been denouncing homosexuality which is condemned in BOTH the Old Testament, and the New Testament? Gotcha. You can't have it both ways!

Answer 6

The answer is in your example, above. Jesus was the fulfillment of the law. Gentile believers were never under Mosaic law anyway.

But that's okay, you're in good company. When several religious leaders tried to trap Jesus as well on this point, about what was the most important law, Jesus replied, "love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself; in these two, are all the laws and the prophets fulfilled".

Answer 7

NOT ignore, but consider it in its PROPER place:

Ephesians 2:15 Through his body on the cross, Christ put an end to the LAW WITH ALL ITS COMMANDS AND RULES. He wanted to create one new group of people out of the two. He wanted to make peace between them.

Colossians 2:14 He wiped out the written Law with its rules. The Law was against us. It opposed us. He took it away and nailed it to the cross.

Galatians 2:16 ...No one can be made right with God by obeying the law.

Galatians 2:21 ...What if a person could become right with God by obeying the law? Then Christ died for nothing!

Romans 3:20 So it can’t be said that anyone will be made right with God by obeying the law. Not at all! The law makes us more aware of our sin. 21 But now God has shown us how to become right with him. The Law and the Prophets give witness to this. It has nothing to do with obeying the law.

Galatians 5:4 Some of you are trying to be made right with God by obeying the law. You have been separated from Christ. You have fallen away from God’s grace... The ONLY verse that talks about falling from grace, and they did it by trying to follow the law!

Jesus said he didn’t come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. (Matt 5:17) The effect was the same. Once fulfilled it was no longer in effect. The very next verse, Matthew 5:18, looks forward to the time when the law would be set aside. "...Not even the smallest stroke of a pen will disappear from the Law UNTIL EVERYTHING IS COMPLETED." This “UNTIL” clause reinforces the temporary nature of the law. It ONLY makes sense when we understand that it was intended from the beginning to be set aside.

On the cross, Jesus' last recorded saying, "It is finished," is an important milestone. Because of Jesus life, Satan had been defeated. The law was finished and would no longer stand between God and mankind.

The 10 commandments along with the rest of the law ("commands and rules" from Ephesians 2:15) were "set aside" when they were fulfilled or completed at Jesus' resurrection. We are no longer bound by that law.

It is NOT to be ignored, but learned from:
Romans 15:4 Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us. The Scriptures give us strength to go on. They cheer us up and give us hope.

Answer 8

We don't ignore the O.T. Jesus fulfilled all the O.T. laws. Sin required a blood sacrifice. Jesus shed His own blood and was the perfect sacrifice. "But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed..." Rom. 3:21 And that righteousness is found through believing in Jesus Christ. It's called grace. God imputes His righteousness to us when we accept Jesus as our Savior; we are then justified (just as if we'd never sinned.)
We now have two commandments--1st--Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind. 2nd--Love your neighbor as yourself. (Matt. 22:37-40)
By obeying these two commandments, we fulfill all the others.

Answer 9

The reason why Christians ignore the old testament is Because there is a lot of things in it (that have been changed by Man). And That is why Islam the last Book from God came to correct the mistakes.

Also for your information, in the old testament , its mentioned that pork is forbidden.

Another peace of information , that you might find interesting , there is no cap on Men marrying women (King David had over 100 wife's) But women are only aloud one Man.

And people think Islam treats women wrongly (think Again).

Answer 10

JEHOVAH gave the nation of Israel the Law, with its many features. Regarding them, the apostle Paul wrote: “They were legal requirements pertaining to the flesh and were imposed until the appointed time to set things straight.” (Hebrews 9:10) When the Law led a remnant of Israelites to accept Jesus as the Messiah, or Christ, it had fulfilled its purpose. Thus, Paul declared: “Christ is the end of the Law.”—Romans 10:4; Galatians 3:19-25; 4:4, 5.

Does this mean that the Law is not binding upon us today? Actually, the vast majority of humankind never were under the Law, as the psalmist explained: “[Jehovah] is telling his word to Jacob, his regulations and his judicial decisions to Israel. He has not done that way to any other nation; and as for his judicial decisions, they have not known them.” (Psalm 147:19, 20) When God established the new covenant on the basis of Jesus’ sacrifice, even the nation of Israel was no longer under obligation to obey the Law. (Galatians 3:13; Ephesians 2:15; Colossians 2:13, 14, 16) If, then, the Law is no longer binding, what does Jehovah ask of those who desire to serve him today?

During the final year of Jesus’ ministry, his apostles Peter, James, and John accompanied him to a high mountain, possibly a spur of Mount Hermon. There they saw a prophetic vision of Jesus in magnificent glory and heard God’s own voice declare: “This is my Son, the beloved, whom I have approved; listen to him.” (Matthew 17:1-5) Basically, that is what Jehovah is asking of us—to listen to his Son and follow his example and teachings. (Matthew 16:24) Thus, the apostle Peter wrote: “Christ suffered for you, leaving you a model for you to follow his steps closely.”—1 Peter 2:21.

Why should we follow Jesus’ steps closely? Because by imitating him, we imitate Jehovah God. Jesus knew the Father intimately, having spent untold billions of years with him in heaven before coming to the earth. (Proverbs 8:22-31; John 8:23; 17:5; Colossians 1:15-17) While on earth, Jesus loyally represented his Father. He explained: “Just as the Father taught me I speak these things.” In fact, Jesus imitated Jehovah so exactly that he could say: “He that has seen me has seen the Father also.”—John 8:28; 14:9.

What is involved in listening to Jesus and imitating him? Does it mean being under a law? Paul wrote: “I myself am not under law.” He was here referring to “the old covenant,” the Law covenant made with Israel. Paul did acknowledge that he was “under law toward Christ.” (1 Corinthians 9:20, 21; 2 Corinthians 3:14) With the end of the old Law covenant, a “new covenant” came into force with its “law of the Christ” that all servants of Jehovah today are obligated to obey.—Luke 22:20; Galatians 6:2; Hebrews 8:7-13.

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