Jesus and the Old Testament Law?

Question

God, in the Old Testament law, commanded the execution of plenty of people. For instance:

Then the LORD said to Moses: "Take the blasphemer outside the camp. All those who heard him are to lay their hands on his head, and the entire assembly is to stone him. Say to the Israelites: 'If anyone curses his God, he will be held responsible; anyone who blasphemes the name of the LORD must be put to death. The entire assembly must stone him. Whether an alien or native-born, when he blasphemes the Name, he must be put to death.
Leviticus 24:13-16

Jesus said in Matthew that he didn't come to abolish Levitical law

"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

Indeed, it clearly says that christians are to continue to keep it

All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."
Galatians 3:10

So, according to this, Christians should still stone adulterers etc.

Why do they believe this has been abolished?

In John, Jesus said

“When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”
John 8:7

Was Jesus commanding (imperfect) people NOT to follow Levitical law?

If so, why was he contradicting the Old Testament?

If Jesus himself was without sin, shouldn’t he have continued to act according to Levitical law?

Answer 1

Jesus was indeed against the laws of the Old Testament, for good reason.

+++How could the God of the Universe be so cruel and blood thirsty?+++

So the question then is how could the god of the Old Testament, the "jealous god", the "vengeful god" YHWH be so cruel and so petty?

How could a deity capable of creating all galaxies, all planets and all life seem at once to have such character faults?

+++What did Jesus think?+++

Jesus asked exactly the same questions and in fact provided specific answers.

Jesus founded the Nazarenes, also known as the gnostics.
http://one-faith-of-god.org/new_testament/apocrypha/nazarenes/nazarenes_0010.htm

Jesus believed the god of the old testament was not god, but satan, the ultimate deceiver pretending to be god.

This of course makes perfect sense, for any god that commands its followers to kill, has to be twisted and evil.

However, the Sadducee High Priests with Paul of Tarsus created the parasite religion called christianity to deceive even those who thought they follow Jesus.
http://one-faith-of-god.org/new_testament/apocrypha/founders_christianity/founders_christianity_0000.htm

So which god do you think the Vatican worships? The universe, or the "jealous god" of the Old Testament??

Answer 2

The book of Hebrews in the New Testament has one of the best explanations about the law and its relation to the church since it was written Hebrew Christians. Without writing pages of explanation, I will give you the main low down on the issue. Christ came to fulfill the law but not all of the law is obsolete. Wherever the Bible shows in the New testament that something is fulfilled then that part of the Old Testament is not binding for Christians. Example; Jesus was the lamb of God who took away the sins of the world fulfills the need for a blood sacrifice to atone for sins. No more blood sacrifices are needed. Marriage will be done away in heaven but until then what the law and the New Testament says about marriage is still binding. Another example: all foods were declared clean to Peter by the Lord as well as in the book of Hebrews so the old Testament dietary laws are not binding but they could be optional. Stoning people under the law may still be technically valid but Jesus said "let he who is without sin throw the first stone" in that situation. Mercy is more emphasized in the New Testament because of the severity of Hell and the last judgment which is now clearly revealed to us. God never changed His mind about having Jesus come to die for mankind. It was part of his plan from long before Ephesians 1:3-12.

Answer 3

so you think jesus of nazareth should have been stoned,..if so, jesus could not have been stoned because he is without sin,..the sin offering is an unblemished lamb and symbolicly jesus is the unblemished lamb sacrificed for the sin of the world,..jesus of nazareth was sent into the world at the time appointed where no false messiah/christ mahdi budda or any other enlightened type could have arrived before or after him because god is omniscient and does not need any one of us to prove him right or wrong, he is and was and always shall be, awesome does not even decribe the lord of hosts,..you need to read the kjv translation of scripture instead of the niv, nasb, the amplified and the such new translations and then compare the kjv with the other translations,..kjv galatians 3: 10 for as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse for it is written cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them,..be not void of understanding,..if you choose to be ignorant be ignorant,..also check out some gail riplinger's book on the different versions,..and also do not buy into the pre-tribulation rapture theory, the misunderstanding of tribulation, great tribulation and god's wrath,..

i e a e,..
avatar of the unification,..

Answer 4

old testament law was given to the nation of israel, not to christians. some of the laws were to make the israelites know how to obey and please God [the ten commandments for example], some of them were to show them how to worship God [the sacrificial system], some of them were to simply make the israelites different from other nations [the food and clothing rules]. none of the old testament law applies to us today. when Jesus died on the cross, he put an end to the old testament law

if the law of moses is still binding..then it was not fulfilled, and Jesus failed at what he came “to do.” on the other hand, if the lord did accomplish what he came to accomplish, then the law was fulfilled, and it isn't a binding legal institution today. if the law of moses was not fulfilled by Christ, and thus remains as a binding legal system for today, then it isn't just partially binding. rather, it is totally compelling system. Jesus plainly said that not one “jot or tittle”] would pass away until all was fulfilled. consequently, nothing of the law was to fail until it had completely accomplished its purpose. Jesus fulfilled the law. Jesus fulfilled all of the law. we cannot say that Jesus fulfilled the sacrificial system, but did not fulfill the other aspects of the law. Jesus either fulfilled all of the law, or none of it. what Jesus' death means for the sacrificial system, it also means for the other aspects of the law.

Answer 5

You need to understand that the new testament is a new testament that replaces old testament law, what jesus did was put in place a new testament , so that we could be forgiven for our sins.

Answer 6

He wasn't going against the Levitical laws was just asking people to think before judgeing others. Because at that time in human history just thinking about another person not your wife or husband in an unpure way was concidered adultry. But wasn't it also written that it was better to sow your seed in the belly of a prostitute than spill it on the ground.(don't know the passage for this.) So this statement also contadicts Levitical law because adultry was also definded then as any unmaried person conducting act of a sexual nature. thus the laws contradicted them selves enough to make Jesus wish the Isrealites to think before blindly killing another based on out dated methods. At least the Romans would have put the person(s) accused of the act on trial before applying a verdict og guilt or inocent. Granted alot of people where convicted and sentenced to hard labor or death with only a mock trial in occupied terirories in the Roman empire But you whee at least given a chance to argue your case unlike Levitical law which required blind obediance to Gods law. Jesus challanged many of the set and honored ways of the Rabi's on a daily even weekly bases in all manners of Ways.

Answer 7

Galatians 2:16
nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.

Galatians 5:4
You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.

Matthew 5:17
"Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

John 1:45
Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

Matt 22:36-40
"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?"
And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' "This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."

God, through Jesus Christ, established a new covenant with mankind. Christians are under this new covenant, and are not under Mosaic law and the old covenant. God's laws and commandments still stand and are valid, describing sin for what it is. His indwelling Spirit has "written" His laws on their hearts, and helps them obey and keep them, if they live by the Spirit and truth. This is how He fulfilled the law. Even non-believers know that love is the answer, but they seem to forget the first commandment... To love God.

Answer 8

Jesus came to set the captive free, die for our sin's. He was the law that was killed for all of our sins. Even the old test. God's word was fulfilled when Noah built the ark. Because of the people sin's the earth was replenished and so on. God saw the rebellion of the people, that is when Jesus can and died for all of our sins. He then became the new law. He took on the sins of the people ( one death for all sin and sinners ) So fornication, adulterers ect was redeemed through the blood of Jesus. Jesus already died for our sins, now we just have to repent and sin no more. He never said to abolish the law, but through his death it was rectified.

Answer 9

the Book of the Law is not the bible, my friend... but the Book of the Law, Liber Legis. Type it in Google and enjoy the harvest.

The first 13 versus from Liber Legis:

1. Had! The manifestation of Nuit.

2. The unveiling of the company of heaven.

3. Every man and every woman is a star.

4. Every number is infinite; there is no difference.

5. Help me, o warrior lord of Thebes, in my unveiling before the Children of men!

6. Be thou Hadit, my secret centre, my heart & my tongue!

7. Behold! it is revealed by Aiwass the minister of Hoor-paar-kraat.

8. The Khabs is in the Khu, not the Khu in the Khabs.

9. Worship then the Khabs, and behold my light shed over you!

10. Let my servants be few & secret: they shall rule the many & the known.

11. These are fools that men adore; both their Gods & their men are fools.

12. Come forth, o children, under the stars, & take your fill of love!

13. I am above you and in you. My ecstasy is in yours. My joy is to see your joy.

Answer 10

In the Matthew verse you quoted Jesus did not specify which law He was to fulfill. Why then would you assume that He was referring to levitical law? When asked by His disciples what the greatest commandment was He told them to love God completely. I see no indications whatsoever that Jesus advocated or practiced anything remotely resembling o.t. law. Be smart, believe Jesus not Moses.