Did Jesus change the rules?

Question

In the OT, there are commands to stone certain behaviors, but in the NT, Jesus says that this is wrong...
Is he changing the divine law?
Is he saying that it was always misinterpreted?

I was thinking mostly of "Let he who is without sin..." compared to many verses in Deuteronomy...

John D, you read more into my question than is there.

Answer 1

Pretty much, Jesus told us that we needed to get back to the basics of the law, which for Jews of that time would have been the Ten Commandments. Jesus didn't change them, just gave us the "Cliff Notes" version: Love God and love each other.

Answer 2

No. He fulfilled the law. There was two parts of the Jewish law when someone sinned. Punishment, and atonement. Atonement involved a blood sacrifce of the best of your flock (your most prized possesion basically) to show that you are sincerely sorry. If you did not do this, you would be punished (i.e. stoned). Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for us, so if we are in Christ the punishments of the law do not apply to us because we have been justified. We still have to keep the laws of course, we do not have the freedom to break the law we still have to keep it... There are certain laws that no longer apply because the NT clearly 'repeals' it so to speak, namely the dietary laws, all foods are clean if you want to eat them (but you certainly don't have to eat anything).... The Sabbath is another 'law' that was stretched out, because Jesus performed miracles and such on the Sabbath and the Jews saw this as violating the Sabbath rest but he declared it was lawful to "do good" on the Sabbath.

Anyway since we are under Christ the wrath of the law does not affect us really. We live according to God's law through the Holy Spirit. God's law is communicated to us through the Holy Spirit.

The law is not "cancelled" because if it was cancelled then there would be no need for a sacrifice, and if there was no sacrifice then Christ has become useless. Because of our transgression of the law, we need Christ. Because we have Christ, the law no longer holds us as slaves, but the grace of God and the Holy Spirit now captivates us.

Answer 3

no. Jesus went further than what is written, into the motives of the Law, and taught about maturity.

"Thou shalt not kill". the big one that most of the world agrees with, correct? "kill" or murder, refers to malicious or unlawful killing. now a stoning, that was lawful. sin shall not dwell among you. but Jesus said "do not hate". hmm. could it be that sin is more complex than "do and do not do"?

He did not change the Law, He fulfilled it. He went further into it. In the OT, some things were a make-shift fix because the better solution was bound to failure during the time. ex: divorce. Moses told them to write a bill of divorce to end a marriage. what did you do if you wanted to let her go before? it wasn't pretty. domestic violence would have increased significantly among unhappy soldiers especially.
so what does Jesus say? what is the option God really wanted? no divorce. you should be able to work it out, especially since polygamy is finally denounced. if your spouse cheats on you, then you have a valid reason. if you're being abused beyond measure, by all means, get out. but note: God didn't bring you into any abusive marriage. that was probably your first mistake.

why can't we stone? Judgmement is Christ's job. we do not judge fairly and of course, nowadays, you die in sin, you go to Hell. before you had a chance for parole or could go to Paradise. it is not so today.

Answer 4

Conventional wisdom believes that Jesus came to instate a new law and the old law would pass away. This is why in many fundamentalist groups only the new testament is studied. There are even Bibles with only the new testament in them. I like the old and the new, maybe I even like the old better in many ways, so many good morality tales and such. But no, Jesus is announcing change, not saying that the old ways were wrong.

Answer 5

Jesus told us not to call people fools, but He called people fools. The difference is qualification. Not everyone in the Old Testament was allowed to kill someone. The commandment to stone certain behaviors was a judicial guideline, to be carried out by those in position of authority. It isn't that anyone could just pick up a rock and kill someone.

Jesus was teaching to everyday, ordinary individuals, not to heads of state. When you see a crime on the street, is it your position to sentence the criminal? You may stop the crime, but you do not have the authority to sentence him. Jesus was teaching people just like us, those without qualification or authority. Those instructions in the OT were for the individuals with the authority and qualification to carry out the sentence.

Answer 6

A lot of the Old Testament was about punishment for sins. Jesus died to pay for our sins, and that's the change from the Old to New Testament. He took our punishment for us, no more stoning sinners because he paid the debt.

Answer 7

What Jesus was saying, I think, was that the Pharisees and Church officials were too overconcerned with technicalities and rules to properly spread God's message to others. He wasn't changing the rules, just incorporating some mercy into the system

Answer 8

I do remember reading a passage that said something about Jesus changing some views of the OT.

Its a parable..and it means that things can change with time.

Answer 9

There is the OLD testament and the NEW testament.. What is so hare to understand about that.. You make a new contract and the old one is invalid..
Why can't you understand that?? He isn't changing so much as the old one ran out, or was completed and it was time for the second phase of this salvation project..

Answer 10

With a change in the Preisthood comes a change in the law.

Read Hebrews (the Religion Killer)