How do Christians decide which parts of the Bible to ignore.?

Question

There are a lot of laws in the Christian Bible, most of them in the Old Testament, like Leviticus. A great many of these are simply ignored by Christians today, yet they latch onto a few and get all indignant or even hostile toward people who don't follow those. How do you choose which of God's laws are okay to disobey?

Okay. As I suspected, a lot of Christians answering here don't know what's in their own Bible.
Just as a ferinstance, if you wear a garment with two different kinds of material (Woolblend, say) you are disobeying the law laid down in Leviticus 19:19.
And those who say that Jesus brought a new Covenent, you get one star. Now, what did Jesus himself say about homosexuality? Abortion?
Now the big one: Hypocrisy?

Answer 1

This is a question that is asked daily on here.

And honestly, I have yet to find an answer.

Most Christians seem to believe that the Law consists of only the Ten Commandments. They seem to miss the other 603 Laws in the Torah.

They also believe that the Law is a mirror for sin. That it is used to point out how one does not do G-d's will but that is the extent of it's usefulness.

Then, there is the concept that the Laws do not fit into modren life. Funny, the Orthodox Jews seem to follow them just fine. But I have heard many Christians claim that they don't use these laws because they have no use in modren day society.

Finally, there is the concept that Christians don't have to follow the Tanakh. Period. That Jesus got rid of all that. The only parts that they even use are those linked to in the New Testament. Homosexuality was talked about by Paul - so they use the Law regarding homosexuality. Witchcraft was also talked about by Paul, so they use the Laws regarding this practice. They believe that what is relevant is revealed in the New Testament, and everything else doesn't matter.

To me, the last reason makes the most sense. At least there is some sort of foundation to why they pick certain Laws and toss out the others.

Answer 2

If you read your Bible clearly, you will notice that God gave four DISTINCT sets of laws to Moses, e.g . Moral (Ten Commandments) and Ceremonial (sacrifices pointing forward to the sacrifice of Jesus). The other two are the health/dietary laws, and the civil laws.

Obviously, the Ceremonial Laws were done away with at the cross.

Quite a lot of our modern civil laws are based on the original civil laws of the Bible, e.g. justice - a person who steals a goat cannot be justly killed (punishment too great for the crime). Besides, we now live in societies where governments are setup to safeguard the rights of the individual (even though some of these modern laws may conflict with that of the Bible, e.g legalized prostitution). These, Christians will strongly oppose. The other two sets of laws are still binding.

Answer 3

For most Christians, I wouldn't say they ignore parts of the Bible so much as understand that later revelation updates earlier teachings. Jesus himself frequently offers such updates. For instance, he often says something along the lines of "You have heard ... but I say to you that ..." Often he's trying to get his followers to go deeper into a moral teaching and understand the principle behind it, not just follow it blindly. Unfortunately it's also true that some Christians may sometimes favor a few passages and seem to ignore others that may limit or restrict their behavior. As someone once said, we're in trouble when God likes and dislikes the same things we do. That's when we're probably being selective about which passages we look at and which we try to ignore.

Answer 4

The law is a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. The purpose of the law is to wake us up to our sinful condition so we can see our need of a Saviour.

Some laws in the Bible were created in a time when certain methods were used (like stoning for instance) that applied during a certain dispensation of time for the Hebrew people.
You must remember that they were not Christians but Jews.
The Old Testament followers of God lived under the law and sacrificed animals to atone for their sins because the Bible clearly states, "That without the shedding of blood there is no atonement for sin." Christ had not come, and Christians did not exist during that time.

When Christ came He rebuked the religious leaders of the day for their hypocrisy because they presented themselves as believers in God but had nothing more than outward show with no inner substance. He came to fulfill the law by being the last sacrifice that would ever have to be made on behalf of mankind. When He died, the temple curtain was ripped from top to bottom signifying the end of the priesthood and opening the door for every man to come to God on his own without a priest or an animal sacrifice.

The Ten Commandments were never rescinded. The dietary laws would do us well to observe today for a more healthy society. Many of the levitical laws do not apply anymore as the age of grace eliminated the need to kill people for their sinful behaviour. The Jews that were under the law during the time of Christ stoned Stephen because they would not allow themselves to believe the Messiah had come, and that they had murdered Him. They wanted to silence the Christians just like many do today because we are the representatives of Christ and the verbal conscience of people and nations and many still want to continue to sin with impunity and reject the wrath and judgments of God as realities.

There are two laws about which Jesus said, "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." They were - "Thou shalt love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. And the second is like unto the first, Thou shalt love they neighbor as thyself."

If every Christian - yes and every person on this planet truly understood the real meaning behind those words and obeyed them fully, evil would come to an end and all men on this planet would love as they should and God would come down and live among us and heal all nations.

Unfortunately this will never happen, because the wickedness in men will prevent it until the world is brought to an end.

Answer 5

So, do you think Christians ought to start lobbying for a law against selling shrimp?
Whoa, wait...doesn't the USDA have a law that states how shrimp and other shellfish ought to be handled...I believe "refrigeration" is mentioned?
Well, maybe we ought to stand up against clothing made of two different materials...
Oh, wait...again, the government has beaten us to the punch. There are already laws in place governing not only what certian things ought to me made of, but also the labeling, so that we know we aren't going to buy a shirt that has some material in it we might be allergic to.
Most people are also very careful about how they wash certain materials...
Some Christians won't eat a cheeseburger, because of the whole dairy and meat thing...me, I will just settle for not eating veal that's been boiled in the mother's milk.
We don't have any problem with the laws about sacrifices, since Jesus IS our sacrifice.
And we don't have any problem with the laws concerning our sexual behavior...we know that breaking any of these laws is still sinful.

Ahh...tonight, we had glazed chicken and twice-baked potatoes. No law broken there.
I am wearing pajamas that are labeled "pure cotton"...
And I am not sleeping with my brother or my father or my father-in-law...nor am I having sex with any women.

So, I guess I'm good...
How 'bout you?

Answer 6

You need to understand the time line of the books written in the bible, most of the things in the old testament was written before Jesus was born, and since Jesus was born we have the new testament, and as you read the Bible, Jesus set the record straight as to what is write and wrong as far as laws.
But you will still have arguments throughout different religions.

Answer 7

We must read the Bible in it's entirety, some things changed when Jesus stepped onto the scene. In actuality, no Christian should make the Bible "Al e cart". We don't pick and choose what we want to follow, that not how it works. Either we believe that God knows whats best for us or we decide that we know more than God and turn away from His word.

Answer 8

Well, the Bible says to study to show thyself approved. A workman who needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. We don't ignore any part of it. We study to know the difference in a commandment and an example, or a parable etc. For example when the Bible says if your right eye offend the pluck it out, it doesn't mean to literally pluck out your eye.

Answer 9

As clearly set forth in the New Testament, many of those laws no longer apply to us. They were written for the Jews, not for the Christian Church which was established by Jesus's life, death, and ressurection.

Answer 10

AFTER THE DEATH OF CHRIST WHEN WE MOVED INTO THE NEW TESTAMENT , SOME LAWS NOT ALL WHERE CHANGED. BUT BEFORE WHEN PEOPLE DIE THEY WHERE DAMNED TO HELL, AND CHRIST BEFORE HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD WENT TO THE BELLY OF HELL AND GOT THE GOD FEARING PEOPLE OUT AND TOOK THEM TO HEAVEN. THIS GIVING ALL A CHANCE TO ESCAPE HELL, THUR HIS MERCY. THE OLD RULE IS THE BEST RULE, NEVER ARGUE OVER RELIGION. JUST FOLLOW THE 10 COMMANDMENTS AND YOU WILL BE OKAY.