Can someone explain the following to me since I am not a Christian?

Question

The old testament has many laws, such as dietary, homosexuality, the ten commandments, etc. Christians tell me that the old testament no longer applies. Then why do the ten commandments and homosexuality rules apply but dietary laws don't. I am not arguing for or against anything. I am just trying to understand.

Even tattoos are not allowed in the old testament. When did the law get reversed?

Answer 1

You're right.

In one breath fundamentalists will tell you the Old Testament is the Old Law and was done away with by Jesus. In the next breath, they'll cite Leviticus to boost their arguments for hating gay people. It doesn't make a lick of sense.

Fundamentalists try to say that they believe that they believe everything in the bible is literally true. But like you said -- that doesn't even make sense, since they ignore the dietary laws in the OT and the support of slavery in the NT.

PS. I'm Christian, but not fundamentalist. I believe the bible contains God's truth and Jesus's main command: Love one another.

Answer 2

The best way I can explain it is to use this comparison

The Bible was written over a time period of several thousand years. So, certain laws were nullified by the New Testament when it applies to eternity and receiving salvation (entrance into heaven). That's why laws in the Mosaic law no longer apply, especially the punishments regarding these laws.

The analogy I'd like to use here is like the US government. Back in the 18th and 19th century our country had laws that were passed that allowed slavery. The fact is that slavery was allowed to exist, but through the Emancipation Proclamation and other subsequent laws, the slave codes were rendered illegal. That's because the laws were changed based on certain issues that occurred.

The comparison here is that entrance into heaven before Christ meant following certain external rules, such as the dietary laws and how various crimes were punished. Because you had to in those days be perfect and never commit a crime in order to receive salvation. In contrast, Christ put us under an Emancipation Proclamation of sorts when he brought us under grace.

The fundies do have it wrong (at least most of them). It's not about the action of a sinner's prayer. It's about the heart and your caring of others. God does watch your actions and that's why the Pharisees were called Hypocrites (actors).

This may also explain some of the laws as far as what still applies in the Old Testament. Look at more than the actions. It's the intentions behind those actions that is what God considers. That's what we still apply from the old testament (intentions).

Answer 3

To sum up boys and girls...
All of the ten commandments are still accounted for to follow in the new testament, just not in a sequential order. Under the old law they the only way to be saved was to follow the commandments and make a sacrifice for your sins.
Jesus came and freed us from the law, saying that the only way to heaven through believing in him as he was the ultimate sacrifice for our sins.
Paul reiterates this by saying that all things are permissible, but not all things are beneficial (tattoos etc.)
God spoke to Peter and told him to go and eat what the land provides.
Homosexuality is said to be an abomination both testaments.

Answer 4

The reason why certain Old testament laws still apply and others don't is that in the New Testament times different people had revelations from God that showed that the old laws no longer applied.

Answer 5

Jesus didn't say he was there to enforce the law but to accomplish the law. (answering the first answer).
To get back to your question:
The New Testament interpretation of the law is that loving God and your neighbour is the fulfilling of the commandments.
The New Testament does talk about homosexuality in Corinthians and in Romans.
The rules in the Old Testament were often meant to differentiate from pagan religions. Tattooing was a religious act for some idolatrous religions. So was cooking a kid (baby goat) in its mother's milk. So when those things were forbidden to the Israelites, it was not because they were wrong in themselves, but that the Israelites were to avoid imitating the pagan religions.

Answer 6

--THE BIBLE shows that Christ had fulfilled the Law and after his death the new Christian Congregation would be established , it would replace all the 600 laws of the old covenant, but not the morality of the Laws Jehovah gave to both Jews & the rest of mankind!

JESUS WAS ASKED , which of the commandments is greatest , Jesus answered:
(Mark 12:28-31) “. . .“Which commandment is first of all?” 29 Jesus answered: “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel, Jehovah our God is one Jehovah, 30 and you must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind and with your whole strength.’ 31 The second is this, ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these. . .”

--SO BY loving God first , we would not want to go against anything that he had deemed moral and practice any immorality!
--By loving our neighbor we would not steal his wife, possessions etc. We would want do good as we would do to ourselves!

As you stated the dietery laws & celebrations the Jews practice had meaning in the Bible, for the Israelites, but very little of that applies as a morality to christians! Please note what the Jewish lawyer Paul, wrote in the Scriptures:

(Colossians 2:16-17) “. . .Therefore let no man judge YOU in eating and drinking or in respect of a festival or of an observance of the new moon or of a sabbath; 17 for those things are a shadow of the things to come, but the reality belongs to the Christ.”

--SO WHAT Christ established in his teachings would be the lasting **PRINCIPLES (they have a lot more latitude and cover much more than individual laws) that would cover all matters.
FOR INSTANCE as we read about loving our neighbor , by the principle Christ stated above!
--We would not have to see written everything we would not do to show we love our neighbor, such as not throw our garbage on our neighbors yard etc.

Answer 7

Jesus said that he was not here to abolish the law, but to uphold it. one part of that law in the old testament was the sacrament. Jesus basically replaced the sacrament, not the law. in fact at one point Jesus was asked about paying taxes, and he replied render unto Cesar that which is Cesar's and render unto god that which is god's. as to the old dietary laws, there were good reasons for those laws, many of which still apply today. for example the consuming of swine, aka pigs. pigs carry a disease called trichinosis. at the time medical science didn't understand what caused disease, and didn't understand how to cure disease. they also didn't know that you had to fully cook pork to kill the pathogen. thus the reason for the dietary laws. in this day in age, many of the dietary laws are no longer fully valid, though when one follows those laws they usually live a healthier life, though not always. the old testament dietary laws were also intended for jews only, though anyone could follow them if they choose to. orthodox jews in fact still follow many of the dietary laws listed in the old testament.

Answer 8

Specifically, the dietary laws were rescinded in Acts 10 through divine revelation to Peter, the first head of the Church. Those of us who believe in apostolic succession understand that various successors to Peter received such revelations and other laws were rescinded, but not all of them.

I don't know why anybody would expect (or want) the 10 commandments to be rescinded. Wouldn't be a very nice world if people were allowed to lie, steal, murder, etc., would it?

Answer 9

. The New testament does covers homosexuality in Romans 1:24-32 talks about the unnatural use of women and men and the unnatural desires one for another.Through out the NT it talks about and refers back to the 10 commandments. Dietary laws were rituals that ended when Jesus died for our sins because the OT people used that as a way to please God now the only requirements is to believe Jesus is Gods son who died for our sins and acknowledge that we are sinners and ask for forgiveness

Answer 10

The ten commandments were given by God as guidelines on how we should live our lives, in no way does the following of these laws effect the outcome of our eternal souls.. but rather they are a means by which we may glorify God. God sent his son in earthly form to suffer and die so we can spend eternity in paradise, and not worry about whether we did enough good deeds today.
The Bible teaches that all people are sinners... even Christians who have a relationship with Christ.

1 John 1:8 says
“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us”

They used the dietary laws because it was a sign of cleanliness, but when Jesus came and suffered for us he cleaned our sins of past present and future away.

I am a believer of everything the Bible says... homosexuality is a sin, Jesus forgives us of our sins... but does that make it right to sin all of the time, no

The Bible teaches us to repent from our sin, which means to turn away, if you are truly a follower of Jesus, you will see the perverted nature of your acts.