Why does Christians say that the laws in the old testament does apply with the new testament?

Question

In Matthew it says:
5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

So sorry guys again - I'm really confused. With these words - didn't Jesus in fact support the laws in the old testament?

Head say "does" where it should have been "doesn't" - sorry about that....

Answer 1

Yes, Jesus is the author of the law, as he said he fulfilled the law. The law reflects the righteousness of God and Jesus is that same righteousness.
The law was given to a man with a nature to sin. God foreknew that man would sin.
It was never God's plan to make man righteous under the law.
Man couldn't live up to God's righteousness,
The wages of sin are death.
Jesus came to the world to overcome temptation and to remain perfect and to pay the penalty of death for sinful man and reunite him with a righteous God.
Those who accept the atonement have the penalty of death paid.
We are no longer under any law but are by faith made new and in agreement with God's righteousness.
The law was to demonstrate man's need for God.
Now we are by faith made new.
I say by faith because we have not literally died and be born again.
We are yet in the sinful world and in our flesh.
We have through faith a new life and are new creatures no longer worshiping God in traditions of law but in spirit and truth.

Answer 2

I've read some of the answers above...Jesus came to fulfill the law? So why does Paul later on say that the law is not necessary, but only the NEW covenant through Christ's blood?
Here's an interesting little detail Paul must've forgotten when writing his "letters" to the churches or preaching nonsense...according to Exodus, as god made this covenant with Moses (the commandments) he promised that it would be an ETERNAL COVENANT between him and his people.
Why would god himself make such oath, then send his son to suffer and die in order to re-instate something he had already promised as eternal? And why would Paul later say that the Mosaic law is no longer valid because of Jesus' sacrifice, in certain passages, yet claim in others that the law is essential to distinguish good from evil, and yet again criticise and invalidate the commandments?
It seems he just couldn't make up his mind.
That doesn't include the many other contradictions scattered all over the bible nor the atrocious translations, and the disorganised manner in which these myths were arranged.

Answer 3

They get to spin this how they want.

If Jesus did not cancel out the OT laws, the homosexuality is a crime, and the 10 commandments apply. But also they can't eat pork or shellfish, have mixed fiber cloth and can not even pick up sticks on the sabbath.

If Jesus did cancel out the OT laws, then pork and shellfish are fine, but the 10 commandments go out the window as does the provision against homosexuality and all the other stuff that the fundamentalist are so fond of.


Bit of a quandary really.


They resolve it by picking and choosing which bits they do want to apply and which they claim Jesus repealed. Religion a la carte.

Answer 4

There is a place in scripture that says since Christ died on the cross that the law is done away with. For some reason people think it means ALL the laws are done away with. Not so !! What that scripture is referring to is the law concerning the blood sacrifices for the atonement of sin. It was THAT law that was done away with. Why you ask ? Because Christ's blood that was shed on the cross was the blood sacrifice for the atonement of sin for one and all time. To make a blood sacrifice for the atonement of sin now would only be an insult to Christ. It would be like saying Christ's blood didn't do the job. Good night all it is 3:00 am here.

Answer 5

Jesus says that nothing shall pass from the Law until all is fulfilled. He also says that he has come to fulfill the law!

When he came to earth and died and rose again he fulfilled over 300 Old Testament prohesies. Jesus in his sacrifice and resurrection has fulfilled the Old Covenant Law, and he has sealed a New Covenant in his blood. Whoever believes in him shall not die but have eternal life!

Answer 6

Since modern science is about to give The Laws Of Moses a whole new advanced scientific meaning to these instructions for mankind to follow to survive on Earth, I would have to say Christians and the rest of mankind will have no choice but to once again go back to following them.

Answer 7

It's a pick-and-mix religion where religionists only follow the rules they choose to follow. The 10 Commandments are in the Old Testament and rules against homosexuality are in the OT which religionists use to fuel their own bigotry but anything that's a bit tricky or inconvenient they ignore like wearing mixed fabrics or eating shellfish. It's called hypocrisy.

Answer 8

Its easy man:

God sent Jesus to fulfill the Law. No other man could EVER do this.

Once Jesus had fulfilled the Law, well - the Law had been fulfilled. And so God moved it out of the way for us Christians!

We have no righteousness of our own. OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS IS IN JESUS WHO ALONE FULFILLED THE LAW!

I really hope you get it!

Answer 9

It is the ten commandments that apply in the New Testament and you cannot keep them. Only by Christ coming and 'fulfilling' them can you begin to keep them - and that is only through belief in Christ.

Answer 10

Jesus is the fulfillment of the law. Where we failed, He succeeded. (See vs 17 in your quote)