Christians: Why don't you follow Jesus?

Question

Jesus observed the Jewish Law, and his disciples followed him: "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. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:17-20)

Christians do not follow the Torah as observed by the earliest Christians. Paul, a self-proclaimed apostle who discarded the Jewish Law, is instead being followed by Christians. Why?

Answer 1

Because if you read the Bible carefully, Christians follow the word of Paul, not the word of Jesus. Paul and Jesus often seem to say things that don't really agree with each other. In modern Christianity, the important thing about Jesus is that he died for people's sins. What he said is constantly ignored. Christians, don't bother denying it, your actions speak louder than your words. On the other hand, Christians follow the word of Paul, the true founder of Christianity, to the letter.

Answer 2

many Christians feel that ALL the old testament laws were nailed to the cross...Jesus fulfilled the law...

Jesus did not cancel the ten commandments, he gave 2 more commandments that encompassed the full meaning of the ten commandments...

call no man unclean referred to the Jews and the Gentiles that all were welcome to the Gospel....

that statement is taken out of context and use wrongly to give the idea that eating unclean is now o.k. or that is was only a Jewish / Hebrew kosher custom...


unclean is still unclean and it was/ is a health issue....

Paul did not discard the jewish law...it was pointed out that the gentile did not have to become jewish to be accepted.....

Answer 3

Read Hebrews Chapters 8, 9 & 10.

We are no longer under the Mosaic Law. Jesus fulfilled the Law sinlessly, then offered Himself as the Only True Sacrifice once and for all.

Now we have direct access to the Lord God of Heaven in prayer.

We have Mercy now, it is a lot better than a law that we could never fulfill.

Answer 4

Amen. But I would add that Paul did not discard the Torah, he discarded the Babylonian TALMUD, the rabbis law of the time. He ALWAYS taught Torah/Tanakh, but because of LAWLESSNESS, many people have twisted his words to mean something different.
'christianity' strayed from the truth in 325 AD, if not earlier, when they tried to separate themselves from the Jews, hence trying to save their own behinds from the persecution. From there, it was a slippery slope. But that is also the way Abba meant for it to be...part of the 'curse' that goes throughout the earth.

Answer 5

You just read your answer, Jesus fulfilled the law, We are to try to live by Jesus example, but this isn't possible, so it is a goal that as a Christian we need and should want to accomplish. I actually have thought about this alot, and have studied it out to great lengths. It started when I was about 15 or 16 years old, Igrew up in a "hell fire and brimstone church" and when I read about Jesus, I noticed that He both talked about and showed love all the time.I just didn't get it for anather 15 years, then it hit me, As a Christian, It isn't about doing this or saying that, it is all about my realationship with Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. I use to wonder why in the Bible it woukd talk about great followers of God, then it would talk about what sin they did. For example Noah got drunk, Peter denied Jesus 3 times, and what about doubting Thomas, or Paul. They lived a life for Christ, and deffinately had a realationship with Him, but all did faulter at atleast one point in scripter. Yet we are to use them as examples on how to live our lives. After eccepting Jesus as our Saviour, it is about our personel realationship with Him that matters, and nothing else.

Answer 6

You make a broad generalisation as my wife and I are part of a denomination known as ebionites. We follow the law of Moses extrapolated by the sermon on the mount. So to answer your question yes we do follow Jesus! As well I help teach a youth group and I teach them the value of follwing the law!

Answer 7

Paul was an extremly well-educated man.

No, Biblical Christians do not follow Paul-we follow Christ, & Him alone.

Paul never died for our sins.
Paul never rose from the dead/

And look at what Paul says about Himself:


1 Timothy 1:14-16 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society


14The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

15Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.

Paul admits that he was the WORST of sinners! Biblical Christians don't foloow a sinner-they follow the only man who WAS sinless-Christ Jesus!

Also, in regard to your comment about the Torah, That was followed by Jews. Paul was specifically sent to be a witness to the gentiles, of which, (I would guess), are the majority of us.

Answer 8

Justsyd, Have you ever considered what Jesus did to fulfill the law?
The first step in following Jesus is to KNOW Jesus.


Example of Jesus showing the fulfillment of the law.
Through the atonement we are made new and through the atonement we are righteously made new.
Without this atonement God is a righteous God and the law condemns all sinners the Good News that Jesus brought was that man could now be righteously joined to his creator.


John 8: 4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

Answer 9

Ah, yes.

The faith vs. acts argument. One of the reasons there are so many sects in the Abrahamic religions. They seem to think that one needs to be more important than another, despite the fact that both are biblically necessary.

But faith is easier than acts, apparently. So I see more people willing to "just believe" than to keep up with the 600-some commandments in the Bible.

Answer 10

Excellent question.

Jesus was born a Jew and he died a Jew; he was a Rabbi (teacher) and he never renounced the Jewish faith.

Paul, who was responsible for the spread of Christianity, NEVER EVEN MET JESUS.

Jews do not accept that Jesus was the messiah. We are taught that we will know the true messiah because of certain events that will accompany his arrival, and one of these is peace on earth. Clearly, this did not happen when Jesus was alive.