If Christians aren't under the Law, are we under situation ethics?

Question

Matthew 5:19: 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.

Mark 10:19: "You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.' "

Matthew 19:17: "If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."

Answer 1

Here is a more complete version of Jesus' comments in Matt 5 on law (with emphasis):

"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.

Previous answers have mostly quoted Paul, not Jesus, and without understanding Paul's teaching. Paul is battling Judaizers who insisted Christians obey all the disciplinary laws of Judaism pertaining to diet, Sabbath regulations, and circumcision.

Paul's expressions of shock at Christians who violated God's moral laws is a clear indication that those laws are still in force. For example, 1 Cor 5: "It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father's wife. And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?"

Either God's law (here, on incest) is still in force, or Paul is teaching situation ethics.

Situation ethics says, do whatever you think is loving in a situation WITHOUT law. That is not original Christianity, and in practice it becomes ungodly. We see people advocating the killing of prenatal children as "loving." Too, homosexual immorality is justified as "loving." Paul would be aghast.

Jesus teaches a summary of the law in Matt 22:

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

This summary does not replace the law--the law is subordinate to its fundamental purposes, to define the conduct God requires for a good relationship with him. Loving one's neighbor, too, depends on obeying God's instructions, captured in the law.

The solution to sin is forgiveness, which brings grace. As 1 John explains, when you fall out of grace, you confess with genuine repentance and God's grace returns. To know what to confess, you need his moral law.

Cheers,
Bruce

Answer 2

Although there were some good answers here, Abigal provided the most significant point: Jesus, the apostles, and everyone he preached to while alive was a Jew and under the Law. He observed the Law, and he recommended, in one specific instance (which you reference), that another Jew do the same.

The release from the Law did not come until Christ's sacrifice for our sins. Clearly, there is no other sacrifice than Christ for our sins now, and before his death, there was only the repeated sacrifices in the Temple.

So,
1) the Jews are still under the Law, and still are partakers of that everlasting covenant
2) gentile Christians are *not* under the Law, as *clearly* explained in scripture, but reading the same scripture (the New Testament, particularly the epistles of Paul) *clearly* does not approve of so-called "situational ethics"
3) Jewish Christians are (or at least may be) still required to obey most, if not all, requirements of the Law. This is seen clearly in Acts 15, where only *gentile* Christians (explicitly) were required to obey only 4 points of the law. Jewish Christians are no longer *subject* to the Law (because there is grace and forgiveness), but this does not necessarily free them from *all* obedience to the Law. Paul, for example, appears to take a vow of the Nazirite in Acts, which includes a temple sacrifice.

In addition, there are the sins which, according to Paul, result in the practitioners' failure to "inherit the kingdom of God", which is eternal life. Thus, though we gentile Christians are *not* under the Law, we *are* subject to the commandments of the New Testament. In addition, there is nothing wrong with Christian obedience to the Law as long as it is not taught as a mandatory prerequisite to salvation.

Jim, http://www.jimpettis.com/wheel/

Answer 3

In your first citation, you assume incorrectly he is talking about the commandments in the law. He is talking about the commandments he gives after that statement.

The next two citations are in relation to the same event, where the person who asked Jesus about eternal life was told what the law required, but what comes out in the conclusion was that no one would ever be saved by this method, seeing as no one ever did, or ever could, keep the commandments perfectly as required. So for you to make this citation out of context is wrong.

Your first question poses an "either - or" situation which creates a logical fallacy: A or B. But neither is true. Christians are under the spirit of the law; a law of faith expressed through love.

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Answer 4

Ethics and Morals are actually not desperate by ability of a persons' faith. some Judeo-Christians might disagree, yet sorry to declare they're incorrect. Ethics and Morals are desperate by ability of the guy, they're shaped by ability of examining activities that take place to you, what society dictates and how the guy precises those issues. the only ingredient for beneficial that Atheists and Judeo-Christians selection in a hundred% is "God", and The Bible. Atheist actually ability anti theist, no god.

Answer 5

WE are no longer under the curse of the Law/Torah, Yeshua
took the curse on Himself when He died. We are under grace
because of His actions, but the Law still does apply, these
commands now written on our hearts are what the Holy Spirit
lovingly uses to bring us into line with the written Law.
Because we are under Grace now does not give us license
to do as we please. We obey because we love our Saviour.
Just because we have the Law written on our hearts does
not mean we obey all the time, its a process, thats why we
need grace. Grace is not getting what you deserve, put
another way Grace is getting what you do not deserve.
Its not a matter of ethics, its a matter of the heart of man.
Love YHWH with all your heart & mind & strength & love your
neighbour as you love yourself. Romans 13:10 Love does no
wrong to a neighbour, therefore love is the fulfilling of the Law.
Yeshua is the Living Torah/Word, the Way the Truth, the Life,
if you want to enter life, obey the commandments as He said.
His Words are Spirit & Life & come from the O/T.

Answer 6

Christians are not under the law.They through Christ are above the law of sin.It is much like the laws of this land.We cannot get a ticket for speeding unless we speed.By obeying the speed limit it as if there was no speed limit.The old man is dead and it is the new man that serves God.This new man is to be created in His image.At times the old man may want to resurface but through the power of the Holy Spirit we have victory.

"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.." 1 John 2:1

Answer 7

Christians are not under the Mosaic Law but there are laws for them. Jesus said enough and all the Greek Scriptures talk for laws. Except the laws there is something important also, the principles. A principle is a fundamental truth. Since truth is that which is in accordance with the actual state of things, principles essentially are statements of basic facts. The Bible contains thousands of these principles.

Answer 8

The basic Christian fundamentalist view on this is the following:

* Law condemned those who failed to live it 100%.
* Christ fulfilled all the Righteousness of the Law.
* Christ makes Grace available to save those condemned under the Law.

Answer 9

Jesus condensed the law to love thy God and love thy neighbor. That is what we are suppose to do. This covers all of the commandments.

Answer 10

Under grace. Not situation ethics.