Sincere question (please read carefully): Why do Christians...?

Question

...do things that are clearly forbidden in the OT?

I do understand the food issue (e.g. the Bible talks about not eating shrimp), as something that Paul had a vision that told him to eat whatever he wanted.

But the Bible also makes rules like not wearing clothing made of two fabrics.

I have heard some Christians say things like, "Jesus fulfilled the OT." But I really don't understand what they mean by that, because Jesus also said that he did not come no do away with the law.


Thanks in advance

I guess I'm still not understanding something...

WHY did Jesus on the cross fulfill the OT laws?

This doesn't make sense to me.

Thanks everyone.

I need some time to ponder the answers.

Answer 1

Hooo, a lot there. OK, lets take it in order...

The not eating of certain foods was part of a covenant with the Jewish people to separate them from the surrounding people. ie Jew and gentile. When Peter (not Paul) saw the sheet lowered to eat all animals, God was telling Peter not to hesitate bringing the new gospel to the gentiles (something he had issues with). Notice how this coincided with the men coming from Cornelius. After Christ's sacrifice on the cross, all were given access to the Father.

"But the Bible also makes rules like not wearing clothing made of two fabrics."
Yes. Mixing the fabrics was not allowed for the clothing of the priests. Any form of mixing is akin (in type) to compromise. God wanted the priests to be holy (set apart) and not part of the fabric of this world.

"Jesus fulfilled the OT. But I really don't understand what they mean by that, because Jesus also said that he did not come no do away with the law."

Fantastic question. The answer is simpler than you think. The biggest misunderstanding regarding "the law" is that it is exclusively a list of dos and don'ts. Not true. It was a prophetic measuring line to know the Messiah when He showed up--for He would keep ALL the law perfectly. (ie a lamb without spot or blemish). This is detailed here...
http://www.schneblin.com/studies/pdfs/keeping_the_commandments.pdf

"WHY did Jesus on the cross fulfill the OT laws?"

Man could not buy his way to righteousness through good works, deeds or rituals. The wages of sin is death. But God provided a loophole, that a substitution could be made. This is where the sacrificial lamb became necessary. Your sins were passed onto the lamb, and the lamb took your payment for sin. (this btw is illustrated very well in the movie The Nativity with Herod transferring his sins to the bull)

This was a foreshadow for He who was to come. For as Abraham said, "God will provide Himself the Lamb." This was seen when John the Baptist pointed to Jesus and proclaimed "Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world."
If we ask Jesus to be Lord and Savior, we are, in essence, passing our sins onto Him as our personal lamb. Our payment was paid in full on the cross. Which is why Jesus said "Tetelestai" or "paid in full" (commonly translated as "it is finished").
So, with sin paid in full, we now have access to the throne wherein we can cry Abba, Father to the Almighty God. It is through Christ that our sins have been removed and thrown into the deepest ocean and as far as the East is from the West.

In order to fulfill this "type" or "model", the Lamb who was to be sacrificed for the sin of the world needed to be without spot of blemish, that is, keep the law perfectly. But by who's measuring line? In order not to be relative societal dictates, God gave us HIS laws. The laws that Jesus fulfilled. Now that the work is done, there is no need for the Levitical law of sacrifice or the other 600+ laws. Notice the two sets of laws described by Jesus...

“As the Father [God] loved Me [Jesus], I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments (John 15:12), you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments (OT) and abide in His love." - John 15:9-10

This is a fulfillment of God's word to the prophet Jeremiah...

Jeremiah 31:31-32
“Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant (the blood of Jesus) with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt (OT law)..."

Whew, I hope I explained it well enough to understand. It is one of those questions that takes you in to the depths of God's word. Its enough to give the average person the bends! :)

Answer 2

My interpretation of the bible is based on what makes sense to me. The main part of your question is this:

"I have heard some Christians say things like, "Jesus fulfilled the OT." But I really don't understand what they mean by that, because Jesus also said that he did not come no do away with the law."

So I will focus on that. I am guessing that when people say Jesus fulfilled the old testaments, that means that the questions and doubts that the characters had in the old testament were answered by the coming of Jesus Christ. That by no way means that the basic laws no longer applied.

Laws must always be there, whether they are biblical law or secular laws. Any leader who assumes that once they fix woes of a nation at the moment, and the then thinks that he can do away with laws is a fool. People as usual will sooner or later go back to the same old same old. There must be rules and laws, it is impossible to do away with them.

As for the food and cloth stuff, yes it is most likely forbidden in the bible. God is not petty. Who has created the greatest sin. The person who follows the bible to a T and has a wicked heart, or a person who breaks a few rules and has a good heart.

Your question about the food and clothes is similiar to that of when Sarah (name?) (yes I am repeating scriptures) was irked at her sister. She was in the kitchen slaving away while her sister was listening to Jesus with the others. Don't remember where it is at, but anyway the whole point is to get your priotities straight and know what is important.

Answer 3

.>>..do things that are clearly forbidden in the OT?

First we are not under the laws of the OT…the laws of Moses are different from the laws of God. I acknowledge the writings; we can not know God without them. One third of the Bible is prophecy…we need the entire book to have a clear understanding of Gods Word.

It was Peter who was told to eat…God was making two statements…one meat was clean and could be eaten…the second Gentiles were coved under the second covenant by Christ. He should accept them and give them the Word of God…grace is for all people.


>>But the Bible also makes rules like not wearing clothing made of two fabrics.

The clothing issue has a double meaning as well, OT…do not blend one people with another…they were not to mix as some tribes were practicing paganism. I believe there is a message for today as well, but it has nothing to do with people.


>>I have heard some Christians say things like, "Jesus fulfilled the OT." But I really don't understand what they mean by that, because Jesus also said that he did not come no do away with the law.

Jesus said he came to fulfill the law not to abolish it…He kept the laws for us…we are to abide by the Father’s commandments…there are two the whole “laws” hang on. The laws of Moses were done away with by the Cross. By the Cross Jesus made a twain of men, the Jew and the Gentile. This was done by the foreknowledge of God.



EDIT:
WHY did Jesus on the cross fulfill the OT laws?

-To carry out a promise God made -The Messiah
- To release the Jews from the law
- To create a new covenant that would be for all people
- To prepare the way for the earthy Kingdom God will set up
- To fulfill prophecy

Answer 4

Its because they take much of the Bible out of context , twist it , and interpret it in ways that make it contradict itself. Peters vision is a good example of this. (It was Peter, not Paul). Acts 10:16 tells us he saw the "sheet" let down 3 times. In verse 17 as Peter is wondering about the meaning of the vision( notice he didn't understand it to mean he should go out and eat something unclean) 3 men came to the house looking for him.
Now read verse 28, Peter says that God has showed him not to call any man unclean. In Acts 11:5-16 Peter again explains the vision.
Of course if you explain this to a Christian they will probably bring up the passage in Matt 15/ Mark 7 where there was a problem with the disciples eating without washing their hands.
Some translations of these passages have actually added the words "Thus he declaired all things clean".

Answer 5

It's funny to read your responses about the OT being for the Jews and the New Covenant and all that and then hearing Xtian Fundies cite the OT when talking about homosexuality.

I love the part about taking my wife to the edge of the village to be stoned for wearing clothing comprised of 2 different materials. She looks great in a leather skirt and stockings.

And the one about not touching the skin of a pig on the Sabbath. All college football players, form a line here for Hell.

Answer 6

Everything in the OT was pointing forward to the promised Messiah. When Jesus came, he established a NEW Covenant and and that is why Christians are not bound by the old Mosaic Law (prohibitions on food, cleanliness, how to make sacrifices, etc.) Those who believe in Christ as their Lord and Saviour are in the New Covenant.

We are still bound by the Ten Commandments, but those who are 'Gentiles' (not Jewish) do not have to adhere to the Mosaic Laws and regulations that were given to the Hebrew nation. We have been freed from legalism.

Answer 7

You are refusing to read.

Christ said that noting would pass from the law until all had been fulfilled.

The law was fulfilled when God was rejected and hung on the cross.

This is why Christ said, "it is fulfilled" or, depending on the translation, "it is finished".

Maybe a synopsis of the legend will make it easier to understand.

God offered the Torah to everyone. Only the children of Jacob accepted the conditions of the Torah to direct their lives. Over the years the children of Jacob rejected the Torah, eventually rejecting God in the flesh.

Once all people had rejected the 613 commandments of the Torah, God gave us twelve commandments by which to live. The original ten, love each other as you love yourself and give up everything you have to follow Christ.

This is paraphrased and fairly incomplete but it relates the essential facts of the situation.

You can read Judaism by Israel Abrams, Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginsberg, the Holy Bible and assorted other materials including translation dictionaries.

Eventually you will figure out all you need is the Holy Spirit.

Answer 8

The bible is books written by different people. So it is from different people's prepsectives. This and translation is why you see contractitions. Some of the books were written hundreds of years apart and in some cases even thousands. People who believe that it is the inspired word of God have problems explaining the contratdictions. But if it is just a book written by many spiritual, wonderful people, you can see how it is all from different percspectives, not only of peronsality, but also of culture, era, and other factors.

Answer 9

I really don't think I am qualified to answer this with deep understanding of the issue, biblically speaking. So I will answer from my understanding of myself, my spirituality and my relationship with God. I love the Bible and it's teachings. I also acknowledge that it was written in a different time. I see it with many layers of meaning. I relish knowledge, both spiritual and empirical. I believe that our ability to explore our world that God has provided is a way to further improve our place in it. Yes, to love one another and to live life more abundantly!

So back to your question, in light of things we can study of our world, we have to acknowledge that there are things that are written that can be of utmost importance, on a spiritual level, but on a literal level are just impractical and outdated.

Answer 10

Jesus changed a lot of things. If he wouldn't of come well that would of proven alot of the old testiment to be false because there were tons of prophacies that were confirmed by Jesus coming.