Who can name that movie?
Anyway, coming out of the sermon this last week, I wanted to get you thinking about the rules, guidelines, commandments, laws (whatever you want to call them) we find in the Bible. As I mentioned, there are over 600 laws in the Old Testament alone. What are we, as Christians 2000 years later, supposed to think about that?
Well, a couple of things to get you started in the process. One, there are a number of laws that can no longer be physically followed. Things like worship at the temple in Jerusalem. The temple was destroyed in 70 a.d., it doesn't exist, so many laws regarding that can't be done. This is just one example, but many laws really "can't" be done in our day to day, so that's a challenge.
Also, there are two particular parts of the New Testament story that should affect our thinking on the OT laws. One, is where Christ says Himself: I did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. (Matthew 5:17). The implication of this is that Jesus sees the law of God as good, not something to be done away with. Also, much of the laws, particularly in terms of sacrifices for sin, are fulfilled in Jesus' death and resurrection. Because of His death, no other sacrifice (in that way) is ever needed. This is Good News in so many senses of the word.
However, even removing the laws on sacrifice and the "physically-unable-to-perform" laws from the books, there are others. What to do with those? Do we follow them, or throw them out?
There are many Christians who look to a story in Acts as their guide on this. In Acts 15 you see one of the first Church councils dealing with one of the first church conflicts. There are new believers to the faith, and they aren't circumcised. And, oddly enough, they don't really want to get circumcised. So, by disobeying this direct rule from God, are they ultimately part of the believers or not?
After much discussion and prayer it is decided that all believers are saved by Grace, not by what we do. However, they ask the new believers to follow the long held rules on staying away from other gods, and to follow the rules concerning sexuality. So, based on that interpretation, those OT rules in regards to false gods, and the boundaries of sexuality should be maintained for Non-Jewish believers.
Apart from that it should be noted that anything Jesus' commands or speaks to directly, we as Christians consider as valid, true, and a guide on the way life should be lived.
So, don't know if that stirs more questions, or clears everything up. But I hope it gets you thinking just the same. I'm off to the Isle of Tortuga. Catch you on the flip-flop.
Bill
Hmmm I've heard it lots of places. Is it the new Star Trek movie? Or are you thinking of Pirates of the Carribean?
ReplyDeletePirates of the Carribean, of course! A family favorite movie and one of our favorite lines in it. Nice summary of rules, laws, and guidelines. This is a struggle - what laws to follow, what to just consider, which ones have been done away with because of circumstances. My favorite "law" is Matthew 22:37-39: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your sould and with all your mind....Love your neighbors as yourself." If we just really followed these laws some of the many others laws might no longer be necessary.
ReplyDeletePirates it is! Well done to all who got it. And yes, Steph you make a brilliant point about what Jesus calls the two greatest commanments. Interesting that He also is ranking the laws. He is clearly saying that some laws are more important than others. Of course, He can do that. Us, not so much :)
ReplyDeleteAnd there's the rub, of course. We can't do it, yet we do every day. Some rules, like Kosher dietary restrictions, we have sound theological basis for understanding that they don't apply anymore. Others, like whether to keep your head covered, or if females should speak up in church, or... We understand them in the context of the culture that existed then, and believe that they should not apply in our culture. It is a very fine line or slippery slope, whichever metaphor you choose.
ReplyDeleteUltimately if we use the commandments that Steph points out, as well as the Great Commission as our compass, I believe we'll end up going in the right direction. Maybe we'll get details wrong on the way, but we need to focus on getting where we need to go.
(Tortuga??)