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The solution
distinguishes between a code and the
commandments contained therein. God
communicates with His people through
covenants.
The Mosaic Law was one of
several codes of ethical conduct that God
has given throughout human history. That
particular code contained 613 commandments.
There have also been other codes. Adam lived
under laws, the sum of which may be called
the code of Adam or the code of Eden. Noah
was expected to obey the laws of God, so
there was a Noahic code. We know that God
revealed many commands and laws to Abraham
(Genesis 26:5). They may be called the
Abrahamic code. The Mosaic code contained
all the laws of the Law. And today we live
under the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2) or
the law of the Spirit of life in Christ
(Romans 8:2). This code contains the
hundreds of specific commandments recorded
in the New Testament.
The
Mosaic Law was done away in its entirety as
a code. It has been replaced by the law of
Christ.
The law of Christ
contains some new commands (1 Timothy 4:4),
some old ones (Romans 13:9), and some
revised ones (Romans 13:4, with reference to
capital punishment). All the laws of the
Mosaic code have been abolished because the
code has. Specific Mosaic commands that are
part of the Christian code appear there not
as a continuation of part of the Mosaic Law,
or in order to be observed in some deeper
sense, but as specifically incorporated into
that code, and as such they are binding on
believers today. A particular law that was
part of the Mosaic code is done away; that
same law, if part of the law of Christ, is
binding. It is necessary to say both truths
in order not to have to resort to a
nonliteral interpretation of 2 Corinthians 3
or Hebrews 7 and in order not to have to
resort to some sort of theological
contortions to retain part of the Mosaic
Law.
An illustration of this idea: As
children mature, different codes are
instituted by their parents. Some of the
same commandments may appear in those
different codes. But when the new code
becomes operative, the old one is done away.
So, it was with the Mosaic Law when
our Lord became the end of the Law for
righteousness to all who believe. (From:
Basic Theology
– The End of the Law)
There Have Been Three Distinct Periods Of
Law In The Bible:
After the
fall God gave the law of animal sacrifices
and now he has abolished it. What does this
prove? The laws that God gives and what God
requires of mankind has changed over the
years because of the different covenants
God’s people are under.
There
Are Three Basic Periods of Earth History:
Hebrews 1:1-2
1. Adam to
Moses: They had animal sacrifice. After the
flood they could eat any living creature
after Abraham they had circumcision. They
had no Leviticus priesthood, No Sabbath, No
Baptism and No Lord's Supper. No permanent
indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
2.
Moses to Christ: They had animal sacrifice,
circumcision, Leviticus priesthood, Sabbath,
Holy days and dietary restrictions. They had
No Baptism, No Lord's Supper. No permanent
indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
3.
Christ to the Second Coming: They had
Baptism, Lord's Supper and they could eat
any living creature. They had No
circumcision, No Leviticus priesthood, No
Sabbath, No animal sacrifice. They have the
permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
God's laws do change depending on what
covenant you live under. If you want to know
what law a Christian is to "keep" you have
to read the terms for that covenant. Not one
of the covenants that came before it.
A Covenant is a legally binding
agreement, a contract. Just like today, each
covenant has special rules that must be
followed. The First or Old Covenant was
written down in five books and given through
Moses. The New Covenant terms were given to
the Apostles and Prophets who wrote the
twenty-seven New Testament Gospels and
Epistles.
The Mosaic Covenant had
613 laws designed to govern every aspect of
Hebrew life. The New Covenant Has its own
law called the Law of Christ and is based on
the principles of loving God and your fellow
man, supremely. One list of New Covenant
laws totals 1050.
The number of laws
is not as important as the manner in which
we are to keep them. Rather than memorize
all those laws we are to love and follow
Jesus Christ as our LORD and Savior. When we
focus on him we will naturally strive to do
the right thing out of love. Rather than
being law focused, we need to be Christ
focused.
Further Reading:
The Law of God vs. The
Law of Moses:
The Old Covenant Law Has Come to an End!
The Old and New Covenants are not the same!
Christians are
told to live by the Law of Christ:
What is a
Biblical Covenant?
The
Major Covenants in the Bible
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