Are Some Things in the OT No Longer Applicable?

[DiscipulusLucis]

Clearly we don’t sacrifice animals anymore to God, and when I asked someone only slightly more knowledgable than I why, I was told it had something to do with Jesus’s resurection, and therefore the rituals in Leviticus, such as making sacrifies, only eating certain animals, and not cutting the corners of your beard, are no longer demanded of us.

Is this true of all of Leviticus, or only certain parts?
Is this true of more things outside of Leviticus?
What does Jesus’s ressurection have to do with only eating certain animals, making sacrifices, or clipping the corners of your beard?

Furthermore, it says that eating things of the sea without scales or fins is an abomination. It likewise condemns homosexuality. If we are no longer commanded to avoid shellfish, wouldn’t we likewise no longer be commanded to avoid homosexuality?

 

[midori]

From your other threads, you’re pretty up on your Bible background. So it’s easy to recognize that the OT consists of lots of things: history, allegory, Jewish law, poetry.

Even though Christianity’s roots are in Judaism, we’re not Jewish-- and therefore Jewish law doesn’t apply to us, which is why we can happily eat bacon and lobster and use the same frying pan to make pancakes or an omelet or fry chicken.

Much of the rules that we no longer are bound to deal with cleanliness-- how do you keep contagion and disease from spreading? You isolate the people who are diseased. How do you keep from keeling over from food poisoning when you’re a desert nomad and have no access to refrigeration or canning? You avoid certain foods, and take certain precautions with other things. In other words, a lot of the “superficial” rules were structured to improve the lives of a very specific people in a very specific time period. There was spirituality, but there was also a good deal of the social and cultural thrown in, especially when you compare the habits and customs of the Israelites against those of their neighbors. God took a little nobody tribe in the middle of nowhere and gave them both spiritual and physical gifts.

Jesus was more interested in people’s hearts— if you want it to be clean, you wash in the inside of a cup, not just the outside. Beard-trimming rules don’t do much for your interior life (although being commanded to shave after you’ve been in contact with dead people is a good idea to avoid those pesky parasites), but loving God and your neighbor do.

God didn’t just dump a full-fledged religion on people from the get-go. It takes time for people to mature and spiritually develop to the point where they’re ready for the “next stage.” Within Catholicism itself, for example, nothing that we have contradicts our Deposit of Faith, but we’re much richer for the thoughts, writings, revelations, and inspirations that have been passed on to us by two thousand years’ worth of people in search of a relationship with God.

 

[DiscipulusLucis]

From your other threads, you’re pretty up on your Bible background. So it’s easy to recognize that the OT consists of lots of things: history, allegory, Jewish law, poetry.

Even though Christianity’s roots are in Judaism, we’re not Jewish-- and therefore Jewish law doesn’t apply to us, which is why we can happily eat bacon and lobster and use the same frying pan to make pancakes or an omelet or fry chicken.

Much of the rules that we no longer are bound to deal with cleanliness-- how do you keep contagion and disease from spreading? You isolate the people who are diseased. How do you keep from keeling over from food poisoning when you’re a desert nomad and have no access to refrigeration or canning? You avoid certain foods, and take certain precautions with other things. In other words, a lot of the “superficial” rules were structured to improve the lives of a very specific people in a very specific time period. There was spirituality, but there was also a good deal of the social and cultural thrown in, especially when you compare the habits and customs of the Israelites against those of their neighbors. God took a little nobody tribe in the middle of nowhere and gave them both spiritual and physical gifts.

Jesus was more interested in people’s hearts— if you want it to be clean, you wash in the inside of a cup, not just the outside. Beard-trimming rules don’t do much for your interior life (although being commanded to shave after you’ve been in contact with dead people is a good idea to avoid those pesky parasites), but loving God and your neighbor do.

God didn’t just dump a full-fledged religion on people from the get-go. It takes time for people to mature and spiritually develop to the point where they’re ready for the “next stage.” Within Catholicism itself, for example, nothing that we have contradicts our Deposit of Faith, but we’re much richer for the thoughts, writings, revelations, and inspirations that have been passed on to us by two thousand years’ worth of people in search of a relationship with God.

Are you saying that it wasn’t Jesus’s ressurection that relieved us of the laws of the Isrealites, but just the fact that we aren’t Isrealites? Also, as pertaining to the last part of my question, what does this then say about homosexuality?

 

[Nita]

Clearly we don’t sacrifice animals anymore to God, and when I asked someone only slightly more knowledgable than I why, I was told it had something to do with Jesus’s resurection, and therefore the rituals in Leviticus, such as making sacrifies, only eating certain animals, and not cutting the corners of your beard, are no longer demanded of us.

Is this true of all of Leviticus, or only certain parts?
Is this true of more things outside of Leviticus?
What does Jesus’s ressurection have to do with only eating certain animals, making sacrifices, or clipping the corners of your beard?

Furthermore, it says that eating things of the sea without scales or fins is an abomination. It likewise condemns homosexuality. If we are no longer commanded to avoid shellfish, wouldn’t we likewise no longer be commanded to avoid homosexuality?

The religious ritual laws no longer apply. They express the Old Covenant which was replaced by the New Covenant. Jesus established new rites for the New Covenant (Baptism instead of circumcision as the rite of entrance into the covenant; Eucharist and Confession instead of Passover and various animal sacrifices for sin; etc.).

Also, the judicial and health laws no longer apply.
The Old Covenant formed a national union (Israel) as well as a religious union. As a nation, it needed laws to regulate it. The New Covenant is not a “national” one – it is for all people in all nations. When becoming Christian we retain citizenship in the secular nation where we reside and are subject to its judicial laws.

 

[sadiebelle]

Clearly we don’t sacrifice animals anymore to God, and when I asked someone only slightly more knowledgable than I why, I was told it had something to do with Jesus’s resurection, and therefore the rituals in Leviticus, such as making sacrifies, only eating certain animals, and not cutting the corners of your beard, are no longer demanded of us.

Is this true of all of Leviticus, or only certain parts?
Is this true of more things outside of Leviticus?
What does Jesus’s ressurection have to do with only eating certain animals, making sacrifices, or clipping the corners of your beard?

Furthermore, it says that eating things of the sea without scales or fins is an abomination. It likewise condemns homosexuality. If we are no longer commanded to avoid shellfish, wouldn’t we likewise no longer be commanded to avoid homosexuality?

Such a good question! It is one I have as well. Can someone explicitly explain why we can disregard some parts of Leviticus, but not others?

 

[Nita]

Such a good question! It is one I have as well. Can someone explicitly explain why we can disregard some parts of Leviticus, but not others?

The moral laws of the Old Covenant (10 commandments) are still valid. Homosexual acts are still forbidden; they are contrary to the commandment against adultery (physical relations between someone other than husband and wife).

 

[fred_conty]

Clearly we don’t sacrifice animals anymore to God, and when I asked someone only slightly more knowledgable than I why, I was told it had something to do with Jesus’s resurection, and therefore the rituals in Leviticus, such as making sacrifies, only eating certain animals, and not cutting the corners of your beard, are no longer demanded of us.

Is this true of all of Leviticus, or only certain parts?
Is this true of more things outside of Leviticus?
What does Jesus’s ressurection have to do with only eating certain animals, making sacrifices, or clipping the corners of your beard?

Furthermore, it says that eating things of the sea without scales or fins is an abomination. It likewise condemns homosexuality. If we are no longer commanded to avoid shellfish, wouldn’t we likewise no longer be commanded to avoid homosexuality?

HI,
This site will help explain it.
twopaths.com/faq_OldTestamentLaw.htm

 

[HannahBroussard]

Answer to the homosexuality question…

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=579531

 

[sadiebelle]

The moral laws of the Old Covenant (10 commandments) are still valid. Homosexual acts are still forbidden; they are contrary to the commandment against adultery (physical relations between someone other than husband and wife).

So are the only valid laws from the OT are the 10 commandments?

 

[DiscipulusLucis]

So are the only valid laws from the OT are the 10 commandments?

I believe Nita is saying that the ritualistic laws are no longer applicable, due to the new covenant, but the moral laws, such as the 10 commandments and homosexuality, are.

 

[midori]

Are you saying that it wasn’t Jesus’s ressurection that relieved us of the laws of the Isrealites, but just the fact that we aren’t Isrealites? Also, as pertaining to the last part of my question, what does this then say about homosexuality?

Yeah, I didn’t address the homosexuality aspect— aren’t there already fifty active threads about that already? Sub-threads for specific questions are probably most appropriate to deal with the proper depth, since I figured you were more interested in that than shellfish or beards, and I didn’t want to go off track from the actual subject title post.

My answer was more intended to be a general overview to put it in perspective— I’m sure someone as well-read as you is already well-aware that the early Christian community wrestled with the very question of whether or not converts to Christianity first had to convert to Judaism-- and be bound by all the rules and laws that such a conversion implied. Even though we’re no longer bound by certain OT ritual observances, we’re definitely bound by a far stricter moral standard. Jesus’ resurrection wasn’t to relieve us from the laws of the Israelites, but rather, to redeem mankind as a whole and to allow us to grow closer to God in the next stage of our overall spiritual development.

 

[Joe_5859]

It is a good question. Even the OT itself acknowledges that some of the laws were “not good” (Ezekiel 20:25-26). And, of course, there is the famous passage in the New Testament where Jesus comments on how Moses allowed for divorce because of the hardness of their hearts, but from the beginning it was not so (Matthew 19:7-8). Further, it is clear from Acts that this is one of the big questions the early Church wrestled with: what stays and what goes?

It is an interesting exegetical question. Of course, the easy answer is that after 2,000 years, the Church has it pretty well sorted out as to which laws still apply and which do not. As Catholics, we can listen to the teaching of the Church with full confidence.

But for those who are seeking greater understanding of why some still apply and some don’t (and seeking understanding is a good thing), it’s good to look a little deeper.

I think Nita gave a nice answer. The religious ritual / judicial / health laws no longer apply whereas the moral laws are universal and always apply by virtue of our human nature. That’s really the whole thing in a nutshell. It’s similar to doctrine and discipline in the Church. The Church can change some of our own ritual / judicial / health laws. The Church could dispense with celibacy for priests. She could switch out liturgical vestments for polyester leisure suits. These are not moral issues in and of themselves. But the Church cannot suddenly decide that homosexual activity is not sinful or that murder is just fine.

Galatians 3:19 says that the law was added because of transgression. We see this in the OT. First, Moses comes down from Sinai with the 10 Commandments. Then he encounters them worshipping the golden calf. So what happens? The book of Leviticus is added to it because the Israelites have demonstrated they need more stringent guidelines in order to remain faithful to God.

Fast forward 40 years of wandering the desert to the Plains of Moab with the Israelites committing more grave sins. So what happens? The book of Deuteronomy (which literally means “Second Law”) is added. The more Israel sinned, the more laws got added. Not only did they need the structure, but they also needed the concessions (like divorce).

I found the article What Laws Were “Not Goood”? by Drs. Scott Hahn and John Bergsma to be very helpful in making sense of this issue.

 

[TimothyH]

It helps to understand what the Book of Leviticus is. Leviticus was a written primarily as a training manual.

Leviticus 1 through 10 was written as a manual for levitical priests - those who were in charge of carrying the Ark of the Covenant and sacrificing to God on the people’s behalf. The rest of the book of Leviticus is the “Holyness Code” for the rest of Israel, those who were not Levitical priests. The end of Leviticus goes back into some instructions for priests.

Jewish children would go off at an early age to schools where they would actually learn to read and write from the Book of Leviticus. It was their “Dick and Jane” or “See spot run” from which they learned their ABC’s. Leviticus therefor served a dual purpose, to teach children how to read and write and to teach them the “Holiness code”, how to be holy according to the mosaic law. And the Holiness Code in Leviticus is key.

Being holy to the Jews meant seperating yourself from sinners and non Jews. Being Holy meant performing the proper rituals such as washing your hands, and not touching dead bodies. And this type of holiness was what the Jews believed would bring about the messiah. They believed that those who were not holy according to the Holiness Code were actually preventing the Messiah from coming! That is why Saul and the Pharisees were so zealous about exterminating Christianity - they believed that in not obeying the Holiness Code, Christians were actually preventing the coming of the Messiah.

But the Messiah did come and he taught us a new Holiness Code… Love. And not just any love, but the love of washing the feet of the one who was about to betray you. The love of dying on a cross to save those whe were nailing you to that very same cross. The willingness to sacrifice everything you have, including your life, out of love even for your enemies. That was what defined holiness according to Jesus.

I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. (John 13:34)

And in that command is contained all 613 (or so) commands of the Old Testament. Holiness is now defined as how we treat each other, not how we trim our beards or what we eat or wether we wash our hands or not.

And this is only my opinion, how I see it… the laws about how we are to treat each other still stand. But if you are loving your fellow man to the point of being willing to shed blood for him, you will have already far surpassed the commands not to have sex with him or his his wife, not to kill him, not to steal his car, and not to curse at him. The laws about trimming your beard or washing your hands after sitting on the toilet will not make you holy. They might make you look silly or get you sick, but they won’t make you holy. Holiness was now defined by Jesus in the new Holyness Code of love.

*This is the commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. (1 John 4:21) *

There it is. Right there. It’s like a compressed vervion of all previous commandments rolled into one and ready to explode.

-Tim-

 

[GEddie]

Homosexulaity is also condemned in the NT, while the eating of shellfish is not.

The keeping of kashrut (kosher law) was not carried forward by our LORD or HIS followers, and so Christians are not required to be circumcised, or to keep kosher. However, Saint Paul has said that homosexual behavior would bar one from the kingdom of Heaven.

ICXC NIKA

 

[Nita]

So are the only valid laws from the OT are the 10 commandments?

In essence, yes. And these are based on the 2 great commandments of love which God gave in the Old Testament – and which Jesus upheld for the New Covenant also:

1. the command to love God (Deut 6:5 you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with allyour soul, and with all your might. )
2. and the command to love one’s neighbor as oneself (Lev 19:18 … but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am theLORD.).

The many OT moral laws stem from these commandments. They are applications of a commandment in a specific situaltion.

As noted by others, in the New Covenant the many health and food laws, the criminal justice laws were no longer part of the religious covenant. Regulations in these areas are left to the various national governments.