Mosaic Law

[Ruthie]

This is what I believe, based on what I learned in some very good Catholic classes:

When Moses went up the mountain to get the 10 Commandments, and the directions for building the Tabernacle, the people began to worry that he had died up there. They allowed this fear to lead them into worshiping the Egyptian gods they had left behind. (Ex 32) Moses, in his anger, broke the original stone tablets with the 10 Cs.

After that bit of disobedience was taken care of, Moses went back up the mountain. He came back down with the second set of tablets on which the 10 Commandments were written (Ex 34:28).

The Lord also came off the mountain after that, and spoke to Moses in his tent. It is at this point that the Lord begins giving the Levitical laws.

So the 10 Cs were originally given to the Israelites before they returned to worshiping the Egyptian gods. The teacher of the course I took pointed out that many of the Levitical laws directly opposed the Egyptian ways of worship. For instance, Egyptians worshipped bulls - Israelites sacrificed them to the one real God.

The 10 Cs were given to a people prepared to follow God. The rest of the Law - especially the ceremonial laws - were given to a people who had backslid. Instead of 10 Commandments, which required some moral thinking, the backsliders received a bunch of ordinances and statutes to keep them on the straight and narrow.

We are still prepared to follow God, so His Ten Commandments still apply to us. We are not forced to keep all the Mosaic laws; that was revealed to Peter and Paul.

Hope this helps,

Ruthie

 

[ryanoneil]

Don’t know if this is correct but

The enmity in his flesh
even the law of commandments
contained in ordinances
**having abolished **
for of two (Gentiles and Jews)
to make in himself
into one new man so making peace

The way I read this verse is that its the enmity that has been abolished at cross, the enmity that came about between these two groups (see 2:11-2:13) because of ‘the law of commandments’. I don’t think he means that the eg moral law is abolished but the enmity that the law creates between Jews and Gentiles (those who keep the law versus those who don’t) is abolished so as to make ‘one new man’ (neither Jew nor Gentile). I don’t know, that’s how I’ve read it.

I was thinking along these lines also. The “dividing wall” of the Jerusalem Temple (2:14) seperated the outer court of the Gentiles from the inner courts, where Israel alone could pray and sacrifice. So the wall would represent the OT theology that required Israel to insulate itself through the Law.

To me, therefore, you shall be sacred; for I, the LORD, am sacred, I, who have set you apart from the other nations to be my own. (Lev 20:26)

So, when Christ fulfilled the Law to perfection, he abolished the legal precepts that set Israel appart from the Gentiles. (animal sacrifice, circumcision, dietary laws, festival days, etc . . .) In other words, the messianic age united all nation in Christ.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Gal 3:28)

 

[srferdave]

I was thinking along these lines also. The “dividing wall” of the Jerusalem Temple (2:14) seperated the outer court of the Gentiles from the inner courts, where Israel alone could pray and sacrifice. So the wall would represent the OT theology that required Israel to insulate itself through the Law.

To me, therefore, you shall be sacred; for I, the LORD, am sacred, I, who have set you apart from the other nations to be my own. (Lev 20:26)

So, when Christ fulfilled the Law to perfection, he abolished the legal precepts that set Israel appart from the Gentiles. (animal sacrifice, circumcision, dietary laws, festival days, etc . . .) In other words, the messianic age united all nation in Christ.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Gal 3:28)

So you are saying…

The Law and Commandments were abolished to unite all people in Christ Jesus. Not in the sense that the law and commandments are not needed any more but in the sense that the law and commandments are what seperated the Jews from the Gentiles. So in this passage, the point is not to say what is to become of the ceremonial laws or commandments, it is simply to say this is what seperated the 2 nations. Is this correct?

And then I assume we have other Bible passages that reveal to us that the ceremonial laws are not needed any more and that the 10 Commandments ARE still to be obeyed.

 

[ryanoneil]

So you are saying…

The Law and Commandments were abolished to unite all people in Christ Jesus. Not in the sense that the law and commandments are not needed any more but in the sense that the law and commandments are what seperated the Jews from the Gentiles. So in this passage, the point is not to say what is to become of the ceremonial laws or commandments, it is simply to say this is what seperated the 2 nations. Is this correct?

And then I assume we have other Bible passages that reveal to us that the ceremonial laws are not needed any more and that the 10 Commandments ARE still to be obeyed.

Well, there is alot of theology in these verses (but I don’t want to insert something that is not there), so it is best to get further clarification in others.

In (Eph2:8-9) for example, Paul is teaching us that, with the coming of Christ, we are now saved by grace through faith, not by Mosaic or legal works.

He says the same thing in (Rom 4:2-4): Indeed, if Abraham was justified on the basis of his works, he has reason to boast; but this was not so in the sight of God. For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” A worker’s wage is credited not as a gift, but as something due.

Right after Paul’s teaching on “works” referring to Mosaic law, Paul says we are created in Christ for “good works” in (Eph 2:10) - a clear distinction between “works of law” (Mosaic law/legal payment) and “good works” (law of Christ/reward of grace).

So, I don’t know if that comes close to answering your question.