Why don't we follow Levitical Law?

[Alfonsus]

For Gentile Christians, the question was settled by the first Council of Jerusalem, as recounted in the Act of Apostles.

We, Gentile Christian, do not need to follow every Mosaic rules, for the Council stated what is necessary. The Council did not extend the Levitical ritual law to the Gentiles.
The moral law contained (and perhaps some ritual) was transmitted to the Gentiles in different form, that is in the form of the teachings of the Apostles and their successor (Pauline letters and the letter to the Hebrews pretty much touch those things in the book of Leviticus).

The Council of Jerusalem however, did not abolish the necessity to follow Mosaic law for Hebrew Christian. Basically it said nothing about it, and most Hebrew Christian contemporary of the Apostles did observe the Mosaic law, since the law binds the descendant of Israel.

What about the present time? I believe Hebrew Christians can keep their Hebrew patrimony, sometimes closely linked with Jewish custom, as cultural heritage.

 

[A_G]

Levitical Law, like other Old Testament Law, is very important. We need the Old Testament to lead us into the New Testament. After God led His chosen people from slavery in Egypt to freedom, He gave them these laws to follow.

Levitical dietary laws are no longer binding since Jesus fulfilled these laws. The dietary laws (not to eat pork, shell fish etc…) and the cleanliness/uncleanliness laws are no longer valid. If you want to follow the dietary law, that is a personal / private devotion, however it is not required by the Church. Ceremonial laws such as sacrifices are also no longer binding. The ceremonial laws (observing the Sabbath, certain ways of worship like animal sacrifice, circumcision, etc…) have been fulfilled by Jesus. So the ceremonial and dietary laws we no longer need to follow since they have been “fulfilled” by Jesus. They were part of the Old Covenant and applied to the Jews of that time.

**Moral Law from Leviticus is still binding. **The 10 Commandments, for example are part of the moral law. The moral laws will apply as long as morals last.

Now, we are in the New Covenant and we are to follow the moral laws of the Old Testament, the entire New Testament, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

 

[TimothyH]

The laws of the OT are essentially broken down into 2 categories: cultic laws/customs and moral laws.
The moral laws apply to everyone, the cultic laws/customs only apply to the old covenant.

Father, could you explain this a bit more or give an example, or would you be able to provide a source for learning more about this topic? I would be interested in discerning which laws were cultic and which moral, or if there is an overlap perhaps?

-Tim-

 

[Andre1000]

Also when Jesus talked about divorce, he said that God made compromises for the people with hart hearts, but heaven is not for people with a hart heart.