Introduction
The Old Testament law is seen as irrelevant by most modern Christians today. Christians are now under the blood of Jesus Christ, which is said to abrogate the Law. Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ” (NASB). The law of Christ is to love God and your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:36-40). This does not mean, however, that the Old Testament Law does not apply to Christians today. Author J. Daniel Hays expounds on this topic in his article, “Applying the Old Testament Law Today,” and focuses on the method of Principlism. This approach allows the Old Testament Law to be viewed in light of the New Testament.
Reflection of Principlism
The traditional approach to the Mosaic Law is categorized by moral, civil, and ceremonial laws. Hays postulates this approach is not correct as it has three major weaknesses: it has no textual support, it ignores the narrative context, and it fails to reflect the changes from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant. Hays asserts the correct method is Principlism, a five method approach to applying the Law.
The five methods of Principlism are identifying what specific laws meant to the target audience, determining the differences between the original audience and Christians today, developing universal principles from the Bible, correlating a law from the Old Testament and applying it to the New Testament, and applying a universal principle to life today. Each approach has strengths, but at the same time has weaknesses. The first method identifies a specific law and applies it to the context of the Scripture. Hays says, “Connecting texts to their contexts is a basic tenet of proper interpretive method. The Law is part of a story, and ...
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...t. This law is repeated as Christians are saved by the blood of Jesus Christ and God views the blood the same way He did in the Old Testament. The life of the flesh is in the blood, this time it is the life of Jesus Christ, and sins are forgiven by His shed blood. This is the reason Christians are restricted from eating blood.
Conclusion
Principlism is a five step approach to interpret the Old Testament Law in light of the New Testament. This approach allows believers to apply these principles to their lives today. This does not destroy the teachings of the Old Testament, but allows for reflection on the text without diminishing the New Testament. Principlism also has weaknesses as Hays says that Principlism “may tend to oversimplify some of the complex issues,” however Principlism is more simplified and easier to understand than the traditional method.
Much like the laws in the Old Testament, the law is God solving a problem before it occurs (Maxwell, 2010). As Reggie Joiner reminds us: “Relationship comes before rules” (Maxwell, 2010, 176). If a relationship forms, rules are easier to embrace. Rules are a tool to keep the ship and everyone on it going in the same direction. Shared systems of values strengthen partnerships minimizing the possibility of comprise. Values determine our actions. Our conscience can be a fickle thing if not tended to. A good study of 1 Timothy 1:5 will sharpen the cause for keeping the conscience in order and know that a good conscience is the product of a pure heart. Finally, we trust fully in God’s promises to comfort us, but need to share that same comfort through an empowerment to do so from God himself. Kept promises are the glue that holds all the guidelines together and shuttles them into the heart and soul of mankind by building
According to David M. Carr, the history of Scriptural interpretation indicates that religious texts are popular candidates for reinterpretation and, as such, are spaces wherein the personal identity of the reader frequently inscribes itself at length:
...cerning the intent of the Law, sonship vs. slave status, the Law vs. liberty in Christ, and the practical manifestation of justification evidenced in the production of spiritual fruit as the believer “walks by the Spirit”. Perhaps the passage that best represents the message of this theologically robust epistle is Gal. 2:16a which reads, “nevertheless knowing that a man is not
Yet these foreigners were not required to keep most of the ceremonial aspects of the Mosaic law (Ex. 12:43,44,48; 9:33; Deut. 14:21). Only the circumcised were allowed to participate in the Passover, the old covenant communion meal. The two "marks of the covenant" separated members of the "church" from members of the "state." There was also a separation between the priests of the ceremonial law, the Levites, and the magistrates of the civil law, the elders and judges (Lev. 14:35; 27:11; Deut. 1:16; 16:18; 19:12; 21:2; 25:1).
Although the Mosaic dietary laws have many different food restrictions, the main restrictions are for the consumption of certain types of meats. These rules and limitations continue to be followed in a modern Jewish kosher home. Although these laws were presented thousands of years ago, people of good faith still continue to follow them because they feel that they are “God’s people” and “God is to be obeyed, and the prescriptions of Mosaic Law are still obligatory” . Many people to this day continue to follow the Mosaic dietary laws, but with variations. Many people, while performing Jewish religious practices, continue to base their practices off of ancestral ordinances, but also continue to have a strong representation of Mosaic dietary laws. To better understand Mosaic dietary laws, we should take a look at earlier restrictions on the diet.
In understanding the Mosaic dietary laws maintained in the books of the Old Testament, it is necessary to consider the early restrictions placed on certain types of food consumption, the restrictions outlined by Moses for the people of God, and the implications of these eating restrictions both then and in the modern era. What must be recognized is that “To this day, these rules—with variations, but always guided by Mosaic laws—are followed by many orthodox Jews” (2). Jewish religious practices, then, are based not only in their ancestral ordinances, but in the specificity of Mosaic law in terms of dietary limitations and circumcision (3). Relating the significance, then, of early restrictions and their application to Mosaic law, as well as an understanding of the role of Moses, are elements important in understanding Mosaic dietary laws.
The traditional approach to the Mosaic Law is categorized by moral, civil, and ceremonial laws. Hays mentions this is not the correct approach as it has three major weaknesses: no textual support, ignores the narrative context, and fails to reflect the changes from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant. Hays postulates the correct method is Principlism, a five step approach to applying the Law.
In David deSilva book, Honor, Patronage, Kinship, and Purity: Unlocking New Testament Culture deSilva states that context is extremely important as well as understanding the culture, without these elements one cannot properly understand the interpretation of Scripture. David deSilva gives an enlightening contextual study of first century Mediterranean culture. deSilva believes that all culture delivers the framework for all communication, and the New Testament writings is no different in how the culture provides the framework for communication.
...pse." In Current Issues in New Testament Interpretation, edited by W. Klaasen and G.F. Snyder, 23-37. New York, NY: Harper and Row, 1962.
God’s written law is something that is and should be continuously turned, to not only when Christians find themselves in need, but also throughout in one’s daily life. The four gospels tell to story of Jesus’ life and his teachings he gave while on the earth making it possible for there to be a true example of Christ-like faith. The proposition that there are differences in the story of Jesus and in his teachings seems to question the basis upon which the Christian faith is found upon. Rather than proclaiming the gospels as falsehoods because on the differences they possess, by analyzing the differences in the context of the particular gospel it can be understood that the differences are not made by mistake, rather as a literary device. While the four gospels have differences and similarities, they cannot be regarded as an argument against the faith because their differences are what point to the many aspects of Christ.
To understand how Milton’s use of Mosaic Law, it is crucial to understand what it is. After Moses led the Hebrews through the desert, he was enlisted by God to act as a mediator between the Him and His people. Moses received the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai and received from God “multifarious enactments, by the observance of which Israel [was] to be moulded into a theocratic nation,” thus the installment of Mosaic Legislation on the Israelites. (Moses) Starting with the Ten Commandments, the Law of Moses is “the laws that God gave to the Israelites through Moses; it includes many rules of religious observances given in the first five books of the Old Testament.” (Mosaic Law) Among the guidelines set forth by God through Moses were guidelines regarding diet (Leviticus 11:3), the consecration of priests (Exodus 29:5-9) and marriage (Exodus 22:16).
Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart, authors of How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, have written an easy to read book for those who want to learn more about what the Bible has to offer. The authors present distinct principles for interpreting different genres found in the Bible. The book has sold over a half a million copies and is one of the most popular books regarding biblical interpretation.
An awareness of the historical-cultural background of Paul’s letter to Philemon will aid in interpretation of the text. The information gleamed should allow for a greater contextual appreciation. With this knowledge in hand, the reader can grasp a deeper understanding of the theological teachings of the book of Philemon.
Consequently we ask the question where does the idea of the Bible effecting Christian ethical decision making stop having unlimited interpretation. Interpretation can keep on being made of the biblical texts in so many different ways. A Christian living in today’s modern society who is practicing with the Bible as the role of how they base their ethical decisions has many things to consider. Mainly direct and indirect interpretation is to be had of the old and new testaments. Bringing the Bible stories and parables into context helps modern Christians to understand and live out ethically correct lives by applying it to the situation they are in.
Both the legal and salvation philosophies of the Old and New Testaments reflect those of the cultures around them, due to much copying and borrowing of laws and ideas. Furthermore, all societies around the world have similar moral and legal codes -- which is certainly not an accident.