As a Christian what laws am I supposed to follow? (soul, prophets)
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Well this is a problem for me with Christianity bigthirsty. Because Christians want to seem to pick and choose what they can use as moral guidelines. They want the Ten Commandments posted in a courthouse (clearly an Old Test thing) yet most of them don't advocate killing their own children if they misbehave (another OT thing). Then of course, if you go by the OT there are so many contradictions such as in Leviticus and Deut. explaining whether or not you can marry the wife of your dead brother. One says you can the other says you can't, so I guess that's left up to your convenient interpretation.
Of course, the Bible also says in the NT and the OT that homosexuality is a sin and that marriage is between a man and a woman. Of course Christians don't argue when a convicted child molestor, rapist, or murderer gets married so long as it's not with another man/woman. So we can clearly see where their priorities are in terms of moral values.
So, my opinion is that if you're going to be a Christian you should be a New Testament believer but you are allowed to pick and choose what good things the Old Testament has because it will better suit your arguments. So, that's my impression of the Christian belief. I'm glad I'm not one, because it would just be to confusing for me
Question: "Do Christians have to obey the Old Testament law?"
Answer: The key to understanding this issue is knowing that the Old Testament law was given to the nation of Israel, not to Christians. Some of the laws were to make the Israelites know how to obey and please God (the Ten Commandments for example), some of them were to show them how to worship God (the sacrificial system), some of them were to simply make the Israelites different from other nations (the food and clothing rules). None of the Old Testament law applies to us today. When Jesus died on the cross, He put an end to the Old Testament law (Romans 10:4; Galatians 3:23-25; Ephesians 2:15).
In place of the Old Testament law, we are under the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2) which is to, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40). If we do these two things, we will be fulfilling all that Christ wants for us to do, “This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). Technically, the Ten Commandments are not even applicable to Christians. However, 9 of the Ten Commandments are repeated in the New Testament (all except the command to observe the Sabbath day). Obviously, if we are loving God we won't be worshipping other gods or worshipping idols. If we are loving our neighbors, we won't be murdering them, lying to them, committing adultery against them, or coveting what belongs to them. So, we are not under any of the requirements of the Old Testament law. We are to love God and love our neighbors. If we do those two things faithfully, everything else will fall into place.
So if I have this straight, the following are the arguments that it is a sin:
Leviticus 18:22 - "If a man lies with a man..."
Leviticus 20:13 - Pretty much the same as Leviticus 18:22
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 - So the use of the word "effeminate"
Romans 1:26-28 - "mem with men committing indecent acts.."
So the first 2 are from the OT and the last 2 are from the NT right?
And the OT calls lots of things "sin" but it seems as though these two scriptures are focused on. Again.. just talking out loud in my head..
Then you have the NT scriptures where it seems like the word "effeminate" is the key for homosexuality being a sin. A quick look on that scripture and it seems like "effeminate" may not mean homosexuality.
So I'm guessing that Romans 1:26-28 is the cornerstone passage right?
And I'm not meaning this to get into a gay thing..
I'm just wondering for my own sake of measure what in the heck I'm supposed to do.. (or not do) with respect to other "laws" if I'm a good practicing Christian..
You should have to take the good with the bad. You took the Jews' book to give the religion ancient validity in it's early days and used their stories to justify and "prophesize" your book (nt), so it seems only fair that you have to abide by it. Besides, in the new testament Jesus says... "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke or a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. - Matthew 5:17-18 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach - Matthew 23:1-3
Confused? Who wouldn't be. The book can be interpreted in so many different ways.
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Good with the bad, a package deal
