Should Christians Observe the Old Testament?

Opening Greeting

May mercy, love and peace be yours in full measure. Jude 1:2

Beginning Scripture

The Law was given through Moses; Grace and Truth came through Jesus the Messiah. John 1:17

Purpose:

There is controversy among some Christians whether believers are to still observe and keep the Old Testament (OT), even if only portions of it. As well, some groups of Christians tend not to differentiate between OT scriptures and the New Testament (NT) teachings. There is insistence on following some practices of the OT. The thought is, since it is in the Bible, they must be followed. I will attempt to, by the Grace of Jesus, address these thinking here and put forward scriptures to bring a clear answer on the issue. Examining the topic from the eyes of, 1. Jesus, 2. The Apostles, and 3. Paul, the official apostle to the gentiles, would be an effective way to deal with the subject, I believe.

Discourse

A. What Jesus said about the Old Testament- 17 “Don’t think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets (OT). I have come not to abolish but to complete. 18 Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a jot or a stroke will pass from the Law — not until everything that must happen has happened. Mathew 5:17-18

Analysis of above verse shows, 1. Jesus did not come to "abolish the Law or the Prophets (OT)"; 2. Even though he did not come to "abolish," he did come to complete (fulfill) them; 3. According to verse 18, once the Law was completed, fulfilled, once "everything that must happen per the statement of the Law and the Prophets (OT) has happened," the Law (OT) "would pass" or be set aside.  

There are three obvious facts from the above examination: 1. Even though Jesus did not come to abolish the Law (OT), 2. He (Jesus) indicated his mission was to fulfill (complete) it, 3. And once it, the OT, was fulfilled, it would cease to be relevant.

The question may be asked, Did Jesus "complete" the Law? Commonly, throughout the Gospels, we see citations that run like this, 22 "All this happened in order to fulfill what Adonai (the LORD) had said through the prophet." (Mathew 1:22) The gospels- Mathew, Mark, Luke and John- document in great detail every instance where Jesus Christ completed or fulfilled the Law and the Prophets. If Jesus then completed the Law and the Prophets (OT), it follows that the Law and the Prophets (OT) have passed from the scene; they have been set aside. Of course, we still have the text but we are no longer to observe it. 

B. The Decision of the Apostles on the Old testament- The question of whether Christians should continue to observe the Old Testament (OT) or not, seeing that Christ has come, is not a new one. This same question was placed before all the early apostles as a group in the early days of the Church. Acts 15:1-31

Highlights of the ensuing apostolic debate and their consequent decision: 

1. Apostle Peter- 10 Why are you putting God to the test now by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we have had the strength to bear? 11 No, it is through the love and kindness of the Lord Jesus that we trust and are delivered — and it’s the same with them." Acts 15: 10-11

2. Apostle James (brother of Jesus and the writer of the Book of James)- 19 Therefore, my opinion is that we should not put obstacles in the way of the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20 Instead, we should write them a letter telling them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from fornication, from what is strangled and from blood. 21 For from the earliest times, Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, with his words being read in the synagogues every Sabbath." Acts 15: 19-21

3. The Decision-

From: The emissaries (apostles) and the elders, your brothers

To: The brothers from among the Gentiles throughout Antioch, Syria and Cilicia

Greetings!

24 We have heard that some people went out from among us without our authorization, and that they have upset you with their talk, unsettling your minds. 25 So we have decided unanimously to select men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Saul, 26 who have dedicated their lives to upholding the name of our Lord, Jesus the Messiah. 27 So we have sent Judas and Silas, and they will confirm in person what we are writing.

28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us not to lay any heavier burden on you than the following requirements: 29 to abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from fornication. If you keep yourselves from these, you will be doing the right thing.

Shalom! Acts 15: 24-28

The apostles determined keeping the OT was a burden, and an unnecessary one. Gentiles would not have to carry that burden.

C. What apostle Paul said about keeping the Old Testament- 

Because Brother Paul was the apostle to the gentiles (gentiles = non-Israelites by natural birth), I am adding his specific thoughts on this question of whether to observe the Old Testament or not. In all matters related to the gentiles, he is the one to whom God revealed the gospel as it was to be presented to the gentiles. He is the authority!

Apostle Paul said, 6 Those who were the acknowledged leaders — what they were makes no difference to me; God does not judge by outward appearances — these leaders added nothing to me. 7 On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the Good News for the Uncircumcised (Gentiles, non-Israelite by birth), just as Peter had been for the Circumcised (Israelites by natural birth); 8 since the One working in Peter to make him an emissary to the Circumcised had worked in me to make me an emissary to the Gentiles. 9 So, having perceived what grace had been given to me, James, Peter and John, the acknowledged pillars of the community, extended to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship; so that we might go to the Gentiles, and they to the Circumcised. 10 Their only request was that we should remember the poor — which very thing I have spared no pains to do.

The apostle Paul was quite clear that gentiles were not to follow the Laws of Moses; they were not to keep the OT.

Additional readings

21 Listen to me, you friends who think you have to obey the Jewish laws to be saved: Why don’t you find out what those laws really mean? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave-wife and one from his freeborn wife. 23 There was nothing unusual about the birth of the slave-wife’s baby. But the baby of the freeborn wife was born only after God had especially promised he would come.

24-25 Now this true story is an illustration of God’s two ways of helping people. One way was by giving them his laws to obey. He did this on Mount Sinai, when he gave the Ten Commandments to Moses. Mount Sinai, by the way, is called “Mount Hagar” by the Arabs—and in my illustration, Abraham’s slave-wife Hagar represents Jerusalem, the mother-city of the Jews, the center of that system of trying to please God by trying to obey the Commandments; and the Jews, who try to follow that system, are her slave children. 26 But our mother-city is the heavenly Jerusalem, and she is not a slave to Jewish laws.

27 That is what Isaiah meant when he prophesied, “Now you can rejoice, O childless woman; you can shout with joy though you never before had a child. For I am going to give you many children—more children than the slave-wife has.”

28 You and I, dear brothers, are the children that God promised, just as Isaac was. 29 And so we who are born of the Holy Spirit are persecuted now by those who want us to keep the Jewish laws, just as Isaac, the child of promise, was persecuted by Ishmael, the slave-wife’s son.

30 But the Scriptures say that God told Abraham to send away the slave-wife and her son, for the slave-wife’s son could not inherit Abraham’s home and lands along with the free woman’s son. 31 Dear brothers, we are not slave children, obligated to the Jewish laws, but children of the free woman, acceptable to God because of our faith. (Galatians 4:21-31)

Summary

Christians are not subject to the Laws of Moses or Old Testament. No one should instruct them to observe any aspect of it. According to apostle Peter, since the Jews were not able to keep the Old Testament, Christians should not be asked to observe it: 10 Why are you putting God to the test now by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we have had the strength to bear? (Acts 15:10). Asking Christians to keep any part of the Laws of Moses amounts to tempting God. 

Invitation

37 On hearing this, they were stung in their hearts; and they said to Peter and the other emissaries, “Brothers, what should we do?” 38 Peter answered them, “Turn from sin, return to God, and each of you be baptized on the authority of Jesus the Messiah into forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Ghost! 39 For the promise is for you, for your children, and for those far away — as many as Adonai our God may call!" Acts 2:37-39

Closing Blessing

24 Now, to the one who can keep you from falling and set you without defect and full of joy in the presence of his Shekhinah —25 to God alone, our Deliverer, through Jesus the Messiah, our Lord —be glory, majesty, power and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen. Jude 1:24-25