In Paul`s letter to the churches of Galatians, for example, we find passages condemning the heresy of false teachers who demand observance of the ceremonial law of circumcision. In some situations described in this letter, the heresy is that the ceremonial law must be justified. (Whether it is a moral law or a ceremonial law, the Bible clearly teaches that there are no laws that can justify anyone before God.) In this letter, we also note that Paul condemns the return to the ceremonial law of circumcision as an act of sanctification. Whether to strengthen their religious reputation, avoid persecution, or maintain appearances, Paul condemns any application of outdated ceremonial law as part of his own sanctification. It`s a bit like the parable of the unjust judge—a comparison that shows what God was not. And the purpose of using unclean animals with Peter was to get him to STOP associating Gentiles with unclean animals. “Do not call unclean what I have declared pure,” referring to the Gentiles, since Peter and others had lumped the two together. After Christ`s death, the ceremonial law must no longer be observed. That is why “he erased from the way the writing of ordinances, which was against us, which contradicted us, and nailed it to his cross; And after corrupting the principalities and powers, he opened them and triumphed over them. Wherefore, no one will judge you in the flesh, or in drink, or in relation to a feast, or the new moon, or the Sabbath: who are the shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ” (Colossians 2:14–17).
The laws, which consisted of ordinances and were typical of Christ`s death, were those which were nailed to the cross “after abolishing in his flesh the enmity, yes, the law of the commandments contained in the ordinances; to make himself a new man, and thus make peace” (Ephesians 2:15). “For the law, which has a shadow of good, which will come, and not the image of things, can never perfect those that come, with the sacrifices they make year after year” (Hebrews 10:1). The question is not whether or not the Bible contains the terms “moral law” and “ceremonial law.” The question we should ask ourselves is, “Do the scriptures contain the concepts described by these terms?” And the answer, of course, is yes. Let`s take a look. Under the New Covenant, Jesus became our high priest. And you know what? “When the priesthood changes, the law necessarily changes” (Hebrews 7:12). One change we see in the law is that dietary restrictions are no longer in effect (Mark 7:18-19; Rom 14; Acts 10:15:1–29). It`s over. For example, Jesus speaks to his disciples in Mark 7: I read your message on “Thus Jesus declares all food pure,” but I decided to respond to this post because in this post you touched on Peter and Acts 10 as well as Mark 7, which I want to comment on. Exegesis is a legitimate interpretation that “reads” from the text what the original author(s) intended to convey. Eisegesis, on the other hand, reads in the text what the interpreter wants or thinks he will find there.
Under the Old Covenant, only the Jewish people were considered descendants of Abraham and heirs to God`s promises. But the above passage reveals that under the New Covenant, anyone who has placed faith in Jesus is considered the descendant of Abraham and the heir to God`s promise, whether they are Jewish or not. Therefore, it makes sense that the specific laws given to distinguish Israel from pagan nations—which we sometimes call “ceremonial laws”—have come to an end. They are no longer needed. The distinction between Jews and Gentiles ended in Christ. These laws were given only until the coming of Christ. And now that He has come, we are no longer under the law. (Gal 3:24-25). Look at how the change in the relationship between Jews and Gentiles is described in Ephesians 2: Many of the God-given laws given to the Israelites, who had just “emerged” from Egyptian state surveillance, were clearly designed to create what was missing at the time—a judicial code.
This emerging nation needed a civil, penal and penal code to settle disputes, deal with thieves and murderers, and define the property rights, taxes, and political affairs of the community. If the Israelites were to be a nation that lived among the nations, they needed a set of laws by which they could function. And that`s how God gave them. Traditionally, this category of laws has been called the “civil law” of the Old Testament. At present, the Church of Jesus Christ is not a nation among nations, but an international organization called to function peacefully within the government under which it may be, making the Church`s observance or enforcement of this Old Testament civil code unexpected and largely obsolete (Romans 13:1-10). The third category of Old Testament rules is traditionally called the “moral law.” These laws do not concern religious calendars or criminal reparations. They do not contain the symbolism of “clean and impure” food or fiber. It is not about the imprisonment or reign of earthly kings. These rules are expressed from Genesis to Malachi and teach us what is moral, ethical, honest, virtuous, and just. Unlike civil and ceremonial laws, we cannot simply look at a passage to find it.
They are not contained in a list or a single book of the Old Testament. They emphasize the accounts of Scripture and can be extracted from the wise counsel that unfolds in every estate in God`s inspired library. Each of these rules reflects something of God`s good character. They are an expression of his moral virtue. They give us an articulated standard of what is right. These are laws we love because they embody and reflect them. They are never obsolete and should never be set aside. And because these laws are the guide to the Christian life, we find them repeated, underlined, and affirmed on almost every page of the New Testament.
After quoting Colossians 2:16-17 and appropriately categorizing its subject as a “ceremonial law,” Chividjian goes on to apply this text by saying: “Whenever we focus principally (almost exclusively sometimes – at least I am guilty of it) on an expectation of rules, norms and values, and impose these things on others, then we build our lives on shadows; We lack substance” (p.114). The problem with the previous statement is that the distinction between the shadow and substance of the Bible, as well as the concern for this passage in Colossians, is undoubtedly aimed at God abolishing the ceremonial laws of the Old Testament and condemning those who wrongly imposed them on New Testament Christians. Chividjian cannot admit that he sometimes focuses “almost exclusively” on the “obscure” ceremonial laws of the Old Testament. No, as he quickly clarifies, he uses this passage to reinforce the theme of his book that focusing on God`s moral law in Christian sanctification is “anti-gospel” (pp.46, 105, 119). He continues throughout the rest of the chapter to greatly minimize any focus or imposition of “moral renewal,” “piety,” “devotion,” and “spiritual disciplines” (pp.117-122), and not a focus or imposition of ceremonial rules concerning “eating,” “feasts,” or “Sabbath.” The Old Testament law was intended to point out people`s sins and show them that it is impossible to please God by trying to obey all His laws.
