What Do Christians Obey from the Old Testament and Why?
“What causes certain Old Testament laws to cease to be literally normative for Christians today? The primary reason is that Christ fulfilled the law through his life and death in our place. God has also brought about changes in redemptive history that adjust how we relate to certain laws.” - 9 Marks
- 60 views
I think I mostly agree, but the phrase “literally normative” is not helpful to most of us. There is, unfortunately, a lot of confusion about what the word “literally” means. It is the opposite of “figuratively.” So are they trying to say these parts of the law are figuratively normative since they aren’t literally normative?
I might be persuadable, but there is a much simpler way to look at it.
We were never parties to the Mosaic Covenant. Sure, animal sacrifice predates that covenant, but that’s where Christ’s fulfillment not only of “the law” but all that pointed forward to Him, comes in.
But are sacrifices figuratively normative now? I would never put it that way! So I would also not say they are “not literally” normative. That’s likely to just confuse people.
Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.
Discussion