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OLD OR NEW TESTAMENT?

The law was given to the Jews, and to them only. Gentiles were never under the law of Moses. Moses wrote: “And Moses called all Israel, and said to them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your hearing today, that you may learn them and be careful to observe them. The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive. The Lord talked with you face to face on the mountain from the midst of the fire” (Deuteronomy 5:1-4).

This law that was given to the Jews is no longer in effect. The apostle Paul makes this very clear in several passages of scripture (Ephesians 2:13-16; Colossians 2:14-16; Romans 7:1-7). The Hebrew writer devotes much of the book to show the law of Christ is better than the law of Moses (Hebrews 8:6-13).

The apostle Paul shows us we are not under the law of Moses, but under the law of Christ (Galatians 4:21-31).

 

One Son - Ishmael
One Son - Isaac
Mother - Hagar Mother - Sarah
Represents OT Represents NT
Source: Sinai Source: Jerusalem
Bondage Freedom
No promise Promise

Cast Out Which One? (vs. 30)

The old law is cast out. We are now under the new law, the law of Christ. All of the above passages tell us no one is under the law of Moses. We are now under the law of Christ. Once again, there are a number of passages that tell us we are under the law of Christ, not the law of Moses (Matthew 7:21-23; 17:5; 28:18-20; John 12:48; Galatians 6:2).

Even though people are no longer under the Old Testament law, there is still much we can learn from its pages. Paul tells us: “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4). “Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.... Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come” (1 Corinthians 10:6,11).

Without the Old Testament we would not be able to understand many passages in the New Testament. When the New Testament mentions Old Testament characters, if we did not have the Old Testament, we would not be able to understand the point made in the New Testament. The Old Testament reveals from where the universe, sin, nations, and languages came. When Jesus said, “Remember Lot's wife,” if we did not have the Old Testament, we would not know who was Lot's wife, or why we should remember her.

All of the Bible came from God, but His law for us today is found in the New Testament.

CreativeCommons88x31 Truth For The World