Biblical Answer

Are Christians under the Old Testament law?

The question of whether Christians are under the Old Testament law is a complex one. On one hand, the New Testament restates all but one of the Ten Commandments as being applicable today. This implies that the moral norms of the law, now clarified, remain in force for the church. On the other hand, the civil laws given to the Old Testament people of God are not in force today. Paul, for instance, never conceived of a situation in which the church was under the Law of Moses.

In fact, Paul repeatedly insists that Christians are not under the law, but under grace (Romans 6:14). This does not mean that God's Old Testament laws are any less valid. Rather, it means that the believer is freed from the Old Testament law, and lives by faith in the Son of God (Galatians 2:19-20). The law of Christ includes the moral norms of the Old Testament law, as Romans 13:8-10 indicates. Those laws continue to be authoritative, not because they are part of the Mosaic law, but because they reflect God's character and will.

In conclusion, while Christians are not under the Old Testament law in the sense that they are no longer bound by its civil and ritual laws, they are still under the moral norms of the law. These laws continue to be authoritative and applicable to the Christian today. As the Old Testament itself teaches, the law has not diminished, but has been fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Christian is now governed by the law of Christ, which includes the moral norms of the Old Testament law. Therefore, Christians are under the Old Testament law in the sense that they are still bound by its moral norms, but not in the sense that they are bound by its civil and ritual laws.