Biblical Answer

The Christian's Relationship to the Old Testament Law

The Christian is not technically under the stricture of the Old Testament law. The New Testament restates all but one of the Ten Commandments as being applicable today. The only exception is the commandment related to homosexuality (Lev. 18:22; 20:13). This does not prove the case for Christians. Many Old Testament laws are specifically declared not binding in the New Testament (for example, food restrictions).

The Hermeneutical Principles for Determining Which Laws Are Binding

The question of which Old Testament laws are binding today is a complex one. The Old Testament itself provides some guidance on this matter. The law has diminished (Lev. 18:22; 20:13). The Old Testament itself comprehends the law as a temporary, preparatory measure for a greater revelation in Christ. Paul, for instance, never conceived of a situation in which the church was under the stricture of the Old Testament law. He reinterprets the law in light of Christ's life, death, and resurrection.

The Application of Old Testament Laws Today

New Testament writers emphasize different themes in a theology of the law. Christ's fulfilling does not stand the Old Testament without identifying the one to whom it pointed. The moral norms of the law, now clarified, remain in force for the church. In conclusion, with regard to the canon of the Old Testament, Christians today should not be legalistic or bound by the specific regulations of the Old Testament. However, the moral norms and principles of the law remain applicable today, clarified and reinterpreted in light of Christ's life, death, and resurrection.