Abrogation of Old Covenant laws

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While most Christian theology reflects the view that at least some Mosaic Laws have been set aside under the New Covenant, there are some theology systems that view the entire Mosaic or Old Covenant as abrogated in that all of the Mosaic Laws are set aside for the Law of Christ.

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However, other theologians do not subscribe to this view, believing that the Law and the Prophets form the basis of Christian living and Christian ethics, and are therefore not abrogated; rather, they can only be understood in their historical context subsequent to the advent of the Messiah.[ citation needed ][ clarification needed ]

Individuals who believe that Old Covenant laws have been completely abrogated are referred to as antinomians by various Christian traditions, such as the Methodist faith, which teaches that the moral law continues to be binding on the faithful. [1] [2]

New Covenant theology

New Covenant theology is a Christian theological system that shares similarities with and yet is distinct from dispensationalism and Covenant theology. [3] New Covenant theology sees all Old Covenant laws as "cancelled" [4] or "abrogated" [5] in favor of the Law of Christ or the New Testament. Douglas J. Moo has argued that 9 of the Ten Commandments have been renewed under the New Covenant. [6]

Dispensationalism

As a theological system, dispensationalism is rooted in the writings of John Nelson Darby (1800–1882) and the Brethren Movement, but it has never been formally defined and incorporates several variants. Major dispensational views divide history into some seven dispensations or ages: [7]

  1. Innocence (Gen 1:1–3:7), prior to Adam's fall;
  2. Conscience (Gen 3:8–8:22), Adam to Noah;
  3. Government (Gen 9:1–11:32), Noah to Abraham;
  4. Patriarchal rule (Gen 12:1–Exod 19:25), Abraham to Moses;
  5. The Mosaic Law (Exod 20:1–Acts 2:4), Moses to Jesus;
  6. Grace (Acts 2:4–Rev 20:3), the current church age; and
  7. The Millennial Kingdom, a literal earthly 1000-year period that has yet to come (Rev 20:4–20:6).

Traditional dispensationalists believe only the New Testament applies to the church of today. They see the covenant of Sinai (dispensation #5) as having been replaced by the gospel (dispensation #6), but at least some dispensationalists believe that, although the time from Jesus' resurrection until his return (or the advent of the Millennium) is dominated by the proclamation of the gospel, the Sinai covenant is neither terminated nor replaced, rather it is "quiescent" awaiting a fulfillment at the Millennium.[ citation needed ][ clarification needed ] This time of Jewish restoration has an especially prominent place within dispensationalism.

Wayne G. Strickland, professor of theology at the Multnomah School of the Bible, claims that his dispensationalist view is that "the age of the church has rendered the law inoperative". [8]

History

Paul the Apostle

The relationship between Paul the Apostle and Judaism continues to be the subject of research, as it is thought that Paul played an important role in the relationship between Christianity and Judaism as a whole. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church states that Paul's influence on Christian thinking is more significant than any other New Testament author. [9]

Some scholars see Paul (or Saul) as completely in line with 1st-century Judaism (a "Pharisee" and student of Gamaliel or as part of Hellenistic Judaism), [10] others see him as opposed to 1st-century Judaism (see Pauline passages supporting antinomianism and Marcionism), while the majority see him as somewhere in between these extremes, opposed to "Ritual Laws" (see for example Circumcision controversy in early Christianity) but in full agreement on "Divine Law". These views of Paul are paralleled by Christian views of the Old Covenant. See also Antithesis in the Bible and Christianity in the 1st century.

See also

Related Research Articles

Christianity began as a movement within Second Temple Judaism, but the two religions gradually diverged over the first few centuries of the Christian Era. Today, differences of opinion vary between denominations in both religions, but the most important distinction is Christian acceptance and Jewish non-acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah prophesized in the Hebrew Bible and Jewish tradition. Early Christianity distinguished itself by determining that observance of halakha was not necessary for non-Jewish converts to Christianity. Another major difference is the two religions' conceptions of God. The Christian God consists of three persons of one essence, with the doctrine of the incarnation of the Son in Jesus being of special importance. Judaism emphasizes the Oneness of God and rejects the Christian concept of God in human form. While Christianity recognizes the Hebrew Bible as part of its scriptural canon, Judaism does not recognize the Christian New Testament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supersessionism</span> Christian doctrine concerning biblical covenants

Supersessionism, also called replacement theology or fulfillment theology, is a Christian theology which describes the theological conviction that the Christian Church has superseded the nation of Israel assuming their role as God's covenanted people, thus asserting that the New Covenant through Jesus Christ has superseded or replaced the Mosaic covenant exclusive to Jews. Supersessionist theology also holds that the universal Christian Church has succeeded ancient Israel as God's true Israel and that Christians have succeeded the ancient Israelites as the people of God.

Dispensationalism is a theological framework of interpreting the Bible which maintains that history is divided into multiple ages or "dispensations" in which God acts with his chosen people in different ways. The term "dispensationalism" is attributed to Philip Mauro, a critic of the system's teachings in his 1928 book The Gospel of the Kingdom.

Antinomianism is any view which rejects laws or legalism and argues against moral, religious or social norms, or is at least considered to do so. The term has both religious and secular meanings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pauline Christianity</span> Form of Christianity developed from the doctrines of the Apostle Paul

Pauline Christianity or Pauline theology, otherwise referred to as Gentile Christianity, is the theology and form of Christianity which developed from the beliefs and doctrines espoused by the Hellenistic-Jewish Apostle Paul through his writings and those New Testament writings traditionally attributed to him. Paul's beliefs were rooted in the earliest Jewish Christianity, but deviated from this Jewish Christianity in their emphasis on inclusion of the Gentiles into God's New Covenant, and his rejection of circumcision as an unnecessary token of upholding the Mosaic Law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judaizers</span> Faction of Jewish Christians

The Judaizers were a faction of the Jewish Christians, both of Jewish and non-Jewish origins, who regarded the Levitical laws of the Old Testament as still binding on all Christians. They tried to enforce Jewish circumcision upon the Gentile converts to early Christianity and were strenuously opposed and criticized for their behavior by the Apostle Paul, who employed many of his epistles to refute their doctrinal positions.

The New Covenant is a biblical interpretation which was originally derived from a phrase which is contained in the Book of Jeremiah, in the Hebrew Bible.

The Hebrew Bible makes reference to a number of covenants with God (YHWH). These include the Noahic Covenant, which is between God and all living creatures, as well as a number of more specific covenants with Abraham, the whole Israelite people, the Israelite priesthood, and the Davidic lineage of kings. In form and terminology, these covenants echo the kinds of treaty agreements in the surrounding ancient world.

"The law of Christ" is a New Testament phrase. The related Bible verses are in the Pauline epistles at Galatians 6:2 and parenthetically at 1 Corinthians 9:21.

Hyperdispensationalism, Mid-Acts Dispensationalism or Bullingerism is a Protestant conservative evangelical movement that values biblical inerrancy and a literal hermeneutic. Opponents of hyperdispensationalism are traditional dispensationalists, like John Walvoord and Charles Ryrie, classic Acts 2 Pauline dispensationalists, and ultradispensationalists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dual-covenant theology</span> School of thought in Christianity

Dual-covenant or two-covenant theology is a school of thought in Christian theology regarding the relevance of the Hebrew Bible, which Christians call the Old Testament.

In Evangelical Christian theology, progressive dispensationalism is a variation of traditional dispensationalism. All dispensationalists view the dispensations as chronologically successive. Progressive dispensationalists, in addition to viewing the dispensations as chronologically successive, also view the dispensations as progressive stages in salvation history. The term "progressive" comes from the concept of an interrelationship or progression between the dispensations. Progressive dispensationalism is not related to any social or political use of the term progressive, such as progressive Christianity.

Biblical law refers to the legal aspects of the Bible, the holy scriptures of Christianity and Judaism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian views on the Old Covenant</span> Dispute and controversy in Christianity

The Mosaic covenant or Law of Moses – which Christians generally call the "Old Covenant" – played an important role in the origins of Christianity and has occasioned serious dispute and controversy since the beginnings of Christianity: note for example Jesus' teaching of the Law during his Sermon on the Mount and the circumcision controversy in early Christianity.

Interpretations of the law in the Bible within the Seventh-day Adventist Church form a part of the broader debate regarding biblical law in Christianity. Adventists believe in a greater continuation of laws such as the law given to Moses in the present day than do most other Christians. In particular, they believe the 10 Commandments still apply to today, including the Sabbath in particular.

This is a glossary of terms used in Christianity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul the Apostle and Jewish Christianity</span> Paul the Apostle and Jewish Christianity

Paul the Apostle has been placed within Second Temple Judaism by recent scholarship since the 1970s. A main point of departure with older scholarship is the understanding of Second Temple Judaism; the covenant with God and the role of works as a means to either gain or keep the covenant.

In theology, one meaning of the term dispensation is as a distinctive arrangement or period in history that forms the framework through which God relates to mankind.

New Covenant theology is a Christian theological position teaching that the person and work of Jesus Christ is the central focus of the Bible. One distinctive assertion of this school of thought is that Old Testament Laws have been abrogated or cancelled with Jesus' crucifixion, and replaced with the Law of Christ of the New Covenant. It shares similarities with, and yet is distinct from, dispensationalism and Covenant theology.

References

  1. ↑ McPherson, Joseph D. (2016). "In Defense of Ten Commandments: The Perpetual Mandate of Sabbath Observance". The Arminian Magazine. Fundamental Wesleyan Society. 34 (1).
  2. ↑ Knight, Hal (22 November 2017). "Cheap Grace". The Missouri Conference of The United Methodist Church. In John Wesley's day "cheap grace" went by the fancier name "antinomianism," which literally means "against the law." Antinomianism insists that if you are saved by faith and not by works, then works are irrelevant. We do not need to be righteous ourselves because we are covered by Christ's righteousness. Our hearts and lives do not need to be changed as long as we have faith in Christ. "The imagination that faith supersedes holiness," Wesley wrote, "is the marrow of antinomianism." ("On the Wedding Garment," 18).
  3. ↑ "TMS.EDU: TMSJ 18/1 (Fall 2007) 149-163: Introduction to New Covenant Theology" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-02-17. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
  4. ↑ ALL Old Testament Laws Cancelled: 24 Reasons Why All Old Testament Laws Are Cancelled and All New Testament Laws Are for Our Obedience, Greg Gibson, 2008, page 7: "New Covenant Theology ...[has]... a better priest, better sacrifice, and better covenant (containing a better law)."
  5. ↑ Moo Archived August 27, 2010, at the Wayback Machine , page 375; Gibson, ALL Old Testament Laws Cancelled, pages 48, 143, 144
  6. ↑ The Law, the Gospel, and the Modern Christian: Five Views Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1993. ISBN   978-0-310-53321-4, also republished as Five Views on Law and Gospel, page 376: "The content of all but one of the Ten Commandments is taken up into "the law of Christ", for which we are responsible. (The exception is the Sabbath commandment, one that Heb. 3-4 suggests is fulfilled in the new age as a whole.)"
  7. ↑ Scofield Reference Bible
  8. ↑ Five Views on Law and Gospel, Gundry editor, Chapter 4: The Inauguration of the Law of Christ with the Gospel of Christ: A Dispensational View by Wayne G. Strickland, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1993, page 259
  9. ↑ Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church ed. F.L. Lucas (Oxford) entry on Paul
  10. ↑ The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (1915), Volume 4, page 2276 edited by James Orr
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