In our previous article we asked why Christians don’t keep all of the Old Testament, especially many of Israel’s laws. If, as Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:16, “all scripture is inspired by God,” why don’t we still make sacrifices or strictly observe the Sabbath? You can read our answer to those questions in the previous article. In this follow-up piece we’re going to turn to the question of application. That is, how should Christians apply the Old Testament?
We suggest a simple series of questions when approaching Old Testament passages and how to apply them.
This is a challenge, as well as a much contested matter. So we suggest asking a simple series of questions when approaching Old Testament passages and how to apply them. To demonstrate how these questions might work, we’re going to first use circumcision as an example. Secondly, we’ll consider how to understand the Old Testament on marriage. In both cases, you will see that Old Testament truths are to be examined by the light of New Testament teachings.
Worked Example: Circumcision
In Genesis 17:9-14, God told Abraham: “This is the covenant that you and your descendants must keep…Every male child must be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth.”
What Did This Law Mean to the Old Testament People?
Circumcision was an outward sign that a person had a covenant relationship with God. God said to Abraham: “I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you” (Genesis 17:7).
What Are the Differences Between Those People and Us Today?
Circumcision was a sign of God’s relationship with the Israelites, a group of people who were unified ethnically (along with foreigners who served God and followed the law) and politically. Today, however, God is the God of “Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female” (Galatians 3:26-29). He welcomes all, no matter what their ethnic or political identity.
What Was the Principle or Truth that God Revealed by This Law?
Those who belong to God are aware of their relationship with God and are set apart—are different and should live differently—from those who do not belong to God.
What Does the New Testament Say About This Principle or Truth?
The New Testament is clear that what is important is not physical circumcision. What is important is a pure heart and a clean life that is set apart for God (Romans 2:28-29; Philippians 3:2-4).
How Should Christians Apply These Things to Their Lives?
What is important is a pure heart and a clean life that is set apart for God.
We do this by seeking to have a pure heart and living in such a way that identifies us as belonging to a holy God—just as circumcision identified Jews as belonging to God. Today children of Christian parents do not need to be circumcised for spiritual reasons, although Christian parents may want to circumcise their sons because circumcision can provide health benefits or to honour their tradition of dedication or Christianity’s Old Testament roots. It is a matter of personal choice.
Examples of Marriage, Law and Grace
Below we will apply the same questions to two more, somewhat broader, matters. The purpose of this article isn’t to offer anything definitive. However, as with circumcision (above), by asking a few questions we can better learn how to read and apply the Old Testament.
1. Marriage
God instituted marriage as a permanent union between a man and a woman (Genesis 2:23). Since the fall, marriage has been violated by practices such as adultery, polygamy, divorce, and homosexuality.
God honoured Abraham’s faith; he nowhere condoned Abraham’s polygamy.
Polygamy was not God’s plan for humanity. The fact that God made concessions to the polygamous practices of Abraham, Jacob, and David does not mean that he approved their sexual choices. Abraham and Jacob were still influenced by their cultures as they were learning God’s principles for family. David used polygamy to form alliances. Unfortunately, some Christians in Africa have used the example of Abraham to justify polygamy. God honoured Abraham’s faith; he nowhere condoned Abraham’s polygamy.
The New Testament confirms God’s plan for marriage between one man and one woman (Mark 10:5-10). The similarities between polygamy in Old Testament cultures and in African societies should not be interpreted as divine approval. Certain laws and customs were allowed in the colonial days of Africa that were rejected after independence. The fact that they were allowed or encouraged by “democratic” governments in that era does not mean that they are good in our modern African democracies.
2. Law and Grace
The children of Israel in the Old Testament atoned for their sins by offering sacrifices to God. For instance, if a person was called to testify and refused to do it, when he became aware of his guilt, he would confess his sin and then offer a sacrifice (Leviticus 5:1-6). In the Old Testament, the restoration of our relationship to God after we sinned came from a sacrifice. The Old Testament says that going through the act of a sacrifice without obeying God is not pleasing to him (1 Samuel 15:22), but the Israelites’ responsibility was still to do what the law told them to do.
Over the years, Jewish religious leaders wrote many detailed laws to explain how to obey the Old Testament laws. They had started to do this by the time of Jesus and continue on through today. For instance, Exodus 20:8 says on the Sabbath “no one in your household may do any work.” Some sects of Jews today decided “work” includes pushing elevator buttons. And so today in Jerusalem, elevators are programmed to stop automatically at every floor on the Sabbath so that a Jew can go up an elevator without working on the Sabbath. In this way, the Jews guard the original law of the Pentateuch from being broken.
We become righteous by grace through faith—not by following the laws of the Old Testament.
The New Testament, however, teaches that we become righteous by grace through faith—not by following the laws of the Old Testament. Not pushing an elevator button on the Sabbath does not make a person holy. Instead, “we are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ” (Romans 3:21-25). Whenever we apply the Old Testament, we must emphasise this point.
Outward expressions of faithfulness to God such as circumcision, observing the Sabbath, and offering sacrifices changed in the New Testament. Similarly, new worship forms influenced by our cultural practices may be developed and practised in Africa. But these practices must reflect the unchanging principles of God’s word. The Bible has not changed. “All Scripture [including the Old Testament] is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realise what is wrong in our lives” (2 Timothy 3:16).
Points to Remember
- The Old and New Testaments form one story of God revealing himself, step by step. The God of both Testaments is the same.
- The Old Testament shows many principles both in its history and teaching that equip us to be effective Christians. The writers of the New Testament saw it as holy Scripture and quoted it often.
- Not all the laws of the Old Testament have direct application to us today. We must carefully discern what eternal laws to follow and what laws can give us wisdom but do not need to be practised.
- God wants believers to have a pure heart and live in a way that identifies us as belonging to a pure and holy God.
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