Essay on What is the Christian's Relationship to the Old Testament

The Shadow of the Galilean: The Quest of the Historical Jesus in Narrative Form. By Gerd Theissen. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2007, 212 pp., $15.50.

Christians’ relationship to the Old Testament has been an issue that has attracted huge concern across the globe. This issue has generated much controversy because of the various misunderstandings across both sides of the spectrum. In essence, there are Christians who believe that the Old Testament law is biding to all believers while others think that they are not bound by this law. There are some Christians who argue that the Old Testament law is not binding to believers except the Ten Commandments whereas others state that the ceremonial law has been eradicated. The confusion regarding Christians’ relationship to the Old Testament is also fueled by the fact that there are many laws that seem to be part of this religion. Moreover, the Old Testament is associated with complexities, which makes them to find it confusing, wordy, and cumbersome .

The controversial figure of St Paul is credited with writing thirteen of the twenty-seven books in the New Testament; thus making him one of the most important figures of the Apostolic Age and in the development of the early Christian faith. Paul’s letters are some of the earliest Christian documents discovered dating to approximately 50 AD, whereas the scholarly consensus for the dating of the gospels is between 70 AD and 90 AD. Therefore, Paul’s thirteen letters reveal the earliest teachings about Jesus and the Christian faith; in particular Paul’s letter to the Romans expresses the fullest statement of how salvation in Christ is achieved (Wansbrough, 2011, P247). Thus, this essay will primarily focus on Romans and the extent it concurs with the Gospel according to Luke. In doing this, the essay will also analyse whether Paul’s letters rely on the narrative of Luke’s gospel. The overall message Paul preaches in his thirteen letters is we can be saved through Jesus’ actions, but only if we follow his teachings. However, the argument is can this message be fully understood by Christians without Luke’s gospel? Additionally, this paper will attempt to show how Paul’s preaching has altered or remained the same throughout time.

Honore de Balzac once said, “Laws are spider webs through which the big flies pass and the little ones get caught.” In the law system of the Middle Ages, one of the major courts was the church court, where the leaders of the Catholic Church held the jurisdiction. However, there were countless problems with the attitude of the church and the misdeeds they performed. Despite the fact that medieval laws were justified in the eyes of religion, it was the abuse of those administering the laws that caused the failure of medieval justice system.

Biblical principles are the foundation that influenced the criminal justice system as we know it today. Many of the laws that we adhere to today were originally disseminated to the masses via the teachings and principles contained within the Bible. Many of the crimes against persons and property that are illegal by Christian standards were originally made illegal by biblical standards. This paper will discuss laws as they are written in the bible comparing them to laws applicable in today’s criminal justice system.

The Christian perspective of the Old Testament as the foreshadowing and foundation of the Jesus Event goes as followed: The Old Testament, also known as the Hebrew Scriptures, or the Old Covenant, contains myth, history, faith, and culture of the Israelites. The Israelites are descendants of Abraham and Sarah, then the descendants of Jacob which become the 12 tribes of Israel, then the only tribe left after the Assyrians wiped them out was the tribe of Judah, hence the name: Jews. As Christians, we believe that the Old Testament is one story made up of many stories. We also believe that all the sections of it, the Torah ( also know as the Pentitute), historical books, wisdom books, and prophetic books all lay the foundation for the New Testament and

The old testament is the first part of the Christian Bible, comprising thirty-nine books and corresponding directly to the Hebrew Bible. Most of the books were originally written in Hebrew between about 1200 and 100 BC. They comprise the chief texts of the law, history, prophecy, and wisdom literature of the ancient people of Israel. The old testament and the new testament connection between the two is the covenant. (McFarland 1/12) The new testament is the second part of the Christian Bible, written originally in Greek and recording the life and teachings of Jesus and his earliest followers. It includes the four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, twenty-one epistles by St. Paul and others, and the book of

I did not find other sources published by Ryan; however, this article backed up with many other references and linked in the field of study to other peer-reviewed journals. I did not find his article in others’ articles or journals. Author’s purpose here is the abstract concept and correlation to the capricious law system in relative comparison to free will and moral obligations, and the pragmatic inconsistency of social and personal implications.

Harris, S. L. (2015). The New Testament: A student's introduction (Eighth E.D.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education. Page

These written laws are known as the 10 commandments (Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5) "1. You shall have no other Gods before me 2. You shall not make idols 3. You shall not take the Lords name in vain 4. Remember the Sabbath day, keep it holy 5. Honor your father and your mother 6.You shall not murder 7. You shall not commit adultery 8. You shall not steal 9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor 10. You shall not covet." According to the Bible, these are considered the 10 most important laws you must follow as a Christian in order to enter the gates of heaven and be accepted by God. These same laws are some that the United States of America have instituted into their own laws set forth as a country. Although not every commandment is used as absolute law in American society, America was built on Christianity and these very same principles. One would have to agree that the system which does contain flaws has worked out pretty well as a staple to enforce law and order. If these same principles are ultimately used as a foundational system to control American society, couldn't is be presumed that the same was intended for the Christian

“Man, when perfected, is the best of animals, but when separated from law and justice, he is the worst of all,” quoted the renowned Greek philosopher Aristotle , giving birth to the notions of natural law; the theory that without law we would be reduced to an anarchical society. Because of this, some would argue that the purpose of law would be to instill in the members of society a set of moral codes, which further illustrates the belief laws save us from ourselves, or more appropriately our “true selves”. Yet this theoretical principle leads to many criticisms and further questions; for one, what would dictate a universal moral code? Furthermore, who gets to define what is right and what is not, since morality is a fairly subjective concept? With these questions in mind, the goal of this paper is to critique the theory of natural law using Holmes rhetoric, analyze the distinction between pragmatism and natural law, and give my personal take on what “is” the law and what “ought to be” the law.

Yet, it is Matthew’s Gospel that most profoundly shapes our Christianity. Proclaiming himself the fulfillment of the Old Testament law and prophecies ( In response to John’s question Jesus affirms that He is the Messiah (11:1-6)) , he moves us forward into the New Testament with his teachings. This is the Gospel that gives us Jesus the teacher. It is here that he presents us with the truth, the way and the life expected of his disciples. The Beatitudes, The Lord’s Prayer, the parables and so much of what we hold central to the practice of our faith would be

The subject of the Decalogue, or Ten Commandments, and their place in modern Christianity and America is an interesting topic. It has certainly shifted in recent years, as many segments of Christianity have been watered down and diluted to make them more palatable to the modern social climate. A part of this decline in Christian morality stems from confusion over what portions of the Law Christians are required to uphold. Moving through this paper, I will discuss the Law and what portions modern Christians are required to keep. Although the bible is fairly clear on the Law and how it applies to the redeemed in Christ, it still is a subject that some among us disagree on. I will also discuss pluralism, if it exists in the United States, and

The Bible is a collection of sacred texts in Judaism and Christianity. In the Christian Bible, these collections of texts are divided into two major complimentary sections, the Old Testament and the New Testament. Where the Old Testament is foundational, containing prophecies and providing the history of people, the New Testament builds up on the Old Testament with more revelations from God, fulfilling the many prophecies announced and providing the history of one Person, Jesus Christ. The Old Testament prophesizes the coming of Christ in Isaiah and Genesis, and the New Testament unveils the identity of the Messiah in John 1. John 1, in the form of an argument, uses the Old Testament’s prophecies as evidence that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Messiah that was sent by God to purge our sins.

Jesus and His Church fulfill Old Testament hopes and prophecies-a powerful witness to the divine inspiration of these writings” (The Doctrine We Adorn 8). For so many prophecies to be spoken in the Old Testament and then fulfilled in the New testament, definitely lends credence to the argument that God inspired the whole Bible.