Maybe you have never even considered the question above, but it is an extremely significant one with widespread implications. Some people might believe these two testaments (sets of laws) are two laws that cover different things and that both are in effect, just as we have many laws on a variety of subjects in effect in our country today. Even though it is an appealing idea, it does not fit with the teaching of the scriptures contained in these two testaments. Some would say that God had a law, the Old Testament, and that he added to it with the New Testament. Many churches certainly practice and teach this way, but that is not what the Bible teaches about itself. Quite to the contrary of these ideas, the Bible itself teaches that the first law would be done away and that a second new law would take its place, not that it would be added to the first or that it just taught some new things that were not covered in the first. Yes, the Bible teaches that the first or Old Testament is not the law that we must be obedient to in order to be pleasing to God. In fact, the New Testament clearly teaches that trying to be justified by that old law will bring condemnation not commendation.
I don’t expect you to take my word for it, so, let’s see what the Bible says for itself. First, let us notice who was under the first covenant. In Exodus 34:27-28 the Bible says, "And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel. {28} And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments." Let us observe two things in this passage. First, notice that the ten commandments are definitely part of the covenant. Deuteronomy 29:21 makes it clear that there was more to the covenant than just the ten commandments. This verse mentions the “curses of the covenant” and the “book of the law”. Since the ten commandments, recorded in Exodus 20:1-17, do not include any curses, then there must be more to the covenant. The Jews have always referred to the first 5 books in our Old Testament, as their Torah, their law. Second, we see that God made this covenant, including the ten commandments, with Moses and Israel, the Jews. The law of Moses, the Old Testament covenant, was between God and the Israelites, and none of the other nations in the world were under that law. Deuteronomy 4:13 teaches these same things.
The Gentiles who lived throughout this time up to the time of Christ had a different law that will judge them and that Paul spoke of in Romans 2:14-15, "For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: {15} Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)". The Apostle says the Gentiles were a law to themselves and the law was written in their hearts and says their conscience and thoughts would be the standard for their judgment. In the next verse, Paul makes it clear that things are not that way at the time of his writing, but that from that time on God’s judgment is based on the Gospel. (Rom 2:16) "In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel." In Acts 17:30 Paul preached that, "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:". Paul makes it clear here that things have changed. What God used to allow because of ignorance he will not ignore any longer. There is a universal law now that “all men every where” must obey. Now, this leaves us with 2 possibilities. One, that God has changed the Jewish law, also known as the law of Moses, from being just for the Jews to being for everyone. Or. Two, God has done away with the law of Moses that was for the Jews and the law of conscience that was for the Gentiles, and has replaced them with another law that is for everyone. Next time we will continue and see what the Bible teaches about which of these two things God did.
I don’t expect you to take my word for it, so, let’s see what the Bible says for itself. First, let us notice who was under the first covenant. In Exodus 34:27-28 the Bible says, "And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel. {28} And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments." Let us observe two things in this passage. First, notice that the ten commandments are definitely part of the covenant. Deuteronomy 29:21 makes it clear that there was more to the covenant than just the ten commandments. This verse mentions the “curses of the covenant” and the “book of the law”. Since the ten commandments, recorded in Exodus 20:1-17, do not include any curses, then there must be more to the covenant. The Jews have always referred to the first 5 books in our Old Testament, as their Torah, their law. Second, we see that God made this covenant, including the ten commandments, with Moses and Israel, the Jews. The law of Moses, the Old Testament covenant, was between God and the Israelites, and none of the other nations in the world were under that law. Deuteronomy 4:13 teaches these same things.
The Gentiles who lived throughout this time up to the time of Christ had a different law that will judge them and that Paul spoke of in Romans 2:14-15, "For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: {15} Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)". The Apostle says the Gentiles were a law to themselves and the law was written in their hearts and says their conscience and thoughts would be the standard for their judgment. In the next verse, Paul makes it clear that things are not that way at the time of his writing, but that from that time on God’s judgment is based on the Gospel. (Rom 2:16) "In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel." In Acts 17:30 Paul preached that, "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:". Paul makes it clear here that things have changed. What God used to allow because of ignorance he will not ignore any longer. There is a universal law now that “all men every where” must obey. Now, this leaves us with 2 possibilities. One, that God has changed the Jewish law, also known as the law of Moses, from being just for the Jews to being for everyone. Or. Two, God has done away with the law of Moses that was for the Jews and the law of conscience that was for the Gentiles, and has replaced them with another law that is for everyone. Next time we will continue and see what the Bible teaches about which of these two things God did.
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