The word "binding" means to "impose as an obligation."
So, the question is asking if people today are obligated to follow/obey the
teaching of the Old Testament as they are obligated to follow/obey the teaching
of the New Testament? Though the Old Testament is certainly just as true and
factual as the New Testament since it was given by the inspiration of God, it
is not true that it is just as binding today as the New Testament. The New Testament
tells us the Old is no longer binding. The New has superseded the Old.
I do not know of anyone (who accepts the New Testament) that believes and practices
that the Old Testament is just as binding as the New today. Some, however, do
attempt to practice certain parts of it such as tithing and sabbath keeping.
But I do not know of anyone who seeks to follow the Old Law regarding animal
sacrifices, the burning of incense or the keeping of the Passover or Pentecost.
There were some in the first century church who taught a convert to Christ must
keep the law of circumcision. Therefore, the Lord points out, through the inspired
apostle Paul, that when one seeks to obey even one part of the Old Testament
Law (such as circumcision), he is obligated "to do the whole Law."
That is, those who teach circumcision as a religious ordinance or that one must
keep the sabbath, must also burn animal sacrifices and keep the Passover. And,
when one seeks to follow any part of the Old Testament Law, regardless of what
it is, "ye are fallen from grace" (Galatians 5:3-4). Since men are
saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8), those who seek to keep any part of the Old Testament
cannot be saved.
One of the purposes for which Jesus came into the world was to nullify (abolish)
the Old Testament Law by bringing in a New Testament Law. By Jesus dying on
the cross, he abolished the Old Law -- "Having abolished in his flesh the
enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances..." (Ephesians
2:15; cf. Hebrews 7:18). "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that
was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing
it to his cross" (Colossians 2:14). Jesus, our saviour, is the mediator
of the New Testament, not the Old (Hebrews 9:15). The whole point of the books
of Galatians and Hebrews is to show the changing of the Law from the Old to
the New. We will be judged by the words of Jesus in the New Testament (John
12:48).
by Garland M. Robinson
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