Crumbs from the Table

The coming of Christ changes everything. The Old Testament is not to be discarded; it remains God's word for us. But we read the Old Testament, and obey the Old Testament laws, through the prism of Christ and the New Testament.  As Christians, we are not "under" the law , that is to say we are *not* bound to keep ("do") the Old Testament laws in the Old Testament way (Gal. 5:3). Rather, we "fulfil" the law in a New Testament way (Romans 8:4; 13:8,10; Galatians 5:14; James 2:8). Not only are we "not under law" in respect of the detailed laws (e.g. Exodus 21-23); we are also "not under law" in relation to the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17). The Ten Commandments do not constitute a timeless universal moral code, but rather represent specific commandments given to the people of Israel in the context of the Exodus from Egypt (20:2), and future life in the promised land of Canaan (20:12).   Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 9, "To thos...

At church on Sunday evenings we have begun a series in Hebrews. This exposition of the Christian faith has been somewhat eclipsed by the letter to the Romans. While clearly written from a Jewish perspective, and thus most immediately relevant to Jewish Christians, the letter to the Hebrews nevertheless provides, for all of us, a magnificent exposition of the Christian faith, presenting Christ as Son and Great High Priest.  Right from the start of the letter, Christ is presented in the most exalted terms as the Son whose name is far superior and more excellent than the angels.  In the first chapter the letter to the Hebrews makes the strongest case that God the Father himself refers to the Son as "my Son", calls on angels to worship him, acknowledges the Son's reign ("Your throne, O God"), speaks of him as eternal Creator, and says to him, "Sit at my right hand."  The full deity of the Son, and his equality with the Father is a truth central to and esse...