Joanne M. Miller: Explaining the Bible’s rules, restrictions
The question keeps coming up regarding the rules in the Book of Leviticus vs. the teachings of the New Testament (“We violate biblical rules often,” Letters, May 24). One must consider historical and geographical context. The Israelites, led by Moses, had been slaves in Egypt for 400 years. Moses was chosen by God to lead them out of bondage and teach them to become a great nation.
Moses not only had been educated in Pharaoh’s household, but had spent 40 years in the desert before leading the people out, truly equipping him to be the great deliverer. God’s purpose was to use this chosen race to give us the Messiah, and this demanded a holy and separate people, as opposed to the pagan cultures of that time. The dietary and health laws made sense at the time. The laws provided discipline, learning and survival for God’s chosen race.
In the New Testament, those laws were abrogated by the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15). We now live under grace, not Mosaic law. However, the timeless principles of purity of life are still in effect. The old covenant was set aside because it was weak and useless (Hebrews 7:18).
Joanne M. Miller, Ripon
This story was originally published June 8, 2015 at 2:05 PM with the headline "Joanne M. Miller: Explaining the Bible’s rules, restrictions."