Don’t want to fall into a Christmas break Spiritual slump!? Here are some ideas to spend time in the Bible:

Anticipate boredom at home in advance! Register for Encounter ’11 in Greensboro and hang out with us. Deb 28th-Jan1st. facebook.com/encounter2011 for more details.

A 28 day look at the book of Luke.  It’s all in a sharp looking PDF that you can put on your phone or whatever.  Good questions to make you think about the Gospel of Luke. http://www.unccornerstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/foursevens.pdf

1 John, Mark, Galatians…. all three are great studies from 4 weeks to 13 weeks in length.  Email back and we can send one to you.

Do this study over the break from the Cstone website.  You will benefit from looking at what the Bible says about who God is.  It will change how you think of yourself, others and how you live! http://www.unccornerstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/See-God-Rightly.pdf

I finished the last excursus on this sensitive issue with the paragraph immediately following.  The same sentiments make their way into this next lengthy piece.  What follows is a really tough question about how we interpret the Bible today which has everything to do with how we view homosexuality in a Christian context.  As usual, read with an open mind.  Due to the limited length… i know, but really it is short to answer a huge question…. there are many questions left open.  And once again…as usual, send me questions, thoughts or disagreements (just be nice though!) -miles

In light of the above, I want to help shape the discussion and clarify some of the surrounding difficulties of interpretation that our culture brings to the argument.  I am consciously spending a good deal of time shaping the discussion as the foundations of angst in this area run deep and no quick response is adequate. I urge you to read on and evaluate your assumptions.

Here is the question I see all over the blogosphere.  It comes in many different forms and relates to many different norms of Christian teaching.  The argument goes like this…..You eat pork don’t you!?  You shave your beards.  Then how can you justify condemning one area of OT law when you don’t keep many other areas?  The Old Testament prohibition of homosexuality in Leviticus 20:13 – “If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.”  Is said to be one of those instances where conservative Christians choose to regard this admonition as binding today, yet disregard so many others.  For example: One person jests-  (a) I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her? (b) Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev.19:27. How should they die? (c) I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?  Pretty funny.  But the point is heard.

Certainly some of the OT law is outdated so why don’t we just get on with the times and admit homosexuality fits into the same category?  There was a day when slavery as well as the degradation of women were both also sanctioned by citing Biblical text. We now admit that passages were torn out of context in regards to those issues.  The selection process seems to be subjective to the cultural norms of the day and so isn’t it time to throw out this antiquated view on homosexuality? It is an argument that deserves some attention.  How would you respond?  Let me suggest we use caution on how we make decisions related to these types of questions when interpreting the Old Testament.  It is indeed a dangerous downward spiral to say that we can throw out teaching of the Bible on the basis of changing cultural norms is it not?  So here are some thoughts to think about.

Liberal and Conservative scholars tell us that there are three main categories of Old Testament Law.  They are the Moral, Civil and Ceremonial.

The Moral law category is fairly intuitively understood.  The 10 commandments are examples of moral law commands for instance.   They are prescriptions of moral conduct.

The Civil laws are those that pertain to the formation of a society and its preservation.  They often have to do with criminal code. An example of a civil law is Deuteronomy 15:1, “At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts.”  Or, Numbers 15:38-39 38 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘through out the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. 39 You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the LORD.”

Ceremonial laws largely pertain to the Old Testament sacrificial system.  They were rules of how to worship God rightly as a community. An example is in Deuteronomy 16:13, which instructed the Israelites to “celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing floor and your winepress.” 

Now, let’s look at how some scholars suggest we decide on the modern validity of the laws in each of these categories.

In the case of the moral law category, these laws are said to be timeless, crossing both Old and New Testament periods.  Or, more precisely, they transcend Old Covenant to New Covenant times of today.  They derive from God’s Holy character which never changes.  The Westminster confession illuminates: “The moral law doth forever bind all, as well justified persons as others, to the obedience thereof” (WCF XIX. 5).   Therefore scholars tell us that it is the moral law which is still valid today and will be forever.

In the case of the civil law category, they were designed for the nation of Israel as it functioned as a nation state under the sovereign rule of God.  These laws no longer pertain to us today as the Westminster confession again outlines:  They are “sundry judicial laws, which expired together with the state of that people (Israel)” (XIX. 4).“  “In other words, these laws were for regulating the nation of Israel, which was then but no longer is the particular people of God.  While there is an undisputed wisdom contained in this civil law it cannot be made applicable to any nation today, since there are no biblically sanctioned theocracies now.“ Rev. Richard D. Phillips 10th Presbyterian Church Philadelphia

Finally the Ceremonial laws.  These laws were meant to be fulfilled explicitly in the office of Christ.  Again, the Westminster confession says: They are “typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Christ” (WIW. 3).  That is, they were meant to prepare a categorical system of understanding that Jesus would come to fulfill. For example- The sacrifice of a lamb on the day of Passover (Exodus 12:1-20) was fulfilled perfectly one day by Jesus’ own sacrifice on the day of Passover.  Or in the preceding example from Deut 16:13, Israel was to celebrate the feast of Tabernacles.  It was a celebration of remembrance of Israel’s time in the dessert where they set up tents (tabernacles) as they followed God in his temporary Tabernacle.  Now God no longer lives in a physical tabernacle, but Jesus’ spirit “tabernacles” with each one of us who is a believer.  The law therefore is fulfilled in Christ and no longer necessary.

It is therefore said, with respect to the question of why we follow some laws and not others, that they come to us in different categories from the OT to accomplish different purposes.  Jesus fulfilled many of them making them obsolete.  The demise of the Nation State of Israel also led to many of their obsolescence. Those moral laws particularly stemming from God’s moral character are those that are still binding on into the New Covenant period.

Ultimately the New Testament and Jesus himself give us the clearest prescription on how to handle the Law today.  The New Testament clearly tells us that Jesus fulfills the whole Mosaic Law and now under the New Covenant the law is bound in the ethic of loving God and loving others.  Matthew 22:27-40 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

However in Matthew 5, Jesus in his famous Sermon on the Mount says, “17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

So which is it?  Jesus reduces the law to the two Great Commandments of Matthew 22 or Jesus teaches that not one “iota” will be removed from the Law?  The answer lies in the heart of the message of the Sermon on the Mount and indeed in the heart of New Testament teaching.  Not one piece of the law will pass away, but Jesus’ message was to beware of making the externals of the law what the law was ultimately about.  The law was foundational in revealing our heart issues before God.  It is not a matter of checking off boxes following the law outwardly, but the law leads us to our hearts.  21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.  Matthew 5:21-22 It is not only the outward adherence to the law that is required.  The outward expression is only valid as it reveals the true heart condition of the follower.

The two great commandments sum up the heart condition to which the law points. Actually, Jesus’ call under the new covenant is much more demanding not less.  Matthew 5:20 “20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” The bar is raised, not lowered. In fact the bar is so high that only Christ lived the law perfectly in heart and deed.  In the new covenant we are able to take on Christ’s perfection in our stead so that now we indeed follow the heart of the law but with no pressure.  Because of the work of Christ, now the Spirit of God lives inside of each believer.  One is no longer dependent on an external law that binds to conformity.   Rather in freedom to the heart of the law, we are guided by the Spirit of Jesus within.  Make no  mistake, the law is still valuable as it teaches us God’s heart yet conformity is not what makes us right with God.  It is regeneration by the Spirit of God that he works within our hearts, not the external law.

Let’s make an application at this point.  Beware those of you that hold the majority opinion in this debate on homosexuality.  It was the majority that Jesus constantly called into question during his ministry on earth.  He challenged not only the external but the internal heart condition that others did not see.  Why is it that we preach against outwards sins with vengeance, but treat the inward self-righteousness that all of us posses with a passing eye?  To others of you, beware of picking and choosing between God’s laws.  It is not that Jesus broadens the gate that leads to righteousness, he actually narrow it.  Matt 7:13

Here is an example to clarify all this.  Leviticus 25:10 talks about a year of Jubilee where everyone is commanded to give up one’s property!  It says “Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan.”  What do we do with this?  The heart of the law has not changed though customs have.  The heart of generosity, the heart of not exploiting others, treating business manners in fairness and equity for all, these still remain.  So we do not keep the year of jubilee in a literal sense, but the New Covenant heart of the law still remains.

Let’s use and example of a NT law.  In the NT women are commanded to cover their heads.  1 Corinthians 11:4- 6 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. 5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved. 6 For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head.”  Some churches do indeed still carry out this Pauline command.  But perhaps there is a different cultural way in which we carry out the same heart of the ordinance.  In ancient times, women who were married showed honor to their husbands by wearing head coverings.  It was a symbol of honor and integrity. So today, women who are married wear a wedding band displaying the same connection to their husband.  The heart of the law has not changed though the cultural customs have seen through to new expressions.

The moral law is valid as a guide, but the underlying motive of Love for God and Love for others is the substructure to which the moral law points.   Therefore, the Christian follows the law today, not arbitrarily, but with a view to loving God and loving others out of a response to what God has done in his grace for them.  They do not set aside certain laws that seem outdated while adhering to others.  They set aside those either fulfilled in Christ, or irrelevant- not pertaining to the nation state of Israel.  We now eat pork.  We now shave our beards.  We no longer sacrifice animals.  However, we do follow God’s ethic for purity and holiness, we do love others, we do give to the poor, we do memorize God’s Word so and so on.

It is therefore not arbitrary that God’s design for sexuality comes into the discussion of Homosexuality.  No matter which side you fall in the argument, you must admit that there is the possibility that God designed life in a certain way of which sexual conduct is an integral part. It is possible that his Lordship is “supposed” to reign in concrete ways spanning Old to New Testament.  It may not be random adherence to antiquated sexual norms, either heterosexual or homosexual, that Christians’ choose.  It is possible that a conservative view does not stem from a Christian’s desire to exclude or judge.  Perhaps conservative Christians have turned God’s laws into just that, but ethically, that does not necessitate from where it arises.   It may be that God’s moral laws are everlasting and stem from an understanding of God’s heart of protection for people, people’s love for God and love for one another.  Now at this point you might disagree with the argument put forth, but at least you can understand that the prohibition against a homosexual lifestyle, heterosexual promiscuity, and other deviant forms of sexuality can come from genuine love of God and love of others…. Though it has not been communicated well in those terms for sure.