Some Background:

Why I Follow Biblical Rules

I came to believing in the God of the Bible. There is only one issue with this, there are over 40,000 different denominations of Christianity alone. Ho, which one to choose… Well, being an engineer, thankfully I have the full “manual” available to me, the bible.

After spending a year reading from Genesis to Revelations, I got it all down… nope, just kidding. There really was just one thing that bothered me, the fourth commandment of keeping the sabbath day. I see its in the list of 10, so why was it eliminated after Jesus came to earth and died. I ask fellow believers and they say “the law has been done away with.” OK, great, can you show me where in the new testament it states the law is done? As an engineer, when lives are at stake (souls in this case), you need to ensure you are correct. You don’t just take other people’s word.

Well, there was no place in the bible I or anyone could find proving the Sabbath is no longer needed to be kept. This bothered me, God gave this as a sign you are his (Exodus 31:13, Ezekiel 20:12) . So, one should not easily abandon it.

This raises another question, if the sabbath day should be kept, then what about the other commandments found in the old testament?

The Messiah said to keep the Commandments, and that’s what I do.

Yes I believe Jesus was our Messiah who died for us on the cross. This means I need to follow EVERYTHING he said.

The first passage, we are commanded to NOT think the law has been abolished, thus I need to follow it.

Mat 5:17 “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.

Some have said fulfilling the law is doing away with it, but that conflicts with the initial statement of commanding us to not think it’s been abolished. When one reads the next two passages here in Matthew, you find the Messiah elaborates on the importance of keeping the old commandments, stating you will be least in the kingdom if one teaches they are “done away with.” So, I am following the law.

Matt 5:18-19 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. Therefore, anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

When talking with others, some have replied back by saying “everything has been accomplished, thus the law is done away with.” So, I read more of my bible and find that’s not true (by quite a bit). We find in in Luke, the Messiah reads from Isaiah,

Luke 4:18-19 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

When one looks this passage up in Isaiah, we find the Messiah stopped reading in mid-sentence, and that last small part has NOT happened (in my opinion).

Isa 61:2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,

Thus, I would conclude, all has not been fulfilled yet, for the day of vengeance is still future. This forces me to conclude we should still be keeping the law.

This pairs up very nicely with Joel 3:2, where the Father gathers all the nations and brings them to the Valley of Jehoshaphat and judges them

Joel 3:2 I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.[fn] There I will put them on trial for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel, because they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land.

And Isaiah 56:6-7 pairs up nicely with this, describing all who have kept the Sabbath without desecrating it and hold fast to the covenant, are brought to the holy mountain of God.

Is 56:6-7 And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer….

We also read in Revelations regarding the end-times, the dragon’s attention is focused on those who keep the commandments. This makes me conclude keeping them is a good thing.

Rev 12:17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.

Some who I have talked with on this subject will say the commands the Messiah spoke while alive do not extend past the crucifixion, but then I read here, after the cross, the Messiah commands the disciples to teach all he spoke while alive.

Matt 28:19-20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Next, I found a verse here in Matthew where the Messiah commands us to listen and do all the things spoken by any Pharisee when they are sitting in Moses’ seat. After a quick Google search, I found the Pharisee’s would read from the law of Moses when they sat in this seat. Thus, to me, this is a command to still keep the law.

Matt 23: 2-3 “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the seat of Moses. 3 Therefore, all the things they tell you, do and observe, ….

Here we find the Messiah informing the disciples that even the old law is taught in the future kingdom.

Matt 13:52 He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

Also, I have found the bible talking about Elijah is to come and restore all things. We find the Messiah describing John the baptizer as being like Elijah. So why would an All-Knowing God, send Elijah to restore people back to the law but then after the crucifixion, the law then is done away with? Seems kind of counterproductive to me.

Mat 17:11 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things.

Mar 9:12 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things….

Mar 1:4 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Matt 3:1-2 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

So, why should I question the well-established church? Well, the Messiah commanded us to watch out for false prophets. I’m not saying any church today is a false prophet, my goal here is to obey the Messiah.

Mat 7:15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.

I know there are other writings from the disciples that may question the Old Law being still in effect, but from what I read regarding the Messiah’s words, we should still keep it. Also, the Messiah warned us we will be judged by his words alone, no one else. So, IF we read Paul’s words and find something which contradicts the Messiah, I think we should hold to the Messiah, for that’s what will condemn us.

John 12:48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day.

I understand that all of the law cannot be kept today, I would even say the Disciples were prevented from keeping all of the law near the end of their ministry. They were barred from entering any synagogue or the temple.

Now, there are passages in Acts which agree with the interpretation of keeping the Old Testament. In Acts 15, the way I read it, the Apostles are looking to make the transition to the law easier for those who are joining. They are looking to NOT overload them and discourage them.

Act 15:19 “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.

They are discussing how to introduce the law to them, why else would James here provide his "judgement?" If we read further, James lists commands we should still be following, (Acts 15:20) abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. These are all from the Old Testament. So, how can the law be done away with, but these laws still be required? Sounds like they now are contradicting themselves, unless the law should still be followed. The very next line, James here points out how the law is still read in the synagogue on the sabbath. Why would this fact need to be pointed out IF the law is over? To me, James is saying "we don't need to tell them all the law, they can go find it out for themselves on the sabbath in the synagogue." This interpretation makes sense and brings these passages into harmony.

Act 15:21 For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”

OK, I agree the Disciples never clearly stated to keep the law and some will use this to justify not keeping the commandments, but I feel we need to look at what they did, not what they didn't say. They didn't say a lot of things, but we know for a fact Paul said he keeps the law, found in Acts 25

Act 25:8  Then Paul made his defense: “I have done nothing wrong against the Jewish law or against the temple or against Caesar.”

So, clear to me, Paul is still keeping the law, and we should also.

We read in Acts 21:21 the disciples in Jerusalem are admitting Paul’s teachings makes it sound that the law is not to be followed. They offer Paul a way to correct this in Acts 21:24. They suggest he pays for the purification of four men and to join them in the temple. He performs this without contesting In Acts 21:26. To me, this proves Paul’s desire to keep the law.

Act 21:21 They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs.

Act 21:24 Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law.

Act 21:26 The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them.

Later when Paul is in chains before the High priest, he states he is blameless before the law

Act 23:1 Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.”

Just a moment later we read the Pharisees (the ones who believe in the resurrections) find NO fault with Paul. This can ONLY happen if he is in compliance with the law.

Act 23:9 There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. “We find nothing wrong with this man,” they said. “What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”

In Acts 24 we read Paul believing everything in accordance with the Law. .

Act 24:14 … I believe everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets,

Act 24:18 I was ceremonially clean when they found me in the temple courts doing this…

In Acts 25 and 28, Paul declares he has done nothing wrong against Jewish Law. This can only be true if you’re keeping the law

Act 25:8 Then Paul made his defense: “I have done nothing wrong against the Jewish law or against the temple or against Caesar.”

Act 25:10 Paul answered: “I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well.

Act 28:17 …Paul said to them: “My brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans.

Paul later states those obeying the law are righteous

Rom 2:13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.

Many will miss-quote Paul’s writings found in Romans 3:19-20 by failing to read to the end, Romans 3:31 where Paul clearly states to keep the law

Rom 3:31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

Paul states sin is defined by the law, if we do not have the law then there can be no sin.

Romans 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the Torah sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the Torah. For I would not have known about coveting if the Torah had not said, “You shall not covet.” [a] 8 But sin, taking an opportunity, worked in me through the commandment all kinds of coveting. For apart from the Torah, sin is dead.

Paul says the Law is holy.

Romans 7:12 So then, the Torah is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

Some individuals may interpret Paul’s writings incorrectly, causing them to think the law is done away with, but Peter corrects this in 2 Peter 3:15-17

2 Pet 3:15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. (16) He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. (17)Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.

Ok, thank you for reading to the end, I am praying we both can endure to the end. ( Matt 24:13)