Spirit versus Letter: The purpose of the laws and requirements in both Old and New Testaments

The scriptural passages quoted below help us to answer the question, “Do Christians have to obey all the biblical laws and rules?” This is a more complex question than it appears to be and it therefore requires a complex and scripture-based answer.

In place of the Old Testament law, we Christians are under “the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2), which is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…and to love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39). If we obey those two commands, we will be fulfilling all that Christ requires of us: “ll the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:40).

Now, this does not mean that all the detailed Old Testament laws are irrelevant today. Many of the commands in the Old Testament law fall into the categories of “loving God” and “loving our neighbor.” The Old Testament law can provide good guidelines for knowing how to love God and knowing what goes into loving your neighbor. At the same time, to say that the Old Testament law applies to Gentile Christians today is incorrect. The Old Testament law is a unit (James 2:10). When it comes to salvation, either all of it applies, or none of it applies. If Christ fulfilled some of it, such as the sacrificial system, then He fulfilled all of it.

“This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). The Ten Commandments were essentially a summary of the entire Old Testament law. Nine of the Ten Commandments are clearly repeated in the New Testament (all except the command to observe the Sabbath day — which was replaced by The Lord’s Day, the Sunday in which He was resurrected). Obviously, if we are loving God, we will not be worshipping false gods or bowing down before idols. If we are loving our neighbors, we will not be murdering them, lying to them, committing adultery against them, or coveting what belongs to them. But neither will we be obsessive-compulsive about every detail of every rule. It is the spirit and not the letter of the law that counts with God (2 Cor 3:6). We must look to the underlying principles and intentions of God as revealed throughout the whole Bible and not just at the particular codified requirements.

Those people without the Holy Spirit within are sometimes able to obey the letter of the law, but are totally unable to obey the spirit of the law, because their sin-nature still remains in control. Born-again believers, however, will truly want to obey… which means from the heart.

Being born-again means (among other things) that our inner being has been changed and that we have the Holy Spirit… so that we will desire to do what is right according to our Christ-influenced consciences. Thus we are free from the detailed constraints of the rules, which cannot cover all contingencies or take into consideration other God-given principles.

It is vital for us remember the purpose of the Law.The laws (all rules) exist not only to point out what is good and what is bad, but to prove (and convict us of) our utter inability to keep God’s requirements perfectly. Because we come to discover that we cannot fully keep the laws (or that we break ourselves on them), they point us to our absolute need for a Savior– who of course is Jesus Christ, the final fulfillment of the Law (Romans 7:7-9; Galatians 3:24). The Old Testament system of laws (or even the rules enacted by Paul like head coverings) was never intended by God to be universal for all people or to be required of believers for eternity. We are to love God and love our neighbors, and we are to love our brothers and sisters in Christ as Jesus loves us. If we obey these commands faithfully, we will be upholding all that God requires of us. Both Paul and the Apostles (see Acts 15, 1 Cor 6:9) also emphasized the importance of avoiding sexual immorality.

Even Paul’s rules (Holy Spirit-inspired no doubt, just as were all the commands of Moses) come under the Holy Spirit-inspired gospel principle that applies to ALL ecclesiastic rules. Remember that Moses and the other prophets were under Holy Spirit guidance, and yet Jesus was clear that He had fulfilled the Law as well as the prophets. Faith in Him superseded all of the laws and requirements. No personal sacrifice (works – obedience) would yield salvation or sanctification; however, our faith and our heart changes would yield what was necessary. Our one required sacrifice is to give ourselves fully to Christ… to transform us into His image, and then we must remember that “He is faithful and will do it.” (1 Thes 5:24, cf. Proverbs 3:5-6). If we think that we have the power within to obey all God’s requirements, we are in big trouble.

Paul used the example of circumcision to teach some important principles to his mixed Jewish and Gentile congregations… because circumcision was strictly required of Jewish men and its applicability to Gentile believers was an extremely controversial question at that time (not unlike the role of women in churches today).

Galatians 5: 1-5 –
“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery [to the requirements of the Law]. Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.”

This principle and Paul’s arguments regarding Gentile believers apply to so many of the details of the Jewish Law, including traditional requirements and even to Paul’s own rules for his churches. The exceptions include sexually immoral behavior and most of the Ten Commandments (see Acts 15 and 1 Corinthians 6:9).

Before Paul ever wrote his letters, the presence of Jesus in Israel led to some changes in the disciples’ understanding of the Law. Jesus fulfilled the Law and the prophecies according to His own proclamation… and thus, as “The Word of God Made Flesh,” He had the authority to edit and to correctly interpret all the scriptures. Even the Mosaic commandment about the Sabbath was changed by the Church… to where the Lord’s Day (the Sunday of His Resurrection) came to overshadow and ultimately replace the original Saturday Sabbath (7th Day Adventists, who are definitely into the “letter of the law,” will argue about whether this change was of God or not).

Note that Jesus’ treatment of women revealed a change from ancient Jewish traditions; for spiritual reasons He dignified women with His interest and attention. There was the woman at the well, Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42, John 11), and His teaching about “who would be greatest in the Kingdom would be servant to all” and about “some of the first being last and the last first” (Matt 19:30ff). And of course there was His revealing Himself after the Resurrection first to Mary Magdalene (John 20:1-18)–not a small thing.

In the NT, even the definition of ‘sin’ went through a change. Jesus revealed that sin is not just in what we do in terms of outward behavior, but (like the 10th commandment) it is essentially internal and involves what we think and what we want. There are no innocents; all are sinners. While sin is now shown to be rooted in an internal sin nature, our salvation is also an internal dynamic. Now sinners can be “saved by grace” through their belief and trust in the Savior, Jesus Christ, not through obedience to the Law (which is impossible to do perfectly anyway). We can be forgiven through our repentance and by our faith in the effectual blood of Christ shed at the Cross. But now, there is indeed a responsibility for those who are forgiven– we must forgive others. If we do not, it means that we have not truly understood what forgiveness really means… or perhaps we have not received it at all. We are not to scorn sinners or treat them with contempt, no matter how grievous their sins. That is because we are all in the same boat; we deserve no better fate than theirs. We just happen to know that Jesus will get us to the other side if we trust in Him.

Believers become FREE from the “enslavement” (Paul’s words) not only of the OT ceremonial and Jewish cultural laws but also of any rules devised by the Church, including those retrieved from OT tradition (like the subservient role of women) or any rules Paul came up with himself. I am not certain which category the head covering of women (in the context of worship) falls into, but it does not matter, it is still an ordinance which can enslave if anyone puts it above Christ or loving each other sacrificially (see Romans 14 on what this may look like).

We are to follow our born-again heart and conscience…in how we interpret the scriptures. Of course we will not ignore what 2000 years of Christian tradition has taught, but we will also remember that tradition does not carry the authority of scripture itself, nor is it above the Holy Spirit’s guidance from within for each individual. Some ancient traditions have been clearly in error.

More evidence from Holy Writ:

Romans 10: 4-10
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. 6 But the righteousness based on faith says, i”Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8
But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

Neither salvation nor righteousness are about a legalistic (slavish) obedience to rules, not OT nor even NT rules. Here is what Paul preached specifically to the Gentiles:

Ephesians 2:11-18
Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands– 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances,that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

Galatians 3:23-29
And of course there is the following passage, which some want to ignore or ‘spiritualize’ to the extent that it loses its plain and obvious meaning:

23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

Here is the bottom-line point about our obedience to all the biblical rules, including those of Paul:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:4, 8-10).

Because of our new spirit and our heart changes due to God’s grace in providing us conviction of sin, repentance, and faith in Christ, we who are ‘born again’ now truly want to please God and to do the right thing. This is why Jesus proclaimed that believers are now FREE to do whatever they want… because we are free from both the demands of original sin and from the demands of the Law. Therefore, what we want now (most of the time and certainly when ‘walking in the spirit’) is in line with the Holy Spirit of God. The Laws and all rules are just general guidelines for those who are ‘in Christ.’ They certainly do not save; it is the grace of God and our faith which accomplishes that goal.

Finally, in addressing the question of Paul’s rule about women wearing head coverings in the context of congregational worship, I add the following scripture-based information.

An Example in the Context of Prayer

Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered?- (1 Corinthians 11:13)

He may have meant it as a rhetorical question, but I will take it seriously… and do what Paul suggests… and judge for myself… with reference to the whole counsel of God and not just the single teaching in 1 Corinthians 11. The entire passage is in the context of prayer… and in analyzing its relevance (or lack of relevance) for us today, I think we need to first remember what Jesus said about prayer.

Prayer is between us and God, and God will hear us whether or not we have anything on our heads and whether we are kneeling or standing or sitting or lying down. Jesus certainly did not mention anything about what one should wear during prayer, nor do any of the writers of the New Testament… except for this one passage by Paul in 1st Corinthians.

Even though the “Our Father” was said publicly as a teaching example, Jesus recommended going to a private secluded place (into one’s ‘prayer closet’ so to speak) when we pray… which means that no one will see or hear us… so that it truly does not matter what we are wearing. When in private we can be open and honest, and not be tempted to role-play before God or impress anyone with our religiousness.
“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men … but when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your father who is unseen.”
(Matthew 6:5-6)

Jesus also prayed privately, sometimes going away by Himself and out to a mountain. Perhaps that is what He was doing when walking on the water… getting away from the crowd for some prayerful solitude with the Father.

But obviously Paul is referring in 1 Corinthians to praying in public, in the congregational context, something the gospel writers never record Jesus as recommending. I would bet Paul would also be against a woman praying in the public situation naked, but none of his listeners would think to do so… so that he does not mention it.

One’s attitude is important when one prays. You have heard of the “hail Mary pass” in football. It is the only play named after a prayer because many people only pray when they are in desperate circumstances. Here is an anonymously written, rather humorous poem that highlights this point.

THE PRAYIN’EST PRAYER

“The proper way for a man to pray,” said Deacon Lemuel Keys,
“and the only proper attitude, is down upon the knees.”

“No, I should say the way to pray,” said Rev. Dr. Wise,
“is standing straight with outstretched arms and rapt but upturned eyes.”

“It seems to me his hands should be austerely clasped in front
with both thumbs pointing toward the ground,” said Rev. Dr. Blunt.

“Las’ year I fell in Hodgkin’s well, headfirst,” said Cyrus Brown,
“With both my heels a-stickin’ up, my head a-pointin’ down.
I made a prayer right then and there– best prayer I ever said.
The prayin’est prayer I ever prayed, I was a-standin’ on my head!”

As Jeremiah 29:13 reveals, God hears this kind of prayer, and He is always available to our honest searching: “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” Moreover, this 100% (all your heart) attitude seems to happen most often when we have hit bottom, with our “heels a-stickin’ up” and our heads “a-pointin’ down.”

The moral principle is this: it is our inner attitude that counts, not our external appearance. We are not going to impress God with the form of our prayers, our expressive poetic language, our outward religiousness, or our clothing (or anything else!) If wearing something on her head will aid in a wife’s attitude toward God, then it is a good thing; if it does not positively affect her attitude toward God, then it will matter not. Or perhaps it will have a negative effect in the context of western nations in the 21st century.

In Paul’s day, in his culture, wearing head coverings (or not) had far more meaning than it does today… which is clearly evident from the passage in 1 Corinthians 11. This is the reason for this passage… this rule is clearly culturally-informed relative to his time and place; however, the symbolic issue of head covering is almost meaningless today. For example, in the USA, the majority take their hats off indoors (at restaurants, etc.). We do so as well during public prayers and the national anthem. It is not about gender or about male authority at all but about respect for God and country.

This is a good example of why our interpretations of biblical passages must take into consideration the cultural and ecclesiastic context… especially who the author is writing to… and why. Many passages in the Bible are directed to certain people who lived at the time… and the message is not meant to generalize universally. I think that this is one of those instances, especially since this rule is not repeated anywhere else in the Bible.

Dr. Bruce Atkinson is a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary with a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and an M.A. in theology. He also has an M.S. in research psychology from Illinois State U. and a B.A. from Beloit College. He is a member of the Anglican Church in North America and is Moderator and frequent contributor at VirtueOnline.

Spirit versus Letter: The purpose of the laws and requirements in both Old and New Testaments

By Bruce Atkinson PhD
www.virtueonline.org
July 18, 2024

Note: All scripture quotes are from the ESV. The emphases (bold and italics) are mine.

“For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
(2 Corinthians 3:5-6)

To what extent are we free? As Jesus proclaimed, we know that Christians are free from the enslavement of sin, and as Paul indicated, we are also free from the enslavement of the Law. What does such freedom mean and what is the purpose of the Law (and of all rules and requirements in the scriptures, both OT and NT)? Here is the result of my biblical research to date.