The Old Testament - Essay Example

Applying the Old testament Law Today Hay’s Essay Hay’s Essay The Old Testament law is still applicable to Christians today. The bulk of Hay’s essay is limited to the understanding of the relationship between recorded scriptures in the new testaments books in relation to law keeping. He focuses mostly on Mathew, Romans, Colossians and Galatians to prove his point. He gives a detailed explanation of Colossians, which is clear to me. Here the scripture says” let no one judge the way they practice the law which is a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ” this is a clear revelation that the Old Testament laws are a shadow of the Law as Christ Jesus had stated.

He said, He come not to abolish the laws but to fulfill it. Hay’s essay reveals how to understand and apply the laws in present culture. He emphasizes on “principlism”. This state is consistent by treating the Old Testament as the word of God, not depending on arbitraries that are categorized as contextual and reflect to the literal and historical context thereby placing it into the Pentateuch narrative story. It also reflects the theological context and corresponds to the New Testament teachings.

This makes principlism consistent and simple making it applicable to life and teaching others. However, the weakness of Principlism is revealed by oversimplifying complex issues. This is viable by those who study theology to higher levels and getting deeper insight into the relationship of the laws in the Old and New Testament. (Neil 2006) This may reveal contradiction in Christ statement in Mathew 5: 17 and Paul’s statement in Romans 7:6 concerning the law. The Old Testament law is known to be eternal because God constituted it to his people through Moses.

Mathew 5: 17 states that “Do not think I came to abolish the law or the prophest. I didn’t come to destroy them, but to fulfill.” This text reveals that Christ came to affirm the importance of the law by giving an example in abiding by them yet he instituted it. In Romans 7: 1-6 reveals the impact of the law in man’s life without Christ. However, living in Christ makes the adherence of the laws simple because the architect of the law is the one controlling one’s life therefore fulfilling it in line with the requirements.

In Deuteronomy 18: 9 -13 states “when you enter the land that God is about to give your, don’t learn the detestable practices…you must be completely faithful to the lord your God.” In this text, God reveals to me that being his then we are bound to adhere to his instruction and not be lured to those of the nations. The scripture reveals the need obedient and faithful. These are fundamental to principlism because faith in revealed through obedience and obedience reveals complete dependence on God.

The instructions are simple and consistent to the teaching of the New Testament, which depicts men of faith as royal priesthood and a chosen generation. The message is also basic to the Christian requirements in the present world. This calls to depend solely on the will and instructions of God but restrain from the conformation of the world. Bibliography Neil, Messer. GOING BY THE BOOK: The Bible and Christian Ethics. Norwich: canterbury press Norwich, 2006.