Soooooooo...

The Highwayman

Book of Leviticus do you take it literally?

Soul Winner

The Highwayman wrote: »

Book of Leviticus do you take it literally?

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. In before the lock :pac:

The Highwayman

I take it has come up before then?

Why will it be locked?

Or would the old testament not count because it was before christ and therefore jewish?

And if the book of Genesis is old testament is it unchristain to believe in Creationism?

PDN

Yes, I take it literally in that it is clearly a list of commands for Jewish people who were about to enter their Promised Land thousands of years ago. Therefore it is obviously literal and not metaphorical.

I suspect that what you're really asking (but maybe aren't great at expressing yourself or else don't really understand what "take literally" means) is do we obey the commands of Leviticus? In that case the answer is No because I'm not a Jew and I'm living in a different society and culture after Christ has come and fulfilled the Law of Moses.

So I take Leviticus literally in the same way that I take my great grandfather's written instructions to his son literally - a good source of historical information, tells me a lot about my great grandfather and my late grandfather, but I'm not about to start ordering my bread from the baker's horse-drawn delivery cart because those instructions were obviously directed to my grandad not to me.

The Highwayman

Ok so there is some wiggle room in the bible then?
What books of the old testament if any, have something to do with christanity or are they only to be considered jewish and therefore irrelevant?

I'm R/C by birth but dont spend much time on christian theology

johnfás

The Highwayman wrote: »

What books of the old testament if any, have something to do with christanity or are they only to be considered jewish and therefore irrelevant?

I don't believe that PDN said it was irrelevant. Here is an example for you - Magna Carta, which was passed in 1215 limiting the power of King John, is perhaps the most important legal document in the past 1,000 years. It provided the bedrock for our present political and legal system. However, it is also almost entirely repealed. Very few of its provisions still apply or bind any person. Does this mean it is irrelevant? I don't think so.

The Highwayman

Maybe you should post that in the legal discussion board?

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=633

Are we talking law systems or belief systems?

johnfás

The Highwayman wrote: »

Maybe you should post that in the legal discussion board?

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=633

Are we talking law systems or belief systems?

The first five books of the Bible (The Torah) which are, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, are the law as applied to the Jewish people.

It is a highly relevant analogy.

The Highwayman

johnfás wrote: »

The first five books of the Bible (The Torah) which are, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, are the law as applied to the Jewish people.

It is a highly relevant analogy.

And jesus said this did he?

Zombrex

Sooooo this Christian thing. Whats that all about then :P

The Highwayman

Who are you asking?

Fanny Cradock

It directed at you. No need to answer, though.

The Highwayman

I would if it were a question

Dr. Baltar

A good question though.
Why is it stupid to believe in Leviticus, yet ok to believe in Genesis?

Fanny Cradock

Dr. Baltar wrote: »

A good question though.
Why is it stupid to believe in Leviticus, yet ok to believe in Genesis?

Who said it was stupid to believe in Leviticus? And what is wrong with Genesis?

PDN

Dr. Baltar wrote: »

A good question though.
Why is it stupid to believe in Leviticus, yet ok to believe in Genesis?

It's not a good question. It's rather a dim question since I've never heard of any Christian who thought it was stupid to believe in Leviticus and OK to believe in Genesis.

For example, I read in Genesis that God commanded Noah to build an ark. I "believe in" that, in the sense that I believe God did give such an instruction to Noah. But I don't feel the need to rush out and start collecting gopher wood and setting up a boatyard because God's command was addressed to Noah, not to me.

In the same way I read in Leviticus that God gave the Israelites commands that they were to obey when they entered the Promised Land. I "believe in" that, in the sense that I believe God did give such instructions to the Jews. But I don't feel the need to live by those commands since they were addressed to the Israelites, not to me.

Also, both Genesis and Leviticus give us historical information about who God is and how He has dealt with mankind. This information helps us understand things like God's grace, His holiness, His mercy, His compassion towards immigrants etc. and that in turn helps us understand how we should live today as followers of such a God.

So, in each case the approach to Genesis and Leviticus is balanced and consistent.

wolfsbane

Why do Christians not follow all the laws in Leviticus? Because they were not addressed to us, as PDN points out. Some of them are laws expressing God's will for all men at all times, so those we continue to observe. They are repeated for us in the NT.

The idea is like our experience moving from childhood to adulthood. Many of the restrictions that properly applied to kids no longer are needed. We are now expected to behave and learn without many former disciplines applied. We have new rules, but still the same goals.

Paul touches on this in:
Galatians 3:19 What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one.
21 Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. 22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
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Matthew 5:27 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.