Breaking with the Old

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Written by P.F. (Simon) Measures

Part 1: Introduction

What you are about to read is going to be a journey. It will be a journey through scripture and religious experience as we look to uncover why the Old Testament and the New Testament produce such a difference in religious lifestyle. In this article, I'm going to go over why the Christian Church has a religious lifestyle so radically different from the Jewish religious lifestyle.

(Content of this section: Acknowledging a different religious lifestyle in the New Covenant compared to under the Old Covenant)

This article is going to address a particular concern. There is a form of Christianity known as Messianic Judaism is having a strong influence over many in the Church. It is drawing a way Christians from the simple lifestyle of grace and faith found in the Gospel. Its proponents are calling for the incorporation of many aspects the Jewish religious lifestyle into the Christian religious lifestyle. Here we’re going to look at why the Jewish religious lifestyle - its form and practice - has no place in a Christian’s religious lifestyle.

As the starting point of our journey through scripture and religious experience, we are going to look at the salvation found in Jesus Christ. During our journey, there will be a lot of questions that arise. Most often, these questions will be those that highlight the difference in religious practice between the Old Testament and the New Testament. This will lead to questions like this one being addressed, “The Old Testament has a priesthood, does this priesthood carry over into the New Testament?”

Before we make a start, it's appropriate to give credit to Martin Luther. Martin Luther initiated the Reformation. The Reformation brought God’s people back to the foundations of our faith as laid down by the apostle. In the centuries afterward with the Reformation as their background, various charismatic revivals breathed new life into the Church. The vibrant Christian Church of today is the result.

Today we see a Church that is very different in religious form and practice from what was seen in the Old Testament. It is different from the Church in the wilderness under Moses and, indeed, different from all the generations of Jews that came after them. This puzzles some Christians. They are surprised by it because they are mindful that both Christianity and Judaism have roots in the same sacred writings. This article will address that puzzle.

Continued in Next Part

Preview of content in next part:

Discovering the significance of declaring that Jesus is Lord
The account of Jesus drawing the Pharisees' attention to Psalm 110:1.
Reflect on Jesus' lesson about who the Christ is.

Next Part

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