What do ancient laws have to do with modern life?
Learn why the Old Testament’s civil and ceremonial laws still matter today and how they guide us in living faithfully under the new covenant.
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In most Protestant branches of the church, it has been common to categorize the various laws in the Old Testament Bible into three major groups: moral law, ceremonial law, and civil law. Moral laws are typically thought to convey God’s ethical standards. These are usually identified with the Ten Commandments. Ceremonial laws are those which provide instruction for worshiping God. Frequently, these are most closely associated with the Old Testament sacrificial system, and tabernacle and temple administration. And civil laws provide for the governing of society. This was especially true during the period of Israel’s theocracy.
There are at least four reasons that Christians should still look to the civil and ceremonial laws of the Old Testament, as well as to its moral laws, for ethical guidance today.
First, God’s character requires us to learn from the revelation these laws provide. God’s character is our ultimate standard for ethics. And the Old Testament law reflects God’s character. It is a revelation of who God is and what he’s like. And God’s character has not changed. This means that everything the law revealed about God in the Old Testament continues to be true today. In short, the Old Testament’s civil and ceremonial laws still reveal our moral standard.
Second, the teaching of Scripture affirms the continuing modern application of every Old Testament law, down to the last one.
For example, in Matthew 5:18-19, Jesus gave this teaching:
Until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
According to Jesus, every law will continue to reveal God’s standard until “all is accomplished.”
Third, the Bible consistently teaches the unity of the law. It is a unified whole that stands together without regard to distinctions between ceremonial, civil or moral divisions.
For example, in James 2:10-11, we read these words:
Whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.”
According to James, the law was indivisible because it all came from the same God.
Fourth, all of Scripture, not just some parts, is for our moral instruction. This means that the ceremonial and civil laws as well as the moral laws have something to teach us about modern ethics.
As Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3-16:
All Scripture is … useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. (NIV)
Note that Paul did not list any exceptions here. On the contrary, he included “all Scripture.” This means that even the ceremonial and civil laws are useful for training us in the ways of righteousness.
Now, it’s true that believers no longer have to behave in many of the ways specified in the Old Testament. And this is especially true with regard to laws that pertain to Old Testament ceremony and civil government. These behaviors have been superseded by the fuller revelation of the New Testament.
But it’s critical to realize that, in another sense, the Old Testament civil and ceremonial laws still apply to modern Christians, just as the moral laws do. Like the moral laws, the civil and ceremonial laws still guide us as God’s standard today.
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