It doesn't matter whether the subject is women's ordination or homosexuality or abortion. Often, when a Christian brings up, "The Bible says ..." the rejoinder will be, "But the Bible has all these dietary rules. And you eat bacon. And you eat shrimp and crab. See? You don't really care what the Bible says."
And that's supposed to be the proof that everything scriptural can be jettisoned.
Well, for just a moment, let's set aside the lengthier discussions of moral law and natural law as over against dietary law. Let's set aside the whole thing about Christ being the fulfillment of the law, and how the law shows us what love is, and why God made those rules about what the Jews were to avoid eating.
For just a moment, let's look at Acts 11, where God Himself tells Peter in a vision to eat the unclean animals. So God Himself gave the go-ahead to set aside the Old Testament's dietary laws. We're eating bacon-wrapped lobster tail not because we decided to set aside those laws, but because God said to.
Footnote 1: Yes, I realize that's not the main point of Acts 11.
Footnote 2: Wouldn't it be great to have a grocery budget that allowed for bacon-wrapped lobster tails periodically? Mmmmm.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Someone (a non Lutheran) said the dietary and ceremonial laws are not necessary and will change, but moral laws will always be in effect. I think that is what he said as it has been a long time since I heard it. It did make sense to me and bring comfort about answering THOSE questions.
ReplyDeleteI see the point in that kind of a statement, but I don't find it satisfactory. If we just leave it at "some laws change, others don't" then who says which ones are changeable? The answer to the question has to be connected to Christ and His fulfillment of the law, and the freedom of the gospel, and what Love looks like.
ReplyDeleteI have never heard anyone suggest that what happened in Peter's vision had anything to do with some of those Old Testament laws that antinomians like to throw in the face of a Christian. But now I'm wondering why ... because it sure does seem like God Himself is saying "Go ahead and eat bacon."
Good point. I will see what my pastor says when I return from our trip. He is pretty good at explaining these things. I should have asked him before I posted.
ReplyDeleteI think what your pastor said is true. It's just that I've seen non-Christians use that to undermine what a Christian is saying, so there has to be more to it than that.
ReplyDelete