I have an interesting book called "The Seven Laws of Noah" (second edition, by Aaron Lichtenstein, The Rabbi Jacob Joseph School Press, NY, 1981). The book presents ancient Talmudic evidence for a body of law that was delivered to Noah, thus predating the Mosaic law. When the Mosaic law was delivered to the Jews, the Noahide law remained in effect for all Gentiles, so that there were two bodies of law in effect, one for the Jews, and one for the Gentiles.
The Noahide law appears to be a subset of the 613 Mosaic laws recognized by the Jews. If this indeed is the case, then Gentiles never were under mosaic law, but Noahide law, and so the question would become whether we gentiles, who are Christians, are still under the Noahide law!
Of course, the Old Testament never mentions the Laws of Noah in any formal manner, as it does the Mosaic law, and one might expect that, since it is the history of the Jews. There are other ancient laws in the OT that are inferred, although not formally delivered, an example of which can be seen in the fact that Cain and Abel were required to make sacrifices. There obviously was a right way and a wrong way to do it, and somewhere along the line they had to be told what this was. Additionally, there must have been a law against murder since Cain was marked for killing Abel. It is possible that the Noahide law may have been a continuation of the law delivered to Cain and Abel, or possily even to Adam and Eve.
The seven Noahide laws are:
1. Justice. (An imperative to pursue social justice, and a prohibition of any miscarriage of justice.)
2. Blasphemy. (Prohibits a curse directed at the Supreme Being.)
3. Idolatry. (Prohibits the worship of idols and planets.)
4. Illicit Intercourse. (Prohibits adultery, incest, sodomy, and bestiality.)
5. Homicide. (Prohibits murder and suicide.)
6. Theft. (Prohibits a wrongful taking of another's goods.)
7. Limb of a living creature. (Prohibits the eating of animal parts which were severed from a living animal.)
Having enumerated the 7 laws of Noah, the author of the book then separately considers each of the seven laws, and determines which of the 613 Mosaic laws are covered by each of the 7 Noahide laws, and determines that 66 of the 613 Mosaic laws are thus included in the Noahide laws. As the author points out, it is much easier to be a gentile than a Jew!
By the way, the book was given to me by a Jewish friend who holds that gentiles still DO fall under the Noahide Law, while Jews fall under the Mosaic law. I guess he was tired of answering all of my questions :-)
Perry
From: "Terry Clifton" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [TruthTalk] The Law
Date: Wed, 25 Dec 2002 07:28:46 -0600
Listen carefully brothers and sisters, and I will try one more time.
All the words in the Bible do not apply to every Bible reader! Before you stone me for that outrageous statement, please look at Leviticus, the book of the Law. Go to the last chapter, then down to the last verse. (27:34) See it now? The law was for the "Children of Israel". Only the "Children of Israel". Christians do not need to keep the sabbath. The law never applied to Gentiles, not then, not now.
The rich young ruler in Matthew was spoken to prior to the cross. He was still under the law at that time because he was a Jew, not a Gentile, and prior to the cross, the law was in effect.
Got it now?
Terry
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