Sinai and the Saints

What should Christians do with all the laws in the Old Testament? The Old Testament tells the story of the beginnings of God's salvation history, and it is part of the authoritative canon of Scripture affirmed by the church. But what role should the laws of the old covenant play in the lives of those living under the new covenant? Can Christians embrace the commandment to 'love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength' but ignore the laws regarding clean and unclean food? Some have suggested that Christians remain under the moral laws of the old covenant, while others have argued that some of the Old Testament laws-for example, the Ten Commandments-still apply to Christians. James Todd makes a bold claim by contending that as followers of Jesus Christ who stand under a new covenant, Christians are no longer subject to any of the Old Testament laws. Focusing on the laws of the Pentateuch, he then addresses the proper role and benefits of the Old Testament laws in the Christian life. With wit and insight, Todd helps Christians to understand how the laws given to the people of Israel at Mount Sinai should be read by those called to live as saints.

James M. Todd III (PhD, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) teaches biblical studies in the Biblical and Theological Studies Department at College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri. He is the author of Remember, O Yahweh: The Poetry and Context of Psalms 135-137.