No, Christians are generally not bound to obey the specific ritual and civil laws of Moses under the New Covenant, as they are considered fulfilled in Christ; instead, they follow the "law of Christ" (love God and neighbor), though the Old Testament law remains valuable for teaching about God's character, righteousness, and pointing to Jesus's work. The early church decided Gentile believers weren't required to keep Mosaic Law, focusing instead on faith and grace through Jesus, though moral principles (like the Ten Commandments) are still relevant but understood through Christ's teachings.
We are under the new covenant. So all of Moses's instruction matters but only through the person of Christ. That is, none of Moses—none of the laws—are directly binding and guiding for Christians, but all of Moses's laws guide and direct us through the person of Christ.
From now on, therefore, Jesus' followers are not required to fulfil the Law of Moses but the 'Law of Christ' (1 Cor. 9:21; Gal. 6:2). They will interpret the Old Testament Scriptures in the light of Jesus' own teaching and practice, as illuminated by the Holy Spirit, who will indwell, guide, and empower them.
Jesus regularly called the Pharisees out for not following the Law of Moses. When asked about the Law, Jesus summarized it by saying it's loving God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength and loving our neighbors as ourselves" (Matthew 22:34-40 and Mark 12:28-34).
It was there that Peter, Paul, Barnabas, James, and the other elders—with the endorsement of the Holy Spirit—determined that, under the New Covenant, Gentile believers were not required to be circumcised or keep the Law of Moses.
So yes, Christians still “obey” the Ten Commandments. However, not because we're bound by the law, but because we're walking with Jesus and the evidence of His grace is our willing obedience to His command to love.
He corrected the Pharisees and the teachers of the law by claiming that they should be obeying the Old Testament Scriptures instead of their own man-made traditions. He said, “Why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? . . . . You nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition” (Matt.
According to Colossians 2:14, Christ's death “blotted out” the Mosaic system. For instance, as a consequence there is no penalty for failure to observe the Sabbath. And if there is no penalty, there obviously is no longer a Law that applies.
But in fact, there is no contradiction.
Jesus speaks of “fulfilling the Law” in Matthew 5 in the context of the Sermon on the Mount, where he is acting as the new Moses, teaching the new Law, which was a central part of Jesus' earthly mission (see 1 Cor. 9:21, Gal. 6:2, Heb. 7:11-12).
Thus, being under grace does not mean out from under obligation to obey God's law. Being under grace means out from under the penalty of the law for breaking it so that we may be empowered with new life to live in obedience to it in following Jesus Christ as Ruler of our lives!
The Liturgy of the Hours relies heavily on the psalms, an Old Testament staple. And the first readings at Mass are often from the Old Testament. In that sense, to reject the Old Testament would be to reject a critical part of our faith. The Old Testament is the inspired word of God.
Although we still adhere to the moral teachings of the Old Testament, believers today cannot follow all the old civil and ceremonial laws.
In fact, the Old Testament is nearly 80% of the Christian Bible. To ignore it, or to not know it, is to be ignorant of most of scripture. Another reason to know the Old Testament is that the Christian faith has always affirmed that the God of the Old Testament is also the God of the New Testament.
Jesus is our eternal rest. Therefore, we are not bound to the festival observance in the same way Israel was (Colossians 2:16–17). This is why Christians don't obey ceremonial and civil laws from the Old Testament. It's not inconsistency—it's covenant fulfillment.
Laws that define sin. The Bible uses the word sin to describe disobeying God's laws, including the 10 Commandments. “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4). The King James Version translated the last part, “Sin is the transgression of the law.”
5. Jesus saw the Old Testament as being God's Word, and his attitude toward it was nothing less than total trust. “But He answered and said, 'It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” ' “ (Matthew 4:4).
We see the law as fulfilled in Christ, but this does not mean that it no longer provides instruction for Christian righteousness. Just the opposite, it maintains the righteous commands of God, which were then embodied in Christ.
If you are caught breaking the law you could face serious punishment. You could be jailed for up to seven years in prison if you are caught shoplifting. There are lots of different crimes, including: Damage to property.
Jesus did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it completely. The practices from the Old Testament still hold meaning because we have the fullness of Jesus, and we are not released from these principles.
First, the Bible teaches plainly that a Christian is not under the Law of Moses. The Law was given to Israel as part of a covenant extended only to Israel. While all men are transgressors of the perfect and holy Law of God, only one group of people on earth were ever commanded by God to live according to that Law.
Some of the passages most commonly criticized include colonialism, the subjugation of women, religious intolerance, condemnation of homosexuality and transgender identity, and support for the institution of slavery in both Old and New Testaments.
“In the Old Testament, God always intended for the consummation and end of the ceremonial laws.” So, the good impulse starts, perhaps, with a text like Matthew 5:17–18. Jesus says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
The law which we no longer serve, according to Paul, is the written code of Moses. Instead, we serve "in the new life of the Spirit" (RSV). The Spirit does not leave us in anarchy but guides us through the paths of God's law. We do what is right because the Spirit tells us to do it, not because Moses tells us to do it.
These laws are binding today, not because they were a part of the Old Covenant, but because they are a part of the New Testament. The one commandment found in the Ten Commandments that has not been made a part of the New Testament is the commandment to "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy"(Exodus 20:8).
Answer. Technically, there aren't any contradictions between the Old and New Testaments, though some of their practices were different. The reason for the different practices can be explained by what is often referred to as the progress of redemptive history.