How do Christians Act?
Part I. Law


 
 
Law and Grace

There are two different emphases in the way God deals with us, which are in some ways in tension with each other. They are often referred to as "law" and "grace". I have already spoken of grace in other sections, particularly in the discussion of the Gospel. In this section I look at law.

Christianity has inherited from Judaism a set of laws that Christians believe were given by God to govern Israel. The exact role of these laws in Christianity has been a matter of some debate. The laws were given to Israel as part of an agreement ("covenant") between God and the Jewish people. As such, they were not regarded by Jews as being directly applicable to non-Jews. Jewish rabbis developed a smaller set of rules that they believed applied to all human beings.

For the first few years, Christianity was a subset of Judaism. However as non-Jews started becoming interesting in Christianity, it was necessary to decide what rules applied to them. The decision was that only a few of the rules applied directly. The set was similar to those that the rabbis regarded as applying to non-Jews.

However the term "law" (particularly in Protestant theology) reflects not just these specific rules, but all of the ways in which God demands obedience of us, and all of the standards that he has given us. In Reformed theology, the preaching of God's Word must always hold together both law and gospel. Law without Gospel becomes moralism: the concept that if we just try hard enough we can save ourselves. Gospel without law tends to present forgiveness without repentance, and therefore without genuine transformation.

The distinction between Law and Gospel is important, particularly in Protestant theology. The Gospel describes what God does to forgive us and make us his own, independent of anything we have done. Thus our status as God's children does not depend upon our carrying out the requirements of the Law. However Christians are expected to respond to God with obedience. While disobedience may not end our status as God's children, it will subject us to his discipline. Furthermore, for many (though not all) Christian traditions, serious or habitual disobedience may reflect a more definitive rejection of God's grace, which can result in a loss of our status as God's children. These issues are explored in the sections on the Gospel and Predestination.

The Ten Commandments: Summary of the Moral Law

When looking at the laws given to the Jews, Christian writers often try to distinguish between the "moral" law and the "ceremonial" law. Christians do not normally follow dietary laws, such as those prohibiting pork, nor laws establishing specific Jewish holidays. These are considered to be specific to God's covenant with the Jews. In addition, a portion of the Jewish law can be regarded as the civil law of the Jewish state. It cannot necessarily be applied to the modern situation without change. However Christians generally believe that the moral content of the Jewish law is based on God's character and the basic spiritual or moral principles on which the universe was founded. This still applies to Christians.

It is worth noting that the classification of the Jewish law into moral, ceremonial and civil is somewhat artificial. Laws are not labelled this way when they appear in the Old Testament. However some such distinction seems inevitable for Christians, whether it is stated in these terms or not. Almost all Christians agree that many of the provisions of Jewish law do not apply to Christians. Yet Jesus' teachings and other provisions of the New Testament do contain principles that Christians are obligated to follow. These principles have significant similarities to the moral principles embodied in the Jewish law. Thus we can regard the term "moral law" as referring, not so much to a clearly labelled subset of the Old Testament law, as to a continuity between the moral principles taught in the New Testament and those underlying the laws of the Old Testament.

This moral law is often summarized in the "Ten Commandments", which the Bible says were given by God to Moses. They are, in somewhat abbreviated form:

• You shall have no other Gods.
• You shall not worship (or use in worship) images of anything in heaven or on earth.
• You shall not misuse God's name.
• Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.
• Honor your father and your mother.
• You shall not kill.
• You shall not commit adultery.
• You shall not steal.
• You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
• You shall not covet (i.e. envy, particularly with an eye to taking) your neighbor's house, wife, or anything else.

There are actually two different ways to divide the content into 10 commandments. This is the Protestant version.

There are controversies over the interpretations of two of the commandments. Protestants believe that the second commandment prohibits any use of statues or pictures in any context that would suggest worship, veneration, or giving any kind of honor to them. Catholics and Orthodox take a narrow view of what is prohibited, and make wide use of images in worship.

The term "Sabbath" refers to Saturday. This day was set apart among Jews for worship. Generally Christians regard that particular choice of day as part of the "ceremonial law", which does not apply to Christians. Thus Christians are free to worship on any day. However most still regard it as important to worship regularly. Christians commonly worship on Sunday, in commemoration of Jesus' resurrection. In Christian contexts, Sunday is referred to as "the Lord's Day".

A very small number of Christians do not take this interpretation. They believe that Christians are also required to worship on Saturday. Be aware that this group is more visible in Internet discussions than they are in the Christian community as a whole.

The Spirit of the Law

Based on certain statements in the New Testament, a few Christians deny that any of the Old Testament law (and in some cases, any law at all) is binding on Christians. For them, Jesus' teachings and Paul's letters suggest that God is primarily concerned about our intent, and the quality of our relationships. Jesus said that the entire law was based on two principles: loving God and loving others. Some believe that as long as we do this, we are not bound by any specific legal code. Rather, we are called to a free, non-legal approach to following Christ.

Ideally, a Christian who is following Christ perfectly should not need a legal code. His heart should be so filled with love, and his mind should be so in tune with God that he would do the right thing naturally. This is always the Christian ideal. However because we remain imperfect in this life, most Christians would say that law has a role to play, even if it isn't precisely the same as it was for the Jews. 20th Century experience has convinced most Christians that some objective standards are needed to guide behavior. It is too easy to be led into dangerous actions by short-term considerations and emotions.

I'm going to use the Lutheran tradition as an example of the role that Christians see for the Law, because Lutherans have tended to be among the most wary of law. For Lutheran tradition, "the believer without any coercion and with a willing spirit, in so far as he is reborn, does what no threat of the law could ever have wrung from him." Thus for the Lutheran tradition, Christians obey God freely, and not as a result of legal compulsion. However law still has a role to play. Lutheran (as well as Reformed) tradition identifies three uses of the law: (1) as an external discipline, necessary to restrain those who are not saved (and in some cases those who are saved, because of their remaining temptation to sin), (2) as a standard that convicts us of sin, and makes us realize our need of God's grace, and (3) as a standard for those who are saved, to help them in living in accordance with God's will. It is the third use that is most controversial. Ideally Christians act freely, from love. However in doing so, they need objective standards. Thus the law applies to them, but as standards accepted in response to God's grace, and not as legal constraint.

In accordance with this approach, Christians interpret the ten commandments very broadly. Based on Jesus' teachings, they look for the intent behind the commandments, and the attitudes that they suggest. As an example, the prohibition against killing is seen as reflecting a requirement to respect our neighbor's life and safety. It prohibits anything that would harm someone around us. It requires us to help those that are in danger or otherwise at risk.

Similarly, the prohibition against stealing is seen as reflecting a requirement for fair dealing. It prohibits any kind of "sharp practice", and requires us to respect our neighbor's property, and help protect it.

The prohibition of false witness originally referred to lying in court. However Christians extend it to include any statements that would damage another person, and any actions that tend to compromise the truth, such as gossip. Under normal circumstances, Christians are required to tell the truth, even when it would get them in trouble.

This document quotes the 10 commandments, because they form a brief summary that is widely accepted and used. However these are by no means the only standards used by Christians. Jesus' teachings include both general standards and examples of how people should behave in specific situations. There are further details given in other sections of the New Testament. While these are not always expressed formally as laws, they are included in the broad category of "law," i.e. as part of what God demands of us.

Sexual Ethics

One of the most visible characteristics of Christian ethics is its treatment of sexual relationships. This is reflected in the commandment against adultery. However there are additional influences, including Jesus' teachings, and early Christian practice.

Generally Christians restrict sexual intercourse to married couples. Sex is seen as something intended by God to be part of marriage. For many Christians marriage is a sacrament. The sexual relationship is symbolic of God's relationship with the Christian community. Its misuse is a serious matter. This means that intercourse before marriage is prohibited, as well as sexual patterns other than marriage between one man and one woman.

Jesus prohibited divorce, although it is possible that he allowed for some exceptions. Christians vary in how literally they take this prohibition. All regard divorce as a serious matter, but some believe that there are situations where it is the lesser evil.

Current Controversies

The description I have given so far applies to what I will call "traditional Christian ethics". A number of Christian writers have advocated relaxing certain of these ethics, particularly in the sexual area. A few churches have formally accepted these proposals. Others have not, but do not enforce the rules strictly.

There has always been flexibility in their application. These rules are intended to protect human life and relationships. However recent experience makes most Christians believe that it is dangerous to go very far in relaxing them. This is a matter in which there is a good deal of ongoing discussion.

One particular area of controversy at the moment is homosexuality. This is a violation of the rule restricting sex to marriage, with marriage defined as involving one man and one woman. There are specific prohibitions against homosexual practice, both in the Jewish laws and in early Christian teachings included in the Bible. However some Christians are prepared to argue that these teachings do not apply to the sexual relationships that modern Christian homosexuals wish to establish. This argument has so far not persuaded very many Christians. However there is also fairly widespread sympathy for the problems of homosexuals. This is an unsolved issue.

 

Next: How do Christians act? Part 2: Showing love