Bob,
First off I want to acknowledge what a blessing your writings have been for me, as i have found many of your essays very helpful in my study of EU.
Regarding the keeping of the 10 commandments, I think the NT is pretty clear that they are to be upheld by Jew and Gentile as they are the guidelines of what it means to Love. I’m not sure anyone would argue that. Jesus and every new Testament writer in one fashion or another Reiterate this. Do you not agree?
I see Overwhelming evidence in the NT for this.
Mr. SHepherd gave an example from Ephesians 4-6 and I gave an example from Romans 13:8-14 where Christians are exhorted to follow the 10 commandments as they fulfill the law of Love. Even Jesus Remphasized all 10 commandments confirming that they were God’s Word, not Just Moses words.Jesus also mentioned that he did not come to do away with them…in case we were unclear. I don’t see jesus turning the law upside down in the way I understand you mentioning, I see Jesus Reiterating the need to follow the law…but with the correct heart(not just commiting adultry but also lusting, not just murdering but also harboring anger and bad thoughts towards someone)…as opposed to the pharisees, who inside were dark, coveting, hateful, prideful etc. What Jesus says is exactly what I see Paul Emphasizing when he talks about walking in the spirit vs the flesh.
Regarding Gentiles keeping some parts of the Mosiac law, My personal view currently (which may differ from Mr.Shepherd) is that The council of Jersusalem in Acts 15 did decide that Gentile converts to christianity were not obligated to keep some of it, such as circumcision, laws for sacrifices, etc. But that they did need to keep other parts of it such as sexual purity etc.
There is no question in my mind that we need to seperate what God intended for certain people during a certain time and what applies to other people for other times.
God does have to instruct people in the culture and understanding they are in with certain commands that have no relevance to a later culture and time, wisdom is sometimes needed I believe for us to see when this is the case. In all fairness to God, he does have to give instruction to people in the culture they are in, even if it does not make sense to a later culture.
God also gives commands that are temporal…such things as sacrifices for example, which foreshadow something to come (Jesus) and then are no longer Neccessary.
But I believe it’s pretty clear that God does also give Universal Commands/instructions/wisdom that apply to all people always. Such as the 10 commandments and instruction on sexual purity as defined by God in the OT, reiterated by Jesus, and yet again reiterated in various places in the NT. These principles are taught in the OT and reemphasized in the NT, so in my mind it’s hard to argue that they were intented to be temporal.
I think prayer and study is needed to sort through which OT commands are applicable today to Gentiles but I find the NT to repeat this theme of walking in the spirit vs the flesh and clear instructions that this involves upholding the 10 commandments with special emphasis on having a right heart and avoiding idolatry and sexual immorality.
So I would agree that the NT supports some of the OT as binding. What you reap is what you sow, if you sow to the flesh then your life will be miserable and cutoff from the life God created us to experience. However if you walk in the Spirit as God outlines, the blessings of God are multiplied upon your life and you are able to experience fellowship with him and the fullness of Love, Joy and Peace in the Spirit.
I strongly believe there is no Law binding in terms of affecting our salvation which God has secured for all, but these commands that the NT writers exhort us to follow are binding in terms of having a direct affect on our lives here and now. And the work that God is intending to do in us.
Relevant to the subject of this thread it seems to me that sexual Purity as defined by God is one of those “laws” that is Universal and applicable for all people always, as it’s reemphasized by the Apostles of Jesus at the jersusalem Council and all throughout the NT epistles, right there many times in the same passage with the same emphasis on Love and the 10 commandments.