Yes, they are binding forever. (all relevant references discussed further)
No, Christians are not under the Law. (all relevant references discussed later)
Problem or problems?
There are several problems connected with the question of the critic. It seems that he has no idea of the set of problems he raises with the presentation of his simple question as if only one problem is at stake. He overlooks many included questions listed below.
The Problems
1. Are the laws still binding for the Jews and Jewish Christians (Messianic Jews)? Yes, they are; especially with respect to the practical Jewish way of life.
(1a) Political, civil, juridical and priestly laws in the Hebrew Bible prescribed for the religious State of Old Israel are not applicable in every respect in the present Jewish State. Aren’t that Bible Contradictions as these laws are often called eternal, remaining statutes? No, The Hebrew word used here for statute is chook/choekah, meaning: Notation, note, record. So it is an everlasting writing! If possible it had to be done, but the record is everlasting! Until today.
No Bible Contradictions.
2. Are the laws still binding for the gentile-Christians? Yes, but not in all aspects of the practical way of life.
(2a) The commandments are the fountains of their faith as Jesus fulfilled all the commandments. In all the commandments we see Jesus Christ and so we cannot without the Law.
(2b) In general the moral implications of the Law are binding and applicable in the Christian way of Life (compare the Ten Commandments).
(2c) Four rules were formulated by the early Christians to fill in the gap of the Jewish traditions not being followed by the gentile-Christians: “… abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well.” (Acts 15:29.)
No Bible Contradictions.
Binding forever
The positive references of the critic
Genesis 19:17 “and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.” (NASB) This was said to Abraham concerning the promised son of Sara (Isaac). This covenant was defined in 19:10 “every male among you shall be circumcised.” Well, circumcision is still practised in the Jewish people. God has kept his word.
No Bible Contradiction.
Exodus 12:14 (and 17, 24) “Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance.” (NASB) Here is the commandment to keep the feast of the unleavened bread: Pesach; eight days of joy, remembrance of the liberation from slavery in Egypt, starting with two Seder evenings to eat matzoth and to tell the great story of the liberation. It is still in honor in the Jewish people, isn’t it?
No Bible Contradiction.
Leviticus 23:14, 21, 31 Three descriptions of special days in the Jewish tradition (14. Festival of Unleavened Bread, beginning of the grain harvest – barley; 21. Festival of Weeks, end of the grain harvest ; 31. Day of Atonement). Each day had a connection with a special offering in the Central Place of Worship (tabernacle, temple).
Most interesting in these occasions is that the Lawgiver (God) seems to have taken into account that there would not always be a central place of worship. How would it be possible then to fulfil the duties in tabernacle or temple? And still it were perpetual statutes throughout your generations. The Hebrew word used here (statute) is chook/choekah, meaning: Notation, note, record, (Germ. Aufzeichnung). So it is an everlasting writing! If possible it had to be done, but the record would be everlasting! And that is indeed the case. E.g. “Until this same day, until you have brought in the offering of your God, you shall eat neither bread nor roasted grain nor new growth. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.” (23:14 NASB)
No Bible Contradictions.
Deuteronomy 4:8-9 “Or what great nation is there that has statutes and judgments as righteous as this whole law which I am setting before you today? … make them known to your sons and your grandsons.” (NASB) This is still done in the Jewish people today. This is still the theme in Deuteronomy 7:9, 11:1, 26-28, 1 Chronicles 16:15
No Bible Contradiction.
There are many references in the Old Testament saying that God will keep his covenant forever and that there is an obligation for the people of Israel to keep the commandments: Deuteronomy 7:9, 11:1, 26-28; 1 Chronicles 16:5; Psalm 119: 51-2, 160; Ecclesiastes 12:13; Malachi 4:4. The Hebrew Bible is still in use all over the world.
No Bible Contradictions.
Two New Testament references:
(1) Matthew 5:18-19 “18 For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (NASB) Take note! Read this text without capitals and punctuation marks (not being in the original text) and you will understand that Jesus is not saying here that “not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until the end of the world”, but “until all is accomplished.” That is until He had accomplished all things pertaining to the Law with his death and resurrection. The Holy Books in the temple remained in tact during his ministry. The clause “until heaven and earth will pass away” relates to two stages. (1) Jesus’ fulfilment of the Law. (2) The preaching of the Kingdom of Heaven after Him together with the teaching of the Law and its commandments. After the destruction of the temple the Holy Books were preserved in the synagogues and little changes crept into the books. Just as Jesus, the living Word, being delivered into the hands of man received holes in his body (scourging, crown and crucifixion). In the same way the Holy Hebrew Books being delivered later into the hands of man received tiny holes through tiny scribal errors in the text. This had no substantial influence on the meaning of the texts. The Holy Word went the way of Jesus.
See the article “Variant readings and inerrancy of the Old and New Testament”.
No Bible Contradiction.
(2) Luke 16:16-17 “16 The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. 17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail.” (NASB) In verse 16 Jesus speaks about the period of old, of the prophets until John the Baptist, followed by the period of the Kingdom of Heaven preached by Him. He stresses then in verse 17 that in his time no stroke of a letter of the Law would fall. It would be easier for the heaven and earth to blow up than that the Law would disappear or be changed. Take note: He is not speaking about the end of the world and that the Law would remain unchanged until then.
No Bible Contradiction.
Christians not under the Law
The negative references of the critic
Luke 16:16 “16 The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, …” (NASB) The critic suggests that this is an antithesis and that the Law is out of date since the proclamation of the Kingdom of God. However this is not an antithesis at all. John the Baptist is seen by Jesus as the last great prophet of old, which is right as John himself also proclaimed the coming Kingdom of God, being the forerunner of Jesus. So the Kingdom of God is still rooted in the past, in (the time of) the Law.
No Bible Contradiction.
Romans 3:28 “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.” (NASB) This is one of the great themes of Paul. Justification for God is not by the Law, but by faith in Jesus Christ and his perfect work (His great fulfilment of the Law) for us and not by works of ourselves. That is by grace alone. This is repeated in Romans 6:14, 7:4-6, 10:4; Galatians 3:13, 24-25, 5:18 (we are not under the Law, as the Law of Christ is in us!); Ephesians 2:15; Colossians 2:14. The Law is eternal, but doesn't gain perfection for man. Jesus did.
No Bible Contradictions.
Conclusion
The critic isn’t right in any respect!
His first statement:
Yes, the laws of the Old Testament are binding forever. This is right for Christians in a spiritual way.
His second statement:
No, Christians are not under the Law. This is also right for Christians as Jesus Christ who lives in them fulfilled the Law. And so the Law is written in their hearts (Hebrews 9:8-10).
The two statements doesn’t form an antithesis at all, they form an intriguing unity.
No Bible Contradictions