Dr. Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, a prominent Messianic Jewish theologian and founder of Ariel Ministries, approaches the relationship between the Law of Moses and the Law of Christ from a strictly dispensational perspective. He argues that they are two distinct and entirely separate legal codes governing two different covenants.
Here is how Fruchtenbaum defines the Law of Christ and contrasts it with Old Covenant law keeping.
The Law of Moses (Old Covenant Law Keeping)
According to Fruchtenbaum, Old Covenant law keeping was based entirely on the Mosaic Law, which he defines by three strict characteristics:
* It is a single, indivisible unit: Fruchtenbaum argues that the Law of Moses consists of 613 commandments. He thoroughly rejects the common theological practice of dividing the Law into moral, civil, and ceremonial categories. Because it is a unified whole, you cannot keep parts of it while discarding others; as James 2:10 states, to break one point of the Law is to break the entire Law.
* It was given exclusively to Israel: The Law of Moses was a covenant specifically between God and the nation of Israel. It was never given to the Gentiles, nor was it intended as the rule of life for the Church.
* It has been totally disannulled: Fruchtenbaum maintains that the Messiah's death, burial, and resurrection brought the Law of Moses to a definitive end. It has been rendered completely inoperative. Today, neither Gentile believers nor Jewish believers are under the authority or obligation of the Mosaic Law.
The Law of Christ (New Covenant Law Keeping)
Because the Law of Moses has been abolished as a rule of life, Fruchtenbaum teaches that believers in the Church Age are now under a completely different authority: the Law of Christ (also called the Law of the Messiah).
* It is a brand new law code: Drawing from Galatians 6:2 ("the law of Christ") and Romans 8:2 ("the law of the Spirit of life"), Fruchtenbaum defines this as a completely new and separate rule of life for the believer.
* Its contents: The Law of Christ consists of all the individual commandments, principles, and instructions given by Jesus Christ and the Apostles in the New Testament.
* Empowered by the Spirit: New Covenant law keeping is not about adhering to an external, written code of 613 laws, but rather about walking by the Holy Spirit. For example, rather than being bound by the rigid tithing rules of the Mosaic Law, believers operate under the New Testament principle of "grace-giving" or Spirit-controlled giving.
The Contrast and the "New Government" Analogy
A common question Fruchtenbaum addresses is the overlap between the two laws. If the Law of Moses is completely abolished, why are Christians still commanded not to murder, steal, or commit adultery?
Fruchtenbaum explains this using the concept of changing governments. When a new government takes power, it abolishes the old constitution and establishes a new one. The new government will naturally incorporate some of the best laws from the previous administration into its new code, while completely discarding others.
Therefore, when a New Testament believer obeys the command "do not murder," they are keeping it because it was explicitly retained and incorporated into the Law of Christ, not because it was part of the Law of Moses.
Conversely, laws that were not brought over into the Law of Christ are no longer binding. The most prominent example in Fruchtenbaum's teaching is the Sabbath. Because Sabbath-keeping was the sign of the Mosaic Covenant, and because it was not repeated as a command for the Church by Christ or the Apostles in the New Testament, it is not part of the Law of Christ, and believers are not obligated to keep it.
Here is how Fruchtenbaum defines the Law of Christ and contrasts it with Old Covenant law keeping.
The Law of Moses (Old Covenant Law Keeping)
According to Fruchtenbaum, Old Covenant law keeping was based entirely on the Mosaic Law, which he defines by three strict characteristics:
* It is a single, indivisible unit: Fruchtenbaum argues that the Law of Moses consists of 613 commandments. He thoroughly rejects the common theological practice of dividing the Law into moral, civil, and ceremonial categories. Because it is a unified whole, you cannot keep parts of it while discarding others; as James 2:10 states, to break one point of the Law is to break the entire Law.
* It was given exclusively to Israel: The Law of Moses was a covenant specifically between God and the nation of Israel. It was never given to the Gentiles, nor was it intended as the rule of life for the Church.
* It has been totally disannulled: Fruchtenbaum maintains that the Messiah's death, burial, and resurrection brought the Law of Moses to a definitive end. It has been rendered completely inoperative. Today, neither Gentile believers nor Jewish believers are under the authority or obligation of the Mosaic Law.
The Law of Christ (New Covenant Law Keeping)
Because the Law of Moses has been abolished as a rule of life, Fruchtenbaum teaches that believers in the Church Age are now under a completely different authority: the Law of Christ (also called the Law of the Messiah).
* It is a brand new law code: Drawing from Galatians 6:2 ("the law of Christ") and Romans 8:2 ("the law of the Spirit of life"), Fruchtenbaum defines this as a completely new and separate rule of life for the believer.
* Its contents: The Law of Christ consists of all the individual commandments, principles, and instructions given by Jesus Christ and the Apostles in the New Testament.
* Empowered by the Spirit: New Covenant law keeping is not about adhering to an external, written code of 613 laws, but rather about walking by the Holy Spirit. For example, rather than being bound by the rigid tithing rules of the Mosaic Law, believers operate under the New Testament principle of "grace-giving" or Spirit-controlled giving.
The Contrast and the "New Government" Analogy
A common question Fruchtenbaum addresses is the overlap between the two laws. If the Law of Moses is completely abolished, why are Christians still commanded not to murder, steal, or commit adultery?
Fruchtenbaum explains this using the concept of changing governments. When a new government takes power, it abolishes the old constitution and establishes a new one. The new government will naturally incorporate some of the best laws from the previous administration into its new code, while completely discarding others.
Therefore, when a New Testament believer obeys the command "do not murder," they are keeping it because it was explicitly retained and incorporated into the Law of Christ, not because it was part of the Law of Moses.
Conversely, laws that were not brought over into the Law of Christ are no longer binding. The most prominent example in Fruchtenbaum's teaching is the Sabbath. Because Sabbath-keeping was the sign of the Mosaic Covenant, and because it was not repeated as a command for the Church by Christ or the Apostles in the New Testament, it is not part of the Law of Christ, and believers are not obligated to keep it.