Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!samsung!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: rr2g@rhonda.ce.Virginia.EDU (Rhonda R. Gaines) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Christmas should be April 15th Message-ID: Date: 13 Nov 90 09:05:21 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: University of Virginia Lines: 40 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu [Rhonda R. Gaines asks why we make up holidays and won't celebrate the holidays that God himself ordained. I responded that it is because they are part of the ceremonial Law, which is not binding on Christians. --clh] I am not a Jew either, but hebrew pentecostal and follow what the bible says from Genesis to Revelations. If you believe that the OT was basically given to the Jews since the basic content is what you call the "ceremonial" law then you should not acknowledge the OT just as the Jews don't acknowledge the NT but then how would you understand most of what goes on in the NT if it were not for the background of the OT. Remember the bible says "...Eat the whole roll...". Also, Acts 28:23 says: "And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ till evening." -- Rhonda Gaines | University of Virginia phone: 804-924-6265 | Thornton Hall bitnet: gaines@virginia.bitnet | Applied Mechanics Program internet: gaines@virginia.edu | Charlottesville, VA 22903-2442 [I didn't say that Christians reject the OT. The OT is an account of God's interaction with his people. As such we can learn much about God and his will for us from it, and with care in exposition, we can learn much about Christ. But not everything in it is addressed to every person. The prophets gave specific commands to specific people. The Law of Moses is not described as general laws for mankind, but as the definition of a covenant with Israel. In Acts 15 we see a discussion of whether the Law should apply to Gentile Christians, and the conclusion is that it should not. The same idea lies behind the discussion of the Law in Paul's letters. It is not rejecting the OT to note that we are not part of the covenant with Moses described there. --clh]