Sabbath, Circumcision, and Tithing: Which Old Testament Laws Apply to Christians?

Many Christians have questions about the laws of the Old Testament. Many claim to keep the Ten Commandments, for example, but then ignore one of them — the seventh-day Sabbath. Their “Ten” means only nine — and many can’t explain why. They may say, “The Sabbath was an Old Testament law” — but so were the other nine! Why one and not the others? As another example, many churches teach that Chris-tians should tithe — give ten percent of their income to the church. But if the seventh-day Sabbath does not apply to Christians, why should the law of tithing apply? Why one Old Testament law, but not the other? Anyone who reads the Old Testament is likely to wonder: In this mix of ceremonial, civil, and ethical laws, how are Christians supposed to know which laws apply today? Are there biblical principles we can use to evaluate the laws of the Old Testament? We want to see what Scripture says. What does the New Testament say about Old Testament laws? Which laws are quoted with approval, and which are obsolete? What principles can we use to evaluate Old Testament laws that the New Testament does not mention? We begin with two basic beliefs: that Christians should obey God, and that the Bible is a reliable guide to the way we should obey.