How do we know which laws in the Bible we are still bound to obey today?
Historically, theologians have made a distinction between moral laws, civil laws, and ceremonial laws.
The ceremonial laws bound Israel’s worship at the temple, civil laws bound the state of Israel for its administration of justice, and moral laws bound Israel to the moral law of God. A helpful way to look at any law in the Bible is to ask, “What category does it fit in?” If it’s part of the moral law, we’re still bound to it.
This transcript is from a live Ask Ligonier event with W. Robert Godfrey and has been lightly edited for readability. To ask Ligonier a biblical or theological question, email ask@ligonier.org or message us on Facebook or Twitter.
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W. Robert Godfrey
Dr. W. Robert Godfrey is a Ligonier Ministries teaching fellow and chairman of Ligonier Ministries. He is president emeritus and professor emeritus of church history at Westminster Seminary California. He is the featured teacher for many Ligonier teaching series, including the six-part series A Survey of Church History. He is author of many books, including God’s Pattern for Creation, Reformation Sketches, and An Unexpected Journey.
