This is a starter thread I am using from another forum. Its purpose is set the foundation for a teaching series on how to read and study the Bible for yourself. Even so, this is NOT to be taken as the common understanding and approach to the "you need no one teach you" spiritual things. We all need teachers and to be teachers - but that is another lesson.

The goal of this particular thread is to provide the reader with some basic rules (guidlines) in how to read and to study the Bible, which are two related but seperate activities.

To start off, here is a question that received quite a bit of attention in some religious circles:

What is the legitimate role of the Law of Moses (Moshe) in the life of a Christian?

There are two extrem positions. One is that the Law of Moses has been abolished and has no authority over a Christian. The other extreme is that one must, in essence, become a practicing Jew and keep all of the Old Testament Law (Torah) possible.

Question: How much of the Torah (Mt. Sinai Law/Instruction) must (should) a Christian (Messianic believer) keep?

This is a loaded question and should receive some careful study before commenting on. I can almost guarantee that most church doctrines will not be sufficient to correctly address the question.

Some possible answers currently include qualifiers, disclaimers and universal doctrine statements such as:

1. Only the O.T. moral laws need to be observed.
2. Jesus nailed the Laws to the cross and abolished them.
3. All of the laws except Circumcision need to be followed.
4. Dietary laws and other ritual (ceremonial)laws are not required of Christians.
5. One must observe all Jewish holy days, festivals and holidays, or at least the important ones.
6. Jesus (and/or the early church) did away with the seventh-day Sabbath observance and adopted Sunday as the day of worship.
7. Saturday was the Sabbath day observed by the Apostles and Jesus prior to His Crucifixion and should be observed by Christians today.
8. Etc.

As may be noted in these few examples: A careful study of scripture will reveal that each of the above statements contain a fatal flaw in biblical thinking. A flaw that renders each statement to be false. Can you identify those defects?

Take a day or two and research at least two of the above statements and see what you, the word, and the Spirit come up with. Feel free to expres your thoughts and ideas. No spiritual right/wrong games here!