This article was born out of an extended “conversation” on facebook during which a number of New Testament scriptures were quoted in order to justify non-observance of “The Law” by non-Jewish believers. As is often the case, these scriptures were quoted out of context, as if they were written yesterday (or, at least, in our time and culture). When selected “numbered sound bites” are taken out of context and quoted this way, they can be used to support almost any doctrine one might choose to espouse.
Quoting scripture gives the teacher seeming authority and credibility; many of us simply accept uncritically what is taught in this fashion without making the effort to check out for ourselves what is being said. After all, it is much easier to go to the “drive-through” at my local McChurch and get fast-food than it is to dig for the vegetables, pick the fruit, cook the meat and prepare a good, nutritious meal for myself. Or to sit in the pew and be spoon- or bottle-fed (milk, vanilla custard, maybe some fruit puree if I’m lucky). This is why some of us never reach any sort of spiritual maturity and, like little children, we’re gullible and easily led into error, because we don’t check out for ourselves what the person behind the pulpit (or lectern) is teaching.
So, how do we get to the meat of the Word?
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