Tommy Mann

Yes, I do eat shellfish. Thank you for asking. And to answer your next few questions, I also wear mixed fabric, I do not have a beard, and I thoroughly enjoy bacon. I’m making these answers public because they keep coming up, usually as anonymous comments on my blog. It is the classic atheist defense. Thinking they know the Bible because some liberal professor or friend has pointed out a passage in Leviticus, they use these commands to justify their atheism, or more likely, their desire to not have to follow the rules of a Lord. If a blog mentions homosexuality, I can set my watch by the response: So you pick and choose which verses you believe? Do you eat shellfish? True, the Old Covenant laws forbid the eating of shellfish, along with anything with a cloven hoof, thus scrapping pig from the menu. Clothing was not to be made from mixed fabrics, men could not shave the corners of their beard, and on and on. But that doesn’t matter to me for two reasons. First, e...

One of the fundamental tenants of Christianity is the belief that Jesus Christ was God in the flesh. This central issue is one that separates Christian theology from that of the Jews and the Mormons. This is not intended to pick on these other groups, but to lovingly show them what the Bible has to say on the matter (and to help Christians do the same). The Jews believe in the Old Testament, and they rightly understand that God promised to send a Deliverer to His people. Unfortunately, they have rejected Jesus as that Messiah, and therefore, they have also rejected the New Testament. ( Messianic Jews do believe that Jesus is the Messiah) The Mormons believe that Jesus was the Son of God. When they come to your door they will be sure to tell you as much, but they are not as forthcoming with what else they believe. They believe Jesus was just one son of one god. They believe that Lucifer is the brother of Jesus, and that God is one of many gods (and that they will on...

     In light of all we have seen here, to what extent are we to obey the Old Testament? Do we have to obey its commands about not eating anything with a cloven hoof? What about the command not to wear a garment with mixed fabric? What about the Ten Commandments?      What we need to realize is that “the law” (as it is called) contains ceremonial law and moral law. The law served different purposes. One major part was that God wanted Israel to be a witness among the pagan nations around them, and much of the dietary laws and dress code were tied up in that. The moral law had to do with conduct, or how they lived their lives. And much of the ceremonial law governed their religious duties, which was a way of appeasing God’s wrath (propitiation) because no sin could be forgiven until Jesus’ shed His innocent blood.      (Since no sin could be forgiven, people could not go to heaven. They went to Paradise, or Abraham’s Bosom...

      In Part 1 we saw that David and Solomon led the nation to build a temple. Although some comparisons are fair, it is not really accurate to say that the temple was like “church.” This temple existed as a way for mankind to appease God’s wrath.      The temple, which was built according to God’s specifications, had an outer courtyard where each person was allowed to come for a sacrifice. But inside the temple, in the Holy Place, only the priests were allowed to go. At the back of that room was a large veil—a 60 foot high, 4 inch thick veil—that led into the Most Holy Place (or Holy of Holies). Only the high priest could enter that room, and only once a year on the Day of Atonement.      On the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), the high priest would offer a sacrifice on behalf of the entire nation. This did not forgive sins (“For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.” Hebrews 10:4), ...

     To listen to some Christians talk one would have to come to the conclusion that the Old Testament is obsolete. If I were to quote a Minor Prophet, for example, I can almost here someone’s thought: But that’s Old Testament. Where do we get this idea that the first 39 books of the Bible lost their value once Paul picked up his pen?      Consider some of the wonderful truths that the first testament brought us: *The beginning. Genesis 1:1 boldly declares that God, not Darwin or chance, is responsible for the universe. *The Messiah. Isaiah and the Psalms paint vivid pictures of the first coming of the Messiah. Jesus in the New Testament is recognized as the Messiah (instead of just a teacher or prophet) because He met the descriptions written centuries before. *Wisdom. Where would we be without the poetic book of Proverbs? Whether Old Testament or New, “the fear of the Lord” is still “the beginning of wisdom.” *The end....