Why Christians Don’t Follow the Law of Moses

The Law of Moses occupies a central place in the story of Israel and in the Old Testament as a whole. Contained within the first five books of the Bible, the Law included hundreds of commandments that shaped the daily life, worship, and national identity of God’s people. Yet most Christians today do not observe dietary restrictions, animal sacrifices, or ritual purity codes. This raises an important question: if the Law was given by God, why do Christians not follow it?

The answer is not a dismissal of the Law but a recognition of how Jesus fulfilled its purposes and how the early church came to understand that fulfillment.

The Role and Purpose of the Law of Moses

The Law of Moses, often summarized as 613 commandments, can be grouped into moral, civil, and ceremonial categories. God gave these commandments to Israel at Sinai as part of a binding covenant (Exodus 24:3–8). The purpose was not only to regulate life but also to set Israel apart as a holy people (Leviticus 20:26).

According to the apostle Paul, the Law revealed the holiness of God and the depth of human sin. He wrote, “Through the law we become conscious of our sin” (Romans 3:20). The Law also served as a guardian until the coming of Christ, preparing the way for Him (Galatians 3:24–25). The sacrifices, rituals, and festivals were all anticipations of something greater to come (Hebrews 10:1).

Jesus and the Law: Continuity and Fulfillment

When Jesus began His ministry, He made strong statements about the Law. In the Sermon on the Mount He declared, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17). He went on to warn that those who relax even the least commandment would be called least in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:19).

Jesus also clarified the deeper intent of the commandments. In Matthew 5–7 He showed that true righteousness involves more than outward obedience, connecting anger with murder and lust with adultery. He summarized the Law in the command to love God and neighbor (Mark 12:28–34). He emphasized justice, mercy, and faithfulness as the weightier matters of the Law (Matthew 23:23). He also declared all foods clean (Mark 7:19), pointing His followers toward a new way of life that would not be bound by earlier ceremonial restrictions.

These teachings show that Jesus honored the Law’s divine authority while bringing it to completion in Himself. Through His obedience (1 Peter 2:22) and sacrificial death (Hebrews 9:11–14), He fulfilled what the Law anticipated.

The New Covenant in Christ

At the Last Supper, Jesus spoke of a “new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:20). This new covenant did not abolish the Law but completed it in a way that shifted the focus from external regulations to life in the Spirit. Paul explained that believers are not under the law but under grace (Romans 6:14). To return to the old covenant would be to miss the sufficiency of Christ’s work (Galatians 5:1–4).

Colossians 2:16–17 reinforces this understanding by teaching that festivals, Sabbaths, and dietary rules were shadows of the reality now found in Christ.

How the Early Church Understood the Law

As the gospel spread beyond Judea, questions arose about how Gentile believers should live in relation to the Law. Acts 15 records the gathering of apostles and elders in Jerusalem to consider the matter. Their decision was that Gentile believers did not need to keep the Law of Moses in order to belong to the community of faith. Instead, a few basic guidelines were given to encourage unity and respect among believers from different backgrounds (Acts 15:28–29).

Paul consistently taught that justification comes by faith in Christ rather than by works of the Law (Galatians 2:16). At the same time, many Jewish believers continued to observe the Law as part of their heritage, which shows how early Christianity encompassed diverse practices while being united in the conviction that salvation rests in Christ alone.

Jews and Gentiles in the Early Church

For Jewish Christians, the Law remained a meaningful part of cultural and religious life. Acts 21:20 notes that many among them were still devoted to its observance. For Gentiles, however, the Law was not required. The unifying factor was not Torah observance but faith in Christ.

Paul described this unity in his letters, teaching that in Christ both Jew and Gentile are brought together as one people (Ephesians 2:14–16). He encouraged believers to respect one another’s practices without making them a condition of salvation (Romans 14).

The Law of Christ

Although Christians are not bound by the Law of Moses, they are not without moral guidance. Paul described the new way of life as fulfilling “the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). This law is summed up in the command to love God and neighbor (John 13:34). The moral principles found in the Law are reaffirmed in the New Testament, not as a system of rules to earn righteousness, but as expressions of life transformed by the Spirit (Romans 7:6).