Visions

[TGBTG]

Originally Posted by Timmy

As for the rules about eating unclean animals, is it your opinion that they were merely traditions of men, and not (originally) commandments of God?

Those rules were originally the comandments of God. The traditions of men was what Jesus was rebuking.

Originally Posted by Timmy

It certainly could have been God's intention all along to forbid (Jews only) to eat unclean animals, and to remove that prohibition at just the right time. So if that isn't changing His mind, it is changing His requirements.

I think this statement of yours also answer the above question...

Originally Posted by Timmy

So OK, let me reword my question:

Will God never again change His requirements of man?

Good question.

Well, let's see. What is God's present requirement of man? Faith. What was his past requirement? Faith (Heb 11 stresses this point)

Now, how that faith is EXPRESSED (perhaps, this is what you're getting at?) is what has changed over time.

Before the law, men like Abraham and Isaac EXPRESSED their faith in God by offering sacrifices (building altars). Enoch walked with God by faith.

Under the law, the EXPRESSION of faith was still through offering of sacrifices. In the NT, the EXPRESSION of faith is by believing in the perfect SACRIFICIAL LAMB of God.

So the requirement is still the same, that is FAITH, but the EXPRESSION has changed depending on what period of time God is dealing with man.

Now, could the EXPRESSION of faith change again (I'm guessing that would be your question?)

To answer this question, we have to know what purpose the EXPRESSION of faith served in the past and presently.

In God's law, the penalty for sin is death and God has by his own counsel and sovereignty determined that blood is required for the atonement of sins.

The EXPRESSION of faith (OT lambs and Jesus the Lamb of God) were a means by which man's sins were atoned for. So we have to get the point that the whole purpose for the requirement was for the atonement of sins.

Now,
Heb 10
1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.

This scriptures tells us that, yes, the old testament atoned for the sins of the people (also Lev 16), however, the people themselves did not receive a NEW CONSCIENCE.

So the difference between the WORK of the old covenant and the new covenant is that the new covenant goes beyond just atoning for sins. It CHANGES man's conscience.

So, if a man's conscience is changed from satan oriented to God oriented, then God's purpose is achieved.

Hence, this new covenant has served the purpose of RECONCILING man back to God.

Since man is reconciled back to God, the new covenant has done it all and there is no need to change the formula (ergo: EXPRESSION of Faith)

So,
God will not change his requirement: Faith
God will not change the EXPRESSION of faith: Believe in Jesus Christ
God will not change his purpose: To reconcile man back to God

I hope I was able to answer your question...