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The beginning of the Bible begins with a brief depiction of a bitter and primitive life for mankind. Early recorded history details that these early civilizations had harsh rules and regulations; which was not only considered normal back then, but also necessary during a time in human history when rough and lawless societies were prevalent in early developing civilizations. The Bible reflects these historical accounts of harsh rules and regulations that were established in the early age of civilization. However, continuing through the Bible, mankind's story begins to evolve (YES! even the Bible supports forms of evolution, contrary to the stark perception that Christians have no affiliation to any form of evolving) and as mankind becomes more civilized, so do the rules and regulations become more reflective of man's evolution. This is particularly the case found with the coming of Jesus Christ.

 

The Bible details how early civilization's harsh reality was governed by equally rigid regulations. The Code of Hammurabi illustrates this (Leviticus 24:20) with such as an 'eye for an eye' and a 'tooth for a tooth' serving as examples. Also in that era, the Bible denotes how such acts like prostitution were punishable by death from stoning. Also found near that 'law' was a 'command' to refrain from homosexual behavior, a command prohibiting clothing made from two different kinds of fabric (Leviticus 19:19) as well as refraining from eating certain types of food, like shrimp and pork. These were common rules that were laid out, and matched to that particular time in humankind's early part of history as emerging civilizations. 

 

The New Testament

 

The New Testament begins with the Gospels, which chronicles the life of Jesus as recorded from disciples that accompanied Jesus. It is through this greatest gift from God that the old ways became abolished and the old ways done away with [Ephesians 2:15-18]. Jesus teaches us that all food from God is a gift to eat [Mark 7:19] and that the old regulations of what food to eat are done away with. Jesus emphasized that people ought to put greater attention on the love shown to our fellow man, rather than placing high regard on rules just for the sake of maintaining the tradition. Jesus teaches us that our time here  on earth is fleeting and that "we ought to love one another"; this being the second of only two things Jesus teaches us that we need to gain eternal life in paradise with God, the first being "to love the Father with all our soul, all our heart, all our mind and with all our strength." [Matthew 22:37]

 

 

One of the more well-known passages that illustrate Jesus' teachings about placing love above religious restrictions, is the story of the prostitute that Jesus saved from being stoned. According to the religious law of the time, prostitution was a crime that was punishable by death. Jesus asks the crowd to look within themselves and to cast a stone if any of themselves had never sinned. Not one person could cast a stone and the prostitute was saved. Jesus emphasizes that we ought to place mercy and love above the stringent and former laws set by the primitive time that ruled early civilizations. If Jesus Christ forgives such sins that had been deemed punishable by death, then how much also is forgiven for other rules laid out in the same period as when the law of that religion was first established, such as 'unclean food' and homosexual relations? Lest not forget that Jesus Christ focused the attention on the fact that many people follow the rules of the religion more closely than focusing on loving God and one another, as this is found as an example in Matthew Chap 12. It is through God's gift, Jesus Christ, that the old religious rules are gone and that sins are atoned through the blood of Christ. 

 

Those accounts taken from earlier times in the Bible are not there to serve as current rules or guidelines to follow, but rather to serve as providing a greater understanding as to the mercy that we receive through Jesus, and the new life that Christ brings. If we do not first know about the harsh ways of life in the past, then we cannot fully understand the true greatness that comes with the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins and the beginning of a new and more loving way of life. As Christians (followers of Christ) we must follow the teachings of Jesus, knowing that Christ supersedes the old ways as dictated in the past.

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