Law

What is law?

A law is a set of rules used to regulate human choices.

 

What is the purpose of law?

The purpose of law is to promote human happiness and flourishing.

 

From where do laws come?

All laws always originate in some person’s mind.  Compare the argument given here called the “moral argument.”

 

How are the different laws we encounter in our society categorized?

Into natural and revealed law.

 

What is the difference between natural and revealed law?

Natural law is a set of rules which we discover without any assistance from divine revelation.  We simply use our own minds and reason to find them.  Divine law refers to those rules we find in the Bible as for instance the decalog.

 

What can we know about natural law?

See here.

 

How do we find God’s laws in the Bible?

We look for three things:  a command, a principle, or an example.

 

What is a command?

This is some direct imperative which we can read in Scripture such as the prohibition of drunkenness (Ephesians 5:18) or the command to gather as Christians. (Hebrews 10:25)

 

What do you mean by a principle?

A principle is also a rule but it is not specific.  A moral principle must be applied.  For instance, when you see a speed limit sign, you are seeing a rule specific to a given situation.  When a police officer tells you to drive safely, that is a moral principle that is not specific.  It has to be applied, and it will apply differently in different situations.  Consider each of the ten commands; each of these are general moral principles that need to be applied to specific situations.  For instance, when someone cuts you off on the highway, you now have an opportunity to apply (or violate) the principle “to do good to all.” (Galatians 6:10)  The same is true of Jesus teaching where He commands us to love one another. (John 13:34)

 

What do you mean by an example?

This refers to all the things we see the great men and women of God doing in the Bible.  Paul teaches us that the history of Israel is an example to us. (1 Corinthians 10:6)  This category, however, is the most difficult since we first have to determine whether the example in question is good or bad.  Some Christians believe that we should follow David in calling down curses on God’s enemies.  Others, say that we should follow Jesus’ command to love our enemies and that Christians are not to follow David in this.  Obviously, it can be difficult to know what examples we are to follow and which not.