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Bible Study: What Specific Laws Continue and What Specific Laws Ceased? — A Comprehensive NT Catalogue

Question

What specific laws continue and what specific laws ceased? Produce a comprehensive, systematic compilation from every relevant NT passage. Create a two-column catalogue: (1) Laws/commandments the NT explicitly states or necessarily implies continue — with the NT passage and Greek vocabulary identification for each, and (2) Laws/ordinances the NT explicitly states or necessarily implies ceased — with the NT passage and Greek vocabulary identification for each. For each item, identify the specific law by name/content (not just "the law"), cite the NT passage that addresses it, note the Greek term used (entole, nomos, dogma, dikaioma, etc.), and classify by evidence tier (E, N, or I). Specifically address the consistency objection: if the ceremonial law is abolished, what is the biblical basis for continuing clean/unclean food distinctions and tithing? Note that both pre-date the Mosaic system — clean/unclean animals in Genesis 7:2 (Noah), tithing in Genesis 14:20 (Abraham to Melchizedek) — and examine whether Hebrews 7:8 indicates tithing continues under the Melchizedek priesthood. This study compiles and organizes — it does not re-argue. Draw from all 28 prior studies.

Discovered Scope

Topics Found (from naves_semantic.py)

Topic Score Key Verse References
COMMANDMENTS 0.68 EXO 13:8-10; 20:3-17; DEU 4:5,9,10; 5:6-21; 6:4-9; MAT 5:16-45; 19:16-19; MRK 10:19,20; ROM 7:7,12; 13:9; 1CO 7:19; EPH 6:2; REV 12:17; 14:12; 22:14
TEN COMMANDMENTS 0.60 (See COMMANDMENTS)
LAW 0.42 PSA 19:7-9; 119:1-8; MAT 22:21; LUK 16:17; ROM 2:14,15; 7:7,12,14; 13:10; 1TI 1:5,8-10; JAS 1:25; 1JN 3:4; 5:3
ORDINANCE 0.51 EXO 12:14,24,43; ISA 24:5; ROM 13:2; EPH 2:15; COL 2:14,20-23; HEB 9:1,8-10
DECREES 0.39 DAN 6:14,15; ACT 16:4; 15:28,29
OBEDIENCE 0.38 GEN 18:19; EXO 19:5; DEU 5:10; PSA 103:17-21; 119:1-8; JHN 14:15,23,24; 1JN 2:3-6
HOLINESS 0.33 LEV 11:44,45; 19:2; 20:7,26; 1PE 1:14-16
SABBATH 0.74 GEN 2:2,3; EXO 20:8-11; DEU 5:12-15; MRK 2:27,28; LUK 23:56; HEB 4:4,9; COL 2:16
CIRCUMCISION 0.72 GEN 17:10-14; ACT 15:1,5-29; ROM 2:25-29; 3:30; 1CO 7:18,19; GAL 2:3,4; 5:2-11; 6:12; EPH 2:11,15; COL 2:11
TITHES 0.55 GEN 14:20; 28:22; LEV 27:30-33; NUM 18:21-24; DEU 12:6,7,17-19; MAT 23:23; LUK 11:42; HEB 7:2-6,5-9
SACRIFICES 0.49 ROM 12:1; PHP 2:17; HEB 13:15; HEB 10:1-18; HEB 9:1-10
CLEAN AND UNCLEAN ANIMALS 0.42 LEV 11:3-8; DEU 14:3-8 (see also GEN 7:2)
CROSS 0.26 COL 1:20; 2:14; EPH 2:16; PHP 2:8; HEB 12:2
RIGHTEOUSNESS 0.42 GEN 15:6; ROM 4:3,5,9,11; 8:4

Verse References (from Nave's entries)

Laws/commandments that continue (NT passages): - Mat 5:17-45 (Jesus: not come to destroy the law) - Mat 19:17-19; Mar 10:19 (Jesus lists Decalogue commands as "the commandments") - Mat 22:36-40 (greatest commandment: love God, love neighbor) - Luk 16:17 (easier for heaven and earth to pass than one tittle of the law to fail) - Luk 23:56 (rested the sabbath day according to the commandment) - Jhn 14:15,23,24 (if ye love me, keep my commandments) - Rom 2:14,15 (Gentiles do by nature the things contained in the law) - Rom 3:31 (do we make void the law? God forbid: we establish the law) - Rom 7:7,12,14 (the law is holy, just, good, spiritual; identified as Decalogue) - Rom 8:4 (dikaioma tou nomou fulfilled in us who walk after the Spirit) - Rom 13:8-10 (love fulfils the law; lists commandments 7,6,8,9,10) - 1 Cor 7:19 (keeping the commandments of God; distinguished from circumcision) - Eph 6:2 (honor father and mother = first commandment with promise) - 1 Ti 1:5,8-10 (the law is good if used lawfully; lists specific sins against the Decalogue) - Jas 1:25 (the perfect law of liberty) - Jas 2:8-12 (royal law / law of liberty = do not commit adultery, do not kill) - 1 Jhn 2:3-6 (know him if we keep his commandments) - 1 Jhn 3:4 (sin is transgression of the law) - 1 Jhn 5:3 (this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments) - Rev 12:17 (remnant keep the commandments of God) - Rev 14:12 (saints keep commandments of God and faith of Jesus) - Rev 22:14 (blessed are they that do his commandments)

Laws/ordinances that ceased (NT passages): - Col 2:14-17 (handwriting of ordinances [dogmasin] nailed to cross; meat, drink, holyday, new moon, sabbath days = shadow) - Eph 2:15 (law of commandments in ordinances [en dogmasin] abolished) - Heb 7:12,16,18 (priesthood changed = law changed; disannulling of the commandment [entole + sarkines]) - Heb 9:1,8-10 (dikaiomata latreias = ordinances of divine service; dikaiomata sarkos = carnal ordinances imposed until time of reformation) - Heb 10:1-18 (the law having a shadow; sacrifice and offering abolished) - 2 Cor 3:7-11 (the glory/ministry done away [katargeo]) - Gal 3:13 (redeemed from the curse of the law) - Gal 5:2-6; 6:12-15 (circumcision profits nothing; new creature) - Act 15:1-29 (Jerusalem council: circumcision not required; abstain from pollutions of idols, fornication, things strangled, blood) - Rom 14:1-6,10-23 (meat, drink, esteeming days) - 1 Ti 4:1-5 (forbidding to marry, commanding to abstain from meats)

Pre-Mosaic laws (consistency objection passages): - Gen 7:2 (clean/unclean animals distinction pre-dates Moses — Noah) - Gen 8:20 (Noah offered clean animals as burnt offerings) - Gen 14:20 (Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek) - Gen 28:22 (Jacob vowed a tenth to God) - Gen 26:5 (Abraham kept God's charge, commandments, statutes, laws) - Heb 7:2-9 (Melchizedek received tithes; Levi paid tithes through Abraham) - Heb 7:8 (key passage: "here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth") - Mat 23:23; Luk 11:42 (Jesus affirms tithing: "these ought ye to have done")

Strong's Numbers Found (from semantic_strongs.py)

Strong's Word Relevance
G1785 entole (commandment) Core term: used for moral/Decalogue commands without qualifier; ceremonial uses always carry qualifier (sarkines, en dogmasin, anthropon)
G3551 nomos (law) Broadest law term: used in 4+ senses (Torah, Decalogue, principle, Pentateuch-as-Scripture); articular/anarthrous pattern is tendency not absolute code
G1378 dogma (decree/ordinance) Never used for Decalogue; 5 NT occurrences: civil decrees (2), ecclesiastical (1), abolished ceremonial (2)
G1379 dogmatizo (subject to ordinances) Col 2:20: content = dietary/purity regulations; "commandments and doctrines of men"
G1345 dikaioma (ordinance/righteous requirement) Singular articular = moral standard (Rom 8:4); plural + modifier = ceremonial ordinances (Heb 9:1,10)
G5498 cheirographon (handwriting) Col 2:14: compound cheir+grapho = "hand-written"; Decalogue was "written with the finger of God" (different authorship)
G2673 katargeo (abolish, make void, render idle) 2 Cor 3:7,11,13: object is the glory/ministry, not the law; Eph 2:15: abolished the law of commandments in ordinances
G4137 pleroo (fulfil) Mat 5:17: Jesus came to "fulfil" the law; distinguished from kataluo ("destroy")
G2647 kataluo (destroy/dissolve) Mat 5:17: what Jesus did NOT come to do to the law
G3198 Melchisedek Heb 7:1-28: Melchizedek priesthood, tithing, priesthood change
G2420 hierosyne (priesthood) Heb 7:11-12,24: priesthood changed, law changed
H4687 mitsvah (commandment) Hebrew equivalent of entole; "the commandments" in OT
H4941 mishpat (judgment/ordinance) Hebrew term for judicial regulations
H2889 tahowr (clean/pure) Gen 7:2: "of every clean beast" — pre-Mosaic clean/unclean distinction
G536 aparche (firstfruits) Connected to offering/tithe concepts
H4442 Malki-Tsedeq (Melchizedek) Gen 14:18: king of Salem, priest of the most high God
Study Question/Title Relevance
law-08-abolished-at-cross Which specific laws were abolished at the cross and which remain? Directly relevant. Analyzed all 7 NT abolition passages. Found none names the Decalogue. Each identifies specific ceremonial content via Greek vocabulary.
law-20-nt-greek-law-vocabulary What do entole, nomos, dogma, cheirographon, and dikaioma reveal about law categories? Directly relevant. Established the vocabulary distributions: entole unqualified = moral (43/43); dogma never = moral (0/5); cheirographon = hand-written (not God-written).
law-21-nt-vocab-law-categories How does NT vocabulary distinguish moral, ceremonial, and civil law? Directly relevant. Mapped every NT occurrence of 5 core terms to identifiable law content. Confirmed vocabulary partitions cleanly between affirm/abolish passages.
law-04-ceremonial-laws What are the ceremonial/ritual laws and how do they differ from the moral law? Analyzed 5 categories of ceremonial law: sacrifices, feasts, purity, sanctuary, circumcision. All ceased.
law-05-civil-judicial-laws What are the civil/judicial laws? Mapped civil/judicial laws in Pentateuch. Specific theocratic forms ceased, underlying moral principles continue.
law-01-gods-moral-law What does the Bible say about God's moral law? Established 66+ explicit statements about moral law. Core E/N framework for the series.
law-02-law-before-sinai Evidence for the moral law operating from creation to Sinai Documented pre-Sinai clean/unclean (Gen 7:2), tithing (Gen 14:20), Sabbath (Gen 2:2-3), and other moral standards.
law-10-new-covenant-and-law Does the new covenant abolish or establish the moral law? Established that new covenant writes the law on hearts (moral continues), while simultaneously removing ceremonial provisions.
law-12-matthew-5-17-20 What does Jesus mean by "not come to destroy but to fulfil"? Key passage for continuation. Pleroo vs. kataluo analysis.
law-18-hebrews-8-10 Hebrews 8-10: priesthood, covenant, and law Analyzed priesthood change, shadow vs. substance, dikaiomata sarkos. Directly relevant to Melchizedek/tithing question.
law-23-law-of-christ The "Law of Christ" and related NT law phrases Examined whether "law of Christ" replaces or fulfils the moral law.
law-27-sabbath-still-in-effect Is the seventh-day Sabbath still binding today? Comprehensive Sabbath study. Relevant to "which specific laws continue."
law-28-revelation-commandments Revelation and the Commandments Analyzed entole in Revelation: Rev 12:17, 14:12, 22:14. End-time commandment-keeping.
biblical-diet-romans14-timothy Do Romans 14 and 1 Timothy 4:1-5 abolish the clean/unclean dietary distinction? Directly relevant to consistency objection. Examined whether these passages abolish food laws.
comprehensive-dietary-laws Complete biblical teaching on dietary laws from Genesis through Revelation Directly relevant. Comprehensive analysis including pre-Mosaic origins (Gen 7:2).
law-16-paul-and-law-in-romans Paul and the law in Romans Paul uses nomos in 4+ senses. Key passage analysis (Rom 3:31, 7:7,12,14, 8:4).
law-17-paul-and-law-in-galatians Paul and the law in Galatians Galatians law-related passages.
law-15-acts-15-jerusalem-council Acts 15 Jerusalem Council What the council decided regarding Gentile observance.
law-22-james-and-law James and the Law Royal law, law of liberty = Decalogue (Jas 2:8-12).
law-09-old-covenant-new-covenant Old Covenant vs. New Covenant relationship to law Covenant change vs. law change analysis.
laws-abolished-at-cross Which laws were abolished at the cross? Earlier (non-series) study on same question.
sabbath-still-in-effect Is the 7th-day Sabbath still in effect? Earlier (non-series) Sabbath study.
covenant-relationship-to-law What is the relationship between covenants and law? Covenant framework for continues/ceased analysis.
law-of-moses What is the "law of Moses"? Earlier study on the phrase's referent.

Key findings from prior study conclusions (law-20, law-21, law-08):

  1. Vocabulary distribution is the strongest tool-verified indicator. Entole (G1785) without qualifier = moral/Decalogue content (43/43 occurrences). Dogma (G1378) = never moral (0/5 occurrences). Cheirographon (G5498) = hand-written, contrasted with God-written Decalogue. These distributions are N-tier (necessary implications from complete enumeration).

  2. No NT abolition passage names the Decalogue. All 7 primary abolition passages (Col 2:14-17, Eph 2:15, Heb 7:12, Heb 9:10, Heb 10:1-9, 2 Cor 3:7-11, Gal 3:13) identify specific content via Greek vocabulary, and none identifies the Ten Commandments. The content identified includes: dogma/ordinances, priesthood succession law, dikaiomata sarkos (carnal ordinances = meats, drinks, washings), sacrifice and offering, the glory/ministry, the curse of the law.

  3. Pre-Mosaic evidence for clean/unclean and tithing was documented in law-02. Genesis 7:2 uses tahowr (H2889) — standard Levitical vocabulary — before Sinai. Genesis 14:20 records Abraham's tithe to Melchizedek. These pre-date the Mosaic code.

  4. The NT vocabulary partitions cleanly. Affirmation passages use entole (unqualified), dikaioma (singular articular), nomos (described as holy/just/good/spiritual). Abolition passages use dogma, dogmatizo, cheirographon, dikaioma (plural + modifier), skia. Four of five core terms partition cleanly.

Study DB Key Findings

From study_db.py search "what continues what ceased moral ceremonial": - law-10 found that new covenant texts simultaneously remove ceremonial provisions while affirming moral continuity (Pattern 5) - law-04 established that the NT uses specific vocabulary for what was abolished: dogma for abolition, entole for moral commands - law-01 resolved I-B tension on cessation passages: E53 (Eph 2:15 uses dogma, not nomos/entole), E54 (Col 2:14 uses dogma) - law-08 found no passage explicitly names the Decalogue as abolished (Pattern 4)

From study_db.py search "tithing clean unclean food pre-Mosaic": - law-02 analyzed Gen 7:2 (tahowr = clean) — pre-Sinai moral vocabulary - law-02 analyzed Gen 14:18-20 (tithe to Melchizedek) — pre-Mosaic tithing - law-09 analyzed Heb 9:1-10 (first covenant ordinances = meats, drinks, washings)

From study_db.py find-word "entole", "nomos", "dogma": - Extensive prior analysis across law-01, law-04, law-08, law-20, law-21, law-22, law-23, law-28 and others - The vocabulary data is well-established across the series

From study_db.py find-passage "Heb 7:8": - No prior study has specifically analyzed Heb 7:8 in the context of ongoing tithing under the Melchizedek priesthood. This is a gap to fill.

Focus Areas

These focus areas are derived from tool discoveries and study DB results:

  1. Two-column catalogue construction. Compile every NT passage that identifies a specific law/commandment as continuing or ceased. For each entry: name the specific law, cite the NT passage, identify the Greek term, and assign evidence tier (E, N, or I).

  2. Greek vocabulary identification for every entry. Each catalogue item must note which Greek term is used (entole, nomos, dogma, dikaioma, cheirographon, dogmatizo, katargeo, etc.) and how that term's NT distribution pattern informs the classification.

  3. Laws that continue — systematic compilation from all 28 prior studies. Draw from law-01 through law-28 to produce the comprehensive list. Key sources: law-01 (moral law), law-12 (Mat 5:17-20), law-14 (Jesus' law teachings), law-16 (Paul in Romans), law-22 (James and the law), law-28 (Revelation commandments), plus all individual commandment studies.

  4. Laws that ceased — systematic compilation from all 28 prior studies. Draw from law-04 (ceremonial), law-05 (civil judicial), law-08 (abolished at cross), law-15 (Acts 15), law-17 (Galatians), law-18 (Hebrews 8-10), law-19 (2 Cor 3), law-24-26 (sabbath shadow passages).

  5. The consistency objection: clean/unclean food distinctions.

  6. Gen 7:2 establishes clean/unclean distinction pre-Mosaic (tahowr, H2889)
  7. Prior studies: comprehensive-dietary-laws, biblical-diet-romans14-timothy
  8. Key NT passages: Mark 7:14-23; Acts 10:9-16; Rom 14:1-23; 1 Tim 4:1-5; Col 2:16

  9. Question: Do these passages abolish the clean/unclean food distinction, or do they address something else?

  10. The consistency objection: tithing.

  11. Gen 14:20 establishes tithing pre-Mosaic (Abraham to Melchizedek)
  12. Gen 28:22 (Jacob's vow of a tenth)
  13. Heb 7:2-9 (Melchizedek's priesthood and tithing)
  14. Heb 7:8 specifically — "here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth" — Does this indicate tithing continues under the Melchizedek priesthood? This is a gap in prior studies.

  15. Mat 23:23; Luk 11:42 (Jesus affirms tithing: "these ought ye to have done")

  16. Evidence tier classification. Every catalogue entry must be classified:

  17. E (Explicit): The NT passage directly names the specific law and states it continues/ceased
  18. N (Necessary Implication): The NT passage necessarily implies the specific law continues/ceased when combined with other E-statements

  19. I (Inference): Classification requires adding a concept, choosing between readings, or systematizing beyond what the text directly states

  20. Compilation, not re-argumentation. This study organizes and catalogues findings from 28 prior studies. It does not re-argue positions. Each entry should reference the prior study that established it and present the data systematically.

Study DB Queries for Research Agent

The research agent should run these study DB queries to pull prior analysis: 

cd "D:\bible"
python study_db.py search "what continues what ceased moral ceremonial" --top 10
python study_db.py search "tithing clean unclean food pre-Mosaic" --top 5
python study_db.py search "entole nomos dogma dikaioma vocabulary" --top 5
python study_db.py search "specific laws commandments NT identifies continues abolished" --top 10
python study_db.py find-passage "Gen 7:2"
python study_db.py find-passage "Gen 14:20"
python study_db.py find-passage "Heb 7:8"
python study_db.py find-passage "Heb 7:5"
python study_db.py find-passage "Mat 23:23"
python study_db.py find-passage "Luk 11:42"
python study_db.py find-passage "1 Cor 7:19"
python study_db.py find-passage "Eph 2:15"
python study_db.py find-passage "Col 2:14"
python study_db.py find-passage "Heb 9:10"
python study_db.py find-passage "Rev 14:12"
python study_db.py find-word "entole"
python study_db.py find-word "nomos"
python study_db.py find-word "dogma"
python study_db.py find-word "dikaioma"
python study_db.py find-word "cheirographon"
python study_db.py find-word "katargeo"

Prior Studies to Read (for compilation)

The research agent must read the CONCLUSION.md files from these prior studies to compile the catalogue. Since this is a compilation study drawing from 28 prior studies, read at minimum:

Core compilation sources (read in full): - D:/bible/bible-studies/law-08-abolished-at-cross/CONCLUSION.md — All 7 abolition passages analyzed - D:/bible/bible-studies/law-20-nt-greek-law-vocabulary/CONCLUSION.md — Complete vocabulary distribution data - D:/bible/bible-studies/law-21-nt-vocab-law-categories/CONCLUSION.md — Systematic vocabulary-to-content mapping

Supporting studies (read key sections or pull from study_db): - law-01 (E/N tables for moral law) - law-02 (pre-Mosaic evidence: Gen 7:2, Gen 14:20) - law-04 (ceremonial law categories) - law-05 (civil judicial laws) - law-10 (new covenant and law) - law-12 (Mat 5:17-20) - law-18 (Hebrews 8-10, priesthood change) - law-22 (James and the law) - law-23 (law of Christ) - law-27 (Sabbath) - law-28 (Revelation commandments) - comprehensive-dietary-laws (food laws) - biblical-diet-romans14-timothy (Rom 14 / 1 Tim 4)

Research Instructions

You are the Research Agent. Execute this study by:

  1. Read the SKILL.md at C:/Users/Michael/.claude/skills/bible-study2/SKILL.md (Windows) for full tool documentation and principles
  2. Read your agent instructions at C:/Users/Michael/.claude/skills/bible-study2/agents/research-agent.md (Windows)
  3. Read the law-series methodology at D:/bible/bible-studies/law-series-methodology.md
  4. Follow the answer-question workflow from the skill
  5. This is a compilation study. The primary data source is the 28 prior studies, accessed via study_db.py queries and reading CONCLUSION.md files. Supplement with direct verse retrieval from kjv.txt and Greek parsing for any gaps.
  6. Write research files to this folder:
  7. 01-topics.md - Nave's topics found and their entries
  8. 02-verses.md - All verse texts retrieved with context (organized by continues/ceased)
  9. 04-word-studies.md - Strong's research (compilation of vocabulary findings from law-20, law-21, and new lookups)
  10. raw-data/ - Raw tool output organized by category
  11. Key gap to fill: Hebrews 7:8 — Does this verse indicate tithing continues under the Melchizedek priesthood? Run Greek parsing and cross-reference analysis.
  12. Do NOT write 03-analysis.md or CONCLUSION.md — those are for the analysis agent

Workflow

answer-question

Scoped: 2026-02-26 Folder: bible-studies/law-29-what-continues-what-ceased/