Well, basically there's two kinds of teaching in the bible - prescriptive (say, the ten commandments - we are to obey them. They're not for moses, and not just for the israelites), and descriptive - is to say, a record of what happened.
An easy way to remember is one is prescribed to you, one is described to you.
So, the way I usually do it is use common sense. If God commands the israelites to cross the jordan river, I tend to think that's descriptive of the commandment God gave them at that time. It doesn't apply to me.
However, when Jesus says turn the other cheek, I see no way that could be just for those people around him at that time, so that is a commandment that is prescriptive.
Well, basically there's two kinds of teaching in the bible - prescriptive (say, the ten commandments - we are to obey them. They're not for moses, and not just for the israelites), and descriptive - is to say, a record of what happened.
An easy way to remember is one is prescribed to you, one is described to you.
So, the way I usually do it is use common sense. If God commands the israelites to cross the jordan river, I tend to think that's descriptive of the commandment God gave them at that time. It doesn't apply to me.
However, when Jesus says turn the other cheek, I see no way that could be just for those people around him at that time, so that is a commandment that is prescriptive.
Thank you. You've given me something to think about.