The Law of Moses, also known as the Mosaic Law, is a central element of the Old Testament, encompassing the commandments and ordinances given by God to the Israelites through Moses. It is foundational to Jewish religious life and practice, comprising moral, ceremonial, and civil laws. The Law is primarily found in the first five books of the Bible, known as the Torah: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

In the New Testament, the early Christian community often found itself in tension with Jewish authorities over the interpretation and application of the Law of Moses. This tension is evident in several instances where Jews accused Christians of speaking against the Law. These accusations were rooted in the belief that the teachings of Jesus and His apostles undermined the traditional Jewish understanding of the Law.

One prominent example is found in the Book of Acts, where Stephen, one of the first deacons of the early Church, is brought before the Sanhedrin. The Jews accused him of blasphemy, claiming he spoke against the Law and the temple. Acts 6:13-14 states, "They presented false witnesses who said, 'This man never stops speaking against this holy place and against the Law. For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.'"

Similarly, the Apostle Paul faced accusations from Jewish leaders who believed he was teaching Jews living among the Gentiles to forsake the Law of Moses. In Acts 21:21 , it is reported, "But they are under the impression that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or observe our customs."

These accusations often stemmed from misunderstandings or misrepresentations of the Christian message. The early Christians, while recognizing the fulfillment of the Law in Christ, did not dismiss its moral imperatives. Jesus Himself affirmed the Law's enduring moral principles, as seen in Matthew 5:17-18 : "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished."

The Apostle Paul further clarified the relationship between the Law and faith in Christ. In Romans 3:31 , he writes, "Do we, then, nullify the Law by this faith? Certainly not! Instead, we uphold the Law." Paul emphasized that the Law's purpose was to reveal sin and lead people to Christ, who offers justification by faith.

The early Church grappled with how to integrate Gentile converts who were not bound by the Law of Moses. The Jerusalem Council, as recorded in Acts 15, addressed this issue, concluding that Gentile believers were not required to adhere to the full Mosaic Law but should abstain from certain practices particularly offensive to Jewish Christians.

In summary, the accusations against Christians for speaking against the Law of Moses highlight the early Church's struggle to define its identity in relation to Jewish tradition. While affirming the Law's moral teachings, Christians proclaimed the new covenant established through Jesus Christ, who fulfilled the Law and offered salvation to all, Jew and Gentile alike.Acts 6:11-14
Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Acts 21:28
Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teaches all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and has polluted this holy place.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews
... 20. That the Jews would fasten Christ to the cross. ... That judgment will be according
to the times, either of equity before the law, or of law after Moses. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/cyprian/three books of testimonies against the jews/

Acts xxviii. 17-20
... says, "both out of the Law of Moses, and out ... to the law was directed against
justification by the Law.". ... The Jews do not state that they know nothing concerning ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily lv acts xxviii 17-20.htm

Paul Before Festus and Agrippa.
... loose manners, an open transgressor of the law of God ... For these causes, the Jews
caught me in the temple ... things than those which the Prophets and Moses did say ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture xxviii paul before festus.htm

Of Evil-Speaking in General.
... This was an office of charity imposed anciently even upon the Jews; much more doth
it lie upon Christians ... So we may learn by that law of Moses, backed with a ...
/.../barrow/sermons on evil-speaking by isaac barrow/of evil-speaking in general.htm

Faustus Willing to Believe not Only that the Jewish but that all ...
... The reason why the Jews did not believe in Christ ... did not observe even the plain
literal precepts of Moses. ... and omit the weightier matters of the law, mercy and ...
/.../faustus willing to believe not.htm

John Chapter i. 15-18
... It is the same, but not the whole, that which the Jews saw; this is not the whole
Christ. And what is? ... 16. "The law was given by Moses: grace and truth ...
/.../augustine/homilies on the gospel of john/tractate iii john chapter i.htm

Typology
... but that of the heart was needed; that Moses had not ... veil, which is upon these books
for the Jews, is there ... To know if the law and the sacrifices are a reality ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pascal/pensees/section x typology.htm

Acts xv. 13, 15
... Moses discourses unto them. ... He shows that even these (the Jews) need observe no more
(than ... send this Epistle): again, that they may obey the law (the Apostles ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily xxxiii acts xv 13.htm

Homilies on the Gospel of John.
... passage of the sea superior to that of Moses, [384]156 ... but to save, [428]194; relaxes
the Law, [429]ib ... into the City, [465]245; waited for the Jews, before He ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of st john and hebrews/homilies on the gospel of.htm

Of Civil Government.
... 5. Civil government appointed by God for Jews, not Christians. ... some who deny that
any commonwealth is rightly framed which neglects the law of Moses, and is ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 20 of civil government.htm

What should Christians learn from the Mosaic Law? | GotQuestions.org

What is the difference between the ceremonial law, the moral law, and the judicial law in the Old Testament? | GotQuestions.org

What was the purpose of the Levitical Law? | GotQuestions.org

Law: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus