Where in the Protestant Bible does it say/explain that Christians are no Longer Binded under the Ceremonial Laws?

Question

Despite months of research, I am unable to find Biblical evidence that Christians are no longer binded to the ceremonial law with the exception of the sacrificial system as Jesus Christ was the ultimate sacrifice for the Sins of the world. Ironically I am finding Biblical evidence that Christians ARE still bounded by SOME ceremonial laws such as the dietary laws (Src: See Acts 10).

If Christians are still binded by some or all of the ceremonial laws, can someone please help provide concrete Biblical evidence for such claim?

Answer 1

All Bibles contain this statement from Paul; "For now we are discharged from the law, dead to that which held us captive, so that we serve not under the old written code but in the new life of the Spirit" (Romans ch7v6 RSV).

However, the traditional distinction between "Ceremonial" and "Moral" law is not present in this verse. The meaning conveyed in the text is that we do not serve under any part of the written code. Our guidance, including our moral guidance, is now transferred to "the new life of the Spirit". We still avoid murder, theft, and adultery, but we avoid them now because the Spirit tells us to avoid them, not because Moses tells us to avoid them.

I suggest that the distnction between valid moral law and abolished ceremonial law is a pragmatic compromise worked out by the historic church, because individual Christians were not comfortable with relying on the Spirit for moral decisions in daily life, and the church was not comfortable with allowing them to do it. "The 10 commandments are still valid" offered a workable solution.

It is not what Paul had in mind, though. When he says "We are discharged from the law, the written code", he means all of it. We are no longer bound by what Moses tells us, and obviously that includes the ceremonial side of what Moses tells us

Answer 2

There are two texts which make this especially clear but which have been made obscure in the modern Bible versions, so your choice of version may have impacted your ability to locate this teaching. For illustration, I will cross-compare the KJV and NIV Bibles, but other modern Bibles have similar failings, not merely the NIV.

Scripture	King James' Version (KJV)	New International Version (NIV)
Ephesians 2:15	Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;	by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace,
Colossians 2:14	Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;	having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.

In the NIV, the law is said to have been entirely abolished. Because the sky (heaven) still exists, as does the earth, we know from Jesus' statement that the NIV text cannot be true.

For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. (Matthew 5:18, KJV)

But what exactly were the ordinances, and why do we associate them with the ceremonial laws?

They shall leave none of it unto the morning, nor break any bone of it: according to all the ordinances of the passover they shall keep it. (Numbers 9:12, KJV)

The Passover was governed by "ordinances." It was an annual ceremonial of solemn significance, required of God's people prior to Jesus' own sacrifice. The ordinances were separate from the Ten-Commandment law. Unlike the Ten Commandments, which had been written in stone by God's own finger, the ordinances were written by the hand of Moses.

Further evidences that the word "ordinances" applied to a separate category than words like "law" and "commandments" exist in how it is used elsewhere.

Also we made ordinances for us, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God; (Nehemiah 10:32, KJV)

And why do we refer to the ordinances as the "handwriting"?

Neither will I any more remove the foot of Israel from out of the land which I have appointed for your fathers; so that they will take heed to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand of Moses. (2 Chronicles 33:8, KJV)

After Christ's death, the continued observance of the Passover, or the continuance of animal sacrifices, observance of the other special feasts that had pointed forward to the Messiah, etc.--essentially to observe any of these ceremonies would be to deny the Messiahship of Christ and show no faith in the fulfillment of these types in their Antitype who had come. For this reason, these were abolished.

God showed clearly that these ceremonies were ended when, at Jesus' death, the veil separating the Holy Place in the tabernacle from its Most Holy Place--the place where God's own presence was to dwell and which could not be seen nor entered by the common people (being entered only once a year, with fear and trembling, by the high priest), was torn, top-to-bottom, allowing all to see inside (the ark had not been present there already for centuries).

⁵⁰ Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. ⁵¹ And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; (Matthew 27:50-51, KJV)

After that veil was torn apart, and the Most Holy Place exposed, it was no longer possible to maintain the former forms and ceremonies of the Levitical priesthood.

Conclusion

All forms and ceremonies that pointed forward to Christ are abolished, including the sacrifices, the feasts, and the Levitical priesthood itself.

The dietary laws were separate from these in that they were not established for the purpose of pointing forward to Christ: they were given for the health and prosperity of God's people. Nor were they ceremonies--just as the laws of marriage were not ceremonies. As such, the dietary laws were not abolished at the cross, but are still to be observed for our benefit.