QuoteDeuteronomy 22:5
21st Century King James Version (KJ21)
5 "The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment; for all who do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God.

I am interested to see peoples opinion on this part of the bible...

I'm not a man, so I better stop wearing men's clothes!

That helped keep me in denial for over a decade after I stumbled onto it because before I found support groups like Susan's, I found that verse when I first got the Internet. And I knew all the dismissive lines, "People pick and choose what lines they read in the Bible" "The Old Testament isn't for Evangelical Christians like us." but I couldn't dismiss because I couldn't take the risk on being damned to Hell.

I never became an Atheist while working through finding that verse, yet, I did change the God believe in.

The article below is not about transsexual people but can be easily applied to us i.e. this commandment most likely refers to pagan worship.

QuoteDeuteronomy:22:5 says: "A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor
shall a man put on a woman's garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the Lord your God." Like many of the statutes, this law had to do with pagan customs of the time, and as we will see, does not refer to women wearing pants. The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary explains:

"Disguises were assumed at certain times in pagan temples. Maimonides...mentions that a man attired in a coloured female dress, in honour of Venus, Ashtaroth, or Astarte, and a woman equipped in armour, worshipped at the shrine of the statue of Mars...

"Asiatics, when they engaged in the worship of Ashtaroth, were accustomed, according to Philocorus, quoted by Townley (in his edition of Maimonides, note 33), to exchange the male and female dresses. In fact, all idolators confounded the sexes of their deities—representing them sometimes as male, at other times as female; and hence, their worshippers, male and female, fell gradually into the custom, which became extensively prevalent, of changing their attire in adaptation to the sex of a particular divinity."

God's command to Israel forbade the people from incorporating pagan religious rites into true worship. In spite of this instruction, today's Christianity commonly mixes paganism in with the worship of Christ.

Does Deuteronomy:22:5 forbid women from wearing pants? No, it doesn't. In fact, even
men in the Middle East through the history of the Old and New Testaments did not wear pants; they wore a robelike garment. However, there is an underlying principle that applies today. Men should dress in an appropriately masculine manner and women should dress in an appropriately feminine manner. Clothing manufacturers make pants designed for men and pants designed for women.

Source: http://www.ucg.org/bible-faq/does-bible-forbid-women-wearing-pants

Quote from: ashley_thomas on May 26, 2014, 08:04:52 AM
I'm not a man, so I better stop wearing men's clothes!

A very good point! 

Born again Christians are not bound by the specifications of Torah (Genesis -> Deuteronomy or "the Law"). Romans 7 verses 4 and 5 make it clear that Christ died on the cross to release Christians from the law. A Christian still adhering to the law negates His sacrifice.

Regarding Deuteronomy 22:5 - I have read descriptions of this verse that say it pertains to pagan practices, or it may be talking about military service - the avoidance of military service by men dressing as a female, or females dressing as men to be able to fight. I can't find the internet article that I was looking for that describes this very clearly at the moment, but I found another one that is pretty close:

http://pinkessence.com/group/FAITH/forum/topics/deuteronomy-225-crossdressing

Also, don't forget that the admonition in verse 22:5 is very near some other admonitions that are generally not in vogue these days, such as Deuteronomy 22:11 that says, "You shall not wear a material mixed of wool and linen together", and Deuteronomy 14 where there are admonitions about what to eat and what not to eat. And of course in Deuteronomy 22 verses 21-24 talks about stoning family members to death for various transgressions.

The law applied in brutal times to the Jews and not to today's Christians. The law has been replaced by a personal relationship with Jesus Christ by Jesus dying on the cross.

So, if someone throws that verse at you find out if they adhere strictly to the other tenants of Deuteronomy, or if they are just cherry picking verses with context and meaning that they don't understand to use against you.

The old testament laws were brought about specifically by the Hebrews request (later referred to as the Jews) when during their sojourn in the desert following their escape from Egypt they specifically asked Moses for a set of laws they could follow and said, Whatever God wants us to do we can do it!" So Moses went up on the mountain and stayed for awhile and God gave him the ten commandments and told him that their failure to follow would require the issue of blood for forgiveness and that even at that time the Hebrews had already broken the first one as they were worshipping a golden calf that they had just made. The entire gist of the old testament from that time forward was to show how the basic nature of mankind had been corrupted and how no one is capable of keeping the law perfectly. I know this because I have broken every one of them myself, The old testament was a yardstick by which we could all measure our failure at keeping those ten commandments which is the basis for all modern civil law.

The answer to that was portrayed in Eden when the original couple listened to another voice and failed a simple test, they hid from the Lord because suddenly they had become self conscious and knew they were naked, so he slew an animal and made coverings for their nakedness. Whether this is allegory or not is irrelevant as it points out that the cover for mankind's nakedness before the eyes of God would require an issue of blood. This became the basis by which the sins of the Jews were rolled back each year when a lamb without blemish was slain and it's blood dripped on the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies in the temple by the High Priest. This then was regarded as righteousness as the Creator of the universe looked ahead in time and saw His only Son crucified on a cross for the sins of all mankind. It was the beginning of a new contract between mankind and God whereby anyone acknowledging their own faults who believes in His Son and trusts that Christ's sacrifice is sufficient coverage for his/her failures in life, will not be judged by the law and will positionally pass from death to eternal life.

I'm not particularly religious and don't attend church but I believe this in my heart to be true and though the sins of all mankind were paid for at that pivotal moment in time, that great gift is only received by entering into that contract willfully on an individual basis and has absolutely nothing to do with what church or synagog anyone belongs to, being a member of any organization is not God's criteria for mankind's salvation. Jesus made that abundantly clear to the Samaritan woman he met at the well when she said, "You Jews worship in the temple but we worship on yonder mountain," He said, "If you only knew who was standing here before you, the day will come when the Father will no longer meet mankind in buildings made of human hands, but will come to him in spirit and in truth" This is a paraphrase but you can get the gist of it all if you're willing.

That verse, in its original language, is about women masquerading as soldiers and men masquerading as women so they can stay home instead of going to war. It doesn't have anything to do with being transgender. The word "man" in this case is "geber" which is used for warriors and strong men who have the ability to go to war.

My family's church interpreted that verse to mean women couldn't wear pants.  I heard people make a lot of arguments about it, like what it actually meant in context of the time it was written, I heard something about military garb or whatever, or that women's pants weren't men's clothing (duh!) but in any case, I do not think it applies to transsexual people.  Maybe it could be used against crossdressers.  It was definitely used against me by my dad when he caught me wearing female clothing when I was a child.  But I mean read the rest of that chapter.  How many of those things are followed by anybody? Do not wear blended cloth? Tassels on your clothing?  All the rest of it?  Why would a church single out this one verse then and ignore the rest?  Just think about that, I won't tell you my opinion.

Anyway, I don't exactly have faith or consider myself at all religious, so that I am coming from that perspective, which I'm sure colors things.

The New Testament makes Deuteronomy 22:5 a moot point really unless one thinks they can keep the entire old testament law and want to personally submit their life to it rather than acknowledge that Christ is the fulfillment of the law and the answer for all human shortcomings (sin), in which case a person denigrates the person of Christ which is an affront to the Creator. Being a nice person and trying to obey the law isn't sufficient of itself and will not draw anyone close to God, it's couched in selfish motivations in the first place since it runs counter to man's basic nature, doing good to others and obedience to the laws we now live under is instead more properly the outflow of a thankful heart to what God has done for us in Christ. That's the bottom line and where the rubber meets the road.

Having been involved in a GLBT Bible Study yesterday where, as the only T out of 40 people, I brought this passage up.  CrowCrow223's quotation is well along the lines of all of the underpinnings of this scripture and the 6 others we discussed at our session lead by one of the senior clergy of my diocese.  The passages were ALL based on separating the groups to whom the writings were directed in their day and time, from other religions that were flourishing at the time around the Christian and Judaic peoples.

Since Christian GLBT people identify first with our church and while a few of us like myself may also follow other spiritual paths at the same time as following Christ and are using those other paths to better understand Christ, not too many of us are participating in the state religion which denies Christ, as these historic religions denied YHWH as being above their deities.

I don't know if anyone has considered this but there is one mediator between man and God, the "man" Christ Jesus. The church is his bride or "woman."

It says the woman shall not put on that which pertaineth unto a man. Not garment, clothing or pants.

The man Christ Jesus has been given an eternal priesthood. He wears the miter of Holiness Unto The Lord.
The woman shall not be holy of herself or attempt to wear his miter as only he is worthy.

He also wears the breastplate of judgment. We as his "woman" are not to put on his breastplate or in other words judge anyone. Only he has the right to judge us.

As for the woman's garment:

The church is his betrothed, maid, damsel and bride. As his "woman" the Lord our "man" or Husband shall not put on our righteousness (filthy rags) or put himself in subjection unto us (veil himself). Our "woman's garment" goes farther but these are just two examples. He is holy, and has all power and say in how his church is operated. We the woman answer to him and not he unto us.

The things I posted are a few of the spiritual aspects.

I just wanted to add a few things.

The word of God says they that receive him he has given power to be the "sons of God."
It also says that we are "soldiers" for Christ.
Then it also says we are his bride.

Having said thus, in the natural I am a man so I won't wear a woman's garment. Not because I esteem one law more than another but just for conscience sake.

Spiritually, when I pray for a word to speak to point out err I come unto him as a soldier. I am seeking that which will point out an err that someone teaches that may lead a babe in Christ astray or damn them.

Also spiritually, when I pray as his betrothed for guidance and his will I am in a spiritual sense coming unto him as a woman. Not a popular view for most cisgender macho heterosexual men.

With all this in mind I come unto him as both male and female depending on what I seek and how much I abase myself. Therefore, I just do the best I can with what I know and trust in his mercy if I am wrong.

Paul wrote not to get too involved in strivings about the law. Many times it leads to confusion and strife.

Our goal should be to hope others see Jesus in us, behold his glory and share it with others and be obedient unto his word as we can while attempting to edify other Christians.

I hope this helps.

I think everyone makes very good points. The one thing about the bible is that it is written through an Inspiration of God but was actually written by the hands of man with possibly prejudices in the minds of the man that wrote certain passages. What exactly did God make you? Is the human body a devine creation of God or is it the Spirit that is the Devine Creation? Male and female he created them. This is talking about us which he created on the fifth day. He created Adam (from mud and dirt) after the Sabbath or seventh day or day of rest. I may be crazy or just totally insane or just a blabbering idiot when I say I take the "male and female he created them" as that we were created in Spirit with both male and female gender aspects. Not from a physical point of view but more Spiritual. I say this because I believe if it was just male or female it would read, "male or female He created them" or "males and females He created them" if what God created was 100% one or the other genderwise.

Me personally, when it comes to Bible passages like that I interpret it as cismen trying to escape the horrors of war, or cisfemales trying to escape the "horrors" of the hearth and venture. Not necissarily God's law but society's perception in the name of God in forcing the physical onto the Spiritual. Unfortunately it doesn't mention anything about feeling female or male and born in the opposite body. But back then, man also had no concept of the earth being round and revolving around the sun either.

Remember that is just the Bible and there were cultures that actually treated transgenders as the gender they felt to be. Does this mean that they are condemned by God? I mean these same people in these different cultures were Created by the same God that created those that worte the Bible.

Anytime a passage in the Bible is used,one MUST know four things,who is the person that is doing the speaking or the writing,to whom is that passage spoken or written to,and what is the setting,and what is the CONTEXT of the passage. If that is NOT done,people can very easily make that passage say something that it was never meant to say. 

So the first thing that needs to be done is who is speaking or writing Deuteronomy? We are told that

Deuteronomy 1

1 These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel in the wilderness east of the Jordan—that is, in the Arabah—opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth and Dizahab. 2 (It takes eleven days to go from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by the Mount Seir road.)

3 In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses proclaimed to the Israelites all that the Lord had commanded him concerning them. 4 This was after he had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, and at Edrei had defeated Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth.

So from that it is Moses speaking to whom and when? These are Moses final instructions from God,spoken to the ISRAELITES just before they enter the promised land,after wandering the wilderness for forty years. Moses is NOT addressing this to the Gentiles. Why? Because this is the COVENANT between God and Israel. Israel was promised that IF they obeyed the law they would receive the blessings of the promised land.

Moses then goes on to tell they the WHY

4 Now, Israel, hear the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. 2 Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you.

3 You saw with your own eyes what the Lord did at Baal Peor. The Lord your God destroyed from among you everyone who followed the Baal of Peor, 4 but all of you who held fast to the Lord your God are still alive today.

5 See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the Lord my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. 6 Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people." 7 What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him? 8 And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today?

5 Moses summoned all Israel and said:

Hear, Israel, the decrees and laws I declare in your hearing today. Learn them and be sure to follow them. 2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. 3 It was not with our ancestors[a] that the Lord made this covenant, but with us, with all of us who are alive here today. 4 The Lord spoke to you face to face out of the fire on the mountain. 5 (At that time I stood between the Lord and you to declare to you the word of the Lord, because you were afraid of the fire and did not go up the mountain.) And he said:

6 "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

32 So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. 33 Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.

6 These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 2 so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. 3 Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.

20 In the future, when your son asks you, "What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded you?" 21 tell him: "We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 22 Before our eyes the Lord sent signs and wonders—great and terrible—on Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household. 23 But he brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land he promised on oath to our ancestors. 24 The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. 25 And if we are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness."

7 When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girga->-bleeped-<-es, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you— 2 and when the Lord your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally.[a] Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy. 3 Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, 4 for they will turn your children away from following me to serve other gods, and the Lord's anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you. 5 This is what you are to do to them: Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols in the fire. 6 For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.

7 The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. 8 But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. 10 But

those who hate him he will repay to their face by destruction;
    he will not be slow to repay to their face those who hate him.
11 Therefore, take care to follow the commands, decrees and laws I give you today.

12 If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the Lord your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your ancestors. 13 He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land—your grain, new wine and olive oil—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you. 14 You will be blessed more than any other people; none of your men or women will be childless, nor will any of your livestock be without young. 15 The Lord will keep you free from every disease. He will not inflict on you the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but he will inflict them on all who hate you. 16 You must destroy all the peoples the Lord your God gives over to you. Do not look on them with pity and do not serve their gods, for that will be a snare to you.

8 Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors. 2 Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 4 Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. 5 Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you.

6 Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in obedience to him and revering him. 7 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills; 8 a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; 9 a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.

9 Hear, Israel: You are now about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities that have walls up to the sky. 2 The people are strong and tall—Anakites! You know about them and have heard it said: "Who can stand up against the Anakites?" 3 But be assured today that the Lord your God is the one who goes across ahead of you like a devouring fire. He will destroy them; he will subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them quickly, as the Lord has promised you.

4 After the Lord your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, "The Lord has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness." No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is going to drive them out before you. 5 It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the Lord your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 6 Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.

Cont

11 Love the Lord your God and keep his requirements, his decrees, his laws and his commands always. 2 Remember today that your children were not the ones who saw and experienced the discipline of the Lord your God: his majesty, his mighty hand, his outstretched arm; 3 the signs he performed and the things he did in the heart of Egypt, both to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his whole country; 4 what he did to the Egyptian army, to its horses and chariots, how he overwhelmed them with the waters of the Red Sea[a] as they were pursuing you, and how the Lord brought lasting ruin on them. 5 It was not your children who saw what he did for you in the wilderness until you arrived at this place, 6 and what he did to Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab the Reubenite, when the earth opened its mouth right in the middle of all Israel and swallowed them up with their households, their tents and every living thing that belonged to them. 7 But it was your own eyes that saw all these great things the Lord has done.

8 Observe therefore all the commands I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to go in and take over the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 9 and so that you may live long in the land the Lord swore to your ancestors to give to them and their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 The land you are entering to take over is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you planted your seed and irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden. 11 But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven. 12 It is a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end.

13 So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul— 14 then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil. 15 I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied.



22 If you carefully observe all these commands I am giving you to follow—to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him and to hold fast to him— 23 then the Lord will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations larger and stronger than you. 24 Every place where you set your foot will be yours: Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the Mediterranean Sea. 25 No one will be able to stand against you. The Lord your God, as he promised you, will put the terror and fear of you on the whole land, wherever you go.

26 See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse— 27 the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; 28 the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known. 29 When the Lord your God has brought you into the land you are entering to possess, you are to proclaim on Mount Gerizim the blessings, and on Mount Ebal the curses. 30 As you know, these mountains are across the Jordan, westward, toward the setting sun, near the great trees of Moreh, in the territory of those Canaanites living in the Arabah in the vicinity of Gilgal. 31 You are about to cross the Jordan to enter and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you. When you have taken it over and are living there, 32 be sure that you obey all the decrees and laws I am setting before you today.

Deuteronomy 29

29 [a]These are the terms of the covenant the Lord commanded Moses to make with the Israelites in Moab, in addition to the covenant he had made with them at Horeb.

Part of this goes into the LAND PROMISES given to ISRAEL.

I have to step out for while but I will come back to this.

You're right but Torah is the blueprint for humanity, it's the only divine text we have to be honest, if we believe in the God of Abraham. We can't derive any facts about the Creator other than from the Torah.

Hebrew word used here is "gibbor or "geber" or strong man (man of war), "ish" is man.  This really is about women not fighting and men not shirking military duty.

Jen

I hate to sound like Jonny One Note but this is not applicable to New Testament Christians.

OK. I may sound stupid, but what has the bible really go to do with what we feel inside? I say a woman is a woman and a man is a man, regardless of genitals.

Quote from: Shantel on May 31, 2014, 06:58:39 PM
I hate to sound like Jonny One Note but this is not applicable to New Testament Christians.

It is part and parcel of the OLD COVENANT. Scripture very plainly shows that God would MAKE A NEW COVENANT with His people.

Jeremiah 31:31-34

"Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."

Jesus tells us

Luke 22

20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.[a] 21 But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. 22 The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him!" 23 They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this.

Hebrews go into the detail of the better covenant

Hebrew 7

11 If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? 12 For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also. 13 He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. 14 For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. 15 And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, 16 one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is declared:

"You are a priest forever,
    in the order of Melchizedek."[a]
18 The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless 19 (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.

20 And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, 21 but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him:

"The Lord has sworn
    and will not change his mind:
    'You are a priest forever.'"
22 Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.

23 Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24 but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore he is able to save completely[c] those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

26 Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.

Hebrews 8

7 For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. 8 But God found fault with the people and said:

"The days are coming, declares the Lord,
    when I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel
    and with the people of Judah.
9 It will not be like the covenant
    I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
    to lead them out of Egypt,
because they did not remain faithful to my covenant,
    and I turned away from them,
declares the Lord.
10 This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel
    after that time, declares the Lord.
I will put my laws in their minds
    and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.
11 No longer will they teach their neighbor,
    or say to one another, 'Know the Lord,'
because they will all know me,
    from the least of them to the greatest.
12 For I will forgive their wickedness
    and will remember their sins no more."[c]
13 By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.

See when God made the Mosaic obsolete with all the rules and regulations,He replaced it with the law of LOVE. Jesus so plainly tells us that they will one is His disciple by the love one shows for another. John writes this over and over

1 John 1

19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 The one who keeps God's commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

1 John 4

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

13 This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

Paul writes this

Galatians 5

13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

As Christians we are called to a HIGHER LAW.