Lending money on interest is an important aspect of capitalism. Our personal opinion is that the practice does more harm than good. It appears that because money is used to make more money by lending on interest, the poor become poorer and the rich become richer.

Whether or not lending on interest is always a wicked practice we are not certain. It is not condemned in the New Testament. Peter tells us of a righteous new world that is coming. If the present author has any control over the economy there will be no lending of money on interest in the ages to come.

As in all other matters, the individual believer must seek the will of Christ concerning his ownership and management of money and property. But we think the letter of the Old Testament ordinances no longer are binding on him whether he is Jewish or Gentile.

Marriage and divorce. Jesus commented on this aspect of the Law of Moses.

It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery. (Matthew 5:31,32)

It is interesting that the Lord would separate Himself from the authorship of this commandment: "It hath been said . . . but I say unto you."

"It hath been said"! It was the Lord Jesus Himself, the Lord of Israel, who said it. If it was Jesus who said it in the first place, then Jesus has all authority over all laws and principles.

When the woman caught in adultery was brought before Him, the Lord wrote on the ground with His finger. It was the Lord Jesus who wrote the Ten Commandments with His finger on slabs of granite.

This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. (John 8:6)

But then He wrote again.

And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. (John 8:8)

The new covenant also is the writing of the finger of God—this time on the heart of man. The Lord wrote once on Sinai. The Lord has written again.

It seems likely that the specific statutes governing marriage and divorce were done away in Christ.

Special dress, mixtures, appearance. The Jews were forbidden to wear garments made of two different materials, such as linen and woolen. Also, they were to sew a fringe of blue on their garments.

Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue: (Numbers 15:38)

The manner in which they cut their hair and beard was prescribed.

Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard. (Leviticus 19:27)

We may say with confidence that these ordinances were not carried over into the new covenant.

To be continued.