Why the rules didn't just change—the entire architecture was replaced.
Skeptics often view the Bible as contradictory because the rules seem to shift dramatically between the Old and New Testaments. However, the historical perspective reveals this isn't a contradiction, but a deliberate trajectory called Progressive Revelation.
To understand why the rules changed, we must first understand the purpose of the original rules. Think of it as the difference between a Diagnosis and a Cure.
Phase 1 (The Law): The MRI Machine.
This phase is rigorous, loud, and confining. Its sole purpose is to diagnose the condition. It cannot heal you.
Phase 2 (The New Creation): The Healing.
Once the patient is healed and discharged, they do not carry the MRI machine on their back. They walk away from it entirely.
The "Law" (Torah) was the diagnostic machinery. It was never intended to act as a lifestyle guide for the healthy; it was intended to prove the patient was terminal.
Before we examine specific "rules" like giving or forgiving, we must establish a method of investigation. A common error is the "Interrupted Story."
We must trace every concept through three distinct stages to find the "Full Revelation":
Let's apply this "Stage 2" logic to the teachings of Jesus. Before the system could be reset, the diagnosis had to be confirmed.
A common misconception is that Jesus was issuing new rules for the New Covenant here. He was not. He was recalibrating the old rules to their absolute breaking point to ensure the diagnosis was accurate.
The Logic: Jesus wasn't giving a new "Christian Law." He was proving that nobody qualifies under the Old Law. By revealing the true intent of the Law (perfection), He stripped away their self-righteousness and prepared them for a complete system failure.
Once Jesus established this impossible standard, it created a crisis. This is most clearly seen in the concept of Forgiveness. We see a distinct break in logic between the ministry of Jesus (Stage 2) and the New Creation reality (Stage 3).
"If you do not forgive, neither will your Father forgive you." (Matt 6:15)
The Function: This was not just a command; it was a mirror. The strict requirement was designed to reveal the heart. By setting an impossible standard of perfect forgiveness, it exposed the anger and unforgiveness deep within the human condition that the Law could not fix.
"Forgive as the Lord forgave you." (Col 3:13)
The Mechanics: The condition is removed. This is no longer a rule you follow to get right with God. It is a behavior that naturally flows from your new identity. A distinct characteristic of this "New Family" is that they hold no grudges. You forgive because that is now your nature, not your obligation.
Previously, the mechanism was "You forgive first → then God forgives you." When the story is complete, the flow reverses: "God forgives you → therefore you forgive." We don't forgive to purchase mercy; we forgive because it is our new nature, just as flying is the nature of a bird.
Why do so many modern believers still feel obligated to Tithe? It is a classic case of the Interrupted Story. They are applying "Stage 2" rules to a "Stage 3" reality.
If we look at the timeline of financial giving in the Bible, we see distinct events that changed the nature of the act:
The Tithe was a taxation system for a specific nation to fund a physical Temple. The New Creation is not a nation-state and has no physical Temple. Therefore, the tax is not "replaced"; it ceases to exist.
A bird does not fly because there is a government law commanding it to fly. It flies because it has the nature of a bird.
Similarly, the believer is not under a "New Law of Giving." They simply express their new nature, which happens to be generous. We give because we share the DNA of the Giver, not because we are obeying a statute.
The climax of this inquiry leads us to a singular finding: The New Testament is not about better rules, but about a different life source.
A relationship based on an external code (The Law). We were defendants trying to satisfy a judge.
A relationship based on shared life (The New Creation). We are a completely new species born into a different family tree.
The Law is not rewritten for us; it has no jurisdiction over us. Just as a butterfly does not need to obey the "laws of crawling" that apply to a caterpillar, the New Creation does not look to the Law for instructions. We simply live out the reality of our new nature.