Part 154. Look to the future: don't dwell on the past.

The two Great Commandents, love God and love your neighbour, are calls to action as we seek to follow Jesus. We are to follow the way of Jesus, to follow and apply the principles of love and social justice he expounded.

We do not need to dwell on the Old Testament, we have moved on to the new dispensation and the fulfilment of the Law and Prophets by the Great Commandments. Nor do we need to dwell on the Pauline texts and those attributed to him. We do not need any elaboration of the word of Jesus attested to in the synoptic gospels. 

As we seek to obey the unchanging call of Jesus we should understand that we have to interpret how that call is applied. Thus Paul tells us to treat slaves well but does not condemn slavery. Today our thinking is different. Love has moved from kindness to freedom. In other words context matters. Ignore the literalist fundamentalists dwelling in the past. Be progressive.