Is there One Law for Everyone? by Dr. Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg
One of the key issues that concerns many modern Christ-followers is whether or not “the Law of Moses” applies equally to everyone.
Among the texts used to support this position is the apostle Paul’s brilliant argument that the nations have become part of the commonwealth of Israel, and that because of their connection with the Jewish Christ they were granted the same rights and privileges as the Kingdom’s original citizens. (Eph. 2:11-22)
Therefore, it is but natural to ask: Does the Torah apply to everyone? The answer it is both yes and no.
On the one hand, the Torah is clearly applicable to everyone. The very affirmation given by the elders and apostles to the Nations in Christ Jesus, highlighting only four forbidden categories of behavior, was based on the well-known fact that the Torah was already familiar to most Gentiles in the Roman world. (Acts 15:19-21) Keep in mind that close to 7-10% of the entire Roman population was Jewish and synagogues were used by both Jews and Gentiles as public communal centers that they often shared.
On the other hand, the Law of Moses was never for everyone. Within it there were always laws that applied to different groups of people. There were laws that were applied only to Levites, others that were prescribed only for priests and high-priests, others only for men, some only for women and yet others only to sojourners with Israel.