Remember, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. This is not to put down the Bible or anyone’s religion, but to try to get people to think about what they believe. The question here is, were ALL the Old Testament laws created by God or were some written by men also?

Jesus forgave the woman caught in the act of adultery in the act of adultery:

And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? (Joh 8:3-5)

They were testing Jesus, of course, to see if he would uphold the law and let them stone her to death. If Jesus were to uphold the law he would have consented to what the law stated. But did he?

When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. (Joh 8:10, 11)

The thing is that Jesus didn’t condemn the woman. According to the law, being a master and teacher, he should have (in their way of thinking) condemned the woman to death. But did he? No. So he went against the law that they say was written by God.

My question is, if Jesus was constantly going against the law and teaching things contrary to it, and God was supposedly the one who wrote it, then was it really God who wrote the law or was it men?

Jesus several times in the Gospel said, “Ye have heard that it hath been said of them of old time … Thou shalt not… But I say unto you….” Notice here he did not say it hath been said of God. It sounds to me Jesus was saying that men said this but God would have said something else.

Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment… (Mat 5:21, 22)

Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. (Mat 5:27, 28)

Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne...  (Mat 5:33, 34)

I’m not saying that nothing in the old testament was of God, what I am saying though is that many things that people took as being the law or commandment of God were actually only traditions.

And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. (Mat 15:6)

And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. (Mar 7:9)

Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye. (Mar 7:13)

What it sounds like to me is that many of the things that were written in the Old Testament were not written or inspired by God, but by the traditions and beliefs of men.

Moreover, I believe that what Jesus was trying to teach them is that what was more important than keeping the law was love and mercy.

But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. (Mat 12:7)

But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. (Mat 9:12, 13)