1. Leviticus 19:2 (ESV)
  2. Exposition

How does this passage relate to the New Testament?

Leviticus 19:2 (ESV)

2 “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.

The apostle Peter quotes Leviticus 19:2 as he writes to believers who face persecution (1 Peter 1:15–16). The call to holiness remains valid for the church today. Holiness, however, must now be applied in light of the new covenant that Christ has established. The external regulations that governed Israel as a theocracy no longer apply to believers today.