a christian had they lived in the OTestament days should not have been compelled to stone sinners

The CON will argue that a Christian who lived during OT times would not have been condemned for stone sinners. Firstly, the CON will show that it is possible to be a "Christian" during OT times. A Christian, in the true sense of the word, is one in whom Jesus Christ lives -- through the Holy Spirit. Paul said that Christ was living in him (Galatians 2:20), and that we are only true Christians, if His Spirit dwells in us: "But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, he is not His" (Romans 8:9). Paul even adds the thought that we will only enter the kingdom of God by a resurrection from the dead, if the Holy Spirit dwells in us at the time of our death (Romans 8:11). However, prior to New Testament times, nobody was called a "Christian," per se. We read, in Acts 11:26, that "the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch." Subsequently, the term became known as a description for Christ's followers, and was used both by unconverted people (Acts 26:28) and by converted disciples (1 Peter 4:16). One such follower Apostle Paul was a Jew who existed on the fringe of Christian/Israelite contention and, as a person, encapsulated the idea of going from a slave of the OT law, to a freeman under the new covenant established after Christ's death, burial and resurrection. Before Paul et al, there were Jews who had faith like Abraham and Jews who did not (Galatians 3:8). Therefore, the Jews who had faith like Abraham will fit the description we seek, since they were looking forward to Christ's death in the same way that Christians, from Paul's time onward, have faith in the already past work of Christ's death. Indeed, the ancients of old had to have that same faith by believing in Christ as their Savior BEFORE He had even died for them. Only the Holy Spirit within them could have given them that kind of faith. Therefore, although the holy saints of God, living in Old Testament times, were not specifically referred to as "Christians," they were, indeed, Christians, as we understand this expression today. Then the question becomes: Should an OT Jew, who had the faith of Abraham(a Christian as defined above), have participated in the stoning of an offender of the law? CON believes that this would have been acceptable. Though both Jews of faith of the OT and Christian's today share the exact same faith, they do not share the exact same covenant. When Jesus came and was sacrificed at Calvary the Old Covenant was no longer in effect. This ushered the New Covenant which emphasizes forgiveness through His shed blood. Forgiveness for sin is given after heartfelt repentance to Him alone. Some stipulations of the old covenant have clearly not been renewed in the new covenant. For example, those laws which specify penalties for various old covenant violations for which one might be punished, i.e. death by stoning for picking up sticks or kindling a fire on the Sabbath, etc. As well as those ritual laws outlining the details of Israel's worship including ceremonial sacrifices. Therefore a Christian under the old covenant would be bound to the stipulations set forth under it. In essence, an OT christian would not be condemned for participating in the stoning of an offender of law.