The 10 Commandments and the New Testament
GodWords Newsletter #86
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A lot of people, including many Christians, are confused about whether Christians should live by the 10 Commandments. There should be no confusion.
When God made a covenant with Israel in Exodus 20, the only people involved were Israelites and those who chose to live with them. This covenant, including the 10 Commandments, never applied to anyone else… not the Egyptians, not the Chaldeans, not the Canadians. Christians never were, and never will be, under the Law.
When I explain this, I get complaints from people who don’t know what the Bible says about the Law. If we’re not under the Law, they ask, are we then free to steal and kill and worship other gods? They’re not asking it seriously, as if they’re wondering about the answer. They’re complaining that by pointing out that Christians are not under the Law, I’m telling people that God doesn’t care about their behavior.
Christians aren’t under the Mosaic Law, but that doesn’t mean we have no law at all. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commands.” Just before going to Heaven, Jesus said to make disciples, and to “teach them to obey everything I have commanded you.” That seems pretty clear. We have commandments, but they come from Jesus, and not from the Law. The apostle Paul mentions “the law of Christ” in Galatians 6:2.
Nine of the 10 Commandments are repeated in the New Testament. That means that Christians are - obviously - not supposed to steal, kill, or worship other gods. It seems silly to have to say that, but people are confused… so it needs to be said. Below are a few of the many places where 9 of the 10 Commandments are repeated in the New Testament. We’ll address the missing commandment at the end of this article.
1 You shall have no other gods before me.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. Matthew 22:37
2 Do not make for yourselves objects of worship.
Dear children, keep yourself from idols. 1 John 5:21
3 You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.
Do not swear – not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. James 5:12
4 Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
Not Commanded
5 Honor your father and your mother.
Honor your father and mother. Matthew 19:16-21
6 You shall not murder.
You shall not murder. Matthew 19:16-21
7 You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not commit adultery. Matthew 19:16-21
8 You shall not steal.
You shall not steal. Matthew 19:16-21
9 You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
You shall not give false testimony Matthew 19:16-21
10 You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Colossians 3:5
Because these commands are in the New Testament, it’s clear that Christians are to obey them… not because they’re part of the old covenant that God made with Moses, but because they’re part of the new covenant that Jesus made with the whole world.
The Missing Commandment
While the sabbath is mentioned in the New Testament, there are no commands in the New Testament to observe sabbath days. The other nine commandments are repeated, but not that one. Why? Because, unlike the others, there is no longer any need for a sabbath. The sabbath was instituted as a remembrance of God’s work in Genesis, and pointed to God’s work of dying on the cross for the sins of the world. The sabbath was a shadow of a coming reality, and that reality has come. Here’s how the apostle Paul explained it:
Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. Galatians 3:23-25
Read more about why Christians don’t observe the original sabbath.
I love you all.
❤️
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I’m regularly asked how someone can restore their broken relationship with God, or how they can grow in faith. This is a quick reminder.
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Don’t let other people tell you what you can see, hear, or think. “People are seeking things that are rare and valuable right now. In a world of cheap and fast, people desire slow and well-crafted.”
Evil-Merodach: An Archaeological Biography
I plan to include more biblical archaeology articles here. This one relates to King Nebuchadnezzar’s son, mentioned in 2 Kings 25 and Jeremiah 52.
How to Defend Christianity
Fideism is the belief that faith and reason are independent of, or opposed to, each other. Some people say that we ‘just have to have faith’ about questions relating to God. World-famous cold case detective J. Warner Wallace explains that this isn’t the kind of faith we see in the New Testament.
My Experience with Landmark Education
There is no truth, no meaning, no value.
That’s what I learned at last night’s Landmark Education meeting. My friend invited me because she’s excited about what Landmark has done to help her. I spent a couple of hours with her and a mutual friend and the gentleman who led the discussion.
Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider its ways and be wise!
- Proverbs 6:6
Fisher of Men: Wes King
Jesus said, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” This song is a good reminder of what following Jesus looks like.
Links and Lyrics on Awesome Christian Music.
It's laying down your nets
It's laying down your life
To take up the cross
And follow the Fisher of men
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The relationship between the Mosaic Law and Christianity is often misunderstood due to misinterpretations that fail to distinguish between the Old and New Covenants. The New Testament is established through the death and resurrection of Christ, marking a distinct shift from the Mosaic Law, which was given to Israel and not the Church. Although some aspects of the Law appear in the New Testament, they are not binding on Christians, as they are now under grace rather than law (Romans 6:14). The Christian life is not governed by the works of the Law, which are not out from faith, but by the law of the Spirit of life in Christ (Romans 8:2). The law of the Spirit enables believers to live out their righteousness in Christ out from faith. The Law was given to expose the sin nature (Romans 7:13), but it cannot produce righteousness, which comes only through faith in Christ. Applying Mosaic commands to the Church disregards proper biblical context and misinterprets Scripture, leading to confusion and legalism. Instead, the Christian standard is to love the brethren as Christ has loved them (John 13:34), do good to all (Galatians 6:10), live out from faith (Romans 1:17), seek to fulfill the desires from the Spirit (Galatians 5:16; 25), and manifest the righteousness of Christ in them apart from the works of the Law (Galatians 5:23; Colossians 1:27; Galatians 2:20). Therefore, the Mosaic Law cannot be a standard for Christian living, for it is not out from faith. Instead, Christians are called to a higher righteousness in Christ that is apart from the Mosaic Law—a life lived out from faith.
We are still commanded to gather together for worship, teaching, edification, the Lord' supper, good works and love. Hebrews 10:24 and others. But the day isn't specified as the sabbath.