By Paul Hammons
February 3, 2019
The question of how Christians should view the 10 Commandments and the Old Testament in general has always created some controversy, even going back to the book of Acts where Christians in the First Century argued about whether Gentile Christians should be required to follow the Jewish law and submit to circumcision.
The controversy came up again in recent months, as Georgia pastor Andy Stanley came under some criticism for arguing that the 10 Commandments were no longer valid, and going so far as to say that Christians should “unhitch” the church from the Old Testament. In those discussions, two polar responses emerged:
- “The 10 Commandments are an eternal law of God that are applicable throughout history to all mankind” or…
- “The 10 Commandments are part of the Old Testament, which has been done away with, and as Christians we shouldn’t even be talking about those books because they can be problematic in our culture today.”
Are the 10 Commandments still in force today?
So how does the Christian today approach this question? It starts by understanding what the Old Testament is, and what part the 10 Commandments play in it. The Bible shows clearly that the 10 Commandments are not a separate set of instructions, but rather are connected to the rest of the covenant which God established with the nation of Israel after they came out of Egyptian captivity (Deuteronomy 5:1-5, Deuteronomy 7:6-8) at which time they became a distinct nation, holy and separate from the rest of world.
The Law of Moses, including the 10 Commandments, was given specifically to Israel – and no other nation. And we see from numerous scriptures (James 2:8-11, Matthew 5:17-20) that we can’t simply take part of the law and ignore the rest. Just like in our own laws today – if I violate a speeding law, I have not kept the law, I’ve broken it. I’m not a law-abiding citizen if I keep 99 out of 100 laws on the books!
In the same way, I can’t argue that Christians are under the 10 Commandments, but not all the rest of the law’s commandments about, for example, dietary restrictions. I also can’t say that the 10 Commandments are all in force, except for the commandment about keeping the Sabbath. It’s either all or none.
And in fact, if I choose to live by the 10 Commandments, I am neglecting what Jesus considered the second-greatest commandment in all the law, which is found not in the 10 Commandments, but in Leviticus 19:18: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Romans 10:4 tells us that Christ was the fulfillment of the law – and Jesus himself stated that the law would stay in place “until all is fulfilled,” at which time he directed the apostles to “teach them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20).
What about “Thou Shalt Not Kill?”
We often forget to use common sense approaches to religious questions, and the problem of the 10 Commandments not applying to Christians is such a case. The laws of a foreign nation do not apply to me, but that doesn’t mean that because I’m not under the Canadian law that says I can’t kill anyone, I’m now free to kill whomever I want. That’s because the law that DOES apply to me also forbids this. We all understand this point!
I am called to conform myself to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29); I am “under law to Christ (1 Corinthians 9:21, Romans 7:25);” every virtue that the Spirit cultivates in me as a child of God today (Galatians 5:22-23) teaches me not only to not murder, but also to not hate!
Why does it matter whether I am under the Old Testament or not?
This may seem like a minor doctrinal point, but there are reasons why we don’t go to the 10 Commandments — or to the law of Moses — to determine our responsibilities in Christ. I can find everything I am called to follow in Christ in His instructions to the apostles, which were in turn passed on to you and me today:
- The elements of my worship are different from those under the law (1 Corinthians 11:23-26, Acts 20:6)
- The days I am to observe are different from those under the law (Colossians 2:17 – we don’t have a “Christian Sabbath!”)
- The roles and responsibilities in the local church are not the same as those under the law of Moses (1 Timothy 3:1-12, Ephesians 4:9-12)
- My path to salvation is different than it was under the law of Moses (Acts 4:10-12)
NEXT WEEK: We’ll talk about how we SHOULD be using the Old Testament as Christians. Just as the calls to live under the 10 Commandments are not according to scripture, it’s also a mistake to say that the Old Testament has only little value today, and studying it is counterproductive to a life in Christ. In fact, understanding the Old Testament is vital if we truly want to understand and appreciate God’s plan for us, how we ought to live, and how we ought to approach Him in our worship.