B
Are the Ten Commandments included in the abolished Law?
There are many folk, including those who promote the Saturday Sabbath and the keeping thereof, that still resolutely claim that the Ten Commandments, because they were written on stone, are not part of the Law of Moses, or at very least they are a separate part of it that is not referred to when the Bible tells us that the Law has been abolished. However, in Romans 13 God clearly shows us that in fact the Ten Commandments are considered by Him as part of the Law. The ramifications of keeping the Law and adhering to it are far-reaching and frightening and this is resolutely ignored by all the Sabbatarians who stand by the keeping of the Saturday Sabbath in the firm belief that the Ten Commandments are not part of the abolished Law of Moses. Like good Bereans, we need to look and see what the Word has to say on this subject.
Matthew 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Here is a very clear explanation by Jesus Himself, explaining that nothing of the Law would pass away until it all was fulfilled. So the question to be asked then in line with this statement is whether there is a time coming when all will be fulfilled? Jesus in fact gave us the manner in which this would be achieved in John 13:34, but it was through Paul’s ministry that it became clear that this was how the Law was to be fulfilled.
John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
Now we need to dispel the myth of the Sabbatarians and other proponents of the Saturday Sabbath who cling to the belief that the Ten Commandments are not part of the overall Law of Moses.
Romans 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
In Romans 13:8 God teaches us that loving one another is the fulfilling of the Law and in John 13:34 Jesus confirmed for us with His new commandment, the how to fulfil the Law. In Romans 13:9 God gives us confirmation that the Ten Commandments are included in the Law:
Romans 13:9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
In this all-encompassing inclusion of the Ten Commandments where 5 of the 10 are named and the rest are included in the words, “and if there be any other commandment”, it is plainly obvious to anyone that the Ten Commandments are part of the overall Law of Moses because they too are fulfilled by loving your neighbour as yourself.
However there is an even clearer teaching and confirmation that the Ten Commandments are included in the Law of Moses and have been abolished and this is to be found in 2 Corinthians 3:6-17. In this chapter God takes the time to explain how the letter of the Law brings death and how the Spirit of grace and righteousness brings life. So the Law represents death and the Spirit, God’s grace.
2 Corinthians 3:6-17 6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:
13 And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
In verse 6 we find Paul using metaphorical speech where he speaks about the letter and the spirit, where the letter represents the letter of the Law and the spirit, the Spirit of God’s grace. Paul states that the Law kills and the Spirit, or grace, brings life.
Then to clear up any doubts that Paul is speaking of the Ten Commandments, in verse 7 he describes how the ministration of death (which is a metaphor for the Law of Moses), was written and engraved in stone and was glorious and how that glory was to be done away with! Now in the Word of God there is only one thing that was ever written and engraved in stone and that was the Ten Commandments. In verses 8 and 9 Paul goes on to say that the ministration of the Spirit of grace and righteousness would be even more glorious than that of the Law.
In verse 10 we are told that even though the Law was glorious, its glory paled into insignificance in comparison with the glory of the Spirit of grace and righteousness and then the crunch comes in verse 11 where Paul says if that which was done away with was glorious, how much greater was the glory of that which would remain. So there have been a number of times already where Paul has confirmed that the Law, which we have seen includes the Ten Commandments, was to be done away with in favour of God’s grace.
In verses 13 and 14 we have further confirmation that the Law would be abolished and done away with and he says that Israel (the Jews of Jesus’ day) could not see that a time would come when the Law would be abolished because their minds were blinded to the grace of God. Paul then uses the veil that Moses used to cover his face because the glory of the Lord upon it was too bright for the people to look on, as a metaphor for that which was blinding their spiritual eyes from seeing the truth about the Law. Nevertheless he says, the day would come when they would accept Christ and the veil over their spirits would be lifted so they could see the truth.
And the truth is this: The spirit spoken of in verse 6 is identified in verse 17 as being the Lord, and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty!
There is one final part of the myth that needs dispelling and it is contained in a verse that the Sabbatarians love to quote as a kind of quid pro quo. However it is so plainly evident that they are misled and in error in their understanding of the verse and that with a little more objective study they would have been able to perceive the truth and not be misled through their own blindness.
Revelation 22:14 14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
God is saying in this verse that those who do His commandments are the ones who will earn the right to eat of the tree of life and live in the New Jerusalem. This is very similar in essence to the admonition found in James 1:22 where we are commanded to be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves. Yes but what about doing His commandments? As we have seen in our discussion above that the Law of Moses, including the Ten Commandments, has been abolished and done away with, we need to ask ourselves objectively whether this verse can be referring to that which God has taught us is already abolished, or are there other commandments being referred to here? Well with a bit of research it can be established that there are approximately 1 050 commands in the New Testament that Christians are expected to obey as doers of the Word. Due to repetitions, these commands can be reduced to roughly about 800 headings and they cover every facet of Man’s life and his relationship to God and his fellowmen. If obeyed these commands will bring rich rewards in this Earthly life, as well as eternally hereafter, but if disobeyed and ignored that will result in eternal punishment. These commands are not to be confused with the Ten Commandments or any of the rest of the Law of Moses, which has been abolished and done away with. They are so numerous it is not possible for them to be listed here, but as doers of God’s Word, we are mostly automatically living by and keeping these commandments.
In the opening paragraph I mentioned that the ramifications of keeping the Law and relying upon it for salvation are huge and even frightening! God tells us in Galatians 5:3+4 that if we keep even one of the laws in the Law of Moses, as a doctrine, we are bound to keep them all! By keeping them we have then made Christ of no effect and we have fallen from grace!
Galatians 5:3+4 3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
In the previous 2 chapters of Galatians, Paul had been discussing those who were advocating not only the circumcision of the Gentile men who came to repentance and salvation in Christ, but also the need for all who followed Christ to keep the Law. This was a false doctrine that had crept into the Church and even Peter and some of the other disciples adhered to it for a time. Paul’s use of the word circumcised in verse 3 above, is used as a type of the whole Law and not just circumcision and this is confirmed in verse 4 because he says that whoever relies on the Law for justification has fallen from grace and that Christ has become of no effect for them. It now makes sense why Paul says in verse 3 at the end, that if a man was to be circumcised or keep any one of the myriad laws in the Law of Moses, that he then was indebted to keep the entire Law.
The point that I am making with all of this is that we cannot allow ourselves to be led astray with false teaching that is not based on Scripture. It has been clearly shown from God’s Word that the Ten Commandments are part of the Law and have therefore also been abolished, although 9 of them have been included into the New Testament in various books. It is significant that the only one of the Ten Commandments not included in the New Testament is the fourth commandment, to keep the Sabbath day holy and so even the more tragic that the Sabbatarians cling to their belief that it is a must to worship on Saturdays. But compounding this tragedy is that these folk cannot see in Galatians that God is speaking to them and warning them that they have fallen from grace. In Galatians 3:1 God says that folk who cling to the Law have been bewitched!
In conclusion, we have shown from Scripture that the Ten Commandments are definitely part of the Law of Moses and therefore also part that which has been abolished. To those who cling to the false teaching that the compulsory day for the Church to worship God on is Saturday, we ask for God’s grace to forgive them and to have their spiritual eyes, which have been blinded, opened to see the glory of Christ and His grace and righteousness. Furthermore, may they be set free by the Spirit of the Lord wherein there is liberty!
Andre de Kock
There are many folk, including those who promote the Saturday Sabbath and the keeping thereof, that still resolutely claim that the Ten Commandments, because they were written on stone, are not part of the Law of Moses, or at very least they are a separate part of it that is not referred to when the Bible tells us that the Law has been abolished. However, in Romans 13 God clearly shows us that in fact the Ten Commandments are considered by Him as part of the Law. The ramifications of keeping the Law and adhering to it are far-reaching and frightening and this is resolutely ignored by all the Sabbatarians who stand by the keeping of the Saturday Sabbath in the firm belief that the Ten Commandments are not part of the abolished Law of Moses. Like good Bereans, we need to look and see what the Word has to say on this subject.
Matthew 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Here is a very clear explanation by Jesus Himself, explaining that nothing of the Law would pass away until it all was fulfilled. So the question to be asked then in line with this statement is whether there is a time coming when all will be fulfilled? Jesus in fact gave us the manner in which this would be achieved in John 13:34, but it was through Paul’s ministry that it became clear that this was how the Law was to be fulfilled.
John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
Now we need to dispel the myth of the Sabbatarians and other proponents of the Saturday Sabbath who cling to the belief that the Ten Commandments are not part of the overall Law of Moses.
Romans 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
In Romans 13:8 God teaches us that loving one another is the fulfilling of the Law and in John 13:34 Jesus confirmed for us with His new commandment, the how to fulfil the Law. In Romans 13:9 God gives us confirmation that the Ten Commandments are included in the Law:
Romans 13:9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
In this all-encompassing inclusion of the Ten Commandments where 5 of the 10 are named and the rest are included in the words, “and if there be any other commandment”, it is plainly obvious to anyone that the Ten Commandments are part of the overall Law of Moses because they too are fulfilled by loving your neighbour as yourself.
However there is an even clearer teaching and confirmation that the Ten Commandments are included in the Law of Moses and have been abolished and this is to be found in 2 Corinthians 3:6-17. In this chapter God takes the time to explain how the letter of the Law brings death and how the Spirit of grace and righteousness brings life. So the Law represents death and the Spirit, God’s grace.
2 Corinthians 3:6-17 6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:
13 And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
In verse 6 we find Paul using metaphorical speech where he speaks about the letter and the spirit, where the letter represents the letter of the Law and the spirit, the Spirit of God’s grace. Paul states that the Law kills and the Spirit, or grace, brings life.
Then to clear up any doubts that Paul is speaking of the Ten Commandments, in verse 7 he describes how the ministration of death (which is a metaphor for the Law of Moses), was written and engraved in stone and was glorious and how that glory was to be done away with! Now in the Word of God there is only one thing that was ever written and engraved in stone and that was the Ten Commandments. In verses 8 and 9 Paul goes on to say that the ministration of the Spirit of grace and righteousness would be even more glorious than that of the Law.
In verse 10 we are told that even though the Law was glorious, its glory paled into insignificance in comparison with the glory of the Spirit of grace and righteousness and then the crunch comes in verse 11 where Paul says if that which was done away with was glorious, how much greater was the glory of that which would remain. So there have been a number of times already where Paul has confirmed that the Law, which we have seen includes the Ten Commandments, was to be done away with in favour of God’s grace.
In verses 13 and 14 we have further confirmation that the Law would be abolished and done away with and he says that Israel (the Jews of Jesus’ day) could not see that a time would come when the Law would be abolished because their minds were blinded to the grace of God. Paul then uses the veil that Moses used to cover his face because the glory of the Lord upon it was too bright for the people to look on, as a metaphor for that which was blinding their spiritual eyes from seeing the truth about the Law. Nevertheless he says, the day would come when they would accept Christ and the veil over their spirits would be lifted so they could see the truth.
And the truth is this: The spirit spoken of in verse 6 is identified in verse 17 as being the Lord, and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty!
There is one final part of the myth that needs dispelling and it is contained in a verse that the Sabbatarians love to quote as a kind of quid pro quo. However it is so plainly evident that they are misled and in error in their understanding of the verse and that with a little more objective study they would have been able to perceive the truth and not be misled through their own blindness.
Revelation 22:14 14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
God is saying in this verse that those who do His commandments are the ones who will earn the right to eat of the tree of life and live in the New Jerusalem. This is very similar in essence to the admonition found in James 1:22 where we are commanded to be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves. Yes but what about doing His commandments? As we have seen in our discussion above that the Law of Moses, including the Ten Commandments, has been abolished and done away with, we need to ask ourselves objectively whether this verse can be referring to that which God has taught us is already abolished, or are there other commandments being referred to here? Well with a bit of research it can be established that there are approximately 1 050 commands in the New Testament that Christians are expected to obey as doers of the Word. Due to repetitions, these commands can be reduced to roughly about 800 headings and they cover every facet of Man’s life and his relationship to God and his fellowmen. If obeyed these commands will bring rich rewards in this Earthly life, as well as eternally hereafter, but if disobeyed and ignored that will result in eternal punishment. These commands are not to be confused with the Ten Commandments or any of the rest of the Law of Moses, which has been abolished and done away with. They are so numerous it is not possible for them to be listed here, but as doers of God’s Word, we are mostly automatically living by and keeping these commandments.
In the opening paragraph I mentioned that the ramifications of keeping the Law and relying upon it for salvation are huge and even frightening! God tells us in Galatians 5:3+4 that if we keep even one of the laws in the Law of Moses, as a doctrine, we are bound to keep them all! By keeping them we have then made Christ of no effect and we have fallen from grace!
Galatians 5:3+4 3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
In the previous 2 chapters of Galatians, Paul had been discussing those who were advocating not only the circumcision of the Gentile men who came to repentance and salvation in Christ, but also the need for all who followed Christ to keep the Law. This was a false doctrine that had crept into the Church and even Peter and some of the other disciples adhered to it for a time. Paul’s use of the word circumcised in verse 3 above, is used as a type of the whole Law and not just circumcision and this is confirmed in verse 4 because he says that whoever relies on the Law for justification has fallen from grace and that Christ has become of no effect for them. It now makes sense why Paul says in verse 3 at the end, that if a man was to be circumcised or keep any one of the myriad laws in the Law of Moses, that he then was indebted to keep the entire Law.
The point that I am making with all of this is that we cannot allow ourselves to be led astray with false teaching that is not based on Scripture. It has been clearly shown from God’s Word that the Ten Commandments are part of the Law and have therefore also been abolished, although 9 of them have been included into the New Testament in various books. It is significant that the only one of the Ten Commandments not included in the New Testament is the fourth commandment, to keep the Sabbath day holy and so even the more tragic that the Sabbatarians cling to their belief that it is a must to worship on Saturdays. But compounding this tragedy is that these folk cannot see in Galatians that God is speaking to them and warning them that they have fallen from grace. In Galatians 3:1 God says that folk who cling to the Law have been bewitched!
In conclusion, we have shown from Scripture that the Ten Commandments are definitely part of the Law of Moses and therefore also part that which has been abolished. To those who cling to the false teaching that the compulsory day for the Church to worship God on is Saturday, we ask for God’s grace to forgive them and to have their spiritual eyes, which have been blinded, opened to see the glory of Christ and His grace and righteousness. Furthermore, may they be set free by the Spirit of the Lord wherein there is liberty!
Andre de Kock
