New Testament and the 10 Commandments?

Question

If Christians believe the New Testament over rules the Old Testament, for example it’s OK to eat pork, then why do they want the 10 Commandments in every courthouse? If they are part of the Old Testament do they still count?

If the Old Testament is no longer valid, why to they continue to quote Leviticus to beat up gays, but then they eat Pork BBQ and work on the Sabbath? (Working on the Sabath is a death penalty offence in Leviticus; I wonder what that means for NASCAR and the NFL? Aren’t they working?

Answer 1

NONE OF THE LAWS OF GOD ARE DONE AWAY WITH.
Mt 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Mt 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.
Mt 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
7TH DAY SABBATH
Ex 31:16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
Ex 31:17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed
MEAT LAWS
1ti 4:3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
1ti 4:4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
1ti 4:5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer

It means what it says. Every creature of God---that is, creatures set apart by Scripture (or, as verse 5 puts it, "sanctified by the Word of God") is good for food. (The "creatures of God" that are good for food and of which we are to thankfully receive obviously do not include slugs, maggots, or kittens, among other things.) Where, in the Word of God, are such meats sanctified? You'll find them in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14.

Answer 2

It isn't that the NT over-rules the OT; that is a misunderstanding. More properly, the NT fulfills the OT.

The revelations given in the OT times were laying a foundation: God was revealing Himself to Mankind, and letting us know what He expected of us. The Law separated good from evil, Poetry expressed worship, the Prophets declared God's judgements and revealed future events, and in all of these, some of God's interactions with Humans were recorded.

The 10 commandments are the ultimate base for understanding how humans should interact with God and each other. The 10 are based on One commandment: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind and all your strength." Understanding the beginnings of law is always a good thing, especially in this age of endless red tape and political correctness!

The New Testament did NOT do away with the Old Testament Law. The sacrifice of Jesus gave us a way to actually fulfill the Law by becoming new people. The moral law still "counts", but as regular human people we are powerless to be as perfect as we need to be. We need God's help for that.

Beating up gays is a sin too, btw. There will always be "wolves" dressing up as "sheep". Unfortunately, the "sheep" aren't always vigilant about removing the "wolves", or exposing them for what they are!

Answer 3

Bible narrative: God wrote His commandments directly for the Israelites (Ex. 19-20; 31:18). There are three kinds of laws in the Old Testament: the moral law, which tells all people their duty toward God and other people; the ceremonial law, which regulated the religious practices in the Old Testament; and the political law, which was the state law of the Israelites. Only the moral law was written into the human heart.

What are the Ten Commandments?

The Ten Commandments are the Law of God.
Note: God gave them in this order but did not number them (Deut. 5:6-21; Ex. 20:1-17).

How did God give His Law?

When God created people, He wrote the Law on their hearts. Later he arranged the Law in Ten Commandments, wrote it on two tables of stone, and made it known through Moses.

Rom. 2:14-15 Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.

What is the summary of commandments 1-3 (First Table)?
Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" (Matt. 22:37; see Deut. 6:5).

What is the summary of commandments 4-10 (Second Table)?
"And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matt. 22:39; see Lev. 19:18).

What is the summary of all the commandments?
Love is the summary of all the commandments.

Rom. 13:10 Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Whom does God mean when in the Ten Commandments He says, "You shall"?
He means me and all other human beings.

Matt. 5:19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Rom. 3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.

Bible narrative: Jesus explained the meaning of these commandments for all people (Matthew 5).

Answer 4

When you've lived as long as I have, you'll begin to lose heart, hope, and patience with everything you hear from nearly everyone concerning Christianity and the Bible. You'll learn that everyone has their own interpretation - often disagreeing and even condemning others who differ from them. Apparently you've detected that some pick and choose from both testaments whenever it suits them. The Bible is explicit about old testament laws, and modern-day believers say that the old law has been done away with. And yet, they carry around the old testament? To be a bit blunt, I say that people join churches to meet friends and maybe get some old time religion to cover the bases. In time, however, they feel corralled into a set of doctrines and are reluctant to disagree with everyone or anyone in church for fear that they'll be branded a heretic and be disfellowshipped. Also, they are told certain "truths" with boldness (verging on arrogance) and that it is the proven truth beyond doubt and are challenged to find it wrong. Yeah right, someone who just walked in to church without seminary training...such a challenge is ludicrous.

Answer 5

The 10 commandments are more for unbelievers than they are for believers. The actions listed are still wrong, but Jesus came because no one could humanly live up to the standards of the old testament. We are freed from the rules and regulations of the old testament because Jesus has freed us from them, but the commands in the old testament are still true. Especially for unbelievers who do not have Jesus's sacrifice to save them--they show that people cannot live up to God's expectations and they need him. As far as the verse about gay people, we're not supposed to kill gay people; we're supposed to love them as people God has created. However, even the new testament agrees that homosexuality is a sin. Love the person, hate the sin. And yes, we are called to keep the sabbath, though many break it today, but we are freed from the law, so we are not forced to keep the sabbath; we do so out of love and respect for God. Also, its healthier--i always feel much better and accomplish much more during the 6 days I have, if I leave one for rest.

Answer 6

The New Testament is Not a replacement of the Old but a fulfillment. The 10 Commandments are Gods Law. if just one part of the law is broken then the whole law is broken. In other words, Have you ever stolen anything, don't matter the cost. Have you ever told a lie. Jesus said that if a man looks upon a woman in lust he as committed adultery in your heart. Jesus said that if you hate your brother then you are guilty of murder. Well I just pegged 4 right there. I am guilty lying stealing adultery and murder in the eyes of God and no matter how good I am, nothing I can do can ever make up for my crimes.

Jesus was the only one who ever lived that did break the commandments and the only one able to take my place, and make me acceptable before God. Its called grace.

The commandment are the bases for what we look to as our governing laws. the foundation of where we have developed our moral laws. Without them we would have not know that we were guilty of breaking Gods laws. But then condemnation is gone through faith. The belief in things unseen.

So hard to understand when we are not willing, when logic itself can't explain it. Only a silly thing called faith.

Answer 7

Just because the Laws of Moses passed away doesn't mean that they were not technically correct. Christians are supposed to let the evil be evil still. Christ reiterated the ten commandments as did Paul. So the ten commandments did not pass away. If you think just because the physical punishments were taken away that the laws are no good then you do not believe that someone can punish themselves by confirming hell in their life and so you would not believe religion in the least.

There is a PDF called the Spiritual Life on my web. You can download it.

http://www.mechanicsburgnewchurch.org

Answer 8

The Ten Commandments are the basis of the law of God. The Levitical laws are an extension and very numerable and specific. As far as the Sabbath goes, the sabbath was made for man, man was not made for the sabbath. It is a day of rest, a day to be undistracted by work, so that a man may rest and give glory to God. I, myself, do not eat pork, because the dietary laws were given for a reason and I choose to follow them to the best of my ability. Though a Christian, I see Saturday as the sabbath, because that is the day that the Jews see it as (sundown Friday to sundown Saturday).

Answer 9

Your question was answered by Jesus a couple thousand years ago (NT doesn't say the OT is not valid anymore. Jesus came to show us what the world was confused about)...perhaps you should read all of Matthew or Luke instead of picking and choosing what you like in order to argue a pointless case.

Would removing 10 commandments make you feel better?

BTW the people beating up gays are not following God's lead...the king of this world is a deceiver, full of envy and hate. He deceives many whether you believe in the bible or not.

Answer 10

Amazing quotes from Protestant Leaders about the 4th Commandment of God! (See all 60 at Holysunday.com)

1. Candid Confession of the Church of Christ!
"But we do not find any direct command from God, or instruction from the risen Christ, or admonition from the early apostles, that the first day is to be substituted for the seventh day Sabbath." "Let us be clear on this point. Though to the Christian ‘that day, the first day of the week’ is the most memorable of all days ... there is no command or warrant in the New Testament for observing it as a holy day." "The Roman Church selected the first day of the week in honour of the resurrection of Christ..." Bible Standard, May, 1916, Auckland, New Zealand.

2. Candid Confession of the Church of Christ!
"... If the fourth command is binding upon us Gentiles by all means keep it. But let those who demand a strict observance of the Sabbath remember that the seventh day is the ONLY Sabbath day commanded, and God never repealed that command. If you would keep the Sabbath, keep it; but Sunday is not the Sabbath. The argument of the ‘Seventh-day Adventists’ is on one point unassailable. It is the Seventh day not the first day that the command refers to." G. Alridge, Editor, The Bible Standard, April, 1916.
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3. Candid Confession of the Baptist Church!
"There was and is a commandment to keep holy the Sabbath day, but that Sabbath was not Sunday. Earnestly desiring information on this subject, which I have studied for many years, I ask, where can the record of such a transaction be found? Not in the New Testament; absolutely not. There is no Scriptural evidence of the change of the Sabbath institution from the seventh to the first day of the week ... Of course, I quite well know that Sunday did come into use in early Christian history as a religious day. But what a pity that it comes branded with the mark of paganism and christened with the name of the sun god, when adopted and sanctioned by the papal apostasy, and bequeathed as a sacred legacy to Protestantism." Dr. Edward T. Hiscox, author of The Baptist Manual in a paper read before New York ministers’ conference held Nov. 13, 1893

4. Candid Confession of the Roman Catholic Church!
"The (Catholic) Church changed the observance of the Sabbath to Sunday by right of the divine, infallible authority given to her by her Founder, Jesus Christ. The Protestant, claiming the Bible to be the only guide of faith, has no warrant for observing Sunday. In this matter the Seventh Day Adventist is the only consistent Protestant." "The Question Box," The Catholic Universe Bulletin, 69 (August 14, 1942), 4.

5. Candid Confession of the Roman Catholic Church!
"Nowhere in the Bible do we find that Christ or the Apostles ordered that the Sabbath be changed from Saturday to Sunday. We have the commandment of God given to Moses to keep holy the Sabbath Day, that is the 7th day of the week, Saturday. Today most Christians keep Sunday because it has been
revealed to us by the [Catholic] Church outside the Bible." "To Tell You the Truth," The Catholic Virginian, 22 (October 3, 1947), 9.

6. Candid Confession of the Roman Catholic Church!
"Nowhere in the Bible is it stated that worship should be changed from Saturday to Sunday." Martin J. Scott, Things Catholics Are Asked About (New York: P. J. Kennedy & Sons) p. 136.

Answer 11

Not all Christians do those things you mention. I'm one who doesn't. Can't speak for the rest.

I understand why you would ask that question, though.

Regarding the Ten Commandments: Which ones would society as a whole like to see cancelled?

Do you believe it's ok to murder? Steal? Do you think it would be ok for your neighbor to sleep with your wife? Do you appreciate it when someone lies to you or about you?

The Ten Commandments are good rules for living. Why do some people, religious or not, make such a fuss about them? Most everybody wants people to behave in society just like the Ten Commandments outline anyway.