Popular megachurch pastor Andy Stanley, the son of the famous preacher Charles Stanley, recently asserted that Christians do not need to obey the Ten Commandments: (Emphasis Mine)1
The Ten Commandments are from the old covenant
The Ten Commandments played a significant role in God’s creation of the nation of Israel. It gave them moral guidelines and helped separate this new nation from their neighbors. This was part of the formal agreement (or covenant) God created with his people, but Jesus’ death and resurrection signaled the end of that covenant and all the rules and regulations associated with it.
Jesus didn’t issue his new command as an additional commandment to the existing list of commands.
He didn’t say, “Here’s the 614th law.”
Jesus issued his new commandment as a replacement for everything in the existing list. Including the big ten. Just as his new covenant replaced the old covenant, Jesus’ new commandment replaced all the old commandments.
Participants in the new covenant (that’s Christians) are not required to obey any of the commandments found in the first part of their Bibles. Participants in the new covenant are expected to obey the single command Jesus issued as part of his new covenant: as I have loved you, so you must love one another.
The new covenant replaced the old one.
The late Rev. Billy Graham discarded any insinuation that discredits the Ten Commandments:2
Yes, the Ten Commandments are still important! You’ll find them in the Old Testament (the part of the Bible that tells us what God did before Jesus Christ came into the world). You’ll find them in two places: Exodus, chapter 20, and Deuteronomy, chapter 5.
The Bible tells us God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses, who led the ancient Israelites after they’d been freed from slavery and were headed toward the land God had promised them. The Ten Commandments were given so they would know how to live, and God promised that if they followed them, their lives would be blessed. Moses said, “Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days” (Deuteronomy 5:33).
Although they were given many centuries ago, the Ten Commandments are still valid, and our lives (and our world) would be far better if we followed them. The first ones deal with our responsibilities toward God — to put Him first in our lives, and not allow anything to take His rightful place. The latter ones deal with our responsibilities toward others — to avoid lying, stealing, murder, immorality, greed, and so forth.
But the Ten Commandments are important for another reason: they point to our need for God’s forgiveness and help. No one lives up to them perfectly, and that’s why we need Christ. Don’t let your past hold you back, but begin a new life today by asking Jesus to forgive and help you.
Did the Lord Jesus abolish the Ten Commandments or the laws when HE specified the two great commandments?
Read Christ’s response to the expert in the law when HE was questioned about the greatest commandment of all the 613 laws, “One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”” (Matthew 22: 35-40, NIV).
It is essential to observe that the commandment to love God preceded the commandment to love each other. The first and the greatest commandment, which is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind is of greater significance than the second greatest commandment, which is to love one another. In other words, we cannot love our neighbor as to how God commanded us to love them if we do not love God with all our life.
Did the two greatest commandments replace the Ten Commandments or all of the 613 laws?
No!
In fact, both these commandments refer to the Old Testament laws. The first greatest commandment is a quote of Deuteronomy 6:5 (4th law in the Old Testament). The second greatest commandment is a quote of Leviticus 19:18 (13th law of the Old Testament).
Christ did not come to abolish the law and the prophets, ““Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”” (Matthew 5:17, NIV). So it is evident that these two commandments do not invalidate the Ten Commandments or all of the laws.
In fact, as the late Rev. Billy Graham mentioned, the first four of the Ten Commandments are based on our relationship with God while the other six commandments are based on our relationship with our fellow human beings. The two greatest commandments are a mere summary of the Ten Commandments; they do not abolish or replace the Ten Commandments.
Therefore, those who obey the two greatest commandments in the New Testament are in fact obeying the Ten Commandments.
Does the new command of Jesus replace the second greatest commandment? This is the new command of Jesus, ““A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”” (John 13: 34, NIV). This new command is also a reference to Leviticus 19:18.
There seems to be a difference between the second greatest commandment and the new command. The second greatest commandment commands us to love others as to how we love ourselves. But the new command commands us to love others as to how Christ loved us.
So is there a contradiction between the new command and the second greatest commandment?
No!
The Lord merely raised the standard to love others when HE said that we ought to love others as to how HE loved us. The second greatest commandment and the new command are conveying the same message - to love others. But the standard to love others are from two perspectives: love others as to how we love ourselves and love others as to how Christ loved us.
The Bible teaches us that we are no longer under the law but under grace (Romans 6:14). So why obey the Ten Commandments or any of the laws if we are not under the law? Gotquestions.org has a useful response to this question:3
The key to understanding the relationship between the Christian and the Law is knowing that the Old Testament law was given to the nation of Israel, not to Christians. Some of the laws were to reveal to the Israelites how to obey and please God (the Ten Commandments, for example). Some of the laws were to show the Israelites how to worship God and atone for sin (the sacrificial system). Some of the laws were intended to make the Israelites distinct from other nations (the food and clothing rules). None of the Old Testament law is binding on Christians today. When Jesus died on the cross, He put an end to the Old Testament law (Romans 10:4; Galatians 3:23–25; Ephesians 2:15).
In place of the Old Testament law, Christians are under the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2), which is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…and to love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39). If we obey those two commands, we will be fulfilling all that Christ requires of us: “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:40). Now, this does not mean the Old Testament law is irrelevant today. Many of the commands in the Old Testament law fall into the categories of “loving God” and “loving your neighbor.” The Old Testament law can be a good guidepost for knowing how to love God and knowing what goes into loving your neighbor. At the same time, to say that the Old Testament law applies to Christians today is incorrect. The Old Testament law is a unit (James 2:10). Either all of it applies, or none of it applies. If Christ fulfilled some of it, such as the sacrificial system, He fulfilled all of it.
“This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). The Ten Commandments were essentially a summary of the entire Old Testament law. Nine of the Ten Commandments are clearly repeated in the New Testament (all except the command to observe the Sabbath day). Obviously, if we are loving God, we will not be worshipping false gods or bowing down before idols. If we are loving our neighbors, we will not be murdering them, lying to them, committing adultery against them, or coveting what belongs to them. The purpose of the Old Testament law is to convict people of our inability to keep the law and point us to our need for Jesus Christ as Savior (Romans 7:7-9; Galatians 3:24). The Old Testament law was never intended by God to be the universal law for all people for all of time. We are to love God and love our neighbors. If we obey those two commands faithfully, we will be upholding all that God requires of us.
Endnotes:
1https://relevantmagazine.com/god/why-do-christians-want-to-post-the-10-commandments-and-not-the-sermon-on-the-mount/
2https://billygraham.org/answer/the-ten-commandments-are-still-very-relevant/
3https://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-law.html
Websites last accessed on 21st January 2019.
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