Commandments taught and enforced in the New Testament? Did Paul teach them to the Gentiles? What about the book of James?

BY GEORGE C. ROGERS

Most who profess to follow Jesus Christ believe that all of the Ten Commandments were abolished by His sacrifice. They believe that Christ came to "do away" with those "harsh" commandments. Some believe He re-instituted some of them.  Still others believe that He replaced the Ten Commandments with a new commandment.

Although these people may be sincere, they have been deceived by the "god of this world" (..."slickWindow('2 Corinthians','4','4')" title="View scripture">II Cor. 4:4; ..."slickWindow('Revelation','12','9')" title="View scripture">Rev. 12:9), who has used his false ministers to spoon-feed them with doctrinal falsehood (..."slickWindow('2 Corinthians','11','13-15')" title="View scripture">II Cor. 11:13-15).

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Instead of allowing the Bible to interpret itself, most people read into scripture whatever meaning they already have been handed and assume is correct. They gloss over what Christ said in ..."slickWindow('Matthew','5','ALL')" title="View scripture">Matthew 5: "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am come not to destroy, but to fulfill" (..."slickWindow('Matthew','5','17')" title="View scripture">vs. 17). This is the same Christ who prophesied in ..."slickWindow('Isaiah','42','ALL')" title="View scripture">Isaiah 42: "The Lord is well pleased for His righteousness' sake; He will magnify the law, and make it honorable" (..."slickWindow('Isaiah','42','21')" title="View scripture">vs. 21).

What about you? Are you willing to let the Bible interpret itself? Are you willing to approach scripture with a teachable, open mind and allow God to "speak" to you-tell you His will-through His Word?

If so, you have already set yourself apart from most, of whom Christ said, "This people honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. Howbeit in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men...Full well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition" (..."slickWindow('Mark','7','6-9')" title="View scripture">Mark 7:6-9).

On Pentecost, A.D. 31, God founded His Church on the teachings of His apostles and prophets (..."slickWindow('Ephesians','2','19-20')" title="View scripture">Eph. 2:19-20). Since then, those of the true Church have always continued to keep the apostles' teachings (..."slickWindow('Acts','1','42')" title="View scripture">Acts 1:42).

The apostles Peter and John instructed Christians to walk as Christ walked-live the way He lived (..."slickWindow('1 Peter','2','21')" title="View scripture">I Peter 2:21; ..."slickWindow('1 John','2','6')" title="View scripture">I John 2:6). The apostle Paul instructed Christians-both Jews and Gentiles-to follow him as he followed Christ (..."slickWindow('1 Corinthians','11','1')" title="View scripture">I Cor. 11:1).

So then, did Jesus Christ, the Chief Apostle (..."slickWindow('Hebrews','3','1')" title="View scripture">Heb. 3:1), teach the Ten Commandments? Did He command His apostles to do the same? In other words, are all of the Ten Commandments taught in the New Testament?

The First Great Commandment

The first four of the Ten Commandments teach man how to love God. "You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make unto you any graven image...You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain...Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy" (..."slickWindow('Exodus','20','3-8')" title="View scripture">Ex. 20:3-8).

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In ..."slickWindow('Matthew','22','ALL')" title="View scripture">Matthew 22, Christ summarized these four, saying, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment" (..."slickWindow('Matthew','22','37-38')" title="View scripture">vs. 37-38).

When Satan the devil tried to tempt Jesus while He fasted in the wilderness, Christ quoted the First Com-mandment: "Get you behind Me, Satan: for it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve" (..."slickWindow('Luke','4','8')" title="View scripture">Luke 4:8; ..."slickWindow('Matthew','4','10')" title="View scripture">Matt. 4:10).

In ..."slickWindow('John','4','24')" title="View scripture">John 4:24, Christ was speaking about the Second Commandment when He taught that men cannot use physical objects, images or "aids"-in other words, idols-to worship a spiritual God. Since God is a Spirit, His followers must worship Him in spirit.

Paul also taught the Second Commandment: "Neither be you idolaters, as were some of them [the Israelites during the Exodus]; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play" (..."slickWindow('1 Corinthians','10','7')" title="View scripture">I Cor. 10:7). Carnal-minded Israel did not have the patience to worship a God they could not see, so they made a physical "god" to satisfy their carnal, physical lusts. But God knew this would happen. Throughout mankind's history, man has always rejected his Creator in order to worship His creation (..."slickWindow('Romans','1','18-25')" title="View scripture">Rom. 1:18-25).

In ..."slickWindow('Matthew','15','ALL')" title="View scripture">Matthew 15, Christ taught against breaking several of God's commandments, including the third: "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders [Sixth Commandment], adulteries [Seventh Commandment], fornications, thefts [Eighth Com-mandment], false witness [Ninth Commandment], blasphemies [Third Commandment]" (..."slickWindow('Matthew','15','18-19')" title="View scripture">vs. 18-19). The Greek word used here for "blasphemies" is blesphemia, which means "evil speaking," "railing" or "vilification against God." In other words, taking God's name in vain.

Paul also commanded Christians not to do this: "But now you also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth" (..."slickWindow('Colossians','3','8')" title="View scripture">Col. 3:8).

The Fourth Commandment-observing the seventh day Sabbath-is the one most professing Christians refuse to obey. Most assume that men have the authority to change the Sabbath to whatever day pleases them or is convenient.

Yet Christ kept the Sabbath on the seventh day. It was His custom: "And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up: and, as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read" (..."slickWindow('Luke','4','16')" title="View scripture">Luke 4:16). In fact, the New Testament says that Christ is "Lord also of the Sabbath"-not the Lord of Sunday (..."slickWindow('Luke','6','5')" title="View scripture">Luke 6:5). Christ says that He "is the same yesterday, and today, and forever" (..."slickWindow('Hebrews','13','8')" title="View scripture">Heb. 13:8).

Paul followed His example. He taught in the synagogues on the Sabbath (..."slickWindow('Acts','17','2')" title="View scripture">Acts 17:2). And not just to the Jews, but also to the Gentiles: "And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath... And the next Sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God." (..."slickWindow('Acts','13','42')" title="View scripture">Acts 13:42, ..."slickWindow('Acts','13','44')" title="View scripture">44). In chapter 18, ..."slickWindow('Acts','18','4')" title="View scripture">verse 4, Paul "reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks." Few ask why Paul would teach Gentiles (who were unfamiliar with Sabbath-keeping) to meet on the Sabbath. Why is there no evidence that he led them to keep Sunday-the supposed "Lord's Day"?

Now notice ..."slickWindow('Hebrews','4','ALL')" title="View scripture">Hebrews 4, ..."slickWindow('Hebrews','4','9')" title="View scripture">verse 9: "There remains therefore a rest to the people of God." In ..."slickWindow('Hebrews','4','1')" title="View scripture">verses 1, ..."slickWindow('Hebrews','4','3')" title="View scripture">3, ..."slickWindow('Hebrews','4','4')" title="View scripture">4 and ..."slickWindow('Hebrews','4','8')" title="View scripture">8, the Greek word for "rest" is katapausin. It means "rest." But in ..."slickWindow('Hebrews','4','9')" title="View scripture">verse 9, the Greek word for "rest" is sabbatismos, which is a Hebrew word-Sabbat, which means "the Sabbath"-combined with a Greek suffix-ismos, which means "a keeping of" or "a doing of." Put together, sabbatismo means "a keeping of the Sabbath." When correctly translated, ..."slickWindow('Hebrews','4','9')" title="View scripture">Hebrews 4:9 should read, "There remains therefore a keeping of the Sabbath to the people of God."

This verse establishes the New Testament observance of the seventh-day Sabbath. For all of the available proof of the biblical basis and authority for Sabbath-keeping, read our free book SATURDAY OR SUNDAY - Which is the Sabbath?