So, you know how the Old Testament has a bunch of ridiculous and unrealistic rules in it, about not wearing clothes made from two types of fabric, and stoning disobedient children to death and whatnot? And how Christians sometimes inconsistently explain this away by saying that those laws aren’t for us? How they point out that, while the Bible’s still obviously infallible, it’s just that those were old rules for the ancient nomads of the time, and we don’t have to abide by them any more since Jesus came along and wiped the slate clean?
Is there any reason why the same logic doesn’t also excuse us from the Ten Commandments?
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The Ten Commandments are the Old Testament.
Do I get a lollipop?
So, my understanding was that it has to do with how Jesus is asked from time to time whether his followers ought to keep “the commandments.” The ones Jesus names number far less than 613, and they bear passing resemblance to the “big ten.” (Love your neighbor as yourself comes elsewhere, in Leviticus, I think.) It’s not a good answer. But I think this is essentially where it comes from.
“Common Sense”
It’s what I can see some people who follow the Bible saying anyway, or something along those lines.
My old religion (Jehovah’s Witnesses) would not say that modern Christians are subject to the Ten Commandments as such, but would say that everything in those commandments is restated in the Christian Greek Scriptures (this being their name for the New Testament).
TRiG.
- Is there any reason why the same logic doesn’t also excuse us from the Ten Commandments?
Nope… but then religion and reason are two mutually exclusive terms, so trying to apply one to the other causes a discombobulation.
Hi James (love your work – btw),
SHORT answer – no, christians don’t need to keep the Ten Commandments or any other of the hundreds of points of “Law”.
LONG answer – the “Old Testament” is the name given (by christians) to the Jewish Holy Scriptures. Christians believe the Messiah (jesus) has come and those stories are contained in the “New” Testament. For those christians who like to ‘proof text’, (or bludgeon you with a specific biblical quote), they would justify their decision for not keeping the commandments by pointing to John 13:34 where jesus says he brings a new commandment – that you love one another…
Others (the confused and ignorant majority) would decide that even though there IS a new commandment to love one another, the Ten Commandments aren’t really bad or arduous so they should be kept. If they are less ignorant they might point to Paul’s writings – who insisted that “the Law” (of Moses) was definitely (still) holy but the real way to be in relationship with god was now through the grace offered by jesus (ie the freedom NOT to keep the law) rather than by keeping all the laws (there are about 600 of them all up). He makes the distinction that you could keep all the laws but not know god or his grace.
So, to sum up – technically, a christian doesn’t have to keep the ten commandments according to jesus’ new commandment (John 13:34) but they still seem like a reasonable idea so people refer to them.
Puffin that is beautifully & intelligently written. Have you come across Emmet Fox who wrote a fine explanation of The Sermon on the Mount?
Hi meopham,
thanks for your kind words!! I’ve just looked up Emmet Fox and will have a read through now.