Are the Ten Commandments still valid?

Are they valid for us too? Should we follow them? Do only some or all of them apply to us?

Outline:

1. The significance of the commandments for us
2. Verification of the validity of the Ten Commandments according to Jesus' words
3. The Ten Commandments
4. Jesus created the Old Covenant and was present throughout history

1. The significance of the commandments for us

In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome...

Where does this come from? Doesn't it sound too Old Testament? We do not live under the law but under grace! But this word is spoken by the apostle John (1 John 5:3), and we can find many other places in the New Testament (NT) where it appears.

Revelation 14:12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.

Romans 7:12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.

1 John 2:3-4 3 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4Whoever says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.

1 John 3:24 The one who keeps God's commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness

All these passages from Scripture show that how we love God is manifested in how we keep His commandments. It is through His commandments that we come to know and remain in God (we come to know His character, what He is like). So we may have wonderful confessions, but what we do shows whether our hearts truly belong wholly to God.

But which commandments? The entire Old Testament, or just the New Testament? It would be more accurate to say 'covenant' rather than 'commandment'; we are participants in a new covenant (Jer. 31:33), and it is different from the old one. But even so, what parts of the old covenant (the Old Testament) still apply to us?

This issue was already addressed in the early church – you must be circumcised, you must keep the Law of Moses! Therefore, they gathered together and decided as follows:

Acts 15:28-29 It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.

The requirements were not extensive, only three. So does the Old Testament no longer apply? For example, circumcision was fundamental for Jews; without it, they were not considered Jewish, and they would even interrupt the Sabbath for circumcision.

1 Corinthians 7:19 Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God's commands is what counts.

But circumcision was also God's command in the Old Testament! Does that no longer apply? Scripture says that circumcision of the heart is more important. It follows that the fulfillment of the commands of the Old Testament in our time (the age of grace) is different! The letter to the Romans deals most extensively with these questions.

Romans 7:6 But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

These words are used to say that we no longer need to concern ourselves with God's law as written in the Old Testament, which was for the Jews, but is no longer for us! – we are freed from the law. Yes, we are freed from the full fulfilment of the old covenant (law), but we are to fulfil the law of Christ. The apostle also says here that we have been freed from the law of sin, so that it no longer has power over us, and he goes on to say that it is not possible to fulfil the law without the guidance of the Spirit. Only through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit are we able to do God's will and keep His commandments. Without His empowerment, we are unable to keep His commandments. The whole New Testament shows us that we need wholeheartedness and empowerment (circumcision of the heart) to fulfil all that God requires of us.

For Jews, the foundation is the Ten Commandments (Greek: Dekalog = 10 words, Hebrew: עשרת הדיברות) and the creed Hear, O Israel. The first apostles and Jesus himself were Jews, and for them, keeping the commandments was a matter of course.

As already mentioned, the entire Scripture comes from God and is beneficial for us. We follow in the footsteps of the Jews; we are grafted like wild olive trees onto the true olive tree, so the Ten Commandments must also be the foundation for us. If only the New Testament applied to us, then God would be changing His mind, but God does not change; He does not give a law only to then revoke it and act completely differently. I am convinced that the Old Testament and the New Testament form a whole, the New Testament explains the Old Testament and vice versa. The Old Testament is an earlier revelation and the New Testament is its complement, a fuller revelation of the truth that was already revealed in the Old Testament.

But is that true, does the Lord Jesus confirm it?

2.  Verification of the validity of the Ten Commandments according to Jesus' words

The key word from the scripture is:

Matthew 5:17-18 "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.  For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

The Lord Jesus came to fulfill the law and confirmed that the law revealed to Moses and the prophets is valid! We may think that since He came to fulfill the law, it is now fulfilled and that's it. It no longer applies to me; I am in Christ. But the Lord Jesus is the law, he is the living word (Logos), he is the wisdom of God, he is the creator of the Old Testament (see next chapter)! Jesus says that until the earth passes away, not one jot of the law will pass away – he confirmed its validity – the earth has not yet passed away.

He came to fulfill the law, rather in the sense of putting it in the right light or setting it straight. Jesus came with even greater knowledge and insight than Moses had. He explains what the essence of the law is, what is important and what is not. What matters to God and what matters less. As long as humanity has existed, there has been an effort to create a religion that does not require the whole person. Jesus points this out, explains it, and actually makes even greater demands than the Old Testament did. For example, he tells the rich young man that even though he keeps the commandments, he is still lacking something. If he wants to be perfect, he must sell his possessions—he is bound by his wealth.

He also explained what is most important:

Matthew 22:36-40 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

The word 'hangs' literally means to hang, to be suspended, to depend. He is saying that this is the most important thing, that if we do not fulfil these two things, then we do not fulfil the others either. This is the essence of the law. Jesus confirmed all the commandments contained in the Ten Commandments, explaining, for example, that even if we look at a woman with lust, we have already committed adultery in our hearts (Matthew 5:27). He is concerned with the essence that all bad things come from the heart. Likewise, he equated killing someone with being angry with our brothers without cause (Matthew 5:21-26), saying that we should not only refrain from false oaths, but from oaths altogether; our word should be yes, yes, and no, no. He says that we should not only love our neighbours but also our enemies. He says that not one jot of the law will pass away until it is fulfilled. The whole Scripture is valid in its entirety. Jesus said this very clearly and confirmed all ten commandments! He even says that if we want to enter into life, we must keep the commandments (Matthew 19:17) and names some of the commandments from the Ten Commandments. Do we want to enter into life? Then we need to know the commandments and understand what they mean for us. Jesus also speaks about the 4th commandment and does not say that the day of rest should be abolished. But how can we fulfil this in practice? We cannot fulfil everything as the Jews do. Do we keep the Sabbath? No! We have Sunday – so is this a violation of the commandment?

But in summary, Jesus says:

Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

According to the Rabbis, to accept the yoke means to accept the law, the teachings, something we take upon ourselves, to accept the rules. Jesus therefore tells us to accept what he wants to tell us, because his commandments are not difficult; we just have to let ourselves be guided and learn from him. So the first thing we need to do is take it upon ourselves – accept his teachings and then humbly live by them, and in doing so we will find rest and peace. In him, everything makes sense. The Pharisees placed heavy burdens on the people that were completely unbearable (the context is the Sabbath), but Jesus showed that his commandments are not difficult. In him, everything is put into perspective. So the law of Christ means accepting the right burden, the yoke.

It is also written that the law will be written in our hearts (Jer. 31:33-34). When we give ourselves completely to the Lord, the Holy Spirit comes and shows us how to live. But these are not laws other than those revealed in the Old Testament. To have Jesus in our hearts = to have His law in our hearts, because He is the law.

Romans 8:1-2 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

We can therefore summarize that the law applies, but we are unable to fulfill it without God's Spirit, without His help. The law does not justify us; we do not have salvation through the law, but our deeds reveal whether God is truly in our hearts and not just on our lips. It is therefore a matter of the correct application of God's commandments through Christ.

At that time, rabbis would say, "So-and-so said this and that," but they never said, "I say this." They referred to other rabbis, quoted them, and memorized their statements. But Jesus came and said, "You have heard this and that, but I say to you," he did not refer to anyone else, because he is the best interpreter of scripture, he puts everything in the best light – he is the way, the truth, and the life.

John 14:15 "If you love me, keep my commands.

3.  The Ten Commandments

God still has the same rules today as He did 3,000 years ago. He does not change; His requirements are the same. The law of Christ and the law of the Lord are the same. Parents give their children rules because they want to raise them well. If they did not love them, they would not give them rules. God loves us, and that is why He gave us His rules, which will remain in force until the earth and heaven pass away! And we have these rules in Scripture. God first freed His people and then gave them rules. Did the Israelites want rules? No. But God saw that they needed them.

These rules apply whether we know them or not; they also apply to pagans. God has the same standards for everyone. Note that John the Baptist rebukes Herod, who was not a Jew, as if the same laws applied to him. Paul rebukes Felix as if the law applied to him as well. Acts 24:25 But when he spoke about righteousness, self-control, and the future judgment, Felix became frightened....

Rules are necessary for life. For example, the traffic situation in Italy (especially in the south) – people run red lights, cross solid lines, drive on sidewalks, and it's chaos and there's a risk that something will happen. Finland – Somalis raped girls, and because they were Muslims, it was said that they couldn't really be blamed for it, because it's normal for them, they don't know any better. The act was justified because of the circumstances. Today, the causes are being investigated – what traumas did the murderer experience that caused him to act this way, when it is more important to fight evil. Norway – a man who killed more than 80 people will only get 18 years because the law does not allow for more. This is very perverse. Today, we all have our own rules and our own commandments, and don't tell me what to do. If someone deliberately killed someone in Israel, he had to be killed! How far we are from God's requirements. Today, we tend to excuse all these evils.

When God gives rules, He shows who He is, what His essence and character are, what He thinks, and what is important to Him. His moral laws apply to every culture and society. Certainly, many practical rules for the Israelites do not apply to us, but the moral rules apply in full, because God is always the same.

Deuteronomy 5:1-22

Moses summoned all Israel and said:Hear, Israel, the decrees and laws I declare in your hearing today. Learn them and be sure to follow them. 2The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. 3It was not with our ancestors that the Lord made this covenant, but with us, with all of us who are alive here today. 4The Lord spoke to you face to face out of the fire on the mountain. 5(At that time I stood between the Lord and you to declare to you the word of the Lord, because you were afraid of the fire and did not go up the mountain.) And he said: 

1. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
2. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
3. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
4. Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.
5. Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor's house or land, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

The Lord spoke these words with a loud voice to your whole assembly on the mountain, out of the fire, the cloud and the thick darkness, and he added nothing more. He wrote them on two stone tablets and gave them to him.

I used the Jewish order because they understand Hebrew texts better than we do. Some churches have a different order; for example, the Catholic Church omitted the second commandment. We prefer not to talk about the Ten Commandments because the issues surrounding them are not simple. Everything I write here is the result of my own thinking, but that does not mean that I cannot be wrong about something. I would appreciate your comments.

The Ten Commandments were written on stone = a symbol that they are eternal. The commandments were given to us for our protection and for our lives. We understand them as a harsh law, but the Jewish Torah does not mean law, but guidance, instruction, teaching. Jews take the commandments as a privilege and are thrilled that they have been entrusted with them.

Verse 22 – God spoke all these words – therefore we must deal with them; they did not arise gradually, but God spoke them; He is the Creator. The Reformation proclaimed that salvation is by grace, but that deeds must follow faith. Wesley said that it is necessary to preach 90% law and 10% grace. One missionary in India taught the law for three quarters of a year and only then taught about God's grace.

4.  Jesus created the Old Covenant and was present throughout history

Many people think that the God of the Old Testament is different from the God of the New Testament. It is one and the same – the Old Testament and the New Testament form a whole, and all of it is God's revelation, because God is the creator of both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Jesus accompanies the entire history of the Old Covenant, revealing himself to many people. Don't believe it? Let's take a look. We understand that Jesus is prophesied in the Old Covenant, but that he was directly involved there is something else.

John 1:18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

No one has ever seen God? But we know of many people from the Old Testament who saw God. So who did they see? Does Scripture contradict itself? No! They encountered Jesus. Let's look at these passages: The most striking example is found in Genesis 18:1, which describes how the Lord appeared to Abraham. Three men came, and Abraham called one of them Lord. Two angels left for Sodom, but one remained and spoke with Abraham (Abraham stood before the Lord – in Hebrew, before YHWH). but clearly one stayed with him and two left, so the whole conversation was with the man whom Abraham calls Lord. Who was the one he met? Jesus! Further on in Genesis 19:24 it is written, 'Then the Lord rained down burning sulphur on Sodom and Gomorrah. This was from the Lord in heaven.' In Hebrew, it is written directly here – JHVH sent it from JHVH, that is, God from God.

Another beautiful place:

Proverbs 8:1-4 Does not wisdom call out?Does not understanding raise her voice? 2At the highest point along the way,where the paths meet, she takes her stand; 3beside the gate leading into the city,at the entrance, she cries aloud: 4"To you, O people, I call out;I raise my voice to all mankind.

Wisdom speaks of itself here as a person who speaks remarkable things, everything she says is just, she speaks of her teaching, her knowledge. Through her, kings reign, those who seek me will find me. She walks the path of justice and righteousness, she was born in the beginning, even before the creation of the world. Whoever finds me finds life. The New Testament speaks similarly:

John 5:39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me." 

John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

A similar formulation – it is clear that the challenges recorded in the new agreement are merely a continuation of those in the old one.

1 Corinthians 10:2-4 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.

The wisdom of God says 'I' in the Proverbs. But this is very unusual in the Old Testament; only God says 'I'.

Another example is Genesis 16 – Hagar, Abraham's slave, meets the angel of the Lord (Malak Yahweh), but then calls him God. Genesis 16:13 Hagar gave the Lord who spoke to her a name: You are the God of seeing. For she said, 'Have I not also seen him who saw me?' She saw God there, but what kind of God, when no one had ever seen God? It was Jesus, and Hagar gave the Lord a name – the God of seeing. Wherever Yahweh (JHVH) appears in the Hebrew Bible, the Lord is used in our Bible, and here it says that the angel of the Lord (Malak Yahweh) spoke to her, but then it says that Hagar gave the Lord (Yahweh) a name. But she spoke to an angel. It was God's messenger, Malak Yahweh

Likewise, Jacob in Genesis 32 says that he saw God and his life was spared. He calls the one he saw an angel and gives him the name Peniel, which means the face of God.

Similarly, Joshua encountered a man with a drawn sword, called him Lord, and bowed down to him. If it had been only an angel, then surely the angel would have told him not to bow down, but this man did not say, 'Do not bow down to me.' The Jews could only bow down to God, but this man called himself the commander of the Lord's army. Joshua 5:13-15

All these passages (and many others, see Moses, the three young men in the furnace, Isaiah, Ezekiel) show us that Jesus was very active throughout the entire duration of the Old Covenant. He himself created the Ten Commandments.

Exodus 24:9 Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright blue as the sky. But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank.

They saw the God of Israel! Who, then, was this God? But since no one had ever seen God the Father, it could be no one other than Jesus! He was the God of Israel and of us.

שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָד. – Hear, O Israel: God is one. The word "one" used in this passage is the word ehad (pronounced echat). But this word is plural – this word is used, for example, when saying that a man and a woman are one, and here the word ehad is also used. A man and a woman do not become one person, they do not merge, but they form a unity, a single unit, and this is the same as God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is also clear evidence of the Trinity in the Old Testament.

If we accept this, it gives us a different perspective on the old covenant, on the Ten Commandments, on all the commandments that are in the Old Testament. If it was Jesus who gave the law to the Israelites, then he himself will not give us something else. God does not change his mind, and this also applies to us; we just need the Holy Spirit to explain to us what it all means for us. The Ten Commandments are therefore not some outdated matter intended for the lawyers of earlier times, but they have much to say to us, the people of the 21st century. Perhaps even more than ever, because everyone creates their own Ten Commandments, their own hierarchy of values, and we need to know exactly how this applies to us, what is the correct application of a particular commandment.

God does not change, so if He gave His commandments, He would not contradict Himself. It is only a matter of understanding the true essence of God's commandments.