Are New Testament Believers
Obligated to the Ten Commandments?
Andy Stanley, founder of Atlanta-based North Point Ministries, insists, “The Ten Commandments have no authority over you. None. To be clear: Thou shalt not obey the Ten Commandments.”[1] Is he right?
Yes! None of the Old Testament laws are binding on New Testament believers. We are not under the Law; we are under God’s Grace through His Son, Jesus Christ.
The Mosaic Law –
The Mosaic law was never meant to govern all people forever. In Jeremiah 31:31-34, God promised,
“The day is coming…when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the Lord.
“But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the Lord. “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Roman (Gentile) Church, “God made salvation available to the Gentiles” (Romans 11:11). As a result, believers in Jesus are obligated, not to the law of Moses, but to the “law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2), which is: “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other” (John 13:34).
This “law” is not a set of legal rules, but a principle of love that identifies His followers. Jesus continued, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:35).
If it is not mandatory for Christians, then what is the value of the Old Testament law for New Testament believers?
The Mosaic law reveals God’s character and shows how far humanity falls short of His standard.
“God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were” (Romans 5:20).
“A person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law” (Galatians 2:16).
Paul explained it to the Galatians like this: “The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian” (Galatians 3:24-25).
And in chapter five, Paul writes (Galatians 5:1), “So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.”
Ten Commandments Repeated in the New Testament –
New Testament believers are not bound by the Ten Commandments given to the Israelites on Mt. Sinai, but nine of the ten are reiterated in the New Testament. Believers are responsible for following these.
Exodus 20:2-17
Commandment One (vv 2-3) – I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. You must not have any other god but me.
Matthew 4:10 – Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’
Luke 4:8 – Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’
Commandment Two (vv 4-5) – You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods.
Acts 15:20 – Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from eating food offered to idols, from sexual immorality, from eating the meat of strangled animals, and from consuming blood.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 – Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.
Commandment Three (v 7) – You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.
Matthew 5:33-37 – “You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord.’ But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black. Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.
Commandment four (v 8) – Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
See explanation below.
Commandment Five (v 12) – Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
Matthew 15:4 – God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’
Ephesians 6:1-2 – Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, ‘things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”
Commandment Six (v 13) – You must not murder.
Matthew 19:18 – And Jesus replied: “You must not murder.”
Romans 13:9 – For the commandments say, “You must not murder. …These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Commandment Seven (v 14) – You must not commit adultery.
Matthew 19:18 – And Jesus replied: “You must not commit adultery.”
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 – Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.
Commandment Eight (v 15) – You must not steal.
Matthew 19:18 – And Jesus replied: “You must not steal.”
Ephesians 4:28 – If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need.
Commandment Nine (v 16) – You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.
Matthew 19:18 – And Jesus replied: “You must not testify falsely.”
Commandment Ten (v 17) – You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.
Romans 7:7 – Am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.”
Romans 13:9 – For the commandments say…, “You must not covet.” These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Sabbath Command –
Commandment four (8) – Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy
The Sabbath command is not repeated in the New Testament. In fact, it is clearly stated as not binding for those who believe in Jesus. In Colossians 2:16-17 we read…
Don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, for not celebrating certain holy days, new moon ceremonies, or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality.
The Hebrew word for Sabbath means “rest.” What was the purpose of the Sabbath command? Exodus 20:11 states, “For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.”
The Jewish followers of Yahweh were instructed to work for six days and rest on the seventh so they could “rest” in their relationship with Him and worship Him. Jesus says, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). The writer of Hebrews tells us, “There is a special rest” for the people of God (Hebrews 4:9).
Why does the New Testament not repeat the Sabbath command?
Because Jesus is our “rest” every day, we don’t need a special day to rest in Him; we rest in Him daily.
[1] Andy Stanley (2019). Irresistible: Reclaiming the New that Jesus Unleashed for the World. HarperChristian Resources.