Several years ago I had a written debate with my friend David N. Landon of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Syracuse, New York on the subject of divine law. Mr. Landon affirmed, “The divine moral law has been the same in every age.” I affirmed, “The law of Christ is the only divine law in effect in this age.” Specifically, David, as virtually all Protestants and Catholics, believes that the Ten Commandments, as well as the other parts of the law they deem to be moral in contrast with those portions they consider ceremonial, are now and have always been binding as law on all people. Are the moral precepts of the Old Testament binding as law today?

God Formerly Spoke in Various Ways

The Hebrew writer affirmed, "God ... at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets." (Hebrews 1:1)

Adam

Genesis 2:15-17 records the only laws God gave Adam before his first sin. Adam and Eve were then in a state of childlike innocence, not having had the difference between good and evil revealed to them (Genesis 2:17; 3:5-6,22). By eating the forbidden fruit, the knowledge of good and evil was miraculously revealed to them (Ibid).

The Fathers

From that time forward man has had divine law (Romans 5:13) which passed from generation to generation by teaching (Genesis 18:17-19 ). This being the only law prior to Christ the Gentiles had, by it they will be judged (Romans 2:12-16). The corruption of this tradition was the ruin of the Gentiles (Romans 1:18-25; 1 Peter 1:18).

Law of Moses

God chose the nation of Israel as His own special people (Exodus 19:5-6). The covenant He made with them consisted of the law of Moses (Deuteronomy 4:44 - 5:3; 29:21), the heart of which was the Ten Commandments (Deuteronomy 5:4-22). Moses put the tablets of stone containing the Ten Commandments into the ark of the covenant (Deuteronomy 10:1-5). When King Solomon had finished the Temple, “Nothing was in the ark except the two tablets of stone” (1 Kings 8:9). But the ark contained “the covenant of the Lord which He made with our fathers, when He brought them out of the land of Egypt”(1 Kings 8:21). Thus, the Ten Commandments were the heart of God’s covenant with national Israel.

Ten Commandments

The fourth commandment is “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8; cf. Deuteronomy 5:12). God made known the Sabbath when He gave the Law on Mt. Sinai (Nehemiah 9:13-14). The Sabbath was to Israel a memorial of their deliverance from Egyptian bondage (Deuteronomy 5:12-15; Ezekiel 20:10,12) and has no more meaning to Gentiles than the fourth of July does to Canadians.

The Sabbath was the seventh day of the week (Exodus 20:9-11; Deuteronomy 5:13-14), and no New Testament passage changes it to the first day of the week. Rather, the Sabbath has been abolished (Colossians 2:13-17).

We must not judge each other in regard to keeping days (Romans 14:5-6,13). Therefore, the law which Christ abolished includes the Ten Commandments.

Yes, the Ten Commandments have been abolished. Whereas nine of the Ten Commandments are found in the New Testament, only in some cases strengthened (Matthew 5:21-48), the Sabbath was specifically annulled (Colossians 2:13-17).

In Romans 7:1-6 Paul uses the illustration of death freeing the wife from the law of one husband to be married to another husband. By the Protestant explanation, the wife is still guided by the law of the dead husband. How, then, is she married to another? The Jews were freed from the Mosaic law, including the Ten Commandments, to be married to Christ and governed by Him. The law from which they had been freed includes the command, “You shall not covet” (verse 7). Of course, this is the tenth of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 5:21). The law to which they were dead includes the Ten Commandments.

Does this mean we can worship idols, use the Lord's name in vain, curse our parents, commit murder and adultery, steal, lie and covet with God's approval? No, the law of Christ forbids all these sins (Acts 14:14-15; 17:22-31; 2 Timothy 3:2; Ephesians 6:1-3; 1 John 3:15; Hebrews 13:4; Ephesians 4:28, 25; Colossians 3:5). It is sinful to do them, not because the Ten Commandments forbade them, but because Christ does.

Ceremonial and Moral Law

The Scriptures make no distinction between ceremonial and moral law. We can’t pick which parts of the law we will keep. If we bind part of the law, we must keep it all (Galatians 5:1-3). To do so is to be severed from Christ and to fall from grace (Galatians 5:4).

The divine law concerning marriage, divorce, and remarriage is moral rather than ceremonial. “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14; Deuteronomy 5:18), to which marriage-divorce-remarriage pertains, is the seventh of the Ten Commandments. Moses allowed a Jewish man to divorce his wife for “some uncleanness” (Deuteronomy 24:1). Jesus differentiated between divorce for uncleanness and divorce for fornication and allows divorce only for fornication (Matthew 19:7-9). Moses allowed the woman who was put away for uncleanness to remarry (Deuteronomy 24:2), but Jesus forbids any one who has been put away to remarry (Matthew 5:31-32; Luke 16:18). Moses forbad the woman who had been divorced from a man and subsequently married to another to return to her original mate (Deuteronomy 24:1-4), but the New Testament allows her to return to her original mate (unless he divorced her for the cause of fornication and remarried) (1 Corinthians 7:10-11). Moses made no provision for a wife to divorce her husband (Deuteronomy 24:1-4), whereas the law of Christ applies to husband and wife equally (Mark 10:11-12). Moral law under Moses and under Christ are not the same.

The law from Sinai was never intended to be a permanent and full revelation of God’s mind to man, but rather was given to prepare the way for Christ (Galatians 3:23-25). Furthermore, the law given through Moses was never intended for any people except the nation of Israel (Deuteronomy 5:1-3; 6:6-7). Thus, with the death of Christ, this temporary law, the Old Testament, was taken away (Colossians 2:13-17). Now, instead, God “has in these last days spoken to us by His Son” (Hebrews 1:2; cf. Matthew 17:1-5).

Use of the Law

The purpose of the Law of Moses was to teach Israel how to be holy as God is holy (Leviticus 19:1-2). Since God’s essential nature and will are unchanging and unchangeable (Malachi 3:6; James 1:17), there are principles behind these laws which will help us understand God and how to please Him. But, since God’s law is adapted to man’s needs (Mark 2:27; 1 John 5:3), the specific laws have changed from the Old to the New Testament. Thus, because Israel was not prepared for the return to God’s original intent for marriage (Matthew 19:8), Moses permitted polygamy (e.g., Exodus 21:7-11), but the New Testament teaches that marriage is between one man and one woman (Matthew 19:4-5; 1 Corinthians 7:2).

Matthew 5:17-18

The Master declared:

Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled (Matthew 5:17-18).

Colossians 2:13-17

Colossians 2:13-17 teaches uncircumcised Gentiles (verse 13) that God has “wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross” (verse 14). This “handwriting of requirements” included laws about food, drink, festivals, new moons, and sabbaths (verse 16). The Mosaic covenant imposed regulations concerning foods (Leviticus 11), drink (Numbers 6:1-3), festivals (Leviticus 23; Numbers 28-29) and sabbaths (Leviticus 23:1-3). The Sabbath has been removed. Since the Sabbath is the fourth of the Ten Commandments, this conclusively proves Jesus removed the Ten Commandments as law.

God Now Speaks Through His Son

Moses prophesied God would raise up a Prophet like him, Who would speak all God commanded, and Whom the people would be required to hear (Deuteronomy 18:15,18-19). This Prophet is Christ (Acts 3:19-23). Although God formerly spoke through Moses and the prophets, He now speaks exclusively through His Son (Matthew 17:1-5; Hebrews 1:1-2).

Jeremiah foretold a “new covenant” for Israel, “not according to the covenant” God made with their fathers (Jeremiah 31:31-34). The author of Hebrews declares that Christ is “the Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises” (Hebrews 8:6), citing Jeremiah 31:31-34 as proof (verses 8-12). He then observes, “In that He says, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete...” (verse 13).

Isaiah prophesied that “in the latter days” the law of the Lord would go forth from Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:1-3) and would be for “all nations” (verse 2). This was to occur when the apostles received power from on high (Luke 24:44-49). This came about on the first Pentecost after Jesus’ resurrection (Acts 1:1-8; 2:1-4, 38). This law is the gospel of Christ (Mark 16:15-16; Romans 1:16-17; 8:2). Beginning from Pentecost, based on the absolute authority of Jesus Christ, it is the divine standard for all nations (Matthew 28:18-20).

Under Law to Christ

Not only did Jesus replace Moses as Prophet and lawgiver, His law replaced the traditions handed down to the Gentiles.

Truly these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead (Acts 17:30-31)

Christ will be the final Judge of all mankind (John 5:22, 28-29). The basis of judgment for everyone since His law became effective will be His word (John 12:48-49). His authority as lawgiver is supreme, absolute, and universal, including, but not limited to, the church (Ephesians 1:18-23).

We are under law to Christ (1 Corinthians 9:19-22). By His death He brought in a new law or covenant (Hebrews 7:12; 9:15). We are saved by this law (Romans 8:1-4), we are obligated to obey it (James 1:25), and we will be judged by it (James 2:12).

Further Arguments

In 2 Corinthians three Paul argues the superiority of the apostolic ministry of the New Testament over the Old Testament. The apostles are "ministers of the new covenant" (verse 6) in contrast with "the Old Testament" (verse 14). The Old Testament was "engraved on stones" (verse 7). This, of course, refers to the Ten Commandments. As Paul wrote to Corinth, this covenant was "passing away" (verse 11).

In Galatians 4:21-31 the apostle constructs an allegory based on Hagar, Ishmael, Sarah and Isaac. Hagar represents the Old Testament (verses 24-25), and Ishmael represents fleshly Israel (verses 21-25). Paul concludes, "Cast out the bondwoman and her son" (verse 30). The Old Testament, the Law, including the Ten Commandments, was cast out as a binding law from God.

In Ephesians 2:14-18 the apostle explains that Christ made peace between Jew and Gentile, "having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace" (verse 15). Christ abolished the law that distinguished between Jew and Gentile.

God took away the first covenant in order to establish the second (Hebrews 10:9).

Conclusion

The law given through Christ has superceded all previous divine laws and will continue to be the sole divine law until the end of this world (1 Corinthians 15:20-28). The law of Christ is the only divine law in effect in this age.