May 6, 2013
DO CHRISTIANS STILL HAVE TO OBEY THE TEN COMMANDMENTS?
Exodus 20
John Cimmerman
Central Truth
Jesus gave Christians the two greatest commandments to obey. These commands are a summary of the Ten Commandments. He addressed the Ten Commandments by teaching that there is more to righteousness than just following the precepts of the law. He taught that righteousness begins in the heart of the believer.
Key Verse | Exodus 20:3
"You shall have no other gods before Me." (Exodus 20:3)
Exodus 20
The Ten Commandments
1 And God spoke all these words, saying,
2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
3 You shall have no other gods before 1 20:3 Or besides me.
4 You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands 2 20:6 Or to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7 You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
12 Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
13 You shall not murder. 3 20:13 The Hebrew word also covers causing human death through carelessness or negligence
14 You shall not commit adultery.
15 You shall not steal.
16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
17 You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.”
18 Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid 4 20:18 Samaritan, Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Masoretic Text the people saw and trembled, and they stood far off 19 and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” 20 Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” 21 The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.
Laws About Altars
22 And the LORD said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the people of Israel: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have talked with you from heaven. 23 You shall not make gods of silver to be with me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold. 24 An altar of earth you shall make for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you. 25 If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool on it you profane it. 26 And you shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness be not exposed on it.’
Dive Deeper | Exodus 20
Christian: Jesus, do I have to obey the Ten Commandments?
Jesus: What are the greatest commands I taught you?
Christian: To love God with my whole being and to love others as I love myself (paraphrase of Matthew 22:37-39).
Jesus: The Ten Commandments are like the two great commandments in that the first four commandments deal with your relationship with Me and the last six deal with your relationship with other people. What's the first commandment?
Christian: You shall have no other gods before me.
Jesus: I expanded this commandment, and now it's the first great commandment. What's next?
Christian: The second commandment is to make no idols and worship them. What did you say?
Jesus: "For it is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY'" (Matthew 4:10). The third commandment prohibits taking My name in vain. I taught My followers that what comes out of a man is what defiles him -- which includes using My name in vain (Mark 7:21-23).
Christian: Jesus, I know what You said about keeping the Sabbath. You told Your disciples that You are the Lord of the Sabbath (Mark
2:27-28).
Jesus: Very good!
Christian: The fifth commandment is to honor our parents. You condemned the Pharisees for ignoring this commandment by using their man-made rules (Matthew 15:4-6).
Jesus: "Do not murder" is next. People must understand that these commandments call for both an active and a heart response. "You have heard that the ancients were told, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER' . . . . But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court . . . ." (Matthew 5:21-22).
Christian: The next commandment forbids adultery.
Jesus: People can commit adultery both physically and in their mind and heart. Both are sins (Matthew 5:27-28). I pointed out that the commandment not to steal begins in the mind (Matthew 19:18). To not bear false witness also comes from the heart (Luke 12:15, JBP). The last commandment is not to covet. I warned my followers not to be covetous (Luke 12:15).
Jesus continues: So, Christian, do you still have to obey the Ten Commandments? Well, it is the right heart response that I seek. If you seek to follow My commandments (John 14:15), you will see that I address all of the Ten Commandments in what I have taught my followers or have commanded my followers to obey. Read Matthew 5:17-20, and you will understand why.
Discussion Questions
1. How would you answer the question, "Do Christians have to obey the Ten Commandments?" Why?
2. Why did Jesus want people to understand that the Ten Commandments didn't just need a physical response but a heart response as well? (See, for example, Matthew 5:21-22.)
3. Look up each of the following verses. These passages are what Jesus said about each commandment. Which one speaks to you today?
1st commandment - Matthew 22:37;
2nd commandment - Luke 4:4;
3rd commandment - Mark 7:21-23;
4th commandment - Mark 2:27-28;
5th commandment - Matthew 15:4-6;
6th commandment - Matthew 5:21-22;
7th commandment - Matthew 5:27-28;
8th commandment - Matthew 19:18;
9th commandment - Matthew 15:19;
10th commandment - Luke 12:15.