Do the Ten Commandments still apply under the new covenant today?

[JesusFollowerForever]

Many today question whether the Ten Commandments still apply under the new covenant. Some believe they were temporary, pointing to writings that describe the law as a ministry that brought death and condemnation. But when we look deeper into the words of Jesus and the prophets, we find a different truth—one filled with life, purpose, and enduring glory.

The prophet Jeremiah gave a clear promise from God:
“I will make a new covenant… I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” (Jeremiah 31:31–33)

This promise was not about removing the law but placing it where it was always meant to be—inside the heart. The commandments, once written on stone, would now be written in living hearts through the Spirit of God. But like any true covenant, it only works when both sides agree. God remains faithful, but His people must accept it, cherish it, and allow His Spirit to plant it deep within them.

Jesus never set the commandments aside. He honored the law and taught its fullness. When He healed on the Sabbath or defended His disciples for picking grain, He wasn’t breaking the law—He was showing its true purpose. He said, “It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” (Matthew 12:12) The Sabbath was made for man—not man for the Sabbath. Jesus reminded the people that the heart of the law is love, mercy, and goodness, not cold rituals.

He also taught that not even the smallest part of the law would pass away until all is fulfilled:
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill… till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law.” (Matthew 5:17–18) Jesus taught from the law and lived by it. He deepened its meaning. He showed that anger leads to murder, and lust is already adultery in the heart. His teachings didn’t cancel the law—they raised it to its true spiritual level.

So why does it seem today that God's law is not written in the hearts of many? The answer lies in the covenant relationship. If one party refuses the covenant, it cannot be fulfilled. The Spirit cannot write in a heart that is closed. Many call Jesus Lord but do not walk in His ways. As He said, “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46)

The commandments remain—not as a list of rules, but as a path to life. The law of God is perfect, converting the soul. The problem was never with the law, but with the hearts of people. The old covenant failed because the people broke it, not because the law was faulty.

The new covenant is not the removal of God’s law but its renewal—inside us. The Spirit does not lead us away from the commandments but gives us the power to live them. Jesus said the Spirit will guide us into all truth. The law and the Spirit are not enemies—they work together when the heart is willing. In the end, the new covenant fulfills the old by making it alive. The law that once condemned now becomes a light. But for this to happen, the covenant must be embraced, and the heart must be softened. God's law in the heart is a sign of His people. It is how we love Him and love our neighbor.

The commandments are not heavy when written in love. They are eternal because they reflect the character of God Himself. They are still standing, still holy, and still waiting for hearts that will receive them—not in stone, but in spirit and truth.

A complement to this post can be found below;

The Mustard Seed and the Growth of God's Kingdom

Jesus gave many parables to help us understand the ways of God, and among the most powerful is the parable of the mustard seed. Though short in words, it carries a deep truth about the kingdom of heaven, the work of the Spirit, and the new covenant God promised through the prophets. Jesus said...

www.christianforums.com

 

[Maria Billingsley]

The commandments are not heavy when written in love. They are eternal because they reflect the character of God Himself. They are still standing, still holy, and still waiting for hearts that will receive them—not in stone, but in spirit and truth.

Is it the 10 alone or the 613 collectively?
Thank you for the clarification.
Be blessed.

 

[RandyPNW]

It's a good question--one that I've been answering lately in several different places, I believe? But it deserves a succinct but thorough answer.

I think this is best explained in 2 parts.
1) Commandments designed to show what we need to be Saved Eternally.
2) Commandments designed to get the job of Witnessing done after we have been Saved.

The Law of Moses was designed to show Israel what they needed to see accomplished in order to be saved, both individually in a spiritual sense and nationally in a political sense. They had to obey the 613 requirements of the Law in order to be blessed and retain their status as a nation under God.

This is what would lead to their Salvation. But being that sin condemned them individually on a legal basis, and spoiled the nation's hope due to the spreading of sin within their society, it fell upon Christ to meet the need for both flawless obedience to God and providing a pardon for those who obeyed but fell short of perfection. Ultimately, only a relative few individuals in Israel obtained spiritual Salvation, and the salvation of the whole nation politically has been an age-long process involving judgment among nations.

Let me make a few points in this regard...

1) Commandments are to be obeyed when they come from Christ, though not under covenant of Moses' Law. We are not under Moses' Law, whether 10 Commandments, Dietary Laws, Temple Laws, Sacrifice Laws, Feast Laws, Priest Laws, etc. The 613 rquirements were directed to the Jewish people alone before the Cross.

Since Israel failed under this covenant, we only have recourse to Christ's New Covenant, which do not require adherance to the 613 requirements of the Law. But following Salvation under the New Covenant, there are still commandments to be kept in order to fulfill our job of Witnessing to the World.

But when it comes to Christ's Commandments, it is not Legalism to obey them. It is a requirement made of Saved People. To disobey them doesn't make Saved People Unsaved. It just makes them disobedient, doing harm to the Gospel Mission of Witnessing to the World.

2) When Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount called for complete adherence to all 613 or so Laws of Moses, he was speaking to Israel alone while the Law was still in effect. He indicated that "until heaven and earth passes away" its applicability would remain in effect.

It was in effect saying that not only did the Law have to be obeyed under the Old Covenant system, but it needed to be "fulfilled." That was the role Christ was to apply in fulfilling the entire Law and pardoning Israel legally.

For Israel Christ's command to obey the whole Law was realistic, recognizing Israel could not be justified under the Law--they were flawed. So fulfillment of the Law was based on the conditional aspect of the Law, determined by obedience or disobedience and its resulting consequences. Jesus said he would fulfill the inevitable shortcomings, fulfilling all prophecy.

In saying that he, and not Israel, would fulfill the Law and provided the true legal basis for Salvation. Legal SAlvation could not have been strictly by the Law, because it demanded perfection. He indicated that before the universe passes away he would have to become the sole means of earth's eternal inheritance, because not just Israel but all men are flawed.

3) The Law and the Commandments of Jesus both were intended to be fulfilled *in the heart.* The New Covenant is not distinguished from the Law because it is now located "in the heart." All commandments, in whatever covenant, were meant to be fulfilled *in the heart.*

We know now, looking back, that what was written down in 613 requirements are now fulfilled without all of those requirements. Commadnments remain but not commandments necessary to bring about Eternal Salvation.

With adherance to a "changed heart" we show that we *have been* Saved, past tense. We still have commandments to obey to get the Witnessing Job done, but our own Salvation has been taken care of by Christ's perfect standard and by his fulfillment of the Law, bringing eternal mercy to all who obey him.

What made the New Covenant unique in Jer 31.31 is the fact it would be "unlike" the Law in some respects. It would be yet another recovery from failure under the conditions of obedience under the Law.

This had happened before. But Jeremiah mentions at the start of his book that the ark itself would go away. This suggests a major change in Temple Worship, marking the fulfillment of the New Covenant as uniquely internal, not requiring external perfection, as indicated in writing out a document with explicit conditions. This new kind of Temple Worship would, like previous reforms, lead to a New Heart in Israel.

The biggest difference however would be in the clause "Never Again." Never again would Israel have to be punished in order to bring the nation to political and spiritual salvation. When the remant of Israel obeys God by turning to Christ, those who reject Christ will be judged, allowing the whole nation to be reformed around the Christian remnant.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Christ's Commandments

Please list these. Thank you.

 

[RandyPNW]

Please list these. Thank you.

Christ's commandments after his earthly ministry are different from his comandments during his earthly ministry. As I said, what he said about the Law during his earthly ministry were said while Israel was still *under the Law.*

But inasmuch as the Law served as a moral witness to the perfection of Christ who was *not* under the Law we know that the moral imperatives in society remain much the same. Treating others justly and fairly is a timeless principle of the OT Law, and Jesus certainly included these when he taught on the Law.

Laws prohibiting immorality are in the same vein, since defying them causes harm to society. Jesus would also have reaffirmed those requirements under the Law. We know what Christ's Commandments were in this regard.

But after the Cross, a lot changed. The Temple Law, the Priestly Law, and the Sacrificial Law all changed because Christ provided what these things represented under a completely new system focused on himself. He alone fulfilled the Law because he alone was perfect. And he alone had the authority to pardon forever.

So he became the new temple, a new priest, and a final sacrifice. His commandments now have less to do with "How to be Saved" then "What must we do now that we're Saved?"

So he told his 12 Apostles to spread the Gospel throughout the world, establishing churches everywhere. And he told them to abide by his teachings, which obviously was now centered in him and not in Moses.

It was the same moral principles for society and for the individual, as encased in the Law. But they had been without the means of Salvation, requiring perfection and adherance to outmoded principles that foreshadowed Christ's Salvation. Now, in Christ, those principles of social justice and individual righteousness could be followed without the necessity of "shadowing" legal perfection under the Temple Law.

I think the primary command of Jesus was to believe in him as Messiah and Savior. He is now the moral focus of Law--not the Law of Moses. All the principles of justice and righteousness under the Law are now to be focused on him, in contrast with the outmoded system of Temple Law with its inability to Save People.

Even moreso, focusing on Jesus means that we obtain our individual righteousness directly from him spiritually. We are not merely conforming to Law externally, while maintianing a separation from God. Rather, we are obtaining directly from Jesus, in the Spirit, his righteousness so that our witness of social justice and individual righteousness emulates his own character, regardless of how imperfect we may be.

Israel had always obtained their individual righteousness directly from God, because the word of God in the Law imprinted upon Israel's heart the means of obedience and the means of righteous living. But once Christ had come, the means of righteousness came directly through him after he had displayed his legal basis for our Salvation, so that we now live by mercy and not by the shadowed application of legal perfection.

 

[RandyPNW]

Please list these. Thank you.

I will add this. We live according to the example Jesus set while Israel was still under the Law. Being that he was sinless and not under a Law of Redemption he showed us how to live as we are not under that Law, respecting it for what its purpose was, even though we are not ourselves under that Law.

Paul lived in respect in Israel, who believed they were still under the Law. He became "like them to win them."

At the same time Paul asserted that Christians live like Jesus and are not under the Law of Moses. We know how to emulate Jesus because we read how he lived in Israel, even though he himself was not under that Law. He showed Israel all of the moral principles of social justice and individual righteousness that had been given under the Law, even though he had no need of temple, priest, or sacrifice for sin.

Christ's commandments therefore have to do with living like him, which we do by allowing his word to indwell us just as God's word under the Law had indwelt Israel. And we have witness to how Jesus lived in the Gospels. We know what Jesus said, and we know what he did.

It isn't easy to encase what this means in order to "list his commandments." It was a display of God's perfect righteousness, in terms of human alignment with His Spirit and in terms of perfect justice in society.

The Law had always been a means of relating to God's Spirit, displaying His word in Israel's life. When Jesus came he came to be the focus of God's word in our lives so that we are perfectly aligned with God's Spirit, now with the permanent indwelling of His Spirit within us.

His commandments, therefore, are the means of letting God live in our lives via our obedience to His word. We have to know God and to recognize God in Jesus in order to conform to his word. So it is as much *knowing who God is* as knowing what Christ's commandments are. But we have both personal experience with God through Faith and the witness of the Gospel testimony to how Christ lived.

 

[Clare73]

Many today question whether the Ten Commandments still apply under the new covenant. Some believe they were temporary, pointing to writings that describe the law as a ministry that brought death and condemnation. But when we look deeper into the words of Jesus and the prophets, we find a different truth—one filled with life, purpose, and enduring glory.

The prophet Jeremiah gave a clear promise from God:
“I will make a new covenant… I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” (Jeremiah 31:31–33)

This promise was not about removing the law but placing it where it was always meant to be—inside the heart. The commandments, once written on stone, would now be written in living hearts through the Spirit of God. But like any true covenant, it only works when both sides agree. God remains faithful, but His people must accept it, cherish it, and allow His Spirit to plant it deep within them.

Jesus never set the commandments aside. He honored the law and taught its fullness. When He healed on the Sabbath or defended His disciples for picking grain, He wasn’t breaking the law—He was showing its true purpose. He said, “It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” (Matthew 12:12) The Sabbath was made for man—not man for the Sabbath. Jesus reminded the people that the heart of the law is love, mercy, and goodness, not cold rituals.

He also taught that not even the smallest part of the law would pass away until all is fulfilled:
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill… till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law.” (Matthew 5:17–18) Jesus taught from the law and lived by it. He deepened its meaning. He showed that anger leads to murder, and lust is already adultery in the heart. His teachings didn’t cancel the law—they raised it to its true spiritual level.

So why does it seem today that God's law is not written in the hearts of many? The answer lies in the covenant relationship. If one party refuses the covenant, it cannot be fulfilled. The Spirit cannot write in a heart that is closed. Many call Jesus Lord but do not walk in His ways. As He said, “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46)

The commandments remain—not as a list of rules, but as a path to life. The law of God is perfect, converting the soul. The problem was never with the law, but with the hearts of people. The old covenant failed because the people broke it, not because the law was faulty.

The new covenant is not the removal of God’s law but its renewal—inside us. The Spirit does not lead us away from the commandments but gives us the power to live them. Jesus said the Spirit will guide us into all truth. The law and the Spirit are not enemies—they work together when the heart is willing. In the end, the new covenant fulfills the old by making it alive. The law that once condemned now becomes a light. But for this to happen, the covenant must be embraced, and the heart must be softened. God's law in the heart is a sign of His people. It is how we love Him and love our neighbor.

The commandments are not heavy when written in love. They are eternal because they reflect the character of God Himself. They are still standing, still holy, and still waiting for hearts that will receive them—not in stone, but in spirit and truth.

A complement to this post can be found below;

The Mustard Seed and the Growth of God's Kingdom

Jesus gave many parables to help us understand the ways of God, and among the most powerful is the parable of the mustard seed. Though short in words, it carries a deep truth about the kingdom of heaven, the work of the Spirit, and the new covenant God promised through the prophets. Jesus said...

www.christianforums.com

The Old Covenant Ten Commandments are necessarily fulfilled in the new commandment of the New Covenant,
"Love one another as I have loved you." (Jn 13:34)

 

[NewLifeInChristJesus]

Many today question whether the Ten Commandments still apply under the new covenant. Some believe they were temporary, pointing to writings that describe the law as a ministry that brought death and condemnation. But when we look deeper into the words of Jesus and the prophets, we find a different truth—one filled with life, purpose, and enduring glory.

The prophet Jeremiah gave a clear promise from God:
“I will make a new covenant… I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” (Jeremiah 31:31–33)

This promise was not about removing the law but placing it where it was always meant to be—inside the heart. The commandments, once written on stone, would now be written in living hearts through the Spirit of God. But like any true covenant, it only works when both sides agree. God remains faithful, but His people must accept it, cherish it, and allow His Spirit to plant it deep within them.

Jesus never set the commandments aside. He honored the law and taught its fullness. When He healed on the Sabbath or defended His disciples for picking grain, He wasn’t breaking the law—He was showing its true purpose. He said, “It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” (Matthew 12:12) The Sabbath was made for man—not man for the Sabbath. Jesus reminded the people that the heart of the law is love, mercy, and goodness, not cold rituals.

He also taught that not even the smallest part of the law would pass away until all is fulfilled:
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill… till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law.” (Matthew 5:17–18) Jesus taught from the law and lived by it. He deepened its meaning. He showed that anger leads to murder, and lust is already adultery in the heart. His teachings didn’t cancel the law—they raised it to its true spiritual level.

So why does it seem today that God's law is not written in the hearts of many? The answer lies in the covenant relationship. If one party refuses the covenant, it cannot be fulfilled. The Spirit cannot write in a heart that is closed. Many call Jesus Lord but do not walk in His ways. As He said, “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46)

The commandments remain—not as a list of rules, but as a path to life. The law of God is perfect, converting the soul. The problem was never with the law, but with the hearts of people. The old covenant failed because the people broke it, not because the law was faulty.

The new covenant is not the removal of God’s law but its renewal—inside us. The Spirit does not lead us away from the commandments but gives us the power to live them. Jesus said the Spirit will guide us into all truth. The law and the Spirit are not enemies—they work together when the heart is willing. In the end, the new covenant fulfills the old by making it alive. The law that once condemned now becomes a light. But for this to happen, the covenant must be embraced, and the heart must be softened. God's law in the heart is a sign of His people. It is how we love Him and love our neighbor.

The commandments are not heavy when written in love. They are eternal because they reflect the character of God Himself. They are still standing, still holy, and still waiting for hearts that will receive them—not in stone, but in spirit and truth.

13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (Ga 3:13–14).​

The curse of the law (which is damnation for law-breakers) is still in effect today. It has always been in effect, even before the law was written. And it will always be in effect until sin and death are ended forever. The only escape for the curse of the law is faith in Christ Jesus.

In this OP and in the companion OP, you say things like, "But like any true covenant, it only works when both sides agree. God remains faithful, but His people must accept it, cherish it, and allow His Spirit to plant it deep within them." Concepts like this miss the mark in that God's translation of people from out of darkness into light, raising them from the dead to new life in Christ, and writing His laws on their heart is not a cooperative effort between man and God that progresses slowly over time. These things happen the moment Jesus enters a person's heart and makes them a new creation.

So much so is this the case with His laws being written in our hearts that their presence in our hearts differentiates between who has been born of God and who has not. For example, when John writes, "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death" (1 Jn 3:14), he is saying that every person who has passed from death to life loves his brethren and if a person does not love the brethren, that person does not have eternal life. Like I said, this is just one example, but the same goes for all other laws that have been written on our hearts.

 

[JesusFollowerForever]

Is it the 10 alone or the 613 collectively?
Thank you for the clarification.
Be blessed.

God did define the ten commandment as the Covenant, this thread is about the covenant, The Ten Commandments and not about the rest of the Law of Moses. I will discuss this in another thread once my research is done, I admit it is a complex topic but well worth investigating.

Blessings.

 

[th1bill]

Many today question whether the Ten Commandments still apply under the new covenant. Some believe they were temporary, pointing to writings that describe the law as a ministry that brought death and condemnation. But when we look deeper into the words of Jesus and the prophets, we find a different truth—one filled with life, purpose, and enduring glory.

The prophet Jeremiah gave a clear promise from God:
“I will make a new covenant… I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” (Jeremiah 31:31–33)

This promise was not about removing the law but placing it where it was always meant to be—inside the heart. The commandments, once written on stone, would now be written in living hearts through the Spirit of God. But like any true covenant, it only works when both sides agree. God remains faithful, but His people must accept it, cherish it, and allow His Spirit to plant it deep within them.

Jesus never set the commandments aside. He honored the law and taught its fullness. When He healed on the Sabbath or defended His disciples for picking grain, He wasn’t breaking the law—He was showing its true purpose. He said, “It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” (Matthew 12:12) The Sabbath was made for man—not man for the Sabbath. Jesus reminded the people that the heart of the law is love, mercy, and goodness, not cold rituals.

He also taught that not even the smallest part of the law would pass away until all is fulfilled:
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill… till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law.” (Matthew 5:17–18) Jesus taught from the law and lived by it. He deepened its meaning. He showed that anger leads to murder, and lust is already adultery in the heart. His teachings didn’t cancel the law—they raised it to its true spiritual level.

So why does it seem today that God's law is not written in the hearts of many? The answer lies in the covenant relationship. If one party refuses the covenant, it cannot be fulfilled. The Spirit cannot write in a heart that is closed. Many call Jesus Lord but do not walk in His ways. As He said, “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46)

The commandments remain—not as a list of rules, but as a path to life. The law of God is perfect, converting the soul. The problem was never with the law, but with the hearts of people. The old covenant failed because the people broke it, not because the law was faulty.

The new covenant is not the removal of God’s law but its renewal—inside us. The Spirit does not lead us away from the commandments but gives us the power to live them. Jesus said the Spirit will guide us into all truth. The law and the Spirit are not enemies—they work together when the heart is willing. In the end, the new covenant fulfills the old by making it alive. The law that once condemned now becomes a light. But for this to happen, the covenant must be embraced, and the heart must be softened. God's law in the heart is a sign of His people. It is how we love Him and love our neighbor.

The commandments are not heavy when written in love. They are eternal because they reflect the character of God Himself. They are still standing, still holy, and still waiting for hearts that will receive them—not in stone, but in spirit and truth.

A complement to this post can be found below;

The Mustard Seed and the Growth of God's Kingdom

Jesus gave many parables to help us understand the ways of God, and among the most powerful is the parable of the mustard seed. Though short in words, it carries a deep truth about the kingdom of heaven, the work of the Spirit, and the new covenant God promised through the prophets. Jesus said...

www.christianforums.com

I see the ones doing Church are coming out of the woodwork. I feel that you, like I, are Indwelt and are being taught by Ruah/the Holy Spirit. People like performing and dislike imitating Christ. This is one great article, and my prayer is for Yehovah to bless it to the hearts of people here.

 

[ARBITER01]

The Old Covenant Ten Commandments are necessarily fulfilled in the new commandment of the New Covenant,
"Love one another as I have loved you." (Jn 13:34)

Correct.

Heb 13:10 We have an altar of which the ones serving the tabernacle have no right to eat.

There are many passages in the book of Hebrews that draws a line between the old and new like this one. The commandments that we follow now are from Jesus. We are to seek to be Christ-like, and that has nothing to do with the old.

 

[BobRyan]

1 Cor 7:19 "what matters is keeping the commandments of God"
Rev 14:12 "saints keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus"
1 John 5:3-4 "This IS the Love of God that we keep His Commandments"

Eph 6:1-2 "The first commandment with a promise - is Honor your father and mother"

Deut 5 makes the case that God spoke the TEN from Sinai - and added no more. WHich of course is the case with the spoken Word directly from Sinai to the people.

 

[Dan Perez]

1 Cor 7:19 "what matters is keeping the commandments of God"
Rev 14:12 "saints keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus"
1 John 5:3-4 "This IS the Love of God that we keep His Commandments"

Eph 6:1-2 "The first commandment with a promise - is Honor your father and mother"

Deut 5 makes the case that God spoke the TEN from Sinai - and added no more. WHich of course is the case with the spoken Word directly from Sinai to the people.

This is what OUR APOSTLE TO GENTILES has written to the Body of Christ in Rom 13:9 !

# 1 You should not commit Adultery

# 2 You shall not commit murder

# 3 You shall not Sreal

# 4 You shall not Testifly Falsely

# 5 You shall not Desire after

# 6 And if there is any DIFFERENT commandment , it is summed up in this word , You shall love your NEIGHBOR

as yourself .

The MOSICA Law was done AWAY as seen in Acts 28:25-28 AND in 1 Cor 3:13-14 !!

dan p

 

[BobRyan]

This is what OUR APOSTLE TO GENTILES has written to the Body of Christ in Rom 13:9 !

# 1 You should not commit Adultery

# 2 You shall not commit murder

# 3 You shall not Sreal

# 4 You shall not Testifly Falsely

# 5 You shall not Desire after

# 6 And if there is any DIFFERENT commandment , it is summed up in this word , You shall love your NEIGHBOR

as yourself .

The MOSICA Law was done AWAY as seen in Acts 28:25-28 AND in 1 Cor 3:13-14 !!

dan p

James said to delete one is to delete them all in James 2
"Love your neighbor as yourself " is in the Law of Moses - Lev 19:18
Paul never quotes Deut 6:4 "Love God with all your heart" which Jesus said is "The greatest commandment" Matt 22.
Paul never said he was "downsizing the Bible" or "downsizing the commandments of God".
Paul never quotes "do not take God's name in vain" - yet we all know that this too - remains a sin

To read Paul's writings as if he had said "delete your Bible - this is all the Bible you have now" is highly inaccurate.

Acts 23 - Paul is put on trial and even his non-Christian Pharisee opponents in the trial testify "we find no fault in this man" - which they could not have done if Paul were actually preaching the "delete your scriptures" doctrine that some have imagined.

Eph 6:2 says "Honor your father and mother is the first commandment with a promise" - and that is only true within the unit of TEN - the TEN Commandments.

 

[CoreyD]

Many today question whether the Ten Commandments still apply under the new covenant. Some believe they were temporary, pointing to writings that describe the law as a ministry that brought death and condemnation. But when we look deeper into the words of Jesus and the prophets, we find a different truth—one filled with life, purpose, and enduring glory.

The prophet Jeremiah gave a clear promise from God:
“I will make a new covenant… I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” (Jeremiah 31:31–33)

This promise was not about removing the law but placing it where it was always meant to be—inside the heart. The commandments, once written on stone, would now be written in living hearts through the Spirit of God. But like any true covenant, it only works when both sides agree. God remains faithful, but His people must accept it, cherish it, and allow His Spirit to plant it deep within them.

Jesus never set the commandments aside. He honored the law and taught its fullness. When He healed on the Sabbath or defended His disciples for picking grain, He wasn’t breaking the law—He was showing its true purpose. He said, “It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” (Matthew 12:12) The Sabbath was made for man—not man for the Sabbath. Jesus reminded the people that the heart of the law is love, mercy, and goodness, not cold rituals.

He also taught that not even the smallest part of the law would pass away until all is fulfilled:
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill… till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law.” (Matthew 5:17–18) Jesus taught from the law and lived by it. He deepened its meaning. He showed that anger leads to murder, and lust is already adultery in the heart. His teachings didn’t cancel the law—they raised it to its true spiritual level.

So why does it seem today that God's law is not written in the hearts of many? The answer lies in the covenant relationship. If one party refuses the covenant, it cannot be fulfilled. The Spirit cannot write in a heart that is closed. Many call Jesus Lord but do not walk in His ways. As He said, “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46)

The commandments remain—not as a list of rules, but as a path to life. The law of God is perfect, converting the soul. The problem was never with the law, but with the hearts of people. The old covenant failed because the people broke it, not because the law was faulty.

The new covenant is not the removal of God’s law but its renewal—inside us. The Spirit does not lead us away from the commandments but gives us the power to live them. Jesus said the Spirit will guide us into all truth. The law and the Spirit are not enemies—they work together when the heart is willing. In the end, the new covenant fulfills the old by making it alive. The law that once condemned now becomes a light. But for this to happen, the covenant must be embraced, and the heart must be softened. God's law in the heart is a sign of His people. It is how we love Him and love our neighbor.

The commandments are not heavy when written in love. They are eternal because they reflect the character of God Himself. They are still standing, still holy, and still waiting for hearts that will receive them—not in stone, but in spirit and truth.

A complement to this post can be found below;

The Mustard Seed and the Growth of God's Kingdom

Jesus gave many parables to help us understand the ways of God, and among the most powerful is the parable of the mustard seed. Though short in words, it carries a deep truth about the kingdom of heaven, the work of the Spirit, and the new covenant God promised through the prophets. Jesus said...

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Please read Romans 5:18-10:4
There, Paul makes clear that one cannot be both under the law of Christ, and the law of the former (old) covenant.
The mediator of the old covenant is not the mediator of the new covenant, and the old covenant is not the same as the new covenant. Hebrews 8:6, 7
The mediator of the old covenant did not mediate between God, and us, but God and the nation of Israel.
Please read Exodus 19:1-24:18; Deuteronomy 5:1-5

If a number of employees signed a contract with a manager, that contract is not between the manager and every person that walks off the street, is it.
If a new contract is made out, what happen?
Those who would be in that contract need to sign it.

When a woman is married, she cannot be the husband of anther man.
Only when her husband dies, is she free to become another man's.
Paul's letters contain simple examples such as these.
However, for some, whether in life or in death, these cannot be grasped.

 

[JesusFollowerForever]

It's a good question--one that I've been answering lately in several different places, I believe? But it deserves a succinct but thorough answer.

I think this is best explained in 2 parts.
1) Commandments designed to show what we need to be Saved Eternally.
2) Commandments designed to get the job of Witnessing done after we have been Saved.

The Law of Moses was designed to show Israel what they needed to see accomplished in order to be saved, both individually in a spiritual sense and nationally in a political sense. They had to obey the 613 requirements of the Law in order to be blessed and retain their status as a nation under God.

This is what would lead to their Salvation. But being that sin condemned them individually on a legal basis, and spoiled the nation's hope due to the spreading of sin within their society, it fell upon Christ to meet the need for both flawless obedience to God and providing a pardon for those who obeyed but fell short of perfection. Ultimately, only a relative few individuals in Israel obtained spiritual Salvation, and the salvation of the whole nation politically has been an age-long process involving judgment among nations.

Let me make a few points in this regard...

1) Commandments are to be obeyed when they come from Christ, though not under covenant of Moses' Law. We are not under Moses' Law, whether 10 Commandments, Dietary Laws, Temple Laws, Sacrifice Laws, Feast Laws, Priest Laws, etc. The 613 rquirements were directed to the Jewish people alone before the Cross.

Since Israel failed under this covenant, we only have recourse to Christ's New Covenant, which do not require adherance to the 613 requirements of the Law. But following Salvation under the New Covenant, there are still commandments to be kept in order to fulfill our job of Witnessing to the World.

But when it comes to Christ's Commandments, it is not Legalism to obey them. It is a requirement made of Saved People. To disobey them doesn't make Saved People Unsaved. It just makes them disobedient, doing harm to the Gospel Mission of Witnessing to the World.

2) When Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount called for complete adherence to all 613 or so Laws of Moses, he was speaking to Israel alone while the Law was still in effect. He indicated that "until heaven and earth passes away" its applicability would remain in effect.

It was in effect saying that not only did the Law have to be obeyed under the Old Covenant system, but it needed to be "fulfilled." That was the role Christ was to apply in fulfilling the entire Law and pardoning Israel legally.

For Israel Christ's command to obey the whole Law was realistic, recognizing Israel could not be justified under the Law--they were flawed. So fulfillment of the Law was based on the conditional aspect of the Law, determined by obedience or disobedience and its resulting consequences. Jesus said he would fulfill the inevitable shortcomings, fulfilling all prophecy.

In saying that he, and not Israel, would fulfill the Law and provided the true legal basis for Salvation. Legal SAlvation could not have been strictly by the Law, because it demanded perfection. He indicated that before the universe passes away he would have to become the sole means of earth's eternal inheritance, because not just Israel but all men are flawed.

3) The Law and the Commandments of Jesus both were intended to be fulfilled *in the heart.* The New Covenant is not distinguished from the Law because it is now located "in the heart." All commandments, in whatever covenant, were meant to be fulfilled *in the heart.*

We know now, looking back, that what was written down in 613 requirements are now fulfilled without all of those requirements. Commadnments remain but not commandments necessary to bring about Eternal Salvation.

With adherance to a "changed heart" we show that we *have been* Saved, past tense. We still have commandments to obey to get the Witnessing Job done, but our own Salvation has been taken care of by Christ's perfect standard and by his fulfillment of the Law, bringing eternal mercy to all who obey him.

What made the New Covenant unique in Jer 31.31 is the fact it would be "unlike" the Law in some respects. It would be yet another recovery from failure under the conditions of obedience under the Law.

This had happened before. But Jeremiah mentions at the start of his book that the ark itself would go away. This suggests a major change in Temple Worship, marking the fulfillment of the New Covenant as uniquely internal, not requiring external perfection, as indicated in writing out a document with explicit conditions. This new kind of Temple Worship would, like previous reforms, lead to a New Heart in Israel.

The biggest difference however would be in the clause "Never Again." Never again would Israel have to be punished in order to bring the nation to political and spiritual salvation. When the remant of Israel obeys God by turning to Christ, those who reject Christ will be judged, allowing the whole nation to be reformed around the Christian remnant.

How often we forget what Jesus truly taught, and how easily we fall into the ideas of men rather than holding fast to God’s Word.

The claim that the Ten Commandments are no longer needed under the New Covenant is simply not true. When Jesus was asked what to do to gain eternal life, He answered clearly: “If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” (Matthew 19:17). He then listed several of the Ten Commandments—showing that they still apply, and are not optional.

Some say that “Christ’s commandments” are different from the Ten Commandments, or that we no longer follow God’s law but a new one made only of love. But Jesus never said that. He taught that love is the foundation of the Law—not a replacement. He said, “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:40). These two—the love of God and love of neighbor—summarize the Ten Commandments. They do not erase them.

In fact, Jesus magnified the commandments. Jesus never said "keep all 613 laws." In the Sermon on the Mount, He magnified the Ten Commandments, focusing on moral purity of the heart—not ritual or ceremonial laws. He taught that murder begins with anger, adultery with lust, and that we must love even our enemies. He showed that true obedience must come from the heart. This is how He fulfilled the words of Isaiah: “He will exalt the law and make it honorable.” (Isaiah 42:21).

Jesus did not ask us to follow a different law—He came to fulfill the very one given by God. Not a single word of His ever removed the need to obey God’s commands. Rather, He said: “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill... till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law.” (Matthew 5:17-18)

The idea that obedience is only about witnessing after we are saved is not what Jesus taught. He said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom... but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21). And again, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15)

Even the New Covenant does not remove the commandments. It writes them on our hearts: “I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts.” (Jeremiah 31:33). It is still the same law, now engraved within, lived out by love and obedience.

So no, Jesus did not teach that the commandments ended. He upheld them, lived them, and told us to follow them if we want to live. The notion that “Christ’s law” is something new and separate is a man-made idea. Jesus’ own words tell us plainly: if we love Him, we will keep the same commandments He gave from the beginning—because love fulfills the law, not replaces it.

 

[JesusFollowerForever]

Please read Romans 5:18-10:4
There, Paul makes clear that one cannot be both under the law of Christ, and the law of the former (old) covenant.
The mediator of the old covenant is not the mediator of the new covenant, and the old covenant is not the same as the new covenant. Hebrews 8:6, 7
The mediator of the old covenant did not mediate between God, and us, but God and the nation of Israel.
Please read Exodus 19:1-24:18; Deuteronomy 5:1-5

If a number of employees signed a contract with a manager, that contract is not between the manager and every person that walks off the street, is it.
If a new contract is made out, what happen?
Those who would be in that contract need to sign it.

When a woman is married, she cannot be the husband of anther man.
Only when her husband dies, is she free to become another man's.
Paul's letters contain simple examples such as these.
However, for some, whether in life or in death, these cannot be grasped.

Thank you for sharing these thoughts. But it is important to understand what the Bible truly says about the law, the commandments, and the new covenant.

Jesus Himself said clearly:

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” (Matthew 5:17)

Jesus did not cancel the law; He fulfilled it and showed us its true meaning.


The law God gave to Israel and all who believe in Him—the Ten Commandments—are the covenant and God’s moral law is eternal. Jesus confirmed this when He said:

“If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” (Matthew 19:17)

He then listed commandments from the Ten Commandments.


ALso, he New Covenant, prophesied in Jeremiah 31:33, says:

“I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts.”

This means the law is not removed nor changes but written in a new way—internalized by the believer.

Paul’s point about not being “under the law” means we are not saved by works or by following the old covenant’s ceremonial and civil laws, but through faith in Christ’s sacrifice. Yet, faith that saves is never alone from obedience:

“Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:17)

Finally, the examples you mention about contracts and marriage are about exclusive relationships and commitment—showing the believer belongs fully to Christ.

But belonging to Christ means obeying His commandments, because He said:

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15)

The New Covenant does not exclude God’s commandments; it changes how they live in our hearts. It frees us from the law as a system of salvation but not from the law as God’s holy standard.

The commandments remain, but our obedience flows from love and a changed heart, not from trying to earn salvation. Jesus’ teaching and the New Covenant both confirm this.

 

[Spiritual Jew]

James said to delete one is to delete them all in James 2

No, he did not say that. He said to break one of the commandments of the law of Moses means you are guilty of breaking all of them. That's why Paul wrote about

James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

This is why Paul wrote this...

Galatians 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. 11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

 

[JesusFollowerForever]

Correct.

Heb 13:10 We have an altar of which the ones serving the tabernacle have no right to eat.

There are many passages in the book of Hebrews that draws a line between the old and new like this one. The commandments that we follow now are from Jesus. We are to seek to be Christ-like, and that has nothing to do with the old.

We must carefully compare everything with what Jesus actually taught.

Yes, Jesus gave us a new commandment in John 13:34:
“Love one another; as I have loved you.”
This was not a replacement of the Ten Commandments, but a deeper call to live out the same love He demonstrated—sacrificial, pure, and active. It builds upon what was already written in the law: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Leviticus 19:18)

Jesus Himself made it clear in Matthew 22:37–40 that the entire law and the prophets hang on the two great commandments: love for God and love for neighbor. These two are the foundation, not a substitute. If we love God, we will not take His name in vain or worship idols. If we love our neighbor, we will not steal from them, lie to them, or commit adultery.
Jesus also said plainly:

“If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” (Matthew 19:17)
And He listed several from the Ten Commandments.

He warned in Matthew 5:17–19 that He did not come to destroy the Law but to fulfill it, and that whoever breaks the least of the commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven.

The book of Hebrews speaks of a new covenant—but not a new morality. It shows that the priesthood, sacrifices, and ceremonies of the old system were shadows pointing to Christ. But Hebrews 8:10 (quoting Jeremiah 31:33) confirms that under the new covenant, God writes His law on our hearts, not that the law is erased.

To follow Christ is to walk as He walked—and He never once broke or set aside the Ten Commandments. He magnified them, teaching that anger is the root of murder and lust is the seed of adultery. He taught us to love even our enemies, fulfilling the law not just outwardly, but from the heart.

So no, the Ten Commandments are not made void under the new covenant. They have a special place in a heart that loves—just as Jesus loved. True love and obedience walk hand in hand. Anyone who teaches that Jesus set aside His Father’s commandments is not following the voice of the Shepherd.
As Jesus said:

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15)

 

[SabbathBlessings]

No, he did not say that. He said to break one of the commandments of the law of Moses means you are guilty of breaking all of them. That's why Paul wrote about

James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

This is why Paul wrote this...

Galatians 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. 11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

The book of the law written by Moses contained all the blessings and curses for breaking God's Ten Commandments, why it was outside the ark as a witness against. Deut 31:24-26 God wrote and God spoke the Ten Commandments and claimed them as His Deut 4:13 Exo 34:28 Exo 20:6 , His personal Testimony Exo 31:18 no more was written Deut 5:22 because its a standalone unit thus saith the Lord, placed inside the ark of the Covenant under Christ's mercy seat. Exo 40:20 Exo 25:16

James is quoting and contrasting only from the Ten Commandments James 2:11-12

How does someone with faith live? Do they listen to Jesus or not listen to Him?

Jesus told us how to live quoting from the OT and I believe those who have faith in Jesus believe and follow His teachings.

Mat 4:4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”