The 4th command is conspicuously absent in being restated as needing to be kept in the New Testament.
That is
not true Chad. According to the scriptures we read from Jesus that the Sabbath was made for man and Jesus us the Lord of the Sabbath in Mark 2:27-28; Matthew 12:8. Jesus in fact taught us that it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath in Matthew 12:1-12;
Mark 3:1-5;
Luke 6:1-10; 13:14-16; 14:1-5;
John 7:22-23; 9:14;
Mark 1:21;
Mark 6:2;
Luke 4:16; 31;
Luke 14:1; 23:56 and it was His custom to keep the Sabbath in Luke 4:16. Jesus also warned his disciples to pray that their flight be not on the Sabbath day when Jerusalem was to be destroyed in Matthew 24:20 so he was still expecting His disciples to still be keeping the Sabbath of Gods' 4th commandment *Exodus 20:8-11 well after His death and resurrection. Not to mention all the disciples continued keeping God's Sabbath according to the scriptures in the new testament in Acts of the Apostles 13:14; 13:27; 13:44; 15:21; 16:13; 17:2. According to Hebrews we also read in Hebrews 4:9 Therefore it remains for the people of God to keep the Sabbath. Jesus did not come to abolish the law *Matthew 5:17-19 Sorry Chad your wrong in your claims here (
Need more scripture? linked)
Jesus cited the two love commands as the commands that fulfill all the law, as did Paul, and there is no required day to be kept at all in them - we are free to observe any day of rest we choose.
Not according to the scriptures....
LOVE IS NOT SEPARATE FROM LAW IT IS EXPRESSED THROUGH IT!
Jesus says unless we are born again to love we cannot see the kingdom of Heaven in
John 3:3-7. Those who are born again do not practice sin according to John in
1 John 3:6-9 and those who do have not seen God or know him *
1 John 2:3-4;
Matthew 7:21-23.
We need a new heart to love and that is what God's new covenant is as shown in the scriptures in
Jeremiah 31:31-34;
Ezekiel 36:24-27 and
Hebrews 10:26-31. God knows us that we are all sinners in need of His salvation and Grace *
Matthew 9:12-13 and without Gods help we do not have the love of God in us *
John 5:42.
According to the scriptures we cannot separate Gods' love from God's law as God's love is expressed through obedience to Gods' law and is why Jesus says that on the two great commandments of love to God and love to man hang all the law and the prophets in
Matthew 22:36-40; Paul says the same thing as Jesus when he shows in
Romans 13:8-10 that love is expressed in obedience to the 10 commandment to our fellow man and that love to man is simply a summary of obedience to God's 10 commandments. This is also agreed to by James when he shows in
James 2:8-12 that love is not expressed through breaking anyone of God's 10 commandments.
According to the scriptures sin according to John is the transgression of God's law *
1 John 3:4 and those who practice sin and those who do not is the difference between the children of God and the children of the devil in
1 John 3:9-10. Unless we are born again into God's new covenant promise to love we cannot see the kingdom of heaven (
John 3:3-7).
1 John 5:2-4 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. This is why Jesus says "If you love me keep my commandments *John 14:15.
The Decalogue is included as part of the law of Moses, so when the church in Acts 15 says gentile believers need to keep only the few things listed from the law of Moses, they are obviously not under the Decalogue any longer - which is also obvious because scripture says the ten ARE the covenant on two tables of stone. What is famously on two tables of stone? The ten commands are. That’s why the decorated box they kept the ten commands in, is called THE ARK OF THE COVENANT.
Here’s what claim they were pondering in Acts 15, it was not only circumcision:
Acts 15:5 there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.
Act 15:6 And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.
Act 15:7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
Act 15:8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
Act 15:9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
Act 15:10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
Act 15:11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.
Acts 15 is silent about the Sabbath just as it is about committing murder, lying, stealing, committing adultery, using God's name in vain, coveting your neighbors belongings, and worshiping other God's. This is because Acts 15 was never over the question of "
Are the ten commandments a requirement for Christian living?" The question that Acts 15 was discussing was "
Is circumcision a requirement for salvation for new gentile believers?" This is clearly shown in
Acts of the Apostles 15:1-2 and this was the question Paul and Barnabas when to Jerusalem to discuss as shown in the scriptures. To have an interpretation of Acts 15 that God's 10 commandments are not a requirement for gentile believers contradicts most of the new testament scriptures and the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles who all kept the Sabbath and taught others to keep God's 10 commandments (
scripture support here). Having the interpretation that Acts 15 was over the 10 commandments and not circumcision as it is written in
Acts of the Apostles 15:1-2 also makes Paul a hypocrite when he goes to the Corinthians believers not long afterwards and says "
Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God." in
1 Corinthians 7:19. According to the scriptures, Acts 15 has nothing to do with if God's 10 commandments are a requirement for Christian living. It was about if the Mosiac "
shadow law" was a requirement for salvation for new gentile believers. The answer was no as they would continue learning God's Word every Sabbath *
Acts of the Apostles 15:19-21.
Note that circumcision is not an unbearable yoke of burden, but keeping the 613 rules, commands, and statutes in the law given to Moses, WAS a burden, and deliberately so, to contrast trying to earn righteousness vs righteousness by grace through faith in the new covenant.
According to the scriptures we are saved by grace through faith and not of ourselves it is a gift of God and not of works lest any man should boast *
Ephesians 2:8-9 but Gods grace is so we can be obedient to the faith *
Romans 1:5. Obedience to God's Law is not how we are saved it is the FRUIT faith of one that is already been given Gods promise of salvation and the fruit of God's work in us *
Philippians 2:13 as we believe and follow his word *
John 10:26-27. If our faith has no fruit it is dead *
James 2:18-20; 26 and our tree will be cast down and thrown into the fire *
Matthew 3:10; 7:19-20; 13:49-50;
Hebrews 10:26-27. Therefore we do not abolish God's law through faith like some people teach but God's law is established in the heart by faith that works by love *
Romans 3:31;
1 John 5:3-4;
Romans 13:8-10. According to the scriptures, sin (breaking God' commandments and not believing and following God's Word) is the difference between the children of God and the children of the devil *1 John 3:6-10; 1 John 2:3-4; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 14:12; Revelation 22:14. Therefore it is not a burden to keep God's commandments if we have been born again into God's new covenant promise *Hebrews 8:10-12 from Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Ezekiel 36:24-27 to love. John tells us that keeping God's law is not a burden to those who love in 1 John 2:2-3 where he says "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." and Jesus when he says If you love me keep my commandments - John 14:15
In Galatians 4:21-31 Paul calls the covenant given on mount SINAIS, slavery! It was the law and the ten commands that were given on mount Sinai, and yet it was slavery, ie. a yoke of burden.
Galatians 4:21-31 [21], Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? [22], For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a free woman. [23], But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the free woman was by promise. [24], WHICH THINGS ARE AN ALLEGORY: FOR THESE ARE THE TWO COVENANTS; THE ONE FROM MOUNT SINAI, WHICH BRINGS FORTH TO BONDAGE WHICH IS HAGAR. [25], For this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. [26], But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. [27], For it is written, Rejoice, you barren that bear not; break forth and cry, you that travail not: for the desolate has many more children than she who has a husband. [28], Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. [29], But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. [30], Nevertheless what says the scripture? Cast out the BONDWOMEN AND HER SON (OLD COVENANT ): for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman.
HAGAR = OLD COVENANT (Exodus)
SARAH = NEW COVENANT PROMISE (Jer 31:31-33; Heb 8:10-12)
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links to Rom 3:19-20...
Romans 3:19-20 [19], Now we know that whatsoever things the law says, it says to them who are UNDER THE LAW: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. [20], Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: FOR BY THE LAW IS THE KNOWLEDGE OF SIN.
back to John 8...
[34], Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, WHOSOEVER COMMITS SIN IS A SERVANT OF SIN. [35], And the servant abides not in the house forever: but the Son abides ever. [36], IF THE SON SHALL MAKE YOU FREE <from SIN> YOU SHALL BE FREE INDEED.
NEW COVENANT PROMISE IS FREEDOM FROM THE BONDAGE OF SIN (breaking God's law) BY WALKING IN GOD'S SPIRIT (1 John 3:4; Romans 7:7; Romans 3:20; Galatians 5:16. That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit *Romans 8:1-4. Faith does not abolish God's law according to Paul it establishes Gods' law *Romans 3:31; Romans 13:8-10.
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CONCLUSION: HAGAR and her son represent the OLD COVENANT and those who are in BONDAGE to SIN. God's LAW gives a KNOWLEDGE of what SIN is. SARAH represents the NEW COVENANT and freewomen and those who have found forgiveness through FAITH in the BLOOD of CHRIST. The problem is many do not know what the OLD COVENANT is and mix up the SHADOW laws with those which are eternal and give us a KNOWLEDGE of SIN that lead us to the Savior and are the standard in the OLD and NEW COVENANTS and the Judgement to come.
Hope this is helpful
