The Ten Commandments

GunnSmokeer

Senior Member
Good Question

I'm considering writing an article for publication in some mainstream, general-interest media on the subject of the Ten Commandments.

Specifically, the article would be about to what extent they are reflected in our laws of today. Not religious codes, but the Official Code of Georgia, caselaw, administrative law, etc.

Whenever Christians want to display the 10 Commandments in public, the ACLU types scream about how it's offensive to non-believers and, if done on public property, an impermissible government endorsement of religion.

The Christians always respond that our legal system is based on religious law, including much of the 10 Commandments. So it's part of our "legal history" and should be respected and celebrated as such. (Not as laws that the State demands you obey today, but as old law which shows our evolution as a society).

But I'm also wondering if the 10 Commandments were, like so many other ancient laws of the Old Testament, voided by the coming of Christ and His ministry as shown in the new testament? We don't follow rules like slaughtering a fatted calf on an altar. We don't kill adulterers, homosexuals, or people who get divorced (and remarry even!)
 

apoint

Senior Member
I'm considering writing an article for publication in some mainstream, general-interest media on the subject of the Ten Commandments.

Specifically, the article would be about to what extent they are reflected in our laws of today. Not religious codes, but the Official Code of Georgia, caselaw, administrative law, etc.

Whenever Christians want to display the 10 Commandments in public, the ACLU types scream about how it's offensive to non-believers and, if done on public property, an impermissible government endorsement of religion.

The Christians always respond that our legal system is based on religious law, including much of the 10 Commandments. So it's part of our "legal history" and should be respected and celebrated as such. (Not as laws that the State demands you obey today, but as old law which shows our evolution as a society).

But I'm also wondering if the 10 Commandments were, like so many other ancient laws of the Old Testament, voided by the coming of Christ and His ministry as shown in the new testament? We don't follow rules like slaughtering a fatted calf on an altar. We don't kill adulterers, homosexuals, or people who get divorced (and remarry even!)

Slaughtering the calf's arnt needed because of Jesus.
mosaic law was for barbarians, but I think we still have them around today.
 
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earl

Banned
Slaughtering the calf's arnt needed because of Jesus.
mosaic law was for barbarians, but I think we still have them around today.

Haven't heard Jews called barbarians in a while.

Biblical law
See also: Biblical law
Besides the narrative, the Torah also contains statements or principles of law and ethics. Collectively these laws, usually called biblical law or commandments, are sometimes referred to as the Law of Moses (Torat Moshe תּוֹרַת־מֹשֶׁה), Mosaic Law or simply the Law.
 

Ronnie T

Ol' Retired Mod
I'm considering writing an article for publication in some mainstream, general-interest media on the subject of the Ten Commandments.

Specifically, the article would be about to what extent they are reflected in our laws of today. Not religious codes, but the Official Code of Georgia, caselaw, administrative law, etc.

Whenever Christians want to display the 10 Commandments in public, the ACLU types scream about how it's offensive to non-believers and, if done on public property, an impermissible government endorsement of religion.

The Christians always respond that our legal system is based on religious law, including much of the 10 Commandments. So it's part of our "legal history" and should be respected and celebrated as such. (Not as laws that the State demands you obey today, but as old law which shows our evolution as a society).

But I'm also wondering if the 10 Commandments were, like so many other ancient laws of the Old Testament, voided by the coming of Christ and His ministry as shown in the new testament? We don't follow rules like slaughtering a fatted calf on an altar. We don't kill adulterers, homosexuals, or people who get divorced (and remarry even!)

As a Christian, I don't consider the 10 Commandments a part of Christian Doctrine, except that it represented the Law that Jesus himself followed.
The teachings of Jesus and then the teaching of His apostles brought God's Law to the Jews up to date, and made it relevent to me.

Do I now disregard those 10? No. I don't disregard anything of the Old. But I use it in accordance with the Gospel of Christ.

Wasn't it Peter(?) who said that "all scripture is inspired and useful". I think at the time he said that, he was referring to the Old Testament scriptures also.
 

Israel

BANNED
I have often used this analogy, and please bear with me in a little foolishness.
The law is spiritual and perfect.
Like a broadcast from God.
Actually, it is a broadcast from God.
But the receiver is faulty, unable to understand "spirit".

It is not unlike trying to interpret a foreign language...but worse, much worse...for it reveals the fault in the receiver perfectly. We think we understand. And then go about trying to "do" it...and get as far from the intent as we could possibly be.
But this serves the purpose to show us we understand nothing. (Sin, that it might be exceedingly sinful)

A rich and powerful Australian man employed me for a while. He was great to work for, and very awesome. Kind to me in every way.

One day he told me to put the "billy on the boil" and I was puzzled. I didn't know why he would do this, but I did my best to obey. I didn't want to show how ignorant I was, so I set out to do what I thought he wanted.
I found a young man named William, hogtied him, found a huge pot, filled it with water, put plenty of heat under it till it was roiling and threw Billy in.
Then I called the boss and proudly told him it was ready. I had done everything he had asked, even though it took a lot of effort, and, as weird as it seemed to me, he'd surely appreciate all my efforts.

He was horrified.
Wept bitterly at what I had done.
For he was a good and kind man.

Had I simply stopped...had I simply said...
"what do you mean by all this..." I wouldn't have broken his heart.
Instead, it was far more important for me to show I do right by the boss man.

David understood something. David touched something of God that made him a man after "his own heart"...and because of this the psalms are replete with magnificent revelations, which, even if David did not quite grasp all their significance in total, still knew the joy of the intimacy that birthed them.

And David ate the shewbread. And was held blameless.
And David wrote "happy is the man whose sins are forgiven, to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity"

He who is forgiven much, loves much.
David loved much.

The law is not given so we can talk to one another about how we try to keep it.
Or worse, like pharisees, make a show of it.

The law is given to show us the One who never stole, never committed adultery, never bore false witness, had no strange God, keeps the sabbath perfectly, and is deliriously content with his own wife so he never dreams of coveting another...etc.

The law, as everything that has ever issued from God's mouth is not to get us to "do" something...but to see something.
In the seeing is contained all the doing God has ever wanted.
God has always wanted us to see him as he is...the "trying to do" came in after we had rejected his image and likeness as being sufficient for us.
So he sent another in his image and likeness...but who this time did not listen to the lie..."You shall not surely die", but instead said, "I have come to die...and I will"
 

gtparts

Senior Member
As a Christian, I don't consider the 10 Commandments a part of Christian Doctrine, except that it represented the Law that Jesus himself followed.
The teachings of Jesus and then the teaching of His apostles brought God's Law to the Jews up to date, and made it relevent to me.

Do I now disregard those 10? No. I don't disregard anything of the Old. But I use it in accordance with the Gospel of Christ.

Wasn't it Peter(?) who said that "all scripture is inspired and useful". I think at the time he said that, he was referring to the Old Testament scriptures also.

Paul to Timothy, I believe.
 

Israel

BANNED
Paul to Timothy, I believe.

BTW, have I told you how much I like your sig?
How true it is, the "props" are not needed for the truth.

Eph 1:1.
You are what you are by the grace of God.
 

jason4445

Senior Member
This is another example of hokey-pokey - trippy trot through the Old Testament snagging up what you like and ignoring the rest. I always thought that since the Ten Commandments were the one and only thing God actually wrote and gave to a human being they are the most important thing in the Bible. Follow those then worry about everything else.

Grace is more important lets look at the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus said

"You must not think I have come to abolish the Law (including the Ten Commandments) or the prophets. I have not come to abolish them but to complete them. Indeed, I assure you that, while Heaven and earth last, the Law will not lose a single dot or comma until its purpose is complete. This means that whoever now relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men to do the same will himself be called least in Heaven.
 
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