Expert: D.S - 7/18/2009

Question
If Jesus is the Sabbath and we not required to keep it can we murder, steal and commit adultry because we are no longer required to obey the Ten commandments. If you disagree with this statement what isolates the fourth commandment from the other nine. Please do not use Acts 20:7, because the book of Acts proves Paul and the apostles kept the Sabbath and the festivals at least to the death of James estimated at about AD44 (Acts 13:14, 15, 27, 42-44; 17:2-3.

Answer
Hello,

As my profile states:

"I'm currently studying the scriptures with Jehovah's Witnesses and plan on becoming a member of that religion the main reason is I've learned more about the bible in a short period than in 40 years as Pastor"


I mention this because my answer will  be from a Jehovah Witness
perspective.

First lets look at the Sabbath  ,Jehovah said:

(Exodus 20:8-10) . . .Remembering the sabbath day to hold it sacred, 9 you are to render service and you must do all your work six days. 10 But the seventh day is a sabbath to Jehovah your God. You must not do any work. . .

The term sabbath comes from a Hebrew root word meaning “to rest, cease, cease from labor.

when Jesus was discussing the Law that he came to fulfill, he included the sixth and seventh of the Ten Commandments, those against murder and adultery.


(Matthew 5:21-22) . . .YOU heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You must not murder; but whoever commits a murder will be accountable to the court of justice.’ 22 However, I say to YOU that everyone who continues wrathful with his brother will be accountable to the court of justice; but whoever addresses his brother with an unspeakable word of contempt will be accountable to the Supreme Court; whereas whoever says, ‘You despicable fool!’ will be liable to the fiery Ge·hen´na.

The Christian Scriptures strongly encourage respect for parents and avoidance of such things as idolatry, murder, adultery, stealing and covetousness.


(Ephesians 4:28) . . .Let the stealer steal no more. . .

(1 Peter 4:15) . . .let none of YOU suffer as a murderer or a thief . . .

(Hebrews 13:4) . . .Let marriage be honorable among all, and the marriage bed be without defilement, for God will judge fornicators and adulterers. . .


So when referring to the passing away of the Mosaic Law, does the scriptures  directly say that the Ten Commandments were included in what came to an end?

Notice the scriptures:

(Romans 7:6-7) . . .But now we have been discharged from the Law, because we have died to that by which we were being held fast, that we might be slaves in a new sense by the spirit, and not in the old sense by the written code. 7 What, then, shall we say? Is the Law sin? Never may that become so! Really I would not have come to know sin if it had not been for the Law; and, for example, I would not have known covetousness if the Law had not said: “You must not covet.”

After writing that Jewish Christians had been discharged from the Law what example from the Law does Paul cite? The Tenth Commandment, thus showing that it was included in the Law from which they had been discharged.
                      




              (2 Corinthians 3:7-11) 7 
Moreover, if the code which administers death and which was engraved in letters in stones came about in a glory, so that the sons of Israel could not gaze intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, [a glory] that was to be done away with, 8 why should not the administering of the spirit be much more with glory? 9 For if the code administering condemnation was glorious, much more does the administering of righteousness abound with glory. 10 In fact, even that which has once been made glorious has been stripped of glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels it. 11 For if that which was to be done away with was brought in with glory, much more would that which remains be with glory.

Reference is made here to a code that was “engraved in letters in stones” and it is said that “the sons of Israel could not gaze intently at the face of Moses” on the occasion when it was delivered to them. What is this describing? Exodus 34:1, 28-30 shows that it is the giving of the Ten Commandments; these were the commandments engraved on stone. Obviously these are included in what the scripture here says “was to be done away with.


So doing away with the Mosaic Law, including the Ten Commandments, imply the taking away of all moral restraint?  Not at all; many of the moral standards set out in the Ten Commandments were restated in the NT.

Regarding the new covenant, which has replaced the Law covenant, Hebrews 8:10 states:

(Hebrews 8:10) . . .For this is the covenant that I shall covenant with the house of Israel after those days,’ says Jehovah. ‘I will put my laws in their mind, and in their hearts I shall write them. And I will become their God, and they themselves will become my people.


Paul summed it up  in these words;


(Romans 6:15-17) 15 What follows? Shall we commit a sin because we are not under law but under undeserved kindness? Never may that happen! 16 Do YOU not know that if YOU keep presenting yourselves to anyone as slaves to obey him, YOU are slaves of him because YOU obey him, either of sin with death in view or of obedience with righteousness in view? 17 But thanks to God that YOU were the slaves of sin but YOU became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which YOU were handed over.