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CHRIST
DIDN'T CHANGED AND DIDN'T CANCEL THE COMMANDMENTS !
Did Christ
come to abolish or to fulfill the law?
“Do not
think that I came to destroy the law... I did not come to destroy, but to
fulfill” (Matthew 5.17).
Note.
Since the
word "law" is used in different senses in the Bible, we will begin
our study of the Law of God with a brief overview of the various uses of the
word...
The Hebrew
word "torah" used in this text (we are talking about the Old
Testament), refers to the laws given through Moses. However, it should be noted
that these laws fell into three categories :
a) Civil
laws were relevant only to God's chosen people. They were used in special
circumstances during wanderings in the wilderness and in the Promised Land. It
is interesting to note that these laws became the model on which other
civilized peoples subsequently began to create their civil laws. And to this
day these laws have not lost their moral significance;
b) The
ceremonial law was also given only to the people of Israel and converts from
paganism and was of a temporary and symbolic nature (see Gal 4.3,9; Col
2.16-17,20-21; Heb 7.18-19, 9.10, 10.1). He not only was a type of
Christianity, but also demonstrated the unchanging principles of the
relationship between sinful man and sinless God;
c) The
moral law was given to Israel so that the Ten Commandments would become the
property of all mankind. It contains the fundamental moral and religious
principles, embodying the eternal foundations of goodness and revealing to man
the essence of sin. This law has never been repealed, it is unchanged, like its
Author. It is based on the desire of people to communicate with their Creator
and among themselves, which was laid down by God even at creation, and
therefore the moral Law of God is the eternal and all-encompassing factor of
God's rule in the Universe (see Matt. 5.17-20). The seventh chapter of the
Church Manual of the Anglican Episcopal Church states: “Since the law given by
God to Moses does not apply to Christians in respect of rites, ceremonies and
rituals, and civil ordinances, therefore Commonwealth Christians should not
adhere to these laws. As for the moral law, the observance of its commandments
is the sacred duty of every Christian... “.
As we begin
to take a closer look at the moral law, let's examine its characteristics and
how it was originally enunciated.
1. It can
be seen as a revelation of God's mind and will. It is comprehensive in scope,
but purely individual in application, for all the commands of God are written
in personal form and appeal to the heart of a single person.
2. It is
amazingly compact and at the same time surprisingly complete and comprehensive,
covering all aspects of our relationship with God and people and showing our
duties towards them.
It concerns
not only what we openly say and do, but also our most secret thoughts and
motives: the first, second and tenth commandments regulate our desires, the
third and ninth - our words, and the rest - our behavior. The commands
contained in the commandments imply a prohibition, and by prohibiting
something, the law thereby indicates what God expects from us. We read about this
in Lev 19.18, Deut 6.5,10,12 (William C. Procter, Moody Bible Insitute Monthly,
October 1933, p. 49).
“These laws
may rightly be called all-encompassing.... These Ten Commandments are a
combination into a single whole of what human nature perceives as true. And
they are true, true, and unchangeable in all ages, for all peoples” (Peloubet’s
Select Notes [International Sunday School Lessons for January 20, 1946], p.
35).
“He did not
abolish the moral law contained in the Ten Commandments, to which the Old
Testament prophets called for obedience. He did not come to cancel any part of
it... The whole of God's Law remains in force and applies to all people at all
times, and does not depend on time, place, or any other changeable factors. It
contains at its core the Divine and human natures and the unchanging nature of
their relationship“ (John Wesley, "Upon Our Lord's Sermon on the
Mount", Discourse 5, Works, vol.5 [1829] , pp.311,312).
What does
the word "fulfill" mean when referring to the law?
Act,
fulfill, act in accordance with the law, for example: “Carry one another's
burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal 6.2, see Matt 3.15, Jac 2.8-9).
How did
Christ feel about His Father's commandments?
”I have
kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love” (John 15.10).
What should
one do who is in Christ?
”Whoever says that he abides in Him must do as He did” (1 John 2.6).
