The 10 Instructions / Commandments / Laws / Prescriptions in the NT!

There are some who have difficulty seeing the law, the commandments, the instructions, the prescriptions of Ex 20:3-17 in the New Testament.  Even in Christ’s inaugural Sermon on the Mount.   So let’s just take a short overview then of Mt 5-7.  

Blessed = “I restore happiness” .. “to the (those that)”:

…”poor in spirit” = sense their spiritual poverty & feel their need of Christ .  Poverty of spirit came first from humans chosen disobedience of God’s “command” given as a testing law/instruction/direction in Ge 2:17 & the essence of a coming Redeemer 3:15.

…”mourn” = deep sorrow for sin ( sin can easily be seen as anything harmful, mentally, morally, spiritually, relationally, physically )  1 Jn 3:4  gives one biblical definition of sin; “sin is lawlessness”

…”meek” = enduring real or supposed  injury with patience & without resentment.  This would negate 6-10 of the Ten Words

…”hunger & thirst for righteousness” = righteousness [in Strong’s/Merriam Web. dictionaries +]  = “following / doing / acting in accord with God’s standards / moral code” [Ten words] => “they will be filled”; not by our attempts but by the infilling of God’s character of righteousness. ( no more prideful “I will do” of Ge 4 or “we will do” of Ex 19:8 ; Joshua in 24:19 knew & told them they couldn’t.)   “..they will be filled..”

…”merciful “= grace to the unworthy, “all have sinned…”  thus to all our fellow human travelers.  Again fulfilling here 5-9 of the Ten Words

…”pure in heart” = pure means without alloy – no sin.  Meaning no heart desire for harm to our originators or fellow travelers as defined by all the Ten Words, & note it’s not our doing but  -“in heart.”   “I will write my law (instructions/prescriptions {for life} in your heart”

…”peacemakers” = All Ten Words #’s 1-10.   Peace, with those who originated you and with your fellow human travelers.   

17: “do not think I have come to abolish the law”!  { Why do so many thumb their noses at this plain statement of Christ’s in His inaugural sermon?}  –  “but to fulfill them” – in the same way I fulfilled the criteria to become a physician – not by abolishing the criteria  but accomplishing them.———Then Christ, as the Second Adam offering His perfect genetic character to us!!!  Un-worthy though we are.

21:“…do not murder” – Mt 5 – if you are meek & merciful  you will not be angry / disturbed thus have even no desire to harm [ foundational to murder whether physically or relationally ].

27:“.. do not commit adultery” = if you have the heart / the character as is being outlined of Christ.   You will not even look lustfully.   As above, the heart foundations of #’s 1-4 & 7 of the Ten Words 

38: you will not want to harm or kill if you choose not to resist while choosing to give even greater benefits then required.  It’s a foundational heart thing.

43: “love”  NT principle? No!  Note it was an expert in religious law (Pharisee/Scribe/Lawyer) who in knowing the Old Testament –  better than you or I – & especially the OT law, knew the law in short was: “Love the LORD you’re God with all your heart …. & your neighbor as yourself”  Lk 10:25.    Heart love leading to action – again “pure in heart” – foundational!   See  Rev 22:11,14 for the end time reality of the law / the commandments / the instructions continuing to define right and wrong moral behavior.  

6:25 – 34:  Speaks of trusting the One who is worthy.  The failure of our first parents.

6:33  “seek His righteousness”  His heart, His character [Gal 5:22], to act in accord with divine law.  Instructions easily understood as Prime non Nocere.

7:12  “In every thing, do unto others as you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law”  { All Ten Words Ex 34:28; Dt 4:13; 10:4} “and the Prophets.”   {ie:  hesed or loving kindness. }   We are not looking at rules of repression but at laws of & for life!

Could the Ten Words  & Mt 5-7 relationship be any plainer?

In summary the in-heart foundation of the OT Ten Words are beautifully expressed in Christ’s inaugural sermon of Mt 5 – 7.   The gospel of Christ can be stated/seen as: 1] Christian (child of God’s) behavior [the Ten Words] as a manifestation of internal divine virtues.   Or 2] True Christianity is a matter of the heart revealed in behavior.  Or again 3] the gospel is Christ’s enablement of the law to be exemplified in and through each individual’s character.  [Though not limited to or by these descriptions.]  

 Yes,  re-made back into our original character image of Ge 1: 26-7 by His life, death resurrection and continuing ministry Heb 7-11.  Yet again:  “Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit…” 

God is saying; ‘I wish for you and all to have restored happiness in your lives’

………….

For fun let’s try another, say Mt 15: 4 & 19.

19: “For out of the heart” as did Mt 5-9,  along with the teachers of the theology of the time realize – the heart is the true source and finish of the timeless  Mt 5:18, Rev 22:14  law/instructions  OT, NT – God’s prescriptions were & are not time sensitive according to best present knowledge  like mine were – but timeless! 

Mt 15 the Ten Words  

vs 19 #’s 1-4 “come evil thoughts” = “Morally oppositional doubts about God” [Strong’s]

vs 4 #5 “honor your father & mother”

vs 19 #6 “murder”

#7 “adultery, sexual / spiritual immorality (a Mt 5-9 addition)

#8 “theft

#9 “false testimony”

#10 “slander” (a harmful problem arising from coveting)

Some might call for scriptographic outlines of the first four, then turn and state the obvious about any other subject – in that a picture is worth a thousand words or actions speak louder than words.  So let’s pan-out in our observations, first concerning Word 1  by noting Christ’s words in Jn 17:3,6 “That they may know You…I have revealed You” & in Gethsemane “Not my will but thine be done”, & on the cross” Father into thy hands I commit my pneuma/wind/breath”  Lk 23:46; Ge 2:7 –  ie: “No other god’s” Ex 20:3 .  For Word 2 we find Christ frequently worshiping but never to an image but to the unseen God.  No idol.   Word 3 Jn 14: 9-11 “If you have seen Me you have seen the Father….”  Christ did not “carry away the renown” {Strong’s dictionary of Ex 20:7}  “of the LORD,” by his words or actions.    Word 4 actions do speak louder than words as He – the Son of Man – met with His Creator [ as the Son of Man] on His specified relational visitation day of Ge 2: 2-3 > than 1700 times – in humble relational gratitude, not to gain/not to earn, but to joyfully relate.  Then Word 5 – “Dear woman, here is your son,” & to the disciple,”Here is your mother” Jn 19:26-7. 

What is God’s unchanging law other than descriptions of selfless love stated variously – succinctly or in narratives – as nomologic a necessary prerequisite to the gift and continuation of perpetual life.  And to be seen in contradistinction to the chaos of unsustainable self-love – “my way” – nomologically ending in the absence of existence. 

  And there are other similar repeats in the NT such as in MK 7:20-23; or Rev 13 &14.  Mt 15 though is fundamentally a question about the Jew’s placing tradition above God’s plain words in the simple Ten & His actions in Words 1-5 do speak louder than words.   And it’s a question for us: do we?   And it’s a question of our hearts – not to gain, earn or obtain, but out of admiration, adoration, gratefulness & love for our Creator & Redeemer & patient Inviter via His invited forgiveness, life, love & power within say: Yes, LORD yes, to your will and your way.

NIV,ESV

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