Some claim that New Testament references to the "law" being done away with, taken away, abolished, and disanulled are references to the laws in the Book of Moses only and not the Ten Commandments.
Yet is this true?
When speaking with the rich man in Matthew 19, Jesus acknowledged that obeying the ten commandments was not enough to make man perfect.
"And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, IF THOU WILT BE PERFECT, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me." Matthew 19:16-21
The way for him to be perfect was to "follow Jesus", not keep the commandments.
When speaking of the law which has passed away we are told:
"Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart." II Corinthians 3:3
"But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away" II Corinthians 3:7
The ten commandments were written on stone. They are part of the "law" that has passed away.
"Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free." Galatians 4:21-31
The free woman and the bond woman ARE the two covenants. Mt. Sinai is where the Ten Commandments were given, and like Agar, it is cast out so that the promise of life and freedom could come forth.
Again, the Scriptures clearly say in direct language, in metaphor, and in prophecy that the law was fulfilled completely in Jesus Christ and has passed away so that those who believe in Him can be under the law of the Spirit in Christ Jesus.
Spirit of the Law Series
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