Are We Still Under the Ten Commandments
by Richard Cravy

Many sincere and religious people have been led to believe that the Ten Commandments (written on two tablets of stone) comprise the basic laws of God that all men must obey today. Our question is: Did this doctrine spring from the Bible itself, or from men who have not studied the Bible properly?

It Was Glorious…Yet Done Away
It is true that the Ten Commandment Law "...written and engraven in stones, was glorious" (2 Corinthians 3:7). Their spiritual beauty and importance should not be overlooked. But neither should we forget that something even more glorious replaced them! "For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious" (2 Corinthians 3:1).

It Was A Covenant…Taken Away
These Ten Commandments were the very foundation upon which God based a Covenant with Israel. "And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone" (Deuteronomy 4:13) - "the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant" (Deuteronomy 9:9-11). But that covenant had faults, and was replaced by Jesus Christ. "For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second" (Hebrews 8:7). "...He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second" (Hebrews 10:9).

A Covenant With Israel…Abolished
The covenant of the Ten Commandments was made only with Israel - "when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt" (1 Kings 8:9). Only Jewish people were under this covenant; it stood as a barrier separating Jew and Gentile. They were "kept under the law" (Galatians 3:23). Christ abolished that wall - the Law. "Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances..." (Ephesians 2:15).
GOD'S HANDWRITING - BLOTTED OUT
Those Ten Commandments were written and engraved with the finger of God. "And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables" (Exodus 32:16). Nevertheless, these handwritten laws were blotted out, taken away, "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;" (Colossians 2:14). God now writes his laws on the hearts of His people. "I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts..." (Hebrews 8:10).

A Schoolmaster…Til Christ Came
The Ten Commandment Law served to keep the Jews a separate people, and to prepare them for the coming Savior of the world. "But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster" (Galatians 3:53-25). “Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed (Christ) should come to whom the promise was made.. ." (Galatians 3:19). In other words, that Law was a temporary measure!

This Law Died…So Jews Could ‘Marry’ Christ
In Romans 7:1-4 Paul explains that a woman is bound in marriage to her husband as long as he is alive. She cannot marry another. If he dies, she is free. Paul then applies this to the Jews relation to the Law, saying, "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead" (Romans 7:4). Was this the Ten Commandment Law they were dead to? YES! They were dead to the Law which included the command, "Thou shalt not covet." (verse 7.) That was one of the Ten Commandments!

Those Living Under the Law…Live Outside of God’s Grace
Though we have been brief in our study of this biblical subject, we encourage you to go back to your Bible, look up each passage for yourself, and see whether or not we have correctly used them. In conclusion, let us say, "Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." (Galatians 5:4).

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