SUBJECT:  Ten Commandments

QUESTION:  What Did Paul Actually Teach About the Ten Commandments?

ANSWER:

Most people familiar with the Bible understand that Jesus taught and observed all of the Ten Commandments. Some, though, try to ignore Jesus' teachings on the Ten Commandments by saying that Paul said they were "nailed to the cross". Is that what the Bible teaches? This article will quote what Paul actually taught about the ten commandments.
 

The only scripture (and yes, Paul wrote it) that uses the "nailed it to the cross" expression (AV/NKJ), it is Colossians 2:13-14, which states, "And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumsion of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross". Was Paul trying to say that the Ten Commandments were the "handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us"? Let us examine the scriptures to see what Paul actually taught about each one of the commandments.

Commandment 1: Paul said, "God, who made the world and everything in it...they should seek the Lord" (Acts 17:24,27). Paul also said, "I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things written in the Law" (Acts 24:14). "And what agreement has the temple of God have with idols?" (2 Corinthians 6:16). "you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God" (1 Thessalonians 1:9). "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be...lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" (2 Timothy 3:1,4).

Commandment 2: "Now while Paul was in Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw the city was given over to idols...Then Paul stood and said, 'God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Neither is He worshipped with men's hands, as though He needed anything'" (Acts 17:16,22,24-25). "Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man--and birds and four footed animals and creeping things" (Romans 1:22-23). "But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is...an idolater" (1 Corinthians 5:11). "Neither... idolators...will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). "And do not become idolaters as were some of them...Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry" (1 Corinthians 10:7,14). "And what agreement has the temple of God have with idols?" (2 Corinthians 6:16). "Now the works of the flesh are evident...idolatry" (Galatians 5:19,20). "For this you know that no...idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God" (Ephesians 5:5). "Therefore put to death...covetousness, which is idolatry" (Colossians 3:5). "you turned to God from idols" (1 Thessalonians 1:9).

Commandment 3: "they are all under sin...Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness" (Romans 3:9,14). "But now you yourselves are to put off all these:...blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth" (Colossians 3:8). "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be...blasphemers" (2 Timothy 3:1,2).

Commandment 4: "Then Paul, as his custom was, went to them and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures...And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks" (Acts 17:2;18:4 see also 13:14,27,42,44). "For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: 'If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat'" (2 Thessalonians 3:10); (recall that the requirement to work is also part of the Sabbath command.) "For He spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: 'And God rested on the seventh day from all of His works" (Hebrews 4:4). "There remains therefore a rest (literally sabbatismos, 'Sabbath rest') for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His" (Hebrews 4:9-10).

Commandment 5: "being filled with all unrighteousness...disobedient to parents" (Romans 1:29,30). "Children obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord" (Colossians 3:20). "Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 'Honor your father and mother', which is the first commandment with promise: that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth" (Ephesians 6:1-3). "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be...disobedient to parents" (2 Timothy 3:1,2).

Commandment 6: "being filled with all unrighteousness...murder" (Romans 1:29). "You shall not murder" (Romans 13:9). "Now the works of the flesh are evident...murders" (Galatians 5:19,21). "the lawless and insubordinate...murders...manslayers" (1 Timothy 1:9).

Commandment 7: "being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality" (Romans 1:29). "So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adultereress" (Romans 7:3). "You shall not commit adultery" (Romans 13:9). "But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral" (1 Corinthians 5:11). "Neither... adulterers, nor homosexuals...will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)."Nor let us commit sexual immorality as some of them did" (1 Corinthians 10:8). "Now the works of the flesh are evident...adultery, fornications" (Galatians 5:19). "For this you know that no fornicator...has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God" (Ephesians 5:5). "the lawless and insubordinate...fornicators...sodomites" (1 Timothy 1:9,10). "fornicators and adulterers God will judge" (Hebrews 13:4).

Commandment 8: "You shall not steal" (Romans 13:9). "nor thieves...will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:10). "I have been...in perils of robbers" (2 Corinthians 11:22). "Let him who stole, steal no more" (Ephesians 4:28).

Commandment 9: "You shall not bear false witness" (Romans 13:9). "Therefore, put away lying" (Ephesians 4:25). "the lawless and insubordinate...liars...perjurers" (1 Timothy 1:9,10). "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy" (1 Timothy 4:1-2). "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be...slanderers" (2 Timothy 3:1, 3).

Commandment 10: "being filled with all unrighteousness...covetousness" (Romans 1:29)."You shall not covet" (Romans 7:7). "You shall not covet" (Romans 13:9). "But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is...covetous" (1 Corinthians 5:11). "nor covetous...will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:10). "we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted" (1 Corinthians 10:6). "For this you know that no fornicator...nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God" (Ephesians 5:5). "Therefore put to death...covetousness, which is idolatry" (Colossians 3:5). "For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness" (1 Thessalonians 2:5). "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have" (Hebrews 13:5). "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be...lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God...led away by various lusts" (2 Timothy 3:1,4,6).

Thus, after the crucifixion, the Bible shows that Paul actually taught that all Ten Commandments are still to be followed.

The Ten Commandments could not be "contrary to us" since Paul taught that Christians should still keep every one of them. So then, if the Ten Commandments were not "nailed to the cross", what was? What does the Bible say? "having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross" (Colossians 2:13-14). It was the handwriting of requirements. Which requirements were wiped out? It appears that two things were wiped out. One would be the requirements of the Levitical priesthood (Hebrews 9:1,6-10). And why? "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins...By that will we have been sanctified through offering the body of Jesus once for all" (Hebrews 10:4,10). The other (which is related) would be the death penalty, as "the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). The expression "the handwriting of requirements" is a Greek legal term that signifies the penalty which a lawbreaker had to pay--through Jesus the penalty was wiped out ("the handwriting of requirements"), not the law!

Paul's Other Writings

Paul wrote "For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins" (Hebrews 10:26).

Some have been confused about Paul's other writings, but as Peter warned, "Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things which are some hard things to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do the rest of the scriptures" (2 Peter 3:15-16). Paul himself said, after his conversion to the leaders of the Jews, "Men and brethren, though I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans" (Acts 28:17). If Paul had intentionally violated any of the Ten Commandments (or advocated this of others) he could not have said this. Paul also said, "Therefore I urge you, imitate me" (1 Corinthians 4:16) and "Imitate me, just as I imitate Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1); Jesus, as mentioned in another of our letters, both kept and taught observance of the ten commandments.

"Sin is lawlessness" (1 John 3:4) or as it says in the AV "transgression of the law". How could there be sin if there was no law, since "Paul wrote, "sin is not imputed when there is no law?" (Romans 5:13). If the law was not in place, there would have been none who were "hating covetousness" (Exodus 18:21). Paul apparently agreed with these positions when he wrote, "for by the law is the knowledge of sin...I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, 'You shall not covet'...Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment just and good" (Romans 3:20; 7:7, 12). Paul taught each of the ten commandments. Regarding faith and the law, Paul specifically wrote, "Do we make the void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary we establish the law" (Romans 3:31).

In conclusion, Paul taught that all ten of the commandments. He showed that they were all in effect after the crucifixion. He also specifically taught they were not done away (Romans 3:31). The opinions that state otherwise seem to be "traditions of men" which Jesus warned against (Matthew 15:6). It is not interesting that commandment keepers are God's people in the last book of the Bible (i.e. Revelation 12) and even in its last chapter (Revelation 22:14)? Also, in the last book that Paul wrote before his death, he specifically warns against breaking the first, third, fifth, ninth, and tenth commandments (2 Timothy 3:1-7) as well as sin in general (v. 6). Therefore, it would not appear wise from a biblical standpoint to teach that Paul or the Bible teach that the Ten Commandments are not in effect.

 
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