Bob Prichard

Topic(s): Bible Study, Old Testament

Paul told Timothy, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). To know how to “rightly divide” the word of truth, we must understand what law is binding upon us. John wrote, “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). Most people feel that if they keep the Ten Commandments, they will be all right religiously. But the Bible teaches that the new covenant supplants the old covenant, including the law of Moses and the Ten Commandments. Christ came to fulfill the old law and establish the new law. “But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second” (Hebrews 8:6-7). Paul wrote that as Jesus gave His life for men, He was “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).

In His life and death, Jesus kept the law perfectly in a way we never could, and He fulfilled every provision of the old law. We cannot be saved today by keeping the Ten Commandments, because “no man is justified by the law in the sight of God” (Galatians 3:11). Paul reminded the Roman Christians, who lived under the same religious law as we do, “sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14).

God gave the Ten Commandments and the law of Moses to the Israelites to prepare the way for the coming Messiah and His new covenant. Paul wrote that “the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24). The law was the schoolmaster, or guide to bring the Jews to Christ. Jesus, God’s own Son brought the new covenant, the “good news” man needed. We must live by and obey the new covenant, the New Testament today. We no longer live by the law of Moses and the Ten Commandments. We live under the new law of Christ, the “perfect law of liberty” (James 1:25). The Ten Commandments are not part of the law of Christ, although the New Testament repeats nine of them. The only exception is the fourth commandment, “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8).

The new covenant came into force because it is the will of Christ for His followers. Jesus Himself lived His life under the old covenant, but the new covenant came into effect when He died. It was his “will,” or “testament.” “For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament [will] is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth” (Hebrews 9:16-17). From the time of Christ’s death no New Testament writer ever told Christians to keep the old law. We must live by and obey the New Testament.