Should Christians keep the Law of the Old Testament? Are the Commandments of the Bible still valid? Or did Jesus abolish the law? The answer is clear: No, the law has not been abolished and therefore Christians have to keep the commandments of the Old Testament! In the following article I will prove to you why, based on the words of Christ and other scripture of the Bible.
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. (Matthew 19: 16-19)
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Jesus taught us to keep the Old Testament Law
Many people assume that the law of the Old Testament has been abolished by Jesus and therefore are not valid anymore. Usually, these people justify this theory with verses of Paul, which are seemingly in contrast to Jesus’ own statements. Jesus states in countless situations, that he is neither a friend of sin nor of sinners. For many Christians it may sound incomprehensible, but Jesus was a Jew. And his doctrines were far more Jewish than they are interpreted today. Jesus never said that we are free to break the Law of the Old Testament, nor that we can solely rely on grace. Instead, he made us realize that we must believe in him and his word to achieve eternal life. Because only who is born of the Spirit of God, receives permission to enter the Kingdom of God.
Jesus said that you must obey his word if you love him
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words. And my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me. (John 14:23-24)
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. (1. John 5:3-4)
Jesus said that we should keep the commandments if we love God. The Old Testament says nothing else. Furthermore, there’s another lesson in the second part of this verse. It teaches us that everyone who has been born again by the Spirit of God overcomes the world and therefore is able to keep the Law of God.
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. For the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:23-24)
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5)
Did Jesus abolish the law?
No, Jesus did not come to destroy the Law of the Old Testament. We can read in the Bible that he placed great value on the commandments and didn’t want to dissolve them in any way. It is even written that someone, who dissolves the Law or teaches others not to follow it, won’t enter into the kingdom of heaven at all!
Think not that I am come to destroy the Law, or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. But whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:17-20)
Many Christians interpret this verse in a wrong way. They think that Jesus has fulfilled the Law of the Old Testament for us so that we don’t have to keep it anymore. But in fact, the word “fulfill” means “to add” or “to complement” in this context. Already in the next sentence he says that the Law will not perish before heaven and earth have passed away. That doesn’t mean that we shall stop keeping the Law, when Jesus is dead. He even says that people, who break the Law and don’t observe it better than the Pharisees, won’t enter the Kingdom of God at all.
Another proof that Jesus means “to add/ to complement” and not “to fulfill”, can be found here. Jesus says at this point that he gives us a NEW commandment, which clearly points out that he is complementing the already existing Law of the Bible:
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. (John 13:34)
Jesus warns the wicked to keep the Law of Moses
But that’s not everything. In the following verse, Jesus prophesies that many will come and claim that Jesus has abolished the Law of the Bible. And yet, they will claim to be following Jesus and pretend to act according to his teachings. Read what is going to happen to these people. Put your attention on the first and last sentence:
Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them. For this is the Law and the prophets. Enter ye in at the strait gate. For wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7:12-23)
By their fruits you will recognize them. What does Jesus mean? He speaks of the deeds of men who do not follow the Law.
Hint: The last part in the verse “ye that work iniquity” means as much as “you that break the Law”.
The Jewish Law teaches that someone who does not keep the Law is a culprit. It is also said that the devil is the root of all evil because he doesn’t observe the Law. Here is the proof. In recent Bible translations, which are based on the ancient Greek writings, rather than the Latin writings, it is translated as “you workers of Lawlessness”.
And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of Lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7:23) ESV
To underline these Bible verses let us add the words that Jesus’ own brother said:
What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. (James 2:14-17)
Did Paul teach the Old Testament Law in a wrong way?
At this point many Christians will still insist that Paul has taught us something else. But in fact, Paul taught us nothing else than Jesus did. He was very well aware that Jesus did not abolish the law. But in order to understand the words of Paul and his dispute with the other disciples, you must know what happened back then.
After Jesus died, there was great disagreement between the disciples. They had different opinions about how to teach the gospel to the heathens. While some of the disciples thought that the Gentiles shouldn’t be taught at all, others said that it would be difficult to teach the Gospel to the Gentiles if they haven’t received the Law yet. And partially, that was right.
However, Paul said that Jesus died for the grace of those who are not able to keep the Law. And that’s true, as well.
BUT: nobody can receive grace if he ignores the Law of the Bible. For Jesus didn’t die on the cross, so that sinners may be pardoned, but that they may receive the Spirit of God, which helps them to stop sinning! See above.
For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. (Romans 2:12-16)
So what did Paul do then? He went to the heathen and taught them the Gospel without telling them anything about the Law. He thought that someone who doesn’t know the Law can not sin against it. However, today no one can claim that he doesn’t know the commandments. Even if you break the Law without knowing the Law, you still have sinned. For everyone who wants to follow Jesus must accept his teachings, so that he can be instructed by the Spirit to not sin anymore.
Here is the proof, that Paul did not teach us that we shouldn’t keep the Law:
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the Law, but under grace. (Romans 6:14)
In the next sentence, he said:
What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the Law, but under grace? God forbid. (Romans 6:15)
If you want to know more about this topic read this article: Not under law but under grace – What did Paul teach?
Paul kept the Law of the Bible himself
Paul has kept the commandments of the Old Testament. Nevertheless, many Christians still claim that they don’t have to keep the Law of the Old Testament, but can rather live in grace.
Paul continued to obey the Law because he knew about it. Only someone who is sinning without knowing the Law can receive grace. Intentional sinners are still condemned. For whoever is filled with the spirit of God is absolutely able to keep the Law. See above.
Here are some more proofs for my statements:
But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the prophets. (Acts 24:14)
While he answered for himself, Neither against the Law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended any thing at all. (Acts 25:8)
Paul kept the Sabbath and the feast days.
And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures. (Acts 17:2)
And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither. (16:13)
And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. (Acts 18:4)
Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1 Corinthians 5:7-8)
Sin is the Transgression of the Law
And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. (1 John 3:3-10)
But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. (James 2:20-24)
Conclusion – Did Jesus abolish the law?
As we can see, grace doesn’t mean that everyone is free of the Law. It rather means that God himself helps us to keep it. Jesus did not abolish the law and therefore the commandments of the Old Testament given by God will never be ineffective. For God’s Word is eternal! Through Jesus the Law of God has been written into our hearts. Actually, everyone should understand that God’s Law has never changed. Only the way in which we receive it has changed.
However, a Jew must deal with it differently than a heathen. For a Jew already knows the Law of the Old Testament. He only needs to recognize through the Spirit which Law doesn’t correspond to the will of God. Or in other words, he must understand how this Law has to be conducted. If somebody doesn’t know the Law, he still has to keep it. Because the Spirit of God makes it possible to stop sinning. God has always been merciful if somebody sinned by accident. For a failure has nothing to do with the heart. However, ignoring the Law of the Bible still means death.
For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins. (Hebrews 10:26)
And please once for all, the definition of grace includes the existence of an ordinary Law. How can you receive grace if there is no Law? According to the Bible grace is given to those who did everything possible to keep the commandments of God. This applies only to those who are willing to keep the Law of the Bible with all of their heart.
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I fully agree with this article.
A question that is never asked it seems.
Amos 3:7
Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing,
but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
So for those that insist that the law in God has changed, where in the prophets is this stated?
Are you aware of anything spoken by the prophets that would indicate so?
Isn’t Peter a apostle/prophet? Didn’t he say that God deemed Pork clean? Act 10:15 Didn’t he say you don’t got to be circumcised or honoring the sabbath (if one views it the same as any day)? Those contradict the law doesn’t it?
As I’m thinking about it is it because it was God who said. It’s clean? But how isn’t that the same for living under grace and not bound by law? Sorry just uprighting.
Paul was an extremely intelligent and misunderstand man – he never did away with the law. That verse in Peter is translated incorrectly, it was about people, not food.
Love your article!
Being surrounded by “New Testament Christians”, I’m continually told that Jesus ABOLISHED the Law and that we are now under grace alone.
I then ask these folks if we are now free to commit adultery, steal, covet, murder and ignore the Sabbath, and I always get the same answer, “Well, no…, but we are under grace now, not the Law!”
Nothing of substance after that, nothing to be found in the New Testament to back up their assertions.
Lately the conversation has drifted to the subjects 1) There was no grace BEFORE Jesus, and 2) No mercy was to be found under the OT Laws (God’s Law).
Yet grace and mercy abound in the OT!
Everything in the “Old Testament” points to a merciful, loving, forgiving, but RIGHTEOUS God who forgave His people time after time, and yet after many hundreds of years of transgressing God’s Laws, God DID demand an accounting for their sins.
When people now tell me that the Law has been abolished, I ask them if they would come to dinner at my home for a delicious bowl of BAT SOUP?
Knowing something about the origins of the Corona virus/SARS-Cov-2/Covid-19, God’s OT dietary law forbade the eating of the detestable, of which bats are included.
All of the “detestable foods” listed in the OT, are SCAVENGERS, animals that eat the dead and dying.
Again, thank you so much for your article!
Under grace is having the peacful law of God in your heart. Christ doing his good work through you. No one will need to teach His Neighbour. They will know what the law of God is, obeying the Unseen Father in their mind even as Jesus obeyed the Unseen Father in his mind.
Isn’t Peter a apostle/prophet? Didn’t he say that God deemed Pork clean? Act 10:15 Didn’t he say you don’t got to be circumcised or honoring the sabbath (if one views it the same as any day)? Those contradict the law doesn’t it?
“and they sent this letter by them, “The apostles and the brethren who are elders, to the brethren in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, greetings. Since we have heard that some of our number to whom we gave no instruction have disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls, it seemed good to us, having become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will also report the same things by word of mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.” So when they were sent away, they went down to Antioch; and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter.”
Acts 15:23-30 NASB1995
We don’t have to keep food laws
“But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.”
1 Timothy 4:1-5 NASB1995
What Jesus was talking about the was the Moral law a lot of the laws given in Moses books where given to the nation of Israel to help govern the country with Gods guidance
Christs enemies said they were of Abrahams seed not being of fornication having God as their Father. Those people were born of fornication wanting God visually seen with blood in him to be dead. A person’s mentality changes when they are reborn. They will hear the voice of the Master, loving that voice when they hear it. What spirit is your soul married to? Marriage needs two. The church says three. Money is the motivating factor. More people mean’s more money. Freely we have received all things freely give is not about money. 1 Timothy 4:1-5 is absolutely correct. The Spirit of God is in people guiding them.
Christs enemies said they were of Abrahams seed, not being born of fornication, having God as their Father. Those people were born of fornication wanting God visually seen with blood in him to be dead. A person’s mentality changes when they are reborn. They will hear the voice of the Master, loving that voice when they hear it. What spirit is your soul married to? Marriage needs two. The church says three. Money is the motivating factor. More people mean’s more money. Freely we have received all things freely give is not about money. 1 Timothy 4:1-5 is absolutely correct. The Spirit of God is in people guiding them.
I’ve only come to believe the Bible and follow Jesus Christ in the past few years.
I’m confused about what you mean by the term “The Law”. Do you mean just the 10 Commandments or the whole of the Law enumerated in Leviticus and elsewhere?
I’ve recently started observing the Sabbath but I feel that we are meant to make a great effort to obey all of the 613 laws (as they might apply to a woman) in the Old Testament.
Please advise. 🙏✝️🙏
I’ve considered the same thing but many of those laws were tied to the routines of the temple, which was destroyed when the Jewish people received judgement. The gentiles who received salvation in Acts were not required to keep certain Jewish laws. I personally feel like a lot of Jesus’s teachings were meant to help his scattered people obey the heart of the law, now that they had lost their religious structures. The Romans 2:12-16 passage comforts me in this and sheds some light on this question. And much of what Jesus focused on were the moral laws. He didn’t speaks much on the other laws (foods, clothing, hygiene etc).
Romans 14:5 “One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.”
While the law did not pass away, some things definitely changed including the passing of animal sacrifices. So I focus on getting my heart right and acting from faith.
Would love to hear more opinions on this though, as I haven’t seen this question addressed by any teachers yet.
Truth is in you. The Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath. You understand that and agree. The heart that is right will not be offended by the sight of things that the church wants us to be offended about. That is a church that does not want people to be peacful. That church does not want people to keep God’s laws being a riotous mob to people even as the Sodomites were to Lot and his family and two beings in his house. The church wants people to hold man’s laws in high regarded. Those laws control people with fear. The church pervert’s scripture doing the same thing. God says don’t be afraid, fear not, and don’t worry through people, and in person when seen as he is in his glory. It is the same with angelic angels.
Love works no ill to your neighbour fulfills all of the laws of God. That law makes people to be peacful. People making people to not be peacful to another using scripture will pervert scripture, making people to be like a hoard of devils to people, rather than being like the Lord of Glory..
Christs enemies took Christ’s name in vain saying they were not born of fornication. They were not doing the works of Christ. They were not of the seed of Aberham with how they thought. Death giving was sweet to them. The sabbath was made for man not man for the sabbath. There is no command saying use money. Money makes people to say no when Christs principles are used. They that overcome the world, not being spotted with the world will be like Jesus. People of the world say: They put their pecker there. They must die, or they don’t have clothing on cast them into outer darkness trying to do what Jesus does to people who don’t have a wedding garment on at the marrage supper of the lamb. Laws as they exist is proof that God’s laws are not being kept. People cannot relax themselves. The Law, as people call it, is designed to work ill to people, calling it sweet.
Jesus fulfilled the law of the Unseen Father, even as we need to fulfill the law of the Unseen Farther. People are obeying the doctrines that Chrtists enemies obeyed. They were the doctrines the commandments of men, otherwise known as the doctrins of devils. Satan’s interpretation of scripture that makes people to have the righteousness of the scribes and pharisee’s. Jesus warned us to not have that kind of righteousness.