I love your website! It has been very helpful to me in my studies. \u00a0I have been studying with a friend of mine who still believes that we are under the ten commandments. \u00a0He wants to use the verse John 14:15 “If you love me keep my commandments” as proof that we are still under the ten commandments. \u00a0Can you help me and tell me how you would give an answer to that? \u00a0I tried to explain that while Jesus lived, he lived as a Jew and was under the Old Law while teaching what was to come upon his death.<\/p>\n
Thanks.<\/p>\n\t
The key assumption your friend is offering is that Jesus’ commandments are the Old Law and the ten commandments. Jesus said to keep\u00a0his<\/em>\u00a0commandments. John 14:15 doesn’t offer evidence as to what those commandments consist of.<\/p>\n An interesting point to then consider is that Jesus told his disciples, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another<\/em>” (John 13:34). The fact that Jesus called it a\u00a0new<\/em>\u00a0commandment means that it didn’t exist before. Understanding that, then here is evidence that Jesus’ commandments are not the same as the commandments given prior. There are differences.<\/p>\n Paul stated, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory<\/em>” (II Corinthians 3:5-9). Notice the contrasts:<\/p>\n The two laws were not seen as the same or even compatible. Therefore, your friend did not give proof that John 14:15 meant the ten commandments, which are the prolog to the Law of Moses.<\/p>\n Here is something to keep in mind. It is the person who makes the claim who has the burden to prove his claim.<\/p>\n\t Thanks so much for your quick response!<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Question: I love your website! It has been very helpful to me in my studies. \u00a0I have been studying with a friend of mine who still believes that we are under the ten commandments. \u00a0He wants to use the verse John 14:15 “If you love me keep my commandments” as proof that we are still…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20],"tags":[115,176],"class_list":["post-35503","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-old-law","tag-ten-commandments"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":43979,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-the-word-commandments-always-refer-to-the-ten-commandments\/","url_meta":{"origin":35503,"position":0},"title":"Does the word “commandments” always refer to the Ten Commandments?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 14, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hi, I have read your response about\u00a0the Ten Commandments issue and Jesus' commandments. It seems that you are making good points in your explanation. However, a friend of mine explained this verse to me. And I think he has good points, too. Will you please check his arguments for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":31561,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-james-mention-of-some-of-the-ten-commandments-mean-we-are-under-all-of-them\/","url_meta":{"origin":35503,"position":1},"title":"Does James’ mention of some of the Ten Commandments mean we are under all of them?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 2, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: My fiance is Seventh Day Adventist, and I am trying to convince him we are no longer required to observe a weekly sabbath. However, he is trying to convince me otherwise. This is putting a huge strain on our relationship. I have read through the articles on this site\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":19289,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/were-the-ten-commandments-nailed-to-the-cross\/","url_meta":{"origin":35503,"position":2},"title":"Were the Ten Commandments Nailed to the Cross?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 30, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"by Clem Thurman via Gospel Minutes, Vol. 56, No. 20, May 18, 2007 QUESTION: I understand that the Old Testament was \"nailed to the cross\" when Jesus died. \u00a0Would that\u00a0also include the Ten Commandments? \u00a0If so,\u00a0what about idolatry, murder, and the other\u00a0moral commandments? ANSWER: The first listing of the Ten\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":42388,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-many-commandments-are-there-now\/","url_meta":{"origin":35503,"position":3},"title":"How many commandments are there now?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 30, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: How many commandments are there 10 or 9 or 11? Could you please confirm, one way or the other, that in the New Testament there are only nine commandments mentioned as commandments? Is that missing commandment is the fourth original commandment \"Keep Holy the Sabbath Day\"? So does this\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2461,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/since-jesus-said-to-keep-the-commandments-shouldnt-we-keep-the-sabbath\/","url_meta":{"origin":35503,"position":4},"title":"Since Jesus said to keep the commandments, shouldn’t we keep the Sabbath?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 5, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Christ was asked in the Bible, \"Lord, what must I do to enter the kingdom of Heaven?\" Christ replied, \"keep the commandments\" and named a few of them. Since keeping the Sabbath was one of them, shouldn't we keep the Sabbath today? 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\n (Old covenant – implied)<\/th>\n New covenant<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n \n Letter<\/td>\n Spirit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Kills<\/td>\n Gives life<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Written and engraved on stones<\/td>\n (written on hearts – II Corinthians 3:3)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Glorious, but fading<\/td>\n More glorious<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Ministry of condemnation<\/td>\n Ministry of righteousness<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n Response:<\/h2>\n