Were the Ten Commandments Abolished?

This is a definite no which can be based entirely on Matthew 5:17-19 alone. When this passage is properly understood, it proves that all other passages used to imply that the Ten Commandments have been abolished are misunderstood or they would severely contradict the words of Jesus Christ in Matthew 5:17-19 as well as the remainder of chapter 5.

Jesus of course never contradicts Himself. Note the following points:

  1. According to the following scripture, the Old Testament always informs us through the prophets what changes are coming in the future. Amos 3:7 “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.”The Ten Commandments abolished
  2. So what did the Old Testament prophets say Jesus would do? Isaiah 42:21 “The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will MAGNIFY the law, and make it HONOURABLE.”
  3. In Matthew 5:17-19 we find the fulfillment of this prophecy. The translations from the NIRV Bible and the CEV Bible give greater clarity to the meaning of fulfilling the law and a jot or a tittle. See also Luke 16:17 which also makes it abundantly clear that not even a comma or full stop is going to be abolished from the law. These verses have to include all Ten Commandments or we have a lot more than a “jot” and a “tittle” passing from the law. The fourth that some claim was abolished or changed to Sunday is the largest of all the Commandments and hence also remains unchanged as long as heaven and earth are still here.

For those who have not heard of the expression a jot or tittle, a “jot” is the smallest letter of the Hebrew alphabet and a “tittle” is one of those little strokes by which one Hebrew letter is distinguished from another. So the expression a jot or tittle is literally the smallest part. Or to put it another way, this would be the equivalent of crossing your “T's” and dotting your “I's” or could even be described as a period and a comma as observed in the above translations.

In the remainder of Matthew chapter five one can read how Jesus does magnify the law just as it was prophesied. Below are five examples:

  1. From “do not murder,” to “anyone who is angry with his brother without cause will be subject to judgment.” Matthew 5:21-22
  2. From “You shall not commit adultery,” to “whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.” Matthew 5:27-28
  3. From “anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce,” to “anyone who divorces his wife except for marital unfaithfulness causes her to become an adulteress.” Matthew 5:31-32
  4. From “an eye for eye and tooth for tooth,” to “if someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other cheek also.” Matthew 5:38-39
  5. From “love your neighbour and hate your enemy,” to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Matthew 5:43-44

Note that the first part of points 3-4 especially were never God's ideal and were implemented by Moses to help keep the peace between the people because of the hardness of their hearts. See Matthew 19:8 for example.

Also note that there is a rapidly spreading heresy that originated with one man called Herbert Armstrong who insisted we still have to keep the feasts days that were part of the sacrificial law, which is what was nailed to the cross that so many typically get confused with the moral law. Those who have been led astray by this teaching often insist Matthew chapter 5 refers to these feast days also but this is not possible as scripture in several places in the New Testament informs us these have ended as one should expect. See colossians 2:16 for one such example. The context of Matthew 5 also reveals otherwise and does not have one single reference to the sacrificial law and its various feast days and speaks only of morals as already seen. Hence this also reveals which law and remains consistent with all other scripture.

There is no change to the law but it was magnified as prophesied. Jesus not only said that we are to obey the Ten Commandment law but He places very strong emphasis on the fact that we are to teach it also. You certainly cannot teach a law that has been abolished. Those teaching that the Ten Commandments have ended are going against the instructions of our Lord and Saviour and will be called least by those who do enter the kingdom.

Observe a few of the contradictions which we would have in scripture if the Ten Commandments were abolished. (Luke 16:17; Romans 2:13; Romans 3:31; Romans 7:7; Romans 7:12; 1 John 2:4; Revelation 14:12; Revelation 22:14) See misconceptions on Jesus Jesus fulfilled the law for detail or fulfilling the law meaning for brief detail.