Another absolute I have tried to get across to people is that the Mosaic Law was/is an indivisible unit, and is that which was terminated by the Lord Jesus.
Many have gone along with the usual practice of dividing the Law into three parts, and to therefore uphold the idea that portions of the whole law are no longer binding, while other portions still remain intact as still applying to the need for our adherence today. It's important to see that it was an
indivisible unit. When Paul stated that we are not under the Law, this included
all three parts,
including the Ten Commandments. Some will agree that parts of the Old Testament Law have been done away, but assert the Ten Commandments are supposedly still in force today.
All three parts of the Law were designed to function as a unit to guide Israel in all aspects of their life under God's rule. The Ten Commandments can't be legitimately separated from the rest of the law of Moses. Further, even though most recognize this division in the law, the Jews so numbered all the commands that they approached the Law as a unit.
Ryrie stated:
“…the Jewish people either did not acknowledge it (
the three-fold division) or at least did not insist on it. Rather they divided the 613 commandments of the Law into twelve families of commandments which were then subdivided into twelve additional families of positive and twelve additional families of negative commands.”
Further, that it is a unit is evident by the fact that the recognition of any of its features, i.e., as a meritorious system of righteousness with God, obligates the person to fulfill the entire Law, as we are taught by both Paul and James (cf.
Gal. 3:10, 12; 5:3;
Jam. 2:8-11).
Further evidence that
the Law is a unit is the penalty of death for disobedience is attached to all three parts of the Law.
Penalties attached to certain commands further emphasize the non-divisible character of the Law. When the command to keep the Sabbath (one of the “commandments”) was violated by a man who gathered sticks on that day, the penalty was death by stoning (
Num. 15:32-36). When the people of Israel violated the command concerning the Sabbatical Year for the land (one of the “judgments”), God sent them into captivity where many died (
Jer. 25:11). When Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire before the Lord (one of the “ordinances”), they were struck down by God (
Lev. 10:1-7). Clearly these commands from various parts of the Law were equally binding, and the punishment equally severe. The Law was a unit.
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Finally, three times in
2 Corinthians 3:6-13 Paul declares that the Mosaic system was done away with or abolished (vss. 7, 11, 13) in relation to those who are in Christ Jesus. In commenting on
2 Corinthians 3:7-13, Chafer wrote:
It is the law as crystallized in the ten commandments which is in view; for that law alone was ‘written and engraven in stones.’ In the midst of the strongest possible contrast between the reign of the teachings of the law and the teachings of grace, it is declared that these commandments were ‘done away’ and ‘abolished.’ It should be recognized that the old was abolished to make place for the new, which far excels in glory. The passing of the law is not, therefore, a loss; it is rather an inestimable gain.”
MM