Are the 10 Commandments called "the moral law"?

[plo1988]

Are the 10 Commandments called "the moral law"?

[Tristen]

As far as I understand, there is nothing specifically called the "moral law" in the Covenant between God and Israel. It is all "The Law". But within The Law, there are moral laws/rules. That is, there are rules that pertain to morality (ultimate right and wrong) - i.e. as opposed to administrative laws and ritual laws. What that means in effect is that, whilst Christians are free from The Law in it's entirety, we remain subject to the standard of ultimate right and wrong. There are rules written within The Law that reflect that moral standard, but that standard existed before The Law.

For example, within the Ten Commandments (a part of The Law), there is a rule that we should worship God alone. It was, is, and ever will be morally wrong to worship any other god. That was as true before The Law, as it was under The Law, and as it is today for those free from The Law.

There is also a rule about keeping the Sabbath. That is a ritual law pointing to the promised rest from works offered through Christ. Because Christians are free from The Law, we are not obligated to consider any day to be any more important than any other day (though we are free to sanctify certain days to God if we choose - See Romans 14).

That's my understanding.

[BeauJangles]

8 hours ago, Lee_ said:

Are the 10 Commandments called "the moral law"?

They are the first of the Mosaic laws, which are the beginnings of Judaism. I feel they are also applicable in Christianity as well. We as believers in Christ aren't bound to them, but they are morally correct, though they aren't specifically called "the moral law". 

 

Ten Commandments list

1. You shall have no other gods before Me.
2. You shall make no idols.
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
4. Keep the Sabbath day holy.
5. Honor your father and your mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet.

[johnthebaptist]

14 hours ago, Lee_ said:

Are the 10 Commandments called "the moral law"?

I've never heard the expression "moral law." God has a will, but I don't think we can simplify it by calling it a "moral law." We have to learn day by day what God wants of us. Read Jeremiah 31:33. And Matthew 22:34-40 might be helpful, too. But, yes, those Ten Commandments are important.

[PeteZahalia]

On 12/23/2019 at 10:17 PM, Lee_ said:

Are the 10 Commandments called "the moral law"?

The 10 Commandments are "The Law of Moses"

Maybe this would be an opportunity to say some things about that. There are some 613 laws in the first 5 books of the Bible, called the pentateuch or the Torah. The 10 Commandments are a part of that. This Mosaic Law was never given to the Gentiles (non Jews). I've heard the word Gentile to be insulting to some, which is new to me. I've never considered it to be insulting, bit I'm old school. Anyway, the Law is usually something where Christians immediately think of the 10 Commandments for obvious reasons in our churches, SS classes and so forth. It is my view that the churches I've been to teach a combination of Law and Grace mix in their doctrine or statements of faith, but it is not really a truth for Christianity.

Jesus walked this earth during the time where the Law was still in effect, but He came to change the Priesthood. Jesus was the only candidate qualified to fulfill the demands, the obligation, and the curse of the Law. His death with blood all over Him, was what fulfilled and completed the demand of the Law. He paid the price in full, and because of that truth, and because God the Father resurrected Him, the Law was fulfilled for all who call upon the name of the Lord. Paul says many times over, that we who are in Christ are dead to the Law. Paul was the Apostle to the Gentiles, and when this truth was brought to the Jew first, and also the Greek (Gentile), we who are in Christ had an old nature that is now killed off. We have been given a new heart, which is perfected to bear fruit for God. The Law is a curse, and we are no longer under that curse.

We are now a new creation, never to be under condemnation, but are slaves of righteousness. We once were slaves of sin, but not now since we have Christ. The Law was increased, so that sin would increase, but where sin abounds, grace much more abounds. We are under a New Covenant, with much better promises, and that New Covenant is Grace. The Age of the Church. We are now under the "Law of Christ", which is love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind and soul, and love others as you love yourself. We love others because He first loved us.

[JohnD]

On 12/24/2019 at 6:13 AM, BeauJangles said:

They are the first of the Mosaic laws, which are the beginnings of Judaism. I feel they are also applicable in Christianity as well. We as believers in Christ aren't bound to them, but they are morally correct, though they aren't specifically called "the moral law". 

 

Ten Commandments list

1. You shall have no other gods before Me.
2. You shall make no idols.
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
4. Keep the Sabbath day holy.
5. Honor your father and your mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet.

Well said, Brother.

The 10 Commandments are the Law of Moses boiled down to their basic elements.

Jesus boiled it down even more...

Matthew 22:36–40 (AV)
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

These are the basis of the Law and Grace, in fact. Love.

 

[JohnD]

1 Corinthians 13 (NASB95)
1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,
5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part;
10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.
12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.
13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

 

[JohnD]

John 3:16–18 (NASB95)
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
17 “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
18 “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Ephesians 2:8–10 (NASB95)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

John 16:26–27 (AV)
26 At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:
27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.

 

Edited December 29, 2019 by JohnD

[JohnD]

Isaiah 54:8–10 (NASB95)
8 “In an outburst of anger I hid My face from you for a moment, But with everlasting lovingkindness I will have compassion on you,” Says the Lord your Redeemer.
9 “For this is like the days of Noah to Me, When I swore that the waters of Noah Would not flood the earth again; So I have sworn that I will not be angry with you Nor will I rebuke you.
10 “For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, But My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, And My covenant of peace will not be shaken,” Says the Lord who has compassion on you.

Isaiah 54:8–10 (AV)
8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.
9 For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.
10 For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.

Isaiah 54:8–10 (NIV84)
8 In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,” says the Lord your Redeemer.
9 “To me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So now I have sworn not to be angry with you, never to rebuke you again.
10 Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

A good passage to quote at baptisms. 

[Billiards Ball]

On 12/23/2019 at 10:17 PM, Lee_ said:

Are the 10 Commandments called "the moral law"?

Theologians parse the 613 Torah commandments as legal, ceremonial and moral law. Christians have a HIGHER law, for example, the commandments say don't commit murder, Christians avoid unrighteous anger.