Are We To Keep The Ten Commandments?

Are We To Keep The Ten Commandments?

Dear Bro. Waddey:
Frequently the subject of instrumental music in worship comes up for discussion. Those in the denominations often cite passages in the Old Testament, like Psalm 150, to justify instrumental music. They specifically ignore the passages in Ephesians and Colossians which mention only making melody in the heart. We then reply that since Christians are no longer bound by Old Testament laws and tenets, including instrumental music, to fall back on any part of the Old Law binds us to keep ALL of that Law, which nullifies Christ (Gal. 5:1-6). However, the denominationalists then say that if the Old Law is no longer binding, are we to abandon the Ten Commandments as well, since they were part of the Old Law? So how should we answer those who quote the OT in support of instrumental music, and try to trap us with their Ten Commandments argument?
--Bob

Dear Bro. Bob:
While we cherish, read, believe and profit from all sixty six books of the Bible, as Christians we are under the reign of Christ. We are subject to his New Covenant This is demonstrated in the event of the transfiguration where Moses and Elijah appeared along side of Christ. Moses was the giver of the Law, Elijah the greatest of the prophets. God showed the three apostles that Jesus was his Son and they were to hear him. Moses and Elijah faded from the scene (Matt. 17:1-8). Jesus said that all authority in heaven and on earth was given to him and that we should teach converts to observe all things that he commanded (Matt. 28:18, 20). He said the words that he spoke would judge us in the last day (John 12:48).

Paul says in Colossians that the Old Law was blotted out, nailed to the cross of Jesus (Col. 2:14-15). In Ephesians the apostle tell us that Christ "abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances" (Eph. 2:15). In Romans' he says we "are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that (we) should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead) (Rom. 7:4). The writer of Hebrews tells us that the new covenant of Christ is a "better covenant which hath been enacted upon better promises and the old covenant is nigh unto vanishing away (Heb. 8:6-13). These verses make it abundantly clear that followers of Christ are amenable to his covenant, not that of Moses.

The ten commandments are included in the New Testament of Christ save for the one to remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy. We have a new day if worship, the Lord's day, the first day of the week (Acts 20:7; I Cor. 16:1-2). This is the day of Christ's resurrection. The Sabbath commemorated the Hebrews deliverance from Egyptian bondage (Deut. 5:12-15) and was not given to Gentiles. We keep the nine of the ten commandments that are applicable to us. Save for a few sabbatarian groups, those who find their approval for their religious practices in the Old Testament do not keep the Sabbath (seventh) day as their day of worship.

Your argument is sound. Theirs is baseless because it is founded on a faulty understanding of God's Word.

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