Chapter Sixteen – Does the New Testament Contain New Commandments?

In their zeal to get rid of the Ten Commandments, most professing Christians conclude that the New Testament’s “new commandments” somehow abolished them. The Bible suggests nothing of the sort!

Christ declared in impossible to misunderstand terms, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one title shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:17-19).

The Greek word for “fulfil” is pleroo. Its meaning depends upon the context. In this case, the translators’ use of the word “fulfil” correctly fits the context. They could have also used “satisfy, complete” or “accomplish.” For example, suppose the word “end” was used for pleroo. “End” would not fit the context, because the verse would read, “…I am not come to destroy, but to end.” This would be meaningless—“end” and “destroy” mean the same thing!

Another key passage we saw is Matthew 19:17. Christ was asked a profound question by a wealthy nobleman: “Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” Christ answered, “Why call you Me good? There is none good but One, that is, God: but if you will enter into [eternal] life, keep the commandments.”

Christ’s New Commandment

Recall Christ stated, “A new commandment I give unto you, That you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love one to another” (John 13:34-35). He also taught this in Matthew 22:1-46 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (Mt 22:37-39).

There is no hint of God’s Law being done away, suspended or replaced by “love” or any other religious sounding phrase.

In Matthew 22:1-46, the old standard was seen to be to love others as yourself. But in John 13:1-38, Christ gives us a new and higher standard—to love others as He loves us.

While the Ten Commandments were given to the nation of Israel as the basis of the covenant between the Israelites and God, they also apply to all humanity for all time. God revealed to the Israelite nation what He will ultimately reveal to every nation of the world. Israel was a carnal people, not yet given God’s Spirit. Thus, they could only keep the letter of the law. This was the old version of “love toward neighbour.”

The new version was given on the night before Christ was crucified. He instructed His disciples, who became the original apostles and leaders of His Church. This instruction applied to His Church.

Notice John 17:9, 11: “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which You have given Me; for they are Yours…and now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your own name those who You have given Me, that they may be one, as We are.”

The older version—love toward your neighbour—is still in effect today. So are the Ten Commandments. The new command applies specifically to God’s Church, not the world. The Church is the mother who nurtures those who are preparing for positions of responsibility in the kingdom of God.

God’s Church has His Spirit and follows Christ’s example (I Peter 2:21). Only with God’s Holy Spirit can one keep this new commandment. To require someone without God’s Spirit to love someone as Christ loves him would be unreasonable and actually impossible (Rom. 5:5).

For people in the world, God considers loving your neighbour as yourself to be both reasonable and possible. When God’s Spirit becomes available to all mankind, the standard will be raised. Take a moment to see in Ephesians 5:22-33 that this is already the case in marriages between those with God’s Spirit.

New Commandment From John

Now read I John 2:7-9: “Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you have heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in Him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shines. He that says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness even until now.”

Notice that nothing is changed as far as the Ten Commandments are concerned. We saw proof of this in the previous chapter. Nothing is mentioned about doing away with it. Notice the phrase, “which thing is true in Him and in you.” It followed the phrase, “Again, a new commandment I write unto you.”

What is the thing that is “true in Christ” that is in you (brethren to whom John sent this letter)? Here is the answer: “Howbeit when it, the Spirit of truth, is come, it will guide you into all truth: for it shall not speak of itself; but whatsoever it shall hear, that shall it speak: and it will show you things to come. It shall glorify Me: for it shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father has are Mine: therefore said I, that it shall take of Mine, and shall show it unto you” (John 16:13-15).

A careful reading of this passage reveals that it is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, that is what is “true in Christ.” The Holy Spirit is in Christ, and in the members of the Church of God. It is His Spirit that sets His people apart from the world—this is the key message of I John 2:7-9.

In II John 5-6, John stated, “And now I beseech you, lady [a term from the New Testament], not as though I wrote a new commandment unto you, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk after His commandments. This is the commandment, That, as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.”

As before, this scripture does away with nothing. In fact, what John calls a new commandment still applies today. Notice the statement, “And this is love, that we walk after His commandments.” (This is the same as what we saw in John’s first epistle.)

Let’s see again how Paul summed up God’s wonderful, perfect Law: “Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good” (Rom. 7:12). We must seek God so “That He may incline our hearts unto Him, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments, and His statutes, and His judgments, which He commanded our fathers” (I Kings 8:58).