Andy Stanley says Ten Commandments don't apply to Christians

Christian Post ^ | 01/10/2019 | Michael Gryboski

[Olog-hai]

We are certainly condemned by breaking the commandments, which is why the need for repentance is continually stressed in the New Testament. As Paul said, we would not even know what sin is if not for the law, i.e. the commandments (Romans 7:7).

[Dalberg-Acton]

If God had wanted a child sacrifice, He would have had one. He didn’t.

[SeekAndFind]

“This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).

The Ten Commandments were essentially a summary of the entire Old Testament law. Nine of the Ten Commandments are clearly repeated in the New Testament (all except the command to observe the Sabbath day).

Obviously, if we are loving God, we will not be worshipping false gods or bowing down before idols. If we are loving our neighbors, we will not be murdering them, lying to them, committing adultery against them, or coveting what belongs to them.

If we obey those two commands to LOVE GOD WITH ALL OUR HEARS and TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR As OURSELVES faithfully, we will be upholding all that God requires of us — INCLUDING the 10 Commandments.

[Steve_Seattle]

"From jealous angry God who wants child sacrifices, to belief and faith as the path to a loving Father... the message did change. Did you miss that?"

This sounds similar to the heresy of Marcion, who believed that the God of the Old Testament was the God of the Jews alone, and was a different God from the God preached by Jesus.

[yarddog]

We are guilty but not condemned.

Jesus took the punishment on himself and pours out his grace to sanctify us even in our sin.

Of course we should repent and mean it when we do.

[jjotto]

I’ll wager the only commandment he really has a problem with is ‘Thou shalt not commit adultery’.

[woweeitsme]

This post is right on. I believe that Jesus clarified the most important of the commandments, not that the others should be tossed aside.

[stinkerpot65]

Isn’t one of the commands to remember the Sabbath - which means go to synagogue on Saturday? Would that not apply to Jews only?

[Fido969]

These mega-churches that draw in mega-bucks are looking for a way to condone gay marriage, in an effort to be socially relevant.

[plain talk]

From jealous angry God who wants child sacrifices, to belief and faith as the path to a loving Father... the message did change. Did you miss that?

I would suggest a Bible study class if you want to understand how the OT and NT relate to each other and what Christianity is all about.

[Steve_Seattle]

“Participants in the new covenant (that’s Christians) are not required to obey any of the commandments found in the first part of their Bibles,” wrote Stanley. “Participants in the new covenant are expected to obey the single command Jesus issued as part of his new covenant: as I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

You would think that loving one another would include following the precepts of the Ten Commandments, since most of them concern our relations with other people.

[Olog-hai]

Not condemned yet, no. Of course, correction could come our way while we’re still living.

Jesus did describe a plethora of forgiveness of sins to come, as described in Matthew 12:31 and Mark 3:28, that is except for one particular sin.

[stinkerpot65]

Do you also obey the “law” to celebrate the Passover? Do you obey all of the laws in the Old Testament?

[Fido969]

Where did God want child sacrifices?

[SeekAndFind]

The problem with Any Stanley’s statement is this — he uses the word “Love” without going into detail.

How do you “Love” someone? There has to be some moral guidelines by which you exercise your love, otherwise you could also commit adultery with someone because you “love” that person.

Without the 10 commandments as guide, each person defines HOW he is going to exercise his love and that is a recipe for moral chaos.

[yarddog]

No.

[Ancesthntr]

Before I comment, I want to say up front that I am Jewish and proud of that fact. What follows is, of course, my own opinion (except for the quote which follows), and is not intended to be insulting to anyone.

That said, I think that this guy is WAY, WAY off base - based on the Christian Bible. I found this quote from Matthew 5:17-20 (which quotes Jesus):

“17 Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

That’s from the ASV Bible, sourced at https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5%3A17-20%2CLuke+16%3A16-17&version=ASV

Note that I, certainly no scholar of Christian theology, found that quote in about 1 minute on the internet. It seems pretty clear to me. It seems equally clear to me that “the law” being referred to in this passage is the 5 Books of Moses - which was the only “law” known to Jesus and those Jews following or listening to him.

Again, this guy is WAY off base. He needs to do what Major League managers force their players to do when they start screwing up: go back to basics. This guy is trying something that is (IMHO) so far from his OWN basics that it just doesn’t (and can’t) work. Also IMHO, this guy is just about self-aggrandizement...either that, or he has a severe problem like a brain tumor, because the fact that he is so incredibly wrong is evident to all.

Just my $0.02.