Andy Stanley, the Mega-Church pastor, located in the suburbs of Atlanta is now claiming that the Ten Commandments are no longer applicable months after previously stating that Christians need to unhitch themselves from the Old Testament.
According to the Pastor, Jesus rendered the Ten Commandments null and void, because He issues a one new law “as a replacement for everything.”
“You’ve heard the story before: A group of Christians puts up a monument of the Ten Commandments in a public space or on government property,” begins Stanley in his article titled, “Why do Christians want to post the Ten Commandments and not the Sermon on the Mount?” “Someone says it violates the separation of church and state. The Christians say taking it down would violate their freedom of speech. There’s some back and forth in court and both sides say some not-so-great things about the other. Rinse and repeat. But how many times have you seen Christians trying to post the text of the sermon on the mount in a public place? Or the all-encompassing commandment Jesus gave us? ‘A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another — John 13:34 The one commandment! Doesn’t have the same ring to it, does it? But if we’re going to create a monument to stand as a testament to our faith, shouldn’t it at least be a monument of something that actually applies to us?”
Stanley then continues that the Ten Commandments are from the ‘Old Covenant,’ which he says; “played a significant role in God’s creation of the nation of Israel. It gave them moral guidelines and helped separate this new nation from their neighbors. This was part of the formal agreement (or covenant) God created with his people, but Jesus’ death and resurrection signaled the end of that covenant and all the rules and regulations associated with it. Jesus didn’t issue his new command as an additional commandment to the existing list of commands. He didn’t say, ‘Here’s the 614th law.’ Jesus issued his new commandment as a replacement for everything in the existing list. Including the big ten. Just as his new covenant replaced the old covenant, Jesus’ new commandment replaced all the old commandments.”
Stanley’s comments directly contradict what Scripture says; In Matthew 5:17-19, Jesus says: “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 tittle 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.”
Stanley is teaching his 34,000 member congregation replacement theology. Also, Stanley is teaching his congregation to discard three-quarters of the Bible and only to interpret what’s left.
Furthermore, after Stanley’s stunning commentary he then concludes; “While Jesus was foreshadowed in the old covenant, he did not come to extend it. He came to fulfill it, put a bow on it, and establish something entirely new. The “new” Jesus unleashed made the faith of first-century believers formidable. Their apologetic was irrefutable. Their courage, unquestionable. And the results were remarkable. Dear Christian reader: Why? Why? Why would we even be tempted to reach back beyond the cross to borrow from a covenant that was temporary and inferior to the covenant established for us at Calvary?”
Stanley’s new book, which is available on Amazon, called ‘Irresistible,’ is currently ranked at Amazon as one of the most popular books in the “Church Leadership” category.
The theology presented by the Mega-Church Pastor is precisely what Jesus warned believers about in Matthew 24:5 “For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.”
Why would any responsible Christian leader encourage people to post laws that we can never obey, in public places no less. Are we now like the Jews encouraging people to adhere to laws to earn their salvation? I say no. The Bible is extremely clear that a new thing was done, the veil was ripped and a new covenant was established.
Mankind is incapable of obeying the 10 commandments plus the other 600 or so laws from the first 5 books of the Bible. In God’s wisdom He sent His son to fulfil ALL the law and the prophets because God knows mankind cant fully obey the Law. Jesus did sum up the two greatest commandments which covers every other law that has been given. Those 2 commandments are to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself(paraphrasing). We do still observe the 10 commandments but to succeed in obeying them, we focus on loving God over all things(which will help us to stay in alignment with His will versus us trying to follow the law out of our own strength and then fail miserably)
The Bible, specifically Luke, disagrees with your Augustinian view. He wrote, “There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.”
So you see it isn’t that men could not keep the law perfectly that was the problem. It was that keeping the law perfectly can never save you. Because Paul said there was never a law given that could give life. Because if there was then righteousness would come through the law. Gal.3:21 Blessings:-}
You are basically saying what i am meaming in my writing brother. Thank u for sharing
So to be clear, for all of you who disagree with Stanley. Do you believe you can Fulfill all of the law? That means every law, everyday. If you say yes your lying, because the Bible says you can’t. And if you are trying then you must reap the judgement of God for failing to do so. See Israels journeys and results of trying to fulfil, but failing. But because of the sacrifice of Jesus and the shedding of blood to cover us and our Sins. God sees the blood when he sees us, as like unto the sprinkling of blood on the Ark of the covenant which was done for years by priest until the fulfillment/completion of the law. The law is there to remind us what must be done and the consequences if we don’t live under the NEW COVENANT. The Old Covenant/Law Is not to be praise but referenced. And sorry that doesn’t mean posting the 10 commandments/Old Covenant everywhere, because you then are promoting the law and it consequences and not the New Covenant and what we Now have been Redeemed and Restored too through Jesus Christ.
Selah
I absolutely disagree with Stanley! An no I do NOT believe I/we can absolutely obey absolutely all of the time. But that is why Jesus died for me and you — because He COULD and did, absolutely obey absolutely all of the time!
So what does John mean when he says, “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” 1John3:6-9
It’s this another place where we are not to believe what it actually says?
Blessings:-}
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
19 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.
20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:17-20