The Law & Jesus

1. The Torah Itself Does Not Isolate the Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20, Deuteronomy 5) are significant, but they are not separated from the rest of the Torah in Jewish thought. They are the opening statements of a much larger body of law given at Sinai. The Torah contains 613 commandments, covering moral, civil, and ceremonial laws.

When the New Testament writers, many of whom were Jewish, spoke of “commandments,” they likely had the entire Torah in mind, as that was the way Jewish teachers and audiences would have understood the term.

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2. Jesus’ Use of “Commandments” in Context

When Jesus speaks of keeping the “commandments,” He does not limit this to the Ten Commandments but references broader Torah principles:

• Matthew 22:36-40 – When asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus responds not by citing the Ten Commandments but by quoting Deuteronomy 6:5 (love God) and Leviticus 19:18 (love your neighbor as yourself). He then states, “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” This suggests that the entire Torah—not just the Decalogue—is in view.
• Matthew 5:17-19 – Jesus states that He did not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill them. He then emphasizes that even the smallest commandment remains important, reinforcing the idea that “commandments” include the broader Torah.
• Matthew 19:17-19 – When the rich young ruler asks what he must do to inherit eternal life, Jesus tells him to keep the commandments. He lists several moral laws, including some from the Ten Commandments, but also “love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18), showing that “commandments” was not exclusive to the Decalogue.

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3. John’s Writings Use “Commandments” Broadly

John frequently refers to keeping God’s commandments:

• John 14:15 – “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Given the Jewish background of John’s Gospel, “commandments” here would naturally refer to the instructions of God as a whole, not just the Ten.
• 1 John 3:22-24 – “Whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.”
  Here, “commandments” include faith in Jesus and love—showing that John was thinking beyond just the Decalogue.

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4. Paul’s Use of “Commandments” in Torah Context

Paul frequently refers to “commandments” and “law” in ways that indicate he is referencing the Torah as a whole:

• Romans 7:7-12 – Paul speaks of the commandment “you shall not covet”, clearly referencing the Ten Commandments. However, in the same discussion, he refers to the “law” more broadly, showing that the Ten Commandments are part of, but not separate from, the Torah.
• Ephesians 2:15 – Paul speaks of Christ “abolishing in His flesh the enmity, that is, the Law of commandments contained in ordinances.” This clearly refers to the entire Torah, not just the Ten Commandments.
• 1 Corinthians 7:19 – Paul states: “Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters.” Given the debate over circumcision in the early church, this statement shows that “commandments” in Paul’s thought likely refers to the Torah in general.

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5. The Hebrew Bible and Jewish Understanding of “Commandments”

In Jewish thought, the word “commandments” (mitzvot) refers to all of God’s instructions, not just the Ten Commandments. When Jesus, John, or Paul spoke of commandments, their Jewish audience would naturally interpret this as the whole Torah, unless the context specifically pointed to the Ten.

Additionally, in the Septuagint (LXX), the Greek word for commandments (ἐντολή, entolē) is used for many Torah laws, not just the Decalogue. The New Testament writers, who frequently used the LXX, would have been aware of this broad usage.

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Conclusion: Commandments = More Than the Ten Commandments

While the Ten Commandments are foundational, the New Testament’s use of “commandments” is often broader, referring to the entire Torah rather than just the Decalogue.

This means that when the New Testament speaks of keeping God’s commandments, it is pointing to God’s revealed will in the Torah as a whole, not just the Ten. Understanding this helps us see that Jesus, Paul, and John were not isolating the Ten Commandments as a separate moral code but were instead pointing to the full covenantal relationship between God and His people as revealed in the Torah.

If the law in the New Testament refers to the entire Torah rather than just the Ten Commandments, what does that mean for how we understand Jesus’ fulfillment of the law? Many assume that Jesus came only to uphold the Ten Commandments or to replace the sanctuary laws, but the Torah is far more than rules and sacrifices—it contains the very promises of God’s faithfulness, His mercy, and His plan to redeem the world.

Jesus did not simply fulfill a set of moral or ceremonial requirements—He fulfilled everything written in the Torah. This means that when He said, “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17), He was pointing to the entire story of God’s covenant. The Torah is not just laws—it is God’s commitment to bless the world, His promises to forgive, His faithfulness despite Israel’s failures. If Jesus fulfilled the whole Torah, He didn’t just obey commands—He became the embodiment of God’s covenant faithfulness.

So what does this mean for us? If we reduce the law to only rules, we miss the heart of God’s plan. Jesus’ fulfillment of the Torah means that every promise of forgiveness, restoration, and redemption is completed in Him. We don’t obey just to meet a standard—we obey because we live under the fulfilled promise of God’s mercy. If we only focus on moral laws, we risk missing the greater reality: God’s law was always about His faithfulness to His people. And through Jesus, that faithfulness is fulfilled—not just in judgment, but in grace. How does this change the way you see obedience, salvation, and the very purpose of the law?

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