Ten Commandments question

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Edm

Puritan Board Sophomore
I grew up in a non reformed church, and these things seemed normal to me. Now I am Reformed and see things differently.

How do people who Do justify why they do not need to keep all of the Commandments, mainly the keeping of the Sabbath, and images of Jesus, justify this? Understand that at most churches these are the two that are able to be put aside, I have never heard anyone say it is now alright to comit adultery etc. I have come to the understanding that we are to try to keep them all, but only went along with dropping those two because I was never taught different. So...after all of that rambling, how is it justified in some churches minds?
 
They may say that these commandments aren't repeated in the NT. They are, actually, but even if they weren't they wouldn't be happy with bestiality, and it isn't mentioned in the NT. They are dispensational antinomians.
 
Many Bible-affirming churches are more consistent than you make it sound. They either hold to theology which causes them to say all the Ten Commandments belong to a past era and only what's repeated in the New Testament is required today (as in some dispensationalism), or they affirm obedience to all the Commandments.

Obedience to the Commandments, though, might not be practiced the same everywhere (and is always practiced imperfectly, by all of us).
- Some will affirm that the Fourth Commandment requires us to rest in many ways and requires us to worship regularly, but that keeping a day of rest is a ceremonial aspect that has ceased or that every day is now a day of rest in Christ.
- Most will affirm the Second Commandment against worship of images but many may not agree that within the command is a requirement to worship only in ways God has prescribed, or they may not agree that pictures of Jesus used in Sunday school are among the types of images forbidden.

Sometimes people on this board will speak as if such folks have zero regard whatsoever for those two commandments. In my estimation, this is often an unfair accusation. There may in fact be much regard for those commandments but different ways of seeing them. This does NOT mean every interpretation is valid; it just means that a failure to follow a commandment in the traditional Reformed way is not necessarily the result of ignoring or "dropping" that commandment.
 
Obedience to the Commandments, though, might not be practiced the same everywhere (and is always practiced imperfectly, by all of us).
- Some will affirm that the Fourth Commandment requires us to rest in many ways and requires us to worship regularly, but that keeping a day of rest is a ceremonial aspect that has ceased or that every day is now a day of rest in Christ.
- Most will affirm the Second Commandment against worship of images but many may not agree that within the command is a requirement to worship only in ways God has prescribed, or they may not agree that pictures of Jesus used in Sunday school are among the types of images forbidden.

Sometimes people on this board will speak as if such folks have zero regard whatsoever for those two commandments. In my estimation, this is often an unfair accusation. There may in fact be much regard for those commandments but different ways of seeing them. This does NOT mean every interpretation is valid; it just means that a failure to follow a commandment in the traditional Reformed way is not necessarily the result of ignoring or "dropping" that commandment.

Jack, thank you for this astute observation.
 
I'm not meaning to make it sound like people are trying to break the rules...and the answer about things not repeated is maybe what I was looking for. I went to a Southrn Baptist church..or Churches for years. Although I now do not agree with Arminianism, they were for the most part, Bible believing people who were trying to be good Christians. I saw lots of pictures of Jesus in the churches. And if I now mention the Second commandment they act suprised it actually says more than "have no gods before me" . Many churches...most I will say..have a morning service and then it is off to do whatever in the afternoon. Youth groups at night, but not keeping the Sabath the way I see people here doing. PCA churches as well. I think these are all good people who are under the impression what they are doing is fully ok with God. I think I saw on here after I joined a reference that PCA pastors could "opt out" of that when they are ordained. Maybe I'm way off base. But is that correct?
 
Obedience to the Commandments, though, might not be practiced the same everywhere (and is always practiced imperfectly, by all of us).
- Some will affirm that the Fourth Commandment requires us to rest in many ways and requires us to worship regularly, but that keeping a day of rest is a ceremonial aspect that has ceased or that every day is now a day of rest in Christ.
- Most will affirm the Second Commandment against worship of images but many may not agree that within the command is a requirement to worship only in ways God has prescribed, or they may not agree that pictures of Jesus used in Sunday school are among the types of images forbidden.

Sometimes people on this board will speak as if such folks have zero regard whatsoever for those two commandments. In my estimation, this is often an unfair accusation. There may in fact be much regard for those commandments but different ways of seeing them. This does NOT mean every interpretation is valid; it just means that a failure to follow a commandment in the traditional Reformed way is not necessarily the result of ignoring or "dropping" that commandment.

A useful comment. However, I note that some interpretations lead to a near impossibility of breaking these two commandments. For example, if we obey the Sabbath by nothing more than "resting in Christ", then it follows that the only way to violate the 4th Commandment is to not be a Christian. When framed in this way, it can appear that some come close to having a zero regard for the commandment.

An encouraging response would be to show where the fault lies in this sort of thinking.
 
Obedience to the Commandments, though, might not be practiced the same everywhere (and is always practiced imperfectly, by all of us).
- Some will affirm that the Fourth Commandment requires us to rest in many ways and requires us to worship regularly, but that keeping a day of rest is a ceremonial aspect that has ceased or that every day is now a day of rest in Christ.
- Most will affirm the Second Commandment against worship of images but many may not agree that within the command is a requirement to worship only in ways God has prescribed, or they may not agree that pictures of Jesus used in Sunday school are among the types of images forbidden.

Sometimes people on this board will speak as if such folks have zero regard whatsoever for those two commandments. In my estimation, this is often an unfair accusation. There may in fact be much regard for those commandments but different ways of seeing them. This does NOT mean every interpretation is valid; it just means that a failure to follow a commandment in the traditional Reformed way is not necessarily the result of ignoring or "dropping" that commandment.

A useful comment. However, I note that some interpretations lead to a near impossibility of breaking these two commandments. For example, if we obey the Sabbath by nothing more than "resting in Christ", then it follows that the only way to violate the 4th Commandment is to not be a Christian. When framed in this way, it can appear that some come close to having a zero regard for the commandment.

An encouraging response would be to show where the fault lies in this sort of thinking.

Yeah, I'm not arguing for or against those positions, just reporting the way many believers think, as the OP asked.
 
Yeah, I'm not arguing for or against those positions, just reporting the way many believers think, as the OP asked.

Yes, of course. I wasn't trying to depart from the OP either; sorry if I did so.
 
I also came out of a SBC background. I asked a similar question on this board a couple of years ago and a member brought up Uzzah ;

2 Samuel 6

4 And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark. 5 And David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.

6 And when they came to Nachon’s threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. 7 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.

So how strait the gate, how narrow the way, I don't know. I know an SBC deacon in his late 70s, a devout Christian, who has been married to his Godly wife for 50 years. He has super bowl parties at his home on that Sunday each year.

I've seen the pastor of that congregation wearing a tie with a depiction of the crucifixion, complete with our Lord on the cross. So what will their position be 'on that day.' From my experience in the Baptist churches I've attended in past years, I don't think the Reformed Confessions are familiar to many of the congregation. I know many of them are devout, and think they are within God's will. Will they be in the way ........ or in outer darkness ?
 
I also came out of a SBC background. I asked a similar question on this board a couple of years ago and a member brought up Uzzah ;

2 Samuel 6

4 And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark. 5 And David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.

6 And when they came to Nachon’s threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. 7 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.

So how strait the gate, how narrow the way, I don't know. I know an SBC deacon in his late 70s, a devout Christian, who has been married to his Godly wife for 50 years. He has super bowl parties at his home on that Sunday each year.

I've seen the pastor of that congregation wearing a tie with a depiction of the crucifixion, complete with our Lord on the cross. So what will their position be 'on that day.' From my experience in the Baptist churches I've attended in past years, I don't think the Reformed Confessions are familiar to many of the congregation. I know many of them are devout, and think they are within God's will. Will they be in the way ........ or in outer darkness ?

We're not saved by the perfect keeping of the commandments of course. But our attitude to the commandments may indicate something of the state of our souls. Sometimes genuine believers have been imperfectly taught how to observe the commandments, and even a genuine believer who is perfectly taught still breaks them in thought, word and even deed.

It's not glorifying to God to break the commandments or observe them wrongly, even if we're on the way to Heaven because of Christ's perfect keeping of them. We should be concerned about the proper keeping of the commandments because of God's glory as much as whether a professed brother's profession is genuine because he comes from a "poorly taught" "tradition" and doesn't observe the Sabbath carefully, has pictures of Christ in his children's nobles or uses hymns and organs in worship services. In fact there is division on the PB on the subject of hymns, musical instruments and Christmas and Easter, and some other issues related to the Decalogue.

Some of these sins and errors may be less egregious because the brother has been imperfectly taught and is walking by the light that he has accomplished.

The Reformed, meanwhile, continue to point, in love, to their better distinctives without getting puffed-up. My tuppenceworth.

Sent from my HTC Wildfire using Tapatalk 2
 
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I can't believe you think the pastor and deacon you referenced in your post might be actually damned. Even if they are in the wrong with the Super Bowl parties/tie wearing, are there any in the church who are not in the wrong about something? It seems hardly possible. I can't speak for Uzzah as referenced, but do we know he was damned? God was angry, and smote him, but does that necessarily mean he went to hell? I think of Moses, who also angered God when he struck the rock; he was punished by not being able to go to the Promised Land - but we know for a fact he is in heaven, because of the incident at the Mount of Transfiguration.
 
Ever wonder who's that universally used image is? Or perhaps I should say its originator? The planter of the first seed of its origin to break Gods command?
Who planted that design originally in men's minds? Who fired that black unholy dart that has infected almost the whole of Christendom with its unholy virus? Did it happen by chance that a picture form said to be the Holy Lord is so universally adopted and used?
I think its originator would be very pleased that something more representative of himself is viewed as the Holy Lord and even worshiped by some.
After considering that, why would one want to own one, use one?
 
Sometimes people on this board will speak as if such folks have zero regard whatsoever for those two commandments. In my estimation, this is often an unfair accusation. There may in fact be much regard for those commandments but different ways of seeing them. This does NOT mean every interpretation is valid; it just means that a failure to follow a commandment in the traditional Reformed way is not necessarily the result of ignoring or "dropping" that commandment.

I would like to add that a failure to follow a commandment in the traditional Reformed way could be the result of misinterpreting Scripture rather than having the no intention to obey God. One can have the desire to obey God, but misinterpret Scripture.
 
I can't believe you think the pastor and deacon you referenced in your post might be actually damned. Even if they are in the wrong with the Super Bowl parties/tie wearing, are there any in the church who are not in the wrong about something? It seems hardly possible. I can't speak for Uzzah as referenced, but do we know he was damned? God was angry, and smote him, but does that necessarily mean he went to hell? I think of Moses, who also angered God when he struck the rock; he was punished by not being able to go to the Promised Land - but we know for a fact he is in heaven, because of the incident at the Mount of Transfiguration.
You'd be right, if I gave the impression that I think they are damned perhaps I didn't express myself clearly. On the contrary, I think Jesus paid it all, and I place my hope on nothing less. As do the pastor and deacon referenced. The quote relating Uzzah, and though I didn't reference it, to Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu came out of this thread referenced below ........ I was saying more or less the same thing ;

I've been thinking about this thread and wondering, if the average church member is celebrating Easter by worshipping our Lord 'in Spirit and in truth', knowing little or nothing about the theological arguments concerning holy days/idolatry, will that be hay and stubble or precious metal at the judgment seat ?

It could be argued that if the member doesn't know the theological arguments he ought to know them. OTOH, since many don't pursue understanding the foundation of the faith as deeply as they ought, wouldn't the sincerity of their worship count for something ?

And the reply ; http://www.puritanboard.com/f24/thank-you-no-easter-etc-78493/#post994312
 
I also came out of a SBC background. ... ' From my experience in the Baptist churches I've attended in past years, I don't think the Reformed Confessions are familiar to many of the congregation.

When I was wrestling with the doctrines of grace as a freshman seminarian, a local PCA pastor had been meeting with me to help me work through my many questions. I can't recall what I asked, but I remember him laughing, and saying "You've not been reading your confessions." I gave him a blank stare and he explained to me about the LBC and Abstract of Principles.

I found them online the next day after school was out (I was teaching at the time). I remember reading the AOP in particular with delight, and then thinking to myself, "I've never even heard of this before, and neither has anyone else I know." These thoughts were after a year of FT study in the NOBTS Extension program.

So, no, the average SB doesn't even know about the Baptist Faith and Message, much less the AOP/LBC. Most pastors who preach the 10 Commandments do so from a dispensational perspective. A Reformed view of the Law is foreign in the typical SB church.

Sad, too -- such riches are to be found in the Confessions and Catechisms!
 
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