There is a passage in the 5th chapter of Matthew’s gospel account that I call the Sabbath Day’s Golden Text. This passage taken at face value contains a truth spoken by Jesus Christ that is so clear and plain as to be quite difficult to misunderstand. I do not say impossible to misunderstand as there are multiplied millions of Christians who quite evidently do not understand what Jesus was saying at all in this passage. This, of course, points up the fact that Satan’s ability to deceive the average Christian is unarguable. That is why there are so many differing, conflicting and utterly contradictory denominations in the Christian religion.
“And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain, and when he was set, his disciples came unto him. And he opened his mouth, and taught them….” (See Matthew 5:1-2). He then said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets, I am not come to destroy but to fulfill (Greek “pleroo,” or “fully preach). For truly I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle (one iota, or one tiny bit) shall IN NO WISE pass from the law, till all be fulfilled (Greek, “kept” or “performed” check a good Greek/English lexicon). (verses 17 and 18, Matthew 5). Notice that Jesus says this “law” to which He refers cannot be changed, set aside or abolished IN NO WISE! He certainly will not do it. No apostle will be permitted to change or set aside this law. His death will not do it. His resurrection will not do it. IT CANNOT BE DONE PERIOD! Heaven and earth would have to pass away before such a thing could possibly happen.
But to which law did our Lord refer when speaking these words. God had given Israel many laws – dietary laws, laws governing various sacrifices, the law of circumcision, laws of separation from the Gentiles, etc. He begins answering that question in the 19th verse of Matthew 5 when He speaks of these laws being “commandments.” But He goes much further than that. He cites two of these commandments word-for-word so that there could be no doubt as to which commandments He speaks of, saying “You have heard that it was said by them of old time, ‘THOU SHALT NOT KILL.'” (Matthew 5:21) and “THOU SHALT NOT COMMIT ADULTERY'” (Matthew 5:27). Those two commandments are the sixth and seventh commandments of the Ten Commandments!
But Jesus goes a lot further than just quoting these two commandments. He expands upon them: “You have heard that it was said by them of old time (those under the Old Covenant), ‘Thou shalt not kill…..but I (the Messenger of the New Covenant) say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment, and whosoever shall say unto his brother, ‘Raca’ (an disparaging remark transliterated from the Aramaic into Greek) shall be in danger of the council (judgment by the Sanhedrin itself), but whosoever shall say, ‘Thou fool’ shall be in danger of hell fire.” (See Matthew 5:21-22). For, you see, when your fellow man is so belittled in your eyes and thinking that you can easily call him some such derogatory term, you are edged just a little bit closer to the point where you can do him bodily harm, even killing him.
Again, Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said by them of old time, ‘Thou shalt not commit adultery,’ but I say unto you that whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). And, of course, the same would go for the woman who lusts after a man. She, too, has already committed adultery in her heart.
In this discourse Jesus is fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah, “The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness’ sake. He will magnify the law, and make it honorable.” (Isaiah 42:21). And that is exactly what Jesus did. Far from doing away with the Ten Commandments, He made them all the more binding on the New Covenant believer. Not only are we not to kill or commit adultery. we aren’t even to think the thought or kill another’s reputation by using disparaging language when addressing another or speaking about another. The New Covenant believer is to bring “into captivity (or control) EVERY THOUGHT to the (same) obedience of Christ (our Elder Brother and Lord)” (See 2 Corinthians 10:5).
And why do I call this passage in Matthew 5 the Sabbath Day’s Golden Text? Because it plainly and clearly reveals that NONE of the Ten Commandments can be changed or abolished as long as the earth and heavens stand! Anyone who thinks Colossians 2, or Romans 14, or Acts 20, or any other passage teaches that such is the case are misinterpreting what they are reading, plain and simple. And they better take need to Peter’s warning that Paul wrote “some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned (in the scriptures as a whole) and (spiritually) unstable wrest (twist, distort, etc.), as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.” (See 2 Peter 3:15-16).
God help you to understand.
Christ’s Faithful Servant (Galatians 1:10-12),
Donald Wiley