The Ten Commandments Are No Longer Relevant?

[CatholicMedic]

This past weekend (Corpus Christi Sunday) I attended Mass at another parish (not my own).

I was puzzled by the priest’s homily. During the homily, he suggested that we are no longer bound by The Ten Commandments.

I can’t remember the exact quotation but it went like this;

“When people talk about preparing [examination of concience] for confession, they talk about reviewing the ten commandments. This is wrong. We are bound by the commandments of love God and love you neighbor and all of the other precepts of the NEW TESTAMENT; the new covenant.”

He seemed to imply that the OLD TESTMENT and specifically the ten commandment need be followed any longer.

I found this very confusing. I have heard homiles by this priest and they are usually very good. But, he lost me on this one. Has anyone else heard anything like this?

 

[timotheos]

I tend to favor the words of Jesus himself.

Mt 5:18 “I tell you the truth, 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.”

In loving God and your neighbor to the fullest and truest extent, you are obeying the commandments. If you think you’re loving God and neighbor but not obeying all the commandments, then it ain’t love you’re practicing.

Just my take on it. I can’t tell what the priest you mentioned meant.

 

[josephback]

If I remember from a Confession pamphlet the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes are both helpful in making an examination of conscience. Maybe the priest meant to say we are no longer under the Old Covenant, but have been redeemed in Christ. I know the local priest (who is awesome by the way) talked about how people in confession sometimes confess they missed Church. Missing Church he pointed out isn’t bad because we broke a law, but because we broke the Covenant, of Christ’s body and blood in communion. I’d look up Catholic teaching on the Old versus New Covenant and what each entails to answer your question.

 

[adrift]

I tend to favor the words of Jesus himself.

In loving God and your neighbor to the fullest and truest extent, you are obeying the commandments. If you think you’re loving God and neighbor but not obeying all the commandments, then it ain’t love you’re practicing.

Just my take on it. I can’t tell what the priest you mentioned meant.

With this I agree.

Mt 5:18 “I tell you the truth, 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.” **

All was accomplished when Jesus died on the cross. He said it is finished.

We don’t obey the ten commandments. That was the old law we are under the new. That doesn’t mean that we can now break the Commandments because Jesus established that we were to love God and neighbor. Remember though one of the commandments was keep holy the Sabbath. We are no longer obligated to the Sabbath but to Sunday. The priest is basically right.

 

[CatholicMedic]

We don’t obey the ten commandments. That was the old law we are under the new. That doesn’t mean that we can now break the Commandments because Jesus established that we were to love God and neighbor.

We don’t obey them but we can’t break them? Isn’t ***not breaking ***them obeying them?

 

[adrift]

We don’t obey them but we can’t break them? Isn’t ***not breaking ***them obeying them?

I guess that is confused. We are under the new commandments otherwise we would still worship from Friday evening to Saturday evening. Jesus told us that we should Love God and Love our neighbor. It is impossible to Love without obeying the Commandments. So I guess you might say that the ten commandments were fulfilled and the New Commandment is what we now follow.
In the Old Testament, divorce was allowed, so was marriage to more than one woman. Marriage wasn’t done away with but fulfilled to what it was meant to be.
The requirement to observe Passover was fulfilled in the requirement to remember Jesus in the mass. In one way Passover was done away with but in another it is fulfilled to what it was meant to be. So to the Commandments they are not so much done away with but fulfilled. The Old Law which covers much more than just the Ten have been fulfilled and the New Law has taken its place.

 

[MS_SURVEYOR]

I really don’t understand? What part of this we should not obey?

The Ten Commandments The Catholic Church Uses

***1. I, the Lord, am your God. You shall not have other gods besides me.

1. You shall not take the name of the Lord God in vain

2. Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day

3. Honor your father and your mother

4. You shall not kill

5. You shall not commit adultery

6. You shall not steal

7. You shall not bear false witness

8. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife

9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods***

Catholic Bible 101

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Jesus’ two commandments that he gave us, Love God with our entire being, and love our neighbor, sum up the Ten Commandments.

Jim

 

[adrift]

I really don’t understand? What part of this we should not obey?

The Ten Commandments The Catholic Church Uses

***1. I, the Lord, am your God. You shall not have other gods besides me.

1. You shall not take the name of the Lord God in vain

2. Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day

3. Honor your father and your mother

4. You shall not kill

5. You shall not commit adultery

6. You shall not steal

7. You shall not bear false witness

8. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife

9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods***

Catholic Bible 101

That is not the question.

During the homily, he suggested that we are no longer bound by The Ten Commandments.

I was trying to explain what he might have meant. As for your 3rd it is not correct. The commandment was Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy not the Lord’s Day. The Lords Day is Sunday the Sabbath is from sundown Friday to Sunday Saturday.

 

[buffalo]

They are now the 10 Suggestions.

 

[adrift]

Jesus’ two commandments that he gave us, Love God with our entire being, and love our neighbor, sum up the Ten Commandments.

Jim

Yes it does and It is a quote from the Old Testament.

 

[buffalo]

The fifth is no longer in play?

 

[adrift]

They are now the 10 Suggestions.

The fifth is no longer in play?

I am not certain what you intend with these remarks.

No one said that they were suggestions but unless keep Sabbath Holy than you are not keeping the Ten Commandments.

 

[johnnyjones]

I’ve said this before too many catholics have watered down the OT. Many books are turned into allegories only because it seems “we couldn’t comprehend these miraculous things” such as parting seas, a literal 6 day creation, arks, non consuming fires etc.

The ten commandment story is now “just giving you an idea of the kinda bad stuff”. Wake up to the miraculous power of God then… and now.

 

[buffalo]

I am not certain what you intend with these remarks.

No one said that they were suggestions but unless keep Sabbath Holy than you are not keeping the Ten Commandments.

They are sarcasm.

I any case, the Catechism has an entire section on each of the Ten Commandments.

 

[MS_SURVEYOR]

During the homily, he suggested that we are no longer bound by The Ten Commandments.

Oh Really! Once again being mislead. Oh, all that was so long ago. Times have changed.

Matthew 5:17

"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."

Well be careful. You can think and feel that way, but to lead others in the wrong direction could cause some troubles.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

It is possible that your priest is trying to express something but not doing as good a job as he could, and that you are probably trying to understand but maybe missing something along the way.

I often find that people lately (myself included) sometimes talk about a concept and come to a conclusion but miss putting in a premise or two between the concept and conclusion. Because I am aware of all the information myself, I know HOW I arrived at the conclusion and it makes sense. . .but to somebody who only hears the beginning and end and misses the middle, it can get confusing.

Let’s hope that what the priest MEANT to say was that old Jewish law (covenant) of the 10 Commandments was not binding on Catholic Christians in the same way as it was for the Jews. (St Paul actually speaks of this as well). St Paul (and hopefully your priest as well) didn’t mean that we were not to obey those commandments or that they were meaningless (they aren’t, and we should obey them), but the covenant relationship that we as Christians have with Christ is not the same as the Jewish covenant. It is a FULFILLMENT of the Jewish covenant in which the early and incomplete bits (the 10 commandments of the Jews are completed and fulfilled in Christ’s 2 great commandments, the sacrifice of atonement by the High priest of the Jews is completed and fulfilled in Christ’s passion, death and resurrection, etc.)

So the 10 commandments are certainly relevant, but for a Jewish person, obedience to the 10 commandments ('the “Law”) was considered the means of salvation.

For us, obedience to a PERSON (Christ), the EMBODIMENT of the Law, is the means of salvation. Christ is the fulfillment of the 10 commandments and the true salvation.

Anyway, that MIGHT be what the priest meant. I hope so!

 

[adrift]

It is possible that your priest is trying to express something but not doing as good a job as he could, and that you are probably trying to understand but maybe missing something along the way.

I often find that people lately (myself included) sometimes talk about a concept and come to a conclusion but miss putting in a premise or two between the concept and conclusion. Because I am aware of all the information myself, I know HOW I arrived at the conclusion and it makes sense. . .but to somebody who only hears the beginning and end and misses the middle, it can get confusing.

Let’s hope that what the priest MEANT to say was that old Jewish law (covenant) of the 10 Commandments was not binding on Catholic Christians in the same way as it was for the Jews. (St Paul actually speaks of this as well). St Paul (and hopefully your priest as well) didn’t mean that we were not to obey those commandments or that they were meaningless (they aren’t, and we should obey them), but the covenant relationship that we as Christians have with Christ is not the same as the Jewish covenant. It is a FULFILLMENT of the Jewish covenant in which the early and incomplete bits (the 10 commandments of the Jews are completed and fulfilled in Christ’s 2 great commandments, the sacrifice of atonement by the High priest of the Jews is completed and fulfilled in Christ’s passion, death and resurrection, etc.)

So the 10 commandments are certainly relevant, but for a Jewish person, obedience to the 10 commandments ('the “Law”) was considered the means of salvation.

For us, obedience to a PERSON (Christ), the EMBODIMENT of the Law, is the means of salvation. Christ is the fulfillment of the 10 commandments and the true salvation.

Anyway, that MIGHT be what the priest meant. I hope so!

I seem to be having the same problem. You express better what I was trying to convey but could not get across. Thanks for such a good answer.

 

[LilyM]

Yes it does and It is a quote from the Old Testament.

But Jesus ALSO explicitly reiterated the ten commandments - to the rich young man, for example. So they are still binding, in as far as they apply to us.

Just because the day that we are to keep holy was transferred from Saturday to Sunday doesn’t negate the commandment at all. It just changes its application a little - ‘fulfils’ it.

Similarly the fact that we now understand God to be Trinity whereas the Jews didn’t in no way negates the commandment against worshipping ‘other gods’.

 

[styrgwillidar]

Well, perhaps your priest meant something along the lines that it is not enough to simply obey the commandments. That is, we must be just as concerned with sins of Omission as we are with sins of Commission. Over and over again in the Bible, Christ says that if we accept Him we will do good works. We must live an active faith, it is not enough to just avoid doing wrong, if we are truly His followers we will act with love towards our fellow man. This is how He says we will be judged:

Matthew 25

'When the Son of man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory.

32 All nations will be assembled before him and he will separate people one from another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats.

33 He will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left.

34 Then the King will say to those on his right hand, "Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take as your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world.

35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you made me welcome,

36 lacking clothes and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me."

37 Then the upright will say to him in reply, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?

38 When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome, lacking clothes and clothe you?

39 When did we find you sick or in prison and go to see you?"

40 And the King will answer, “In truth I tell you, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.”

41 Then he will say to those on his left hand, "Go away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

42 For I was hungry and you never gave me food, I was thirsty and you never gave me anything to drink,

43 I was a stranger and you never made me welcome, lacking clothes and you never clothed me, sick and in prison and you never visited me."

44 Then it will be their turn to ask, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, a stranger or lacking clothes, sick or in prison, and did not come to your help?”

45 Then he will answer, “In truth I tell you, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me.”

46 And they will go away to eternal punishment, and the upright to eternal life.’

ETA: Note Christ didn’t say the ‘goats’ were being condemned for evil acts they perpetrated, for commandments they broke, they are being condemned for failing to act with love towards all in His name.