In this presentation I'll answer the following question:
What does the NT mean by "the commandments of God & the faith of Jesus"?
The commandments of God
The NT equates the commandments of God (Rev 12:7; 14:12: cp. 1Cor 7:19) with the teachings of Jesus, starting with his Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5).
And, as I will show, these are not to be confused with or equated with the Law given to Moses at Sinai, what the NT now calls a single “shadow” (Heb 10:1).
AB footnote:
Just as in Col. 2:16-17 the Messiah, who has come, is the reality of which the calendar of “holy days, new moons and weekly sabbath” are a single shadow.
In the same the whole Law is now a shadow that prefigures the teachings of Messiah who sacrificed himself (9:26).
The commands at Mount Sinai Vs the teachings at Mount of Beatitudes:
Under Moses you could kill your enemy, “show no pity...an eye for an eye”: Deut 19:21; Lev. 24.20; Ex 22.2;
But under Jesus you have to unconditionally “love your enemies” that is, Jesus did not mean if they seek to harm your home or country you could kill the enemy: Mat 5.38-39; cp. Luke 6.28-29.
Later, in Matt 26:52 Peter uses the sword to defend Jesus and is rebuked:
“Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword”.
A universal law against lethal armed self-defense or defense of others;
The early churches understood Jesus as giving a prophetic warning against Christians who might have thought they had a "God given right to bear arms";
Instead the rebuked served as a reminder that the great comission is not through armed defense or offense but through obedience, suffering, and if need be dying for the faith;
Ask those who disagree:
If Jesus rebuked Peter in Matthew 26:52 just to fulfill prophecy, not as a universal law against lethal violence, then why didn’t Jesus say that to Peter rather than, “all who take the sword will perish by the sword”?
Jesus says to Pilate in John 18:36:
“My Kingdom does not belong to or originate from this world-system. If my Kingdom did belong to this world-system, my servants would be fighting, so that I would not be handed over to the Jewish leaders. But as it is, my Kingdom does not have its origin from this system.”
The statement echoes Matt 26:53
Do you think I cannot ask my Father, and He would send me at once more than twelve legions of angels?
Again, lethal violence would wrongly identify the Christian with the kingdoms of this world.
Later, Apostles like Peter reinforce this commandment by reminding Christians:
"For you were called to this, since Messiah also suffered for you, leaving you an example to follow in his steps." (1 Peter 2:21)
The same with Paul in what I call his Don'ts of Rom 12:
17 Do not repay evil for evil to anyone.
19 Do not avenge yourselves
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Instead of physical weapons, Christians are to use the metaphorical “armor of God” — truth, righteousness, faith, the Word of God (Ephesians 6:11–17).
“For the weapons of our war are not physical weapons, but weapons made mighty by God for tearing down strongholds." (2 Corinthians 10:4).
Again, the Christian should be prepared to suffer and even die if need be.
If you inflict the same on your enemy or State officials you’re not following Messiah, you're not a Christian!
Sabbath changed:
Under Moses the people were told to rest on the Sabbath, an unqualified commandant, I.e., no exceptions: Deut. 5.13-15; Num. 15.32-36;
But under Jesus you can work any day you want (Mat 12.1-14), just like God Himself.
In John 5:17 Jesus doubles down on the Jewish charge of breaking the Sabbath by saying:
“To this very day [i.e., the Sabbath day in question] My Father is at His work, and I too am working.”
It is clear that Jesus stood there on the Sabbath day and declared that he was “working” on that Saturday!
Hence, John rightly concludes:
"For this reason they [the Jews] tried all the more to kill" Jesus because he was "breaking the Sabbath"! John 5:18
As a result, John says Jesus was "making himself equal with God," i.e., Jesus had the same authority of God in relation to working or resting on the Sabbath. That’s the context!
The NET Bible on John 5:18 notes that:
“In claiming the right to work even as his Father worked, Jesus was claiming a divine prerogative (I.e., authority) as 5:18 goes on to state explicitly for the benefit of the reader who might not have made the connection.”
John saying Jesus was "making himself equal with God" had nothing to do with some metaphysical claim that Jesus was the same one God!
John's simple, yet profound point, has to do with Jesus “working on the Sabbath” (as Jesus himself admits) and as a result “breaking the Sabbath” (as John himself concludes).
In Matthew 12 we see the Pharisees accusing the disciples of breaking the Sabbath as well.
NASB 1995
1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath.” 3 But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions, 4 how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone? 5 “Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and are innocent? 6 “But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here.
Similar to John 5 Jesus goes on to say to the Jewish critics in Mat 12:7 “But if you had known what this means, ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT A SACRIFICE,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 “For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
Which means Jesus, the Messiah, the prophet greater than Moses, has now been given the unique authority to be "lord," which means a master or owner over the Sabbath.
Again, just as Jesus is greater than the Temple (Mat 12.6), greater than Solomon (as he later says in Mat 12.42), and even greater than Moses himself (as Heb 3.3 notes), Jesus is now made greater than the Sabbath day!
In Mark's account of the same event he adds Jesus saying to the Jews:
2:27 “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.”
Later, in Col 2 the Apostle Paul makes clear that the Jewish calendar as a whole is simply a single "shadow" in light of the Messiah who has come.
16 Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day— 17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.
Paul’s warning here is clear:
Christians shouldn’t remain under the “shadow,” a negative analogy in comparison to the real thing, a positive analogy about the Messiah.
NOTE the Sabbath is the only one of the 10 commandments not repeated to Christians in the NT.
Food laws changed
Under Moses you cannot eat unclean food: Lev. 11; Deut. 14;
But under Jesus all foods were declared clean: Mar 7.15, 19; cf. Luke 11.40.
In Mar 7 Jesus uses his criticism of the tradition of the Jewish elders to make a further comment regarding food laws.
Mark 7:14 Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “All of you listen,” he said, “and try to understand. 15 It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart.”
As a result, Mark later says in v.19 that by saying these things Jesus had made all foods clean.
Jesus also practiced what he preached when he ate with sinners, either non-Torah keeping Jews or Gentiles: Matt 9:10-17; Mark 2:15-22; Lk 5:29-39.
Thus, Jesus removed one of the key OC Jewish ID markers!
This NC law and practice established by Jesus himself is also a prelude to Christian life in the coming KOG on earth:
Luke 13:28 “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.
29 People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.
(NOTE: the patriarchs did not keep food laws.)
The NC law is later ratified by God Himself in the vision of Peter, Acts 10-11;
By the Jerusalem council church, Acts 15:19; cp. James, the lord’s brother, almost 10 years later, Acts 21:25a.
And of course taught and practiced by Paul, Rom 14.14, 20.
NOTE: for Paul "the works of the Law" are no longer part of the NC commandments of God.
For example, circumcision of the flesh (Gal 5), food laws (Rom 14; 1Cor 8-10) and Jewish calendar (Col 2).
Marriage and Divorce laws:
Under Moses a certificate of divorce was granted: Deut. 24.1-4;
But under Jesus divorce is allowed for only one reason: Mat 5.31-32; 19.
Purification laws
Under Moses there were a myriad of purification laws prohibiting the touching of certain things or people considered unclean: Num. 5; 9.14; Lev. 15.19-24;
But under Jesus you could, e.g., heal the sick and even raise the dead, Mar. 5.39-41; 14:3; Luke 8.43-48.
This last example leads into one of the strongest arguments for showing how Torah was rendered ineffective not at the cross but during the ministry of Jesus.
Hebrews 7.12 says that when the priesthood is changed, Torah must also be changed.
And according to the previous verse, Hebrews 7:11, this happened when God raised up His own specially appointed High Priest! Cp. Hebrews 7:15;
This is yet another fulfillment of OT prophecies like the all-important Ps 110 where the LXX translators understood v.3 as a reference to the begetting of the Son from the womb.
Hence, in Ps 110:4 God makes the following promise about His own begotten Son:
“You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” Cp. Heb 7:17
So just as Jesus was already the Messiah and Son of God from the womb (Luke 1:30-35; Mat 1.18-20), he was already High Priest from the womb.
The Hebrews writer goes on to explain how the new covenant was established by Christ when he came, i.e., by his ministry and not by his death!
Thus, keeping the commandments of God means faithful obedience to the teachings of Jesus and his Apostles.
The Faith of Jesus
The Greek phrase can be translated as “the faith of Jesus” (not just “faith in Jesus”), meaning the very faith Jesus himself believed and practiced.
Although, to “believe in Jesus” means to believe what Jesus believed as well (e.g., God's gospel about the kingdom, Mk. 1:14–15).
This is in stark contrast to some who teach to “start a personal relationship with Jesus.”
But for the NT faith is not vague relationship language but believing, obeying what Jesus practiced and preached, the aforementioned NC "commandments of God."
Hebrews 2:3 says:
This salvation (Christian faith) had its beginning when spoken through the lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard him (during his ministry).
In other words, this requires not just believing in Jesus, but believing Jesus!
Period.
The faith of Jesus, his beliefs, go back to the covenant-promises made to Abraham (Gen 12-17), to David and his children (2 Sam 7) about the future kingdom on a restored earth.
So that Christian faith (properly defined) means obeying Jesus’ teachings and thus demonstrating not only faith in Jesus but the same faith and belief modeled by Jesus.
This all should start with the creed of Jesus in Mark 12:29 that defines the only true God as the Father alone, cp. John 17:3; also Paul in 1Cor 8.6.
Picture NT faith as steps that will take you to and gain you entry into the coming KOG.
The first step is to start believing the God of Jesus:
The Father is the only one who is the true God, which means true belief and ultimate salvation starts with accepting the one God as Jesus defined Him.
And what that one God said about His uniquely procreated human Son, the long-awaited promised Jewish Messiah;
So that Jesus is not just some moral teacher or spiritual guide—He is in fact God’s anointed King for His coming Kingdom.
The second step is to start believing the gospel of Jesus:
This is clearly defined by Jesus in Mark 1:14–15 as “The gospel of the Kingdom of God," followed by the commdnment to "repent and believe in that Gospel."
Hence, Jesus’ Purpose Driven Life as stated in Luke 4:43.
“I must preach the Gospel about the Kingdom of God to other towns also, because I was commissioned for this purpose.”
AB's long footnote in Mar 1.15:
"Repentance means a complete reorientation in thinking and understanding, and in lifestyle. The first command of Jesus is thus first to believe the Gospel about the Kingdom of God (Acts 8:12), which is the empire of the Messiah, certainly not a figurative kingdom “in the heart.”
AB adds the following OT prophecies, using The Modern English translation (1903):
Dan. 2:44, “In the days of those kings the God of heaven will establish an everlasting empire, which is indestructible, whose sovereignty will not be transferred to another people.”
Dan. 7:17-27, “Those four great beasts which you have seen are four great empires which will be established on the earth. The saints of the Most High will afterwards take the Empire and possess it for ever, and for ever and ever…The time came for the saints to possess the empire…The empire and dominion and grandeur of the empire under the whole heavens will be given to the Holy People of the Most High.”
AB further notes that:
Jesus echoed this same Gospel promise when he said to the Apostles, “You who followed me, when the world is reborn, when the Son of Man will sit on his throne of glory [Mt. 25:31], you will sit on 12 thrones governing the 12 tribes of Israel” (Mt. 19:28).
[Later] Paul was surprised that his converts had forgotten the elementary truth that the saints “are going to govern the world” (1 Cor. 6:2). See Rev. 5:9-10; 3:21; 2:26; 20:1-6.
If the word “empire” has the wrong connotations, we should understand that this is a benign empire, with Jesus as its emperor-king. We may know of “politics” as “dirty politics,” but the Kingdom of God will be the first system, as a theocracy, which will be completely benevolent politics.
The point is that Kingdom in the NT is a real world government, whose spirit can be tasted in advance of its real beginning in Rev. 11:15-18, where, at the last trumpet, God and His Messiah “begin to reign.”
Luke 19:11-27 is a key passage to define the “Kingdom” as the coming Messianic rule on a renewed earth, with its capital in Jerusalem. Without this fact established, the NT becomes an empty shell.
For more see: The Coming Kingdom of the Messiah and Our Fathers Who Aren’t in Heaven.
ADDENDUM how to get born again
Born-Again Process:
You hear, understand and believe the word (Eph. 1:13-14); i.e., the word about the kingdom, Mat 13:19
Accept this word & Repent (Mark 1:14-15);
Plant the word in your heart & grow in your believe, aka faith;
Bear much fruit, which requires commitment (Luke 13:19);
The obedience of faith starts with baptism (Acts 2:38); church fellowship, communion, etc.
Do the Great Comission, i.e., make disciples & baptize (Matt. 28:19)
The third and final step is to start believing death is the opposite of life:
In the OT when you die you “return to dust” (Gen 3:19; Ps 6:5, c. 30x in OT), as a result death is described as “the sleep of death,” i.e., meaning there is no activity (c. 30 times in both testaments)!
Ecclesiastes 9:5: “For the living know that they will die, but the dead do not know anything.”
10 “Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, because there is neither work nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave, the place where you will eventually go.”
Psalm 13:3
“Look on me and answer, LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death”
Jesus and his apostles agreed, the dead are “asleep,” awaiting resurrection (John 11:11–14); NET Bible, John 11:11
This metaphorical usage by its very nature emphasizes the hope of resurrection: Believers will one day “wake up” out of death.
[Cp. 1 Cor 15:18–23; 1 Thess 4:13–16]
Resurrection is the one and only Christian hope, aka the Christian EndGame! This is the belief across the whole of the scriptures from Dan 12:2 (“Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake...”); to Acts 23:6 (Where Paul says to the Sanhedrin: "I am on trial for the hope of the resurrection of the dead!”)
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