The 10 Commandments in the New Testament: Part 2

[Steve Myers] The second commandment listed in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 was the command not to have graven images – no idols, don’t bow down to idols was that command that was given. Now in the New Testament, it’s also reiterated, and we can find that very specifically in an interesting section of scripture that’s found in Acts chapter 15.

In Acts 15, there was a big controversy as the New Testament church began, whether there should be circumcision or not. Is that something that was a requirement? So all the elders got together to discuss this very thing. They came to a conclusion that that was not a requirement. What was most important was a circumcised heart – an attitude, a mind that was godly. That was critical.

Now, in order to get the word out to everyone about their decision, they wrote a letter. Now, what was interesting in the inclusion in that letter was something they wrote about the second commandment.

In Acts 15:20, at the conclusion of their letter, they wrote this, as it says here: “Write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, and from things strangled, and from blood.” And so, at the end of this critical letter, they included this second commandment – that we must not bow down to idols. No graven images. Do not worship anything but the one, true God. And so that became critical.

Well, that’s the second commandment in the New Testament – very many other places, as well, but this is a good place to start. No idols.

We’ll talk more next time on BT Daily.