The 16 commandments

Paidion · July 19, 2018, 11:31pm

Here are the 16 commandments of Jesus. Do we obey ALL of them?

The Sixteen Commandments of Jesus

Do not get angry. (Matt 5:22)
Do not commit adultery. (Matt 5:28)
Do not separate from your spouse. (Matt 5:32)
Do not take an oath (Matt 5: 34)
Do not resist an evil person (Matt 5:39)
Give to the one who asks you for something. (Matt 5:42)
Love your enemies, pray for them, and do good to them. (Matt 5:44)
Do not give alms, pray, or fast in order to receive praise from people.(Matt 6:1,5,16)
Pardon people for their blunders. (Matt 6: 14)
Do not hoard goods or be a slave to money. (Matt 6: 19,24)
Do not be anxious about your physical needs. (Matt 6:31,34)
Do not condemn people. (Matt 7:1)
Do not give holy things to those who cannot appreciate them. (Matt 7:6)
Ask for what you need, and you will be given it. (Matt 7:7)
Whatever you want people to do for you, do for them (Matt 7:12)
Beware of false prophets. (Matt7:15)

anon12438761 · July 19, 2018, 11:32pm

I don’t.

Paidion · July 20, 2018, 12:13am

Why not?

anon12438761 · July 20, 2018, 12:14am

For the same reasons, probably, that others have.

maintenanceman · July 20, 2018, 12:29am

DaveB is the most honest man here.

Get off his @ss Don.

Paidion · July 20, 2018, 12:35am

And what are you? The most insulting man here?

Dave and I get along just fine. I wish I could say the same for you.

maintenanceman · July 20, 2018, 12:54am

You are rubbing a way…We get along just fine in my opinion. You and I see things a bit shall we say different. But I love you Don.

You Said: And what are you? The most insulting man here?

You don’t like me because I don’t cow tow to your view of scripture. Great for you. You are a self instituted Greek scholar, and that is well and fine, and I appreciate your knowledge. I just see things a bit different.

Others can have their opinions.

Peace.

Paidion · July 20, 2018, 1:00am

Actually I do like you. But you can be irritating at times. It has nothing to do with our different understandings of Scripture.

I regret that I lashed out at you. If you were an enemy or an evil person, then I, myself would have disobeyed Christ’s commands. But I don’t consider you to be either of those. However, I do think that you sometimes offer unjustified, rude attacks.

maintenanceman · July 20, 2018, 1:22am

Well, I appreciate the post, and I do accept the idea that at times I offer rude attacks, though I’m not sure they are unjustified, because in my understanding, I would have not done them if I would have considered them unjustified, so we maybe will have to realize we see things a bit different. Rudeness is a way of looking at a given situation. We may look at it differently.

LLC · July 20, 2018, 11:25am

Jesus was considered sinless, but did He obey all of them?

Paidion · July 20, 2018, 6:27pm

It seems that people think, by the question I asked, that I am more or less asking, “Are you personally doing what Jesus commanded, and if not why not—if you are claiming to be His disciple?A true Christian will do what Jesus said!” My point was not to verbally chastise anyone who does not obey Jesus’ commandments. Rather I was concentrating on the REASONS people don’t obey them. So far I have been unable to induce anyone to provide any reasons.

Let me give you an example of reasons for not obeying. Consider Jesus’ 5th commandment, “Do not resist an evil person (Matt 5:39).” I’ve heard it said, “If an evil person begins to attack my wife and family, I’m going to resist him!” and “If an evil group of people, such as ISIS, begins to kill the people in my community, I’m going to organize a group of people to machine gun them down!”

Are there other commandments of Christ that you consider invalid for some reason?

anon12438761 · July 20, 2018, 6:37pm

I knew that, Don. Regretfully, I don’t actually think about those 16 as often as I should. They kinda come to me on an ad hoc basis - as a situation demands. I’m often just lazy.

steve7150 · July 20, 2018, 6:37pm

The Christadelphians count 53 commands of Christ!

Paidion · July 20, 2018, 6:43pm

Well, I think Jesus’ lifestyle aligned with His commandments. Do you think otherwise?

Perhaps you think He became angry when He overturned the tables of the money changers who had set up their business in the temple (and drove out the animals with whips). I am not sure that He was, if fact, angry. His actions may have but indicated firmness and resolve.

Paidion · July 20, 2018, 6:40pm

Well, Lev Tolstoy counted only 5! So I thought I was doing fairly well with the 16 that I counted.

steve7150 · July 20, 2018, 7:07pm

Well it may be that some things are principals not really direct commands like “it is more blessed to give then receive”?

Agnostic_Gabe · July 21, 2018, 2:08am

Don, I noticed you said MM was irritating at times. I’ll add that I find you irritating, at times, because you ask a question without first giving your own answer. Not only that, but when someone answers honestly, you ask them why not. If you ask a question and refuse to “go first”, well, I am sorry, but I won’t and don’t respect that. Your post is like an attempt to pick a fight.

That said, I’ll indulge you, not as if you care. I do not, and do not care that I do follow those commands (or all of them). As far as I am concerned, Christ only gave 2 real commands, the rest fall into place. Love God and love your fellow man. That is it.

I also believe some of those commands are misinterpreted, or outright wrong. Whether Jesus believed them or not, I don’t know. But not being anxious for where your next meal is coming from is a pretty stupid. A stupid man says “I won’t look for food, God will provide” and an even stupider person is one who persists in his lack of pursuit.

You view these commandments as some sort of “formula” for Righteousness. They are most definitely not. That said some of these commandments are good, and we ought to try our best to follow them. But commands like 16 are so silly… A false prophet is one who fools someone… So if you are fooled, how would you know you are following a false prophet? I think the Bible has robbed many people of common sense.

davo · July 21, 2018, 2:36am

Pretty much… which both Paul and James reiterate in Rom 13:9-10; Jas 2:8 (Mt 22:36-40; 1Tim1:5).

This might be where this notion of so-called “consistent righteousness” comes from. ??

I think Steve above points out the likelihood that such are really to be understood in terms of “principals” or dare I say… ‘Beatitudes’.

I think presuppositional interpretations brought TO the bible has as you say… “robbed many people of common sense.”

hollytree · July 21, 2018, 3:48am

I see AT LEAST 25

You must be born again
Repent
Believe in me
Love me
Listen to me
Abide in me
Take up your cross and follow me
Love God with all your heart and mind
Rejoice and leap for joy
Fear him who can destroy body and soul
Worship God in Spirit and Truth
Always pray and do not lose heart
Don’t be anxious about the necessities of life
Don’t be anxious about the threats of man
Humble yourself in childlike servanthood
Don’t be angry - Trust in God’s providence
Embrace mercy and forgiveness
Your righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees. Wash the inside of the cup for every healthy tree bears good fruit.
Love your enemies to show that you are God’s children
Love your neighbor as yourself
Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven by being generous
Do not condemn
Do not take an oath
Let your light shine before others
Fear not

Paidion · July 21, 2018, 3:55am

I don’t think that can be concluded from Jesus’ command. Perhaps “beware” is not the best translation of “προσεχετε.” Please consider the NIV translation:

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”

Perhaps if Christians are on the look out for false prophets, they will recognize them if they keep in mind Jesus’ criterion which He immediately stated: “They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”