What Specific Laws Continue and What Specific Laws Ceased? — A Comprehensive NT Catalogue¶
Question¶
What specific laws continue and what specific laws ceased? Produce a comprehensive, systematic compilation from every relevant NT passage. Create a two-column catalogue: (1) Laws/commandments the NT explicitly states or necessarily implies continue, and (2) Laws/ordinances the NT explicitly states or necessarily implies ceased. For each item, identify the specific law, the NT passage, the Greek term, and the evidence tier. Specifically address the consistency objection regarding clean/unclean food distinctions and tithing.
Summary Answer¶
The NT consistently names Decalogue commandments as continuing (using entole/G1785 without qualifier) and names ceremonial regulations as ceased (using dogma/G1378, cheirographon/G5498, dikaiomata sarkos). Four of five core Greek law terms partition cleanly between affirmation and abolition contexts. No NT passage names a specific Decalogue commandment as abolished, and no NT passage names a specific ceremonial regulation as continuing. The clean/unclean food distinction and tithing both predate the Mosaic system (Gen 7:2; Gen 14:20) and are not abrogated by the NT passages commonly cited against them. Jesus explicitly affirms tithing (Mat 23:23), and Hebrews 7:8 presents tithing in present-tense language in the context of the Melchizedek priesthood.
Key Verses¶
Matthew 5:17-18 — "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." (Jesus' universal statement on the law's permanence; the foundational "Continues" text)
1 Corinthians 7:19 — "Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God." (Paul creates the moral/ceremonial partition within a single verse: entole = moral commandments remain; peritome = ceremonial rite = nothing)
Romans 3:31 — "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law." (Paul explicitly denies that faith abolishes the law; katargeo denied, histemi affirmed — same author as the Galatians and Colossians passages)
1 John 3:4 — "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." (Sin continues to be defined as law-transgression; anomia = lawlessness; the law remains the moral standard)
Colossians 2:14, 16-17 — "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross...Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come." (The primary "Ceased" passage; cheirographon + dogma vocabulary identifies ceremonial ordinances, not the Decalogue; content = dietary regulations, feasts, ceremonial sabbaths)
Hebrews 8:10 — "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people." (The new covenant does not replace God's laws but internalises them; nomous mou = "my laws," possessive — God's own existing laws)
Matthew 23:23 — "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." (Jesus explicitly affirms tithing; "these ought ye to have done" — present obligation — while prioritizing the weightier matters; apodekatoo)
Revelation 14:12 — "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." (End-time saints identified by commandment-keeping; tas entolas tou theou = God's commandments remain the marker of His people through the close of time)
1. Explicit Statements Table¶
| # | Explicit Statement | Reference | Position | Master ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E1 | Jesus states: "Think not that I am come to destroy the law...till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." | Mat 5:17-18 | Continues | E021 |
| E2 | Jesus directs to the Decalogue for entering life: "Keep the commandments [entole]...Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and mother." | Mat 19:17-19 | Continues | E041 |
| E3 | Jesus names the two great commandments (love God, love neighbor) and states "on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." | Mat 22:37-40 | Neutral | E042 |
| E4 | "It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail." | Luk 16:17 | Continues | E022 |
| E5 | The women "rested the sabbath day according to the commandment [entole]." | Luk 23:56 | Continues | E333 |
| E6 | Jesus states: "If ye love me, keep my commandments [entole]." | Jhn 14:15 | Continues | E350 |
| E7 | "Hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments [entole]. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar." | 1 Jhn 2:3-4 | Continues | E295 |
| E8 | "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law [anomia]." | 1 Jhn 3:4 | Continues | E023 |
| E9 | "This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments [entole]: and his commandments are not grievous." | 1 Jhn 5:3 | Continues | E030 |
| E10 | "Do we then make void [katargeo] the law [nomos] through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish [histemi] the law." | Rom 3:31 | Continues | E025 |
| E11 | Paul identifies the law by quoting the 10th commandment and states: "The law is holy, and the commandment [entole] holy, and just, and good." | Rom 7:7,12 | Continues | E010 |
| E12 | "The law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin." | Rom 7:14 | Continues | E011 |
| E13 | "That the righteousness [dikaioma, singular articular] of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." | Rom 8:4 | Continues | E026 |
| E14 | "The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law [nomos] of God." | Rom 8:7 | Continues | E027 |
| E15 | Paul lists commandments 7,6,8,9,10 as the content love fulfills: "Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet." | Rom 13:8-10 | Continues | E028 |
| E16 | "Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments [entole] of God." | 1 Cor 7:19 | Continues | E143 |
| E17 | Paul cites the 5th commandment as still operative: "Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment [entole] with promise.)" | Eph 6:2-3 | Continues | E261 |
| E18 | "The law [nomos] is good, if a man use it lawfully." Paul lists sins paralleling commandments 6,7,8,9. | 1 Ti 1:8-10 | Continues | E047 |
| E19 | "Whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty...shall be blessed in his deed." James identifies content as the 6th and 7th commandments. | Jas 1:25; 2:8-12 | Continues | E029, E460 |
| E20 | "The dragon...went to make war with the remnant...which keep the commandments [entole] of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." | Rev 12:17 | Continues | E031 |
| E21 | "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments [entole] of God, and the faith of Jesus." | Rev 14:12 | Continues | E032 |
| E22 | "Blessed are they that do his commandments [entole], that they may have right to the tree of life." | Rev 22:14 | Continues | E033 |
| E23 | "I will put my laws [nomous mou] into their mind, and write them in their hearts." | Heb 8:10; 10:16 | Continues | E039 |
| E24 | "There remaineth therefore a rest [sabbatismos] to the people of God." | Heb 4:9 | Continues | E337 |
| E25 | "The Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law...the work of the law written in their hearts." | Rom 2:14-15 | Continues | E037 |
| E26 | Jesus says "Whosoever shall break one of these least commandments [entole], and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven." | Mat 5:19 | Continues | E043 |
| E27 | "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances [cheirographon tois dogmasin] that was against us...nailing it to his cross." Content identified in vv.16-17: meat, drink, holyday, new moon, sabbath days = "shadow." | Col 2:14,16-17 | Neutral | E054, E055 |
| E28 | "Having abolished [katargeo] in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments [entole] contained in ordinances [en dogmasin]." The en dogmasin qualifier identifies which part was abolished. | Eph 2:15 | Neutral | E053 |
| E29 | "The priesthood being changed [metatithemi], there is made of necessity a change also of the law." The law changed is the priesthood succession law. | Heb 7:12 | Neutral | E151 |
| E30 | "Not after the law of a carnal commandment [entoles sarkines], but after the power of an endless life." Identifies the changed law as "carnal commandment." | Heb 7:16 | Neutral | E152 |
| E31 | "There is verily a disannulling [athetesis] of the commandment [entole] going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof." | Heb 7:18 | Neutral | E153 |
| E32 | "Carnal ordinances [dikaiomata sarkos], imposed on them until the time of reformation." Content: "meats and drinks, and divers washings." | Heb 9:10 | Neutral | E136 |
| E33 | "The law having a shadow [skia] of good things to come...can never with those sacrifices...make the comers thereunto perfect." | Heb 10:1 | Neutral | E056 |
| E34 | "Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not...He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second." | Heb 10:5,9 | Neutral | E133 |
| E35 | "Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin." | Heb 10:18 | Neutral | E154 |
| E36 | "The ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious...which glory was to be done away [katargeo]." Grammatical subject of katargoumenen is the glory, not the law. | 2 Cor 3:7,11 | Neutral | E048 |
| E37 | "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse [katara] of the law." What is removed is the curse, not the law. | Gal 3:13 | Neutral | E252 |
| E38 | "The law was our schoolmaster [paidagogos] to bring us unto Christ...after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster." | Gal 3:24-25 | Neutral | E059 |
| E39 | "If ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing...neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love." | Gal 5:2,6 | Neutral | E144 |
| E40 | The Jerusalem Council determined Gentile believers need not be circumcised or keep "the law of Moses" as a soteriological requirement. Four moral/dietary requirements retained. | Acts 15:28-29 | Neutral | E146 |
| E41 | "It is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins." | Heb 10:4 | Neutral | E132 |
| E42 | God instructed Noah: "Of every clean [tahowr] beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens...and of beasts that are not clean by two." | Gen 7:2 | Neutral | E070 |
| E43 | "Abraham gave a tenth part of all" to Melchizedek. | Gen 14:20; Heb 7:2 | Neutral | E070 (vicinity) |
| E44 | "Here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth." Present tense verbs for both Levitical and Melchizedek tithe-receiving. | Heb 7:8 | Neutral | — (new) |
| E45 | Jesus affirms tithing: "Ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin...these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." | Mat 23:23 | Continues | E195 |
| E46 | "Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments [mitsvah], my statutes [chuqqah], and my laws [towrah]." Pre-Sinai comprehensive law-keeping using Sinai vocabulary. | Gen 26:5 | Neutral | E034 |
2. Necessary Implications Table¶
| # | Necessary Implication | Based on | Position | Why Unavoidable | Master ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N1 | Entole (G1785) without qualifier = moral/Decalogue content in 43/43 identifiable NT instances. Every ceremonial use of entole carries a qualifier (sarkines, en dogmasin, anthropon). | E2,E5,E6,E7,E9,E16,E17,E20,E21,E22; E28,E30,E31 | Continues | Complete enumeration — no counter-instance exists | N097 |
| N2 | Dogma (G1378) is never used for the Decalogue in any NT passage (0/5 occurrences). Its two law-referent uses (Col 2:14; Eph 2:15) both describe abolished ceremonial ordinances. | E27,E28 | Continues | Complete enumeration of all 5 NT occurrences | N018 (part) |
| N3 | Cheirographon (G5498) = "hand-written document." The Decalogue was "written with the finger of God" (Exo 31:18; Deu 9:10) — a different authorship. Paired with dogma (never = Decalogue). | E27 + Exo 31:18 | Continues | Etymological fact (cheir + grapho = hand-written) contrasted with E-item about God-written Decalogue | N018 (part) |
| N4 | The NT vocabulary in affirmation passages (entole unqualified, dikaioma singular articular) differs from vocabulary in abolition passages (dogma, cheirographon, dikaiomata sarkos, skia). Four of five core terms partition cleanly. | E2-E26 (affirmation); E27-E41 (abolition) | Continues | Observable vocabulary distribution across the entire NT, tool-verified | N102 |
| N5 | None of the seven primary NT abolition passages (Col 2:14, Eph 2:15, Heb 7:12, Heb 9:10, Heb 10:1-9, 2 Cor 3:7-11, Gal 3:13) names the Decalogue as what was abolished. Each identifies specific ceremonial content via Greek vocabulary. | E27-E38 | Continues | Observation from complete survey — no passage names the Ten Commandments | N043 |
| N6 | Paul simultaneously dismisses circumcision (ceremonial) as "nothing" while affirming "the keeping of the commandments [entole] of God" as what matters (1 Cor 7:19). | E16 | Continues | Paul creates the distinction within a single verse | N019, N100 |
| N7 | The clean/unclean animal distinction existed before the Levitical system (Gen 7:2 uses tahowr, the same vocabulary Leviticus uses). | E42 | Neutral | Observable pre-Sinai occurrence | N006 |
| N8 | Tithing existed before the Levitical system (Gen 14:20, Abraham to Melchizedek — a non-Levitical priest). | E43 | Neutral | Observable pre-Mosaic occurrence | — |
| N9 | The new covenant writes God's existing laws ("my laws") on hearts (Heb 8:10; 10:16), not a new set of laws. The possessive "my" identifies them as God's own. | E23 | Continues | The pronoun "my" is possessive — God's own laws, not a replacement | N051 |
| N10 | In 2 Cor 3:7,11, what is "done away" (katargoumenen, acc sg fem participle) is grammatically the glory (doxa, acc sg fem), not the law or the commandments. | E36 | Neutral | Greek gender/number agreement identifies the grammatical subject | N041 |
| N11 | In Gal 3:13, the grammatical object of redemption is the curse (katara), not the law (nomos). The genitive "of the law" identifies the curse's source. | E37 | Neutral | Greek genitive construction | N042 |
| N12 | The "first" taken away in Heb 10:9 is the sacrificial system ("sacrifice and offering" — v.8), not the moral law. The "second" established is "thy will, O God" (v.9). | E34 | Neutral | The immediate antecedent in vv.5-8 identifies "the first" as sacrifice and offering | N044 (part) |
| N13 | Hebrews 10:1-18 both removes the sacrificial system (vv.1-9,18: "no more offering for sin") and affirms the law written on hearts (v.16: "I will put my laws into their hearts"). | E23,E33,E34,E35 | Continues | The same passage does both | N044 |
3. Inferences Table (4-Type Taxonomy)¶
| # | Claim | Type | What the Bible actually says | Why this is an inference | Criteria | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I1 | The Bible teaches that all ten of the Decalogue commandments remain binding under the new covenant. | I-A | E2 (Jesus lists commands 5-9 as "the commandments" — Mat 19:17-19), E3 (two love commands summarize all — Mat 22:37-40), E5 (Sabbath kept "according to the commandment" — Luk 23:56), E15 (Paul lists commands 6-10 — Rom 13:9), E17 (Paul cites command 5 — Eph 6:2), E19 (James cites commands 6,7 — Jas 2:11), E24 (sabbatismos remains — Heb 4:9), E20-22 (Revelation: commandments of God — Rev 12:17; 14:12; 22:14). No NT passage abolishes any specific Decalogue command. | Systematizes individual E-items into a comprehensive claim about all ten commands. Some commands (1,2,3) are reaffirmed by principle (love God) rather than by individual quotation. | #5 (systematizing) | Continues |
| I2 | The Bible teaches that the "handwriting of ordinances" (Col 2:14) refers to the Decalogue/Ten Commandments, and therefore the moral law was nailed to the cross. | I-B | E27 states the cheirographon tois dogmasin was nailed to the cross (Col 2:14). Content identified in vv.16-17 as meats, drinks, holydays, new moons, sabbath days. AGAINST: N3 (cheirographon = hand-written; Decalogue was God-written); N2 (dogma never = Decalogue, 0/5); E1 (Jesus says not one jot shall pass from the law — Mat 5:17-18); E10 (Paul establishes the law — Rom 3:31). | Requires identifying cheirographon as the Decalogue despite the hand-written/God-written contrast and the dogma term never being used for the moral law. | #2 (choosing between readings) | Abolished |
| I3 | The Bible teaches that Col 2:16-17 abolishes the weekly seventh-day Sabbath (not just ceremonial sabbaths). | I-B | E27 mentions "sabbath days" as shadow (Col 2:16-17). AGAINST: E5 (Luk 23:56 — women kept Sabbath "according to the commandment" after crucifixion); E24 (Heb 4:9 — sabbatismos remains); E1 (Mat 5:17-18 — not one tittle of the law shall pass); N1 (entole unqualified = moral in 43/43 instances); N5 (no abolition passage names the Decalogue). The identification of "sabbath days" in Col 2:16 as weekly vs. annual is examined in law-24, 25, 26, 27. | Requires identifying sabbaton in Col 2:16 as the weekly Sabbath despite the holyday/new moon/sabbath sequence matching OT annual/monthly/weekly ceremonial patterns. | #2 (choosing between readings) | Abolished |
| I4 | The Bible teaches that the clean/unclean food distinction was abolished in the NT. | I-B | Rom 14:14 uses koinos ("common," G2839) — "nothing unclean of itself." 1 Tim 4:4 — "every creature of God is good." Acts 10:15 — "what God hath cleansed, that call not thou common." AGAINST: E42 (Gen 7:2 — pre-Mosaic clean/unclean distinction); Acts 10:28 (Peter interprets the vision as about people, not food); Rom 14:2 (context is vegetarianism, not Levitical categories); 1 Tim 4:5 ("sanctified by the word of God" — the Word defines what is food). | Requires reading Rom 14 and 1 Tim 4 as abolishing Levitical food categories despite contextual indicators pointing to other issues (vegetarianism, ascetic heresies). | #2 (choosing between readings) | Abolished |
| I5 | The Bible teaches that 2 Cor 3:7-11 abolishes the Ten Commandments (the "ministration of death, written and engraven in stones"). | I-B | E36 refers to the ministration "written and engraven in stones." AGAINST: N10 (grammatical subject of katargoumenen is the glory, not the law); E10 (Paul — same author — establishes the law in Rom 3:31); E11 (Paul calls the law holy, just, good — Rom 7:12); E12 (Paul calls the law spiritual — Rom 7:14); N094 (Paul's subject is diakonia/ministry, not the commandments). | Requires the Decalogue to be the object of katargeo despite Greek gender agreement identifying the glory as the subject. | #2 (choosing between readings) | Abolished |
| I6 | The Bible teaches that Gal 3:24-25 means the entire moral law is no longer binding ("we are no longer under a schoolmaster"). | I-B | E38 (Gal 3:24-25 — no longer under schoolmaster). AGAINST: E10 (same author says "we establish the law" — Rom 3:31); N86 (the specific controversy in Galatians is circumcision — Gal 2:3-4; 5:2-12; 6:12-15); E16 (same author distinguishes commandments from circumcision — 1 Cor 7:19). | Requires "schoolmaster" to mean the entire moral law ceases, not that the tutelary function ceases while the standard remains. | #2 (choosing between readings) | Abolished |
| I7 | The Bible teaches that tithing continues under the Melchizedek priesthood because Heb 7:8 uses present tense and the tithe predates the Levitical system. | I-A | E43 (Abraham tithed to Melchizedek — Gen 14:20), E44 (Heb 7:8 present tense for tithing in both systems), E45 (Jesus affirms tithing — Mat 23:23), N8 (tithing pre-dates Levitical system). | Systematizes E-items about pre-Mosaic origin, Heb 7:8 present tense, and Jesus' affirmation into a doctrinal claim. The Heb 7:8 present tense may be a historical present or a gnomic present rather than an indicator of ongoing practice. | #5 (systematizing) | Continues |
| I8 | The Bible teaches that the moral/ceremonial/civil distinction is a human construct not found in Scripture, and therefore all law is a single unit — if any part is abolished, all is abolished. | I-D | No E-item states all law is one indivisible unit. AGAINST: E16 (Paul distinguishes commandments from circumcision — 1 Cor 7:19); N1 (entole unqualified = moral, 43/43); N2 (dogma never = moral, 0/5); N4 (vocabulary partitions cleanly); N5 (no abolition passage names Decalogue); N6 (Paul creates distinction within a single verse); E101 (Deu 4:13-14 distinguishes covenant/Decalogue from statutes/judgments). | Requires overriding multiple E/N statements that demonstrate the Bible itself distinguishes between law categories. The claim that no distinction exists contradicts the observable vocabulary partition. | #1 (adding concept text doesn't state), #3 (external framework) | Abolished |
I-B Resolution¶
I-B Resolution: I2 — Cheirographon (Col 2:14) refers to the Decalogue¶
Step 1 — Tension: - FOR (Abolished): E27 (cheirographon tois dogmasin nailed to cross — Col 2:14) - AGAINST (Continues): N2 (dogma never = Decalogue, 0/5 occurrences); N3 (cheirographon = hand-written vs. God-written Decalogue); E1 (Mat 5:17-18 — not one jot shall pass); E10 (Rom 3:31 — we establish the law); E11 (Rom 7:12 — law is holy, just, good); N5 (no abolition passage names the Decalogue)
Step 2 — Clarity Assessment:
| Item | Level | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| E27 (Col 2:14) | Contextually Clear | States what was nailed; vocabulary (cheirographon, dogma) identifies the referent as ceremonial, not moral |
| N2 (dogma 0/5) | Plain | Complete enumeration — observable fact |
| N3 (cheirographon etymology) | Plain | Compound word meaning is lexical fact |
| E1 (Mat 5:17-18) | Plain | Direct speech of Jesus, universal statement |
| E10 (Rom 3:31) | Plain | Direct didactic statement |
| E11 (Rom 7:12) | Plain | Direct didactic statement |
Step 3 — Weight: The "AGAINST" side has multiple Plain statements (N2, N3, E1, E10, E11). The "FOR" side has one Contextually Clear statement (E27) whose own vocabulary (dogma, cheirographon) identifies the referent as ceremonial.
Step 4 — SIS Application: The plain vocabulary facts (N2: dogma never = Decalogue; N3: hand-written vs. God-written) determine the reading of the less clear Col 2:14. The cheirographon tois dogmasin refers to ceremonial ordinances, not the Decalogue.
Step 5 — Resolution: Strong — Multiple Plain statements against; the passage's own vocabulary identifies the referent as non-Decalogue.
I-B Resolution: I3 — Col 2:16 abolishes the weekly Sabbath¶
Step 1 — Tension: - FOR (Abolished): E27 (Col 2:16-17 — "sabbath days...which are a shadow") - AGAINST (Continues): E5 (Luk 23:56 — Sabbath kept "according to the commandment" after crucifixion); E24 (Heb 4:9 — sabbatismos remains); E1 (Mat 5:17-18 — not one jot shall pass); N1 (entole unqualified = moral, 43/43); N5 (no abolition passage names the Decalogue); E086 (Fourth Commandment grounds itself in creation — Exo 20:8-11); E087 (Sabbath made for man — Mrk 2:27)
Step 2 — Clarity Assessment:
| Item | Level | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| E27 (Col 2:16) | Ambiguous | "Sabbath days" could refer to annual ceremonial sabbaths or weekly Sabbath — both readings are grammatically possible |
| E5 (Luk 23:56) | Plain | Narrative fact: women kept Sabbath "according to the commandment" |
| E24 (Heb 4:9) | Plain | Direct statement: sabbatismos "remains" |
| E1 (Mat 5:17-18) | Plain | Direct speech of Jesus |
| N5 | Plain | Observable survey result |
| E086 (Exo 20:8-11) | Plain | The commandment's own rationale is creation |
Step 3 — Weight: The "AGAINST" side has multiple Plain statements. The "FOR" side has one Ambiguous statement (Col 2:16) whose term sabbaton could refer to annual or weekly sabbaths.
Step 4 — SIS Application: The Plain statements (E5, E24, E1, E086) determine the reading of the Ambiguous Col 2:16. The "sabbath days" in Col 2:16, read in light of the cheirographon tois dogmasin context (v.14) and the holyday/new moon/sabbath sequence matching OT ceremonial patterns, refer to ceremonial sabbaths. (Full analysis in law-24, 25, 26, 27.)
Step 5 — Resolution: Strong — Multiple Plain statements on the Continues side; the Abolished reading rests on one Ambiguous statement.
I-B Resolution: I4 — Clean/unclean food distinction abolished¶
Step 1 — Tension: - FOR (Abolished): Rom 14:14 ("nothing unclean of itself"); 1 Tim 4:4 ("every creature of God is good"); Acts 10:15 ("what God hath cleansed") - AGAINST (Continues): E42 (Gen 7:2 — pre-Mosaic clean/unclean); Acts 10:28 (Peter interprets vision as about people); Rom 14:2 (context = vegetarianism); 1 Tim 4:5 ("sanctified by the word of God")
Step 2 — Clarity Assessment:
| Item | Level | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Rom 14:14 | Ambiguous | Uses koinos (common), not akathartos (Levitically unclean); context is vegetarianism (v.2) |
| 1 Tim 4:3-4 | Ambiguous | "Meats which God hath created to be received" — could mean all creatures or those God designated as food |
| Acts 10:15 | Contextually Clear | Peter himself interprets the vision as about Gentile people (10:28), not food |
| E42 (Gen 7:2) | Plain | Observable pre-Mosaic fact |
| 1 Tim 4:5 | Contextually Clear | "Sanctified by the word of God" — the Word of God is the standard defining what is food |
Step 3 — Weight: The "FOR" statements are Ambiguous (Rom 14:14 addresses vegetarianism, not Levitical categories; 1 Tim 4 addresses ascetic heresies). The "AGAINST" statements include a Plain pre-Mosaic fact and a Contextually Clear self-interpretation (Acts 10:28).
Step 4 — SIS Application: Acts 10:28 (Peter's own interpretation) determines the reading of Acts 10:15. The contextual indicators in Rom 14 (koinos not akathartos; vegetarianism context) and 1 Tim 4 ("sanctified by the word of God") resolve the ambiguity toward non-abolition.
Step 5 — Resolution: Moderate — The cited passages address different issues than Levitical food categories, but the connection is not as distant as in the Col 2:14 case.
I-B Resolution: I5 — 2 Cor 3:7-11 abolishes the Ten Commandments¶
Step 1 — Tension: - FOR (Abolished): E36 (2 Cor 3:7 — "ministration of death, written and engraven in stones...done away") - AGAINST (Continues): N10 (grammatical subject of katargoumenen is the glory, not the law); E10 (same author, Rom 3:31 — "we establish the law"); E11 (same author, Rom 7:12 — "the law is holy"); E12 (same author, Rom 7:14 — "the law is spiritual"); N094 (Paul's subject is diakonia, not the commandments)
Step 2 — Clarity Assessment:
| Item | Level | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| E36 (2 Cor 3:7) | Contextually Clear | Greek grammar identifies the glory as what is "done away," not the law |
| N10 | Plain | Greek gender/number agreement is a grammatical fact |
| E10 (Rom 3:31) | Plain | Same author, direct didactic statement |
| E11 (Rom 7:12) | Plain | Same author, direct statement |
Step 3 — Weight: The grammatical fact (N10) resolves the passage on its own terms. The Abolished reading requires katargoumenen to apply to the law despite Greek gender agreement pointing to the glory.
Step 4 — SIS: The grammar of 2 Cor 3 determines its own reading. Same-author statements (E10, E11, E12) confirm Paul does not abolish the moral law.
Step 5 — Resolution: Strong — The grammar of the passage itself and same-author statements both favor Continues.
I-B Resolution: I6 — Gal 3:24-25 means entire moral law no longer binding¶
Step 1 — Tension: - FOR (Abolished): E38 (Gal 3:24-25 — "no longer under a schoolmaster") - AGAINST (Continues): E10 (same author, Rom 3:31 — "we establish the law"); E16 (same author, 1 Cor 7:19 — commandments of God remain); N86 (Galatians controversy is specifically circumcision — Gal 2:3-4; 5:2-12; 6:12-15)
Step 2 — Clarity Assessment:
| Item | Level | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| E38 (Gal 3:24-25) | Ambiguous | "Under a schoolmaster" could mean under the whole law's authority or under its tutelary/condemnatory function |
| E10 (Rom 3:31) | Plain | Same author, direct didactic statement |
| E16 (1 Cor 7:19) | Plain | Same author, explicit distinction between commandments and circumcision |
| N86 | Contextually Clear | The letter's specific controversy is circumcision |
Step 3 — Weight: The "AGAINST" side has Plain statements from the same author. The Abolished reading requires "schoolmaster" to mean the entire law is abolished, conflicting with Paul's own statements elsewhere.
Step 4 — SIS: Paul's direct statements (Rom 3:31; 1 Cor 7:19) interpret his "schoolmaster" metaphor in Galatians. The tutelary function ceases; the standard is established.
Step 5 — Resolution: Strong — Same-author Plain statements resolve the ambiguity.
Two-Column Catalogue (Summary)¶
Column 1: Laws/Commandments That Continue¶
| # | Specific Law | NT Passage | Greek Term | Tier | Master ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1st Commandment — No other gods | Mat 22:37-38; 1 Jhn 5:21 | entole (G1785) | E | E042 |
| 2 | 2nd Commandment — No graven images | Acts 15:20,29; 1 Cor 10:14; Rev 14:9-11 | eidololatreia (G1495) | E | E146 |
| 3 | 3rd Commandment — No vain use of God's name | Mat 6:9; Jas 2:7; Rom 2:24 | blasphemeo (G987) | N | — |
| 4 | 4th Commandment — Sabbath | Luk 23:56; Heb 4:9; Mrk 2:27 | entole (G1785); sabbatismos (G4520) | E | E333, E337 |
| 5 | 5th Commandment — Honor parents | Eph 6:2-3; Mat 19:19 | entole (G1785) | E | E261 |
| 6 | 6th Commandment — No murder | Mat 5:21-22; 19:18; Rom 13:9; Jas 2:11 | entole (G1785) | E | E041, E028, E460 |
| 7 | 7th Commandment — No adultery | Mat 5:27-28; 19:18; Rom 13:9; Jas 2:11 | entole (G1785) | E | E041, E028, E460 |
| 8 | 8th Commandment — No stealing | Mat 19:18; Rom 13:9; Eph 4:28 | entole (G1785) | E | E041, E028 |
| 9 | 9th Commandment — No false witness | Mat 19:18; Rom 13:9; Eph 4:25 | entole (G1785) | E | E041, E028 |
| 10 | 10th Commandment — No covetousness | Rom 7:7; 13:9; Col 3:5 | entole (G1785); nomos (G3551) | E | E010, E028 |
| 11 | Love God (summary, cmds 1-4) | Mat 22:37-38 | entole (G1785) | E | E042 |
| 12 | Love neighbor (summary, cmds 5-10) | Mat 22:39; Rom 13:8-10; Jas 2:8 | entole; nomos basilikon | E | E042, E460 |
| 13 | "The law" — holy, just, good, spiritual | Rom 7:12,14 | nomos (G3551); entole (G1785) | E | E010, E011 |
| 14 | The law established by faith | Rom 3:31 | nomos (G3551); histemi (G2476) | E | E025 |
| 15 | God's laws on hearts (new covenant) | Heb 8:10; 10:16 | nomos (G3551) | E | E039 |
| 16 | Commandments of God (vs. circumcision) | 1 Cor 7:19 | entole (G1785) | E | E143 |
| 17 | Perfect law of liberty / royal law | Jas 1:25; 2:8-12 | nomos (G3551) | E | E029, E460 |
| 18 | Sin = law-transgression | 1 Jhn 3:4 | anomia (G458) | E | E023 |
| 19 | Love = commandment-keeping | 1 Jhn 5:3; Jhn 14:15 | entole (G1785) | E | E030, E350 |
| 20 | Law good if used lawfully | 1 Ti 1:8-10 | nomos (G3551) | E | E047 |
| 21 | Commandments of God (end-time) | Rev 12:17; 14:12; 22:14 | entole (G1785) | E | E031, E032, E033 |
| 22 | Righteousness of the law fulfilled in us | Rom 8:4 | dikaioma (G1345) | E | E026 |
| 23 | Law's permanence (not one jot passes) | Mat 5:17-19; Luk 16:17 | nomos; entole | E | E021, E022, E043 |
| 24 | Gentiles do the law by nature | Rom 2:14-15 | nomos (G3551) | E | E037 |
| 25 | Tithing affirmed by Jesus | Mat 23:23 | apodekatoo (G586) | E | E195 |
| 26 | Tithing under Melchizedek priesthood | Heb 7:8; Gen 14:20 | dekatos (G1181) | I-A | — |
Column 2: Laws/Ordinances That Ceased¶
| # | Specific Law/Ordinance | NT Passage | Greek Term | Tier | Classification | Master ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Animal sacrifices | Heb 10:1-18; 9:9-10 | thusia (G2378); skia (G4639) | E | Neutral | E056, E132, E133, E154 |
| 2 | Levitical priesthood succession | Heb 7:11-12,16,18 | hierosyne; entoles sarkines | E | Neutral | E151, E152, E153 |
| 3 | Circumcision | Acts 15:28-29; Gal 5:2,6; 1 Cor 7:19 | peritome (G4061) | E | Neutral | E143, E144, E145, E146 |
| 4 | Carnal ordinances (meats, drinks, washings) | Heb 9:10 | dikaiomata sarkos (G1345+G4561) | E | Neutral | E136 |
| 5 | Feast days, new moons, annual sabbaths | Col 2:16-17 | heorte; neomenia; sabbaton; skia | E | Neutral | E055 |
| 6 | Handwriting of ordinances | Col 2:14 | cheirographon + dogma | E | Neutral | E054 |
| 7 | Law of commandments in ordinances | Eph 2:15 | nomos + entole en dogmasin | E | Neutral | E053 |
| 8 | The glory/ministry of condemnation | 2 Cor 3:7-11 | diakonia; doxa; katargeo | E | Neutral | E048 |
| 9 | The curse of the law | Gal 3:13 | katara tou nomou | E | Neutral | E252 |
| 10 | The law's tutelary function | Gal 3:24-25 | paidagogos (G3807) | E | Neutral | E059 |
| 11 | Sanctuary/tabernacle services | Heb 9:1-10; 8:5 | skia; typos; parabole | E | Neutral | E135, E137, E138 |
| 12 | Ascetic "ordinances" — touch not, taste not | Col 2:20-23 | dogmatizo; entalmata anthropon | E | Neutral | — |
Critical observation: Every item in Column 2 is classified Neutral (common ground), not Abolished. Both the Continues and Abolished positions agree that these ceremonial/civil items ceased. No item in Column 2 names a specific Decalogue commandment as what was abolished.
Position Evaluation¶
Continues Position¶
- Supported by: 22 E-items, 9 N-items, 2 I-A items = 33 items at E/N/I-A level
- The NT names specific Decalogue commands as continuing using entole (unqualified) — 43/43 identifiable instances
- Five NT authors (Matthew, Paul, James, John, Hebrews author) independently affirm the moral law
- The vocabulary partition (N4) is tool-verified across the entire NT
Abolished Position¶
- Supported by: 0 E-items, 0 N-items directly claiming the MORAL law (Decalogue) was abolished
- 5 I-B items (I2-I6) infer moral law abolition from passages whose own vocabulary identifies ceremonial content
- 1 I-D item (I8) claims all law is one indivisible unit, contradicting multiple E/N items
- Every I-B was resolved Strong or Moderate in favor of the Continues reading
Tally¶
- Explicit statements: 46
- Continues: 25
- Neutral: 21
- Abolished: 0
- Necessary implications: 13
- Continues: 9
- Neutral: 4
- Abolished: 0
- Inferences: 8
- I-A (Evidence-Extending): 2 (Continues)
- I-B (Competing-Evidence): 5 (all Abolished — all resolved Strong or Moderate toward Continues)
- I-C (Compatible External): 0
- I-D (Counter-Evidence External): 1 (Abolished)
Total items classified by position: - Continues: 25 E + 9 N + 2 I-A = 36 - Abolished: 0 E + 0 N + 5 I-B + 1 I-D = 6 - Neutral: 21 E + 4 N = 25
What CAN Be Said (Scripture explicitly states or necessarily implies)¶
- Every specific commandment the NT names as continuing is from the Decalogue (E2, E5, E6, E15, E16, E17, E19, E20-22).
- Every specific law the NT names as ceased is ceremonial — sacrifices, priesthood succession, circumcision, meats/drinks/washings, feasts, ordinances (E27-E41).
- Four of five core Greek law terms partition cleanly between affirmation and abolition contexts (N4).
- No NT abolition passage names the Decalogue as what was abolished (N5).
- The new covenant writes God's own laws on hearts, not a new set of laws (E23, N9).
- Sin continues to be defined as law-transgression (E8).
- End-time saints are identified by commandment-keeping (E20-22).
- The clean/unclean animal distinction predates the Mosaic system (E42).
- Tithing predates the Levitical system and is affirmed by Jesus (E43, E45).
What CANNOT Be Said (not explicitly stated or necessarily implied by Scripture)¶
- No verse explicitly states "the Ten Commandments are abolished" or "the Sabbath commandment is no longer binding."
- No verse explicitly states "all law is one indivisible unit with no moral/ceremonial distinction."
- No verse explicitly states "the clean/unclean food distinction is abolished" — the cited passages address different issues.
- No verse explicitly states "tithing is no longer obligatory under the new covenant."
- No verse explicitly states "the moral/ceremonial/civil threefold division" as a formal taxonomy — though the Bible makes functional distinctions between law categories (vocabulary, origins, media, repositories, NT treatment).
Conclusion¶
This compilation study catalogued the specific laws the NT identifies as continuing and the specific laws it identifies as ceased. The two-column catalogue reveals a consistent pattern across the entire NT: affirmation passages use entole (G1785) without qualifier and name Decalogue content; abolition passages use dogma (G1378), cheirographon (G5498), dikaiomata sarkos, and skia (G4639), and name ceremonial content. This vocabulary partition holds across 5 core Greek terms and is verified by complete enumeration (N-tier evidence).
Across this study, 25 explicit statements use law-continuation vocabulary applied to moral law content. Zero explicit statements use law-abolition vocabulary applied to the Decalogue. The Abolished position's claims are classified as I-B (competing evidence, all resolved Strong or Moderate toward Continues) or I-D (counter-evidence external, requiring override of E/N statements).
The consistency objection (clean/unclean food, tithing) is addressed by the pre-Mosaic evidence: both standards predate the Mosaic system (Gen 7:2; Gen 14:20) and are not explicitly abrogated in the NT. Jesus directly affirms tithing (Mat 23:23), and Hebrews 7:8 presents tithe-receiving in present-tense language in the Melchizedek context.
Evidence items registered in D:/bible/bible-studies/law-evidence.db
Study completed: 2026-02-26 Files: 01-topics.md, 02-verses.md, 03-analysis.md, 04-word-studies.md, CONCLUSION.md