In the religious world today, there is division.  Much of this division is caused by a misunderstanding of how to apply the Bible and it’s teachings.  Paul wrote to the young preacher Timothy, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).  This was the instructions to Timothy; therefore, it follows that it is possible to divide the word of truth wrongly.  Within this possibility lies a major part of the problem causing the misunderstanding of how to apply the Bible and it’s teachings.
    From time to time you will see on the walls of homes, plaques that include Biblical passages.  One of the most common plaques that is seen contains the Ten Commandments.  From this observation and comments that are made by various people,  it is not hard to understand that there are many people of the world who believe we are yet bound to the Old Testament Law, or at least the Ten Commandments.
    It is with this idea in mind that we seek to answer the question, “Is the Old Testament still binding?”   Peter wrote, “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God...” (1 Peter 4:11).  With this in mind, let us not forget that it is only in the Bible that we are going to find the answer to the question at hand.  If God has spoken to this issue, and He has, we need to find out what He has said about it and allow his words to mold our conclusions about the matter.

THE OLD TESTAMENT:  To whom was the Old Testament given?  When the Children of Israel came to Mount Sinai, Moses went up the mountain to talk to God.  Moses was given instructions what to say to Israel.  God told him to say, “Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.  Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:  And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel” (Exodus 19:4-6).  Be careful to notice to whom these words were to be spoken.  They were to be spoken to “the Children of Israel.”  The covenant that was given on Mt. Sinai was given to Israel and only to Israel.  There is not a single verse of scripture that indicates that anyone, other than Israel, was ever under the Old Testament Law.
    Is the Old Testament binding today?  The Old Testament Law was given to the Jewish nation.  If the Old testament is binding, it is binding upon those of Jewish decent.  Therefore, we want to answer this question for them.
    The prophet Jeremiah wrote, “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:  Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers....” (Jeremiah 31:31-32).  The Hebrew writer picks this up and applies it to the New Covenant of Christ (Heb. 8:8-9).  He then goes on to explain that there is a difference between the Old and New covenants and that the New Covenant of Christ is now to take precedence over the Old Testament.  We have seen in the short two hundred plus years history of the United States, that when a new law is signed into law it takes precedence over the old law.  It is the same way with the New Covenant of Christ.  It is new; therefore, it takes precedence over the Old Covenant.  Listen to how the Hebrew writer explains this.  “In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away”  (Hebrews 8:13).   That which is old has vanished away.  Jesus nailed the Old Law to the cross when he died.  Paul wrote that Jesus blotted “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”  (Colossians 2:14).
    Therefore, we can answer the question with a simple, “No.”  The Old Testament is not binding today.

    THE TEN COMMANDMENTS:  Inevitably, in talking with people about this issue, someone will come up with the idea that God did replace the Old Testament Law BUT the ten commandments were never replaced.  They will try to convince you that there is a difference between the Old Testament Law and the Decalogue (Ten Commandments).
    God must have known that some would teach this because he had Paul answer this very thing.  In the first seven verses of Roman chapter seven, Paul explains that we are no longer under the Old Testament.  He uses the issue of marriage to show that we cannot be married to two covenants at the same time (v.3).  Then he goes on to explain that we have been made free from the Law so that we can be married to another (v.4).  But what Law was he speaking of that we are free from?  “But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet”  (vs. 6-7).  Now, what part of the Law are we delivered from?  The question can be answered with another question.  What part of the Law said, “Thou shalt not covet?”  The last of the Ten Commandments is where this is found.  It was the whole Law that has been done away with, including the Ten Commandments.

CONCLUSION:   Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).  Jesus want’s us to come unto him, but the only way to do this is to follow the teachings of the New Testament.  Will you come to Jesus?