Does the New Testament replace the Ten Commandments with a new law of love?

Some believe that God’s Ten Commandments passed away at the cross. They quote Romans 13:10 to emphasize that He replaced the Decalogue with a new law—love. They say what God really wants from us is to love Him and others. But it’s a redundant argument since the whole point of the Ten Commandments is to love God and love others.

Another text used to support this view is from a discussion Jesus had with a lawyer. The man asked which commandment was the greatest. Jesus said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37–40).

Christ did not replace the law by His statement, but revealed its deeper meaning. Just as your ten fingers are attached to your hands, God’s commandments are all connected to the one great law of love. The essence of the first four commandments is to love God, and the spirit of the last six concerns how to love others.

Love fulfills the law by taking away the drudgery and making law-keeping a delight (Psalm 40:8). When we truly love a person, honoring his or her requests becomes a joy. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). It is impossible to love the Lord and not keep His laws. The Bible says, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).

To those who want to turn away from God’s commandments, the Bible also says, “He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4). Those are strong words for people who want to abolish God’s eternal law.

Key Bible Texts

Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. (Romans 13:10 KJV)