A question that has been debated throughout Christian history is whether Christians/saved believers are expected to keep the commandments of God, and whether the commandments were abrogated alongside the other divisions of the Law of Moses, such as the ceremonial laws.
In 1 Cor 7:19, the apostle Paul's words cuts to the core of so many theologies:
Here, the Christian is not bound by the ceremonial practices of circumcision (cf. Acts 15 and the Council of Jerusalem), as there is no longer any distinction between Jew and Gentile; notwithstanding, the Christian is still expected to keep the commandments. Indeed, the phrase translated as "but the keeping the commandments" in the ESV is ἀλλὰ τήρησις ἐντολῶν θεοῦ. The term αλλα means "but," showing a strong contrast between these two categories, the former (circumcision [and the rest of the ceremonial practices] being unnecessary for salvation, but the latter being of salvific necessity. That is why some modern translations render the last phrase of this verse as "what is important is the keeping of God's commandments" (e.g., New Jerusalem Bible). This also sheds light on the "work of the law" that are not salvific in Rom 3:28. τηρησις is a noun which means both "keeping" and "imprisonment," emphasising the necessity of keeping the commandments to remain a believer (a la covenantal nomism).
Such is another text that is very problematic to much of Evangelical Protestantism, resulting in a lot of contortions of the biblical texts (e.g., Jas 2:22-24). However, such is part-and-parcel of Latter-day Saint soteriology.
In 1 Cor 7:19, the apostle Paul's words cuts to the core of so many theologies:
For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. (ESV)
Here, the Christian is not bound by the ceremonial practices of circumcision (cf. Acts 15 and the Council of Jerusalem), as there is no longer any distinction between Jew and Gentile; notwithstanding, the Christian is still expected to keep the commandments. Indeed, the phrase translated as "but the keeping the commandments" in the ESV is ἀλλὰ τήρησις ἐντολῶν θεοῦ. The term αλλα means "but," showing a strong contrast between these two categories, the former (circumcision [and the rest of the ceremonial practices] being unnecessary for salvation, but the latter being of salvific necessity. That is why some modern translations render the last phrase of this verse as "what is important is the keeping of God's commandments" (e.g., New Jerusalem Bible). This also sheds light on the "work of the law" that are not salvific in Rom 3:28. τηρησις is a noun which means both "keeping" and "imprisonment," emphasising the necessity of keeping the commandments to remain a believer (a la covenantal nomism).
Such is another text that is very problematic to much of Evangelical Protestantism, resulting in a lot of contortions of the biblical texts (e.g., Jas 2:22-24). However, such is part-and-parcel of Latter-day Saint soteriology.
