WCF 19.5

19.5. Of the Law of God

The moral law doth for ever bind all, as well justified persons as others, to the obedience thereof; and that, not only in regard of the matter contained in it, but also in respect of the authority of God the Creator, who gave it: neither doth Christ, in the Gospel, any way dissolve, but much strengthen this obligation.

Proof texts

• Rom. 13:8, 9, 10 — [8] Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. [9] For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” [10] Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
• Eph. 6:2 — [2] “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise),
• 1 John 2:3, 4, 7, 8 — [3] And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. [4] Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, [7] Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. [8] At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.
• James 2:10, 11 — [10] For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. [11] For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
• Matt. 5:17, 18, 19 — [17] “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. [18] For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. [19] Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
• James 2:8 — [8] If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.
• Rom. 3:31 — [31] Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

For discussion

1. The Assembly cited Rom. 13:8, 9, 10 in support of this answer. Read it in context — how does it bear on what is claimed here?
2. 7 passages are cited here. Which does the most work, and is anything claimed that the proofs do not obviously carry?
3. WSC Q39 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?
4. WSC Q40 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?

Read alongside

WSC Q39 · WSC Q40 · WSC Q82 · WLC Q91 · WLC Q97 · HC Q92 · 1689 19.1 · IAR 6.1 · SHC 4.1 · SHC 4.2 · SD 19.1