Makestraightpaths.com examines the teachings of the religious group variously known as “the Family,” “The Family International,” the “Children of God,” or the “Family of Love,” and evaluates these teachings from a Christian perspective.

This page is one of a series examining the concept of 'sin' within the Family.

The Ten Commandments

Ex 20:1-17
20:1 And God spoke all these words, saying:
2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image — any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
7 “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
13 “You shall not murder.
14 “You shall not commit adultery.
15 “You shall not steal.
16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”
NKJV

The Ten Commandments are rarely, if ever, mentioned in the Family. Family members generally believe that Christians do not need to be overly concerned about them, because Jesus came to replace the Law - including the Ten Commandments - with freedom, grace and love. The founder of the Family (Dad/Berg) even taught his followers that they may break the Ten Commandments with impunity, provided they were acting in love. He pointed out that a loving Christian would not steal, lie or murder, and therefore, as long as one lived a loving life, the Ten Commandments were unnecessary. Dad/Berg taught that Christians in general, and Family members in particular, were not bound by the Ten Commandments, and therefore could legitimately break them, as long as they were acting in 'love.'  Theologically, he taught that Jesus brought spiritual freedom from the bondage of the Law of Moses, therefore, true believers are no longer bound by the rules of the Law, and therefore breaking those rules is no sin.

Actually, Dad/Berg singled out only one of the Ten Commandments as an unnecessary rule that Family members were free to break, provided they were acting in love: the seventh commandment, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ Presumably he also believed that Christians were not bound by the commandments not to blaspheme God, lie, steal or murder, but he was unable to think of circumstances when blasphemy, theft or murder would be 'loving!' The commandment against adultery, however, stood against the sexual freedoms he wished to practice and teach, and so he had to find a way to justify discarding it.

In short, these are the Family's teachings regarding the Ten Commandments:

• The Family believes that obedience to the Ten Commandments is not a spiritual requirement for Christians, who have been set free from the bondage of the Law.

• Therefore, Christians acting in love may break the Ten Commandments without sin.

• Therefore, Family members believe that they may engage in extra-marital sex without sin.

Most Christians would agree with the first of these points, because the Bible is clear that salvation cannot come through any human effort of obedience or through human righteousness of any kind. Salvation is a gracious gift of almighty God, given in the ultimate act of mercy, through the sacrifice of His only Son. Therefore, human 'works,' such as obedience to the Ten Commandments, are grossly inadequate to save any person. Salvation is purely a gift of God that cannot be attained through obedience to the Law. Salvation cannot be earned through obedience to the Ten Commandments. This is true.

Rom 3:20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. NASU

However, the Family also believes that this inadequacy of the Law means that it is no longer necessary to keep the Law at all. Berg/Dad cited Scriptures which he said meant that the Law itself was abolished.

Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. NASU

Gal 3:24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. NASU

John 1:17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. NASU

Acts 13:39 and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses. NASU

He also pointed out the fact that the Mosaic Law actually contains hundreds of commandments, not just ten, and that if one wished to obey the Law, it was necessary to obey all of them, not just ten.

James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. NASU

Therefore, according to Dad/Berg, not only is it unnecessary to keep the Law for salvation, it is also wrong to attempt to do so. Further, as it is unnecessary to keep the Law for salvation, Dad/Berg said that this means it is unnecessary to keep the Law at all.

There are a number of relevant issues that need to be understood in order to grasp the relevance of the Law to the Christian's daily life:

• What was the original purpose of the Mosaic Law? Was it given solely as specific instructions to Israel, or is there a wider application to Gentiles?

• Is there a difference between the different kind of commandments listed in the Mosaic Law: Does the commandment not to worship other gods carry the same force as the instructions regarding ceremonial sacrifice?

• How much of the Mosaic Law is applicable today?

• When the Bible talks about "the Law," does it only mean the Ten Commandments and the Mosaic Law, or does it refer to a set of eternal principles defined by God Himself?

• Is there a difference between Christians and non-Christians when it comes to the Law? Are there certain commandments that non-Christians must obey, but from which Christians are exempt? When a person becomes a Christian, does this mean that he automatically becomes exempt from some of the commandments?

• What is the relationship between the Law of Moses and the Law of Love? If a person keeps the Law of Love, does this mean that he does not need to worry whether or not he is keeping the Mosaic Law? Does this mean that (as Dad/Berg said) he is free to break the Mosaic Law?

Although this web page discusses the purpose and role of the Ten Commandments, the special relevance to the Family actually concerns only one of the Ten Commandments.

Was Dad/Berg correct in claiming that Family members were free to break this commandment?

Ex 20:14 "You shall not commit adultery. NASU

Law established by grace

Unfortunately, Dad/Berg was guilty of a fundamental error in his reasoning.

It is true that obedience to the Law cannot bring salvation. This is the point that is repeatedly stressed by the writers of the New Testament, who were frequently specifically addressing Jews, for whom the Law had always had both cultural and salvific aspects. That is, for Jews, obedience to the Law was fundamentally associated with what it meant to be Jewish. God had chosen to make a covenant of salvation with the Jewish people, in which He insisted on their obedience and promised to be their God and 'save' them. It was very difficult for Jews to grasp the substitutionary aspect of Jesus' death, in which His perfect obedience was accepted by God in place of their sinful disobedience.

However, it is not true that that this means that God no longer cares whether people obey Him or not.

Dad/Berg believed that obedience to the Law was unnecessary. His mistake was this: Obedience to the Law is indeed unnecessary for salvation, but this does not mean that God doesn't expect people to live their lives in accordance with the standard of righteousness that He has laid down.

For example, the Mosaic Law says, "Do not murder" (Exodus 20:13). However, refraining from murder is insufficient to render a person worthy of salvation. Obedience to this commandment cannot save anyone. Does this mean that it is no longer necessary to obey this commandment at all? Of course not! Murder is still wrong in the eyes of God, murder is still a sin; God still expects people to obey this commandment, and they will be accountable before Him if they do not.

Actually, it is the fact that people do not obey this (and other commandments) that is the reason why they need a Saviour. People need saving from their sins because they sin. Sin may be simply defined as disobedience to God. Therefore, the standard of righteousness remains in effect. It is just that try as we might, we cannot fully obey God.

The apostle Paul succinctly explained this in the third chapter of Romans: Obedience to the Law is insufficient to save anyone. However the Law is not nullified; it remains in force as God's ultimate standard of righteousness. No one can live in prefect righteousness, so God provided a means whereby humankind may be justified by faith in Christ's righteousness.

Rom 3:20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. NASU

Rom 3:28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. NASU

The fact that God views people as sinners necessarily means that there is a standard of righteousness that they have transgressed. If the Law is no longer in effect, then people are no longer sinners. This is why Paul said that faith "establishes" the Law:

Rom 3:31 Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law. NASU

God knew that no person would ever be able to live a perfect life; no one would ever be "good" enough to go to heaven. He could not change the Law because the Law is a reflection of His own perfect, unchangeable righteousness. Instead of changing the Law, God sent His Son to atone for human sin.

Overview of the Mosaic Law

The ‘Law’ is a large collection of commandments, rules and regulations presented in various ways to the Israelites over an extended period of time, recorded from Exodus 20 through to Deuteronomy 33. The Ten Commandments themselves are recorded twice, first in Exodus 20 when the Israelites were at Mount Sinai and then in Deuteronomy 5, before the Israelites began their conquest of the Promised Land.

The Mosaic Law served to form a nation under God from people who had been slaves in Egypt for centuries: God wanted to make of them a new people, untainted by Egyptian culture and religion, unaffected by the idolatry of the lands they were to invade. These people had to form a new nation, train an army and implement civil and religious laws that would be effectual both while they were travelling, and after they had settled down in their new country. God wanted to ensure that these people whom He had saved from slavery would remain His people. As such, the Mosaic Law is the founding document of a nation.

The Law is in the format of a covenant. This means it is an official, non-negotiable document setting down the details of how the people (the Israelites) were to relate to their Lord and Master (God). This was a relatively common feature of ancient civilisations, when a conquering king imposed on his vassals a series of rules detailing how they should act with each other and towards him. This does not mean that the Mosaic Law is copied from the laws of other nations. It merely indicates that when God set down the code of conduct for the nation of Israel, He chose a format that they could understand, relate to and apply.

For more on covenants throughout the Bible, click here.

Seen from a 21^st century perspective, the Mosaic Law has various similarities with other ancient covenants. However, the differences between this new Law and the covenants of the surrounding nations must have been extremely shocking to the peoples of ancient times. For example, the Mosaic Law was unique in the value it placed on human life, regardless of social status or sex. Other codes usually valued only the lives of the wealthy or the nobility.

There are several different kinds of laws given in the Pentateuch, and it is important to understand what they are before deciding whether they still apply. There are the religious laws (those that relate specifically to the Israelites’ relationship with God; an example might be the first commandment, not to worship other Gods); there are moral and ethical laws (such as the bulk of the Ten Commandments); there are ritualistic and Levitical laws (laws for sacrifices, priests, and temple worship); and there are civil laws (laws guiding how the nation of Israel was to live together, for example, laws covering farming, slavery, marriage, theft, violence, other crimes and punishment).

Old Testament salvation did not come through the Law

It is important to remember that obedience to the Law did not in itself bring salvation.

“Nowhere in the Old Testament is it suggested that anyone was saved by keeping the Law…  The Law was not thought of in Israel as a ‘means of salvation.’ It was not given for that reason nor could it possibly function in that way”
(How to Read the Bible for All its Worth, Gordon Fee & Douglas Stuart).

This is clearly seen by the inclusion of sacrificial rituals for the forgiveness of sin. God required His people to keep the Law, but He also knew that they would disobey. So in His mercy, He provided a means whereby they could secure forgiveness. The Law was given to show the people just how they were to act as God’s people, but salvation could only ever be a gift of the grace of God.

“God never intended for the Ten Commandments to be a set of regulations by which the people of Israel would earn salvation.” God had already decided to make of the Israelites His people, proving this through His miraculous deliverance from Egypt. The Ten Commandments were an “act of divine grace”
(Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary).

This is important because it clarifies the purpose of the Law, both for Old Testament Israel and for New Testament Christians. The Law was always a standard of righteousness but it was never a means to salvation. Therefore, when one considers the modern application of the Ten Commandments, it is certainly not as a means to salvation. Family members are quick to condemn adherence to any Old Testament biblical commandments as 'legalistic,' but in fact there is no legalism in accepting the fact that God wishes people to be righteous, just and holy. Legalism occurs when one tries to earn favour from God through good works, but this does not mean that God does not want people to do good things!

The Law as a paradigm

The Mosaic Law was not intended to be a collection of all the laws that would govern every possible situation. Rather, it is designed to be a paradigm, or a model, so that the Israelites could see the kind of behaviour that pleased or displeased God. For example, the tenth commandment instructs Israelites not to covet.

Ex 20:17 You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s. NKJV

The word ‘neighbour’ is used in a general sense; in this case it doesn’t mean ‘one who lives in close proximity’:

Neighbour OT:7453 fellow, fellow-citizen, even another person, with whom one stands in reciprocal relations
(Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon)

Rather than ask, “Who is my neighbour?” (Luke 10:29), Israelites were to apply this commandment to all they came in contact with.

“The OT’s legal sections do not constitute a comprehensive legal code,” many not having specific penalties or enforcing authorities. Rather, “OT laws present a select sample of illustrative cases or topics whose legal principles were to guide Israelite individuals, the larger community, and lawmakers in making decisions and in living out Israel’s worldview. Their purpose was to teach the Israelite fundamental values—what it means to live all of life in the presence of God—not to provide them with a handy legal reference tool. In short, their aim was instructional not judicial”
(Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, Klein, Blomberg & Hubbard).

Understanding the Law as an instructional paradigm rather than a comprehensive judicial code dramatically affects the way it is applied. For example, Deuteronomy contains instructions for farmers concerning providing for the poor:

Deut 24:20-21
20 "When you beat your olive tree, you shall not go over the boughs again; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow. 21 "When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not go over it again; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow.
NASU

If the Mosaic Law was a comprehensive judicial code, then famers of figs and oranges would not be required to leave some of their fruit for the poor. Because it is a paradigm, however, the loophole is closed and all the farmers understood their obligations, whether or not they actually grew olives or grapes.

In other words, the Mosaic Law is actually far more extensive than it first appears. Not only does it cover the specific circumstances detailed in the text, it also addresses other circumstances to which the same principles apply. In other words, Deuteronomy 24:20-21 provides an example of the principle of mandatory caring for the poor.

Eternal principles

It is therefore impossible to understand the Law of Moses without searching for the principles that lie behind it. People who do not do this are often guilty of unrighteousness, whether or not the precise circumstances are spelled out in the Pentateuch. That is, a person may obey the precise details of the Law, yet be guilty of sin because he has disobeyed the principle that those details illustrate.

Jesus Himself taught that the Law was a paradigm. This is why He said that the sin of murder (specifically condemned in the Mosaic Law) implied that anger also broke the Law, although anger is not specifically mentioned in the Law.

Matt 5:21-22
21 "You have heard that the ancients were told, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER' and 'Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.' 22 "But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.
NASU

According to Jesus, murder is still a sin, but the underlying principle behind the command not to murder meant that all other expressions of anger were also sin, whether or not they actually came to physical violence or not.

Likewise, Jesus said that the command not to commit adultery was based on an underlying principle of purity in body and mind. Not only is it wrong to have sex with someone to whom one is not married, it is also wrong to desire to do so.

Matt 5:27-28
27 "You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY'; 28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
NASU

The Law of Moses is based on underlying, eternal principles. Those who attempt to define precisely which actions are rights and which are wrong, fail to grasp the significance of the underlying principles and so make errors of judgement and fall into sin.

Biblical civil laws differ from the "positive law" of modern jurisprudence, which tries to legislate in exhaustive detail. Biblical laws are insufficiently comprehensive to be considered a "law-code, " but served as paradigmatic illustrations (not rigid rules) of justice that a judge could apply or modify according to circumstances. For example, whereas capital offenses state the maximum penalty for certain crimes, extenuating factors could lead a judge, legitimately, not to execute the offender. This is stated explicitly in the case of murder (Exod 21:12-14), and is implicit elsewhere. Thus, although Exodus 21:15 states "Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death" (NASB), it would be absurd to apply this rule to an angry toddler.
Many biblical precepts are expressed as broad principles without legalistic detail. For example, "work" is prohibited on the sabbath yet is never defined legally. This ambiguity, which allowed for some flexibility, was considered a liability by Pharisaic Judaism. In an attempt to make sure the command proper was never violated, the rabbis created secondary, rigid rules which, if followed, would theoretically prevent a person from ever violating the biblical command itself. This was known as "putting a fence around the law." Such nonbiblical rules (e.g., the sabbath day's journey) are prescribed exhaustively in the Talmud, but this burdensome "tradition" is contrary to the spirit of biblical law (Matt 15:3; 23:4).
(Law, Baker's Evangelical Dictionary)

Principles. At the root of the Mosaic code lies (1) the principle of strict but righteous retribution, the intention being to eliminate evil and produce reverence for the righteousness of the holy God in the heart of the people; (2) the principle that punishment should correspond to the heinousness of the offense, that there shall fall upon the culprit what he has done to his neighbor; and that the punishment is to be limited to the guilty party and not be extended to his children (Deut 24:16); (3) the principle that all presumptuous disobedience to God and to His holy ordinances should be punished with unsparing severity; and (4) the threat of "a curse and severe punishments from God, the avenger of all evil, for offenses which either escape the eye of civil justice, or which, like apostasy from the Lord to idolatry, may prevail to such a degree that the arm of the earthly magistrate is overpowered and paralyzed by the spirit of the time."
(Law of Moses, The New Unger's Bible Dictionary)

Understanding the Law as exemplifying eternal principles means that the Law serves as  invaluable insight into the heart of God Himself. God based the Law He gave to Moses on the principles that reflected His own holiness. The Law exemplifies God's own holiness in a human context.

There are two fundamental interrelated assumptions about the nature of OT Law. First, we believe that God intends it to serve as a paradigm of timeless ethical, moral, and theological principles. Christians who dismiss it as outmoded and irrelevant deprive themselves of the teachings God conveyed through it. Second, to interpret Law properly the student must discover the timeless truth it conveys. In some cases, the truth lies right on the surface unobscured by culture. Prohibitions like ‘Do not murder’ and ‘Do not steal’ (Exod 20:13,15; Deut 5:17,19) need no cross-cultural translation; they clearly identify murder and stealing as wrong. Similarly, the timeless aspect of the instructions about equitable legal procedure (Exod 23:1-8) is fairly obvious: witnesses should tell the truth and judges should refuse bribes. In other instances, the underlying, universal truth may be difficult to perceive behind its present cultural form—ancient Israelite Law—so careful interpretation is necessary
(Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, Klein, Blomberg & Hubbard).

Dismissing the Mosaic Law as irrelevant (as the Family does) prevents one from understanding the eternal truths about God Himself, and about His overall will for humankind. Worse, treating the Law merely as a series of commandments often leads to people looking for loopholes in the Law to excuse their sin.

Jesus condemned the Pharisees who did just this.

Mark 7:9-13
9 He was also saying to them, "You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. 10 "For Moses said, 'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER'; and, 'HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER, IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH'; 11 but you say, 'If a man says to his father or his mother, whatever I have that would help you is Corban (that is to say, given to God),' 12 you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother; 13 thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that."
NASU

Dad/Berg, however, not only ignored the Law as irrelevant, he said it was inapplicable. In other words, in dismissing the Law, he also dismissed the eternal principles on which the Law is based. It is difficult to believe that he did this simply because he had never heard that the Law was paradigmatic rather than judicial. Rather, it is more likely that he deliberately dismissed those principles, because one of them, namely the principle of personal purity, contradicted his own sexual desires. Dad/Berg discarded the Law because he knew that the commandment against adultery proves that the holiness of God demands sexual purity in people. He did not want to abstain from extra-marital sex and was left with no other theological choice but to discard both the Law and its underlying principles.

The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments are a statement of the terms of the covenant God made with His chosen people; and in this respect they are to be distinguished from the elaborate system of law known as the Mosaic. The vast legal system of Israel, civil, criminal, judicial, and ecclesiastical, was framed after the covenant law, not with a view of expanding it, but to enforce it. The Ten Commandments are a statement of principles to continue for all time.
(The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary).

The Ten Commandments are a complete statement of the Law for Israel, and the rest of the Law serves to give illustrations of how the Ten Commandments should be applied and enforced in religious, moral and civil life.

In both Exodus and Deuteronomy, the Ten Commandments are a brief summary of the more detailed covenantal requirements that follow them. These requirements relate to the whole of life: ceremonial, civil, and moral. Many of the commands are very similar to those found in the law codes that have been discovered in the ancient Near East. But it is very significant that the biblical commands have been placed in the context of covenant. In the rest of the ancient law codes, the commands are simply presented as givens, dropped from heaven by the gods. There is no real motive for obeying the commands except the avoidance of punishment. But in the Old Testament, the inclusion of the laws within the covenant puts the motivation on a whole new level. Why should I treat my fellow Israelites in a certain way? Because God has said that is the way in which I can express my covenant loyalty to him. Thus obedience is an expression of grateful appreciation for what God has done for us and what we know he will do. Ethics is not about what will advance one's self-interest, but about maintaining an all-important relationship with God.
Thus, the carrying out of the biblical commandments is a means of learning and replicating the character of God. It is here that the continuing significance of the Ten Commandments is found: they reveal the character and will of the unchanging Creator of the universe. Thus, even though the Sinai covenant is not binding on Christians, the moral truths revealed in it are.
Thus it is in the biblical covenant that the One God can summarize his stipulations for his people in a series of absolute statements, the Ten Commandments. This shows that the succeeding commands, many of which are stated in terms of cases, are nevertheless based on principles inherent in God's creation, and not simply situationally derived attempts to promote social harmony.
(Ten Commandments, Baker's Evangelical Dictionary, excerpts)

It is a grave mistake to ignore or reject the Ten Commandments as irrelevant or inapplicable. They apply, not because legalistic conformity to the Law brings favour with God, but because the Ten Commandments are a concise summary of attitudes and actions that are essential for maintaining a right relationship with God: Ignore His will and you ignore Him.

You shall not commit adultery

The commandment prohibiting extra-marital sex is found in Exodus 20:14 and Deuteronomy 5:18. The death penalty for this sin is instituted in Leviticus 20:10.

Baker's Dictionary comments:

The five remaining commands all have to do with the self in relation to others. As noted above, they specify where the limits are beyond which healthy relations become impossible. We may not abuse the physical life, the sexual life, the possessions, or the reputation of those around us if we are to remain in covenant with God. Nor dare we allow ourselves to think that if we were just in someone else's shoes, enjoying what they possess, we would be happy. These brief statements, hardly more than fifty words in English, speak volumes about the character of the God who made them. They also explain some of the high value that has been put on individual worth in Western thought. To God, the boundaries around an individual's life are sacred. The insistence that all persons are to be able to hold their physical life, their sexual fidelity, their possessions, and their reputation inviolate shows that no one is a faceless molecule in some larger entity. Each one is a distinctive combination of these features, which comprise his or her identity, and they must be guarded for each person.
If we claim to be in relationship with God, we must see persons in the same way he does. Their lives are not ours to take for our purposes. Human sexuality is to be expressed in heterosexual commitment and we may not do anything that would lead someone to break those commitments. There is a boundary drawn around a person's possessions, and we may not cross that boundary to satisfy our own desires. A person's reputation is an extension of himself or herself, and we may not violate it, particularly to make ourselves look better.
What is involved here is a statement about dependence upon God. Those who depend upon themselves make themselves the center of the universe; they have broken the first two commandments. For such persons, anything is permissible in the attempt to supply their needs. Others are either enemies or slaves, in any case to be dominated, used up, and cast aside. But obviously if humans are to live together in any kind of harmony these rapacious instincts must be moderated in some way. Thus human laws. But God seeks to strike at the heart of the issue. If persons can ever realize that they are not the suppliers of their needs, but that God is, and surrender those needs to him, then ethics will move to a new plane.
(Ten Commandments, Baker's Evangelical Dictionary, excerpts)

There is no question about it. The commandment not to commit adultery cannot be dismissed, disregarded or ignored. To do so is a sin that separates one from fellowship with God.

Family members who have broken this commandment have sinned against God by violating His eternal principles, and ought to repent, forsake their sexual sin, and so return to fellowship with God.

The New Covenant

At the Last Supper, Jesus introduced a new covenant with His followers.

Matt 26:28 for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. NASU

The Law was the Old Covenant, spelling out how God's people were to relate to Him, and what He expected of them. The New Covenant also explains what God's people need to do, how they are to obey Him, and what He promises to do. For His part, God has provided the blood sacrifice (Jesus) that is essential to bring forgiveness of sins. God's people need to trust Him, accepting this precious gift by faith.

With the transition from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant, some things changed, and other things remained the same. For example, the ceremonial procedures designed to illustrate the need for a blood sacrifice to atone for sin was entirely replaced by Jesus Christ's death on the cross. Yet, the principles behind both Old Testament ceremonial sacrifices and Christ's sacrifice on the cross are identical: All people are sinners, God is perfectly righteous, people cannot establish a relationship with God while in sin, the penalty for sin is death, God graciously allows a death-substitution in place of the sinner.

Therefore, while many of the specific obligations imposed on God's people have been superseded by the New Covenant, the fundamental underlying principles have not changed. God is still holy, and still expects His people to be holy. He has provided a new means whereby they may walk in holiness (the indwelling Holy Spirit), but the institution of the New Covenant certainly does not mean that God's people may live in sin.

Christians and the Mosaic Law

Obviously, there are at least some parts of the Mosaic Law that Christians are not obligated to keep, that is, the ceremonial laws detailing sacrifice for sin. However, does this mean that Christians do not need to keep any part of the Law? Dad/Berg claimed that this was the case, specifically in regards to the commandment against adultery. Family members should not be too quick to agree with him.

First, as explained above, obeying God in one's daily life is a separate issue from doing good works to earn salvation. Christians are certainly expected to obey God by living holy, pure lives, but this does not mean that their holy, pure lives bring them salvation. For example, it is clear that God still expects to be worshipped above all other gods. Acts of worship, however, do not and cannot earn salvation. God expects obedience in response to the free gift of salvation, not as a means to earn it.

Second, although there are some parts of the Mosaic Law that no longer apply, there are some parts that certainly do apply. In general, these laws have been restated or affirmed in the New Testament. Therefore, they are in effect as elements of the New Covenant, God's new agreement with humankind. For example, each of the Ten Commandments is restated or affirmed in the New Testament, with the possible exception of the commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy. Jesus listed a number of the Ten Commandments to the rich young ruler, and although His main point was not obedience to the Ten Commandments, He certainly does not repeal them. In fact, Jesus implies that not only are people to obey them, obedience must go far beyond simply refraining from murder, adultery or theft. True obedience includes obedience to the Ten Commandments, but it also includes a total giving of oneself to the kingdom of God.

Mark 10:17-22
17 As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" 18 And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 "You know the commandments, 'DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, Do not defraud, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.'" 20 And he said to Him, "Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up." 21 Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, "One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." 22 But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property.
NASU

In this passage, Jesus did not repeal or weaken the force of the Ten Commandments. In fact, He strengthened them and extended them, as He did on numerous other occasions.

Third, although the way that God's people are to form a relationship with Him has changed, the underlying principles behind the New Covenant are the same as those behind the Old Covenant. The New Covenant is based on the same general principles as the Old Covenant: God is righteous and holy, people are sinners, people need to be given a means for atoning for sin, people then need to live holy lives. Throughout the entire Bible, people are exhorted not to sin against God; God wants and expects people to live holy lives in spirit, mind and body. Jesus summed it up when He said:

Matt 5:48 "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. NASU

There are several theories as to how much of the Old Testament applies to Christians. Some people say that all of the Mosaic Law applies, except that which the New Testament repeals. Others say that none of the Old Testament applies, except that which the New Testament repeats. Still others say that it all applies, but not apart from its fulfilment in Christ. All of these theories have value, all have flaws. Obviously, it is difficult to formulate a general rule to explain whether or not a particular Old Testament law applies today.

It is true, however, that some Old Testament laws remain literally valid for Christians. These are the ones specifically reaffirmed in the New Testament. In some cases, the New Testament actually makes the Old Testament Law stricter. On the other hand, some Old Testament laws are no longer literally valid because of teachings in the New Testament. For example, as pointed out above, Christians do not need to follow literally the Old Testament sacrificial system because Christ is now the only sacrifice for sins. However, even those laws that no longer literally apply still teach important timeless truths. For example, the Old Testament sacrificial system graphically reminds Christians that God takes sin seriously, requires a severe penalty, yet graciously offers forgiveness.

The heart of the Law

That the Ten Commandments contain the essential principles of the moral law, and are therefore of permanent obligation, is affirmed in the New Testament. Jesus held the Ten Commandments up as the perfect code. When the young man asked Him the way of attaining eternal life, Jesus quoted from the Ten Commandments and told him to obey them and live (Mark 10:19; Luke 18:18-20). And again, after assenting to the two features of the Ten Commandments as the very essence of the law, He said, ‘Do this, and you will live’ (Luke 10:28; cf. Matt 19:17).
(The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary)

The Ten Commandments are of “permanent obligation” because they are a clear indication of the things that please or displease God. They are a concise synopsis of what obedience to God looks like. Salvation can only come through the saving blood of Christ, but that salvation will produce righteousness as the Holy Spirit works through the believer. Further, that righteousness will not and cannot contravene God's will as He expressed it in the Ten Commandments.

Therefore, breaking any of the Ten Commandments would certainly be sin, for these laws are a concise expression of what God requires of mankind. The Ten Commandments are founded upon the eternal principles that must be understood and applied in the lives of all of God’s children.

It is sin to disobey the Ten Commandments because breaking these laws constitutes a rebellion against God Himself. In other words, having another God besides the Lord is always sin, as is murder, theft or adultery. These things are sin because they are actions contrary to God’s light, love and righteousness, not merely because they are statutes in a rulebook.

Although God gave the Ten Commandments to His people through Moses at Mount Sinai more than 3,000 years ago, they are still relevant today. They have an abiding significance, for God’s character is unchangeable. These laws originate from God and from His eternal character; therefore, their moral value cannot change.
(Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

The Ten Commandments are far more than statutes and ordinances, more than commandments for Israel alone; they are God’s moral will for all mankind. They are more than a moral code; they are primarily prohibitions against everything that would pridefully exalt the creature above God.
(Renewal Theology, JR Williams)

Fulfilling the Law

Jesus said that He came to "fulfil" the Law. This does not mean that the Law is no longer relevant (as Dad/Berg taught), but that the purpose of the Law was to prepare Israel for the coming of the Messiah. People were to understand the Law as a divine message that their God would eventually come to live among them, and to provide atonement for their sins.

Matt 5:17-20
17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.  18 “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.  19 “Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 
20 “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
NASU

Jesus is the fulfilment of the Law, meaning that He is the reality which the Law predicts. The Law contains many symbols (‘types’) which ultimately represent Christ and His sacrifice. For example, Jesus Christ came to be the sacrificial lamb of God to take away the sins of the world (John 1:29), thus fulfilling the Mosaic requirement for sacrifices of atonement. It is therefore not necessary for us to sacrifice animals for our sins; in fact, doing so would negate what Jesus did. However, the principles of sin, atonement and forgiveness remain the same: man cannot attain perfection in the sight of God and therefore needs His mercy. The fulfilment of the Law is in Jesus, the lamb of God. 

Jesus also was very careful to explain that He did not come to abolish the Law. Family members who believe that Jesus' 'fulfilment' of the Law means that it no longer applies will find it very hard to explain the difference between Jesus 'fulfilling' the Law and Jesus 'abolishing' the Law. The Greek word "abolish" in this verse often refers specifically to the annulment of laws:

NT:2647 As in classical Greek from Herodotus down, of institutions, forms of government, laws, etc., to deprive of force, annul, abrogate, discard
(Thayer's Greek Lexicon)

It was not Jesus' intention to discard or annul the Law. In fact He made it very clear that the Law remained firmly in effect.

Notice the strong wording of Matthew 5:17-20, especially verse 18. Iota refers to the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet. The dot is an ornamental mark that the scribes used in writing. Although we know that Jesus was less concerned with minute details of the Law than with man’s basic relation to God, he is here saying: If you truly understand what God asks in the Law, you will see that none of it (not an iota or dot) is lost in my teaching.
Yet Jesus’ method was not to elaborate, develop, and bring up to date the Law by applying it to the many details of first-century Palestinian life. That was the method of the conscientious Pharisees. Jesus rather went to the heart of the Law, extracted its divinely-given meaning from the surrounding web of words and customs, and proclaimed the will of God in its purity. But to those who concentrated on the externals, Jesus appeared to be wrecking the most sacred of religious institutions.
(The Sermon on the Mount, Roger Shinn)

The Greek word "fulfil" as used here means to bring to the point of perfection:

NT:4137 universally and absolutely, to fulfil, i. e. "to cause God's will (as made known in the law) to be obeyed as it should be, and God's promises (given through the prophets) to receive fulfilment": Matt 5:17;
(Thayer's Greek Lexicon)

When Jesus condemned anger as sin in the Sermon on the Mount, He was not adding a new sin to the list, rather He was explaining that the Law went much deeper than a legalistic keeping of the rules in the Pentateuch. Anger is a sin against God, as is murder. In other words, murder is a sin, not only because it is listed as the sixth Commandment, but because murder is rebellion against God Himself, against His nature. God is the source of all life, and murder strikes against God Himself. Likewise, anger is a sin, not only because Jesus forbad it, but because anger contradicts the love, mercy, patience and forgiveness of God.

Therefore, the principles of the Law remain the same today, and in fact for eternity, because the principles of the Law are the timeless truths of the nature of God Himself. The application of some of those principles has changed with the coming of Christ, but the principles themselves are unchanged. For instance, one unchanging principle is that mankind needs the mercy of God for forgiveness. In Old Testament times this principle had its application in the sacrificial system. With the coming of Christ, the principle now has its application in His death on the cross. The principle itself is eternal.

It is important therefore for Christians to gain an understanding of the Law, not because they are bound to obey all its details, but so that they can learn its timeless principles and apply them to their everyday lives.

Concerning the commandment against adultery, again, the principle is unchanged: adultery is a sin, and has always been a sin. There is no "loophole" in the fact that the application of some of the Laws has changed. One must not presume to say that the commandment not to commit adultery may be applied in such a way that one may now commit adultery! In fact, immediately after saying that He came to fulfil the Law, Jesus specified that the commandment against adultery was not only still in force, it was in fact stronger than ever, and carried with it the potential for eternal loss.

Matt 5:27-31
27 "You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY'; 28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 "If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 "If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.
NASU

Love fulfilling the Law

Family members are taught that the Mosaic Law has been replaced by the Law of Love. That is, as long as one is acting in a loving manner, one's actions are legitimate in the sight of God.

Gal 5:14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” NASU

However, Paul did not say that the only rule now to obey was love; in fact he listed many other commandments, prohibitions and principles in his epistles. He did not say that love replaces the Law, but that love summarises the Law, that love is the heart of the Law. Love does not give license for activities prohibited under the law, but rather gives the motivation for obeying God to the utmost. Love is the heart and soul of the law, and will never contradict the divine principles expressed in the Law.

For more on the 'Law of Love' click here.

Conclusion

The Ten Commandments are clear statements of eternal principles. They are timeless truths showing the heart of God’s requirements for His people. They are unchanging and unchangeable.

The first commandment, to have no other gods before God is an eternal principle that may not be trifled with. In ancient times, the danger lay in following the pagan gods of the nations the Israelites were to conquer. In modern times, the ‘gods’ may be financial or intellectual, but the principle is unchanged.

The fourth commandment is to remember the Sabbath day, and God still expects His people to keep a day holy for Him. The exact manner of how Christians should ‘keep the Sabbath’ and whether this day should be Saturday, Sunday or every day is a topic for further study, but the principle of devoting a portion of our time to God remains constant.

The sixth commandment, not to murder, is as true today as it ever was, and as it ever will be.

The seventh commandment, not to commit adultery, likewise remains an unchangeable divine precept. Jesus did not give license for anyone to break this, or any of the Ten Commandments. Instead, He brought forgiveness and reconciliation with God for those who had sinned. Is adultery sin? Unquestionably, yes.

The founder of the Family, Dad/Berg, discarded the Mosaic Law in its entirety, rejected the Ten Commandments as no longer applicable, disdained the eternal principles of holiness from which the Law derived, and so turned his back upon God himself. It is likely that he did this in order to justify his own sexual sin, but in so doing he also taught error to the tens of thousands of people who looked to him for truth.

Family members who indulge in sexual activities outside of their marriages are likewise sinning before God and should repent and forsake their sin.

The commandment to abstain from extra-marital sex is repeated and affirmed at least twenty-four times throughout the Bible: at least six times times in the Old Testament (Exodus 20:14, Leviticus 18:20, Leviticus 19:29, Leviticus 20:10, Deuteronomy 5:18, Deuteronomy 23:17), fourteen times in Acts and the epistles (Acts 15:20, Romans 13:9, Romans 13:13, 1 Corinthians 5:9-11, 1 Corinthians 6:13, 1 Corinthians 6:15, 1 Corinthians 6:18, 1 Corinthians 10:8, Ephesians 4:19, Ephesians 5:3, Colossians 3:5, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5, 1 Thessalonians 4:7, James 2:11), and four times by Jesus Christ Himself (Matthew 5:27, Matthew 19:18, Mark 17:19, Luke 18:20).

This is God's instruction to those who wish to obey, please and serve Him:

You shall not commit adultery.

 

See also:

Sin: a Definition

Covenant

Definitions of adultery

References:

Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI, http://bible.crosswalk.com/Dictionaries/BakersEvangelicalDictionary/

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon, ©2003.

How to Read the Bible for All its Worth, Gordon Fee & Douglas Stuart, 2003. Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids MI.

Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, W. Klein, C. Blomberg & R. Hubbard, 2004, Thomas Nelson, Nashville, TN.

Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Thomas Nelson, 1986, Nashville, TN.

Renewal Theology, JR Williams, 1996, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids MI.

The Sermon on the Mount, Roger Shinn.

The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary, 1988,  Moody Press, Chicago.

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