Many Christians believe that God's commandments are "done away with" or "nailed to the cross". Colossians 2:14 does say that Old Testament ordinances are nailed to the cross, but what does that mean exactly? To know the answer, we must know what ordinances are. Let's delve a little deeper in God's Word.

The Distinctions

Psalm 119 consistently refers to God's Word in multiple ways. In one verse it says "commandments", sometimes in the same verse it switches to "statutes", and in another verse it says "ordinances". Different words are chosen because they have different meanings and this is intentional and matters. Picture the legal structure in the United States. There are federal laws including the 10 Bill of Rights, there are state laws called statutes, and there are city laws called ordinances. These laws have different purposes and are layered according to power. Likewise God's Word has "layers" and each layer has a different purpose.

O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes! Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments. They continue this day according to thine ordinances: for all are thy servants. ~ Psalm 119:5-6, 91

Commandments

Commandments are anything God tells us to do. A common example is when God commanded Joshua to be strong and have good courage in Joshua 1:9. However, there are ten formal commandments (Exodus 20), similar to the United States' 10 Bill of Rights at the federal level. God's commandments are one of His "highest" laws.

But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. ~ Matthew 15:9

1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. 3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. 4. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. 5. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. 6. Thou shalt not kill. 7. Thou shalt not commit adultery. 8. Thou shalt not steal. 9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. 10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

Statutes

Statutes are holy requirements instituted by God. This includes holy days like the Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23). Scripture says that many of God's statutes should be kept "forever". God does not contradict Himself. If there ever appears to be a contradiction, we need to ask God for understanding. Although statutes are kept forever, how statutes are kept has changed because of Jesus. Hebrews 7:12 mentions that the law changed because the priesthood changed and the priesthood changed from ordained high priests, to Jesus as high priest (Hebrews 7:28). Instead of God's people making animal sacrifices to cover sins, Jesus made a final sacrifice and is our offering.

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. ~ Colossians 2:8

If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. ~ Psalm 89:31-33

Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. ~ Ephesians 5:1-2

Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord. Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. ~ Leviticus 23:27,31 (Day of Atonement)

Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord. And ye shall keep it a feast unto the Lord seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month. ~ Leviticus 23:34,41 (Feast of Tabernacles)

For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. ~ Hebrews 7:12

For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore. ~ Hebrews 7:28

Ordinances

Ordinances are specific acts of worship performed as a memorial or to keep things in memory. Scripture says that ordinances are blotted out (Colossians 2:14). Because of this, ordinances from the Old Testament are not expected to be kept. This includes the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Blowing of Trumpets, and Passover. However, Jesus waited for the old Passover to end and on the next day which was the Feast of Unleavened Bread, He celebrated a new Passover with His disciples (Matthew 26:17-19,26-28). He did this to institute a new ordinance. The New Testament Passover is to remember how the blood of the lamb (Jesus) protects God's people, where the Old Testament Passover was to remember how the blood of the lamb on the doorposts in Egypt, protected God's people.

Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace. ~ Ephesians 2:15

Blotting 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

Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover? And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples. And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover. And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. ~ Matthew 26:17-19,26-28

Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. ~ Leviticus 23:24 (Blowing of Trumpets)

Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life. ~ Deuteronomy 16:3 (Feast of Unleavened Bread)

Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. ~ Romans 13:2

Conclusion

Its evident that the legal structure of the United States was inspired by legal structure in God's Word, shown in Scripture. Considering the legal structure of the United States, if someone says, we are removing ordinances, that doesn't mean the federal laws and state laws are being removed. It only means the city laws are being removed. Likewise, when Scripture says the ordinances are nailed to the cross, it doesn't mean the commandments and statutes are nailed to the cross, it means the ordinances are nailed to the cross. If God meant for His whole law to be nailed to the cross, then just like Psalm 119, He would have mentioned His ordinances and commandments and statutes. God is a specific God, if He didn't say it, it's because He didn't intend to say it. God's Word does not return to Him void. Jesus specifically said He did not come to destroy the law, and He meant what He said. Scripture says that the righteousness of God's law is fulfilled in us through Jesus (Romans 8:3-4), which grants us power through God's Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49). God's Ten Commandments, His statutes like the Day of Atonement and Feast of Tabernacles, and His ordinances like the New Testament Passover are still expected. They are for our good (Deuteronomy 10:13) and are what directs us to morality, safety, and preparation for God's Kingdom.

*Regarding God's Holy Days we also must consider Romans 14:5.

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. ~ Matthew 5:17

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. ~ Romans 8:3-4

And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. ~ Luke 24:49

To keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good? ~ Deuteronomy 10:13

One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. ~ Romans 14:5