John 14.15 (Jesus said)
If ye love me, keep my commandments.
John 14.21 (Jesus said)
He that has my commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loves me: and he that loves me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
John 15.10 (Jesus said)
If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
1 John 2.3,4
And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep his commandments. He that says, I know him, and keeps not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 1 John 3.22-24
And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keeps his commandments dwells in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
1 John 3.3,6
Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. Whosoever abides in him does not continue in sin: whosoever sins has not seen him, neither known him.
1 John 5.2,3
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
2 John 1.6
And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
Revelation 12.17
And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 14.12
Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Revelation 22.14
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

Linguistic Meaning of the Word "ENTOLE" or Commandments, in John's writings.

Wait a minute, the opposition says, John is not referring to the ten commandments. All through John's writings you will see a tension between the Jewish laws and the new command which is based on love. "A new commandment I write unto you that you love one another." The Greek word "ENTOLE" is used here, in contrast to the word "NOMOS" which refers to law.
John 8.5 is an example where the command to stone an adulterous women is the "NOMOS". "Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what do you say?"
John makes a clear distinction between the old Jewish law and the new law based on love.

I agree with you that there is tension between some of the Jewish laws and Jesus understanding of the commandments, but the other gospels seem to clarify that for me. Note especially the texts where Jesus talks about the commandment to honour parents. The Jews had established some laws whereby the parents would be deprived of support from their children if the money was pledged to the temple. Jesus comes out quite strong in these texts in support of God's commandments against the Jewish perversion of God's commands.

"Why do you transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?" Jesus asks in Matt. 15:3. He then talks about the 5th commandment. In verse 8,9 he says, "This people draw near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips but their heart is far from me. In vain they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."

Yes, there indeed is tension. Yet the tension is between the proper understanding of God's commandments and the removal of conflicting rules and misconceptions set up by the scribes and Pharisees. Not the doing away with God's original moral code as outlined in the ten commandments.

Now lets look at the word "entole" a little closer.

In the New Testament the word, commandment, which is used by John, is "entole", meaning a charge given.
The word used by John for law is "nomos", which can mean law, ordinance, custom.
It's been said that "nomos" refers to the ten commandments, while "etole" refers to Christ's new law of love.

Now to be fair I think we should look to see how the word "entole" is used in the entire New Testament before we make any conclusions. As we do, we come up with some interesting insights.

Matt. 15.3-6
But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment (entole) of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honor thy father and mother: . . .
But you say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, he shall be free, honors not his father or his mother. Thus have ye made the commandment (entole) of God of none effect by your tradition.

Matt. 19.17-19
And he said unto him if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments (entole)He said unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Mark 7.9-10
And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment (entole) of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother;

Mark 12:29-30
And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments (entole) is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

Luke 23:56
. . . rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment. (Entole)

What we see in these books is the use of the word "entole" to mean the 10 commandments.
Paul also uses the word "entole" to refer to the 10 commandments.

Romans 7:8-13 he uses both "nomos"(law) and "entole" (commandment) as if they were synonyms, in his definition of sin as being the breaking of the law and commandments. The tenth commandment, "you shall not covet" is used as an example, clearly demonstrating that sin is the breaking of the ten commandments.

In this next verse Paul not only links the word "entole" with the ten commandments, he also links the ten commandments with the so called new commandment to love ones neighbour.

Romans 13:9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, (entole) it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Ephesians 6.2 Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment (entole) with promise;

So — linguistics show that the commandments "entole" are the ten commandments. We are not twisting or taking anything out of context.

But is This not the New Commandment to Simply Love?

Many have said that the "Love" commandment replaced the ten commandments, but is this what the Bible teaches?

We already read in Romans 13:9 That the commandment "to love your neighbor" is expressed by the last 6 of the BIG TEN commandments.

Jesus stated this as well in
Matthew 19.18-19 He said unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Jesus identified TWO love commandments, and then attaches the law on these two commandments of love!:
Matthew 22.36-40
Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Besides this love commandment is not new at all. It was lost sight of, but it was not new. Even John declares that it is not new, even if it seems new.

1 John 2.7
Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.

We find this love command all through the Old Testament!

Duet. 6.5
And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
Duet. 11.13
And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,
Duet. 30.16
In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments
Leviticus 19:18
But thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD. Leviticus 19.34
But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself;
Isaiah 58.6-10
Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that you bring the poor that are cast out to your house? when you see the naked, that you cover him; and that you hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and your righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward. And if thou draw out your soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall your light rise in obscurity, and your darkness be as the noon day:

We see that the commandment to love has been foundational to God's commandments all along. This is nothing new. It is very important to the whole concept of true commandment keeping, it does not do away with the commandments. Love shows the true meaning of commandment keeping. We render obedience to God, BECAUSE WE LOVE HIM, and that love and fellowship with God, enables us to obey the other six commandments to love our fellow human beings.

Paul and the Ten Commandments

The writings of Paul can result in an endless debate, for Paul's writings furnish amble ammunition for both sides of the ten commandment issue. Yet this very fact should alert any honest Bible student to the truth that grace and law must walk hand in hand, they cannot be pitted against each other. A careful reading brings to light the truth that observing the law will NEVER save or justify anyone. We are justified without the law, for we have all sinned and the law condemns us. However, Paul quickly adds, "Do we then do away with the law? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the Law."(Romans 3:31

Paul upholds the commandments as the righteous standard in context of Christian conduct (sanctification) For the sin problem needs more than merely a legal transaction, we need more than justification, we need to be separated from sin and given a new heart and mind, transformed and sanctified.

Paul upholds the ten commandment law:
Romans 13:9
For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Ephesians 6.1-3
Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
1 Corinthians 7.19
Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.
Romans 7:12
"the (Old Testament) law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good"
Romans 7.7
What shall we say then? is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
1 Corinthians 15.56-58
The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.
1 Timothy 1:8
But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; .

The confusion usually results over the fact that mere outward performance of the law is not enough. This was the fundamental problem of Israel"who pursued the righteousness which is based on law" (Rom 9:31) that is to say, they tried to gain acceptance with God through mere outward obedience of the rules. The result was that they "did not succeed in fulfilling that Law." Why? Because their heart was not in it. "They did not pursue it through faith, but as if it were based on works" (Rom 9:32)

The law, by itself is powerless, but when Christ dwells within, and the Spirit writes that law "not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart." (1 Corinthians 3:3) we become living epistles of God. That is, our lives reveal the righteousness of God.
Romans 12.2
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
As is promised in the New Covenant:

Hebrews 8.10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

Jesus and the Ten Commandments

John 14.15 (Jesus said)
If ye love me, keep my commandments.
John 14.21 (Jesus said)
He that has my commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loves me: and he that loves me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
Matthew 5.17-19
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men to break the commandment, he shall be classified as the least by those in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 15.6,8,9
You have made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. This people draws nigh unto me with their mouth, and honours me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Matthew 19.17-19
And he said unto him,(The young man inquiring what he must do to be saved) if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Matthew 22:36-40
Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Jesus also pointed out that mere outward compliance to the law is not enough. "For except our righteousness exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, we shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven, (Matt.5:20) It must be an experience of the heart. A relationship the permeates the whole life and expresses itself in a love far beyond any mere human love. This response is possible only when connected to the vine, Jesus Christ! It means being in a covenant relationship between a people and their God.

John 14.23
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

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