Debunking the SDA “Two-Law” Theory: Why the Law of God and Law of Moses Are the Same Covenant

If you’ve ever talked to a Seventh-day Adventist about the Ten Commandments, you’ve probably heard this:

“The Law of God is different from the Law of Moses. The Law of God (the Ten Commandments) is eternal and unchangeable, while the Law of Moses (ceremonial laws) was temporary and nailed to the cross.”

It sounds neat and tidy… but it’s a theological illusion. The SDA two-law theory is designed to keep Sabbath-keeping as a binding requirement for Christians. The problem? The Bible never makes this separation in the way Adventists claim. Let’s unpack this.

1. The Bible Calls the Ten Commandments “The Law of Moses”

SDA teaching tries to make a sharp line:

1. Law of God = Ten Commandments, eternal moral law.
2. Law of Moses = Ceremonial, sacrificial laws that ended at the cross.

But Scripture itself blurs that line.

Joshua 8:31–32 —

“As it is written in the book of the law of Moses… And there, in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written.”

Here, the “Law of Moses” includes what God wrote on stone. In fact, 1 Kings 2:3 and Nehemiah 8:1 both use “Law of Moses” and “Law of the LORD” interchangeably. The Bible doesn’t treat them as two separate codes—one “eternal,” one “temporary”—but as one covenant given through Moses from God.

2. The Ten Commandments Were Part of the Old Covenant, Not Above It

Exodus 34:28 says:

“And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments.”

The Ten Commandments were the covenant God made with Israel at Sinai. Deuteronomy 4:13 confirms the same thing. That means when the Old Covenant ended (Hebrews 8:13), the Ten Commandments—as covenant terms—also ended as a binding code over believers.

Yes, God’s moral will is eternal (He’s still against murder, theft, etc.), but the Sinai covenant package, including the Sabbath command, is no longer our rule of life. We now live under the Law of Christ (Gal. 6:2).

3. The “Two-Law” Theory Ignores How the New Testament Treats the Law

Paul doesn’t split the law into “moral” vs. “ceremonial” in his letters. He treats it as one integrated covenant system:

Galatians 5:3 —

“Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.”

If you put yourself under one part of the Mosaic law (like the Sabbath), you’re obligated to keep all of it. The New Testament never gives permission to cherry-pick which parts remain.

4. Adventists’ Proof-Texts Misread Context

One SDA favorite is Nehemiah 9:13–14, which says God gave Israel “right rules and true laws” and then “made known to them your holy Sabbath.” They argue this means the Ten Commandments (moral law) are distinct from Moses’ other laws (ceremonial). But in context, this passage is poetry, retelling Israel’s history, not creating a theological split. The Sabbath here is simply highlighted as one of God’s covenant commands, not as a separate eternal category.

5. The Law of Christ Replaces the Law of Moses

Hebrews 7:12 says:

“For when there is a change of the priesthood, there is necessarily a change of the law as well.”

The change from Aaronic priesthood to Christ’s priesthood brings a change in the covenant law system itself. The “law of Moses” and the “law of God” were one and the same under the Old Covenant. Now, in the New Covenant, we are under the law of Christ—a law centered on the gospel, not on tablets of stone (2 Cor. 3:7–11).

6. Why the Two-Law Theory Persists

The reason the SDA church clings to this two-law idea is simple: if the Ten Commandments and the Mosaic Law are identical in covenant status, then the Sabbath command falls with the rest of the covenant. That would unravel the entire SDA theological system that makes Sabbath-keeping a mark of the “remnant church.”

Final Word

The Bible doesn’t support the SDA split between the Law of God and the Law of Moses. Both terms refer to the same covenant given at Sinai, mediated by Moses, and fulfilled by Christ. In the New Covenant, our standard is no longer the stone tablets at Sinai but the Spirit-written law of Christ in our hearts.

Or as Paul put it:

“You are not under law but under grace.” (Romans 6:14)

Law of God vs. Law of Moses: The Bible’s Own Usage

Reference	Term Used	What It Refers To	Notes
Nehemiah 8:1	Law of Moses	The law given by God through Moses	People gathered to hear Ezra read it — includes the Ten Commandments.
Nehemiah 8:8	Law of God	The same law Ezra just called “Law of Moses”	The writer switches terms with no distinction.
Nehemiah 10:29	Law of God… given through Moses	Unified reference	Shows “Law of God” was given through Moses, not separate from it.
Joshua 23:6	Book of the Law of Moses	Entire covenant commands	No division into moral vs. ceremonial.
1 Chronicles 16:40	Law of the LORD	Temple sacrifices	Shows “Law of the LORD” covers ceremonial aspects too.
2 Chronicles 31:3	Law of the LORD	Burnt offerings, Sabbaths, festivals	Clearly includes ceremonial commands.
Ezra 7:6	Law of Moses… given by the LORD	Whole covenant	Confirms God is the source of the law Moses mediated.
Luke 2:22–24	Law of Moses and Law of the Lord	Purification rites, offerings	Luke uses the terms interchangeably in the same passage.

Key Takeaways from the Chart

1. The Bible makes no permanent legal distinction between “Law of God” and “Law of Moses.” They are two ways of referring to the same covenant commands.
2. The “Law of the LORD” includes ceremonial laws (like sacrifices and feast days), proving SDAs can’t isolate the Sabbath as purely “moral” while rejecting sacrifices as “ceremonial.”
3. If part of that covenant is gone (Gal. 3:24–25; Heb. 8:13), it all goes as a binding legal code — including the Sabbath.

If you want, I can now expand this chart into a full visual infographic for Kindle and presentation use — so it’s easy to show ex-SDA audiences that the two-law theory collapses when you read the Bible’s own language.

Do you want me to go ahead and make that visual?

race.” (Romans 6:14)