The Passage from Torah Which Annihilates Herbert Armstrong's Theology

Herbert Armstrong and his followers have claimed that SOME of the commandments of Torah are still binding on Christians of the New Covenant. More particularly, these folks claim that 1) the Ten Commandments [especially the Sabbath], 2) the biblical festivals, 3) clean and unclean meats, and 4) tithing are still binding on Christians. They excuse Christians from most of the other commandments of Torah which deal with sacrifices and offerings, old covenant rituals, and civic responsibilities. In doing so, they have effectively divided the commandments of Torah into different categories as a vehicle for determining which commandments are still applicable to Christians - a justification for accepting some and rejecting others!

The Armstrong conception of the Law, however, is clearly contradicted by this passage from Torah:

And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you. You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you. Your eyes have seen what the Lord did at Baal-peor, for the Lord your God destroyed from among you all the men who followed the Baal of Peor. But you who held fast to the Lord your God are all alive today. See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today? (Deuteronomy 4:1-8, ESV)

In this passage, we find:

1) The Law was addressed to Israel

2) They were instructed not to add to it or take anything away from it

3) They were commanded to keep ALL of these commandments when they inhabited the Promised Land

4) This Law would make them unique among the nations of the earth

In other words, this passage of Scripture contradicts the premise that New Testament Christians are obligated to keep SOME of the commandments of Torah.