The Ten Commandments

As Found in the Old and New Testaments

In all of Holy Scripture, the Ten Commandments are unique.

They are the only passage spoken directly by God to the whole congregation of Israel:

“And God spoke all these words” Exodus 20:1

They are the only passage written directly by God with His own finger:

“He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God” Exodus 31:18

The New Testament restates all of the principles contained in the Ten Commandments for new covenant Christians. Moral conduct for every age and nation is based on the timeless precepts given so uniquely by the God of Israel.

The Ten Commandments as they were spoken by God and recorded in Exodus 20:3-17 are given below, followed by their New Testament equivalents. This chart demonstrates that the principles of the Ten Commandments are incorporated into our new covenant relationship with God, made possible by faith in Jesus Christ.

The Ten Commandments

1

“You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3 “Jesus said to him: ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.” Matthew 22:37-38 “One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” Ephesians 4:6

2

“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 waters under the earth: you shall not bow down to them or serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.” Exodus 20:4-5 “Keep yourselves from idols.” 1 John 5:21 “We ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising.” Acts 17:29 “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.” John 4:24

3

“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” Exodus 20:7 “But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is His footstool . . . .” Matthew 5:34-35 “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.” Matthew 6:9

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.” Exodus 20:8-11 KJV “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27-28 “For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: ‘And God rested on the seventh day from all His works.’ ” Hebrews 4:4 “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.” Hebrews 4:9 “So then, it remains for the people of God to keep the Sabbath.” (Aramaic Bible in Plain English) Source: http://biblehub.com/hebrews/4-9.htm

The weekly seventh-day Christian Sabbath is from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown, as the LORD God (Yahwey) set forth at Creation (see Genesis 2:2-3).

5

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.” Exodus 20:12

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother,’ which is the first commandment with a promise; ‘that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.’” Ephesians 6:1, 3

6

“You shall not murder.” Exodus 20:13

“Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” 1 John 3:15

7

“You shall not commit adultery.” Exodus 20:14 “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites . . . will inherit the kingdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” Hebrews 13:4

8

“You shall not steal.” Exodus 20:15

“Let him who stole steal no longer.” Ephesians 4:28

9

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” Exodus 20:16

“Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds.” Colossians 3:9

10

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, or his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.” Exodus 20:17 “Then He said to them, ‘Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.’” Luke 12:15 “Therefore, put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” Colossians 3:5

The Ten Commandments quoted in the New Testament...

“And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but 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 19:16-19

“Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 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. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”

Romans 13:8-10.

Church of God (Seventh Day) has a great seminar video on the Ten Commandments, presented by Elder Calvin Burrell.

Go to http://EquipMagazine.org/english-seminars
Locate This We Believe: Teachings of the Church of God (Seventh Day)
Locate #6. The Ten Commandments

For hard copies, send your address and quantities to bap.orders@cog7.org.