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Are the Ten Commandments in the New Testament?

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Are the Ten Commandments in the New Testament?

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Are the Ten Commandments in the New Testament?

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A man reading a Bible. ru recovery ministries/Unsplash
The New Testament is filled with instruction to keep the Ten Commandments.

When we think of the Ten Commandments, we often think of Moses coming down off Mt. Sinai with tablets of stone, bearing writing by the very finger of God. After finding the people worshipping a golden calf, we’re told he threw down the tablets, breaking them into pieces at the foot of the mountain (Exodus 32). But was that the end of the Ten Commandments?

While we might not see a conveniently compiled list of the Ten Commandments in the New Testament like we do in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5, we do see through the teachings of Jesus and His disciples that we are expected to keep the Ten Commandments today. Below, the Ten Commandments are listed along with New Testament scriptures where they are referenced and taught, as well as places where they are summarized or referred to as a whole.

The First Commandment: You shall have no other gods before God

Matthew 6:24—Jesus teaches that we can only serve God.

Matthew 19:17—Jesus says there is only One (God) who is good.

Matthew 22:37-38—Jesus teaches to love God with all you have and calls this the first and greatest commandment.

Acts 14:8-15—Paul and Barnabas tear their clothes at the idea of being thought of as gods.

Acts 17:22-25—Paul shows the idols being worshipped in Athens are powerless.

Revelation 19:19-21—People killed for worshipping the beast and false prophet, among other sins.

The Second Commandment: You shall not make or worship graven images

Acts 17:28-30—Paul teaches that God is not portrayed in metal or stone

Acts 19:23-26—Paul teaches there are no man-made gods

Colossians 3:5—Paul instructs us to put away things like lust, greed and evil desires and calls those things idolatry.

Ephesians 5:5; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10—Paul teaches that those who worship idols will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

The Third Commandment: You shall not take God’s name in vain

Matthew 5:33-37—Jesus teaches that our word should be our bond. To swear by God or anything else comes from "the evil one."

Matthew 23:16-21—Jesus condemns those who swear by the temple or heaven, explaining that in doing so, they are in reality swearing by God. In calling the group hypocritical, He clearly portrays that all their swearing was done in vain.

James 5:12—James reaffirms what Jesus taught in Matthew 5:33-37

The Fourth Commandment: Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy

Mark 2:27-28—Jesus explains that the Sabbath was made for man and He is Lord of the Sabbath.

Luke 4:16—Jesus keeps the Sabbath.

Acts 13:42-44; Acts 17:1-3—The disciples preach and teach on the Sabbath.

Colossians 2:16—Paul teaches not to let others condemn us for keeping the Sabbath

Hebrews 4:9—The Sabbath remains as a rest for God’s people.

The Fifth Commandment: Honor your father and your mother

Matthew 15:4, Matthew 19:19—Jesus teaches this commandment directly.

Ephesians 6:1-2—Paul teaches this commandment directly.

Colossians 3:20—Paul says it pleases God for children to obey their parents.

2 Timothy 3:2—Paul warns that during the end time, children will be disobedient to parents.

The Sixth Commandment: You shall not murder

Matthew 19:18—Jesus teaches this commandment directly.

Romans 13:9—Paul teaches this commandment directly.

Matthew 5:21-22—Jesus expounds on this commandment to include hate and anger.

Acts 22:16-20—Paul recounts his repentance of sins, including aiding in the murder of Stephen.

1 John 3:15—John teaches that murderers will not inherit eternal life.

Revelation 21:8—Murderers will be put to eternal death.

The Seventh Commandment: You shall not commit adultery

Matthew 19:18—Jesus teaches this commandment directly.

Romans 13:9—Paul teaches this commandment directly.

Matthew 19:8-9—Jesus teaches against adultery and divorce for the wrong reason.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10—Paul teaches that adulterers will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

Revelation 21:8—Adulterers will be put to eternal death.

The Eighth Commandment: You shall not steal

Matthew 19:18—Jesus teaches this commandment directly.

Romans 13:9—Paul teaches this commandment directly.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10—Paul teaches that thieves will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

Ephesians 4:28—Paul teaches that those who were once thieves should steal no more.

The 9th Commandment: You shall not bear false witness (lie)

Matthew 19:18—Jesus teaches this commandment directly.

Acts 5:1-10—Ananias and Sapphira die because they lied to God.

Revelation 21:8—Unrepentant liars will be put to eternal death.

The Tenth Commandment: You shall not covet

Romans 13:9—Paul teaches this commandment directly.

Matthew 6:19-21—Jesus teaches not to put hope in physical things.

Luke 12:15—Jesus teaches to be on guard against greed/covetousness.

Ephesians 5:3-5—Paul teaches that greedy/covetous people will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

James 4:1-3—James teaches that coveting leads to fights and wars.

The Ten Commandments summarized

As we can see, the New Testament is filled with instruction to keep the Ten Commandments. In addition, we see several instances where the Ten Commandments are summarized or taught in a general sort of way:

Matthew 22:37-40—Jesus summarizes the Ten Commandments into two great commands.

John 14:15—Christ teaches that if we love Him, we will obey His commands

1 Corinthians 7:19—Paul says keeping the commandments matter.

Romans 7:7—Paul reminds us that it is through the law that we know what sin is.

Romans 7:12—Paul calls the commandments "holy, just and good."

1 John 5:3—John tells us that the children of God keep His commands, and that they are not burdensome.

Revelation 14:12—The saints are commended for keeping the commandments of God.

 

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Comments

  • FCBayern
    Peter Bayern

    Everyone believes in some form of law, even liberal Protestants. No one is saying that now that Christ died we are free to murder, but yet the 10 commandments are under attack. This was a good explanation on how all of the 10 commandments were upheld in the New Testament.

  • Dan Preston
    Dan Preston

    Hi Will! In Romans, Paul goes into a thorough examination of sin, the law, grace and justification. He mentions repeatedly the need for the law to define for us what sin is (Romans 3:20, 4:15, 5:13, 7:7). He calls the law good (7:12,22) and talks about our need to be 'doers', or obey, the law (2:13). He talks about the need to stop sinning (6:1-2) and about his own desire to obey the law (7:15-16).

    Paul also explains that we are justified through the blood of Jesus (2:25, 5:9) and that no matter how well we keep the law, the law cannot justify us (2:28, 3:20, 5:1). So what’s the deal? Do we need to obey the law, including the Sabbath, as outlined in the Ten Commandments, or are we justified by Christ?

    The answer is both. While keeping the law cannot save us, we keep the law because we have been saved. Paul says plainly in Romans 3:31 that we don’t void the law through faith, rather we establish the law. In Romans 6:15, he says plainly we don’t have an excuse to sin, just because we are under grace. Instead, he points out in verses 16-19, that because we have been made righteous, we strive to obey God’s law.

  • Droane52
    Deloris Roane

    Can we be forgiven for breaking any of the Ten Commandments?

  • Dan Preston
    Dan Preston

    Hi Delores, yes, we can be forgiven from any sin, no matter how great or small! Of course, there are two key things to consider when it comes to being forgiven from our sins. First, we must ask God for forgiveness and be truly repentant of our sin. This repentance must lead to a real change of heart, and be reflected in how we think and live (2 Corinthians 7:10-11). For example, someone who was once a thief can't just say they are sorry, and go back to being a thief again (Ephesians 4:28). If we acknowledge our sins, yet refuse to make genuine effort to give them up, then we may indeed face God's wrath (Hebrews 10:26-31). Secondly, while the wages of any sin would be death without the sacrifice of Christ (Romans 6:23), the physical consequences here and now in breaking one of the commandments may vary. For example, stealing a candy bar from a store is a sin that would only carry a small punishment, likely involving repaying the store for the candy bar. Murdering someone carries a much more severe penalty. While spiritually speaking God is willing to forgive in either case, the legal system of a nation would not be.

  • Will Brooks
    Will Brooks

    How do you reconcile the UCG position that Christians are under the Ten Commandments with the Scriptural position revealed by Paul in Romans specifically in Chapters 3 through 8: "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ.....ff"

    IF we are still under Law and do not, for example, observe the Sabbath day as the UCG believes is a requirement we are therefore Guilty of sin.

    How would you respond, please?

  • Muana
    GL Muana Neitham

    Many laws are given to israelites plus ten commandments...,,are we require to follow or observe? Are those laws valid today?

  • Dan Preston
    Dan Preston

    Hi Muana, the key to answering this question is understanding if the specific law given was a part of God's perpetual laws which are to be kept forever, or if it was a part of the old covenant which was made with Israel.

    For example, far before the nation of Israel existed, or even the old covenant, we see God made the Sabbath Day Holy and set it aside as a day of rest (Genesis 2:2-3). We see it described and recorded for Israel in more detail later on in Exodus 20:8-11, but it existed as part of God's perpetual law far before that, and is therefore a law we still keep today.

    An example of a law given to Israel that is no longer necessary to keep would be animal sacrifices. One specific type of animal sacrifice for sin is described in Leviticus 4. Under the new covenant, animal sacrifices are no longer necessary, since Christ's blood took the place of all sin offerings once and for all (Hebrews 10:8-10).

    For more information, we recommend downloading or requesting a free copy of our Bible study aide "The New Covenant: Does it Abolish God's Law?" at https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/booklets/the-new-covenant-does-it-abolish-gods-law

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