The Ten Commandments

Discussion on The Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mt. Sinai.

Introduction

The 10 commandments can be separated into two parts: the first 4 commandments, which deal with how we should respect and treat God, and the last 6, which tell us how to respect and treat other people. Jesus reiterates this division in Mark 12:28-31 when He says the greatest commandments are to love God and to love your neighbor. If you love God, you will not put other gods before Him, nor will you go against His wishes to carve false images of Him or other gods, or blaspheme His name, or forget to worship and commune with Him on the day He declared holy. Similarly, if you love you neighbor (fellow man), you will be respectful to them (i.e. honor your parents, because you love them), you won't kill them, or steal from them, or lie about them, or cause them pain by cheating on them (or causing their spouse to cheat), or envy that which they have earned. This principle is echoed in Romans 13:9-10. Given to Moses straight from God, the Ten Commandments are the laws He gave us to show us what it means to love God and to love our neighbors.

List of the Commandments

The commandments (in their given order) are:

1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me
2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image
3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord your God in vain
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy
5. Honor thy father and thy mother
6. Thou shalt not kill
7. Thou shalt not commit adultery
8. Thou shalt not steal
9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor
10. Thou shalt not covet