Jesus Boils It Down to Two Commands
The Ten Commandments are listed in Deuteronomy 5:6-21 (and Exodus 20:3-23. Interestingly, neither of these passages calls this list the “Ten Commandments” (although the phrase is used elsewhere).
The Ten Commandments
1. Do not have any other gods.
2. Do not worship idols (“other gods”)
3. Do not use God’s name wrongly.
4. Keep the Sabbath day holy.
5. Honor your parents (there is a promise of blessing if we do)
6. Do not murder
7. Do not commit adultery
8. Do not steal
9. Do not lie (give false testimony)
10. Do not covet
Jesus’s Two Commands
When Jesus is asked which commandment is the greatest, he says that we should love God fully; the second greatest is to love others as much as we love ourselves.
He concludes by saying that all the laws and commands hinge on these two principles of loving God and loving others (Matthew 22:37-39).
So, we are to love God and love others. If we obey these two commands, everything else falls into place.
It’s that simple: Love.
[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Deuteronomy 4-6 and today’s post is on Deuteronomy 5:6-21.]
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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