THE TEN COMMANDMENTS IN THE BIBLE

In the third month after the Israelites left Egypt, they came into the wilderness of Sinai and camped before Mount Sinai. They were told to sanctify themselves and on the third day the Lord descended on the mount in the smoke of fire. The people were forbidden to even gaze lest they perished. Only Moses was allowed to go up the mountain. Moses fasted 40 days and nights and was given the Ten Commandments, written by the finger of God in two tablets of stone (Ex.31:18; 32:16; Deu.10:2,4).

The Ten Commandments were written on tables of stone by the finger of God (Exodus 31:18). When Moses came down from the mount, and witnessed the idolatry of the people in worshipping the golden calf, he threw down the tablets and broke them (Ex. 32:19). God recalled him into the mount and rewrote them (Exodus 34:1). In Exodus 34:27 it appeared that Moses made copies of the tables for the people. The copy which God made was placed in the ark of the covenant (Deuteronomy 10:5).

These are the Ten Commandments according to KJV that was given to Moses on Mount Sinai, written with the finger of God. No one has the authority to alter what God had done. To alter God's command is to incur His wrath and subsequent punishment.

See Revelation 22:18-19.

• For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things , God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
• And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
  

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Exodus 20:1-17

1. I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
2. Thou shalt have none other gods before me.
3. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
4. Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy.
5. Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
6. Thou shalt not kill.
7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8. Neither shalt thou steal.
9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

The Catholic Ten Commandments differ from the Ten Commandments in the Bible in two aspects. First, the Second Commandment: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" is left out entirely. Second, The Tenth Commandment is split into two commandment (1) Not coveting your neighbour's wife and (2) Not coveting your neighbour's goods to make up for the loss of the Second Commandment.

Furthermore, the Catholic Church claimed the church descended from Peter, Jesus' apostle. There is no record in the New Testament that Peter ever made any change in The Ten Commandments.

INFRINGMENT OF SECOND COMMANDMENT

It is clearly stated that we must have no other gods before God. The Catholic Church does have statutes of God, Jesus, Mary, Peter and other saints in St. Peter's church which contradict the Second Commandment in the Bible. When I visited the Vatican, I saw the statute of Peter without toes. I enquired and was told the fervent Catholics have kissed the feet of the statute of Peter and that was the reason why the statute had no toes.

INFRINGEMENT OF FOURTH COMMANDMENT

The Fourth Commandment is: "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy." The Catholics do not keep the Sabbath Day. Instead, they had instituted the Lord's Day which falls on Sunday to remember the resurrection of Jesus. They fall short of the Fourth Commandment.

Catholics do not observe the Sabbath in the Bible, but keep the Lord's Day which falls on Sunday. The Lord's Day was instituted in the 4th century by the Roman Catholic Church. All the churches that branched out from the Catholic Church followed their mother church and observed the Lord's Day (the day Jesus resurrected).

The Bible does not record that the Sabbath Day instituted by God in Genesis 2:1-3 was even changed at all. The Catholic Church believed that the church was descended from Peter and that Peter's body was buried in Rome. Even if that was true, there is no record that Peter sanctioned the changing of the Sabbath Day to the Lord's Day on Sunday.

1. I, the Lord, am your God. You shall not have other gods besides me.
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord God in vain
3. Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day
4. Honor your father and your mother
5. You shall not kill
6. You shall not commit adultery
7. You shall not steal
8. You shall not bear false witness
9. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife
10. You shall not covet your neighbor's goods
    

When comparing the Ten Commandments in the Bible with the Roman Catholic Ten Commandments, we can see the great disparity between the two. The Catholic Ten Commandments is missing (1) The Second Commandment and (2) spliting The Tenth Commandment.

The Catholics do not observe what they called the Jewish Sabbath. This is untrue for when God blessed, sanctified and rested on the seventh day of the week, there were no Jews at that time in history (Gen.2:1-3). The Jews were descended from Judah and Abraham was also not a Jew either. Instead, they fixed on the Lord's Day which was on a Sunday because Jesus was resurrected on the seventh day.

Jesus Himself said, "This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. (26) For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come" (1 Co.11:25-26).

We celebrate the death of Jesus by keeping the Holy Communion, and not His birth nor His resurrection. This is the direct communication from Jesus Christ at the last supper.

GOD ordained the Sabbath Day from the beginning (Gen.2:2,3).

1. God wrote the Sabbath day commandment Himself on a tablet of stone.
2. God gave the Sabbath day commandment to his chosen people (Ex.31:13).
3. Jesus Himself made the Sabbath day for man (Mark 2:27).
4. Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath (Lk.6:5).
5. Jesus kept the Sabbath day (Lk.4:16).
6. Jesus taught us on the sabbath (Lk. 4:16).
7. Jesus came to fulfil the law (Mt. 5:17).

PAUL KEPT THE SABBATH DAY

1. Paul habitually taught in the synagogues on the Sabbath day (Ac. 17:1,2).
2. Paul went to places of prayer on the Sabbath day (Ac.16:13).
3. Paul reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath (Ac.18:4).
4. Paul taught us that faith established the law (Rom.3:31).

The New Testament Church Kept the Sabbath Day

1. Sabbath, a perpetual covenant (Ex. 31:16).
2. New Covenant. Will put laws into their mind, and write them down in their hearts (Heb.8:10; 10:16). Not change the laws.
3. Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant (Heb.12:24).
4. The early Jewish Christians were "zealous of the law" (Acts 21:20).
5. Ananias was "a devout man according to the law" (Acts 22:12).
6. James Taught Jewish Christians to Keep the Whole Law (Jas 2:10).

James 2:10

• For whosoevr shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all.

Jesus interpreted the Ten Commandments in the Bible as two great commandments in His own words by combining the first four commandments as loving God completely in heart, soul and mind, and the second was to love everyone you come in contact with. Your neighbour can be your next door neighbour, your teacher, school friends, your enemies, etc. Anyone you come into contact with, who needs your help (The Good Samaritan (Lk. 10:29-37). Love is the key that opens the door to salvation.

As a parent, you would want your children to honour you. When you love yourself, you will not harm or kill yourself. You cannot steal from yourself for the things are already your own. You will definitely not make false accusations against yourself. When you make love to your wife, you are not committing adultery against yourself. She is legally married to you. Last of all, you would not covet your own goods, wife, manservant, maidservant. and animals. They are all your own possession, and there is no reason for you to covet.

When you think of yourself as the other person, you will be more inclined to treat that person well. This is what Jesus meant when He said to love your neighbour as yourself. You would treat that person with respect and love. Love is the most important aspect in a Christian. Love can cover a multitude of sins.

The great commandment in the New Covenant was spoken by Jesus when He incorporated the Ten Commandments into "Love God and Love Man". In other words, the Ten Commandments were not thrown out in the New Covenant but rephrased and interjected with the command of LOVE..

Matthew 22:36-40; Mark 12:29-31

Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

• Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
• This is the first and great commandment.
• And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighboour as thyself.
• On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

!. Did God bless the seventh day of the week in Genesis 2:1-3? Yes/No

2. Did God sanctify the seventh day of the week in Genesis 2:1-3? Yes/No

3. Did God rest on the seventh day of the week in Genesis 2:1-3? Yes/No

4. Did Emperor Constantine change the Sabbath to the Lord's Day, AD 321? Yes/No

5. Is Jesus Lord of the Sabbath? Yes/No

6. Did Jesus Himself keep the Sabbath? Yes/No

7. Did Jesus say, Love Me, Keep my Commandments? Yes/No

8. Are the Ten Commandments kept in the New Testament? Yes/No

9. Did the disciples keep the Sabbath even after Jesus' death? Yes/No

If you have answered all the questions in the positive, you are absolutely correct. Think about the questions and answers, ponder, meditate and make your choice to follow the commandments or not. God gives you free choice! Praise the Lord!