The Ten Commandments are found in Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21 in the Old Testament. They were given by God directly to the Israelites after their exodus from Egypt. The commandments provided moral, ethical, spiritual, and civil guidance on how God’s chosen people were to live. While not all of the Ten Commandments are explicitly repeated in the New Testament, the principles behind them are affirmed and expanded upon through Christ’s teachings.
Here is a summary of how the Ten Commandments are addressed in the New Testament:
1. You shall have no other gods before me (Exodus 20:3)
Jesus affirms there is only one God to worship and serve (Mark 12:29; John 17:3). Idolatry in any form is condemned (1 Corinthians 10:14; 1 John 5:21).
2. You shall not make idols (Exodus 20:4-6)
Idolatry is strictly forbidden as it is replacing worship of the Creator with creation (Romans 1:25). Even covetousness is equated to idolatry (Ephesians 5:5; Colossians 3:5).
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain (Exodus 20:7)
Followers of Christ are exhorted to not use God’s name in a meaningless, purposeless or dishonoring way (Matthew 5:33-37; James 5:12).
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (Exodus 20:8-11)
The principle of setting aside time for spiritual renewal and rest is affirmed, though observance of the Sabbath transitions from the last day of the week to the first day of the week in honor of Christ’s resurrection (Mark 2:27; Hebrews 4:9-10).
5. Honor your father and your mother (Exodus 20:12)
Children are instructed to obey parents (Ephesians 6:1-3; Colossians 3:20). Adults are to financially and emotionally care for elderly parents (Mark 7:9-13; 1 Timothy 5:4).
6. You shall not murder (Exodus 20:13)
Murder is condemned (Romans 1:29; 1 Peter 4:15). But Jesus goes further to say anger in the heart is just as sinful as the action of murder (Matthew 5:21-22).
7. You shall not commit adultery (Exodus 20:14)
Adultery and sexual immorality are strongly warned against (Matthew 5:27-30; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10). However, Jesus teaches even lustful intent is just as sinful as the act of adultery (Matthew 5:27-28).
8. You shall not steal (Exodus 20:15)
Stealing is prohibited (Ephesians 4:28) and honesty and hard work is promoted instead (Acts 20:35; 2 Thessalonians 3:10).
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor (Exodus 20:16)
Lying is denounced (Colossians 3:9) and truthfulness is commanded (Zechariah 8:16; Ephesians 4:25).
10. You shall not covet…anything that belongs to your neighbor (Exodus 20:17)
Covetousness and envy are identified as forms of idolatry (Ephesians 5:5; Colossians 3:5) and contentment is urged instead (Hebrews 13:5; 1 Timothy 6:6-8).
While Jesus and the New Testament authors did not provide an exact copy of the Ten Commandments, the core principles behind them are affirmed and enhanced. Idolatry, murder, adultery, stealing, lying and greed are all strongly condemned. Jesus takes the Old Testament laws regarding moral conduct to the heart and motive level. For example, anger equates to murder and lust to adultery (Matthew 5:21-30).
The New Testament also adds positive exhortations that go beyond the prohibitions in the Ten Commandments. Followers of Christ are instructed to love (John 13:34-35), forgive (Ephesians 4:32), serve (Galatians 5:13), give generously (2 Corinthians 9:6-7) and make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). So while the Ten Commandments are not perfectly mirrored in listing form in the New Testament, the principles behind them are upheld and expanded upon.
There are differences though in how the Old and New Testaments view the purpose of God’s laws. The Ten Commandments were central to Israel’s covenant with God. Obedience to the laws was mandatory for blessing and prosperity in the promised land (Deuteronomy 28). But in the New Testament, salvation and right standing with God comes through faith in Christ’s atoning sacrifice, not by works of the law (Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8-9). Obedience is the outflow of salvation, not the basis for it. The law shows humanity’s sinfulness and need for redemption (Romans 3:20). It acts as a guardian leading to Christ (Galatians 3:24). So the purpose of God’s laws transition from providing the foundation for Israel’s covenant relationship with God to revealing humanity’s need for the redemption found only in Christ.
Below is a summary of where the principles behind each of the Ten Commandments are directly or indirectly addressed in the New Testament (all verses ESV):
1. You shall have no other gods before me (Exodus 20:3)
Mark 12:29 – Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”
John 17:3 – And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
1 Corinthians 10:14 – Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
1 John 5:21 – Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
2. You shall not make idols (Exodus 20:4-6)
Romans 1:25 – …they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator.
Ephesians 5:5 – For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Colossians 3:5 – Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain (Exodus 20:7)
Matthew 5:33-37 – 33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.
James 5:12 – But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (Exodus 20:8-11)
Mark 2:27 – And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
Hebrews 4:9-10 – 9 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10 for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.
5. Honor your father and your mother (Exodus 20:12)
Ephesians 6:1-3 – 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”
Colossians 3:20 – Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
Mark 7:9-13 – 9 And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 11 But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban” ’ (that is, given to God)— 12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, 13 thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”
1 Timothy 5:4 – But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.
6. You shall not murder (Exodus 20:13)
Romans 1:29 – They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips.
1 Peter 4:15 – But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler.
Matthew 5:21-22 – 21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.
7. You shall not commit adultery (Exodus 20:14)
Matthew 5:27-28 – 27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Matthew 5:29-30 – 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 – 9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
8. You shall not steal (Exodus 20:15)
Ephesians 4:28 – Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.
Acts 20:35 – In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
2 Thessalonians 3:10 – For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor (Exodus 20:16)
Colossians 3:9 – Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices.
Zechariah 8:16 – These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace.
Ephesians 4:25 – Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.
10. You shall not covet…anything that belongs to your neighbor (Exodus 20:17)
Ephesians 5:5 – For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Colossians 3:5 – Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
Hebrews 13:5 – Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
1 Timothy 6:6-8 – 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.
In summary, while the Ten Commandments are not precisely repeated verbatim in the New Testament, the principles and morals behind them are affirmed and enhanced through Christ’s teachings. The core sins of idolatry, murder, adultery, stealing, dishonesty and greed are strongly condemned. Jesus takes the commandments to the heart level, equating anger with murder and lust with adultery. He also adds positive exhortations to love, forgive, serve and give generously. The New Testament sees obedience to God’s laws not as the basis of salvation, but as the fruit of salvation freely given by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.