Question 257: What Are The Ten Commandments?

An Anglican Catechism (Expanded Version)

Question 257: What are the Ten Commandments?

The Ten Commandments are God’s moral law, revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai, which summarize our duty to love God and love our neighbor. They teach us how to live holy lives in obedience to God, shaping our worship, relationships, speech, sexuality, work, and desires. They remain a foundational rule of life for all believers. (Exodus 20:1–17, Deuteronomy 5:6–21, Matthew 22:37–40)

Full Scripture References

And God spoke all these words: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing loving devotion to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who misuses His name. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work—neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your livestock, nor the foreigner within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them; but on the seventh day He rested. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy. Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” – Exodus 20:1–17 (BSB)

Jesus replied, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” – Matthew 22:37–40 (BSB)

Expanded Explanation of Catechism Question

The Ten Commandments are God’s enduring moral law, given first to Israel and reaffirmed by Jesus as the foundation for holy living. They are not arbitrary rules but a reflection of God’s own character and a call to live as His redeemed people. Bishop Julian Dobbs (ACNA, Diocese of the Living Word) affirms, “The Ten Commandments remain essential to Christian discipleship. They teach us how to walk in love with clarity and conviction.” (Diocesan Pastoral Letter, 2021)

Historically, Anglican catechesis has always included the Commandments alongside the Apostles’ Creed and the Lord’s Prayer. The 1662 Book of Common Prayer orders them to be read in Holy Communion, underscoring their central place in Christian worship and moral formation. As the Homily on Good Works teaches, “They are the rule by which we must frame all our doings.”

Fr. Allen Hughes (AMiA, Church of the Redeemer, GA) explains, “The commandments reveal not only sin but also the path of freedom. They show us the kind of life we were made for—one of truth, loyalty, chastity, generosity, and peace.” (Sermon Series on Exodus 20, 2017) They are both mirror and map: they expose our failings and guide our steps.

Gerald Bray (ACNA-affiliated, Beeson Divinity School) emphasizes their lasting relevance: “Christ did not abolish the law, but fulfilled it. The Ten Commandments, rightly understood, still govern the life of the Church. They are not legalism—they are liberty in God’s order.” (God Has Spoken, 2014)

Canon David Roseberry (ACNA, Christ Church Plano) adds, “We cannot understand grace unless we first see the law. The law convicts us, but it also points us to Christ, the One who kept the law for us and now writes it on our hearts by the Spirit.” (Formation for Mission, 2019)

Early Church Fathers On Catechism Question

“God gave the commandments not to burden, but to bless—to set before us the way of life and the way of death. He urges us to choose life.” – Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies, c. 180 AD

“The Decalogue is the root of all virtue. Each command, rightly kept, is a branch of holiness and a safeguard for the soul.” – Origen, Homilies on Exodus, c. 240 AD

“The law is good when used lawfully—not to justify, but to teach, correct, and lead us to Christ.” – Augustine of Hippo, On the Spirit and the Letter, c. 412 AD

“Moses gave ten words; Christ gave two—but they are not different. To love God and neighbor is to keep the whole law.” – Gregory of Nyssa, On the Beatitudes, c. 380 AD

An Anglican Catechism (Expanded Version)

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An Anglican Catechism (Expanded Version)