An Anglican Catechism (Expanded Version)

Question 258: Why did God give the Ten Commandments?

Question 258: Why did God give the Ten Commandments?

God gave the Ten Commandments to reveal His holy character, to teach us how to love Him and our neighbor, to restrain sin, and to guide us in holy living. They were not given to save us, but to show us our need for grace and to shape us as His covenant people, redeemed to walk in obedience and freedom. (Exodus 19:5–6, Deuteronomy 5:33, Romans 3:20, Galatians 3:24, John 14:15)

Full Scripture References​

“Now if you will indeed listen to My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine. And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” – Exodus 19:5–6 (BSB)

“Walk in obedience to all that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.” – Deuteronomy 5:33 (BSB)

“Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin.” – Romans 3:20 (BSB)

“So the law became our guardian to lead us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” – Galatians 3:24 (BSB)

“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” – John 14:15 (BSB)

Expanded Explanation of Catechism Question

God gave the Ten Commandments not to enslave us, but to sanctify us. They were delivered to Israel after redemption from Egypt, not before—as a sign of grace, not a requirement for salvation. Bishop Julian Dobbs (ACNA, Diocese of the Living Word) writes, “The law came after deliverance. It was never a ladder to climb into God’s favor, but a light to walk by for a people already loved.” (Diocesan Pastoral Letter, 2020)

The commandments reveal God’s holy character. They teach us how to love what God loves and to hate what He hates. As the 1662 Book of Common Prayer affirms in its catechism, “What dost thou chiefly learn by these Commandments? I learn two things: my duty towards God, and my duty towards my neighbour.” This twofold love forms the heart of biblical ethics.

Fr. Jon Shuler (AMiA, New Anglican Mission) explains, “God gave the law as a mercy. It shows us what is good, what is wrong, and how we were meant to live. But even more, it shows us our need for Christ, because none of us keep it perfectly.” (Preaching Christ from the Old Testament, 2016) The law convicts us of sin, but it also points to the Savior who fulfills it.

Gerald Bray (ACNA-affiliated, Beeson Divinity School) adds, “The law was never opposed to grace. It was always part of God’s plan to prepare His people for Christ. In the moral law, we find both the mirror of our need and the map of God’s design.” (The Doctrine of God, 1993)

Canon David Roseberry (ACNA, Christ Church Plano) reminds us that the commandments remain vital today: “They are not obsolete. They are a framework for human flourishing. Every time we obey, we are saying ‘Yes’ to the God who made us for Himself.” (Formation for Mission, 2019)

Early Church Fathers On Catechism Question

“The law was given that sin might be known and grace desired. Without knowledge of the disease, who would seek the physician?” – Augustine of Hippo, On the Spirit and the Letter, c. 412 AD

“God gave the law not to make men righteous, but to restrain evil and lead them to the knowledge of His holiness.” – Origen, Homilies on Exodus, c. 240 AD

“The commandments are God’s gift to form a holy people. They are the boundaries of love, not its burden.” – Gregory of Nyssa, On the Beatitudes, c. 380 AD

“The Decalogue was written not just on tablets of stone, but on the hearts of those who fear God. It remains the path of life.” – Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies, c. 180 AD

An Anglican Catechism (Expanded Version)

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