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Scripture Topic Guide

Bible Verses About The Ten Commandments And The Gospel

Early Christian writers taught that the Ten Commandments still mattered and that the Gospel did not cancel God’s moral law. At the same time, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Origen, Cyprian, Clement of Alexandria, Hermas, and the Apostolic Constitutions often said that Christ fulfilled the law, brought in the new covenant, and summed the commands up in love for God and neighbor.

The strongest and broadest pattern is that Christians linked the commandments to salvation, repentance, and holy living, while also saying the Gospel brings a new way of reading and obeying them. The evidence is broad across the second and third centuries, but some writers stress continuity more strongly than others, especially when discussing the old covenant versus the new. A few sources are more about related Bible passages or typology, so they support the main claim without adding a new teaching.

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Open the best tools and THF resources before the full reference list.

Key Passages

Jump into the first references before scanning the full Scripture map.

How to Study The Ten Commandments And The Gospel

A tighter path from the primary text into context and application.

Start with the clearest command or anchor text Read the primary passage in context before building doctrine from supporting references.
Trace the apostolic pattern Compare how the apostles preached, practiced, warned, and applied this topic in the churches.
Connect to witness and formation Use early Christian sources, courses, lessons, and discussion questions only after the Bible map is clear.
Continue with connected study Use the attached Bible reader, cross-reference, original-language, and THF resource links to keep studying the topic in context.

Scripture Map

Grouped passages make the topic easier to scan, compare, and teach.

31 references

Foundation Texts

And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.

Direct passage of ten commandments on two tablets

And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.

Direct passage about tablets of stone and commandments

And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which the LORD spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly: and the LORD gave them unto me.

Direct passage naming the ten commandments on stone

For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Direct passage summarizing several commandments in love

Supporting Passages

In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

New covenant makes first obsolete passage

And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

New covenant mediator passage

Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

New covenant prophecy passage

For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:

New covenant promise passage

But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.

Better covenant passage

For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.

First covenant not faultless passage

On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Law and prophets hang on the two commandments

Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.

Old covenant formula passage

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

Laws written on hearts passage

For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai.

Directly mentions commandments from Sinai but is less specific

And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written.

Tablets of testimony passage

And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.

Law and promise chronology passage

Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it:

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

And God spake all these words, saying,

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

And the LORD delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of God; and on them was written according to all the words, which the LORD spake with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly.

Finger of God passage for the tablets

Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

Golden rule summary of the law and prophets

And the gospel must first be published among all nations.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.