All Commandments of Christ: Full List with Explanation.

 

All the Commandments of Christ: The Complete List of Commandments with Explanation and Bible Verses.

All the commandments of Christ: The path to true life.

"If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15)

The words of Jesus Christ are not just wise advice or philosophical reflections. They are the commands of the King, given to His disciples. The Sermon on the Mount, the parables, and the personal instructions of the Savior contain an entire system of spiritual principles, the fulfillment of which leads to true freedom, happiness, and life with God. But do we all know what exactly He commanded?

In this article, we will examine the commandments given by Christ in their fullness — not only the well-known "Beatitudes," but also many other commands that Christ gave to His followers.

Why should we know the commandments of Christ?

Today in the world there are many distortions of Jesus' teaching — from a frivolous "prosperity gospel" to harsh legalism. The most reliable way to avoid mistakes is to return to the direct words of Christ.

The study of Christ's commandments has several key purposes:

1. It is the foundation of discipleship. Jesus said: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them... teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20). A disciple of Christ is one who knows and fulfills His words.

2. It is the path to blessing. "Blessed..." — this phrase begins each of the Beatitudes. Jesus describes the state of true happiness that is achieved through living according to His principles.

3. It is the foundation of spiritual life. As a wise builder lays a house on a rock, so we must build our life on the words of Jesus (Matthew 7:24-25). Only then can no storms or trials destroy it.

4. It is a manifestation of love for God. Love is not just a feeling. It is action. Jesus said: "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me" (John 14:21). Keeping the commandments is the practical response to God's love.

   The list of commandments given by Jesus Christ

   Based on an analysis of the Gospels, below are the Savior's commandments in their maximum fullness, grouped by theme with explanations for practical application.

   The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12)

   This is the foundation of Christ's teaching. It is important to understand that each of these commandments is a characteristic of a heart pleasing to God, and it is at the same time a promise of blessing. God looks at the heart of every person, and only the pure in heart will see God, and the fulfillment of these commandments leads to purity of heart.

5. "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3). This is not about poverty, but about recognizing one's own spiritual bankruptcy before God. A person who admits that without Christ he is spiritually poor — that is, unable to change inwardly on a spiritual level — only such a person is able to receive God's grace so that God Himself may change him through faith in the goodness and mercy of God.

6. "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted" (Matthew 5:4). This is not about tears of pain, but about repentance. Those who grieve over their sins and over the injustice of the world will receive comfort from God and blessing.

7. "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). Meekness is not weakness, but strength that is pleasing to God. It is the absence of pride and aggression. Meekness allows a person to accept God's will into his life and to fulfill what God wants.

8. "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6). This is an intense, all-consuming desire to know the truth in its fullness, to live righteously, and to see God's will for oneself and on the earth.

9. "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy" (Matthew 5:7). Mercy is not only forgiveness, but also active compassion for the needs of others. And as you were merciful to the faults of others, so God will be merciful to you and your faults, and God's mercy is exalted above His judgment, and God is abundant in mercy and wants us to be like Him.

10. "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8). This is the striving for inner blamelessness, for sincerity and right motives in words and deeds. Purity of heart is achieved through the washing of the word of God — that is, the study of the Word of God and following the word — and also through prayer, that is, close, sincere communion with the Heavenly Father through the action of the Holy Spirit upon you.

11. "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God" (Matthew 5:9). Peacemakers do not merely avoid conflicts; they actively build peace between God and people and between people with one another. "Agree with thine adversary quickly" — so Jesus taught.

12. "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake... and when they shall revile you, and persecute you... for my sake" (Matthew 5:10-12). Readiness to suffer for the name of Christ and for righteousness is a sign of faithfulness, for which a great reward in heaven is promised.

    Commandments on personal relationships and holiness

    Jesus does not merely list rules; He penetrates to the very essence, showing that sin begins in the heart.

13. "Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart" (Matthew 5:28). Christ shows that inner purity is important because outward behavior is formed from it. Control over the thoughts and motives of your heart is the foundation of holiness, and God looks at the heart and evaluates the thoughts and intents of the heart, because sin is conceived in the heart and only afterward is committed on the physical level.

14. "If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee..." (Matthew 5:29). This is not a call to self-mutilation, but a figurative command to be extremely decisive in the struggle against sin. One must cut off everything that leads to sin and block sin at the level of temptation by removing the cause or removing oneself from it.

15. "Whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery" (Matthew 5:32). Jesus establishes a high standard of marriage as an indissoluble union, because God joins people in marriage, and what God has joined by His authority, human authority cannot destroy. Divorce is a tragedy that is permissible only in the case of marital infidelity.

16. "But I say unto you, Swear not at all" (Matthew 5:34-37). This speaks of honesty that requires no additional confirmation. The life of a disciple of Christ should be so truthful that his "yea" means "yea," and his "nay" — "nay."

17. "Resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also" (Matthew 5:39). This is the principle of renouncing revenge and retribution. Christ calls us to overcome evil not by force, but by love and gentleness.

18. "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you" (Matthew 5:44). This is the summit of Christian ethics, which cannot be fulfilled without the help of the Holy Spirit. Love for enemies makes us like the Heavenly Father, because God is good toward the unthankful and the evil.

    Commandments on prayer and fasting.

19. "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret" (Matthew 6:6). Prayer is personal communion with the Father, not a hypocritical theatrical performance for people. Praise from God is more important than praise from people.

20. "Use not vain repetitions... for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of" (Matthew 6:7-8). Prayer should be sincere, not verbose. What matters is not the number of words, but trust in the Father.

21. "But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face..." (Matthew 6:16-18). Fasting is not a way to show one's religiosity and spiritual feat to others, but a tool for humbling oneself before God. It should be secret and joyful.

    Commandments on wealth and priorities

22. "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth... but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven" (Matthew 6:19-21). Jesus warns of slavery to the material. A person's heart is always where his greatest treasures are. By helping the needy and doing good to people, you will lay up treasure in heaven.

23. "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness" (Matthew 6:33). This is the key principle of priorities. When God's Kingdom is first and the truth or righteousness of the kingdom is established in you, then all needs are supplied by God.

24. "No man can serve two masters... Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (Matthew 6:24). A choice must be made as to who will be first in life — God or money. Money or self-love can take God's place and control your behavior and your life, and this is idolatry, since your master is not God but wealth, and it controls you. Serving two is impossible.

    Commandments on relationships with people

25. "Judge not, that ye be not judged" (Matthew 7:1-3). This is a call not to judge others, especially if you do not know them and what is happening in their lives. God is the righteous Judge, and He Himself will bring judgment if He so decides. Before judging your neighbor, you must deal with your own vices.

26. "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them" (Matthew 7:12). This is the "golden rule" of ethics, which Jesus called the essence of the law and the prophets.

27. "Forgive men their trespasses" (Matthew 6:14-15). Forgiveness is not just advice, but a condition for receiving forgiveness from God. One must forgive up to seventy times seven — that is, always.

28. "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine" (Matthew 7:6). Jesus teaches spiritual wisdom: one should not insist on conveying the truth to those who knowingly reject it and may turn what you say against you rather than accept instruction or reproof.

    Commandments for disciples and followers

29. "Deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me" (Matthew 16:24). Discipleship requires renouncing one's ego and one's will, and readiness to do God's will and bear hardships for Christ's sake.

30. "Abide in me, and I in you" (John 15:4). This is the commandment of constant union with Christ. As a branch lives only on the vine, so a Christian can bear fruit only in unity with the Lord, being filled with His Spirit and feeding on His Word or revelations.

31. "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another" (John 13:34). This commandment is "new" because in it a new standard of love is given — the sacrificial love of Christ Himself as an example for us. This love is a testimony to the world.

32. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations..." (Matthew 28:19-20). The Great Commission — to go into the world with the Gospel, making disciples of people from all nations.

33. "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (Matthew 7:7-8). This is a call to persistent, faithful prayer. It will always be heard by the Father.

34. "Enter ye in at the strait gate... for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction" (Matthew 7:13-14). Jesus reminds us that the way to life is narrow and requires effort. Most go the easy way of this world which leads to perdition, but the narrow way is indicated by the commandments of the teaching of Jesus Christ.

35. "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves" (Matthew 7:15-16). Christ calls for spiritual vigilance and teaches us to recognize false teachers who outwardly look very much like servants of God, but are driven by a heart full of sinful motives, and "by their fruits ye shall know them," just as Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light outwardly, but brings death.

36. "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). This is a call to continual growth and striving for God's holiness. "Perfect" here means "complete, mature." This is possible only with God and in God.

    How to learn to fulfill Christ's commandments?

    Having studied this list, you may ask yourself: "How can I fulfill all of this?"

37. Realize that you cannot do this on your own without the grace given by God, because He Himself leads you to perfection. The Beatitudes and the ethics of the Sermon on the Mount are not merely a moral code. They are the character and nature of the Holy Spirit. Christ gives new rules, but He also gives a new nature through the Holy Spirit.

38. Study them systematically. There are books and reading plans that will help you delve into Christ's commandments, and let God Himself lead you in this, feeding you with revelations from heaven.

39. Build your life on His words. As Jesus said, a wise man builds his house on the rock. This means not only hearing Christ's words, but also putting them into practice. Then no storms of life will be able to destroy your life (Matthew 7:24-27).

40. Remember the main goal. The path of the commandments is not a way to earn salvation, but a path to unity with God and to "seeing God" with a pure heart. By fulfilling His commandments, we show our love for Him and enter into the fullness of life that He promised us.

    Conclusion

    Christ's commandments are not an outdated set of rules, but a relevant guide for life today. They point the way to true happiness, purity of heart, and eternal values. Begin to study them right now, and your view of life, of your relationship with God and with people, will change forever.

    May your life become that house built on the solid rock of Christ's words!

Christ's teaching was replaced by the Ten Commandments.

In the modern church,there is a problem that the emphasis is placed on the Ten Commandments, while the teaching of Jesus Christ is neglected and pushed into the background.

Let's figure out what is more important and relevant for Christ's disciples: the Ten Commandments or Christ's teaching, for example, the Sermon on the Mount.

The first thing to understand is by which word or by which commandments people will be judged on the last day.

Here is what Jesus Christ says about this:

John 12:47 "If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.

48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words;the very words I have spoken will condemn them on the last day.

49 For I did not speak on my own,but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it.

50 I know that his command leads to eternal life.So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say."

We see that God the Father Himself was speaking through Christ.

Hebrews 1:1-2 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways,

2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son,whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.

That is, God Himself spoke through Christ and He gave us commandments through Christ which are relevant for us and given to be fulfilled, although some claim that the commandments of the Sermon on the Mount are impossible to fulfill and were given only to show us how incapable we are of keeping them and to reveal our sinfulness. But God Himself through Christ said something completely different.

Matthew 5:19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Do you think God was speaking about the commandments of the Law of Moses?

Many are mistaken in thinking so.In fact, God through Christ is speaking about the commandments from the teaching of Jesus Christ, which lead those who fulfill them to perfection, whereas the law, as it is written:

"...the law made nothing perfect; but a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God." (Hebrews 7:19)

When the apostle says a better hope is introduced, he is saying that the Law of Moses was set aside and instead God gave teaching through Christ. As it is written: "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." (John 1:17).

Truth was given through Christ, and God's saving grace operates only through the Savior Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 7:18 The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless.

Colossians 2:14 ...having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.

The Law of Moses did not lead to perfection or purity of heart because the commandments given in the Law of Moses only controlled a person's external behavior in the flesh. That is, the commandments of the Law of Moses can be called carnal because they did not affect a person's spirit or cleanse a person's spirit or heart.

God Himself perfected the law through Christ and set aside commandments that did not lead to perfection and had no power in the fight against the consequences of the fall.

Hebrews 9:10 They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order.

Galatians 6:12-13 Those who want to impress people by means of the flesh are trying to compel you to be circumcised.The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ.

13 Not even those who are circumcised keep the law,yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh.

Galatians 3:3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?

There are commandments concerning the flesh, or carnal commandments, and there are commandments concerning the spirit or heart, that is, spiritual commandments.

Jesus Christ Himself demonstrated examples of these commandments and pointed out their difference.

Here is an example of a carnal commandment or one pertaining to the flesh:

Matthew 5:27 "You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’"

That is, a person was not to commit adultery externally, in the flesh. But this commandment did not restrict what was happening in his spirit. A person could have lust in his heart, and the commandment would not condemn him for it; he could have any sinful thoughts and fantasies.

The commandment given by Christ is more perfect because it points to what is in a person's heart,because sin dwells in the heart, and God wants His children to be pure in heart and not have sin in their heart, as it is written: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." (Matthew 5:8). That is, only those whose heart is pure, without sin, will see God.

Jesus gives a commandment leading to purity of heart so that there is no lust of adultery in the heart.

Matthew 5:28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

From this example, we can understand how much more important and profound Christ's teaching is than the Ten Commandments.

Jesus Himself teaches us that our righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees and scribes, that is, of those people who very scrupulously kept the Law of Moses, and even more so the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments. And if our righteousness is at the level of the Pharisees' righteousness, we will not enter the kingdom of God.

Our righteousness will surpass their righteousness only if we have a heart pure from sin.

Matthew 5:20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

The church's teaching should be based on what Jesus Christ taught, not on the Law of Moses, so that believers may purify their hearts and enter the kingdom of God.

Matthew 23:25-28 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.

26 Blind Pharisee!First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

27“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.

28 In the same way,on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness."

Jesus Christ rebuked the Pharisees and scribes for their hypocrisy because in their external behavior, in the flesh, they kept the commandments of the law, but in their heart or spirit they were full of sin: they committed adultery in their heart, hated (thus murdering in their heart), envied (thus stealing in their heart), and so on.

God wants to see our pure hearts, therefore He gave teaching that leads to purity of heart and abolished that which did not lead to perfection and into the kingdom of God.