The Ten Commandments are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship that are foundational to Judaism and Christianity. They were revealed by God to Moses on Mount Sinai. The Commandments are divided into two categories: the first three concern love of God, while the remaining seven concern love of neighbor. The First Commandment establishes that the Lord is the one true God and forbids worshipping other gods or idols. It embraces the virtues of faith, hope and love, and requires giving God adoration, prayer and sacrifice.

1. THE TEN
COMMANDMENTS

3. * The Ten Commandments, also known as
the Decalogue, are a set of biblical principles
relating to ethics and worship, which play a
fundamental role in Judaism and Christianity.
• The Ten Commandments are found in the Old
Testament books of Exodus ad Deuteronomy
• God revealed these words on Mount Sinai
• “Decalogue” means “ten words”

4. • A covenant is a sacred agreement
• The Ten Commandments take on full meaning as
part of the Covenant between God and His
people
• In Jesus, these words have their full meaning
revealed

5. • The Ten Commandments state what is required
in the love of God and the love of neighbor
• Commandments 1-3 = Love of God
• Commandments 4-10 = Love of neighbor

6. The First Commandment:
I am the Lord your God, who brought
you out of the land of Egypt. You shall
have no other gods besides me.

7. • In Matthew 4:10, Jesus says, “You shall worship
the Lord, your God, and Him only shall you
serve.”
• The First Commandment embraces the virtues of
faith, hope, and love.
• We are called to give God what we owe him –
adoration, prayer and sacrifice
• The First Commandment requires us to protect
faith, hope and love and to reject those thing
that oppose these virtues

8. • Sins against the First Commandment include:
- sacrilege – disrespect toward sacred things
(places, objects, words, etc)
- simony - the buying or selling of ecclesiastical
privileges (sacraments, position in the Church, etc)
- heresy – a belief that goes against what the Church
teaches
- apostasy – the abandonment of one’s religion
- schism – a division; in Christianity, schism includes
refusal to be in unity with the Pope
*These are sins against FAITH

9. - despair – the loss of hope
- presumption – arrogance; excess pride or selfimportance
*These are sins against HOPE
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- indifference – the state of not caring; having no
sympathy or care
- ingratitude – being ungrateful; not thankful
*These are sins against LOVE

10. • The First Commandment forbids:
- the occult – beliefs that are not of God, but seek
to control powers beyond human nature
- superstition – an irrational belief that an object,
action, or circumstance not logically related to a
course of events influences its outcome

11. - astrology – belief that the sun, moon, planets
and stars control our lives
- idolatry – the worship of false gods or idols
- witchcraft – attempting to use magical
“formulas” to show power that belongs only to
God
- cult – a system of misguided beliefs that center
around a leader; these are often dangerous