Do the Ten Commandments still apply to Christians today?
Yes. The Ten Commandments (the Decalogue) remain fundamentally binding on all Christians for all times. Jesus himself affirmed their permanent validity when he answered the rich young ruler: 'If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.'
Far from abolishing them, Jesus deepened and fulfilled the Decalogue. In the Sermon on the Mount, he revealed that the commandments govern not only outward physical acts, but also the inner desires and attitudes of the human heart.
The Ten Commandments articulate the basic demands of love: the first three commandments teach us how to love God with all our heart, soul and mind, while the remaining seven teach us how to love our neighbour as ourselves. They reflect the natural moral law written into human nature.
Sources
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 2056
- Matthew 19:17-19
Awaiting review by the chaplaincy. Written in our own words; the Church's own texts are the authority.