If we were to poll various communities, such as Jewish, Samaritan, or early Christian, we would probably find that they view the 10 Commandments differently. Here, I want to alert readers that not all things are the same when different folks speak on the same topic. Also, the author, doesn’t state his allegiance despite being an extraordinary professor in New Testament at a prominent University in Germany. To me, he seems to promote a developing religion, like another Jewish thinker recently told me: “These religious beliefs are meant to evolve.” Do they evolve or is it a matter of “Thus saith the Lord” and it’s final?

Things are not the same if we think of Law and advice. The advice Proverbs gives is not Law but the principles are truth. No ancient Israelite would have gone to the temple for breaking one of Solomon’s (the Lord’s) instructions and offered a sacrifice for it. Also, the Christian Didache gives instruction for new Greek Christian initiates appropriate to them. The Didache is not scripture like Solomon’s words, rather, it sought to give advice without binding authority. Therefore, the instruction is not the same.

The chart in this post is very revealing. Rabbinic Jews believe that the first commandment given to Moses at Sinai was “I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Ex. 20.2 ESV). Clearly to me, it is a statement of identity much like Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life.” There are 10 commandments, so someone has to do creative editing to round out the list if they want to make Ex. 20.2 a commandment.

Life is in Christ, not in keeping the Law: Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory (2Cor.3.5-11).

I do not in any way consider this reblogged post redemptive biblical truth. I repost it to inform Christians.

https://www.thetorah.com/article/adapting-the-decalogue-to-your-religion