Commandment
A commandment is a directive God gives that calls for obedience. In Scripture, the term can refer to specific laws, individual commands, or God’s moral instruction more broadly.
At a Glance
A commandment is a directive God gives that calls for obedience. In Scripture, the term can refer to specific laws, individual commands, or God’s moral instruction more broadly.
Description
A commandment is an authoritative order or instruction, and in Scripture it most often refers to what God commands. The Bible uses the idea broadly: it may describe individual divine commands, the commandments of the Mosaic law, the well-known Ten Commandments, or the teachings and obligations given by Christ and His apostles. Scripture presents God’s commandments as good, holy, and binding according to the covenant context in which they are given. Christians therefore read commandments with care, recognizing both continuity and fulfillment across the biblical story: God’s moral will does not change, yet believers relate to the Mosaic covenant through Christ, who fulfills the law and calls His people to loving obedience. The term is therefore clear and publishable, but it should be defined broadly enough not to confuse the Ten Commandments with every biblical use of “commandment.”