The 12 Commandments of Christ

(Last updated: 24 May, 2020)

• "If you love Me, keep My commandments." (Bible, KJV, John 14:15)

• "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." (Bible, KJV, John 14:21)

• "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love." (Bible, KJV, John 15:10)

• "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. (Bible, KJV, 1 John 2:3)"

• "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. " (Bible, KJV, 1 John 5:3)

• "And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it." (Bible, KJV, 2 John 1:6))

Isn't it strange that despite repeated verses in the Bible to keep Christ's commandments, a list of commandments from Him isn't in the Bible, except for this singular one:

"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." (Bible, KJV, John 13:34)

The problem with this verse is that although yes, it is a clear and morally valid command we could expect from Christ, it's unlikely to be the only one He gave His disciples, because:

1. He says this at the Last Supper, just before He's betrayed, and it's unlikely that, after traveling with Him and listening to all of his preaching, public and private, for years, this is the first time He gave His disciples clear direction on how He wants them to live, and
2. He specifically says that this is a 'new' commandment, that there were others before. Perhaps He is referring to the Ten Commandments of the Old Testament, but perhaps not.
3. In the other veres which mention Christ's commandments, they are usually mentioned in the plural.
4. Although this command could be interpreted as either meaning to love all other humans, or love all other Christians, it seems to mean the latter because Christ was speaking privately to His disciples and because the Last Supper period and following were a time of Christ giving final warnings and advice to his disciples before His imminent arrest, trial, crucifixion. It seems to say nothing about how to deal with the non-Christian world, and therefore cannot be the only command we are expected to live by.

Isn't it also unreasonable to believe that Christ would come to teach us the truth, without revising the commandments received through Moses, since through Christ is a far more direct and the only infallible channel? One might say that there was no need because the original Commandments were perfect. Were they, though? Christ often protested his society's literal application of the command on the Sabbath (eg. Bible, Luke 6:1-11), which He was often accused of breaking for doing good deeds, and He exposed the command on divorce as being corrupted by Moses to please the people:

"He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so." (Bible, KJV, Matt 19:8)"

Thank God, the Gospel of the Holy Twelve explicitly lists Christ's Twelve Commandments (in Chapter XLVI). I am proud to present them to you now:

1. Ye shall not take away the life of any creature for your pleasure, nor for your profit, nor yet torment it.

2. Ye shall not steal the goods of any, nor gather lands and riches to yourselves, beyond your need or use.

3. Ye shall not eat the flesh, nor drink the blood, of any slaughtered creature; nor yet anything which bringeth disorder to your health or senses.

4. Ye shall not make impure marriages, where love and health are not; nor yet corrupt yourselves, or any creature made pure by the Holy.

5. Ye shall not bear false witness against any, nor willfully deceive any by a lie to hurt them.

6. Ye shall not do unto others as ye would not that others should do unto you.

7. Ye shall worship One Eternal, the Father-Mother of Heaven, of whom are all things; and reverence the Holy Name.

8. Ye shall revere your fathers and your mothers on earth, whose care is for you; and all the teachers of righteousness.

9. Ye shall cherish and protect the weak, and those who are oppressed, and all creatures that suffer wrong.

10. Ye shall work with your hands the things that are good and seemly; so shall ye eat the fruits of the earth, and live long in the land.

11. Ye shall purify yourselves daily and rest the seventh day from labour, keeping holy the Sabbaths and the festivals of your God.

12. Ye shall do unto others as ye would that others should do unto you.

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