Weightier Matters Beneath the 10 Commandments
6/22/202650 min
The 10 Commandments E14 — We’ve come to the end of our series on the 10 Commandments, which are known in the Bible as the 10 Words. All throughout this series, we’ve returned to the idea that these commands are not rules to check off a list, but rather God’s wisdom that leads to true life and flourishing. In this episode, Jon and Tim reflect on some final insights about how to approach the 10 Words (and all of biblical law) as wisdom literature, just as Jesus did.
FULL SHOW NOTES
For chapter-by-chapter summaries, biblical words, referenced Scriptures, and reflection questions, check out the full show notes for this episode.
CHAPTERS
- Building a Moral Universe (0:00-11:39)
- Wisdom Leading to Life (11:39-23:40)
- Biblical Laws as Wisdom, Justice, Mercy, and Love (23:40-40:18)
- Jesus as the Embodiment of Wisdom (40:18-53:42)
OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
View this episode’s official transcript.
THE 10 COMMANDMENTS BIBLEPROJECT TRANSLATION
View our full translation of the 10 Commandments.
REFERENCED RESOURCES
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In chapter 3, Tim references episodes on biblical law from our How to Read the Bible series. Find those episodes here:
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Find the 10 Commandments full collection of video, podcast, and written resources here.
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Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books here.
SHOW MUSIC
- “Nice Day ft. Marc Vanparla, John Lee” by Lofi Sunday
- “That Gospel ft. Bobcat” by Lofi Sunday
- “Blissful Thoughts ft. TBabz” by Lofi Sunday
- BibleProject theme song by TENTS
SHOW CREDITS
Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty writes the show notes. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie.
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsJon Collins· Host0:00
[upbeat music] We've come to the final episode in our series on the Ten Commandments, or as the Bible calls them, the 10 words. Now all along, we've kept referring to this idea, the 10 words are not simply rules or commands to check off a list. These 10 words orient us to true reality.
Tim Mackie· Host0:22
They are creating a moral imagination and a moral universe, a set of claims about what is really true about the world we inhabit.
Jon Collins· Host0:31
All of God's commands work this way. Every rule and regulation in the Bible is an opportunity for us to look underneath and find God's wisdom.
Tim Mackie· Host0:40
The most common word other than command or statute or rule or regulation that's used to describe how God is trying to get His people to live is the word wisdom. The 10 words are aimed at instilling wisdom in God's covenant partners.
Jon Collins· Host0:57
Now we may think of wisdom as just advice. You can take it or leave it, but in the Bible, wisdom is essential.
Tim Mackie· Host1:04
To live with wisdom is to live in a way that leads to life. You're living in tune with reality. So it's the difference between I'm doing it 'cause God commanded me, and I'm doing it because God loves me and is showing me the way to life.
Jon Collins· Host1:18
All of the commands in the Bible, they're pointing to weightier matters of life, matters that Jesus teaches us to keep front and center.
Tim Mackie· Host1:26
In Jesus' mind, justice, mercy, and faithfulness