Which of the Ten Commandments do you consider the least important and why??

Question

Just curious..


For the record I think they are all important but recently I came across a passage which made me completely re-evaluate how I ranked them.

Answer 1

I would say the last seven (especially the last six) are general moral rules that are important in every kind of moral human society, regardless of religious beliefs.

On the contrary, the first three are just related to specific religious beliefs, and thus not important for other people. For me as a Buddhist, they are just totally irrelevant, since we don't believe in God at all.

However, I have a tremendous respect for the third commandment (about the Sabbath), because of its great social bearings (even let your servants and animals have at least one day off every week), which are of course relevant also outside the tradition (being free from work and school every weekend has now become an almost universal tradition, thanks to this old Jewish commandment), and because of the beautiful traditions practiced in Jewish families every Sabbath day.

The second commandment (about making "wrongful use of the name of thy God") is maybe to some extent applicable also to non-believers, provided it makes you think about not insulting people of other beliefs and hurting their feelings (which is a Buddhist ethical norm).

That leaves us with the first commandment (about no other gods), which for many of us is totally inappropriate, although it is of course a central tenet for Jews, Christians and Muslims, and in their context in no way can be deemed less important than the others.

Just a note: the division of the ten commandments is different in different religious traditions, and I here use the division according to the Roman Catholic and Lutheran traditions. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Commandments

Answer 2

None of them is important in the way they were given to the Israelites. The Ten C's, the Decalogue, now apply to no-one as laws. The moral parts of the Law of Moses was only a crystallisation of natural moral law that we all know merely through being human. Murder, theft, adultery and false witness were wrong for thousands of years before Moses, and they still are, but the requirement to keep them as a way of pleasing God no longer applies- if it ever did. Remember, Paul wrote of the Mosaic Law as being only a 'schoolmaster' to bring people, particularly the Israelites, to Christ.

It is best for unbelievers to regard the Decalogue as a guide, but for unbelievers to regard it as promise. Those who are being sanctified fulfil the promise 'You shall not kill'. But they will go beyond the commandment not to kill, because neither will they hate, or make spiteful remarks, and they will love their neighbours just as much as they love themselves. They will not just refrain from stealing; they will be content in all circumstances, with whatever they have, and will not covet anything, or anyone.

There is just one commandment that is fulfilled in a different way. The Israelites were given a periodic rest day, when they did no work. This commandment was, in reality, a sort of divine joke. The Israelites were never really expected to achieve God's standards by keeping Mosaic Law. As James wrote, one only has to sin once to fall short of God's glory. Had Abraham been saved by keeping the Law, or even the natural law? Certainly not- it was by his faith in God that he was deemed as righteous as if he had never broken any law. And the Israelites were not going to be justified before God any other way, however hard they tried. So God gave one commandment in among the others that was different- a clue that all this working for salvation was useless, a promise that made the other nine commandments, and the other 600+ commandments given to the Israelites, null and void, from the start.

So the rest every seventh day was just to make the Israelites think- a reminder of Abraham, a friend of God, yet one who lived before Moses. The sabbath rest for them was just a picture of the real rest that comes through Christ, through faith in his finished work on the cross.

Remember the man who collected wood on the Sabbath, and was stoned? That man died so that you and I will realise that to work for salvation, as so many do through their false religion, is deadly. The real Sabbath rest is the whole Christian life, in which the saints join with God in his eternal sabbath, won for us on the cross.

So the most important commandment by far is to keep the sabbath, not once in seven days, but every day.
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Answer 3

Not working on the Sabbath day. Jesus retaught all of the other 9 commandments, even made some of them harder... but he never taught the Saturday Sabbath. He even broke it which riled the Pharisees.

Answer 4

While I don't think any of them allow for necessary exceptions, the one that never makes any sense is the one regarding resting on the 'sabbath.' Some people don't have this luxury and especially in christian nation.

Answer 5

All of them because Jesus full filled them at the cross if you believe in Jesus.

Why Jesus died For Us

He is our sacrificial lamb who shed his blood to cover your sins: past, present and future. If not he died at the cross in vain. He full filled (Luke 24: 44) and nailed the 10 commandments to the cross (Colossi ans 2:14). Christ did not die in vain (Galatians 2: 21). Spirit is of faith and not of the works of the law (Galatians 3: 2). Christ is the end of the law (Romans 10: 4). The law was our tutor but no more (Galatians 3: 24 – 25). God will remember your sins no more (Hebrews 10:17). You are a sinner for life, there is nothing that you can do, not to sin (1 john 1: 7 - 10). You can not go out into the world and do what ever you wish, just because Jesus covered your sins (Romans 6: 1 - 3). Hebrews 8: 7 – 13 (he wrote the laws into their hearts, so that you would know right from wrong.

If you have faith in Jesus and are obedient to God, then you are not under the 10 commandments.

If you do not believe in Jesus, then you are under the 10 commandments, now you need to bring your unblemished goat to the alter every year and sacrifice it to cover your sins but with Jesus, he is our new covenant.

You are justified by faith and not of your works

http://www.mylordmysavior.com
http://www.mylordmysavior.com/10%20Commadements%20Full%20Filled.htm

Answer 6

The Greatest Commandment
Mark 12
28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"

29 "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' 31 The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

32 "Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

Answer 7

There is not one that is less important than the other. If you are not saved and have broken even one Commandment, it is as if you have broken all of them under God's conviction.

Answer 8

i would have to say the first three are equaly unimportant to me. the christian god isnt my god, I have many gods befor him. I use the word god in swearing often while not at work. and sunday isnt my sabbit the full and new moons are as well the eqanoxes and sulcitices ( sorry cant spell tonight)

Answer 9

It does not matter.Jesus said (IF YOU BREAK ONE COMMANDMENT YOU HAVE BROKEN ALL THE COMMANDMENTS).Jesus said if you say you dont sin you lie,so then where does that put all of us in the same boat that is why we need Jesus to forgive us ..One night I went in my room and I said
Jesus I am a sinner.
Jesus I believe You died on the cross for me.
Please forgive my sins.
Jesus come into my heart.And all of the sudden,
Jesus filled me with so much peace and love and
The knowledge that I will live forever with Jesus.
Now I have a personal loving relationship with Jesus.

Answer 10

Ok let say you have 10 kids and which one will you say is the least important.
They are all important