Appendix A - The Commandments of Jesus in the Gospels

All I Have Commanded, Appendix A
by Dan Bentley and E. Jay O'Keefe

We list here the commandments which came from the mouth of Jesus, in the order in which they first appear in the gospels. They are stated as briefly as possible, but the accompanying Scripture reference is intended to be broad enough to include all of the text necessary for a full understanding of the command in its context. Those appearing more than once are listed only once, and we have omitted those which were specific to the situation in which given, and thus would not apply to us today. For example, “Go catch a fish. Take the coin out of its mouth and pay your taxes.” A few are difficult to decide whether they would apply to us today. Whether to include or exclude these was a judgment call on our part. Also, we are stating these commands in our words, the way we think Jesus might state them if He were here today. We could be wrong in our judgment and in our interpretations, therefore we welcome all comments, suggestions and criticisms from the body of Christ. The number(s) which follow each command indicate which category(s) the command fits in, as outlined in the Introduction. Our overall objective for this work is to come as close as possible to laying out what Jesus expects of the believer today, as expressed in the phrase, “teaching them to obey all I have commanded.” We won’t hit the mark perfectly, but with your help, and the Holy Spirit’s power, we hope to come close enough to make a difference in the twenty-first century church. That is our prayer, for His glory.

NOTE: The numbers which follow each commandment refer to the categories into which we divided all the commandments, as follows:

COMMANDMENTS RELATING TO:

Our relationship to God
Interpersonal relationships
Personal holiness
Evangelism
Discipleship
Perseverance - Suffering
Leadership
Human authority
Family
Servanthood
Financial stewardship

JESUS’ COMMANDMENTS IN MATTHEW

5:10-12 Rejoice and be glad when you are persecuted and spoken evil of on account of Me, for great is your reward in heaven. 2
5:14-16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. 4
5:21-22 Do not murder. Jesus expands this command to include anger. 2
5:23-24 If you are aware that someone has something against you, make it a high priority, even higher than acts of worship, to go to that person and be reconciled. 2
5:25-26 Settle matters quickly with your adversary at law. 2
5:28, 31-32 Do not commit adultery. Jesus expands this command to include (a) lust, and (b) divorce for any cause other than adultery, and (c) marrying someone who is divorced. 2,3,9
5:29-30 Take whatever steps are required to remove yourself from the temptation to disobey any of the commandments. 3
5:33-37 Fulfill your promises. Jesus expands this command to, do not make any vows or promises which presume on the future, saying further that such vows are evil. 1,2,11
5:38-41 Do not resist an evil person. Turn the other cheek to one who slaps you. If one takes your shirt, give him your coat also. If one compels you to go a mile, go with him two. 2
5:42 Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you. 2,11
5:43-47 Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. 2
5:48 Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. 1,3
6:1 Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men, otherwise you forfeit reward in heaven. 3
6:2-4 Do your giving in secret and your heavenly Father will reward you. 1,3,11
6:5-8 When you pray, don’t do it to be seen by men. Your heavenly Father knows what you need before you ask, so pray in secret and your heavenly Father will reward you. 1
6:7 Do not pray with meaningless repetitions as the heathen do. 1
6:9-15 Pray like this, “Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name, etc., the Lord’s prayer. 1
6:14 If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 1,2
6:15 But if you do not forgive others, your heavenly Father will not forgive you your sins. 1,2
6:16-18 Do not fast in such a way that you will be seen by men as fasting, but by your Father who sees in secret, and who will repay you. 1,3
6:19-24 Do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 11
6:20-24 Store up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 11
6:25-34 Do not worry about your life, what you will eat, what you will drink, or what you will wear. 1,11
6:33 Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 1,11
7:1-5 Do not condemningly judge lest you be judged yourselves. For in the way you judge, you will be judged, and by your standard of measure, it shall be measured to you. 2
7:6 Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. 2
7:7-11 Ask and it shall be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you. 1
7:12 Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, for this summarizes the Law and Prophets. 2
7:13-14 Enter by the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction. And the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life. 1
7:15-23 Watch out for false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 7
7:24-27 Everyone who hears these sayings of Mine and obeys them will be likened to a wise man who built his house on a solid foundation, but everyone who hears these sayings and does not obey them will be likened to a foolish man who built his house on sand. 1
9:36-38 The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore pray that the Lord of the harvest will send out workers into His harvest. 1,4
10:32-33 Every one who confesses Me before men I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven, but whoever shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who is in heaven. 1,4
11:15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear. (MT 11:15, and many other places) 1
11:28 Come to Me all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 1
11:29-30 Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My load is light. 1
15:10-11 He called the multitude to Himself, and said to them, “Hear and understand, it is not what enters the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth that defiles the man.” 3
16:24-26 If anyone wishes to become My disciple, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his live for my sake shall find it. 1,10
18:10, 14 See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually behold the face of My Father who is in heaven…………It is not the will of your Father that one of these little ones perish. 2
18:15 If your brother sins, go and reprove him in private. If he listens to you, you have won your brother. 2
18:16 If he does not listen to you, take one of two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses, every fact may be confirmed. 2
18:17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church, and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be as an unbeliever. 2
18:21-35 Forgive your brother unconditionally as often and as many times as he sins against you. 2
19:3-12 Do not divorce your spouse, for husband and wife are no longer two, but one flesh, and what God has joined together, let no man separate. Whoever divorces his wife, except for the cause of adultery, and marries another commits adultery. Likewise, if the wife divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery. (MK 10:12) 9
20:26-28 Whoever wishes to become great among you must become your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must become your slave, just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many. 7,10
22:17-21 Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s. 1,8,11
22:36-40 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. And the second is like it, love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and Prophets. 1,2
24:42-44, 26:41 Be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. 6
28:18-20 All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. 4,5

JESUS’ (ADDITIONAL) COMMANDMENTS IN MARK

11:25-26 Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father in heaven also may forgive you your transgressions. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your transgressions. 1,2

JESUS’ (ADDITIONAL) COMMANDMENTS IN LUKE

6:30-35 Love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great. 2
6:36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. 2
12:15 Be on your guard against every form of greed, for a person’s life does not consist of the abundance of his possessions. 11
12:32-33 Do not be afraid, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to charity, make yourselves purses which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near, nor moth destroys. 11
14:26-27 If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be my disciple. (LK 14:26-27) 1,9
16:1-13 Make friends for yourselves by means of the mammon of unrighteousness, that when it fails, they may receive you into eternal dwellings……………If you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteousness mammon, who will entrust the true riches to you? 11
17:3-4 If your brother sins, rebuke him. And if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, I repent, forgive him. 2
17:10 When you do all the things which are commanded you, say, “We are unworthy slaves. We have done only that which we ought to have done.” 1
18:1-8 He gave us a parable to teach us that we ought always to pray and never lose heart. 1,6
22:17-20 Do this in remembrance of Me (i. e. the communion). 1

JESUS’ (ADDITIONAL) COMMANDS IN JOHN

6:27-29 Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you……………..This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent. 1
7:24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment. 2
7:37-39 If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, from his inmost being shall flow rivers of living water. This He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive, for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. 1
8:31-32, 51 If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. If anyone keeps My word he shall never see death. 1,6
13:14-15 If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. 10
13:34-35 A new commandment I give you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another. 1,2
14:11 Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me, otherwise believe on account of the works themselves. 1
14:15 If you love Me, keep my commandments. 1
14:27 My peace I give to you, not as the world gives, do I give you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. 1
15:4-7 Abide in Me and I in you……………If you abide in Me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you. 1,6
15:10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love. 1,6
15:16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give you. 4,5