Did the Catholic Church Change the Ten Commandments? A Biblical and Historical Answer

One of the common accusations made by some Protestant groups is that the Roman Catholic Church changed the Ten Commandments. This claim often points to differences between how Protestants and Catholics number or summarize the commandments in catechisms and religious materials. But is this accusation true? Did the Catholic Church really alter God's commandments?

📖 What Are the Ten Commandments?

The Ten Commandments are found in two places in the Old Testament:

• Exodus 20:1–17

• Deuteronomy 5:6–21

These commandments were given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai and serve as a moral foundation for both Jews and Christians.

📋 Catholic vs. Protestant Numbering: What's the Difference?

The content of the Ten Commandments is identical in both Catholic and Protestant Bibles. The difference lies only in how the commandments are grouped or numbered, which is a matter of tradition, not doctrine.

Protestant Numbering (based on Calvin/Luther):

1. You shall have no other gods before Me.

2. You shall not make for yourself a graven image.

3. You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain.

4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

5. Honor your father and mother.

6. You shall not kill.

7. You shall not commit adultery.

8. You shall not steal.

9. You shall not bear false witness.

10. You shall not covet.

Catholic Numbering (based on St. Augustine):

1. I am the Lord your God; you shall not have strange gods before Me.

2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

3. Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.

4. Honor your father and your mother.

5. You shall not kill.

6. You shall not commit adultery.

7. You shall not steal.

8. You shall not bear false witness.

9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.

10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.

As seen above, no commandment is removed. The difference is that:

• Catholics combine the first two Protestant commandments into one (regarding false gods and idolatry).

• Catholics then split the "covet" commandment into two (coveting wife and coveting goods), as the text clearly makes two separate points (Exodus 20:17).

This division follows the tradition of St. Augustine, which was accepted in the Latin Church and has been consistently used by the Catholic Church for over 1,600 years.

🛡️ Did the Church Remove the "Graven Images" Commandment?

This is the most frequent accusation: that Catholics “removed” the commandment against graven images to allow statues and icons. This is misleading.

The commandment against idols is not removed—it is fully included in the First Commandment, which prohibits idolatry in any form. In fact, the Catholic Church explicitly teaches against idolatry:

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 2112):
“The first commandment condemns polytheism. It requires man neither to believe in, nor to venerate, other divinities than the one true God.”

CCC 2113:
“Idolatry not only refers to false pagan worship... It remains a constant temptation to faith.”

Statues and images are not worshiped by Catholics; they are used as visual reminders of God and His saints, just as God Himself commanded the making of religious images:

• Exodus 25:18–20 – God commanded Moses to make two golden cherubim on the Ark of the Covenant.

• Numbers 21:8–9 – God told Moses to make a bronze serpent to heal the people.

Clearly, making images is not inherently wrong. Worshiping them is—and that’s what the commandment forbids.

🕊️ What About the Sabbath?

Some Protestants also accuse the Catholic Church of “changing” the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. This is not a change of God’s law but the apostolic practice of celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus on Sunday, the “Lord’s Day” (see Acts 20:7, Revelation 1:10). The Catechism teaches that the moral command to worship God remains, but the ceremonial observance was fulfilled in Christ.

CCC 2175:
“Sunday is expressly distinguished from the Sabbath which it follows chronologically every week; for Christians its ceremonial observance replaces that of the Sabbath.”

---

🧠 Conclusion: No, the Catholic Church Did Not Change the Ten Commandments

The accusation that the Catholic Church changed the Ten Commandments is a myth based on misunderstanding—or misrepresentation. The Church has preserved and taught the full content of God’s commandments for 2,000 years. The numbering differences are traditional, not doctrinal, and the Church’s teachings remain firmly rooted in Scripture.