One of the most common accusations made by some Protestants is that the Catholic Church altered the Ten Commandments, supposedly removing the commandment against images and splitting another to keep the number ten. But is this accusation true? Let’s investigate the biblical evidence, historical tradition, and the teaching of the Catholic Church.
📖 The Ten Commandments in the Bible
The Ten Commandments appear in two places in Scripture:
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Exodus 20:2–17
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Deuteronomy 5:6–21
Both passages contain the commandments, but they are written with slight variations in wording and order.
➡️ Important note: The Bible does not number them. It simply presents them as a whole set of divine laws. That’s why different religious traditions number them differently, while keeping the same content.
🕍 Different Traditions of Numbering
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Jewish Tradition (Talmudic): Begins with God’s identity (“I am the Lord your God”) as the first “word” and combines idols with the prohibition of other gods.
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Catholic & Lutheran (Augustinian Tradition): St. Augustine (354–430 AD) combined “no other gods” and “no idols” into the First Commandment, then split coveting into two (wife vs. goods).
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Reformed Protestant Tradition (Calvinist): Separated “no other gods” and “no idols” into two distinct commandments, and merged coveting into one.
📊 Comparative Chart of the Ten Commandments
| Commandment | Catholic & Lutheran (Augustine) | Reformed Protestant (Calvinist) | Jewish (Talmudic) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I am the Lord your God; you shall have no other gods before me. (Includes prohibition of idols) | You shall have no other gods before me. | I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt. |
| 2 | — (Idols included in the First Commandment) | You shall not make graven images or bow down to them. | You shall have no other gods before me (includes idols). |
| 3 | You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. | You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. | You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. |
| 4 | Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day. | Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. | Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. |
| 5 | Honor your father and your mother. | Honor your father and your mother. | Honor your father and your mother. |
| 6 | You shall not kill. | You shall not kill. | You shall not kill. |
| 7 | You shall not commit adultery. | You shall not commit adultery. | You shall not commit adultery. |
| 8 | You shall not steal. | You shall not steal. | You shall not steal. |
| 9 | You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. | You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. | You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. |
| 10 | You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods. | You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor. | You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or anything that belongs to him. |
📜 What the Catechism Teaches
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 2083–2557) explains each commandment in detail.
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CCC 2129–2132 confirms that the prohibition of idols is still binding, but distinguishes between idolatry and the proper use of sacred images.
“The Christian veneration of images is not contrary to the first commandment… the honor paid to an image passes to its prototype.”
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CCC 2534–2557 clarifies why coveting is divided into two distinct commandments: lust (neighbor’s wife) and greed (neighbor’s goods).
Thus, the Catholic Church did not remove any commandment but faithfully preserved them in Augustine’s ancient tradition.
📖 Evidence from Scholars
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St. Augustine (354–430 AD): His numbering system, still used today by Catholics, predates Protestantism by over 1,000 years.
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Dom Bernard Orchard (Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture): Confirms different numbering traditions exist but all preserve the same law.
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Philip Schaff (Protestant historian): Admits the Catholic-Augustinian system is ancient and legitimate.
✅ The Strong Foundation of Truth
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Scripture never assigns numbers—different traditions exist.
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Catholic Church did not remove any commandment—it preserved the same content with different numbering.
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CCC explicitly upholds prohibition of idolatry and explains sacred images.
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Scholars from both Catholic and Protestant backgrounds confirm: the difference is in numbering, not content.
🎯 Conclusion
The accusation that the Catholic Church “changed” the Ten Commandments is false. The truth is that different traditions of numbering have existed for centuries, all teaching the same divine law. Catholics follow the ancient Augustinian tradition, which combines the prohibition of other gods and idols into one commandment, while distinguishing between coveting goods and coveting relationships.
As the Catechism declares:
“The Ten Commandments state what is required in the love of God and love of neighbor” (CCC 2067).
Far from changing God’s law, the Catholic Church has faithfully preserved and taught it for over 2,000 years.
Read also: Is It Wrong to Observe Sunday Instead of Saturday as the Sabbath? Biblical and Historical Truths About Christian Worship; 📜 Do Catholics Violate Exodus 20? | Bible and Early Church Evidence
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