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Bible Info

Bible Term: Command

In the Bible, commands are generally used to refer to instructions from God to his people to do or not do a certain activity. The most familiar commands from God are known as the Ten Commandments, but they represent only a small portion of the many commands found throughout the Bible.

Sometimes the Bible records commands God gave to individuals at specific times in their lives. These commands aren’t intended to be followed by everyone, as they were meant only for the person they were given to.

Some people follow the commands in the Bible (or at least some of them) with an unwavering, legalistic fervor; their pursuit of God becomes a list of dos and don’ts. This was largely how the Hebrew people approached God in the Old Testament, even though that wasn’t the response God desired.

Jesus said that he came, not to replace the law (God’s commands) but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). This signaled a change of perspective away from the letter of the law to the intent behind it.

Key verse about Command: And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; (Genesis 2:16, NIV).

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront a status quo faith and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

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