The words “the ten commandments” appear three times in the old testament: Exodus 34:28, Deut 4:13 and 10:14. They do not appear at all in the new testament. The words are more correctly translated as the ten words, and are the words of the old covenant, the covenant between God and the Israelites. And are referred to by the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) as deka logue, (ten words) hence decalogue. Decalogue does not appear in the Greek texts from which our New Testament is translated.
The ten words, the words of the old covenant, were like chapter headings of all the commandments contained in the law of Moses. These commandments, including the ten, were written down in the Book of the Law, kept at the side of the ark. So there were 10 commandments, and 603 telling the people how to keep them. And no one could….except Jesus.
Hebrews tells us the old covenant is now obsolete. Replaced by the new, with a new priesthood (after the order of Melchizedek) and a new law. This law is written on our new hearts, after we turn to Christ, and we are made a new person. This law is not the law of Moses, which was nailed to the cross, it is the law of Christ, based on love; and love is the sign of being a follower of Christ.
Acts 15 tells us that the new Gentile converts to Christianity were not required to follow the law of Moses, telling them instead:
28For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: 29that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”
As far as Paul was concerned the tablets of stone (the ten commandments) were the ministry of death.
Now the words “the ten commandments” do not appear in the New Testament. Neither do the commandments themselves in a list, although several are mentioned individually. Jesus and the Jews of His time tried to keep the WHOLE law. Only Jesus was successful. If they were important, God would have mentioned it. He does that.
Instead of extolling the virtues of the law, He raised the bar. By the sermon on the mount and the parables He told them, and the miracles He performed, He showed them a new way of life, one based on sacrificial love, and care for humanity. Love God, love your neighbour. Love your enemy. Turn the other cheek. The ten commandments were thou shalt not. This was positive. Don’t just avoid killing, robbing etc, actively SHOW your neighbour love. SHOW your enemy love.
This cannot be done unless your life is first filled by the love of God. FROM God. By loving your neighbour and caring for His needs, you are doing the will of God. (Romans 13:10).
God instituted a new covenant. It is a spiritual covenant instead of a physical one. It is with the followers of Jesus, not the descendants of Israel. It does not have words inscribed in stone, it has a law written on a heart of flesh. It is no wonder that the words “the ten commandments” are not mentioned in the New Testament. The New Testament is about the New Covenant, and the birth, death and resurrection of the Messiah. It is about the Gospel, and the Kingdom of God.
The Old Covenant was to get Israel ready for Christ. The new is about God’s love to us and to all men.
No wonder we do not find mention of the words of the old covenant.
Light of Christ 