Jesus Christ gave us His Beatitudes, most fully expressed in Matthew 5. They offer a post-Incarnation fulfillment to the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20, which according to Orthodox Christian Tradition He had voiced to the Prophet Moses in a theophany before His Incarnation. The Ten Commandments offer a “Thou shalt not” list of primary aspects of God’s law. The Beatitudes in effect offer a “Thou shalt” in full realization of Orthodox Christian natural law, which following St. Basil the Great in effect is the spark of God’s love in each human heart, as the Orthodox bioethicist Herman T. Engelhardt put it.

While most count the Beatitudes at nine, they include a tenth related statement arguably, and can be paralleld with the Ten Commandments as noted below. One of the clearest spiritual parallels can be seen between the Fourth Beatitude and the Fourth Commandment. Others involve grace-filled spiritual attitudes and virtues that offer ways of fulfillment for the Commandments in a “positive” way.

Beatitudes (Matthew 5) by Jesus Christ, the great I Am (see also Ten Commandments below)

1. Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

2. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

3. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

4. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

5. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

6. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

7. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

8. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

9. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

10. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Ten Commandments (Exodus 20)

I Am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
1. Thou shalt have no other gods beside me.
2. Thou shalt not make to thyself an idol, nor likeness of anything, whatever things are in heaven above, and whatever are in the earth beneath, and whatever are in the waters under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down to them, nor serve them; for I am the Lord thy God, a jealous God, recompensing the sins of the fathers upon the children, to the third and fourth generation to them that hate me, and bestowing mercy on them that love me to thousands of them, and on them that keep my commandments.
3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord thy God will not acquit him that takes his name in vain.
4. Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days thou shalt labour, and shalt perfrom all thy work. therefore the Lord blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it.
5. Honour thy father and thy mother, that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest live long on the good land which the Lord thy God gives to thee.
6. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
7. Thou shalt not steal.
8. Thou shalt not kill.
9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife; thou shalt not covey thy neighbour’s house; nor his field, nor his servant, nor his maid, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any of his cattle, nor whatever belongs to thy neighbour.