It is the only extensive text in the Bible which is...

It is the only extensive text in the Bible which is portrayed as being revealed directly by God, without the means of a prophet. We shall see in the sections to follow how Christian belief has departed from the principles of the Decalogue and come into conflict with it. Islam does not conflict with it, but has focused on new issues that have arisen over time. The former is disastrous, while the latter is merely dangerous. The three popular traditions can be caricaturised as follows.

Jews have circumvented the obligations of the Decalogue by focusing on the importance of belonging to the chosen people.…