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Written in Stone: The Ten Commandments and Today’s Moral Crisis
The Ten Commandments are an expression of God's eternal character and have binding force today. Here Philip Ryken offers basic principles for interpreting and applying them-explaining them one by one, illustrating each with a biblical account, and relating each to the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ.
This is a book to be read and savored. Readers will find themselves examining their own lives, changing their ways, and delighting in newfound grace.
This is a book to be read and savored. Readers will find themselves examining their own lives, changing their ways, and delighting in newfound grace.
240 pages, Paperback
First published October 9, 2003
11 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
About the author
Philip Graham Ryken
109 books69 followersPhilip Graham Ryken is Senior Minister of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, where he has preached since 1995. He is Bible Teacher for the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, speaking nationally on the radio program Every Last Word. Dr. Ryken was educated at Wheaton College (IL), Westminster Theological Seminary (PA) and the University of Oxford (UK), from which he received his doctorate in historical theology. He lives with his wife (Lisa) and children (Joshua, Kirsten, Jack, Kathryn, and Karoline) in Center City, Philadelphia. When he is not preaching or spending time with his family, he likes to read books, play sports, and ponder the relationship between Christian faith and American culture. He has written or edited more than twenty books, including Bible commentaries on Exodus, Jeremiah, Lamentations, and Galatians.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
November 20, 2024
I finished "Written in Stone" yesterday and needed some time to reflect before writing this review.
While the book has its strengths, I don’t think it will see broad use in today’s church. Ryken examines the Law as a whole and then delves into each of the Ten Commandments, presenting insights from the "Westminster Larger Catechism" (WLC) alongside modern applications. Each chapter ends with discussion questions designed for further reflection.
After covenant theology, the Law Gospel distinction is one of the most distinctive elements of Presbyterian and Reformed hermeneutics. Ryken does a commendable job presenting a Presbyterian view of the Law in a way that is accessible to a lay audience. He connects each commandment to practical advice on how to keep it today, which is especially helpful for readers seeking a blend of theology and application.
However, the book feels quite dated. It is clearly a product of the YRR movement of the late 1990s and early 2000s. While this might have resonated with its original audience, I suspect younger readers, particularly the teens I’m working with, might find themselves more confused by these references than the content itself. These moments detract from the universality of the Decalogue, and I found myself needing to Google some of the references to make sense of them.
The discussion questions at the end of each chapter were also underwhelming. While they could serve as a good starting point for group conversations, they lack depth. If you’ve already encouraged someone to read a book on the Reformed view of the Law, they deserve more substantial questions to engage with. What’s a steak dinner without the steak?
Overall, the book is an easy read. It could be useful for farming discussion questions for a home group or Sunday school class, or perhaps for a Gen X reader who might better relate to the cultural references. However, it doesn’t provide enough depth for a pastor’s bookshelf, nor does it have the universal appeal necessary for wide use among congregants. While "Written in Stone" has its moments, it ultimately falls short of bridging the gap between accessibility and theological richness.
While the book has its strengths, I don’t think it will see broad use in today’s church. Ryken examines the Law as a whole and then delves into each of the Ten Commandments, presenting insights from the "Westminster Larger Catechism" (WLC) alongside modern applications. Each chapter ends with discussion questions designed for further reflection.
After covenant theology, the Law Gospel distinction is one of the most distinctive elements of Presbyterian and Reformed hermeneutics. Ryken does a commendable job presenting a Presbyterian view of the Law in a way that is accessible to a lay audience. He connects each commandment to practical advice on how to keep it today, which is especially helpful for readers seeking a blend of theology and application.
However, the book feels quite dated. It is clearly a product of the YRR movement of the late 1990s and early 2000s. While this might have resonated with its original audience, I suspect younger readers, particularly the teens I’m working with, might find themselves more confused by these references than the content itself. These moments detract from the universality of the Decalogue, and I found myself needing to Google some of the references to make sense of them.
The discussion questions at the end of each chapter were also underwhelming. While they could serve as a good starting point for group conversations, they lack depth. If you’ve already encouraged someone to read a book on the Reformed view of the Law, they deserve more substantial questions to engage with. What’s a steak dinner without the steak?
Overall, the book is an easy read. It could be useful for farming discussion questions for a home group or Sunday school class, or perhaps for a Gen X reader who might better relate to the cultural references. However, it doesn’t provide enough depth for a pastor’s bookshelf, nor does it have the universal appeal necessary for wide use among congregants. While "Written in Stone" has its moments, it ultimately falls short of bridging the gap between accessibility and theological richness.
December 10, 2022
An excellent - theologically informed, readable and pastoral - short book on the Ten Commandments written for any Christian to read and benefit from. Distills some of the classics such as Luther, Calvin and Watson as well as engaging with contemporary Reformed writers. Of the contemporary books on the Ten Commandments I’ve looked at, I haven’t come across a better one.
June 22, 2018
As one can imagine, the idea of universally applicable rules for life is vehemently rejected in today’s culture. For those outside the church this is not surprising, and should be a constant reminder of the believer’s call to evangelism. Worryingly, however, is how the ten commandments are being constantly pruned of their restrictions and value by legalism on the one hand and nominalism on the other. However, to reject the absolute requirements of the law is to reject the very nature of a God that is unchangeable and just. Christians and non-Christians alike must be constantly retaught and reminded of the importance of these commandments as they must be fully understood.
‘Written in Stone’ goes a long way towards fulfilling this mission. Commandment by commandment Philip Graham Ryken shows how restrictive these commandments are and how they must still be obeyed today. He uses biblical stories to underscore the nature of each commandment, and uses supporting sources to further highlight what each commandment requires. Crucially, he demonstrates the positive duty and requirement of each commandment as well. For example, it is not enough to not murder, but we must also being protectors of life. We must not only keep the Sabbath, but must work and be productive on the other days as well. Finally, he closes each chapter and the book with the Gospel, the message that our minds must always go to when considering sin. This focus, and constant train of thought throughout the book, is of paramount importance. For the ten commandments serve many purposes. Their attendant promises and curses act as restraints and deterrents on our sin. Additionally, and this is usually forgotten, they serve the invaluable purpose of showing us our own sin in order for us to understand our need for salvation. Then, they serve as real guidelines for living righteously. They serve another purpose as well: they display, both tragically and gloriously, the immense sin that Jesus bore in our stead. That is why each chapter ends with the Gospel. The mercy of God and the sacrifice of the Son become much more apparent when we are confronted with the massive scale of our collective and individual sin. But the promise of redemption shines through and illuminates the only possible way we can be considered blameless before the law, and that is through the perfect life, death, and resurrection of Christ.
Ryken succeeds in laying this all out in a way that is immensely challenging to the reader. This book broadened by own understanding of requirements of the commandments, as well as introduced tactics for resisting the constant temptation of sin. An invaluable work for the Christian, and one that is applicable for every aspect of life.
‘Written in Stone’ goes a long way towards fulfilling this mission. Commandment by commandment Philip Graham Ryken shows how restrictive these commandments are and how they must still be obeyed today. He uses biblical stories to underscore the nature of each commandment, and uses supporting sources to further highlight what each commandment requires. Crucially, he demonstrates the positive duty and requirement of each commandment as well. For example, it is not enough to not murder, but we must also being protectors of life. We must not only keep the Sabbath, but must work and be productive on the other days as well. Finally, he closes each chapter and the book with the Gospel, the message that our minds must always go to when considering sin. This focus, and constant train of thought throughout the book, is of paramount importance. For the ten commandments serve many purposes. Their attendant promises and curses act as restraints and deterrents on our sin. Additionally, and this is usually forgotten, they serve the invaluable purpose of showing us our own sin in order for us to understand our need for salvation. Then, they serve as real guidelines for living righteously. They serve another purpose as well: they display, both tragically and gloriously, the immense sin that Jesus bore in our stead. That is why each chapter ends with the Gospel. The mercy of God and the sacrifice of the Son become much more apparent when we are confronted with the massive scale of our collective and individual sin. But the promise of redemption shines through and illuminates the only possible way we can be considered blameless before the law, and that is through the perfect life, death, and resurrection of Christ.
Ryken succeeds in laying this all out in a way that is immensely challenging to the reader. This book broadened by own understanding of requirements of the commandments, as well as introduced tactics for resisting the constant temptation of sin. An invaluable work for the Christian, and one that is applicable for every aspect of life.
February 19, 2021
How can a young person stay on the path of purity?
By living according to your word.
I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.
Praise be to you, Lord;
teach me your decrees.
With my lips I recount
all the laws that come from your mouth.
I rejoice in following your statutes
as one rejoices in great riches.
I meditate on your precepts
and consider your ways.
I delight in your decrees;
I will not neglect your word.
The Law of the LORD is proof that God can command His own honor and glory apart from enticement, persuasion, or coercion. It does not matter that I don’t want to do what I ought to do: for this does not alter what I ought to do from being what I ought to do one iota. I ought to do what I ought to do even if it means that I will lose everything: my pleasure, my good standing, my reputation. For the definition of ought entails that which it is never acceptable to budge an inch on, even if, so often, it is the only thing we are willing to budge an inch on. This proves far more than we are inclined to let it prove. Rather than proving that we are not as good as we thought, it proves that we have never had anything good to begin with. There is a glass ceiling for mankind: it stops at ought. No one has ever breached this glass ceiling and entered into the realm of merit. The most that we have ever done is that which we ought to have done regardless.
How can it be that the undiscovered secret to the good life was in the things we ought to have been doing anyway? What kind of creature is man that he cannot obey the very rules which he was created to obey? We don’t see what we ought to see because we are poor examples of ourselves – for, when we finally remove from ourselves those pernicious negative forms of merit, we find that the way we ought to have been had no merit whatsoever. We have in fact arrived at level zero. We had been there the whole time. And at the bottom, there is only one direction to look!
How I love the Law of the LORD! His commandments are excellent and pure, and He has fulfilled them to perfection! No one is righteous but Christ, and all must surely bow down before Him and honor His name, for He is the excellent one, the fulfillment of the entire Law.
By living according to your word.
I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.
Praise be to you, Lord;
teach me your decrees.
With my lips I recount
all the laws that come from your mouth.
I rejoice in following your statutes
as one rejoices in great riches.
I meditate on your precepts
and consider your ways.
I delight in your decrees;
I will not neglect your word.
The Law of the LORD is proof that God can command His own honor and glory apart from enticement, persuasion, or coercion. It does not matter that I don’t want to do what I ought to do: for this does not alter what I ought to do from being what I ought to do one iota. I ought to do what I ought to do even if it means that I will lose everything: my pleasure, my good standing, my reputation. For the definition of ought entails that which it is never acceptable to budge an inch on, even if, so often, it is the only thing we are willing to budge an inch on. This proves far more than we are inclined to let it prove. Rather than proving that we are not as good as we thought, it proves that we have never had anything good to begin with. There is a glass ceiling for mankind: it stops at ought. No one has ever breached this glass ceiling and entered into the realm of merit. The most that we have ever done is that which we ought to have done regardless.
How can it be that the undiscovered secret to the good life was in the things we ought to have been doing anyway? What kind of creature is man that he cannot obey the very rules which he was created to obey? We don’t see what we ought to see because we are poor examples of ourselves – for, when we finally remove from ourselves those pernicious negative forms of merit, we find that the way we ought to have been had no merit whatsoever. We have in fact arrived at level zero. We had been there the whole time. And at the bottom, there is only one direction to look!
How I love the Law of the LORD! His commandments are excellent and pure, and He has fulfilled them to perfection! No one is righteous but Christ, and all must surely bow down before Him and honor His name, for He is the excellent one, the fulfillment of the entire Law.
February 15, 2021
In full disclosure I had to read this book for my college class, BUT I’m so glad I did!
If you want to dig deeper into the 10 commandments, this book should be on your reading list. The connections that are made through the Bible, the examples that are throughout the Bible, and the depth that is present throughout the Bible concerning God’s commandments is brought forward in such an understanding way by this author, Philip Ryken. I was highlighting information page after page.
If you want to dig deeper into the 10 commandments, this book should be on your reading list. The connections that are made through the Bible, the examples that are throughout the Bible, and the depth that is present throughout the Bible concerning God’s commandments is brought forward in such an understanding way by this author, Philip Ryken. I was highlighting information page after page.
October 18, 2022
A very good exposition of what the Ten Commandments mean, and how it should be applied / remains relevant for the modern era. I love how Ryken remains so Christ centered in his writings, always making a point to point back to Jesus.
He quotes periodically from Samuel Bolton and Thomas Watson. Watson wrote a book on the Ten Commandments, of which I am reading next!
He quotes periodically from Samuel Bolton and Thomas Watson. Watson wrote a book on the Ten Commandments, of which I am reading next!
May 29, 2018
Well-written, pastorally-minded, theologically accurate exposition of the Ten Commandments. Essential stuff for every Christian wanting to understand Law and Gospel in practical terms. For that reason, the three introductory chapters are entirely worth reading on their own. Highly recommended!
June 9, 2023
He takes a Reformed Confessional position on the 10 Commandments (along with his Sabbath application). He summarizes that position well. It tends to devolve into a list of rules . . . not the approach I would take to fixing the "moral crisis."
November 19, 2018
Homiletically the most helpful book I've come across on the Ten Commandments.
July 1, 2021
A good, accessible read on the 10 commandments. It is longer than the DeYoung book but at about the same level of depth but with more stories/illustrations.
March 9, 2023
Required reading for an online course I was taking. Interesting material for sure.
September 25, 2024
Very informative. Wonderful to learn the value of the laws and how they still apply today. Learned a lot with my Bible study and really enjoyed this book.
April 1, 2025
Amazing.
July 29, 2025
Huzzah! A good book in practical ethics in the 21st century. I giggled at the Israelites. They are soo silly. (I’m the Israelites).
January 19, 2016
Books on the Ten Commandments don't need to be fancy. Really, all the need to be are regurgitations of the Westminster Larger Catechism, updated with some modern-day examples. And that is what Ryken has done here. To understand the Ten Commandments, you basically need to understand a few basic principles. One is what Ryken calls the "inside/outside" rule--they govern thoughts and attitudes just as much as outward behaviors. Second is the "two-sided" rule--they demand the duty implied by the corresponding prohibition (and vice versa). So you can't just not steal (#8); you also have to be generous. You can't just not dishonor Yahweh's name (#3); you also have to lift it up highly. And so on and so forth. Next is the "category" rule--each commandment also prohibits lesser sins of the same type. Thus the prohibition against murder also includes battery, hatred, etc. The prohibition against adultery also includes pornography, lust, etc. Next is the "brother's keeper" rule--you can't just not covet, for example; you have to discourage it in others as well. Last is the "law of the tables"--the first four take precedence over the last six. Perhaps you could call this is the "Acts 5:29 principle," where Peter explicitly admits to breaking the 5th commandment in order to keep the first.
In applying these rules to the Ten Words, Ryken ably explains, illustrates, and applies them to readers today.
In applying these rules to the Ten Words, Ryken ably explains, illustrates, and applies them to readers today.
July 26, 2016
This is an especially good treatment of the 10 commandments. Ryken draws deeply from the teaching of each commandment and weaves into it a lot of cultural reflection and application, which means there is a lot of information, but it is presented in a way that you can understand and value as a reader.
One slight weakness, and it may not be fair to call it a 'weakness'... it's more of a personal preference. I would've like to have seen the book explain how each commandment finds fulfillment in Christ (a la John Fesko's The Rule of Love). That adds a certain richness to the commandment to see that, where we have broken it, Christ has fulfilled it in our behalf.
That being said Ryken does say that Jesus keeps these commandments and his righteousness is credited to us by faith. He just brings this in to the discussion in a separate chapter at the end.
That's fine, too. Just a different way of being Christ-centered.
That aside, this is a great book.
One slight weakness, and it may not be fair to call it a 'weakness'... it's more of a personal preference. I would've like to have seen the book explain how each commandment finds fulfillment in Christ (a la John Fesko's The Rule of Love). That adds a certain richness to the commandment to see that, where we have broken it, Christ has fulfilled it in our behalf.
That being said Ryken does say that Jesus keeps these commandments and his righteousness is credited to us by faith. He just brings this in to the discussion in a separate chapter at the end.
That's fine, too. Just a different way of being Christ-centered.
That aside, this is a great book.
June 23, 2008
An excellent discourse on the commandments of God, their purpose, their meaning and our shortfall.
Each commandment is addressed individually with a Biblical example for each failure and the reader is always pointed to the solution for our present failure and duty.
I had a 10 Commandments sermon series that I thought was very good but can not provide that completed study. This book covers the points of that study with plenty of Biblical justification for the views expressed (as it should).
If you've not done a study on why the 10 Commandments are still vital to Godly living, this book is a great place to start and pick up again and again as a reminder.
Each commandment is addressed individually with a Biblical example for each failure and the reader is always pointed to the solution for our present failure and duty.
I had a 10 Commandments sermon series that I thought was very good but can not provide that completed study. This book covers the points of that study with plenty of Biblical justification for the views expressed (as it should).
If you've not done a study on why the 10 Commandments are still vital to Godly living, this book is a great place to start and pick up again and again as a reminder.
February 4, 2014
What an amazing and thorough book on the 10 Commandments. This book shows just how hard it really is to keep these commandments and our need for Christ. This book is amazing and well worth the time to read and study, both by yourself and as a group.
October 6, 2014
Solid exposition of the 10 commandments. Nothing extraordinary, but highly useful and rich.
January 25, 2019
Good exposition of the Ten Commandments. This would work well for a group study.
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October 3, 2017This is an awesome read. I have come to realize how sinful we all are and totally inable to achieve righteousness in and of ourselves. If not for Christ, I would surely be damned.
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