Decalogue

RONALD B. LAPUZ, PH.D, CHRP, FPM, LPT

The Decalogue in Sacred Scripture

 The word "Decalogue" means literally "ten words.“ God revealed

these "ten words" to his people on the holy mountain. They were
written "with the finger of God," unlike the other commandments
written by Moses. They are pre-eminently the words of God. They are
handed on to us in the books of Exodus and Deuteronomy.
Beginning with the Old Testament, the sacred books refer to the "ten
words," but it is in the New Covenant in Jesus Christ that their full
meaning will be revealed.
 "Teacher, what must I do . . .?"
 (CCC #2052) "Teacher, what good deed must I
do, to have eternal life?" To the young man who
asked this question, Jesus answers first by
invoking the necessity to recognize God as the
"One there is who is good," as the supreme
Good and the source of all good. Then Jesus
tells him: "If you would enter life, keep the
commandments." And he cites for his questioner
the precepts that concern love of neighbor:
"You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery,
You shall not steal, You shall not bear false
witness, Honor your father and mother." Finally
Jesus sums up these commandments positively:
"You shall love your neighbor as yourself."1
 (CCC #2053) To this first reply Jesus adds a
second: "If you would be perfect, go, sell what
you possess and give to the poor, and you will
have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."2
This reply does not do away with the first: following
Jesus Christ involves keeping the
Commandments. The Law has not been
abolished,3 but rather man is invited to rediscover
it in the person of his Master who is its perfect
fulfillment. In the three synoptic Gospels, Jesus'
call to the rich young man to follow him, in the
obedience of a disciple and in the observance of
the Commandments, is joined to the call to
poverty and chastity.4 The evangelical counsels
are inseparable from the Commandments.
 2055 When someone asks him, "Which commandment
in the Law is the greatest?"8 Jesus replies: "You shall
love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all
your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest
and first commandment. And a second is like it: You
shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two
commandments hang all the Law and the prophets."9
The Decalogue must be interpreted in light of this
twofold yet single commandment of love, the fullness
of the Law:

 The commandments: "You shall not commit adultery,

You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not
covet," and any other commandment, are summed
up in this sentence: "You shall love your neighbor as
yourself." Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore
love is the fulfilling of the law.10
 2057 The Decalogue must first
be understood in the context
of the Exodus, God's great
liberating event at the center
of the Old Covenant. Whether
formulated as negative
commandments, prohibitions,
or as positive precepts such as:
"Honor your father and mother,"
the "ten words" point out the
conditions of a life freed from
the slavery of sin. The
Decalogue is a path of life:
Love God: The First Three Commandments
First Commandment: I, the Lord, am your God. You shall not have
other gods besides me.

• Make God the top priority in our Violations

lives by practicing the theological • Heresy • Superstition
virtues • Apostasy • Idolatry
• Worship God and share our • Schism • Divination
faith with others • Presumption • Sorcery
• Practice the virtue of religion • Despair • Irreligion

• Ingratitude • Sacrilege
• Prayer
• Spiritual • Simony
laziness • Atheism
Love God: The First Three Commandments
Second Commandment: You shall not take the name of the Lord,
your God, in vain.

• Honor God’s name through praise, Violations

reverence, and adoration
• Our names are also holy
• Forbids the wrong use of God’s name
or the names of Jesus, Mary, or any
saint
• Keep promises and vows and always
be true to our word
• Perjury
• Blasphemy
• Swearing an oath with
an intention to break it
• Use of swearing,
cursing, vulgar language
Love God: The First Three Commandments

Third Commandment: Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.

• The purpose is to praise God for his Violation

works of creation and to thank him • Willfully missing Mass
• God gives this commandment to all people
for them to have a day of rest and recreation
• We acknowledge the one we are totally dependent on
• Jesus brought new meaning to the Sabbath observance – we
worship, praise, and thank God for the gift of the Son
• Catholics are obliged to go to Mass on Sundays and
Holy Days of Obligation
Love Your Neighbor: 4th – 10th Commandments

Forth Commandment: Honor your father and your mother.

• Family is the domestic Church Violation

• Parents should: respect children, • Societal laws that conflict
with God’s will or God’s law
educate them in the Catholic faith,
loving home, unconditional love
• Behaviors from children: thankfulness, respecting, obey, meeting
the physical and spiritual needs of aged parents, treat siblings with
respect and love
• Respect and obedience is due all proper Church and other
authority figures
Love Your Neighbor: 4th – 10th Commandments
Fifth Commandment: You shall not kill.

• Human life is sacred from the Violations

first moment of conception until • Direct abortion
natural death • Intentional euthanasia
• We show respect for God’s gift • Suicide
of life by eating healthy, getting • Scandal
proper exercise and rest, avoiding
harmful substances, etc.
• Immoral medical procedures

• Any direct and intentional killing of a human being is a violation

• Killing in self-defense is morally permissible as a last resort
Love Your Neighbor: 4th – 10th Commandments

Sixth and Ninth Commandments: You shall not commit adultery.

You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
Violations
• God gave us the gift of sexuality so that
married couples can share their love and
• Lust
cooperate with God in bringing forth new life • Masturbation
• Exercise the virtues of chastity, purity, • Fornication
and modesty • Pornography
• Married couples should be faithful to • Prostitution
each other • Rape
• Chastity requires lifelong self-control • Homosexual activity
• Adultery
Love Your Neighbor: 4th – 10th Commandments
Sixth and Ninth Commandments: You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.

Further Violations
▪ Both commandments support • Adultery
the institution of marriage • Divorce
▪ Sexual intercourse in marriage • Polygamy
has two purposes: unitive and
procreative
▪ Children are a gift of marriage
Love Your Neighbor: 4th – 10th Commandments
Seventh and Tenth Commandments: You shall not steal. You shall
not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.

• God created the goods of creation for everyone

• Do not become too attached to belongings Violations
• Greed
• Justice calls us to respect the property of others
and to share our things • Avarice
• Envy
•Jesus teaches that poverty of spirit is the way to
combat sinful attitudes
• Keep promises and do not break contracts
Love Your Neighbor: 4th – 10th Commandments

Seventh and Tenth Commandments: You shall not steal. You shall
not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Types of justice Social justice

applies the teachings of Christ
Legal justice and the Church to political,
concerns our duties as citizens economic, and social orders
and what we owe the government
Distributive justice
Commutative justice deals with the obligations the
regulates relations between community has to its citizens
individuals
Love Your Neighbor: 4th – 10th Commandments

Eighth Commandment: You shall not bear false witness against your
neighbor.

• Teaches that truth-telling is a matter of Violations

justice • Lying
• We respect other people, their • False witness
reputations, their right to privacy • Perjury
• Governments and entertainment • Rash judgment
industries are to use the media • Detraction
responsibly and not for propaganda or
to promote immoral behavior
• Calumny
 Challenges…

 "What good deed must I do, to have eternal life?" - "If you would
enter into life, keep the commandments" (Mt 19:16-17).