College of Arts, Sciences and Education

文理教育學院
Second Semester
School Year 2020-2021

Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Commandment

Second and Great Commandment

TOPIC LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:

1. Identify the first three loving commandments of God toward our neighbors.
2. Explain the kind of Love shown and shared in the 5th, 6th, and 7th Commandments.
3. Apply each of the commandments in loving our neighbors.

A. INTRODUCTION – Short Review of Previous Lesson

The Ten Commandments and Jesus’ summary of the law were at one time near the very center of our culture and civilization. They were learned by heart
and often rehearsed in public worship. They were inscribed in public places and often displayed in the home. For centuries they were at the center of what
Christians learned about their faith. Yet today they are little known and understood, let alone followed.

Another name for the Ten Commandments is the Decalogue or “Ten Words.” The text of the Commandments is found in two places in the Bible. In Exodus
20:1-17, God speaks these words after the people of Israel have consecrated themselves at Mount Sinai. They are inscribed on two tablets of the covenant,
“written with the finger of God,” the first and most important part of the Law of God, and they are a gift of God to the people of Israel—and through them to

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the whole of humankind. The same Ten Commandments are repeated in Deuteronomy 5:6- 21 (with some variations). In Deuteronomy, Moses looks back
and interprets the law for the people of God in every generation.

Differences in Numbering the 10 Commandments

Roman Catholic Tradition Protestant Tradition

Traditional 1. I am the Lord your God: You shall not have 1. I am the Lord thy God, you shall have no other gods
strange God’s before me. before me.
Listing

First Tablet 2. You shall not make unto thee any graven image.

(Love for God) 2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your 3. You shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in
God in vain. vain.

3. Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day. 4. Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy.

4. Honor your father and mother. 5. Honor your father and mother.

5. You shall not kill. 6. You shall not kill.

Second Tablet
6. You shall not commit adultery. 7. You shall not commit adultery.
(Love for
Neighbor) 7. You shall not steal. 8. You shall not steal.

8. You shall not bear false witness against your
neighbor.
9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.
9. Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
10. You shall not covet anything that belongs to your
neighbor.

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 Roman Catholic Tradition
• Three commandments for God and seven
commandments for neighbor.
Differences • Has two commandments that deal with the issue of
coveting: (9th) you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife
and (10th) you shall not covet your neighbor’s good.
Protestant Tradition
• Four commandments for God and six commandments for
neighbor.
• Has one commandment that deal with the issue of
coveting combining the Roman Catholic’s 9th and 10th
commandment: You shall not covet anything that belongs
to your neighbor.

• Combined the first and second commandment of the
Protestant Tradition: “I am the Lord your God… you shall
have no other God’s before me… you shall not make
unto me any graven image”.
Basis in
• Based their traditional listing from Exodus 20:1-17.
Numbering
• Follows the tradition of numbering established by St.
Augustine (same with the Lutheran Church)
• Split the Roman Catholic’s first commandment into two:
(1) You shall have no other God’s before me and (2) You
shall not make unto me any graven image.
• Based their traditional listing from Deuteronomy 5:6 – 21.
• Follows the tradition of numbering established by Origen
(from the Eastern Christianity).

You can watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nPNM4MRQ8g (Introduction and Numbering of the 10 Commandments by Fr. William Nicholas)

It is important to note that unlike the first account of the Creation Story, the Ten Commandments are not numbered in Scripture. The original text of the Bible
did not even have verse numbers and the system of verse numbers we have today is a product of the Protestant printer Stephanus (1551 edition of the
Greek New Testament).

The listings of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 do not even state that there are ten of them; it is only elsewhere (cf. Exodus 34:28)
that they are called the Ten Commandments. Taken by themselves, there are actually about fourteen imperative commands given by the Lord to Moses on
Mount Sinai.
1. You shall have no other gods before me. 8. Honor your father and your mother…

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 2. You shall not make for yourself a graven image…
3. You shall not bow down to them or serve them…
4. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain…
5. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy
6. Six days you shall labor…
7. In it [seventh day] you shall not do any work…
9. You shall not kill.
10. You shall not commit adultery.
11. You shall not steal.
12. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
13. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house
14. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.

When the Church Fathers received this unnumbered, undivided lump of fourteen-ish commandments, it was up to them to formulate them into a list of “Ten,”
grouping some commands with others to which they seemed to be related and to make them easier to teach and remember. And Different Fathers arrived
at different lists. Two of these important early Church Fathers were Saint Augustine and Origen. In their writings, each developed and favored a particular
way of numbering the Commandments. It is roughly along these lines the Catholics and Protestants split. Catholics (and Lutherans) generally use the 10
Commandments as listed by Augustine, while the Eastern Churches and Protestants list the 10 Commandments set out by Origen.

“The division and numbering of the Commandments have varied in the course of history. The present catechism follows the division of the
Commandments established by St. Augustine, which has become traditional in the Catholic Church. It is also that of the Lutheran confessions. The Greek
Fathers worked out a slightly different division, which is found in the Orthodox Churches and Reformed communities.”
– Roman Catholic Catechism 2066

Thus, the fact remains that the numbering of the 10 Commandments is not a rigid Biblical concept, but one developed by scholars and theologians, so
regardless of which method is used, the duty to obey them is not changed, and could never be changed.

B. DISCUSSION – Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Commandment (Loving Our Neighbor Commandments)
The LOVE most often spoken of in the Bible is an outgoing concern for others as demonstrated by our actions (1 John 3:18). And being demonstrated
by our actions, it is far greater and more meaningful than mere feelings.

Scripture tell us that God is love (1John 4:8-16), and His Laws, particularly as summarized in the Ten Commandments, show us the actions that demonstrate
love toward others – firs toward God (as expressed in the first four Commandments) and then toward our fellow man (as expressed in the last six).

Jesus Christ, asked to name the greatest commandments, responded: “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your
soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 22:37-40).

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 Jesus here quoted Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18. These two commands summarize both the Ten Commandments and the entire law
of God, as all God’s other instruction flow from these two greatest Commandments.

In our previous lesson, we tackled the Love Commandments toward God. In this module, we are going to discuss the first three loving commandments
toward our neighbors. The other three commandments will be in the next module.

Note: we are going to use the Protestant’s Numbering of Decalogue

I. 5th Commandment

HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (Ex. 20:12, Deut. 5:16)

The fifth commandment is addressed expressly to a person in relationship to their parents - father and mother. It likewise includes the ties of kinship
between members of the extended family, i.e. including grandparents, aunts, uncles, other relatives and even our ancestors. The commandment calls
us to do the following: respect, show gratitude, recognize their dignity and authority, and to offer material assistance in their difficulties. The
commandment extends to the relationship of students to teachers, employees to employers, subordinates to leaders, and ordinary citizens to those who
administer or govern.

GROUNDS/BASIS OF HONORING/LOVING OUR PARENTS

The Divine Fatherhood (i.e. we are all children of God) is the source of human parenthood; this is the foundation of the honor owed to parents. God gave
us human parents to take care of our physical and spiritual needs. In honoring our parents, we honor God Himself.

The family is the most essential unit of our society. The family is the community in which from childhood, one can learn moral values and begin to honor
parents and God.

The responsibility of parents for their child begins when they gave life to him and that the young human being came helpless into the world, entirely
dependent on their loving care. He needs parents to feed him and to help him in his spiritual and mental development in all regards. It is a parental
obligation to see to it that the basic necessities of the child will be met sufficiently as he grows. The child will be provided opportunities to develop his full
potential as a human being and especially for him to enjoy life. From the beginning, the capability of the person to love are first awakened by parental
love. It is an innate attribute of man to reciprocate the love given him by his parents - father and mother.

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 LIMITATION OF THE COMMANDMENT
Parental authority is limited by the rights of the children. For children are not their parents’ property. In principle they are equal partners with equal and
inalienable/undeniable human rights. Thus children owe obedience to their parents in the context and understanding that they are not yet capable of
making their own decisions and taking full responsibility for their own actions. Further, parents must not attempt to limit or influence their children’s wills
except as far as is necessary in the children’s interest and welfare. This applies particularly to important things, such as choice of career/profession and
marriage - it even includes unimportant matters like fashion.
As the child grow up he continue to respect his parents until emancipated (set free) through marriage. This is the time that he forms his own family. In
some cases, a person chose to embrace the life of “blessed singleness”. In marriage a person does not stop observing the commandment. As long as a
person live he is connected to his parents, and thus, obey the commandment.
The Book of Proverbs has a very good advice for children to follow:
My son, keep your father's commandment,
and forsake not your mother's teaching.
Bind them upon your heart always;
tie them about your neck.
When you walk, they will lead you;
when you lie down, they will watch over you;
and when you awake, they will talk with you.
(Prov.6:20-22 RSV)

II. 6th Commandment

YOU SHALL NOT KILL (Ex. 20:13, Deut.5:17)

THE SANCTITY OF LIFE (Gen. 1:27)
“Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains forever in a special relationship with the Creator,
who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to
destroy an innocent human being.” CCC 2258

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 Respect for a person’s life, his bodily and mental integrity and health belongs to the fundamental rights of man. To this rights corresponds the duty of
respecting the health and life of others as well as of one’s own person (Vatican II, page 307).

THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT COMMANDS NOT TO KILL, it demands the utmost respect for human life and its sacredness both in one self
and in others. The central prohibition is the condemnation of any direct, intentional killing of innocent human being.

The commandment also asked for peace of heart, and thus, denounced murderous anger and hatred as immoral. It also forbids any indirect act, or failure
to act, that brings about a person’s death. For example, refusing to help a person in mortal danger is seriously wrong. Other actions that put people in
danger or lead to the loss of life are equally against the commandment.

Social and Ethical Issues like Suicide, Abortion, Euthanasia and the like are sinful acts since they are a direct violation to the sixth commandment.

LIMITATION OF THE COMMANDMENT: The loss of life is permissible and justified.

Self-defense (Justifiable Homicide). “When one is force to defend his life, he is not guilty of murder even if one gives the aggressor a lethal blow that
led to death.” Legitimate defense can be not only a right but a grave/serious duty for someone responsible for another’s life, the common good of the
family or of the state. (CCC 2265)

For the good and welfare of the society. In grave cases punishing an aggressor that may even extend to capital punishment so that he cannot inflict
harm again.

Loving our neighbors oblige everyone to respect the value of human life to the fullest even our enemies.

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III. 7th Commandment

YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY (Ex. 20:14, Deut.5:18)

When God created man and woman He gave them personal dignity equally to the one and the other. In this essence man and woman must treat each
other fairly and justly. He filled them with the capacity for love and communion. He bestowed upon them a special power to share with His creative activity
of bringing new life into the world: “And God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply…” (Gen.1:28)

Sexuality is a gift from God. Its primary purpose according to Gen. 1:28 is the bearing of children (procreation). Sexual love led to the propagation of
mankind or the continuation of the human race.

HOLY MATRIMONY/CHURCH MARRIAGE

Marriage is a covenant between a man and woman that is to be lived in love until death separates them. It is meant to be a lifelong relationship. Thus,
“this relationship is not to be entered into thoughtlessly but soberly and in the fear of God”.

The Church being the authority on morals and faith emphasize that sexual love must be done only under the sacrament of Holy Matrimony. Conjugal
Love takes away the place of sexual love in marriage.

Thomas Aquinas taught that Christian marriage is a sacrament contracted before the Church, has God as the witness to the bond of fidelity, and
legitimates conjugal sexual contact between a man and a woman. In order to protect and sustain their marriage, spouses have to respect both the marriage
bond they freely made and the conjugal act prosper and exclusive to them.

COMMAND AND PROHIBITIONS

Thou shall not commit adultery. The seventh commandment emphasize the values of fidelity, chastity, mutual self-giving, equality in dignity and love.

Adultery, divorce, polygamy and free-union are grave offenses against the dignity of marriage. The sexual act must take place exclusively within
marriage. Outside of marriage, it always constitutes a grave sin.

Adultery refers to marital infidelity (unfaithfulness). When two partners, of whom at least one is married to another party, have sexual relations – even
transient (temporary) ones – they commit adultery. Christ condemns even adultery of mere desire (Matthew 5:28). The 7 th commandment and the New
Testament forbid adultery absolutely.

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 Adultery is an injustice. A person who commits adultery fails in his/her commitment. He/she does injury to the sign of the covenant which the
marriage bond is. He/she transgresses the rights of the other spouse, and undermines the institution of marriage by breaking the contract on which is
based. He/she compromises the good of human generation and the welfare of children who need their parents’ stable union (cf. CCC 2831).

*Chastity means not having any sexual relations before marriage. It also means fidelity
(Faithfulness) to husband or wife during marriage.

C.SYNTHESIS

Fifth Commandment: Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.

Our relationship with our parents is the foundation for our future relationships and choices. Here’s how Paul explained to new believers in Ephesians that
the choice to honor your parents has consequences like enjoying a long life.

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’ – which is the first commandment
with a promise – ‘so that it may go well with you and you may enjoy long life on the earth.’” (Ephesians 6:1-3)

Thus, we should respect our parents and accept their instruction with grace, not rebellion. And as they grow old, we must not abandon them physically or
emotionally.

Sixth Commandment: You shall not murder.

God commanded his people to not murder. Because people are made in the image of God, life has value. Murder is the ultimate crime against another
person and is forbidden because it is an intentional act that says that a person’s life has no value compared to another’s priorities.

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An interesting note is that God did not say, “Do not kill.” Hebrew has nuances that take into account the difference between murder and an accidental
death or an act of war.

Seventh Commandment: You shall not commit adultery

God commanded his people to be faithful in marriage and to respect other people’s vows as a model of faithfulness in relationship with God. Adultery
destroys marriages and injures innocent spouses and children. It devalues the commitment made between a husband and wife and to God. Interestingly,
God’s command to not commit adultery was an equal standard for men and women.

In the New Testament, Jesus called his followers to faithfulness in marriage (Matthew 5:27-28, Mark 10:11-12). Paul explained to the Corinthians how to
avoid sexual immorality by being faithful to one’s spouse.

“But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman
with her own husband” (1 Corinthians 7:2)

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