Christian Ethics

Alfred E. Labadisos, MAR

Lesson 4:

• Christian Ethics

• Old Testament Ethics

Christian  The Law as the Core of OT Ethics
 Obedience as Personal Loyalty to God

Ethics  Holiness as the Unifying Theme of OT Ethics

 Social Dimension of OT Ethics
 Pursuit of Justice

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Lesson 4:

• Described the kinds of

moral reasoning found in
Scripture.
Objectives
: • Explained how the Old
Testament provides material
for contemporary ethical
reflection.

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Lesson 4:

• Christian Ethics (numbers 1 & 2)

• Old Testament Ethics (number 3)

Basic • Obedience as Personal Loyalty to God
Jigsaw (number 4)

• Social Dimension of OT Ethics (number 5)

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Lesson 4:
• Christian ethics is a blend of both virtues
and principles.

Christian • Morality is ultimately grounded in the

character of God.
Ethics • From a Christian worldview, virtues or
character traits are the ultimate foundation
for morality.

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Lesson 4:

• God’s commands are derived from God’s

Christian character or virtues.

Ethics • God’s commands follow from his

character.

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Lesson 4:
• The Scripture uses other types of reasoning
to supplement the primary place of virtues
and principles.
Christian Proverbs (utilitarianism)

Ethics Wisdom literature (utilitarianism and

deontological)
Deut 27-30 (ethical egoism)
Ps 19:1-6 (natural law)

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Lesson 4:
• The foundation of Old Testament ethics is
the Law of Moses.
Old • The Law of Moses could refer to:
Testament the Moral law
the Civil law – govern social relations
Ethics and institutions
Ceremonial law – governs worship of
God

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Lesson 4:
• The first four commandments outline a
person’s obligations to God.

• The second six commandments outline a

Ten person’s responsibilities to others.
Commandments
• The Ten Commandments are basic moral
obligations that respect life, marriage and
family, property, and truth telling.

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Lesson 4:

Obedience • Obedience to the Law is an expression of

loyalty to God.
as
Personal • God is a person who stands behind the
precepts.
Loyalty to • Obedience to a Person not just a command.
God
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Lesson 4:

Holiness as • Holiness unifies the Old Testament ethics.

the Unifying • Holiness comes from Hebrew word qadosh
Theme of means “set apart”.
Old • God calls His people to become “holy
Testament nation: and a “kingdom of priests” (Exo
19:6)
Ethics
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Lesson 4:
• Examples of Israel to be set apart:
Holiness as
the Unifying Limitations of the king of Israel in acquiring
wealth, military might, or national security (Deut
Theme of 17:16-17)
Treatment of women captured in war (Deut 21:10-
Old 14)
Treatment of servants was to be humane (Deut
Testament 15:12-18)
Worship and prohibition from sorcery, spiritism,
Ethics witchcraft, and divination.

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Lesson 4:

Social • The Sabbatical year – mandates the

Israelites to let the land rest every seventh
Dimensions year by not planting crops (Lev 25:1-7)

of Old • The Year of Jubilee – prevents inordinate

accumulation of land and redistributed
Testament opportunity to make a living (Lev 25:8-24,
Ethics 35-36)

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Lesson 4:
• The Law of Redemption – requires the
Social nearest relative to buy the land or the
person and return the land to the individual
Dimensions (Lev 25:25-34, 47-55).
of Old • The Law of Gleaning – mandates leaving
Testament the perimeter of the field unharvested and
only going through the field one time to
Ethics gather the crops (Lev 19:9-10).

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Lesson 4:
• Prohibitions of usury (Exo 22:25; Lev
Social 25:35-37)

Dimensions • Prohibition of moving boundary stones

of Old that delineated a person’s property (Deut
19:14; 27:17)
Testament • Prohibition against bribery, perjury, and
Ethics showing biases (Exo 23:1-2; Deut 18-20)

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Lesson 4:
• God’s people were called to stand against
The injustice because God is a God of justice.

Pursuit • The books of Psalms, Proverbs, and Minor

Prophets speak against any form of
of injustice and oppression.

Justice • God desires justice more than religious

ritual.

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