Scripture in Ecclesiastes 12:13 says, “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man,” or as the New American Translation has it, “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.”
This law of God which is summarized for us in the Ten Commandments is divided into two tables so as to leave nothing unaddressed. God has so designed the Ten Commandments so as to contain the whole of righteousness. The first table (Commandments number 1 through 4), address our relationship to God (particularly concerning the worship of God’s majesty), and the second table (Commandments number 5 through 10) address our relationships with our neighbour.
But to obey both tables requires faith-filled love. As Christ said there are only two commandments ultimately: love God; and a by-product from that: love your fellow man as you love yourself [Mark 29-31]. Paul in a sense reduces all Ten Commandments to one commandment, namely love. [Rom 13:10; Gal 5:14].
Chapter 8 of the Institutes is a study on each of the Commandments. Here is entry number of 1, summarizing the first few sections. This is one of those long chapters in the Institutes so there will be a number of summaries.
1. Is the law sin and against the promises of God? God forbid. [Rom 7:7; Gal 3:21]
2. This law calls us to reverence God for His majesty and holiness. This law reveals our depravity and reproves our impotence. Calvin correctly remarks. “Our nature, wicked and deformed, is always opposing His uprightness; and our capacity, weak and feeble to do good, lies far from His perfection” (Pg., 367).
3. God is our Creator. He is Father and Lord. Therefore, by right and Being, he can and does command us to obey his commandments. It is a sin to follow the caprice of our minds in deciding what commandments are suitable.
4. The law is good! Because it is so severe it aids in showing us our foul deadness which prompts us to seek mercy from God. Because of its promises and threats we are warmed to virtue and hateful against vice. Because of it’s righteousness it is sufficient we need not to dream of our own way to do good works. The law is given to teach us true and perfect righteousness.
5. God is a Spirit and his law is spiritual (Rom 7:14). Human laws demand only physical obedience, but God requires heart (spiritual) obedience. God requires obedience of soul, mind and will. “For since He is a spiritual lawgiver, He speaks no less to the soul than to the body” (Pg., 372).
6. Jesus, who knows what is in man, interprets the law correctly. The law must be obeyed in the man with and in love for the law to be truly obeyed. [Matt 5:28; 1 Jn 3:15; Matt 5:21-22, 43; Matt 16:6, 11]
7. Before Calvin gives his commentary on the law he explains why the Commandments tell what man should and should not do; or in reformed and Presbyterian way of saying it, “what the law requires and forbids.”
He explains it this way, One, “Through the law man’s life is moulded not only to outward honesty but to inward and spiritual righteousness” (Pg., 372). Two, “The commandments and prohibitions always contain more than is expressed in words” (Pg., 374). For Calvin’s in-depth explanation on interpreting the law see sect., 8, 9 10. Pg, 374.
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