A few weeks ago, in my ongoing summarizations of Calvin’s Institutes, I summarized Calvin’s understanding of the first four Commandments. Today I move ahead to the last six.
I don’t think these commandments were arranged by chance or accident. As the first table indicates, man and his relationship with God is cardinal. But this in no way diminishes man’s responsibility to love each other. Actually, loving God and loving our fellow man are so connected that how we treat each other, to a very large extent, reveals our relationship with God. If we love God we will love our neighbour. If we do not love God we will not love our neighbour. Why, because we fail to see the image of God in them, and because we love our selves more than we ought to.
On with the summary.
1. The fifth commandment (Ex 20:12). Mankind is to respect those whom God has placed over them.
2. Calvin: “This then is the sum: that we should look up to those whom God has placed over us, and would treat them with honour, obedience, and gratefulness. It follows from this that we are forbidden to detract from their dignity either by contempt, by stubbornness, or by ungratefulness” (Pg., 401).
3. The sixth commandment (Ex 20:13). Life is a gift from God. Therefore, to steal that life, either with the hands or with the heart, in an evil fashion is murder.
4. Calvin: “The purpose of this commandment is: the Lord has bound mankind together by a certain unity; hence each man ought to concern himself with the safety of all. To sum up, then, all violence, injury, and any harmful thing at all that may injure our neighbour=s body are forbidden to us” (Pg., 404).
5. The seventh commandment (Ex 20:14). Sex is a gift of God given to the married. To those who practice it outside the marriage relationship violates this commandment.
6. Calvin: “The purpose of this commandment is: because God loves modesty and purity, all uncleanliness must be far from us. To sum up, then: we should not become defiled with any filth or lustful intemperance of the flesh. To this corresponds the affirmative commandment that we chastely and continually regulate all parts of our life” (Pg., 405).
7. The eighth commandment (Ex 20:15). “The purpose of this commandment is: since injustice is an abomination to God, we should render to each man what belongs to him [Rom 13:7]. To sum up: we are forbidden to pant after the possessions of others, and consequently are commanded to strive faithfully to help every man to keep his own possessions” (Pg., 408).
8. The ninth commandment (Ex 20:16). “The purpose of this commandment is: since God (who is truth) abhors a lie, we must practice truth without deceit toward one another. To sum up then: let us not malign any one with slander or false charges, nor harm his substance by falsehood, in short, injure him by unbridled evils peaking and impudence....we should faithfully help everyone as much as we can in affirming the truth, in order to protect the integrity of his name and possessions” (Pg., 411).
9. The tenth commandment (Ex 20:17). Loves is the fulfilling of the law. Covetousness comes from a heart empty of love; hence, when we covet we break all the laws of God (Rom 7:7).
10. Calvin: “The purpose of this commandment is: since God wills that our whole soul be possessed with a disposition to love, we must banish from our hearts all desire contrary to love. To sum up, then: no thought should steal upon us to move our hearts to a harmful covetousness that tends to our neighbours loss.....whatever we conceive, deliberate, will, or attempt is to be linked to our neighbour’s good” (Pg., 413).
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