Changed The Ten Commandments?
Posted on 03/11/2007 7:28:32 PM PDT by Salvation
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Most common Protestant listing: Thou shalt have no other gods before me Latin Catholic listing: Thou shalt not have other gods besides Me So what the heck? What did happen to the commandment about graven images in the Catholic listing? Did the Church just "drop" a commandment?
So we have 16 verses and Ten Commandments (this we know because of Exodus 34:28 and Deuteronomy 4:13 which speak of the "Ten Words" of God). How to group these verses and Commands? Here's how different groups have handled this:
When the Commandments are listed, they are often listed in short-hand form, such that, for ex., verses 8, 9, 10 and 11 concerning the Sabbath become simply "Remember the Sabbath and to keep it holy." Because Latin Catholics group 3, 4, 5 and 6 together as all pertaining to the concept "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me," we are accused of having "dropped" the commandment against idols. That Eastern Catholics list the Commandments differently never enters the equation for people who think this way; they are simply against those they probably call the "Romish popers" and that's that (I hope it doesn't bother them that Jews would accuse them of totally forgetting the First Commandment, or that Latin Catholics could accuse some Protestants of skipping lightly over the commandments against lust. And why don't the Protestants who have a problem with our numbering system go after the Lutherans for the same thing, anyway?).
Further Reading
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I got an email that said:
Why do Catholics have...the ten Commandments changed to suit their rules?
Before we begin, we should say that the Commandments are not numbered in the Bible. The Lord has not explicitly set out for us how they are to be numbered. If we were to number every "command" in those sections of the Bible we would have about 17 commandments or more. So different efforts have been made to number and group them over the centuries. Two of the major players in the early Church were Augustine and Origen. We Catholics consider these two guys Saints. Catholics and Lutherans generally prefer those set out by Augustine and the Eastern Churches and Protestants follow the Commandments set out by Origen.
| Catholic/Lutheran (As per Augustine, around 400 A.D.) |
Protestant/Orthodox Churches (As per Origen around 200 A.D.) |
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|---|---|---|
| 1 | I am the Lord your God: you shall not have strange Gods before me. | I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. |
| 2 | You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in Vain. | Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image. |
| 3 | Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day. | Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. |
| 4 | Honour your father and your mother. | Remember the Sabbath Day. |
| 5 | You shall not kill. | Honor thy father and mother. |
| 6 | You shall not commit adultry. | Thou shalt not kill. |
| 7 | You shall not steal. | Thou shalt not commit adultery. |
| 8 | You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour. | Thou shalt not steal. |
| 9 | You shall not covet your neighbour's wife. | Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. |
| 10 | You shall not covet your Neighbour's goods. | Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house nor his wife nor anything that belongs to him. |
The great Protestant Evangelist Jerry Falwell actually disagrees with this complaint against the Catholic Church. The following statement is on Jerry Falwell's web site. http://www.falwell.com/?a=news&news=prstencom
As Dr. Falwell promised on the June 22, 1999 Rivera Live television program, here are the Ten Commandments from the King James Version of the Bible, used most widely by Protestants, and the Ten Commandments as found in the official Catechism of the Catholic Church, which uses Scripture quotations adapted from the Revised Standard Version and New Revised Standard Versions of the Bible...As you can see, the difference between the two versions is minimal.
This is the Catholic first Commandment.
1. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image.
Even Jerry Falwell acknowledged that Catholics did not remove the commandment "You shall not make for yourself a graven image." It is part of the first commandment "You shall have no other god's before me." (Section 2, Chapter 1, Part IV) We have not removed it. The Jewish people also place "you shall not make any graven image" with the commandment "thou shalt not have any strange gods before Me."
Here are two paragraphs from the Catholic Catechism which talk about the history of the 10 Commandments:
2065 Ever since St. Augustine, the Ten Commandments have occupied a predominant place in the catechesis of baptismal candidates and the faithful. In the fifteenth century, the custom arose of expressing the commandments of the Decalogue in rhymed formulae, easy to memorize and in positive form. They are still in use today. The catechisms of the Church have often expounded Christian morality by following the order of the Ten Commandments.
2066 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.
It is perfectly acceptable for a Catholic to follow the Origen numbering system or the Augustine system. Each numbering system has its strengths and weaknesses. For example, the Origen system (that most Protestants use, except the Lutherans) lumps coveting your neighbor's wife under the commandment of coveting his possessions. But the opening chapters of Genesis make it plain in the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden that a woman is not a man's "possession" like a horse or livestock. He is the bone of his bones and the flesh of his flesh. (Gen 2:23)
So although the Bible tells us that there are 10 Commandments, it does not tell us how they are numbered. Perhaps what falls where was not an essential thing. What is important is that we follow all of what is written in Exodus 20:2-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21, not just the one sentence statements that we have numbered.
When we look at Scripture, even Deuteronomy and Genesis have differences in emphasis on different commandments.
When I go into a hardware store, it is not important whether I find the sink faucets in the Kitchen section or the Bathroom section. What matters is that the hardware store has faucets. What matters for our salvation is that we read all of the Scripture. Both Catholics and Protestants should be reading the entire section under each of the headings of their Commandments, and if they do that they will both be reading the same thing. We must understand the full Gospel.
Lord Jesus, let Your prayer of unity for Christians
become a reality, in Your way
we have absolute confidence
that you can bring your people together
we give you absolute permission to move
Amen
SECTION TWO
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
| Exodus 20 2-17
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Deuteronomy 5:6-21
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A Traditional Catechetical Formula
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| I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
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I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. |
1. I am the LORD your God: you shall not have strange Gods before me. |
| You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
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You shall have no other gods before me . . . |
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| You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
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You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain . . . |
2. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain. |
| Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your manservant, or your maidservant or your cattle, or the sojourner who is within your gates; for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it.
|
Observe the sabbath day, to keep it holy . . . |
3. Remember to keep holy the LORD'S Day. |
| Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the LORD your God gives you.
|
Honor your father and your mother . . . |
4. Honor your father and your mother. |
| You shall not kill.
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You shall not kill. | 5. You shall not kill. |
| You shall not commit adultery.
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Neither shall you commit adultery. | 6. You shall not commit adultery. |
| You shall not steal. | Neither shall you steal.
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7. You shall not steal. |
| You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. |
Neither shall you bear false witness against your neighbor.
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8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. |
| You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor's.
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Neither shall you covet your neighbor's wife . . . You shall not desire . . .
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9. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. 10. You shall not covet |
Excellent post!
Perhaps the most important point is that versification of the Scriptures is purely a human invention, and a relatively recent one at that.
The table is a marvelous illustration of the late Lutheran World Federation President Rev. Dr. Franklin Clark Frey's observation that "the Lutheran Church is a bridge church; not really Catholic and not truly Protestant". On the numbering of the Decalogue we are constantly needing to explain ourselves to Calvanist dominated Protestantism.
Can someone explain to me why some versions list it as "murder" and others list it as "kill"? There is an enormous difference in the meanings of both words...the "kill" version being at odds with much of the OT.
I predict the topic is not going to stay limited to the Ten Commandments, unfortunately. :-P
Nevermind, I found the footnote.
The Ten Commandments
As the head of the family should teach them in a simple way to his household.
The First Commandment.
Thou shalt have no other gods.
What does this mean?--Answer.
We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.
The Second Commandment.
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord, thy God, in vain.
What does this mean?--Answer.
We should fear and love God that we may not curse, swear, use witchcraft, lie, or deceive by His name, but call upon it in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks.
The Third Commandment.
Thou shalt sanctify the holy-day.
What does this mean?--Answer.
We should fear and love God that we may not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred, and gladly hear and learn it.
The Fourth Commandment.
Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother [that it may be well with thee and thou mayest live long upon the earth].
What does this mean?--Answer.
We should fear and love God that we may not despise nor anger our parents and masters, but give them honor, serve, obey, and hold them in love and esteem.
The Fifth Commandment.
Thou shalt not kill.
What does this mean?--Answer.
We should fear and love God that we may not hurt nor harm our neighbor in his body, but help and befriend him in every bodily need [in every need and danger of life and body].
The Sixth Commandment.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
What does this mean?--Answer.
We should fear and love God that we may lead a chaste and decent life in words and deeds, and each love and honor his spouse.
The Seventh Commandment.
Thou shalt not steal.
What does this mean?--Answer.
We should fear and love God that we may not take our neighbor's money or property, nor get them by false ware or dealing, but help him to improve and protect his property and business [that his means are preserved and his condition is improved].
The Eighth Commandment.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
What does this mean?--Answer.
We should fear and love God that we may not deceitfully belie, betray, slander, or defame our neighbor, but defend him, [think and] speak well of him, and put the best construction on everything.
The Ninth Commandment.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house.
What does this mean?--Answer.
We should fear and love God that we may not craftily seek to get our neighbor's inheritance or house, and obtain it by a show of [justice and] right, etc., but help and be of service to him in keeping it.
The Tenth Commandment.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his cattle, nor anything that is his.
What does this mean?--Answer.
We should fear and love God that we may not estrange, force, or entice away our neighbor's wife, servants, or cattle, but urge them to stay and [diligently] do their duty.
What Does God Say of All These Commandments?
Answer.
He says thus (Exod. 20, 5f ]: I the Lord, thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me, and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me and keep My commandments.
What does this mean?--Answer.
God threatens to punish all that transgress these commandments. Therefore we should dread His wrath and not act contrary to these commandments. But He promises grace and every blessing to all that keep these commandments. Therefore we should also love and trust in Him, and gladly do [zealously and diligently order our whole life] according to His commandments.
I heard a really interesting mnemonic at a Presbyterian church about the Ten Commandments. (Believe it or not, this was adult Sunday School.)
1. Hold up one finger. This stands for the one God.
(Thou shalt have no other gods before me.)
2. Hold up two fingers like a pair of scissors, and start cutting, as in arts and crafts. (Thou shalt not make any graven image.)
3. I don't remember this one quite as well as the others -- but I think it was put up three fingers as if taking the scout's pledge. (Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.)
4. Put down four fingers and walk them across the table. Liken this exercise to a family going to church. (Thou shalt keep holy the Sabbath.)
5. Hold up five fingers and take an honor pledge.
(Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother.)
6. Put one finger into the palm of the other hand. Let the other five fingers collapse into the first finger, as if dead. (Thou shalt not kill.)
7. Make a pair of scissors with two fingers of the right hand then snip at the wedding ring (possibly imaginary) on the left hand. (Thou shalt not commit adultery.)
8. Put out both hands but hold back your thumbs, as if they have been cut off in the Middle East for the crime of stealing. (Thou shalt not steal.)
9. Put one hand down and four fingers up of the other hand, as if being sworn in court. (Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.)
10. Put out both hands and clutch at everything in sight.
(Thou shalt not covet.)
Keep a Good Lent!
If you got to Confession, yes. The priests tell me those aren't sins.
**On the numbering of the Decalogue we are constantly needing to explain ourselves to Calvanist dominated Protestantism**
This would cause some confusion for all.
Check the footnote on the Fisheaters -- original post.
That would be great to teach children. Except I would have to change the two fingers representation. As well as the wording on a couple others. But it is very cute.
**The priests tell me those aren't sins.**
Huh?
Thanks for the ping!
Our Lenten devotions include a study of the history of Christianity, including its relationship with Judaism. I will have to point out that different "People of the Book" have slightly different variations on the Ten Commandments. However, it does appear that we actually do cover the same material but disagree about how to organize it.
Will it get to 20 before it gets off topic?
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