Ten Commandments and Us

[Montie_Claunch]

I am confused on something and was wondering if ya’ll could help me out with it. If we are not bound by the Mosaic Law (which the Ten Commandments fall into) covenent why do we have it in the CCC? How does the church veiw the Ten Commandments and other parts of the Mosaic Law? Thanks and God bless.

 

[jax8686]

There were two parts to the laws: Moral, and ‘practical’(not sure what the real wording would be). The levitical laws, we are not required to follow, but the moral laws are still binding. The ten commandments fall under the moral laws. However, even if we were not required to follow the ten commandments as listed in the OT, Jesus told us the two new commandments, which compltely encompass the old commandments.

 

[T.A.Stobie_SFO]

For more details on how the church views the 10 Commandments, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church which has a huge section devoted to them.

 

[Lazerlike42]

Things are not right and wrong because of any law. They are right and wrong because they are simply by their very nature right or wrong. They are natrually right and wrong. The ten commandments did not cause things to be wrong, they only helped guide the Jews into recognizing them as being wrong.

You see, God made man in a state of grace. Man did not know sin, they did not know right and wrong. They only knew right. Imagine a 5 year old. Biological issues aside, a 5 year old could not commit fornication for the very reason that she wouldn’t even know such a thing existed. Adam and Eve were like this to sin more or less. Then, Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and just like the serpent said, they became like God. Satan is so devious, he can lie by telling the truth, and he did. They did become like God because now they knew sin. Once they knew it, their priorities became confused (we call it concupiscience), and some sinful things started to take priority in the life of man over things like God.

As a guide, God gave the ten commandments to the people so that they would have a clear indication of what was right and wrong. The ten commandments pointed out what was right and wrong to the Jews, but the things were right or wrong independant of the commandments. Adultery was always wrong, it didn’t just become wrong when God gave the commandment. A great deal of what Paul writes about in Romans 6,7, and 8 is to make this very point.

The rest of the law, the ritual law (which is what most people call the Mosaic Law) was only given after the Jews sinned by worshipping the golden calf. The Levitical law did make things right and wrong just because it was given. It was designed to really hammer obdedience into the minds of the Jews. It was also designed to be so complicated and overwhelming that no Jew could follow it so that they would realize their need for a savior.

The reason we follow the ten commandments is because they are still a wonderful guide to sum up the basic moral precepts that are simply naturally right and wrong. All of these things were always right and wrong, even before the law was given. For instance, Cain is guilty of killing Abel, even though there was no law that pointed it out at the time. There are other sins that we see committed in the book of Genesis, too, even though the ten commandments had not been given yet.

 

[rwoehmke]

We follow those parts of the Mosiac Law that are grounded in Natural Law. Paul understood early on that salvation was obviously not through keeping the entire Mosaic Law, , but through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. Thus large chunks of the Mosaic Law became an exercise in futility. An arguement that wasa recognized at the first Council of the Church in Jerusalem.

 

[Nicene]

Montie Claunch:

I am confused on something and was wondering if ya’ll could help me out with it. If we are not bound by the Mosaic Law (which the Ten Commandments fall into) covenent why do we have it in the CCC? How does the church veiw the Ten Commandments and other parts of the Mosaic Law? Thanks and God bless.

They never go away. Read the Sermon on the Mount again, it’s the ten commandments. In many ways Christ makes them more strict. Murder now encompasses anger for example. These are the laws that are “written on the hearts of men”

Peace and God Bless
Nicene

 

[1ke]

Montie Claunch:

I am confused on something and was wondering if ya’ll could help me out with it. If we are not bound by the Mosaic Law (which the Ten Commandments fall into) covenent why do we have it in the CCC? How does the church veiw the Ten Commandments and other parts of the Mosaic Law? Thanks and God bless.

The Moral Law, of which the Ten Commandments are a part, binds all people for all time. It is unchangeable.

The ritual law of the Jews, the law of Moses, is disciplinary and therefore not binding on all people for all time. We are currently subject to Catholic Canon Law, not the Jewish ritual laws.

 

[AquinasXVI]

I like to look at the corresponding virtues of the 10 Commandments.

1. Charity (Love of and for God)
2. Reverence
3. Faithfulness
4. Obedience and Humility
5. Respect for Life
6. Purity
7. Justice
8. Integrity
9. Temperance
10. Detachment

Once in a while we should venture into looking at the other side of offending the Law…Like Christ, through these virtues, we FULFILL the Law.

Thanks.

in XT.

 

[Flopfoot]

Incidentally I like to use the 10 commandments as a way of occasionally evaluating my life - if I haven’t broken any lately then I must be going pretty well ay? (-:

But there’s a couple I’m not so sure on how I’m doing with em… well, better go read CCC explanations to help me fig this out.

 

[trogiah]

The Ten Commandments are not merely part of the Mosaic Law. The Ten Commandments went straight from God’s mouth to the ears of all the people. After hearing them the people said (sort of ) “ok we can tell that God is real and God is here and God speaks to people but this is too intense for us to continue listening. You (Moses) go closer and listen to God and then come back and tell us what we should do.”

The rest of the Law came through Moses. The Ten Commandments are still there for any and all to hear straight from God’s mouth.

Jim

 

[Rebecca_New]

God has also written on our Hearts-So our very souls know the Ten Commandments if we are open to God in our Heart. But because we are so distracted by worldly matters we needed them to be written down and verbally reminded. Constantly too, I know from experience. :bowdown: