Why are Catholics still abiding by the ten commandments?

[Cryptic1]

My understanding is that Jesus gave us two commandments–the first to love God above all else and the second, to love our neighbor as ourselves. I thought the purpose of these new commandments was to shift the church away from a strict adherence to the law (the ten commandments given by Moses), to a simpler, more outreach kind of ministry. While I am not minimizing the significance of the original ten commandments, I am wondering if the church, which is still so steeped in ritual and tradition, has lost sight of the new command which Jesus revealed as the new direction for the church?

 

[Tantum_ergo]

My understanding is that Jesus gave us two commandments–the first to love God above all else and the second, to love our neighbor as ourselves. I thought the purpose of these new commandments was to shift the church away from a strict adherence to the law (the ten commandments given by Moses), to a simpler, more outreach kind of ministry. While I am not minimizing the significance of the original ten commandments, I am wondering if the church, which is still so steeped in ritual and tradition, has lost sight of the new command which Jesus revealed as the new direction for the church?

Well, God doesn’t ‘change’ in essentials. The ‘10 commandments’ are part of the “Two”. Think about it.

First: Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

OK: First commandment: I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt not have strange gods before me.
Second: Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
Third: Remember to keep holy the Sabbath Day.

Hey --each of these is part of 'loving the Lord with ALL your heart, soul, mind and strength. Disobeying ANY of these means you are NOT loving the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.

OK, on to the Second: Love your neighbor as yourself.

OK: Fourth commandment: Honor your mother and father.
Fifth: Thou shalt not kill.
Sixth: Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Seventh: Thou shalt not steal.
Eighth: Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Ninth: Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife.
Tenth: Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods.

SAME DEAL. Break ANY of these and you are NOT loving your neighbor as yourself.

There you go. That’s why we keep the 10 commandments. . .because they are PART OF THE TWO GREAT COMMANDMENTS.

Q.E.D.

 

[1ke]

“I did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it.” — Jesus

The Law is summed up in the two overarching commandments of love God and love neighbor. The first three commandments are devoted to love of God and the last seven to love of neighbor.

Jesus reiterates the Ten Commandments and expands them. (You have heard it said,
“thou shalt not commit adultery” but if a man looks at a woman with lust he has already committed adultery).

The Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes give us a model for living virtuously. Jesus did not abolish the 10 commandments, he perfected them.

 

[Pfaffenhoffen]

My understanding is that Jesus gave us two commandments–the first to love God above all else and the second, to love our neighbor as ourselves. I thought the purpose of these new commandments was to shift the church away from a strict adherence to the law (the ten commandments given by Moses), to a simpler, more outreach kind of ministry. While I am not minimizing the significance of the original ten commandments, I am wondering if the church, which is still so steeped in ritual and tradition, has lost sight of the new command which Jesus revealed as the new direction for the church?

There is slight mistake in your reasoning.
When Jesus was asked to give the first comandment it was not in contrast with the 10 comandments but with the hundreds of comandments that the Jewish Law had. You can’t believe that.
Just a small glimpse, click here.
So it makes sense to ask what is the main Law among the hundreds of them. If it were for 10 comandments, well, it would be less visible the question.
So, it is in the scenario that comes Jesus answer.
It would make no sense to erase the “You shall not kill” in times of abortion. As for sex, 2 comandments were not enough, the 6th and the 9th…

 

[babylonsfalling]

My understanding is that Jesus gave us two commandments–the first to love God above all else and the second, to love our neighbor as ourselves. I thought the purpose of these new commandments was to shift the church away from a strict adherence to the law (the ten commandments given by Moses), to a simpler, more outreach kind of ministry. While I am not minimizing the significance of the original ten commandments, I am wondering if the church, which is still so steeped in ritual and tradition, has lost sight of the new command which Jesus revealed as the new direction for the church?

Catholics TRY to follow the ten commandments.
Do you NOT try to follow them?

 

[meltzerboy]

Well, God doesn’t ‘change’ in essentials. The ‘10 commandments’ are part of the “Two”. Think about it.

First: Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

OK: First commandment: I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt not have strange gods before me.
Second: Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
Third: Remember to keep holy the Sabbath Day.

Hey --each of these is part of 'loving the Lord with ALL your heart, soul, mind and strength. Disobeying ANY of these means you are NOT loving the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.

OK, on to the Second: Love your neighbor as yourself.

OK: Fourth commandment: Honor your mother and father.
Fifth: Thou shalt not kill.
Sixth: Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Seventh: Thou shalt not steal.
Eighth: Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Ninth: Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife.
Tenth: Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods.

SAME DEAL. Break ANY of these and you are NOT loving your neighbor as yourself.

There you go. That’s why we keep the 10 commandments. . .because they are PART OF THE TWO GREAT COMMANDMENTS.

Q.E.D.

Great answer! I totally agree, and would add that the other 613 commandments, from Torah Judaism’s perspective, can also be broken down into loving G-d and loving one’s neighbor.

 

[MarkThompson]

My understanding is that Jesus gave us two commandments–the first to love God above all else and the second, to love our neighbor as ourselves. I thought the purpose of these new commandments was to shift the church away from a strict adherence to the law (the ten commandments given by Moses), to a simpler, more outreach kind of ministry. While I am not minimizing the significance of the original ten commandments, I am wondering if the church, which is still so steeped in ritual and tradition, has lost sight of the new command which Jesus revealed as the new direction for the church?

Please observe that Jesus himself made it clear that these commandments were still in force:

As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus answered him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother.’”

He replied and said to him, “Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.”

Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, “You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to (the) poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”

– Mark 10:17-21

 

[Monte_RCMS]

The 623 Jewish laws have been discussed by various Church councils over the 20 centuries.

For the most part, Christians are not bound by them.

But the discussions have not caused The Ten Commandments to expire.

 

[wisdomseeker]

My understanding is that Jesus gave us two commandments–the first to love God above all else and the second, to love our neighbor as ourselves. I thought the purpose of these new commandments was to shift the church away from a strict adherence to the law (the ten commandments given by Moses), to a simpler, more outreach kind of ministry. While I am not minimizing the significance of the original ten commandments, I am wondering if the church, which is still so steeped in ritual and tradition, has lost sight of the new command which Jesus revealed as the new direction for the church?

What makes you think that the Church lost sight of the New Commadment of God? You can see all this in the Rituals and Tradition of the Church. They are not against each other.

The only way you know these things is because the Church has been teaching them for 2000 years.

 

[MarkBrown]

My understanding is that Jesus gave us two commandments–the first to love God above all else and the second, to love our neighbor as ourselves. I thought the purpose of these new commandments was to shift the church away from a strict adherence to the law (the ten commandments given by Moses), to a simpler, more outreach kind of ministry. While I am not minimizing the significance of the original ten commandments, I am wondering if the church, which is still so steeped in ritual and tradition, has lost sight of the new command which Jesus revealed as the new direction for the church?

While others have done a good job of discussing the 10 Commandments, I think the
answer to your question is more basic.

What you have written here is a total misunderstanding of what Jesus taught and said.

Please read Matthew 5:17-20 and Matthew 22-34-40. These are the passages you are misapplying. In both passages Jesus is specific that He is NOT teaching a new law or giving us a new law. He specifically teaches He did not come to destroy the Law and in 5:18 says not one jot tor tittle would pass. A jot and tittle, per Hebrew class, are the smallest letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

In the second passage Jesus was asked what is the greatest commandment. The scribe did not limit the discussion to only the 10 Commandments, but all of the Law of Moses. The question was “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus response with the passage from Deut 6:5. If you read this passage, and corresponding passages of 10:12 and 30:6, you will see we are to keep all the law, commandments and teachings of God.

So, no Jesus did not teach something new. Though He did teach with authority, “you have heard, I tell you” passages that dot the Gospel writings. He showed us how to fulfill the law.

 

[mark_a]

I am wondering if the church, which is still so steeped in ritual and tradition, has lost sight of the new command which Jesus revealed as the new direction for the church?

I believe the opposite is true. So many Johnny-come-lately congregations have throw the continuity baby out with the bath water.

 

[Edmundus1581]

This question is close to an issue I have been contemplating recently.

I have noticed that in Catholicism the Ten Commandments are accepted as absolute. I say “accepted” because we believe that they come from God, not from human decision or interpetation, and that they are “absolute” in that they are a law of nature, more indelible than scientific laws, such as the Law of Gravity. The scientific laws will pass away and can be violated at the choice of God, but not the Ten Commandments.

I see a different understanding among Protestants. Some do not even respect the Ten Commandments, treating them as “legalism”, while others respect them, but see them as being subject to private interpretation of scripture and circumstances, and the “guidance” of “holy spirit”. eg. I may be against adultery in general, but in this particular instance I feel right about it - and I still feel at home in my fundamentalist/pentecostal/other church because I know that I am saved by faith, and I am doing what seems right to me. I also see private interpretation inventing commandments where none exist, eg. someone who would rather neglect his wife and children than miss a single parish meeting, because he “feels strongly” that this is God’s commandment to him.

These thoughts have been leading me to seeing this as another sign of the Catholic Church. The Ten Commandments are God’s revelation of Himself, and in understanding and obeying them we are entering into knowledge of God. It seems that God has chosen to reveal this clearly only in the Catholic Church. (without prejudice to Judaism and Orthodoxy who, as far as I know, have a similar or identical understanding)

This question is addressed at length in John Paul II’s Encyclical Veritatis Splendor. I quote part of the introduction:

In particular, the question is asked: do the commandments of God, which are written on the human heart and are part of the Covenant, really have the capacity to clarify the daily decisions of individuals and entire societies? Is it possible to obey God and thus love God and neighbour, without respecting these commandments in all circumstances?

I am going to read that encyclical again.

Thankyou for the question!

 

[Calgar]

My understanding is that Jesus gave us two commandments–the first to love God above all else and the second, to love our neighbor as ourselves. I thought the purpose of these new commandments was to shift the church away from a strict adherence to the law (the ten commandments given by Moses), to a simpler, more outreach kind of ministry. While I am not minimizing the significance of the original ten commandments, I am wondering if the church, which is still so steeped in ritual and tradition, has lost sight of the new command which Jesus revealed as the new direction for the church?

You need to go read your Bible.

 

[wmscott]

My understanding is that Jesus gave us two commandments–the first to love God above all else and the second, to love our neighbor as ourselves. I thought the purpose of these new commandments was to shift the church away from a strict adherence to the law (the ten commandments given by Moses), to a simpler, more outreach kind of ministry. While I am not minimizing the significance of the original ten commandments, I am wondering if the church, which is still so steeped in ritual and tradition, has lost sight of the new command which Jesus revealed as the new direction for the church?

When Jesus was questioned as to whether He came to abolish the law, did he no say that he came to fulfill the law?

 

[ivebeenshown]

Jesus came not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. Think about it. Paul writes over and over again that we are not to follow the law, living according to the flesh… but rather, we are to establish the law, following the Spirit. Circumcision was spiritually fulfilled with baptism, yet the Judaizers sought to follow that commandment according to the flesh. So we do not do such, but we follow the Spirit in baptism, rather than some fleshly mode of circumcision. Likewise we are still called to not steal, not murder…

 

[fhansen]

My understanding is that Jesus gave us two commandments–the first to love God above all else and the second, to love our neighbor as ourselves. I thought the purpose of these new commandments was to shift the church away from a strict adherence to the law (the ten commandments given by Moses), to a simpler, more outreach kind of ministry. While I am not minimizing the significance of the original ten commandments, I am wondering if the church, which is still so steeped in ritual and tradition, has lost sight of the new command which Jesus revealed as the new direction for the church?

The Law was meant to be a teacher, according to Scripture, teaching us how we should be- and how we aren’t by contrast. Obedience to God by following the Law is what the Old Covenant consisted of. In the New Covenant, nothings changed in a way. It’s just that the way in which we’re to obey the Law changes. We no longer obey it by our own power, as if we could endeavor to be moral enough-or good enough- on our own, by ourselves, apart from God. In the NC, we’re to obey the law by becoming beings who love. In this way the law is fulfilled automatically.

It’s still not so easy, however. The only way man can accomplish this is if God, our creator and sustainer, is allowed to truly become the God of us again, dwelling and guiding from within; man and God must commune. As God and man united in Jesus, man and God must unite in us. And Jesus won man this right by reconciling us to God-showing us the way back to Him. And once there, back with the Father, a process begins whereby the Potter is to mold us, writing His laws on our hearts and in our minds, making us into beings who love as He does.

The Churchs’ role is to help us in this process-to help get us from here to the Fathers house. First she proclaims the gospel so that man can know of it and faith can bloom. Through the Sacraments of Initiation we become adopted sons and daughters, entering the kingdom. The Eucharist is a visible sign of our internal communion with God. If that communion is broken by serious sin, then the Sacrament of Reconciliation restores it again. The whole dynamic of coming to God and persevering in our faith to the end is helped along by the ministry of the Church.

So it’s already in place but yes, maybe sometimes we need to remind ourselves of how it works-of what the Church is here for so we don’t end up back with legalism again.