The 10 Commandments Laws or Canons?

1. I am the Lord your God, and you shall have no other before (in place of, or opposing) Me. 2. You shall not use the Lords name in vain, (but only call upon Him when in need or in prayer). 3. Always remember and keep the day of the Lord holy. 4. Honour your father and mother. 5. You shall not kill. 6. You shall not fornicate or commit adultery. 7. You shall not steal. 8. You shall not bear false witness. 9. You shall not covet your neighbours spouse. 10. You shall not covet another persons possessions. The Golden Command You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself. (Lk. 10:27, cf. Deut. 6:5) Other Commands Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is One. (Deut. 6:4 Also known as the confession of faith) Hear then what Yahweh asks of you, which is only this: To live justly, to live tenderly and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8) No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. - (Lk. 16:13) ...Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who spitefully use you. To him who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask for them back. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise. But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. But love your enemies, do good, and lend hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. (Lk 6: 27-36) Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not and you shall not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and it will be given to you in good measure...For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you. -(Lk. 6:37-38)

Critical Discussion Point Within the New Testament there is a considerable amount of discussion and speculation over the Mosaic Law, of which Christ Himself contributes clear-sighted advice in response to those who sought to test Him and those, like the Apostles, who sought genuine guidance. If we recall from Scripture, the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15) was summoned on the point of whether nonJewish believers of the Christian Faith be subjected to the same stringent guidelines of Jewish adherence like circumcision and dietary regulations for example. Alternatively why does St. Paul in many of his epistles speak about the necessity of keeping or honouring the Law, while in other correspondences he speaks about the burden of the Law or its so-called invalidation. The Jewish hierarchy sought to condemn Christ for violating the Law as in the case of performing miracles or eating grains plucked on the Sabbath, which they deemed work, or their incessant questions on legal matters like questions of divorce. Christ Himself proclaims within the gospel narratives that He did not come to destroy the Law but was called to fulfill them. So what was the problem or issue surrounding the Law? From a cultural and historical perspective we need to keep in mind that the Israelites were freed from captivity in Egypt, delivered by the hand of God through His chosen Prophet, Moses. Naturally 400 years of slavery had put pressure upon the Israelites to conform to Egyptian norms of life and worldview, freedom provided the opportunity to practice their faith without hindrance or discrimination, and to re-discover that unique heritage that their forefathers from Abraham to Joseph knew. Their journey (according to Jewish and Church Tradition) through the Sinai desert led them to Mount Horeb (Sinai) whereby Moses was called by God to receive the Ten Commandments and the Code of Law which accompanied them. It was these Laws which were to be inscribed on the hearts of all Israelites to adhere to, because the Law was to form the foundational principles on which their nation should be built on and subsequently the individual conduct of each member. In effect the concern revolved around the issue as to whether humankind should live according to man-made principles that humans dictated according to their own whims, as was the case with the gradual enslavement of Abrahams descendants who had sought refuge in Egypt to avoid famine (Genesis & Exodus); or to live in accordance to a higher ethical ideal that deplored man-made notions like slavery, by accepting the laws of God which viewed all peoples as equals. The concept of Gods Chosen People to which the Israelites were called on to be, was to demonstrate these principles in action as a nation which adhered to a Law that transcended human conveniences and conventions, but sought a higher ethical and spiritual existence. As the Scriptures themselves attest to, the Law was life and love, in effect the epitome of freedom, because anything outside of them was slavery. A person could not be free without the Law, and it was the Law that brought a person close to God. The Ten Commandments were if you like, a summary of the Laws foundational principles. The Books of Leviticus, Deuteronomy and a considerable portion of Exodus dealt directly with legal and ethical concerns which made up the Jewish Law Code. Thus we can observe the importance, if not significance for Jewish authorities and the wider population as to the role of the Law within their lives and society. Concerns & Abuses of the Law Nevertheless, if one observes carefully the Scriptures from the handing down of the Law to Moses onwards, right up to the time of Christs ministry and the New Testament we see disputes over the interpretation and application of the Law, right down to the lack of adherence and spurning of the Law. Even after its bestowal upon the Israelites, the Israelites themselves violated its tenets by making idols and worshipping them while engaging in fornication and other things vile actions in the sight of God and His Law. Regretfully this would not be an 2

isolated incidence within Jewish history but reoccur often, and the consequences of such actions for the Jews would be to face penalties like dwelling 40 years in the desert, exile in Babylon and so forth. Out of agapetic love, the Lord would send prophets to foreworn and guide the people back to the path of the Law which was the agreement (covenant/contract) between God and His Chosen people. Furthermore it was the Law which was to cultivate the spiritual ground and prepare the way for the coming of the Anointed One of God, that is the Messiah. The Prophets spoke in their own ways with regards to the coming of this great exponent and promise of the Law. If you will, the sign and seal of the covenant agreement which the Law sought to implant amongst the Jews and serve as the eternal and universal message to all nations, calling them towards unity with God. Thus the name Israel denoted this function since its very etymology cites that it means the one who strives and struggles with God for they have become one with God, (Cf. Deut. 6:4; Micah 6:8). Nevertheless we can see the New Testament condemning abuses of the Law, since the people became obsessed with adherence to the letter of the Law and not its spirit. The implication via Christs own dialogues and sermons demonstrated that adherence to the Laws letter was not a guarantee for salvation nor its proper exercise. Rather such abuses like the excessive application of divorce for example were perversions of the Law twisted to suit personal desires and interests. They were not in the service of God or the wider interests of the community let alone the inflexible interpretations or applications of the Law which hindered simple acts of mercy and kindness that were at the core of the Laws principles. Consider the Good Samaritan who came to the aid of the beaten man and was not bound by the directives of the purity laws. Whereas the priest and the Levite who left the man for dead were too concerned with adhering to the purity laws, and were unmoved to come to the mans assistance since it would be an inconvenience and imposition on their time, since they would have to avoid performing their duties for a week till the purification rites took place. From our own perspective this may seem as misplaced loyalties to what is a persons true responsibility under Gods Law should be, and yet the priest and Levite were still adhering to the Laws letter but not its spirit or the purpose it was to serve. So what is meant by the terms Commandments or Law? The point seems to be a recurring theme throughout Scripture, (particularly within the New Testament with St. Pauls epistles serving as the most vocal of all writings), which demonstrate a concept common to many Jewish religious and philosophical thinkers which in Hebrew is known as Khalakot. According to Khalakot the objective of the Law and the Ten Commandments is to identify sin, as well as immoral and unethical conduct. In effect khalakot is a measure or benchmark from which one is guided towards proper action and conduct, while avoiding that which is contrary to this goal. From this measure we are thus able to some extent assess our spiritual struggle and progress towards the intended goal of union with God and following in His ways. Within our Orthodox Christian Tradition we would term this as a Canon. Subsequently we can discern that the nature of khalakot (canons) are not arbitrary laws to which the believer must adhere to according to the strictest sense of their letter. Rather, the nature of khalakot (canons) is of a pedagogical character, and serve as a tool to be applied by the spiritual guide or scribe for assisting each believer towards the goal of living a life in God and imitating His ways, (For Orthodox Christians we would term this as the journey from image of God towards likeness of God - theosis). Naturally the application of khalakot (canons) is dependent upon the discretionary interpretation of a spiritual guide or scribe who discerns the circumstances in which a believer finds themselves in. Thus the scribe adapts these canons in accordance to a believers particular situation without prejudicing or harming others, but maintain the notion of equity and fairness. 3

Nevertheless khalakot (canons) still seeks to ground the communion of believers within the faith ensuring that the correct mindset and doctrine is adhered to, or put another way provides the horizons in which a person can conduct themselves and performs their religious duties to God and their own salvation. Thus the Jewish emphasis and obsession with knowledge of the Law, since to espouse, practice or believe anything else was not only heresy, but expelled that person outside of the ecclesial communion as well as society in general, because they no longer held what all members of society shared in common. Therefore we must think of khalakot (canons) as something grounded by the rule of faith, and in turn the rule of faith being grounded by khalakot which was the revelation of the Law. Take for example the first key Commandment, I am the Lord your God, and you shall have no other before (in place of, or opposing) Me. In this very Commandment we are told that as believers and as adherents to the Law, one cannot worship any other divine power, force or deity. If we crossreference this point with other passages within Scripture, particularly with the Genesis Creation narrative, the point is that there is no other God or source of life. Adam and Eves sin was to seek another source of life outside of God by consuming the fruits of the tree of good and evil. Hence to worship any other divine power is not only misguided, but humans seeking to create their own gods in opposition to the real God who is the true Creator and Sustainer of all things. In effect khalakot (canons) is not only a pedagogical or pastoral tool, but has some basis within dogma, and dogmas are those unchanging revelations about eternal truths which cannot be disputed. Yet in saying this we need to reiterate that khalakot is a guiding principle which assists us in our own conduct and the relevance of the Ten Commandments as spiritual Law is essential, and not adhering purely to its letter. Take for example the commandment Thou shall not fornicate or commit adultery, which at the literal level means do not have physical contact with another before marriage or outside of marriage. Yet as Christ cites to His Disciples in one of His various teachings, is that the definition of fornication or adultery is not confined to executing the physical act, but also applies to contemplation of the act or desiring another person in an impure sense. For it is denigrating to that person since you are not considering their personhood or identity, rather you look upon another not as created in the image of God but as a slab of meat there to appease your lust for personal gratification. Alternatively if we ponder the commandment, Always remember and keep the day of the Lord holy, does that mean a person should only keep the Day of the Lord holy, and to commit sin and trespass on other peoples goodwill for the rest of the week, or is it an injunction to view everyday as the day of the Lord and to give proper due and focus to God and His Creation around us? Let us consider, you shall not bear false witness. Is this injunction restricted to bearing false witness against another person in the presence of a gathering, or is it a reference also to lying, or not confessing ones faith in God but denying it, bearing false witness to ones own identity or failing to live up to being the best we can be, or squandering our own talents, or being overly critical of others because we envy their good work and do not wish for them to progress? Whereas Christ referred to anger as another form of violating the command of you shall not kill, since anger and revenge stem from hatred and lust, which often provides the impetus for murder. Yet we could speak of spiritual and verbal forms of killing like to cause another to apostasise or cause mental anguish to another which could drive them to suicide. To terrorise, and frighten or apply duress could be considered other forms of killing since one compromises, or kills off another persons right to live happily and in freedom which would stem from malicious intent. The examples and meaning we can draw from the Ten Commandments and the Mosaic Law are numerous, but the point is that we need to keep in mind that these are canon laws (khalakot) which seek to assist our paths towards salvation through freedom in living a life in God who is the higher ethical measure and standard by which we strive towards. 4