Posted on 02/14/2010 6:38:08 AM PST by NYer
So Protestants and Catholics may not agree on which books should be in the Bible. And we don’t agree on which translations are best. But at least we can always agree on the Ten Commandments, right? Well, not exactly.
We agree on the scripture passages that the ten commandments come from (Deut 5 and Exodus 20). But scripture doesn’t enumerate them for us and break them into 10 nice, neat “commandments.” Because of this, there have been a number of different variations of the ten commandments as we know them today. The Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant versions are very close, but all differ in some way. So don’t be confused when you find out your protestant friend’s 4th commandment is different than your 4th commandment.
The main differences between the Jewish, Protestant and Catholic enumerations occur in how the 1st and 2nd and the 9th and 10th commandments are divvied up. Here’s how they break down:
Jewish Version
1. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of slavery in Egypt.
2. You shall have no other gods but me.
3. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.
4. You shall remember and keep the Sabbath day holy.
5. Honor your father and mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
10. You shall not covet.
The Jews called this the Decalogue (“ten words”) or the “ten sayings.” Which makes sense because they aren’t all commandments. The first one is just a statement - not a commandment.
Then Christianity enumerated them in a way that made them all commandments and put more emphasis on the dignity of the human person and the sanctity of marriage by distinguishing between coveting your neighbors wife and coveting your neighbors stuff. I like the change, myself.
Catholic (Traditional Christian) Version
1. I am the Lord your God: You shall not have strange Gods before me.
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
3. Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.
4. Honor your father and mother.
5. You shall not kill.
6. You shall not commit adultery.
7. You shall not steal.
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.
Then the Protestants came along over a thousand years later and protested that the Catholic Church worshiped graven images - which of course is not true at all. So they changed the enumeration accordingly.
Protestant Version
1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.
3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy.
5. Honor thy father and thy mother.
6. Thou shalt not kill.
7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8. Thou shalt not steal.
9. Thou shalt not bear false witness.
10. Thou shalt not covet.
If you compare these lists to the places in scripture they are pulled from, it’s easy to see where they came from. However, it’s important to remember that the enumeration of these commandments is not scripture itself. It is tradition. And it’s not dogmatic for Catholics either. What is important is the truth that they speak. Breaking them up and summarizing them like this is just a tool to help us understand it all better. But it’s good to be aware of the differences.
It is mistranslated into English as ‘commandments’.
The covenant to be ‘done’ included far more than the ten, such as the ‘statutes and ordinances’ in verse 14.
There is a point in that. Surely the Ten Commandments were given by God to the Jews. But the Jews received many more commandments, over 600 in all, and the Church dispensed with most of them, as the scripture tells us. Yet, I just walked past a monument pictured at the top of the page on my way out of my Catholic Church. The Church never lifted those ten.
Jesus repeated most of the commandments (in Matthew 5-7, 22:36ff, and elsewhere). A few things are remarkable about His teaching about them:
For these reason you will hear Catholics saying that while the Ten Commandments are not directly given us we obey them as a part of Natural law and also the Church law. The Grace given us indeed prevents us often from sin, and if we stumble, -- which we do -- we have a recourse to sacramental confession under Grace (John 20:21-23).
Jesus was not speaking of your ongoing, developing religion...
Spreading falsehoods about the oldest Christian Church in existence is a waste of time, try learning the truth about us instead.
I watch your popes bow to graven statues...I see your popes telling us we can not have salvation outside of your religion...I see your popes, bishops, and priests telling us that salvation has to come thru Mary...
That is not spreading falsehoods...You do not get to define what worship is...God does...
I’ve read the Old Testament in Hebrew, and the New in Greek. My Hebrew is rusty, but Greek is still pretty good.
I love it when people tell me something is not found in the original Hebrew text, you translate it “ten words, another translates them “ten commandments.” Also love it when people tell me what I do and do not understand. So stop with the sophism already, because you know if something is to be obeyed, whatever “word” you use for it, it’s a commendment.
Go read the psalms and see how many times it says to “obey the word.”
Hank
This is very important contextual pointer in reading the Hebrew scripture. The root word, דבר, means both.
Just curious, where do you find ‘obey the word’ in Psalms and what is the Hebrew phrase that translates as ‘obey the word’?
That's not even worthy of a response...Read the scriptures and get back with me...
No, you said I was wrong, and I am not. You didn’t know the word. You were the one who took it upon yourself to correct another - in ignorance I might add. So who should stop with the sophism? Sheesh. You were wrong.
“Yes, even the Protestants follow tradition.”
All religion is man-made. Jesus did not come to make a new religion - man did that. Religion and its do’s and don’t’s are all about controlling people - no exceptions. The systems of men - political, economic, religious - will all crumble. In fact, we see the crumbling already begun.
??? The protestants added it in later years. It does not appear in that of the original Jewish or Catholic collections.
Then take care not to do so.
“Well, I’ve tried to be civil, and ...”
ROTFLMAO!
Numbering the Ten Commandments
The Ninth Commandment
The Seventh Commandment
The Second Commandment
The Decalogue, dangerous? Advice for a society that cringes at commandments
Pat Boone: 10 Commandments, 2 versions
The Catholic Church Changed The Ten Commandments?
'Top 10 Catholic parenting tips found in the 10 Commandments' - Top Home and Family story of 2006
Did the Ten Commandments Exist Before Moses?
**The moment JUST ONE Catholic divorces or is gay or fails to use contraception YOUR ENTIRE argument fails.**
Why do you judge individuals through the lens of a group?
Aren’t we all sinners?
I think Protestants think Catholic altered the order and # on each side of the tablets so they do not have to address all the statues and icons and relics..
Aren’t we all sinners?
I started in this thread stating that arguing about the numbering of the ten commandments was divisive. That arguing which was which served no constructive purpose.
I only posted what I did because someone else made a broad generalization that many Protestants were guilty of walking away from traditions or scripture and mentioned Eugene Robinson and divorce and women preaching, etc.
Most Protestants don't believe in gay marriage, or condone homosexuality, or agree with woman pastors, and yet we were painted with the broad brush.
Yes-EVERY single one of us sins.
Though I'd be considered Protestant, I don't belong to a church that agrees with Robinson. Does not have women pastors. Does not condone, in fact preaches against divorce or living in homosexuality.
I have nothing in common with Robinson or others like him except we live on this planet, breath air, and some may call us "Protestants". Me, I call myself Christian, follower of Christ.
The law CONDEMNS the unsaved.
The law CONVICTS the saved.
Well put!
It sounds like you have a great church! Close to Catholicims in my judgment, but I have learned not too judge.
As a side note: sin starts in the mind as thought. If you practice ruling over your thoughts instead of letting them rule over you. You are in essence resisting the devil and he will flee.
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