WhatDoesThisMean?TheContinuingImportanceofLuther’sSmallCatechism

Lesson2.TheTenCommandments

WhatDoestheCatechismMeanforChristianMorality

inToday’sWorld?

PrayerandIntroduction.Deuteronomy4:13clearlytellsus,“Hedeclaredtoyouhiscovenant,theTenCommandments,(Words)whichhecommandedyoutofollowandthenwrotethemontwostonetablets.”1.IdentifytheTenCommandments.Placeanumberfrom1to10inthetexttoidentifytheTenCommandments.

AndGodspokeallthesewords:

IamtheLordyourGod,whobroughtyououtofEgypt,outofthelandofslavery.Youshallhavenoothergodsbeforeme.Youshallnotmakeforyourselfanimagein

theformofanythinginheavenaboveorontheearthbeneathorinthewaters

below.Youshallnotbowdowntothemorworshipthem;forI,theLordyourGod,

amajealousGod,punishingthechildrenforthesinoftheparentstothethirdand

fourthgenerationofthosewhohateme,butshowinglovetoathousandgenerations

ofthosewholovemeandkeepmycommandments.YoushallnotmisusethenameoftheLordyourGod,fortheLordwillnotholdanyoneguiltlesswhomisuseshis

name.RemembertheSabbathdaybykeepingitholy.Sixdaysyoushalllaborand

doallyourwork,buttheseventhdayisasabbathtotheLordyourGod.Onityou

shallnotdoanywork,neitheryou,noryoursonordaughter,noryourmaleor

femaleservant,noryouranimals,noranyforeignerresidinginyourtowns.Forin

sixdaystheLordmadetheheavensandtheearth,thesea,andallthatisinthem,but

herestedontheseventhday.ThereforetheLordblessedtheSabbathdayandmade

itholy.Honoryourfatherandyourmother,sothatyoumaylivelonginthelandthe

LordyourGodisgivingyou.Youshallnotmurder.Youshallnotcommitadultery.Youshallnotsteal.Youshallnotgivefalsetestimonyagainstyourneighbor.Youshallnotcovetyourneighbor’shouse.Youshallnotcovetyourneighbor’swife,or

hismaleorfemaleservant,hisoxordonkey,oranythingthatbelongstoyour

neighbor.

2.Whydoyouthinktherearedifferentnumberingsystems?4.Compareandcontrastthethreedifferentstylesofchurcharchitecturebelow.

Similarities Differences

RomanCatholic

Reformed

Lutheran

St.John’sLutheranChurch,St.JohnCantiusCatholicChurchJefferson,Wisconsin Detroit,Michigan

, FirstBaptistChurchAshville,NorthCarolina

3.IdentifywhichofthefollowingareforbiddenbyGod’sCommandmentsandexplainwhyorwhynot?

StatuesArtworkthatportraysanakedhumanbodyWorshiponSundayFootballorsportingeventsonSundayorreligiousholidaysADayofRestonSaturdayEatingPorkEatingFishCorpusChristiFestivalReformationFestival5.GodgavetheCommandmentsforthebenefitofallpeople.Identifyoneortwobenefitswereceivefromobediencetoeachcommandment.

Commandment BenefitforYouandSociety

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10

5.ExplainhoweachoftheCommandmentsservesasaGuideforourChristianbehaviorandaCurborcheckonsinfulbehavior.BeSpecific.

Curb Guide1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

6. WhatshouldmotivateChristianstoobeyGod?

a. IsitimportantforChristianstofearGodaspartofthemotivationforkeepinghiscommandments?Explainyouranswer.

b. IsitimportantforChristianstoloveGodaspartofthemotivationforkeepinghiscommandments?Explainyouranswer.

7.Luther’sapproachtotheTenCommandmentswasrevolutionarybycomparisontohowtheCommandmentsweretaughtinhisdayandstillaretoday.HowdoeseachofthesequotationshelpusunderstandhowdifferenttheapproachofLutherandLutheransis?“SoapartfromtheTenCommandmentsnoworkorthingcanbegoodorpleasingtoGod,nomatterhowgreatorpreciousitisintheworld’seyes.”(LC311)ThisCommandment(10th)willremainlikealltherest,onethatwillconstantlyaccuseusandhowgodlyweareinGod’ssight…nopersoncangofarenoughtokeeponeoftheTenCommandmentsasitshouldbekept(LC1,310,316)GoddemandsthatallourworksproceedfromaheartthatfearsandregardsGodalone.Fromsuchfeartheheartavoidseverythingthatiscontrarytohiswill,lestitshouldmovehimtowrath.And,ontheotherhand,theheartalsotrustsinhimaloneandfromloveforhimdoesallhewants.Forhespeakstousasfriendlyasafatherandoffersusallgraceandeverygood(LC1,323)

9.TakingitHome:Considerthenewsthisweekandidentifystoriesthatshowhowthecommandmentsarekeptordisobeyedtodayinoursociety.

AdditionalQuestion:IfGodisseriousabouttheseCommandmentsandgivesthemtousforthegoodofall,whydoeshenotdestroythosewhobringchaosandpainintoourworld?AdditionalReading:“TreatiseonGoodWorks”,Luther’sWorksVol44,pp21-114