Date: Thu, 13 Apr 1995 09:02:46 +0100 Reply-To: t.benschop@pobox.ruu.nl Sender: Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel From: Teus Benschop Subject: Catechism, 12 Q: Which is the seventh commandment? A: The seventh commandment is, "Thou shalt not commit adultery". In this commandment, God protects the life in and out the marriage. The marriage is established by Him. "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." (Genesis 2:24) After having it established, he cares through this commandment, that it is kept chaste, i.e. in the form as He wills. When He forbids something, adultery in this commandment, He wills that the opposite be kept: in this case the holy life of man and woman. Q: What is required in the seventh commandment? A: The seventh commandment requireth the preservation of our own and our neighbour's chastity, in heart, speech, and behaviour. Though there is something forbidden in this commandment, we will first look to what is required. In the following question and answer, we look to what is not allowed. The seventh commandment requires much. It is not enough when we commit not adultery with our deeds. It requires the preservation of our own and our neighbour's chastity. Not only our own, but also that of our neighbour. So, when we behave ourselves chaste, but allow our children to come in wrong places etc., we do not enough. And when we see another sinning against this commandment, and we warn him not, we do too little. We have to keep both ourselves and our neighbour in a holy life. Further, it requires not only deeds, but also our heart is important. In the answer, the heart is even mentioned first: in heart, speech, and behaviour. For out the heart come forth all things. Our deeds are first considered in our heart. Also the speech is important, and it is between our heart and our deeds. Chastity in the general is a virtue which consists therein that man keeps the purity of mind and body, according to God's will. Further, that man avoids all lusts, which are forbidden of God, and also all the desires, causes, fruits, assumptions etc. thereof. And this both in and out the marriage. The chastity is a great decoration of the entire man, and of all virtues. The chastity is one of the most important virtues wherein the image of God consists. With "image of God" I mean not one of stone or gold, but like it is written, that men is made after God's image: "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." (Genesis 1:27) The chastity belongs to that image. Through the chastity, we become more uniform to God. The apostle commands everybody, man and woman, to be man or woman in honour: "That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;" (1 Thessalonians 4:4) He also warns us to abstain from the lusts, which above all prevail in the youth: "Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace." (2 Timothy 2:22) Our speech ought to be not defiled, but graceful, like the apostle commands us: "Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt." (Colossians 4:6) Besides, according to Peter, the chaste behaviour of woman can have a great influence on their husbands. When they have unbelieving husbands, and those men see the chaste behaviour of their wives, maybe they come to belief. Listen to Peter, who says: "Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear." (1 Peter 3:1,2) Q: What is forbidden in the seventh commandment? A: The seventh commandment forbiddeth all unchaste thoughts, words, and actions. Our answer says it in short: avoid all unchaste thoughts, words, and actions. But when we look to it more thoroughly, we see more and more transgressions. First, not only the deeds are condemned, but also the speech. Yes, even the thoughts are open before the eyes of God, Who knows our heart. Jesus Christ explained this to us, when He said: "I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." (Matthew 5:28) When we walk on the street, we often see men looking to women. When you look at their eyes, you see what they think. They are continually committing adultery with the passing women in their hearts. That is what is meant, when we say that also the unchaste thoughts are forbidden. Concerning the speech, you have but to listen, and you discover how much is transgressed this commandment. The apostle warns us against adultery, both in deeds and in speech: "But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. (Ephesians 5:3,4) Use not your tongue for unchaste words, foolish talking, jesting, but rather for the giving of thanks. The reason is that no sinner will inherit the kingdom of God, like the apostle continues: "For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." (Ephesians 5:5) The punishment of the adulterers consists in the temporal and eternal death. In the law, God commanded to put the adulterer to death. "And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death." (Leviticus 20:10) That punishment is not abrogated in the New Testament. When Jesus said to the adulterous woman, that He not condemned her, He left the government free to punish her. When He not condemned her, He added: "Go, and sin no more". (John 8:11) Also when He not condemned her, he only showed that He came not to condemn, but to save the sinners, in order that they "sin no more". Besides the temporal death, there is also an eternal death for the adulterers. We have just read of Paul, who said "that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." (Ephesians 5:5) Sins against this commandment are: the having of more than one wife. God gave Adam one wife, no more. The whore and the sodomite are sinning: "There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel." (Deuteronomy 23:17) The whorehouses ought to be exterminated out of our country. Raping is forbidden, and also homosexuality, as we see in the destruction of Sodom. We can well ask ourselves: Who is able to keep God's law? Nobody is able; and who thinks that He is able, is misleading himself, being utterly blind for the truth. He has no idea about what God requires in His law. But those, who begin to open their eyes, and begin to see what a great transgressors they are, will do one of both: Either they flee from God, or they go to him, asking for mercy. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chr-Exp, a Christian explanation of the Tanach and the New Testament Editor: Teus Benschop - t.benschop@pobox.ruu.nl No copyrights on this publication Institution Practical Bible-education, the Netherlands End of Catechism, 12 -------------------------------------------------- file: /pub./resources/text/ipb-e/cate: cat-012.txt .