(Christian Living Sermon) Hillside 11/96
Filename: New 10 Commandments?

DO THE TEN COMMANDMENTS NEED REVISION?

INTRODUCTION-- In the November 18 ('96) issue of U.S.News and World Report, a writer named John Leo has touched a very sensitive cord with me in an article entitled "Thou Shalt Not Command." On modern attitudes toward the famous 10 commandments, he writes....

1. "In 1994, a survey of 1,200 people, ages 15 to 35, found that most of those polled could name no more than two commandments" and one commentator on this fact says, "They weren't too happy about some of the others, when they were told about them."
   
2. A British commission says they ought to be replaced by commands to be punctual, patient, and have a sense of fair play.
   
3. Charlton Heston, in an interview, suggested that "up-to-date commandments might include 'Do your best,' and 'Keep your promises.'" (The writer suggests that Adolph Hitler followed these two rules diligently.)
   
4. "A modern, pro-impulse set of commandments based on advertising slogans" could include "Just do it," and "Sometimes you gotta break the rules."
   
5. The National Parenting Center asked children to suggest additional commandments. Among their ideas: 'No bombing for the heck of it,' (and) 'no grabbing.'"
   
6. "On the internet someone has posted the Ten Commandments of Human Relations. They include 'Speak to people,' 'Smile at people', 'Be cordial,' and 'Be friendly.'" (Mr. Leo reports however, that one sociologist "argues that flight attendants are unfairly manipulated by their bosses when they are told to smile at customers.")
   
7. Shirley MacLaine, the actress who writes prolifically about New Age religion, says that two of the best commands are "Know that you are God," and "Know that you are the universe." (Mr. Leo here suggests that if everyone is God, then it might be best to keep the first of the Ten in the Bible.)
   
8. In a book entitled The 2nd Ten Commandments, one author says that "the original set of 10 is an outmoded, uni-cultural guide." He suggests "Maximize your time spent in flow and happiness, Act true to your inner voice and fulfil your mission, Develop greater self-acceptance by loving yourself unconditionally, (and) Base your level of relationship commitments on bottom lines--what you can't live with and can't live without." (9 of his 10 are about self, but he ends them with "Repair the world by treating others reverently and fairly and doing good deeds." The problem is that selfishness and altruism are opposites, and do not support each other.)
   
9. None of these suggestions serve God's will perfectly. Needed are both divine exhortations and prohibitions, rather than human "tentative suggestions." John Leo says, "This is the age of personal autonomy, and few of us really wish to be pushed around by upstart commanders and their...commands."
   

LESSON-- As the prophet said, "To the Law, and to the Testimony!"

1. The Ten Commandments of God are no longer valid as laws to govern Christians, but their replacements in the New Testament are just as forceful.
   
   1. The first three commands deal with reverence for God. Exodus 20:3-7
      
      1. "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." (The New Testament confirms this view in 1 Timothy 1:17 "Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.")
         
      2. "Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image." (Paul confirms this in Acts 17:29 "Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and device of man.")
         
      3. "Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in vain." (Compare Jesus teaching in Matthew 5:33-37 "Again, ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: 34 but I say unto you, swear not at all; neither by the heaven, for it is the throne of God; 35 nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, for thou canst not make one hair white or black. 37 But let your speech be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: and whatsoever is more than these is of the evil one.")
         
   2. The fourth commandment enjoins the observance of the Sabbath. Exodus 20:8-11 (Christians must not submit to this injunction, Colossians 2:16-17. "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day or a new moon or a sabbath day: 17 which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ's." And compare Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2.)
      
   3. The last six of the Ten Commandments deal with personal relationships (the first is positive, and the others are negatives). Exodus 20:12-17
      
      1. "Honor thy father and thy mother." (Compare Ephesians 6:1-3. "Chil-dren, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2 Honor thy father and mother (which is the first commandment with promise), 3 that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.")
         
      2. "Thou shalt not kill." (Compare Matthew 5:21-22. "Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22 but I say unto you, that every one who is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; and whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of the hell of fire.")
         
      3. "Thou shalt not commit adultery." (Compare Matthew 5:27-32. "Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28 but I say unto you, that every one that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. 29 And if thy right eye causeth thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body be cast into hell. 30 And if thy right hand causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body go into hell. 31 It was said also, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: 32 but I say unto you, that every one that putteth away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, maketh her an adulteress: and whosoever shall marry her when she is put away committeth adultery.")
         
      4. "Thou shalt not steal." (Compare Ephesians 4:28.)
         
      5. "Thou shalt not bear false witness." (Compare Matthew 15:18-20a. "But the things which proceed out of the mouth come forth out of the heart; and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, railings: These are the things which defile the man.....")
         
      6. "Thou shalt not covet." (Compare Ephesians 5:3. "But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as becometh saints;")

APPLICATION-- John Leo, in his magazine article, sums it up with the suggestion that we might "keep the negative and bossy language of the original 10, but add some modern loopholes and explanatory matter." He suggests....

1. "Thou shalt not steal, but creative work on your tax return is OK."
   
2. "Thou shalt not kill, except during any of the trimesters or if the Pentagon says you must."
   
3. "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods, except in the sense that our whole economic system (and I say also our current rise in the gambling industry) depends on the power of envy and wanting more."
   
4. "Thou shalt not commit adultery, except if thou art unhappy or if personal fulfillment points thee toward the new secretary in thine office. (An English writer suggests no adultery 'unless, of course, thou art a close relative of her majesty the queen.')"
   
5. Finally, he writes, "Honor thy mother or mothers, including thy birth, adoptive, step-, surrogate or same-sex-partner mothers, and honor thy father, thy mother's sperm donor, or her casual lover, current whereabouts unknown."
   
6. None of these additions is permitted under the rule of Deuteronomy 12:32, which says, "What thing soever I command you, that shall ye observe to do: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it." (The New Testament warning is in Revelation 22:18-19. "I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto them, God shall add unto him the plagues which are written in this book: 19 and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book.")

APPEAL--The Christian's duty is self-reformation (societal change follows.)