Breaking the 1st or 2nd Command?

rjlynam · #1 (**permalink**) 07-12-2008, 08:35 AM

If you set and/or practice a standard for honoring men that is higher than that which is set for honoring God, are you breaking the 1st Commandment, 2nd Commandment, or possibly both?

Me Died Blue · #2 (**permalink**) 07-12-2008, 10:32 AM

Do you have any examples in mind in particular?

py3ak · #3 (**permalink**) 07-12-2008, 02:43 PM

I would say the 1st commandment: something is replacing God, rather than your worship of God being misdirected or not in keeping with Scripture.

rjlynam · #4 (**permalink**) 07-12-2008, 04:02 PM

Thanks guys, I just had someone throw the following at me, which I find interesting:

It's pretty hard to break ANY commandment without breaking them all.

For example, if I stole your shoes I've made a god of your shoes (1st commandment, valuing them more than God), worshiped falsely (2nd comm., serving myself under the guise of taking your shoes), dishonored the name of God (as a Christian, by what I've done), not labored to obtain them properly (4th), dishonored the authority under which we live (5th), killed my soul (6th), etc.

Sins are violations of the right relationship with God, and generally can find their focus in one or two specific commandments. But every sin leaks over into all the commandments. That's the convenience of Deuteronomy 6 as the core, and the "2 Greatt Commandments" as a summary.

VirginiaHuguenot · #5 (**permalink**) 07-12-2008, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rjlynam

Thanks guys, I just had someone throw the following at me, which I find interesting:

It's pretty hard to break ANY commandment without breaking them all.

For example, if I stole your shoes I've made a god of your shoes (1st commandment, valuing them more than God), worshiped falsely (2nd comm., serving myself under the guise of taking your shoes), dishonored the name of God (as a Christian, by what I've done), not labored to obtain them properly (4th), dishonored the authority under which we live (5th), killed my soul (6th), etc.

Sins are violations of the right relationship with God, and generally can find their focus in one or two specific commandments. But every sin leaks over into all the commandments. That's the convenience of Deuteronomy 6 as the core, and the "2 Greatt Commandments" as a summary.

Indeed!

For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. James 2.10

Quote:

Originally Posted by rjlynam

If you set and/or practice a standard for honoring men that is higher than that which is set for honoring God, are you breaking the 1st Commandment, 2nd Commandment, or possibly both?

See Thomas Boston on the First Commandment:

Quote:

2. Whereas it is a duty of this command to make God our chief end, it forbids,

1st, Men-pleasing, Gal. 1.10. There is a holy man-pleasing which we should all learn, if we would please God, Rom. 15.2. 'Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.' Paul was dexterous at that holy art, 1 Cor. 9.19-22. turning himself into all colours, but black, to please them, for their good. But this sinful man-pleasing is, when we set ourselves to please men without regard to the pleasing of God, proposing their pleasure as our only or chief end, Tit. 2.9. Compare Eph. 6.6. Col. 3.22. And this we are guilty of, either when we do a sin to please men, or do a good thing, or lawful, more to please them than God.