The 10 Commandments and the 4 Catholic Harmonies
The Four Harmonies can be achieved through the 10 Commandments.
The entire harmony of original justice was lost through original sin. Adam and Eve, the first parents of the human race, were created in complete harmony with God, and this relationship brought with it four harmonious relationships:
-Harmony with God.
-Harmony with self.
-Harmony with others.
-Harmony with creation.
Unfortunately, the entire harmony of original justice was lost through original sin.
The power of the gospel offers the people the opportunity to accept the justice of God, and apply it into their daily lives. God’s justice is gradually realised throughout the world, as more individuals accept God’s power by praying, worshipping and trying to live as Jesus taught.
HARMONY WITH GOD
In the beginning, Adam and Eve were created in complete harmony with God. We share likeness and authority over creation that God bestowed on the first parents.
People owe obedience to God like how a child should be obedient to their mother and father. True and complete happiness can only be achieved as a person develops a relationship with the God who loves and created them.
A person can develop this relationship by praying and behaving in accordance with God’s will for them. God has a plan for every person, so to listen out for it and obey can develop their relationship with the creator significantly.
The Bible can’t seem to stress enough how important it is for very person to achieve complete harmony with God. One significant verse is Job 22:21.
“Now, Job, make peace with God and stop treating him like an enemy; if you do, then he will bless you.”
HARMONY WITH SELF
Second only to harmony with the creator, Adam and Eve enjoyed harmony with themselves. People can experience inner peace and personal direction as they draw fully on God’s perfect guidance. By drawing on God’s strength, a person can resist sinful temptation.
Humans were created in the image of the one and only omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent creator God. Man was given all of creation to look after, and in return man would love and serve God.
In a way, man was created as a paradox, much like God’s own. Man as one are both soul and body. God is one, yet He is three: spirit, father and son. Man are invited to develop yet another paradox through their relationship with God – the ability to enforce right justice, yet love and show mercy.
Proverbs 14:30 states:
“Peace of mind makes the body healthy, but jealousy is like a cancer.”
HARMONY WITH OTHERS
Adam and Eve were made to love and respect each other. Those with inner harmony and harmony with God tend to be peaceful towards others. By seeing the goodness and likeness of God in others, people are able to love and value each other.
A world working together and treating each other with loving justice can better look after creation and maintain healthy and fruitful lives. If everyone cared, loved and flourished in wisdom, world peace could most definitely be achieved. The more people who develop their relationships with God, themselves and others, the better for creation.
Romans 12:16-18 makes this undoubtedly clear:
“Work toward unity, and live in harmony with one another. Avoid thinking you are better than others or wiser than the rest; instead, embrace common people and ordinary tasks. 17 Do not retaliate with evil, regardless of the evil brought against you. Try to do what is good and right and honorable as agreed upon by all people. 18 If it is within your power, make peace with all people.”
HARMONY WITH CREATION
Unlike the rest of creation, Adam and Eve were created in God’s image and likeness. They appreciated creation for its goodness and continued as partners with God in the development of creation.
By looking after nature, people become happy and healthy. Simply spending time surrounded by nature can calm and clear a persons mind.
Since the beginning, mans job has been to protect and care for creation. As stated in Genesis 2:15
“Then the Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and guard it.”
THE 10 COMMANDMENTS
The Ten Commandments were handed down by God to Moses on Mt Sinai. It was the law of God’s chosen people. Today, however, there are some major differences in interpretation. There are two primary perceptions, the Catholic and Protestant, and the two lesser used versions, the Jewish and Muslim. The Protestant interpretation is by far the most commonly cited, based on Exodus 20, whilst the Catholic interpretation is based around the similar laws in Deuteronomy 5, written 300 years after Exodus. Interestingly, the Catholic interpretation ignores the prohibition against graven images, which is fitting, as the Roman Catholic church displays many shrines and statues.
In replacement of the absent commandment, verse 21 in Deuteronomy 5, or verse 17 in Exodus 20 is halved into the prohibiting of coveting both another mans wife and another mans goods, though they are written as the same verse in the Bible itself. This causes the Catholic interpretation to have two commandments prohibiting adultery.
This article will use the Protestant interpretation of the 10 Commandments.
1) I AM THE ONE AND ONLY GOD
God declares He is our God and our deliverer and asks us to show our love for Him by having no other God's. Developing a personal relationship with God is the most important relationship a person can make. He should be loved, honoured and respected above all. He alone is God. Nothing should prevent people from serving and obeying the supreme ruler of creation. God deserves to be trusted, feared and loved above all else.
A person who believes in a polytheistic religion would be going against this commandment. A person who puts him or herself first would also be disobeying.
A person who does not put God first is not going to discover true happiness, as they will never achieve harmony with Him or follow the plan and purpose made for them.
God makes this commandment very clear in Isaiah 45:5-7
“I am the Lord; there is no other god. I will give you the strength you need, although you do not know me. 6 I do this so that everyone from one end of the world to the other may know that I am the Lord and that there is no other god. 7 I create both light and darkness; I bring both blessing and disaster. I, the Lord, do all these things.”
2) YOU SHALL NOT WORSHIP FALSE IDOLS
God loves people so much that He is jealous of our love and does not want us to bow down to meaningless idols. This commandment forbids idolatry, the worship of false gods and goddesses. It is a reminder that, of all created things, only humans were made in the image of God. God’s physical representation is the human race itself.
God wants us to have harmony with Him and not worship unworthy idols.
This commandment forbids making golden calves, building temples to Isis, and worshipping statues of Caesar. Do not worship the self, for the self is not perfect, and do not worship riches or fame, for they will not bring harmony or happiness.
Leviticus 26:1 states:
“The Lord said, “Do not make idols or set up statues, stone pillars, or carved stones to worship. I am the Lord your God.”
3) YOU SHALL NOT USE MY NAME IN VAIN
God asks us to respect His Holy name. Respect is a value in good relationships. People are expected to love and fear God, and using his name in a disrespectful manner dishonours the relationship God wants to have with people. This commandment forbids misusing God’s name in any way.
It makes sense that to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and additionally respect the name of God with an equal passion. The Hebrew name for “vain” is “shaw” and means vanity and deception. ”Shaw” basically means showing disrespect, and this is what is done when people take God's name in vain.
People should call on God’s name in every trouble, prayer, praise, and thanks giving. Not to swear, lie or deceive. One should not call oneself a Christian if they do not truly follow Him.
“Do not make a promise in my name if you do not intend to keep it; that brings disgrace on my name. I am the Lord your God.” – Leviticus 19:12
“What the wise say brings them honour, but fools are destroyed by their own words.” – Ecclesiastes 10:12
4) KEEP THE SABBATH DAY HOLY
God asks people to keep a day set apart so we can draw nearer to Him. This commandment calls people to develop a relationship with God, through love, worship and prayer. People should fear and love God, and hold his word as sacred.
At the beginning, the seventh day was set apart by God as a time of rest. On calendar, the Sabbath day begins at sundown Friday evening and ends at sundown Saturday evening. Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox Christians treat Sunday as the Lord’s Day to honour the day Christ rose from the dead.
Not making time to pray or worship God, at least one a week, would be considered a violation of this commandment.
“And Jesus concluded, “The Sabbath was made for the good of human beings; they were not made for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabubath.” – Mark 2:27-28
5) HONOUR YOUR MOTHER AND FATHER
God instructs us to show love for our parents by honouring them. He shows us from whom people learn respect, and how to submit to authority through respect, obedience, love and service.
This commandment instructs both children and adults to show respect and faithfulness to their parents, and seek not to despise or anger them. Children must obey their parents, and adults are to care for their parents when they become old.
Disobeying or disrespecting superiors, whether they are present at the time or not, would be an action against this particular commandment.
In accordance with this, Paul of Tarsus wrote in Ephesians 6:2-3:
“Honour your father and mother 3 that everything may go well for you, and you may have a long life on earth. This is an important commandment with a promise.”
6) YOU SHALL NOT KILL
God calls us to demonstrate love and not hate towards others by not murdering. Judgment between life and death is reserved for God alone. He gave life and He alone has authority over taking it. God does not allow humans to choose whether another person lives or dies. This applies also to abortion.
God calls people to love even their enemies, and to strive to live in peace and harmony with them. He wants us to be builders, not destroyers of good relationships. People should fear and love God that they may not hurt nor harm their neighbour in his body, but help and befriend him in every bodily need. The Bible makes clear that hate is like murder. The only thing stopping a hate-filled heart from murder is a lack of opportunity.
In addition, people can be in harmony with creation by taking only what is needed from nature. Not killing for fun or for trophies, but for necessities.
“Those who hate others are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life in them.” – 1 John 3:15
7) YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY
God calls people to demonstrate love for their partner by not committing adultery. Adultery is when a one breaks the marriage covenant by wilfully participating in sexual activity with someone other than one’s spouse. God doesn't want people to have any kind of sexual relationship with anyone outside of marriage. God calls us to respect the covenant and definition of marriage.
This commandment forbids immoral sexual activity, specifically adultery. This commandment also forbids fornication, prostitution, pornography, homosexual activity, group sex, rape, incest, pedophilia, bestiality, and necrophilia.
People should lead a chaste and decent life in word and deed, and each love and honour his spouse. God calls people to keep matters of sex, words and conducts pure and honourable. Husband and wife, love and respect each other.
“But every husband must love his wife as he loves himself, and wives should respect their husbands.” – Ephesians 5:33
“Husbands and wives should satisfy each other’s sexual needs.” – 1 Corinthians 7:3
“If a wife divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery.”- Mark 10:12
8) YOU SHALL NOT STEAL
God calls people to show love and respect for others by not stealing what belongs to them. This includes cheating people of their justly earned money or jobs. He wants the right to own property to be honoured and protected. People should help their neighbour improve and protect his property and means of making a living. By doing this, harmony can be made with others.
He wants us to prosper and enjoy physical pleasures, but he also expects people to show wisdom in how they use what He provides. God does not want material possessions to be our primary pursuit in life.
It is important that generosity rather than greed motivates the choices people make.
“If someone forces you to go one mile, go two miles with him.” – Matthew 5:41.
Theft, fraud, tax evasion, and vandalism all go against this commandment.
9) YOU SHALL NOT LIE
God says if we love others we should not deceive or lie to them. The most self-evident way to fulfil this commandment is not to lie. The Bible is persistent in teaching that people should not lie, and appears very passionate about truth and honesty. Everything in the life of a Christian is connected to truth.
God calls people to defend and speak well of their neighbor, and not deceitfully mislead, betray, slander or defame them.
King David of Israel wrote in Psalms 15:1-3
“O Lord, who may stay in your tent? Who may live on your holy mountain?
2 The one who walks with integrity, does what is righteous, and speaks the truth within his heart.
3 The one who does not slander with his tongue, do evil to a friend, or bring disgrace on his neighbor.”
10) YOU SHALL NOT COVET
God calls people to not crave of desire the belongings of someone else, especially in an excessive or immoral way. It can also include a person coveting more than what they deserve or what is fair. God wants people to instead desire to help others preserve and protect their possessions, and rejoice when another person is blessed. Whilst the other nine commandments focus on ones relationships, this commandment deals with the thoughts that could threaten those relationships. Those who are envious/selfish are unhappy, discontent and do not have harmony with themselves. People are told not to lust after their neighbour’s possessions. This includes their house, land, and people in their life – such as their spouse or servants.
“You may be sure that no one who is immoral, indecent, or greedy (for greed is a form of idolatry) will ever receive a share in the Kingdom of Christ and of God.” – Ephesians 5:5
“The wicked are proud of their evil desires; the greedy curse and reject the Lord.” – Psalm 10:3
PROMOTE HARMONY WITH GOD
A teenager could promote harmony with God by praying and behaving in accordance with God’s will. God has a plan for every person, so to listen out for it and obey can develop their relationship with the creator significantly.
A teen could also promote peace with God by keeping the first four of the Protestant Ten Commandments. (1) God is the one and only God, and comes first before everything. Before money, and power, and the self. (2) No false idols should be worshipped, as man has already been created in God’s image. God’s physical representation is the human race itself. (3) Respecting God’s name through the use of kind words, prayer and no swearing. Simple manners can aid a person in following this commandment. (4) Making time for God can develop a persons relationship with Him. Through love, worship, prayer and keeping sacred His word, harmony with God can be promoted.
PROMOTE HARMONY WITH THE SELF
A teenager could promote harmony with the self by resisting sinful temptation and drawing on God’s guidance. By showing self control and not lusting after another person, in accordance with the seventh commandment – you shall not commit adultery. They can also demonstrate this commandment by keeping matters of sex, words and conducts pure.
A teen could also promote peace with the self by following the tenth commandment. By being content with oneself, a person will achieve inner peace and not covet after another's belongings. This can be demonstrated positively by helping others preserve and protect their possessions, and rejoicing when another person is blessed.
PROMOTE HARMONY WITH OTHERS
A teenager could promote harmony with others by treating others with loving justice. By being in harmony with the self and the creator, people can better promote harmony with others, as with these, people tend to be peaceful towards others.
The fifth through to the tenth commandments serve as how individuals are to interact with families, groups and society. A teen could promote peace with others by honoring their mother and father, not hating others, staying loyal to their partner, respecting others property, being honest, and not being envious of others belongings.
Respecting, obeying and loving those with authority will display good interaction with future employers. Not hating others shows that they value human life and respect it. Staying loyal displays that they seek to love and respect their partner. Respecting and protecting others property, and not being envious of their belongings shows respect for others and celebration for the blessings. Being honest shows trust.
PROMOTE HARMONY WITH CREATION
A teenager could promote harmony with creation by protecting, preserving and looking after nature. People become happy and healthy by spending time surrounded by nature, as it can calm and clear a persons mind.
By following the fifth commandment, a teen can promote peace with creation. The earth provides all the necessary elements of survival, and is mindful of humans, as a mother is mindful of her child. A person should honor nature like they honor their superiors.
A teen can promote harmony with creation by following the sixth commandment – do not kill. Take only what is needed from nature. Do not kill for fun or for trophies, but for necessities. Do not be gluttonous and eat more food than what is fair, respect the plentiful nature of creation.
The tenth commandment when followed can promote harmony with nature. If a teen does not covet the property or land of their neighbour they will learn to be content with their own.