The Sixth Commandment

Yesterday we spoke on the sixth commandment--"You shall not murder"

The following is a brief outline of the approach we took in our discussion of the subject.

1. What does it forbid?

- It forbids the personal taking of innocent life.
- It forbids the act of suicide.*

2. What does it not forbid?

- It does not forbid the killing in capital punishment. (Genesis 9:5-6; Romans 13:4)
- It does not forbid the killing in self-defense.* (Sermon on the Mount)
- It does not forbid the killing in times of war.*

3. What does the Sermon on the Mount contribute to the discussion? (Matthew 5:21-26)

- The harboring of anger and malice and hatred is in essence the same as the act of murder.
- This type of anger/malice/hatred interrupts our worship and must be dealt with through reconciliation with the other party.
- Jesus dealt with the "spirit" of the commandment and the root/heart matter that underlies the breaking of the commandment.

4. What is the positive side of the commandment?

- Respect and Honor life from beginning to end.
- Love our neighbor--seek the well-being and the good of our neighbor even if we are inconvenienced (go the second mile, turn the other cheek, etc.)

5. What are two biblical examples? (negative and positive)

- Cain & Abel -- Cain represents someone who broke the commandment--the letter and the spirit
- The Good Samaritan -- He represents someone who embodied the keeping of the positive aspect of the commandment

*****The asterisks are present to denote sensitive subjects or subjects that need further exploration and study--and, that I am seeking to do myself. I encourage you to join me in this exploration of God's Word and bringing our thinking in line with it.