10 Commandments Handout

I. Introduction

a) The moral life is a spiritual worship. The precepts of the Church concern the moral and Christian
life united with the liturgy and nourished by it. The Magisterium of the Pastors of the Church in
moral matters is ordinarily exercised in catechesis and preaching, on the basis of the Decalogue
which states the principles of moral life valid for every man. The Roman Pontiff and the bishops,
preach to the People of God the faith which is to be believed and applied in moral life. It is also
incumbent on them to pronounce on moral questions that fall within the natural law and reason.
The infallibility of the Magisterium of the Pastors extends to all the elements of doctrine,
including moral doctrine, without which the saving truths of the faith cannot be preserved,
expounded or observed. (Catechism of the Catholic Church #2047-2051)

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i. Terms to consider

1. Magisterium- the teaching authority of the Church, exercised primarily by the bishops,
both collegially and individually, as successors of the Apostles, and united under the
Pope as successor of St. Peter

2. Catechesis- “educcation in faith, especially the teaching of Christian doctrine imparted in

an organic and systematic way, with a view to initiating the hearers into the fullness of
Christian life (cf. Catechesi Trad., 18)

3. Decalogue- also known as the 10 Commandments

4. Roman Pontiff- the other word used to name the Pope/ The Bishop of Rome

5. Infallibility- the special charism bestowed by Christ in the Spirit that safeguards the
Church from teaching error in matters of faith and morals. (John 16:12-15; Lumen
Gentium 12). It is exercised particularly by the college of bishops in union with Peter’s
successor, the Pope (Acts 15:1-29; 1 Cor 15: 3-11; LG 25), and by the Pope alone when, as
Peter’s successor, he solemnly teaches a revealed truth of faith and morals.

6. Doctrine- a body or systems of teaching principles of the Church

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II. History and Sources: in brief

a) The Ten Commandments were written by God upon two tablets of stone and then given to Moses
on Mount Sinai. Most scholars date this event around the 13th to 16th century BC. God gave the
Decalogue, or 10 Commandments, to the Israelites shortly after they left Egypt. The record of the
Ten Commandments can be found in the Bible, both in Exodus 20:2-17 and Deuteronomy
5:6-21.
III. Similarities with the text found in the Qur’an (a supplementary reading for you )

Commandment Bible Text Qur’an

1 You shall have no other gods before Your God is one God. There is no God but
Me. him, the Gracious, the Merciful
Surat al-Baqarah 2:163
Say: I am only a man like you to whom it
has been revealed that your God is one
God, so take a straight path to him and
seek his forgiveness.
Surat Fussilat 41:6
2 You shall not make idols. Do not call upon another god alongside
Allah. There is no God but him.
Everything will perish but his
countenance. Judgment belongs to him,
and to him you will return.
Surat al-Qasas 28:88
3 You shall not take the name of the Unto Allah belong the best names, so call
Lord your God in vain. upon him by them and leave those who
violate the sanctity of his names.
Surat al-A’raf 7:180
4 Remember the Sabbath day and keep O you who believe, when the prayer is
it holy announced on Friday, then proceed to the
remembrance of Allah and leave trade.
That is better for you, if you only knew.
Surat al-Jumu’ah 62:9
5 Honor your father and your mother. Worship Allah and associate nothing with
him, and be good to parents and
relatives.
Surat al-Nisa 4:36
6 You shall not murder. The believers are those who do not call
upon another god alongside Allah or kill
the soul which Allah has made sacred
except by right of justice.
Surat al-Furqan 25:68
7 You shall not commit adultery. Do not approach unlawful sexual
intercourse. Verily, it is immoral and an
evil way.
Surah al-Isra 17:32
8 You shall not steal. Do not consume the wealth of each other
in falsehood.
Surat al-Baqarah 2:188
9 You shall not bear false witness Follow not your whims, let you be unjust.
against your neighbor If you distort your testimony or withhold
it, then Allah is aware of what you are
doing.
Surat al-Nisa 4:135
10 You shall not covet. Do they envy people for what Allah has
given them of his bounty?
 Surat an-Nisa 4:54

IV. Moral Values found in the Commandments

Comman Bible Text Moral Values Explanation

dment

1 You shall have The value of divine Worshipping of demi-gods, higher entities (both good
no other gods preeminence and bad; angels and demons) or other powerful astral
before Me. beings is beneficial, but still it is very limiting. One
should worship 'the one and only' supreme God. Also
sacrificing, worshipping idols for gifts is not good. One
should love God for the sake of Love.
2 You shall not The value of divine Any image or statue of God represents God, but people
make idols. worship get attached to those images and fail to comprehend the
reality of the omniscient God who pervades everywhere,
and is not confined to any form.
3 You shall not The value of divine Using God's name lightly is not just wrong, but affects
take the name representation negatively. It is same as losing faith in values that God
of the Lord represents; Using the Lord's name with reverence gives
your God in wisdom, where as loosely using Lord's name (or any
other higher aspect for that matter) does not grant one
vain.
the stillness one needs in his spiritual quest.
Using 'Jesus Christ!', 'God damnit' in every other
sentence only shows the shallowness of the mind which
speaks. One should call God, Jesus and saints when they
really mean. It gives more power to our call when we
really mean it.
4 Remember the The value of All Holy days must be observed with devotion and
Sabbath day creative activity silence. One should think of holy things, greatness of the
and keep it Lord and his saints, so that we too grow spiritually to be
holy able to receive God's grace.

5 Honor your The value of the Parents' Love towards their offspring is one of the
father and your family highest forms Love. Parents are sent by God to give us
mother. the glimpses of his true Love. So that we learn to
appreciate his Love and try to seek his Love, which is
True Love; The purest and the most satisfying.
6 You shall not The value of life Killing anyone for one's own benefit is a wrong act. Even
murder. the intentions of killing are wrong. One should clear
one's mind of evil thoughts of harming others, one
should not even kill or harm animals and plants
unnecessarily. Only then can one reflect the Love of God.
7 You shall not The value of One should not have sexual desires outside of marriage.
commit marriage Talking to other women/ men with unwholesome
adultery. intentions, or even looking at other women/ men with
lust is not suitable for one made in the image of God.
One should be satisfied with what gives him. Satisfaction
is one of the prerequisites for a spiritual seeker.
8 You shall not The value of Possession is a wrong thing already, wanting to possess
steal. ownership which belongs to someone else is socially and spiritually
degrading. One should strive to get what one
wants using the strength God has given. And one should
 be happy with what one has as long as
they fulfil necessities.
9 You shall not The value of One should 'Love one's neighbour', falsely testifying
bear false integrity against somebody out of jealously, greed, anger is not an
witness against act befitting the children of the all virtuous one.
your neighbor

10 You shall not The value of One should not yearn to possess that which belongs to
covet. contentment others rightfully. Yearning for wrong objects causes
greed, anger, disappointments. One who desires to live
with devotion to Lord, and with moral and spiritual
values that lead to true happiness should not covet.

V. According to Catechism of the Catholic Church

a) The Ten Commandments belong to God’s revelation. At the same time they teach us the true
humanity of man. They bring light to essential duties, and therefore, indirectly, the fundamental
rights inherent in the nature of the human person (2070)

b) …fundamental duties towards God and towards his neighbor, the Ten Commandments reveal, in
their primordial content, grave obligations. They are fundamentally immutable, and they oblige
always and everywhere. No one can dispense from them. The Ten Commandments are
engraved by God in the human heart. (2072)