THE TEN COMMANDMENTS – A SUMMARY

SUMMARY OF JACK COTTRELL’S “COLLECTED WRITINGS” SERIES:
VOLUME 15: THE TEN COMMANDMENTS: HIS HOLY WAY, by Jack Cottrell

INTRODUCTION

I am here presenting a summary of another one of my “Collected Writings” volumes. This one is #15, The Ten Commandments: His Holy Way (The CRA, 2020, 191pp.). It is the third of the three volumes in this series that deal with ethical issues.

Almost all of the 18 volumes in the series are (as indicated) collections of my shorter writings, most of which had never before been available in book form. The two exceptions are #12, From Now to Eternity, originally published in outline form by College Press in 2008 as Bible Prophecy and End Times (58 pp.); and this one.

Most of this present volume on the Ten Commandments originally appeared as a 96-page paperback from Standard Publishing in 1973 under the title, His Way. This was my very first book! It was based on one of the first courses I taught (fall, 1967) at the Cincinnati Bible Seminary (later called Cincinnati Christian University). I named the course “Personal Ethics,” and based it on the Ten Commandments as seen through the eyes of the Sermon on the Mount. I turned this material into a small book at the request of Standard Publishing, which at that time was publishing quarterly study volumes to go with their regular Sunday School materials.

This present “Critical Writings” edition is not just a repeat of the original volume. All of that material on the commandments is included here, but it has been edited and somewhat expanded to address our present needs. Also included are four extra essays: one on the subject of abortion (a sixth-commandment issue), and three on the subject of homosexuality (a seventh-commandment issue).

One special point addressed in each chapter about a specific commandment is this: each commandment is based on a deeper truth or principle that is eternally valid. I list these principles on page 17, and also here:

1. First Commandment: The absolute and exclusive Lordship of God.
2. Second Commandment: The transcendent nature of God.
3. Third Commandment: The majesty and holiness of God’s name.
4. Fourth Commandment: Our God is the Lord of time.
5. Fifth Commandment: The necessity of authority and obedience in human relationships.
6. Sixth Commandment: The sanctity of human life.
7. Seventh Commandment: The sanctity of the marriage relationship.
8. Eighth Commandment: The sanctity of private ownership of property.
9. Ninth Commandment: The sanctity of truth.
10. Tenth Commandment: the grace of contentment.

Understanding the relationship between the commandments as such and the general principles which they represent shows us another special point, namely, that each commandment covers a broader range of ethical material than one might at first realize. This is illustrated by this table of contents someone at Standard Publishing prepared for the first edition:

1. Why Have Law? Rampant lawlessness today. The essence of sin is lawlessness. God built “law and order” into the structure of creation. Natural law and moral law. The role of civil governments. Love and law.
2. God Is Supreme. The first and second Commandments. Everyone has a god. We can have only one god at a time. The occult, drug addiction, Mammon, self, and other potential false gods. The authority of Scripture. Surrender to Christ.
3. More Than Lip Service. The third Commandment teaches the majesty and holiness of the name of God. The importance of names. The name of Jesus. Profanity, hypocrisy, and other ways of disgracing God’s name.
4. Work, Rest, and Worship. The fourth Commandment teaches that God is Lord of our time. The Israelites were to keep the Sabbath as a special day. Christians are to observe the Lord’s Day. The fourth Commandment requires us to work.
5. What’s Good About the Past. The fifth Commandment establishes the principle of authority and obedience in human relations. The role of the family in developing respect for teachers, law officers, God.
6. Respect for Human Life. The sixth Commandment. Man is made in God’s image; therefore human life is more than mere animal life. How the sixth Commandment relates to abortion, capital punishment, war, suicide, hate, criminal negligence, intemperance.
7. A Christian View of Sex. The seventh Commandment establishes the principle of the sanctity of the marriage relationship. The nature of marriage. The intended role of sex. Sexual sins.
8. Rights and Responsibilities of Ownership. The eighth Commandment and the sanctity of private ownership. Robbery by force, shoplifting, plagiarism, vandalism, deceit. Stewardship of property before God, its true owner.
9. Truth Is Basic. The ninth Commandment establishes the sanctity of truth. The sin of lying: bearing false witness, exaggeration, misleading truths, hypocrisy, false advertising, cheating in school. Speaking the truth in love.
10. The Peril of Greed. The sin of covetousness: wanting forbidden things, wanting too many things, worshiping things. The sin of greed contrasted with the graces of contentment and generosity.

Now I will summarize a few of the chapters as they appear in the “Collected Writings” edition.

I. LIVING UNDER LAW (pp. 3-18)

Chapter One introduces the concept of what it means to live under law (such as the Ten Commandments!). The fact is that we must choose between living in accord with our God-given law, or living a life of lawlessness, which is the essence of sin (1 John 3:4).

A. Two Meanings of the Term “Law.”

In the Bible, especially in Paul’s writings, “law” has two different meanings. ONE, it can mean the law CODE that applies to us as our rule of life, i.e., the list of law commandments which God as our Creator has given us to obey. This is what we are talking about here when we are discussing the Ten Commandments.

TWO – We must realize, though, that at times the word “law” means the law SYSTEM, i.e., the technically possible but in reality impossible way or manner in which sinners attempt to enter heaven by how well they obey the law commandments under which they are living. Paul makes it clear in Romans that once one is a sinner, there is no way he can be right with God, i.e., good enough to go to heaven—by how well he keeps his law commandments. Thus Paul tells us we are not under the law system (Romans 6:14), even though we are still under a law code that we are absolutely obligated to obey.

B. Where Does Law Come From?

The law code we are obligated to obey comes from no human source, or from any other finite source within the realm of creation. The only valid source for absolute law is the transcendent Creator-God of the Bible. The Creator has made for us a universe governed by natural law and moral law. By making us in His image, He has stamped these moral laws upon our hearts (Romans 2:14-15); and He also gives us specific commands and general moral principles by which to live, through His chosen and inspired prophets and apostles (as recorded in the Bible).

C. Why These Specific Laws?

Why did God give us the specific laws that He did? There are several reasons. ONE – most of the laws He has give us are based on His own nature; and since we are made in God’s image, these laws are also consistent with OUR nature, too. This is simply who we are, because it is who God is.

TWO – some of God’s commandments are based on His works, i.e., based on something God has done. Examples are the Sabbath commandment as applied to Israel (Exodus 20:8; Deuteronomy 5:12), and the Lord’s Supper commandment as applied to Christians (Matthew 26:26-28).

THREE – some commandments are simply based on God’s will. I.e., He just WANTS us to act that way.

D. The Nature of Law.

While some of God’s law commandments are very specific (e.g., certain commandments of the Mosaic Law code that applied to OT Israel), the commandments of God’s moral law (which applies to all human beings in all ages) are usually general in nature, and thus can be applied to the detailed circumstances of all times and cultures. This is especially true of the Ten Commandments (with the exception of the Sabbath command).

II. THE SECOND COMMANDMENT: NO GRAVEN IMAGES (pp. 33-45)

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth” (Exodus 20:4, ESV). Here is an example of how each of the Commandments is treated.

A. What Is Forbidden by This Commandment?

This is not the same as or part of the first commandment. The first commandment tells us WHOM to worship; this commandment tells us (in part) HOW to worship. It says we should never make images that we take to represent the true God or portray Him in any way.

Why is this forbidden? Is it just because no one has actually seen God; therefore no one really knows what He looks like? NO! The main reason for this commandment is God’s very nature as transcendent, uncreated spirit. (See 1 Timothy 6:16.) I.e., His very nature is incomprehensibly different from anything that could be represented by a two- or three-dimensional image. At times, God does create temporary physical forms (“theophanies”) in order to make Himself visible to human beings, but these are not meant to represent His true nature.

What this comes down to is that God forbids us to make images of Him because anything we imagine might capture His true nature would fall so far short that it would seriously dishonor or be an insult to God. See Psalms 115:4-7.

Two other points should be noted. ONE, God Himself has chosen the one visible form by which He wants to be known by us, namely, the living person, Jesus of Nazareth. (See John 1:18; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:3.) This does not mean that the divine nature of God “looks like” the human body of Jesus, but that the personal being that shines through the physical Jesus gives us a true glimpse of what God is like. TWO, we should also note that God chooses to relate to us verbally, through His revealed and inspired WORD.

B. What Is NOT Forbidden by This Commandment?

What does this commandment NOT forbid? First, it does not forbid us to make two-dimensional or three-dimensional images (illustrations, art, etc.) of created things, including animals, human beings, and angelic beings. Second, it does not forbid us to speculate about what Jesus’s human body might have looked like, and then to draw pictures of it or put it into three-dimensional forms. We should realize, though, that this is just speculation, and especially that such does not represent His divine nature. Third, the use of musical instruments in worship services is not forbidden by this commandment.

C. What Is Required by This Commandment?

The main thing required here is that we must seek to relate to God and worship God not through visible images representing His nature, but through His revealed Words as grasped through our minds and spirits, which “touch” and “feel” Him through His WORD. We commune with Him not by fawning over little statues, but by hearing and heeding His Word. See Deuteronomy 4:11-14, especially v. 12. This does not exclude using material things to enhance our spiritual worship—such as musical instruments. This is shown to be true by Jesus’s requiring us to use physical elements in the Lord’s Supper, and by Scripture’s requiring us to worship the Creator by the giving of physical elements that represent money.

III. THREE LESSONS ON HOMOSEXUALISM

This volume ends with four lessons on specific ethical subjects. One is about abortion (“Abortion and the Mosaic Law,” pp. 157-169). This is an act that is forbidden by the sixth commandment, “You shall not murder.” This essay shows that Exodus 21:22-25 does NOT justify abortion, as a long-time errant interpretation was thought to do, even by some Bible-believers. This essay of mine was published by Christianity Today (3/16/1973) and was the means of changing some influential Evangelical viewpoints on this issue.

The following final three essays all deal with the Bible’s teaching about homosexualism. Here I will give a brief summary of the contents of each essay.

A. Homosexualism in the Bible (pp. 171-174).

I use the term “homosexualISM” to refer to homosexual behavior or practices, which are sinful; and I use the term “homosexualITY” to refer to the homosexual condition or disposition, i.e., the presence of homosexual desires and tendencies, which are part of the curse resulting from sin (Genesis 3) but which are not necessarily sinful if and when they are not acted upon.

In the first essay on this subject I am listing the Bible’s five main passages that condemn homosexual practices.

1. The sin for which Sodom is condemned (Genesis 19:1ff.) is clearly homosexualism, despite liberal attempts to make this text mean something else. See also 2 Peter 2:6-11 and Jude 7.

2. The Law of Moses specifically condemns homosexual acts (Leviticus 18:22). The fact that it makes such practices a cause for capital punishment (Leviticus 20:13) shows how serious this sin is in the eyes of God.

3. First Corinthians 6:9-10 uses two key words referring to homosexuals. These words are describing a list of gross sinners who will not inherit the Kingdom of God, but who have been saved from these sins by becoming Christians. One term is malakos, which is used to refer to the passive partner in a homosexual relationship; the other term is arsenokoitēs, used for the male homosexual who takes the active role. (The latter term literally means “male in a bed.”)

4. In 1 Timothy 1:8-10 Paul again uses arsenokoitēs as part of a list of grievous sins.

5. The strongest condemnation of homosexualism is a major section of Romans 1:18-32. Here Paul is condemning perverse pagan behavior in general, and in vv. 25-27 he especially singles out homosexualism—male and female—as a prime example of the “shameful lusts” that draw God’s wrath. It is specifically condemned for being against the natural state of things created by God.

B. Understanding Homosexualism (pp. 175-179).

If homosexualism is wrong, what should be the Christian’s attitude toward it? Here I will present four general considerations.

1. ONE – We must distinguish between a homosexual disposition and homosexual behavior. The disposition is unnatural and part of the curse upon the sinful world, the same as all other diseases. But when kept under control and not acted upon, it is not sinful. It is the homosexual behavior that is sinful.

2. TWO – Many argue that being a homosexual (simply having the disposition) is normal, because (they say) that 10% of our population is “made” this way. This number, however is seriously incorrect. It was suggested by Alfred Kinsey, whose test groups were far from normal. More accurate studies place the number at between 1% and 3%.

3. THREE – We must be aware of homosexualism as a strong cultural and political force that works against Christianity. It has been such since the “gay liberation movement” began in 1969, and it has grown into an open enemy of Christianity and the Church. Sadly, liberal forms of Christianity are becoming more and more aligned with this cultural force.

4. FOUR – What is the Bible’s message for homosexuals? We must confront them with the Bible’s two main messages. First there is God’s LAW, which condemns homosexual behavior (see part A above); and then we must show homosexuals the GOSPEL, which says that those who practice homosexualism (like any other sinners) can be saved: forgiven, and strengthened to avoid that sin and to live the Christian life—1 Corinthians 6:9-11.

C. Homosexuality and the Biblical World View (pp. 181-191).

I preached this as a sermon at First Church of Christ in Greendale, IN, in July 2015. I was showing how Christianity is not just about getting baptized and going to church; it is a WORLD VIEW that addresses every aspect of world history since the creation—including sin and its curse and its cure.

1. The World as Created. Genesis 1 and 2 speak of how the world was created as “very good” (Genesis 1:31). This included the creation of men and women to live with one another, have sex with one another as husbands and wives, and produce children together within the marriage bond.

2. The World as Cursed and Corrupted. Sadly, Adam and Eve used their gift of free will to sin against God and His plan; as punishment, God brought a corrupting curse upon the entire future creation until it could be saved by a Redeemer. The curse (Genesis 3) is summed up as DEATH; but this death curse includes ALL physical and mental corruptions, including all kinds of diseases and genetic abnormalities. This includes “birth defects,” such as Down syndrome, cystic fibrosis, and sickle cell anemia.

Many believe (and I agree) that the homosexual disposition (condition) is most likely the result of some kind of genetic or brain abnormality that can be traced back to Genesis 3. This disposition is thus unnatural, but not sinful as such. The problem is that acting upon it, or living as if it were normal (e.g., via homosexual “marriage”) IS sinful. Thus to defeat the curse, the homosexual must learn to live with his or her disposition without acting upon it.

3. The World as Cured. How does one learn to live with this abnormal condition? By accepting God’s offer of a CURE for this cursed and corrupted world. This cure comes in two stages.

First, God offers a PERSONAL, PRESENT cure to all who are affected by sin’s curse—including homosexuals. See 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 again: even homosexuals can be washed (in baptism), sanctified (separated from the world’s paganism), and justified (forgiven)! This may not remove the disposition; but by repudiating it and living apart from it, one is enabled to live with it in the context of the church with full Christian fellowship.

Second, God also promises a COSMIC, FUTURE cure at the second coming, when the entire creation is healed and purified from all results of sin and its curse (2 Peter 3:10-15). This includes a new and healed body in which we will live forever (Romans 8:23)! Homosexuals who have surrendered themselves to Jesus Christ for salvation will be forever free from that disposition!