The Ten Commandments as a theological resource

Abstract

In this study we have sought to interpret the Ten Commandments as a resource for Christian theology. This has meant not only seeking to understand them within their Old Testament context but also reading them in conjunction with their interpretation in St. Matthew's Gospel and Calvin's Institutes of the Christian religion. We have tried to do justice to the conventional historical issues but are also seeking to explore some of the implications of the canonical approach to scripture which focuses on the text as it stands rather than its underlying history. This encourages intertextua11ty; that is rereading passages in the light of their current literary context and then using that context to make new connections which, in turn, shed further light on the text. To illustrate this we look at three commandments in greater detail - the Sabbath, murder and adultery. We have tried to show how the ideas they embrace have developed within the canon. This developmental history has contributed to our understanding which in turn has helped us begin to develop a theology for today in these specific controversial areas. In the case of the sixth commandment we have considered a "linguistic approach" rather than an "historic approach", but in fact these are very similar because the developmental history of the concept of murder is closely associated with the development in understanding of ηξך.