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The 9th Commandment
I recently spoke on what scripture says about getting along with difficult people. Given the current season – oppression in Hong Kong and Belarus, elections in America, and Covid-19 everywhere – it seemed useful to cover a portion of that ground here with our All The Difference friends.
The ninth commandment in the Mosaic Law is one of the most important tools God provides for managing relationships with irregular people. Our forebears were way ahead of us on understanding the importance of this. In The Westminster Longer Catechism, they particularly highlighted this 9th commandment and its application to New Testament life:
Q. 144. What are the duties required in the ninth commandment?
A. The duties required in the ninth commandment are, the preserving and promoting of truth between man and man, and the good name of our neighbor, as well as our own: appearing and standing for the truth; and from the heart, sincerely, freely, clearly, and fully, speaking the truth, and only the truth, in matters of judgment and justice, and in all other things whatsoever; a charitable esteem of our neighbors; loving, desiring, and rejoicing in their good name; sorrowing for, and covering of their infirmities; freely acknowledging of their gifts and graces, defending their innocency; a ready receiving of good report, and unwillingness to admit of an evil report, concerning them; discouraging tale-bearers, flatterers, and slanderers; love and care of our own good name, and defending it when need requireth; keeping of lawful promises; study and practising of whatsoever things are true, honest, lovely, and of good report. [To see all the many referenced scriptures, look up Q 144 in The Westminster Longer Catechism.]
Wow! That’s a far cry from assuming one’s neighbors are hateful. And to really understand the power of that statement, one must grasp their context. The people who wrote that catechism truly understood what it was like to be tyrannized. They had been jailed for their faith by their own king. They had endured a horrible and bloody civil war.
And yet they knew that scripture commands us to think the best of every neighbor – even the creepy ones who attack us in a civil war! They wanted everyone to be taught to be slow to judge and quick to forgive. To emphasize the point, these wise pastors and politicians added Q. 145.
Q. 145. What are the sins forbidden in the ninth commandment?
A. The sins forbidden in the ninth commandment are, all prejudicing the truth, and the good name of our neighbors, as well as our own, especially in public judicature; giving false evidence; suborning false witnesses; wittingly appearing and pleading for an evil cause; out-facing and overbearing the truth; passing unjust sentence; calling evil good, and good evil; rewarding the wicked according to the work of the righteous, and the righteous according to the work of the wicked; forgery; concealing the truth; undue silence in a just cause, and holding our peace when iniquity calleth for either a reproof from ourselves, or complaint to others; speaking the truth unseasonably, or maliciously to a wrong end, or perverting it to a wrong meaning, or in doubtful and equivocal expressions, to the prejudice of truth or justice; speaking untruth, lying, slandering, backbiting, detracting, tale-bearing, whispering, scoffing, reviling, rash, harsh, and partial censuring; misconstructing intentions, words, and actions; flattering, vain-glorious boasting, thinking or speaking too highly or too meanly of ourselves or others; denying the gifts and graces of God; aggravating smaller faults; hiding, excusing, or extenuating of sins, when called to a free confession; unnecessary discovering of infirmities; raising false rumours, receiving and countenancing evil reports, and stopping our ears against just defence; evil suspicion; envying or grieving at the deserved credit of any, endeavouring or desiring to impair it, rejoicing in their disgrace and infamy; scornful contempt; fond admiration; breach of lawful promises; neglecting such things as are of good report; and practicing or not avoiding ourselves, or not hindering what we can in others, such things as procure an ill name. [To see all the many referenced scriptures, look up Q 145 in The Westminster Longer Catechism.]
You want to change the world? You want to deal with difficult people – including self? Live that out! Live the 9th commandment.
God bless,
Wayne