10 commandments of God in Orthodoxy and 7 deadly sins

Author: Stanislav Ogryzkov Published: 03/09/2005

In this short article I will not pretend to be an absolutist statement, including that Christianity is somehow more important than other world religions. Therefore, I reject in advance all possible attacks in this vein. The purpose of the article is to provide information about the seven deadly sins and ten commandments noted in Christian teaching. The extent of the sinfulness and importance of the commandments can be debated, but at the very least it is worth paying attention to.

But first, why did I suddenly decide to write about this? The reason for this was the film “Seven,” in which one comrade imagined himself to be an instrument of God and decided to punish selected individuals, as they say, point by point, that is, each for some mortal sin. It’s just that I suddenly discovered, to my shame, that I couldn’t list all seven deadly sins. So I decided to fill this gap by publishing on my website. And in the process of searching for information, I discovered a connection with the Ten Christian Commandments (which also doesn’t hurt to know), as well as some other interesting materials. Below it all comes together.

Why is a person given an inquisitive mind?

Only a person with intelligence asks questions and seeks answers. A wise person will find meaning in life, know why he was born, who God is, why he should believe in Him, fulfill the commandments, and fight sins. It is not difficult to make sure that the world was created by the Logos - this is an indisputable fact (you can verify it from personal experience), since opposing theories do not stand up to the criticism of believing pundits. The monkey won’t think; for some reason he doesn’t need it.

We are given an inquisitive mind. By whom? Of course, by the One in whose Image the first man was created. We are the descendants and heirs not only of external similarity (we walk upright, have arms, legs, we speak), but also of spiritual, and even damage to the soul acquired by it. We are a “computer” whose memory contains not only progressive, but also “viral” programs.

Basics of Orthodoxy: why one should fulfill the commandments

God gave the 10 biblical commandments or Decalogue to the Jewish people during their journey from slavery to the land given by the Lord - Canaan.

Initially, the Lord Himself inscribed them on two tablets, but later they were rewritten by the hand of Moses.

The law can be divided into two parts:

• the first 4 commandments are about man’s relationship with the Lord;
• the last 5 are about the relationship between a person and his neighbors.

God's law is difficult for people with a sinful nature to obey. However, this is something that we urgently need to strive for. What is it for?

Just as the force of attraction, gravity, etc. operate, spiritual laws exist and operate. Violation of them leads to the threat of carnal and spiritual death.

People are not outraged by the existence of gravity, and they know that if you jump from a height, you can fall to your death. The same goes for prolonged immersion in water or falling into fire. Why does keeping the Lord's law cause so much outrage?

Atheists live as if the spiritual world does not exist, but this does not exempt them from the application of spiritual rules. If a person does not believe in the power of gravity, this does not mean that it does not exist and that violating it will lead to death. The same applies to the Decalogue - violation will lead first to spiritual death, and then to carnal death.

Many people view the Decalogue as a set of rules for going to heaven after death. But this is wrong, since the goal is to prove to a person that he cannot cope on his own and needs God’s help and Jesus Christ. No one can do this thoroughly on their own, but only with God's help. We all need the death of Jesus Christ and divine forgiveness with atonement. One should ask the Lord for help in fulfilling the law and pray in repentance if it has been broken.

Important! The 10 biblical commandments are necessary for anyone who considers himself a true Christian to know, because according to them he can check his life path and compare it with the one that the Lord has prepared. Moses with the commandments given to him

What did we inherit from Adam and Eve?

The fact that humanity has lost Paradise is not so bad. The worst thing is that instead of eternal life, where there was no suffering, no illness, no sorrow, no hunger, no cold, they acquired as an inheritance:

• mortality - sooner or later life will be taken away: from someone in infancy or even from the unborn;
• passion - anger, irritability, the need to eat, dress, conquer space, work hard at work, live indulging in suffering and sins;
• perishability - strength and youth melt away quickly, old age and illness, weakness - the result of our existence.

This is what we inherited from our forefathers. Can the lot of human life be called a victory or a triumph of reason, when for violating the only commandment: “Do not eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,” you came to such a pitiful state? To return the lost Paradise, choosing the Christian path of life, you will inevitably come to the fight against sin.

General information about the commandments of the Old and New Testaments

A truly good Christian life can only be had by one who has faith in Christ in himself and tries to live according to this faith, that is, fulfills the will of God through good deeds. So that people knew how to live and what to do, God gave them His commandments - the Law of God. The Prophet Moses received the Ten Commandments from God approximately 1500 years before the birth of Christ. This happened when the Jews emerged from slavery in Egypt and approached Mount Sinai in the desert.

God Himself wrote the Ten Commandments on two stone tablets (slabs). The first four commandments outlined man's duties towards God. The remaining six commandments outlined man's duties towards his fellowmen. People at that time were not yet accustomed to living according to the will of God and easily committed serious crimes. Therefore, for violating many commandments, such as: for idolatry, bad words against God, for bad words against parents, for murder and for violation of marital fidelity, the death penalty was imposed. The Old Testament was dominated by a spirit of severity and punishment. But this severity was useful for people, as it restrained their bad habits, and people little by little began to improve.

The other Nine Commandments (the Beatitudes) are also known, which the Lord Jesus Christ Himself gave to people at the very beginning of His preaching. The Lord ascended a low mountain near Lake Galilee. The apostles and many people gathered around Him. The Beatitudes are dominated by love and humility. They set out how a person can gradually achieve perfection. The basis of virtue is humility (spiritual poverty). Repentance cleanses the soul, then meekness and love for God’s truth appear in the soul. After this, a person becomes compassionate and merciful and his heart is so purified that he becomes able to see God (feel His presence in his soul).

But the Lord saw that most people choose evil and that evil people will hate and persecute true Christians

Therefore, in the last two beatitudes, the Lord teaches us to patiently endure all injustices and persecution from bad people. We must focus our attention not on the fleeting trials that are inevitable in this temporary life, but on the eternal bliss that God has prepared for people who love Him

Most of the commandments of the Old Testament tell us what we should not do, but the commandments of the New Testament teach us how to act and what to strive for. The content of all the commandments of both the Old and New Testaments can be summarized in two commandments of love given by Christ: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. The second is similar to this: love your neighbor as yourself.” And the Lord also gave us true guidance on how to act: “As you want people to do to you, do so to them.”

Decalogue or 10 Commandments of God

And the question immediately arises: Why did God give Adam and Eve one commandment, and us 10? The answer lies in the fall of Cain, who killed Abel out of envy. Essentially being a proud man, he laid the foundation for the Cainite line. The Gospel of Mark lists the lineage of Christ down to the tribe of the first man. The clan of the Virgin Mary is also not Cainite. Ham became the successor of his works. Who are we to sort out? Who can tell now?

Over time, people completely “lost their edges.” They stopped distinguishing between what is good and what is bad. Remember the wild tribes. Eating your enemy was considered valor. Lying for profit is a wise trick. Rape is the norm. Worshiping idols is a vital need. Not to mention Sodom and other perversions. Man, destined to inherit the qualities of God, without knowledge of the Truth, is entangled in his own delusions.

Ten Commandments of God's Law:

1. I am the Lord your God; Let you have no other gods before Me.
2. You shall not make for yourself an idol or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth below, or that is in the water under the earth; do not worship them or serve them.
3. Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy; Six days you shall work and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God.
5. Honor your father and your mother, so that your days on earth may be long.
6. Dont kill.
7. Don't commit adultery.
8. Don't steal.
9. Do not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house; You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.

The flood did not cleanse humanity of sinful depravity, which brings eternal torment, for long. How can we be saved so that we can regain the state lost by Adam? First, God gave 10 commandments to distinguish good from evil, truth from lies, goodness from destruction. Then He sent His Son, so that through repentance and union with Him (sanctification) they could get out of the trap into which they had driven themselves. Therefore, without Christ, nothing good shines for us, only eternal darkness and torment.

Note: Through the commandments, a person recognizes sin and sees that he is infected with it.
If he wants to fulfill it, he will understand that he does not have such willpower. Only Christ conquers sin. It is necessary like air. The grace-filled union with Him occurs through the Sacraments of the Church.

Interpretation of the commandments

May you have no other gods

Christianity is a monotheistic religion in which there is room for only one God. He is the Creator, the giver of life. The entire visible world exists thanks to Him - from the ant to the stars in the sky. Everything good that is in the human soul has its roots in God.

Many people pay attention to how beautifully and wisely nature works. All this is the result of God's plan. Birds know where to fly, grass grows, trees bloom and bear fruit in due time. The source of everything is the Lord of hosts. Man needs only one Creator, kind, generous, patient. Many things are sins against the first commandment:

• denial of God;
• superstition;
• passion for the occult, magic, witchcraft;
• joining sectarian organizations.

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Worshiping any other being will be a substitute for the true God. This is discussed in more detail in the next commandment.

Do not make yourself an idol.

Logically continues the first commandment. You cannot confuse a creation - even a beautiful and worthy one - with the Creator, worship celebrities, or put someone or something at the center of your life that is not God. For many today, their smartphones and expensive cars have become idols. An idol can be not only a person or a physical object, but also an idea. For example, the desire for material prosperity, the desire to please one’s lusts.

Do not take God's name in vain.

This commandment is trampled upon by almost everyone today. In the old days, the Name of God was a mystery; it could only be written in abbreviation, and it was forbidden to mention it at all, with the exception of great holidays. Today, many people mention the name of the Lord in passing, in ordinary everyday conversation, or even it is used as a filler word. Sins against the second commandment also include profanity.

The gift of speech distinguishes man from animals. It was not given in vain; with the help of words, a person can ascend to heaven or sin, encourage his neighbors or slander them. Therefore, you should be very careful about what you say. You should read the Word of God out loud more often, pray, and gossip and talk less.

About Saturday rest.

Following the example set by God Himself, a person should devote one day to rest. His goal is not only to regain strength, but also to pay tribute to his Lord. This day should be spent in prayer, Bible study, and acts of mercy. In Old Testament times, the Jews rested on the Sabbath. But Christ came, he rose from the grave on Sunday, so this is the day that Orthodox Christians now devote to going to church and taking their children to Sunday schools.

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About honoring parents.

Each of us has a father and mother, grandparents. Relationships do not always go smoothly; the views of young people often differ from the opinions of the older generation. But still, as directed by the Lord, we must always respect our elders, show them respect and care. Without learning this commandment, a person will not be able to honor God with dignity.

Dont kill.

Life is a great gift that the Creator gives to man. For everyone in the world there is a task, a purpose, it is unique. No one dares to take life, not even the one to whom it was given. Therefore, suicide in Christianity is one of the most serious sins. By voluntarily leaving life, a person neglects the greatest gift from God. Many holy fathers say that repentance is impossible beyond the grave; the Bible also testifies to this.

In Christianity, abortion (no matter at what stage) is also equivalent to murder. The soul is considered alive from the very moment of conception. By rudely interrupting the baby's existence, the mother interferes with the global plans of the Creator. There will not be a soul on this earth who was probably called to do many good deeds. Addiction to tobacco, alcohol and other chemicals is a slow suicide. Therefore, addictions are also sins against the 6th commandment.

About adultery.

Marriage in Christianity should be unique and inviolable, despite any circumstances. Cheating on a husband or wife can be not only literal, when one of the spouses enters into a relationship with another person. Even thoughts about such things leave the imprint of sin on the soul.

It is also illegal to have a relationship with someone of the same sex. No matter how many people today try to push the idea that homosexuality is normal, the Bible clearly says that God is against it. Just read the story of the punishment of Sodom. The inhabitants of this city wanted to abuse the angels who appeared with Lot in the guise of men. The next morning, Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, because the Lord did not find even five righteous people in it.

Against theft.

God cares not only about the spiritual, but also the material well-being of man. Therefore, He prohibits appropriating other people's property. You cannot deceive funds, rob, steal, give and take bribes, or commit fraud.

Prohibition on lying.

We have already said that language can be a means of death or salvation. The Lord shows us that telling a lie is bad not only for the liar himself, but can also cause great trouble for his neighbors. Not only should you not tell lies, you should also not gossip, slander, or use foul language.

Ban on envy.

The 10th Commandment also protects the rights of our neighbor. The Lord measures earthly blessings to everyone differently. From the outside it may seem that your neighbor does not know grief, because he has a better apartment, a beautiful wife, etc. In fact, no one can fully understand another. Therefore, one should not covet what an acquaintance, colleague, or friend has.

The final prohibition of the decalogue is, rather, of a New Testament nature, since it relates not to action, but to wrong thoughts. They are the source of any sin. Let us move on from God’s commandments to transgressions.

• Orthodox prayers read before confession;
• Read here a prayer for the forgiveness of sins of your kind;
• Prayer for admonishing your husband from cheating: .

Particularly serious sins

These are the ones that destroy both the soul and the body. Or those about whom it is said that they cry out to God for vengeance. Accept them not as a dogmatic statement, but as an experience. It is difficult to wash away from such violations of God’s Law without incurring punishment in the form of suffering.

If the scoundrel prospers (enduring illness and sorrow cleanses the soul), then the Lord is still waiting and suffering, since the posthumous fate of such people is very terrible. They gain full measure, deserving hellish retribution. The most serious sins include:

• Killing or humiliating (bullying) parents.
• Fornication, adultery, corruption, seducing others.
• Withholding the worker's legal wages.

But through repentance, penance, and deeds that atone for guilt, everything can be corrected while a person is alive. As Zacchaeus did, he promised that he would reward those deceived four times more than he took.

Seven deadly sins

There are seven mortal sins in Christian teaching, and they are called so because, despite their seemingly harmless nature, if regularly practiced, they lead to much more serious sins and, consequently, to the death of an immortal soul that ends up in hell. Deadly sins are not

are based on biblical texts and
not
a direct revelation of God; they appeared in the texts of theologians later.

First, the Greek monk-theologian Evagrius of Pontus compiled a list of the eight worst human passions. They were (in descending order of severity): pride, vanity, acedia, anger, sadness, avarice, lust and gluttony. The order in this list was determined by the degree of a person’s orientation towards himself, towards his ego (that is, pride is the most selfish property of a person and therefore the most harmful).

At the end of the 6th century, Pope Gregory I the Great reduced the list to seven elements, introducing the concept of vanity into pride, spiritual laziness into despondency, and also adding a new one - envy. The list was slightly reordered, this time according to the criterion of opposition to love: pride, envy, anger, despondency, greed, gluttony and voluptuousness (that is, pride is more opposed to love than others and is therefore the most harmful).

Later Christian theologians (in particular, Thomas Aquinas) objected to this particular order of mortal sins, but it was this order that became the main one and remains in effect to this day. The only change in Pope Gregory the Great's list was the replacement of the concept of despondency with sloth in the 17th century. Also see a brief history of sin (in English).

Due to the fact that representatives of the predominantly Catholic Church took an active part in compiling and finalizing the list of the seven deadly sins, I dare to assume that this is not applicable to the Orthodox Church, and especially to other religions. However, I believe that regardless of religion and even for atheists, this list will be useful. Its current version is summarized in the following table.

The most harmful of them is definitely considered pride. At the same time, the belonging of some items on this list to sins (for example, gluttony and lust) is questioned. And according to one sociological survey, the “popularity” of mortal sins is as follows (in descending order): anger, pride, envy, gluttony, voluptuousness, laziness and greed.

The article “7 Deadly Sins and Health” may seem interesting, considering the impact of these sins on the human body from the point of view of modern science. And, of course, the matter could not do without a “scientific” justification for those natural properties of human nature that were included in the list of the worst.

From the history

The commandments were given to Moses by God himself.
The Ten Commandments (Decalogue, or the Law of God) are prescriptions, ten basic laws that were given to Moses by God himself, in the presence of the children of Israel, on Mount Sinai on the fiftieth day after the Exodus from Egypt.

Sinai stood on fire, shrouded in thick smoke; the earth shook; thunder roared; lightning flashed; and in the noise of the raging elements, covering it, the voice of God was heard, pronouncing the commandments. Then the Lord himself inscribed the “Ten Words” on two stone tablets, the “Tablets of the Testimony” (“Tablets of the Covenant”), and gave them to Moses. On one of them were written the first 4 commandments about love for the Lord, on the second - the remaining 6.

When Moses, after a forty-day stay on the mountain, came down with the tablets in his hands and saw that the people, forgetting about God, were dancing around the Golden Calf, he became so angry at the sight of the unbridled feast that he smashed the tablets with the commandments of God against the rock. After the ensuing repentance of the entire people, God ordered Moses to hew two new stone tablets and bring them to Him to re-write the Ten Commandments.

Meaning of the Decalogue

Subsequently, many of them were abolished by the apostles, but the Ten Commandments did not lose their meaning. They constitute a single moral law, the norms on which the entire existence of human society stands.

They determine the moral behavior of a person - because of their importance, they were taught to humanity not on paper, a perishable substance, but on stone

The commandments of the Decalogue have much in common with the laws of the ancient world. Coincidences can be explained by the unity of the moral law that exists in the human heart at the command of God. The damage of man by sin led to the need to establish certain rules - before the Fall, the voice of conscience was enough to fulfill God's commands.