Library › St Philaret of Moscow › Longer Catechism
Longer Catechism
St Philaret of Moscow, in Blackmore, 1845
Part 3, 2. On the Division of the Commandments into Two Tables
Q. What means the division of the ten commandments into two tables?
A. This; that they contain two kinds of love, love to God, and love to our neighbour; and prescribe two corresponding kinds of duties.
Q. Has not Jesus Christ said something of this?
A. When asked, Which is the great commandment in the law? He replied; Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Mat. xxii. 36 . . 40.
Q. Are all men our neighbours?
A. Yes, all; because all are the creation of one God, and have come from one man: but our neighbours in faith are doubly neighbours to us, as being children of one heavenly Father by faith in Jesus Christ.
Q. But why is there no commandment of love to ourselves?
A. Because we love ourselves naturally, and without any commandment. No man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it. Ephes. v, 29.
Q. What relative order should there be in our love to God, our neighbour, and ourselves?
A. We should love ourselves not for our own but for God’s sake, and partly also for the sake of our neighbours: we should love our neighbour for the sake of God: but we should love God for Himself, and above all. Love of self should be sacrificed to the love of our neighbour; but both should be sacrificed to the love of God.
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John xv. 13.
He that loveth father or mother more than Me, saith Jesus Christ, is not worthy of Me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me, is not worthy of Me. Mat. x. 37.
Q. If the whole law is contained in two commandments, why are they divided into ten?
A. In order the more clearly to set forth our duties towards God, and towards our neighbour.
Q. In which of the ten commandments are we taught our duties towards God?
A. In the first four.
Q. What are these duties?
A. In the first commandment we are taught to know and worship the true God.
In the second, to abstain from false worship.
In the third, not to sin against God’s worship even by word.
In the fourth, to keep a certain order in the time and acts of God’s worship.
Q. In which of the ten commandments are we taught our duties towards our neighbour?
A. In the last six.
Q. What are these duties?
A. In the fifth commandment we are taught to love and honour those of our neighbours who are nearest to us, beginning from our parents.
In the sixth, not to hurt the life of our neighbour.
In the seventh, not to hurt the purity of his morals.
In the eighth, not to hurt his property.
In the ninth, not to hurt him by word.
In the tenth, not to wish to hurt him.
Q. Do not the ten commandments include also our duties towards ourselves?
A. Yes; these duties are implied in the commandments of the second table relating to our neighbours; for our duty is to love our neighbour as ourselves.