Lord's Day Questions with proof texts
Link to audio recording of LD 39
LD 39 NotebookLM generated discussion
Summary (NotebookLM)
Lord's Day explores the implications of the fifth commandment, specifically addressing what God requires. It explains that this commandment is part of the second table of the Decalogue, focusing on duties towards others as a way to honor God. The text clarifies that "parents" in this context encompasses all those in positions of authority, and the command applies to both superiors and inferiors within society. Furthermore, it discusses the promise of long life associated with this commandment and analyzes various virtues expected from both those in authority and those in subjection, highlighting the importance of justice, diligence, love, gratitude, gravity, modesty, and equity in maintaining proper social order according to God's will.
Chapter Content:
This section of Ursinus' commentary is an exposition of the Fifth Commandment and the broader Second Table of the Decalogue. The core message is that obedience to the Second Table, particularly honoring parents and those in authority, is not merely a social requirement but a direct form of worshipping and loving God. The Fifth Commandment is presented as foundational to maintaining civil order and is uniquely accompanied by a specific temporal promise of long life. The text details the mutual duties of both superiors and inferiors within various societal roles and highlights common virtues and vices applicable to all individuals, emphasizing universal justice, diligence, love, gratitude, gravity, modesty, and equity.
Key Themes and Ideas:
The Second Table as Worship: The text emphasizes that obedience to the commandments of the Second Table, which immediately concerns our neighbor, is also a form of worshipping God. The obedience is performed "immediately towards men" but "God is the mediate object." This is underscored by Christ's summation of the Second Table: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Matt. 22:39)
Interconnection of Love for God and Neighbor: A crucial point is the "inseparable connection which exists between the love of God and our neighbor, which connection is like that of cause and effect; so that the one cannot be without the other." This highlights that genuine love for God is demonstrated and manifested through love for and obedience in our relationships with others.
Necessity of Obedience to the Second Table: The text asserts that obedience to the Second Table is "necessary, and exacted from us by God just as much as obedience to the first table." Reasons given include manifesting love for God through love for neighbor, demonstrating conformity with God, and preserving human society.
The Fifth Commandment as Foundational and Promising: The Fifth Commandment ("Honor your father and your mother") is placed first in the Second Table because it is considered the "foundation, cause, and bond of obedience to all the other commandments belonging to this table." The logic is that obedience to those in authority (represented by parents) establishes a framework for wider societal obedience. It is also uniquely the "first commandment with promise," offering the blessing of "long life upon earth."
Broad Interpretation of "Parents" and "Authority": The term "parents" in the Fifth Commandment is given a broad interpretation, encompassing all who are in authority over others. This includes not only literal parents but also "Tutors and guardians of children," "Schoolmasters, teachers, and ministers of the gospel," "Magistrates, whether high or low," and "Elders." These individuals are to be honored because God uses them to govern and defend us.
Mutual Duties of Superiors and Inferiors: The commandment is not solely about the duties of inferiors to superiors. The text makes it clear that when God requires parents (and thus all in authority) to be honored, "he also demands that they so discharge the duties of parents as to be worthy of honor." This implies a reciprocal responsibility.
Honoring the Office, Not Necessarily the Person: An important distinction is made regarding potentially wicked individuals in positions of authority: "although it may sometimes be the case that wicked men are elevated to positions of authority, who are not worthy of honor; yet the office must be distinguished from the persons who are invested with it; so that while we detest the wickedness of the men, we should nevertheless honor their office, on account of its divine appointment."
Limits of Obedience to Superiors: Obedience to those in authority is not absolute. The text states that we must obey them "only in as far as they do not go beyond the proper limits of their office," implying that unjust or unlawful commands are not to be followed.
The Promise of Long Life Explained: The promise of a long life is defended against objections that it is not always experienced by the godly or is not truly a blessing. The text argues that exceptions do not invalidate the general rule, temporal blessings are for the salvation of the godly, and an early translation to a better life is a "most ample recompense."
Detailed Virtues and Vices: The text provides extensive lists of specific virtues and corresponding vices for superiors, inferiors, and those common to both. These lists offer concrete examples of what constitutes obedience or disobedience within various relationships and societal roles. Examples include:
Superiors' Virtues/Duties: Nourishing and defending children, proper instruction and discipline (parents), faithful teaching and discipline (schoolmasters), requiring and enforcing obedience to the Decalogue, enacting and executing positive laws (magistrates), commanding just and lawful things, providing food and wages, suitable discipline (masters), governing by example, counsel, and admonition (elders).
Inferiors' Virtues/Duties ("Honor"): Reverence (acknowledging God's institution and gifts, approving divine order, subjection, outward declaration), love, obedience (voluntary), gratitude (aiding superiors), moderation and forbearance (bearing with infirmities).
Common Virtues:Universal Justice: Obedience to all laws in one's calling.
Particular Distributive Justice: Giving everyone their due office, honor, or reward.
Laboriousness, diligence, and fidelity: Understanding and performing duties cheerfully, constantly, and diligently, seeking God's pleasure and the salvation of others.
Love: Particularly to family members, cherishing and being concerned for their safety (within godly bounds).
Gratitude: Acknowledging benefits received and desiring to make suitable returns.
Gravity: Maintaining decorum and constancy in words, carriage, and actions to uphold authority and good report.
Modesty: Acknowledging one's weaknesses and the gifts of others, maintaining propriety in deportment, and not arrogating too much to oneself (distinguished from humility which is directed towards God).
Equity: Mitigating the rigor of strict justice in correcting errors, patiently enduring minor defects, and covering/correcting vices.
Most Important Facts/Ideas:
Obedience to the Second Table is equally essential as obedience to the First, as both are forms of worshipping God.
Love for God and love for neighbor are inseparably linked.
The Fifth Commandment is the foundation of civil order and extends to honoring all in authority.
The promise of long life is a unique and significant aspect of the Fifth Commandment.
Both superiors and inferiors have specific duties and responsibilities towards each other.
Honoring the office of authority is distinct from approving of the character of the individual holding it.
Obedience to human authority is limited by the requirement to obey God's law.
A wide range of virtues and vices are identified as applicable to individuals in all societal positions, emphasizing the comprehensive nature of godly conduct.
This briefing document summarizes the central arguments and key takeaways from the provided text regarding Lord's Day 39 and the Second Table of the Decalogue, particularly focusing on the Fifth Commandment.
How does obedience to human authority demonstrate love for God and neighbor?
Based on the sources, obedience to human authority, as required by the fifth commandment, demonstrates love for God and neighbor in several interconnected ways.
The fifth commandment, which requires showing honor, love, and faithfulness to parents and all in authority, and submitting to their good instruction and correction while bearing patiently with their infirmities, is part of the second table of the Decalogue. The second table's immediate object is our neighbor, with God as the mediate object.
Christ summarizes the obedience required by the second table with the command to love your neighbor as yourself. He also states that the second table is "like unto the first" (Matt. 22:39). This likeness is understood in part as the inseparable connection between the love of God and our neighbor, functioning like cause and effect, such that one cannot exist without the other.
Obedience to the second table, including the fifth commandment, is necessary and demanded by God just as much as obedience to the first table. The reasons for this include:
God himself is worshipped by this obedience.
Love to God is manifested by the love which we cherish towards our neighbor on God’s account.
Our conformity with God is made manifest by the love we have towards our neighbor.
Human society, formed and constituted by God for the praise and glory of His name, is preserved.
Specifically concerning the fifth commandment and obedience to authority:
God requires us to honor parents and all in authority over us because it is God’s will to govern us by their hand. Those in authority are people God has placed over others for the purpose of governing and defending them. They are comprehended under the term "parents" because God gives them to us in the place of parents and are, so to speak, God's vicegerents in ruling and defending us, having been substituted by God in the room of parents as wickedness increased.
Therefore, obedience to those in authority demonstrates love for God because you are submitting to the order He has instituted. Honoring their office is required due to its divine appointment. Love from inferiors towards those in authority is closely connected with reverence, which includes acknowledging God's will in instituting the office and approving of this divine order. Subjection to this order is done on account of the will of God.
Obedience to authority also demonstrates love for neighbor:
The fifth commandment is placed first in the second table because it is the foundation, cause, and bond of obedience to all the other commandments belonging to this table. If obedience to superiors, who should command and preserve obedience to the following precepts, is maintained, then obedience to the other precepts necessarily follows.
The design of this commandment is the preservation of civil order, which God has appointed in the mutual duties between inferiors and their superiors. Preserving human society is a reason given for the necessity of obedience to the second table.
The required "honor" from inferiors includes reverence, love, and obedience to what those in authority command by reason of their office and calling. It also includes gratitude and moderation/forbearance, such as bearing patiently with their infirmities. These are all ways of loving one's neighbor who holds a position of authority.
The commandment implicitly requires superiors to fulfill their duties, such as governing justly, defending inferiors, and punishing disobedience. This is their way of loving their neighbor (the inferiors they govern).
A virtue common to both superiors and inferiors is Universal Justice, which involves obedience to all just and wholesome laws. This contributes to the proper functioning and order of society, serving the good of all neighbors.
In summary, obeying human authority is a demonstration of love for God because their authority is divinely instituted, making obedience to them a submission to God's will and order. It demonstrates love for neighbor by upholding the foundational societal order necessary for adherence to other commandments, preserving civil society, and fulfilling specific duties of respect, love, and support towards those whom God has placed in positions of governance.
How is the fifth commandment the first with promise?
The fifth commandment is called the "first commandment with promise" by the Apostle Paul.
This designation means that it is the first commandment which has the promise of any special or certain benefit, which God promises to bestow upon those who render the obedience which it requires.
The specific promise annexed to this commandment is, "That your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God giveth you", signifying the blessing of a long life upon earth for the obedient.
God added this special promise for several reasons:
To strongly urge obedience by placing a great benefit before those who obey.
To declare how highly God esteems those who honor their parents and how severely He will punish those who withhold this honor and respect.
To teach how necessary obedience to this commandment is, as it serves as a preparation and motivation for obedience to all the commandments that follow.
While the first table of the Decalogue also has a promise, the promise connected to the fifth commandment is distinguished because it is a special promise, whereas the promise of the first table is described as general. Thus, the fifth commandment is the first in the sequence of the ten commandments to carry this type of special promise.
What does God require in the fifth commandment?
God requires several things in the fifth commandment:
That you show all honor, love and faithfulness to your father and mother, and to all in authority over you.
Submit yourself with due obedience to all their good instruction and correction.
Also bear patiently with their infirmities.
These requirements are made because it is God’s will to govern us by their hand.
The commandment encompasses more than just biological parents. Those included under the term "parents" in this commandment, who are to be honored, loved, and obeyed, are all those whom God has placed over others for the purpose of governing and defending them. This includes:
Parents themselves.
Tutors and guardians of children.
Schoolmasters, teachers, and ministers of the gospel.
Magistrates, whether high or low.
Elders.
All others who may be placed in positions of authority.
These individuals are comprehended under the term "parents" because God gives them all to us in the place of parents, whose duties they discharge, and are, so to speak, God’s vicegerents in ruling and defending us. Even if those in authority are wicked, you should honor their office, on account of its divine appointment, while detesting their wickedness. However, you must obey them only in as far as they do not go beyond the proper limits of their office.
The duties required by this commandment apply mutually to both superiors and inferiors. When God requires parents (and by extension, all in authority) to be honored, He at the same time demands that they discharge their duties in such a way as to be worthy of honor. The commandment thus enjoins the duties of both those in authority and those in subjection.
The obedience required comprehends three parts: the proper virtues of superiors, the proper virtues of inferiors, and the virtues common to both. The virtue common to both, which is here enjoined, is Universal Justice, which shows itself in obedience to all the laws pertaining to us in our respective callings. This includes obedience to all just and wholesome laws.
Specifically, for inferiors, the required "honor" includes:
Reverence.
Love to those who are over us in view of the office which they fill.
Obedience to what those in authority command by reason of their office and calling, which should be voluntary.
Gratitude to superiors.
Moderation and forbearance, which means bearing with the faults and infirmities of parents and superiors, provided it is done without reproach to God's name or opposition to divine law.
The opposite actions are violations of the honor due to superiors, such as refusing to yield obedience to just and lawful commands, or magnifying their infirmities and faults.
What are the parts of this commandment?
Structurally, the commandment consists of two parts: a command and a promise.
The Command: This is explicitly stated as, "Honor your father and your mother". However, the commandment requires honoring more than just biological parents; it extends to all in authority whom God has placed over us for the purpose of governing and defending us. The core requirements of the command are to show all honor, love and faithfulness to parents and all in authority, to submit oneself with due obedience to all their good instruction and correction, and to bear patiently with their infirmities. This is required because it is God’s will to govern us by their hand. Those in authority are included under the term "parents" because God gives them to us in the place of parents and are, in a sense, God’s vicegerents in ruling and defending us.
The Promise: Annexed to this commandment is the promise, "That your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God giveth you". This is why the Apostle Paul calls it the "first commandment with promise". This means it is the first commandment that carries a special or certain benefit promised by God to those who obey it. The blessing specifically promised is a long life upon earth. God added this promise to strongly urge obedience, declare how highly He esteems those who honor parents, and teach how necessary this obedience is as a preparation for obeying the other commandments. While the first table of the Decalogue has a general promise, the promise connected to the fifth commandment is distinguished as a special promise.
Furthermore, the sources describe the obedience required by this commandment as comprehending three parts, which refer to categories of duties:
The proper virtues of superiors, or those who are placed in authority.
The proper virtues of inferiors, or those who are in subjection.
The virtues common to both superiors and inferiors.
Thus, the fifth commandment contains both a specific command and a unique promise, and it requires mutual duties from both those in positions of authority and those under subjection, along with virtues applicable to both groups.
What
are duties common to superiors and inferiors?
The duties common to both superiors (those in authority) and inferiors (those in subjection) are referred to as the virtues which are common to all the different grades and ranks of men, whether they be in authority or not. These duties are required of all men.
The sources list several of these common virtues and their opposing vices:
UNIVERSAL JUSTICE:
This virtue shows itself in obedience to all the laws pertaining to us in our respective callings.
It is enjoined because those in authority should demand it from their subjects and set an example, while those in subjection are commanded to obey just and proper commands.
The opposite includes every neglect of duties required by just and wholesome laws, obstinacy, disobedience, sedition, hypocrisy, and eye-service.
PARTICULAR DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE:
This virtue contributes to and preserves a just proportion in the distribution of offices, rewards, and punishment.
It involves giving to everyone that which rightfully belongs to him, such as the suited office, honor, or reward. The scripture reference Romans 13:7 ("Render to all their dues; tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor") is cited in relation to this.
The opposite includes error, want of judgment, and partiality in distributing offices, conferring honors, and bestowing rewards.
LABORIOUSNESS, diligence, and fidelity:
This consists in correctly understanding the perpetual parts of one's calling in life and performing them according to God's command.
This performance should be cheerful, constant, diligent, with an attempt to discharge every known duty, omitting what is foreign or unnecessary, with the chief design that the work is pleasing to God and contributes to the salvation of others.
It also includes continually enquiring whether there is something still required of us of which we are ignorant, as ignorance of duty that is not sought out is considered voluntary and blameworthy neglect. Supporting scriptures include 1 Thessalonians 4:11, Romans 12:8, Ephesians 6:6, and Ecclesiastes 9:10.
The opposite includes negligence or slothfulness (not seeking duty, omitting known duties, or discharging them unwillingly/partially/without diligence), a mere show of diligence from selfish motives, and curiosity (meddling with things outside one's calling).
LOVE:
This refers particularly to love towards those joined by consanguinity, such as parents, children, and relatives.
When God commands parents to be honored, He also desires them to be loved as parents; and when He gives children, He designs that they should be loved as children.
The opposite includes unnaturalness (hating or not cherishing/being concerned for relatives), and excessive indulgence (winking at sins or gratifying prohibited desires due to love).
GRATITUDE:
This is a virtue of truth and justice that acknowledges from whom, what, and how great benefits have been received.
It includes having a desire and will to perform suitable and possible duties in return. Proverbs 17:13 ("Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house") is cited here.
The opposite includes ingratitude (not acknowledging the author/greatness of benefits or having no desire to make suitable returns), and unlawful returns or acknowledgments of benefits.
GRAVITY:
Arising from a knowledge of one's calling and rank, this virtue observes what is becoming and proper to the person.
It maintains constancy and evenness in words, carriage, and actions to preserve authority and good report and avoid disgracing one's calling. Since God desires those in authority to be honored, He also desires them to maintain their own honor. A good name is desired for God's glory and others' salvation. Supporting scriptures include Proverbs 21:1, Ecclesiastes 7:1, Galatians 6:4, and Titus 2:7.
The opposite includes levity (lack of regard for what is becoming/good report, no desire to retain a good name), and haughtiness or ambition (being prideful about office/gifts, despising others, aspiring to higher office/applause merely from a desire to excel, not God's glory or others' welfare).
MODESTY:
Closely allied to gravity, modesty stems from knowledge of one's own weakness and position by divine appointment.
It maintains consistency and propriety in actions and deportment, regardless of others' opinions, to avoid arrogating too much to oneself or defrauding others of respect. It means not making excessive display, not esteeming oneself too highly or oppressing others, and maintaining deportment according to ability with acknowledgment of God's gifts in others and one's own faults. Gravity without modesty can degenerate into ambition. Modesty differs from humility in being directed towards men and acknowledging others' gifts and one's own faults, while humility respects God.
The opposite includes immodesty (transcending propriety bounds), arrogance (taking or boasting of more than one possesses), and counterfeit modesty (feigning backwardness while desiring honors/offices for self-praise).
EQUITY:
This virtue mitigates the rigor of strict justice in punishing others' errors for a just cause and patiently endures defects that don't seriously injure others.
It also involves studiously covering and correcting vices. Supporting scriptures include 1 Peter 2:18 (servants subject to froward masters), Genesis 9 (Noah's sons), and Ephesians 6:4, Colossians 3:21, 4:1 (moderation in correcting children and treating servants justly).
The opposite includes immoderate rigor (in censuring faults from infirmity without serious injury), too great lenity (not punishing or reproving great sins), and flattery (praising what shouldn't be praised or attributing too much for popularity/personal gain).
These virtues represent the general conduct and disposition expected from all individuals within the framework of the fifth commandment's requirement for honoring and respecting authority, contributing to the maintenance of civil order and the good of society.
What virtue gives everyone their due?
The virtue that gives everyone their due is Particular Distributive Justice.
This virtue is described as one that contributes to and preserves a just proportion in the distribution of offices, rewards, and punishment. It is essentially a virtue giving to every one that which rightfully belongs to him. The source clarifies that what rightfully belongs to everyone includes the office, the honor or reward which is suited to him, and for which he is adapted.
The source supports this with the scripture reference: "Render to all their dues; tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor" (Rom. 13:7).
The opposite of this virtue includes error, want of judgment and partiality in distributing offices, or conferring honors, and in bestowing rewards.