The Ten Commandments. Part 1
A Catechism
How are the Commandments of God read?
I am the Lord your God; you shall have no other gods before Me.
You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in the heaven above, or on the earth below, or in the waters beneath the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them...
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain...
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God...
Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God gives you.
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his house, or his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor's. (Exodus 20:1-7)
About the First Commandment
I am the Lord your God; you shall have no other gods before Me.
What does God command us in this commandment?
In this commandment, the Lord directs humans to Himself and commands us to recognize Him as the One God, Eternal, Incomprehensible, the Creator of heaven and earth and all creatures, and to acknowledge no one else or nothing else besides the Lord. God Himself speaks about Himself in this way: "I am the Lord, and there is no other God besides Me... I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things... I made the earth and created man on it; it was My hands that stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host" (Isaiah 45:5, 7, 12).
What is necessary to fulfill this commandment?
To fulfill this divine commandment, we need faith in God, which means a firm and sincere belief in His existence; love for God; constant remembrance of Him; worship of the Lord with gratitude for all His gifts and mercies towards us. And, of course, this commandment requires us to confess God without fear, meaning we should acknowledge that He is our Lord. We must not renounce our Orthodox faith, even if confessing it would lead to suffering or even death.
What are the sins against the first commandment?
Sins against this commandment are as follows:
Atheism (unbelief) - when people claim there is no God and completely deny His existence. Scripture calls such people foolish: "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God'" (Psalm 13:1), or when they acknowledge God's existence but do not believe in Divine Scripture and the teachings of the Holy Church.
Polytheism (paganism) - when instead of the One True God, people worship various imaginary deities.
Heresy (heterodoxy) - when individuals speculate about matters of faith contrary to the teaching of the Holy Church or invent dogmas opposing Christ's faith, or deliberately distort the Divine truth of Orthodoxy.
Schism - when Christians, contrary to sacred Tradition, arbitrarily introduce new rituals and customs, change the former practices of the holy fathers, thereby separating themselves from the unity of the Orthodox Church of Christ.
Apostasy - when people, fearing persecution, mockery, or worldly gain and motives, renounce the true Christian faith and adhere to heresy or other false beliefs.
Despair - when people, forgetting about God's boundless mercy, lose hope in God, believing that they cannot receive help or salvation from Him.
Sorcery - when people abandon faith in God's power and turn to various secret and evil forces, the power of demons. Sorcery includes popular figures such as wizards, healers, soothsayers, clairvoyants, and magicians. Orthodox Christians should always remember that these charlatans are the closest servants of the devil, and associating with them brings irreparable harm to the soul.
Superstition - when people believe in the supernatural power of ordinary objects without any rational basis, attributing to them supernatural power and relying on them more than on God. Superstitions include the popular belief in amulets, talismans, and magical stones. St. Paul admonishes us to follow the faith of Christ and reject fables of superstition: "If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths" (1 Timothy 4:6-7).
Idolatry - when people become excessively attached to creation, loving it more than the Creator and often saying, "I adore," meaning "I make a creature like God." In our time, this unnatural "love" for animals, both domestic and wild, falls into the category of idolatry. Such unhealthy "love," inspired by demons, often surpasses and eclipses love for God and for fellow humans, leading individuals to the point of being willing to harm their brothers for the sake of a homeless dog, for example.
Anthropocentrism - when people rely more on themselves and their own abilities or on other people or employ measures to seek help from the powerful of this world, without relying on God's mercy and seeking His help. To avoid falling into this grave sin, we should always remember the words of Holy Scripture: "Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation" (Psalm 145:3), and "Thus says the Lord: 'Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord'" (Jeremiah 17:5).
How can the veneration of saints by the Church be explained?
First and foremost, it should be noted that the Church of Christ teaches us that we should invoke the angels and God's chosen ones for their intercession before the Lord. However, we should venerate them not as God but as our close friends in God's presence, who, according to His will, bring our prayers before the Creator and request His mercy and blessings for us. Therefore, we need to seek help from God through the saints. As St. John Climacus eloquently puts it: "When you have seen the face of the king, and have become his friend, then if you want, you can present to him not only your own petitions, but also those of others. It is good to make friends, but friends who are spiritual. No one is so ready to help as a friend, and if he is a spiritual friend, he is even more so." The earliest guidance on the veneration of saints can be found in the Old Testament. For example, it is written: "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel... I will honor those who honor Me" (1 Samuel 2:30). "Their glory will never be blotted out. Their bodies are buried in peace, but their name lives on through generations. The assembly proclaims their wisdom, and the congregation tells of their praise" (Sirach 44:12-14). "Wondrous is God in His saints, the God of Israel" (Psalm 67:33), and so on. In the New Testament, there are numerous references to the veneration of God's chosen ones. The Lord Himself prayed for the righteous: "The glory that You have given Me, I have given to them" (John 17:22). St. James writes, "Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast" (James 5:11), and more. As "God is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all are alive to Him" (Luke 20:38), deceased holy intercessors continue to live within the Church. Even beyond the grave, they can pray for themselves (Revelation 6:10) and for us, the living. Intercessory prayer is a significant Christian duty (James 5:16). Therefore, the children of the True Church of Christ must believe in the intercession of saints, pray to them, and venerate them, though not in the same way they venerate God.
About the Second Commandment
Do not make for yourself a graven image or any likeness of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters under the earth; you shall not bow down to them, nor serve them...
What does the Creator forbid with this commandment?
With the Second Commandment, the Lord prohibits idolatry. This means that making or venerating idols, or any likeness or representation of things found in the heavens (such as the sun, moon, or stars), on the earth (including people, animals, and plants), or in the waters under the earth, is strictly forbidden. The Lord expressly forbids worshipping these idols instead of the true God, as done by pagan idolaters. Scripture speaks strongly against the worship of idols: "Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see; they have ears, but do not hear, and there is no breath in their mouths" (Psalm 135:15-17). However, the Second Commandment does not forbid the veneration of images of God, His angels, and His saints. Even in the Old Testament, the Lord instructed Moses to create an Ark for the tablets of the Law, which had a cover adorned with images of cherubim (Exodus 25:18). People who prayed to God and revered the sacred Ark also venerated the images of cherubim. These cherubim were also embroidered on the curtain of the tabernacle (Exodus 26:1). When the Israelites built the Jerusalem Temple, they adorned it with statues of cherubim made from olive wood (1 Kings 6:23), and the Lord did not reject this Temple but sanctified it: "the cloud filled the house of the Lord... the glory of the Lord filled the house" (1 Kings 8:10-11). When He came to Earth in human form, the Lord spent days in the Temple and referred to it as "My Father's house" (Mark 11:17). The apostles also spent time in the Temple, engaging in worship and prayer (Luke 24:53) - following the example set by the Lord. All of these examples indicate that God did not oppose the veneration of material holy objects (such as the Temple, the Ark, images of cherubim, and so on) but rather blessed and accepted such forms of veneration. Therefore, the veneration of icons by Christians can be considered a divinely instituted dogma.
What is an icon?
The word "icon" is of Greek origin and means "image" or "representation." St. John of Damascus writes about icons: "An icon, of course, is a likeness and representation, an impression of something, showing that which is depicted. Nevertheless, the likeness and the thing which is depicted are not in all respects identical, meaning that the likeness is different from the thing depicted. And, in any case, a distinction is noticed between them because the likeness is one thing and the thing which is depicted is another, and, in any case, there is no identity." In the Church of Christ, "icons" refer to sacred images of the Lord Jesus Christ, His Immaculate Mother, the saints, and angels, which are used for devout remembrance of God's wondrous works. The use of icons by Christians is in full accordance with the Second Commandment of God, as long as they do not treat icons as gods, but rather as representations of God, His angels, and His saints. The distinction lies in the fact that while idolaters consider their idols as gods, we, as Orthodox Christians, do not regard icons as gods but only as representations of the prototypes they depict. Therefore, when we pray before an icon, we are not praying to a wooden board, gesso, paint, oil, or metal, as idolaters do. Instead, we direct our prayers to the person depicted on the icon, the prototype.
What is depicted on icons?
Icons usually depict Jesus Christ as the Son of Man, as He chose to live on Earth among humans. God the Father is often represented as the Ancient of Days, as described in the Book of Daniel: "The clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like clean wool; His throne was fiery flames" (Daniel 7:9). The Holy Spirit is symbolized as a dove, as seen at the baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:16). Icons also feature the Most Holy Virgin Mary, heavenly angels (depicted as beautiful youths), God's saints, and various events from biblical and church history. Orthodox tradition holds that the first icon was the so-called "Not-Made-by-Hands" image of the Savior's face, sent by Christ to King Abgar of Edessa. St. Luke the Evangelist is credited as the creator of some of the first written icons, including several of the Virgin Mary. As the oldest practice of the Church, all Christians are encouraged to venerate holy images. True Christianity teaches that those who refuse to venerate icons are heretics and servants of Satan because they reject the veneration of the prototypes of icons – God and His saints, and thus turn to the devil and his demons.
What can be said about the veneration of holy relics?
In addition to icons, Christians also venerate holy relics. Relics are the physical remains of the saints of the Church, sanctified by God with complete or partial incorruptibility and miracles. The veneration of relics dates back to Old Testament times, with special memorials and tombs built over the graves of God's righteous servants (see 2 Kings 23:17-18). The veneration of relics also goes back to the miracles associated with them, such as the case where the bones of the prophet Elisha revived a dead man (2 Kings 13:20-21). The veneration of relics was practiced by the early Christians, who celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the tombs of martyrs who died for their faith in Christ. This tradition is preserved in the modern Church, but the graves of martyrs have been replaced by special altars containing fragments of their relics. St. Cyril of Jerusalem wrote about relics: "The dead man who touched the bones of Elisha came to life. The body of the prophet was dead and contained no soul, but it still possessed divine grace, and, through it, God worked miracles. This was done to show that there was a miraculous power in the bodies of the saints." These words show that the relics of God's saints house divine grace capable of performing miracles. Therefore, all Christians should venerate holy relics.
What else does the Second Commandment forbid?
The Second Commandment of God prohibits the following sins:
Idolatry: Worshiping created things instead of the Creator. This sin takes many forms in our time. It includes idolizing political leaders, popular singers, or actors, mindlessly obsessing over the work of a particular writer, poet, or artist, and replacing God, family, and friends with television and computer screens. Spending endless hours in front of screens, engaging in demonic games and shameful entertainment, is a manifestation of idolatry, as these screens have replaced God, family, and friends. Christians should strive to avoid these temptations, not watching television and using computers only for work. We must always remember the words of the Lord: "The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is not sound, your whole body will be full of darkness" (Matthew 6:22-23), and the words of the Apostle Paul: "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but I will not be dominated by anything" (1 Corinthians 6:12). We should strive to protect our eyes from evil, avoiding the temptation of disgraceful spectacles that can lead us to idolatry.
Gluttony: Gluttony is an excessive focus on eating and drinking, where a person worships his or her stomach, prioritizing bodily desires over spiritual needs. Such a person places food and drink above God, finding enjoyment in indulgence and consumption. The sin of gluttony is countered by fasting, temperance, and prayer.
Pride (Self-love and Vanity): When a person has an excessively high opinion of their own qualities, such as intellect, beauty, wealth, or success, it leads them to adore themselves. They disregard the will of God and scorn the advice and opinions of others, clinging stubbornly to their own views, even when they are mistaken. Such prideful individuals turn themselves into idols. St. John Climacus wrote about insane pride: "The beginning of pride is the end of modesty; the center of evil is self-love; the end of self-love is the beginning of sin; the beginning of pride is the final hatred of God." Pride is healed by the virtues of obedience, humility, and meekness.
Avarice (Covetousness): Avarice, the desire for wealth, makes wealth a false god, an idol, which people serve and worship more than God. The Apostle Paul equates avarice with idolatry, warning us, "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry" (Colossians 3:5). To counteract the sin of avarice, we should practice generosity, contentment, and almsgiving.
About the Third Commandment:
Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain...
What does the third commandment of God's law teach?
The third commandment forbids us from using the name of God in vain, without proper reverence. Taking God's name in vain means speaking God's name falsely and without the due reverence. This includes using God's name in empty conversations, trivial and frivolous discussions, or in jest. The sacred name of God should be spoken with fear and reverence only in prayer and when teaching about God.
What are the sins against this commandment?
The third commandment of God prohibits not only the irreverent use of God's name but also other sins that arise from a light and disrespectful attitude toward God and His holy name. These sins include:
Blasphemy: Uttering audacious words against God and His saints.
Perjury: The frivolous use of an oath in ordinary conversation, invoking God's authority in everyday, non-serious discussions, as in phrases like "I swear to God" or "God is my witness."
Profanity: Treating sacred objects (holy relics, icons, church vessels, churches, etc.) with contempt or mockery, making fun of them or speaking disrespectfully about them.
Breaking vows made to God: This includes failing to fulfill promises and commitments made to God, whether it's a vow or a pledge of devotion or service.
About the Fourth Commandment.
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God...
What does God command with this commandment?
The fourth commandment instructs us to work for six days and attend to our worldly duties during that time, as necessary. However, it also commands that the seventh day be dedicated to serving God, focusing on holy and pleasing activities, which include prayer at God's house and at home, reading the Holy Scriptures and other spiritually beneficial books, studying God's law, engaging in pious conversations, helping the poor, visiting the sick, and other charitable deeds. In the Old Testament, the seventh day, known as the Sabbath, was set aside for this purpose. The word "Sabbath" in ancient Hebrew means "rest." In Scripture, it is said that the Lord created the world in six days and rested on the seventh day: "On the seventh day, God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because in it He rested from all His work" (Genesis 2:2-3). In the time of the prophet Moses, God first commanded the Israelites to observe the Sabbath, commemorating their miraculous liberation from Egyptian slavery: "Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there... Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day and to sanctify it" (Deuteronomy 5:15).
Why do Christians celebrate Sunday?
In the Holy Church of the New Testament, from the time of the apostles, the first day of the week, Sunday, began to be observed instead of the Jewish Sabbath. This is done to commemorate the Resurrection of Christ. If the Sabbath was originally celebrated only by the Jews in memory of their liberation from Egyptian slavery, today, Sunday is celebrated by all in memory of Christ's deliverance of all humanity from the slavery of the devil. Therefore, Christians should not celebrate the Sabbath. Jesus Himself, when He came to Earth and fulfilled all the Old Testament commandments, violated the Sabbath by performing miracles (Luke 6:6 and John 5:2-9) and teaching, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27). In the Old Testament, God also foretold that the sons of God would celebrate not the Sabbath but another day. It is written: "It shall be to them a memorable day, and on that day I shall be glorified, says the Lord God" (Ezekiel 39:13). That day has arrived - the day of Christ's Resurrection from the tomb. According to Sacred Tradition, the early Christians already honored the first day of the week, Sunday, as a day of remembrance. St. Ignatius the God-Bearer, who was martyred in the year 107, wrote, "(The prophets) lived in the ancient way but approached a new hope, and they did not observe the Sabbath but lived in the observance of the Lord's Day, in which our life also rose." The rejection of the Sabbath and all Jewish customs by the early Christians is evident in the words of St. Ignatius: "It is absurd to profess Jesus Christ and live like Jews; for it is not Christianity that believes in Judaism, but Judaism in Christianity."
What else does the fourth commandment teach us?
The fourth commandment of God's law teaches us that, in addition to observing the Sabbath, we should also keep other holidays dedicated to God and His saints, as well as fasts. The most important Christian holiday is the "Feast of Feasts and Triumph of Triumphs" - the Holy Pascha of the Lord, the radiant Resurrection of Christ, celebrated on the first Sunday after the vernal equinox, falling between March 22 (April 4 new style) and April 25 (May 8 new style). Following Pascha, there are twelve other great and significant Christian holidays, collectively known as the "twelve major feasts." These are:
Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos - September 8 (September 21 new style)
Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple - November 21 (December 4 new style)
Annunciation of the Theotokos (Luke 1:26-38) - March 25 (April 7 new style)
Nativity of Christ (Matthew 1:18-25) - December 25 (January 7 new style)
Presentation of the Lord (Luke 2:22-39) - February 2 (February 15 new style)
Theophany (Baptism of the Lord, Matthew 3:13-17) - January 6 (January 19 new style)
Transfiguration of the Lord (Luke 9:28-36) - August 6 (August 19 new style)
Palm Sunday (Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, John 12:12-19) - The Sunday before Pascha
Ascension of the Lord (Acts 1:9-12) - The fortieth day after Pascha
Pentecost (Holy Trinity Day, Acts 2:1-4) - The fiftieth day after Pascha
Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord - September 14 (September 27 new style)
Dormition of the Theotokos - August 15 (August 28 new style)
What is Christian fasting?
Fasting was established by God Himself in the Old Testament (Jonah 3:5, Exodus 34:28, 1 Samuel 7:6, 1 Kings 19:8, and others) and confirmed in the New Testament when the Lord fasted for 40 days in the wilderness (Matthew 4:2) and commanded us to fast, saying, "Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast" (Matthew 9:15). The Holy Apostles also fasted (Acts 9:9, Acts 13:2-3, and others). Therefore, the Church keeps fasts as a great treasure because fasting lightens our souls from the burden of sins and makes the yoke of Christ's commandments easy to bear (St. John Chrysostom). The Orthodox Christian fasts include:
Great Lent - observed before Pascha, lasts for seven weeks: six weeks of fasting and the seventh week is Holy Week, commemorating the Lord's Passion.
Nativity Fast - observed before the Nativity of Christ, begins on November 15 (28 new style) and continues until December 24 (January 6 new style).
Dormition Fast - observed before the Dormition of the Theotokos, begins on August 1 (14 new style) and continues until August 14 (27 new style).
Apostles' Fast - observed before the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul on June 29 (July 12 new style), beginning a week after Pentecost.
In addition to these four fasting periods, the Church has established one-day fasts every Wednesday and Friday, known as "in those days" (Luke 5:35). Wednesday is associated with Judas's betrayal of our Lord, and Friday with the crucifixion of Christ.
What is true fasting?
Those who fast sincerely should earnestly contemplate righteousness and goodness (Isaiah 58:6-7). They should decisively abandon all bad habits and passions, avoid sinful deeds, distance themselves from a licentious lifestyle, and restrain their bodies from sinful pleasures and rich foods. This is similar to what the prophet Daniel did in ancient times: "I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth" (Daniel 10:3). During the fasting days, foods such as meat, eggs, and dairy products are replaced with lenten options (plant-based food and, when allowed, fish). Even during fasting, it is important to consume such food in moderation. Saint Dorofey wrote about this: "After experiencing one's own need, it is appropriate to maintain one's strength with measured food, not for pleasure but to support one's body. However, even the little someone consumes as food should be accepted with prayer and a sense of unworthiness."
It's essential for Christians to understand that mere abstinence from food and drink, without prayer and good deeds, does not constitute true fasting. Saint John Chrysostom emphasized this when he said, "What is the use of abstaining from food if you don't abstain from avarice? This great evil! What is the advantage of fasting if you devour your neighbor's possessions through fraud? What is the benefit of fasting if you don't withhold your tongue from slander? Don't abstain from food but refuse from injuring your neighbor. If you abstain only from food but aren't concerned with your neighbor, you harm your body. Abstain not only from food but also from injuries and offenses."
Furthermore, during extended fasting periods, it is recommended for a Christian to confess their sins and partake in Holy Communion.