THE 10 COMMANDMENTS

Luther's Little Instruction Book (The Small Catechism of Martin Luther)
Translation by Robert E. Smith May 22, 1994 Version 1.1 -- December 22, 1994
PW# 001-003-002Eac

The Ten Commandments: The Simple Way a Father Should Present Them to His Household

1. The First Commandment: You must not have other gods.

   Q. What does this mean?

   A. We must fear, love, and trust God more than anything else.

2. The Second Commandment: You must not misuse your God's name.

   Q. What does this mean?

   A. We must fear and love God, so that we will not use His name to curse, swear, cast a spell, lie or deceive, but will use it to call upon Him, pray to Him, praise Him and thank Him in all times of trouble.

3. The Third Commandment: You must keep the Sabbath holy.

   Q. What does this mean?

   A. We must fear and love God, so that we will not look down on preaching or God's Word, but consider it holy, listen to it willingly, and learn it.

4. The Fourth Commandment: You must honor your father and mother. [So that things will go well for you and you will live long on earth].

   Q. What does this mean?

   A. We must fear and love God, so that we will neither look down on our parents or superiors nor irritate them, but will honor them, serve them, obey them, love them and value them.

5. The Fifth Commandment: You must not kill.

   Q. What does this mean?

   A. We must fear and love God, so that we will neither harm nor hurt our neighbor's body, but help him and care for him when he is ill.

6. The Sixth Commandment: You must not commit adultery.

   Q. What does this mean?

   A. We must fear and love God, so that our words and actions will be clean and decent and so that everyone will love and honor their spouses.

7. The Seventh Commandment: You must not steal.

   Q. What does this mean?

   A. We must fear and love God, so that we will neither take our neighbor's money or property, nor acquire it by fraud or by selling him poorly made products, but will help him improve and protect his property and career.

8. The Eighth Commandment: You must not tell lies about your neighbor.

   Q. What does this mean?

   A. We must fear and love God, so that we will not deceive by lying, betraying, slandering or ruining our neighbor's reputation, but will defend him, say good things about him, and see the best side of everything he does.

9. The Ninth Commandment: You must not desire your neighbor's house.

   Q. What does this mean?

   A. We must fear and love God, so that we will not attempt to trick our neighbor out of his inheritance or house, take it by pretending to have a right to it, etc. but help him to keep & improve it.

10. The Tenth Commandment: You must not desire your neighbor's wife, servant, maid, animals or anything that belongs to him.

    Q. What does this mean?

    A. We must fear and love God, so that we will not release his cattle, take his employees from him or seduce his wife, but urge them to stay and do what they ought to do.

    The Conclusion to the Commandments

    Q. What does God say to us about all these commandments?

    A. This is what He says:

    “I am the Lord Your God. I am a jealous God. I plague the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of those who hate me with their ancestor's sin. But I make whole those who love me for a thousand generations.”

    Q. What does it mean?

    A. God threatens to punish everyone who breaks these commandments. We should be afraid of His anger because of this and not violate such commandments. But He promises grace and all good things to those who keep such commandments. Because of this, we, too, should love Him, trust Him, and willingly do what His commandments require.

_________________

This text was translated in 1994 for Project Wittenberg by Robert E. Smith and has been placed in the public domain by him. You may freely distribute, copy or print this text. Please direct any comments or suggestions to Rev. Robert E. Smith of the Walther Library at:

Concordia Theological Seminary.
E-mail: CFWLibrary@CRF.CUIS.EDU
Surface Mail: 6600 N. Clinton St., Ft. Wayne, IN 46825 USA
Phone: (219) 481-2123
Fax: (219) 481-2126

If you would like to talk to a pastor about what Lutherans believe,

• call (914) 337-0207
• click here to contact us on the web

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Luther's Little Instruction Book (The Small Catechism of Martin Luther)
Part Three: The Lord's Prayer
Translated by Robert E. Smith
June 10, 1994

The Our Father: The Simple Way a Father Should Present it to His Household

1. Introduction
   Our Father, Who is in Heaven.

Q. What does this mean?
A. In this introduction, God invites us to believe that He is our real Father and we are His real children, so that we will pray with trust and complete confidence, in the same way beloved children approach their beloved Father with their requests.

2. The First Request
   May Your name be holy.
   

Q. What does this mean?
A. Of course, God's name is holy in and of itself, but by this request, we pray that He will make it holy among us, too.

Q. How does this take place?
A. When God's Word is taught clearly and purely, and when we live holy lives as God's children based upon it. Help us, Heavenly Father,to do this! But anyone who teaches and lives by something other than God's Word defiles God's name among us. Protect us from this, Heavenly Father!

3. The Second Request
   Your Kingdom come.

Q. What does this mean?
A. Truly God's Kingdom comes by itself, without our prayer. But we pray in this request that it come to us as well.

Q. How does this happen?
A. When the Heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that we believe His holy Word by His grace and live godly lives here in this age and there in eternal life.

4. The Third Request
   May Your will be accomplished, as it is Heaven, so may it be on Earth.

Q. What does this mean?
A. Truly, God's good and gracious will is accomplished without our prayer. But we pray in this request that is be accomplished among us as well.

Q. How does this happen?
A. When God destroys and interferes with every evil will and all evil advice, which will not allow God's Kingdom to come, such as the Devil's will, the world's will and will of our bodily desires. It also happens when God strengthens us by faith and by His Word and keeps living by them faithfully until the end of our lives. This is His will, good and full of grace.

5. The Fourth Request
   Give us our daily bread today.

Q. What does this mean?
A. Truly, God gives daily bread to evil people, even without our prayer. But we pray in this request that He will help us realize this and receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.

Q. What does “Daily Bread” mean?
A. Everything that nourishes our body and meets its needs, such as: Food, drink, clothing, shoes, house, yard, fields, cattle, money, possessions, a devout spouse, devout children, devout employees, devout and faithful rulers, good government, good weather, peace, health, discipline, honor, good friends, faithful neighbors and other things like these.

6. The Fifth Request
   And forgive our guilt, as we forgive those guilty of sinning against us.

Q. What does this mean?
A. We pray in this request that our Heavenly Father will neither pay attention to our sins nor refuse requests such as these because of our sins and because we are neither worthy nor deserve the things for which we pray. Yet He wants to give them all to us by His grace, because many times each day we sin and truly deserve only punishment. Because God does this, we will, of course, want to forgive from our hearts and willingly do good to those who sin against us.

7. The Sixth Request
   And lead us not into temptation.

Q. What does this mean?
A. God tempts no one, of course, but we pray in this request that God will protect us and save us, so that the Devil, the world and our bodily desires will neither deceive us nor seduce us into heresy, despair or other serious shame or vice, and so that we will win and be victorious in the end, even if they attack us.

8. The Seventh Request
   But set us free from the Evil One.

Q. What does this mean?
A. We pray in this request, as a summary, that our Father in Heaven will save us from every kind of evil that threatens body, soul, property and honor. We pray that when at last our final hour has come, He will grant us a blessed death, and, in His grace, bring us to Himself from this valley of tears.

9. Amen.

Q. What does this mean?
A. That I should be certain that such prayers are acceptable to the Father in Heaven and will be granted, that He Himself has commanded us to pray in this way and that He promises to answer us. Amen. Amen. This means: Yes, yes it will happen this way.