9 Beatitudes in Russian. Interpretation of the Beatitudes

Chapter 2. Interpretation of the Beatitudes Throughout world history, humanity received from God two moral codes: the Old Testament legislation of Moses, given on Mount Sinai, and the New Testament law of the Gospel, which is known as

Interpretation of the Ten Commandments (Decalogue) “Moses went up to God [on the mountain], and the Lord called to him from the mountain...” (Ex. 19: 3). With these words begins one of the most mysterious moments in human history - the conclusion of the Covenant on Mount Sinai, or the Sinai Legislation.

Interpretation of the Beatitudes Throughout world history, humanity has received from God two moral codes: the Old Testament legislation of Moses, given on Mount Sinai, and the New Testament law of the Gospel, which is known as the Mount Mount

The Ten Commandments The Ten Commandments are distinct from the rest of the laws, and are probably a concentration of the basic rules that govern the daily life of the children of Israel. According to the book of Exodus, the commandments are the imprint of God and a sign between the Lord and the sons

Chapter 5. 1. Sermon on the Mount. Nine Beatitudes. 1. Seeing the people, He went up the mountain; and when he sat down, His disciples came to Him (Mark 3:13; Luke 6:12). By the time between the events recounted by Matthew at the end of the previous chapter (vv. 23 and 24) and the Savior’s delivery of the Sermon on the Mount

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 should 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 it—thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. " And the Lord also gave us the right guidance on how to act: “As you want people to do to you, do so to them.”

The Beatitudes.

Explanation of the Beatitudes.

The First Beatitude.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit (humble), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

The word "blessed" means extremely happy.
The poor in spirit are humble people who are aware of their imperfection. Spiritual poverty is the conviction that all the advantages and benefits that we have - health, intelligence, various abilities, abundance of food, home, etc. - we received all this from God. Everything good in us is God's.
Humility is the first and fundamental Christian virtue. Without humility a person cannot excel in any other virtue. Therefore, the first commandment of the New Testament speaks of the need to become humble. A humble person asks God for help in everything, always thanks God for the blessings given to him, reproaches himself for his shortcomings or sins and asks God for help to correct. God loves humble people and always helps them, but He does not help the proud and arrogant. “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble,” the Holy Scripture teaches us (Prov. 3:34).
Just as humility is the first virtue, so pride is the beginning of all sins. Long before the creation of our world, one of the angels close to God, named Dennitsa, became proud of the brightness of his mind and his closeness to God and wanted to become equal to God. He made a revolution in heaven and drew some of the angels into disobedience. Then the angels, devoted to God, expelled the rebellious angels from paradise. The disobedient angels formed their own kingdom - hell. This is how evil began in the world.
The Lord Jesus Christ is for us the greatest example of humility. “Learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls,” He told His disciples. Very often, people who are very gifted spiritually are “poor in spirit” - that is, humble, and people who are less talented or completely untalented, on the contrary, are very proud, loving praise. The Lord also said: “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12).

Second Beatitude.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."

Those who mourn are those who recognize their sins and shortcomings and repent of them.
The crying spoken of in this commandment is grief of the heart and tears of repentance for sins committed. “Sorrow for God’s sake produces repentance leading to salvation, but worldly sorrow produces death,” says St. Apostle Paul. Worldly sadness, which is harmful to the soul, is excessive grief due to the loss of everyday objects or due to failures in life. Worldly sadness comes from sinful attachment to worldly goods, due to pride and selfishness. Therefore it is harmful.
Sadness can be useful for us when we cry out of compassion for our neighbors who are in trouble. We also cannot be indifferent when we see other people commit evil deeds. The increase in evil among people should cause us to feel sorrow. This feeling of sorrow comes from love for God and goodness. Such grief is good for the soul, as it cleanses it of passions.
As a reward for those who cry, the Lord promises that they will be comforted: they will receive forgiveness of sins, and through this inner peace, they will receive eternal joy.

The Third Beatitude.

"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth."

Meek people are those who do not quarrel with anyone, but give in. Meekness is calmness, a state of soul full of Christian love, in which a person never gets irritated and never allows himself to grumble.
Christian meekness is expressed in patiently enduring insults. The opposite sins of meekness are: anger, malice, irritability, vindictiveness.
The Apostle taught Christians: “If it is possible on your part, be at peace with all people” (Rom. 12:18).
A meek person prefers to remain silent when insulted by another person. A meek person will not quarrel over something taken away. A meek person will not raise his voice at another person or shout swear words.
The Lord promises the meek that they will inherit the earth. This promise means that meek people will be heirs of the heavenly fatherland, the “new earth” (2 Peter 3:13). For their meekness, they will receive many benefits from God forever, while daring people who offended others and robbed the meek will receive nothing in that life.
A Christian must remember that God sees everything and that He is infinitely just. Everyone will get what they deserve.

The Fourth Beatitude.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

Hungry - those who strongly desire to eat, hungry. Thirsty - those who have a strong desire to drink. “Truth” means the same thing as holiness, that is, spiritual perfection.
In other words, this commandment could be said like this: blessed are those who strive with all their might for holiness, for spiritual perfection, because they will receive it from God.
Those who hunger and thirst for truth are those people who, aware of their sinfulness, fervently desire to become better. They strive with all their might to live according to the commandments of God.
The expression “hungry and thirsty” shows that our desire for truth should be as strong as the desire of the hungry and thirsty to satisfy their hunger and thirst. King David perfectly expresses this desire for righteousness: “As a deer strives for streams of water, so desires my soul for You, O God!” (Ps. 41:2)
The Lord promises those who hunger and thirst for righteousness that they will be satisfied, i.e. that they will achieve righteousness with God's help.
This Beatitude teaches us not to be satisfied with being no worse than other people. We must become cleaner and better every day of our lives. The parable of the talents tells us that we are responsible before God for those talents, that is, those abilities that God gave us, and for the opportunities that He provided us to “multiply” our talents. The lazy slave was punished not because he was bad, but because he buried his talent, that is, he did not acquire anything good in this life.

The Fifth Beatitude.

"Blessed are the merciful, for they will obtain mercy."

Merciful are people who are compassionate towards others, these are people who feel sorry for other people who are in trouble or in need of help.
Deeds of mercy are material and spiritual.
Material works of mercy:
Feed the hungry
Give drink to the thirsty
To clothe the one who lacks clothes,
Visit a sick person.
Often there is a Sisterhood at churches that sends help to people in need in different countries. You can send your financial assistance through the church sisterhood or another charitable organization.
If there is a car accident or we see a sick person on the road, we must call an ambulance and make sure that this person receives medical care. Or, if we see that someone is being robbed or beaten, we need to call the police to save this person.
Works of spiritual mercy:
Give your neighbor good advice.
Forgive the offense.
Teach the ignorant truth and goodness.
Help the sinner to get on the right path.
Pray for your neighbors to God.
The Lord promises the merciful as a reward that they themselves will receive mercy, i.e. at the upcoming judgment of Christ they will be shown mercy: God will have mercy on them.
“Blessed is he who thinks (cares) for the poor and needy; in the day of trouble the Lord will deliver him” (Psalm).

The Sixth Beatitude.

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God."

Pure in heart are those people who not only do not openly sin, but also do not harbor vicious and unclean thoughts, desires and feelings in themselves, in their hearts. The heart of such people is free from attachment to corruptible earthly things and free from sins and passions implanted by passion, pride and pride. People who are pure in heart constantly think about God and always see His presence.
To acquire purity of heart, one must keep the fasts commanded by the Church and try to avoid overeating, drunkenness, indecent films and dances, and reading obscene magazines.
Purity of heart is much higher than simple sincerity. Purity of heart consists only in sincerity, in the frankness of a person in relation to his neighbor, and purity of heart requires the complete suppression of vicious thoughts and desires, and constant thought about God and His holy Law.
The Lord promises people with a pure heart as a reward that they will see God. Here on earth they will see Him gracefully and mysteriously, with the spiritual eyes of the heart. They can see God in His appearances, images and likenesses. In the future eternal life they will see God as He is; and since seeing God is the source of the highest bliss, the promise to see God is the promise of the highest bliss.

The Seventh Beatitude.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.”

Peacemakers are people who live with everyone in peace and harmony, who do a lot to ensure that there is peace between people.
Peacemakers are those people who themselves try to live with everyone in peace and harmony and try to reconcile other people who are at war with each other, or at least pray to God for their reconciliation. The Apostle Paul wrote: “If it is possible on your part, be at peace with all people.”
The Lord promises the peacemakers that they will be called sons of God, that is, they will be closest to God, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. By their feat, peacemakers are likened to the Son of God - Jesus Christ, who came to earth to reconcile sinners with the justice of God and to establish peace between people, instead of the enmity that prevailed between them. Therefore, peacemakers are promised the gracious name of children of God, and with this endless bliss.
The Apostle Paul says: “If you are children of God, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him; because I think that the sufferings of this present time are worth nothing in comparison with that glory, which will be revealed in us" (Rom. 8:17-18).

The Eighth Beatitude.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Those persecuted for the sake of truth are those true believers who so love to live in truth, i.e. according to the Law of God, that for the firm fulfillment of their Christian duties, for their righteous and pious life, they suffer persecution, persecution, deprivation from wicked people, from enemies, but do not betray the truth in any way.
Persecution is inevitable for Christians who live according to the truth of the gospel, because evil people hate the truth and always persecute those people who defend the truth. The Only Begotten Son of God Jesus Christ himself was crucified on the cross by his enemies, and He predicted to all His followers: “If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also” (John 15:20). And the Apostle Paul wrote: “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12).
In order to patiently endure persecution for the sake of truth, a person must have: love for the truth, constancy and firmness in virtue, courage and patience, faith and hope in God’s help.
The Lord promises the Kingdom of Heaven to those persecuted for the sake of righteousness, i.e. complete triumph of the spirit, joy and bliss in the heavenly villages.

The Ninth Beatitude.

“Blessed are you when they revile you and persecute you and say all sorts of unjust things against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven.”

In the last, ninth commandment, our Lord Jesus Christ calls especially blessed those who, for the name of Christ and for the true Orthodox faith in Him, patiently endure reproach, persecution, slander, slander, mockery, disasters and even death.
Such a feat is called martyrdom. There can be nothing higher than the feat of martyrdom.
The courage of Christian martyrs must be distinguished from fanaticism, which is zeal beyond reason. Christian courage must also be distinguished from the insensibility caused by despair and from the feigned indifference with which some criminals, in their extreme bitterness and pride, listen to the verdict and go to execution.
Christian courage is based on high Christian virtues: faith in God, hope in God, love for God and neighbors, complete obedience and unshakable loyalty to the Lord God.
A high example of martyrdom is Christ the Savior Himself, as well as the Apostles and countless Christians who joyfully went to suffer for the Name of Christ. For the feat of martyrdom, the Lord promises a great reward in heaven, i.e. the highest degree of bliss in the future eternal life. But even here on earth, the Lord glorifies many martyrs for their firm confession of faith through the incorruption of their bodies and miracles.
The Apostle Peter wrote: “If they slander you because of the Name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of Glory, the Spirit of God, rests on you. By these he is blasphemed, but by you he is glorified” (1 Peter 4:14).

Jesus Christ brought the New Testament to humanity, the meaning of which is that now every person who believes in God can be freed from the sins that make his life difficult and joyless.

The Gospel conveys the Lord's Sermon on the Mount, in which He told people the nine beatitudes. These are nine conditions, subject to which a person can gain eternal life in the abode of the Almighty.

By His death on the cross, Jesus Christ atoned for the sins of people and thereby gave them the opportunity to discover the Kingdom of Heaven within themselves during their earthly life. But in order to experience this grace, you need to fulfill the beatitudes listed in the Sermon on the Mount.

The modern Gospel differs significantly from the original source. This is not surprising - it has been translated and rewritten many times. The surviving Ostromir Gospel, dated to the mid-11th century, most accurately conveys the content of the 9 Beatitudes, but it is almost impossible for an ordinary person without special education to understand it. Not only is the Old Church Slavonic alphabet radically different from the Russian alphabet, but the Gospel uses words, expressions and concepts that have long been outdated and have fallen out of circulation. Theologians and philosophers all over the world have been and continue to be engaged in the interpretation of the Beatitudes.

The meaning of the word "bliss"

First you need to understand what the word “bliss” means. The closest synonym is bliss. When we say that we are blissful, we mean that we are basking. In the gospel understanding, beatitude means something slightly different. Christian Bliss - To experience bliss in the Christian sense is to be in a state of serene peace. In modern language, do not experience anxiety, doubt, or anxiety. Christian bliss is not analogous to the serene peace of Buddhists or Muslims, since it can manifest itself in the physical world during earthly life as a result of a conscious choice and renunciation of the manifestations of the forces of evil. The interpretation of the Beatitudes explains the meaning of this choice and self-denial.

Purpose of the commandments

The biblical commandments mark milestones in the development of man as an individual, the evolution of his spiritual world. On the one hand, they indicate what should be the goal of a person’s life, on the other, they reflect his nature and reveal what a person has an inner attraction to. The Gospel beatitudes echo those of the Old Testament. The 10 Beatitudes given by the Lord to Moses relate more to the material world and physical relationships between people in society. They indicate what a person should do, but do not affect his state of mind.

The seven prohibitions listed in the Sermon on the Mount are sometimes mistakenly called the 7 Beatitudes of Jesus Christ. It is not right. Christ did not reject the prohibitions of killing, envying, creating new idols, adultery, stealing and gluttony, but said that the result of the eradication of these sins is the emergence of pure love between people. “Love one another,” the Lord commanded, and thereby directed people not to keep track of misdeeds, but to treat each other with mercy, understanding and compassion.

The 9 Beatitudes were interpreted by such outstanding thinkers as Henri Bergson, Ignatius Brianchaninov, Nikolai Serbsky and others. Let's look at each commandment in detail.

About spiritual poverty

The first commandment of the beatitude of the Lord says that the first condition of bliss is the feeling of being spiritually poor. What does it mean? In earlier times, the concept of poverty did not mean a difficult financial situation, lack of money or property. A beggar was a person who asked for something. Poor in spirit means asking for spiritual enlightenment. Happy, or blessed, is the one who does not ask or seek material benefits, but the one who acquires wisdom and spirituality.

Bliss does not lie in experiencing satisfaction from the lack of material wealth or from its presence, but in not feeling superior to others if you have material wealth or oppressed if you do not have it.

The Beatitudes of Jesus Christ encourage the acceptance of earthly life as a means to achieve the Kingdom of Heaven, and if material wealth serves a person to increase spiritual wealth, then this is also the right path to God.

It is easier for a poor person to come to God, since he is more concerned about his own survival in the material world than a rich person. It is believed that he turns to God for help more often, and he has a greater chance of connecting with the Creator. However, this is an overly simplified idea of ​​what constitutes the path to achieving spiritual wisdom and bliss.

Another interpretation of the commandment is based on the translation of the word “spirit” from the ancient Aramaic language. Then its synonym was the word “will”. Thus, a person who is “poor in spirit” can be called “poor of his own free will.”

Comparing both meanings of the expression “poor in spirit,” we can assume that Christ meant by the first beatitude that the Kingdom of Heaven will be achieved by those who voluntarily choose as their goal only the achievement of wisdom. And he will direct his will and mind to her alone.

About comforting those who cry

Happy are those who mourn, for they will be comforted - this is how the second beatitude sounds in the modern presentation. You should not think that we are talking about any tears. It is no coincidence that this commandment comes after the one that speaks of spiritual poverty. It is on the first commandment that all subsequent ones are based.

Crying is sorrow and regret. The poor in spirit regret the years spent searching for and accumulating material things. He is sad that he did not gain wisdom earlier; he remembers his actions and the actions of other people, which destroyed their lives, as they were aimed at achieving worldly joys. He regrets the wasted time and effort. He cries that he sinned against God, who sacrificed His own Son to people in order to save them, mired in worldly squabbles and worries. Therefore, you need to understand that not every cry pleases God.

For example, a mother’s cry that her son has become a drug addict or a drunkard is not always pleasing to God - if a mother cries that she will be left alone in old age, without the care and concern that she expected to receive from her adult son, then she cries only because she is disadvantaged pride and disappointment. She cries because she will not receive worldly goods. This kind of crying will not lead to comfort. He can turn a woman against other people whom she will assign to blame for what happened to her son, and the unhappy mother will begin to think that the world is unfair.

And if this woman begins to cry because her son stumbled and chose a disastrous path because of her own oversight, because from an early age she instilled in him only the desire for material superiority over others, but did not explain the need to be kind and honest , merciful and condescending to the shortcomings of other people? With such repentant tears, a woman will cleanse her soul and help her son to be saved. It is about this kind of crying that it is said: “Blessed are those who mourn who are sad because of their own sins. The Lord will find consolation for them, for the sake of such tears the Lord will show mercy and give the miracle of forgiveness.”

About the meek

Christ called meekness the third beatitude. It seems that there is no point in explaining this bliss. Everyone understands that a person who does not object, does not resist, and humbles himself before people and circumstances is called meek. However, not everything is so simple here either. A person who does not contradict those who are stronger and more powerful than him cannot be considered meek in the gospel understanding. Divine meekness comes from the first two beatitudes. First, a person realizes his spiritual poverty, then he repents and cries for his sins. Sincere contrition for them makes a person tolerant of the evil shown by other people. He knows that they, like himself, will sooner or later come to understand their own guilt for the troubles happening to them, realize their responsibility and guilt for the injustice and evil that they do to others.

A repentant sinner, like no one else, knows well that before God all people are equal. The repentant does not put up with evil, but, having experienced many sufferings, he comes to understand that man’s salvation is only in the hands of God. If He saved him, then He will save others too.

The preaching of the Beatitudes is not divorced from real life. The Lord Jesus Christ was meek, but he angrily attacked the merchants who exchanged sacrificial doves and candles for money in the temple, but He did not give us the right to do the same. He commanded us to show meekness. Why? Because He Himself commanded that the person who shows aggression will suffer from aggression.

The Lord teaches us that we must be thoughtful, but thinking about our own sins, and not about others, even if they are committed by a priest of the highest rank. John Chrysostom interprets this beatitude this way: do not object to the offender, lest he hand you over to the judge, and he, in turn, to the executioner. Injustice often rules in worldly life, but we should not complain. We must accept the world as God created it and devote our energy to improving our own personality.

It is interesting that many modern authors who have written instructions on how to make friends, how to become happy and successful, how to stop worrying and start living, give the same advice as Christ, but their advice does not work well. This is explained by the fact that they are not coordinated with each other and do not have outside support. In these pieces of advice, a person is opposed to the whole world and must cope with it alone, and following the Gospel, a person receives help from God Himself. Therefore, all such books quickly go out of fashion, but the Gospel continues to remain relevant for more than 2,000 years.

About those who thirst for truth

At first glance, this beatitude appears to repeat the first. The poor in spirit seek divine truth, and the hungry and thirsty seek the truth. Are they not acquiring the same thing?

Let's consider this example. A certain person says about himself: “I don’t know how to lie. I always tell the truth to everyone.” Is it so? Thirsting for the truth of the Gospel does not mean telling it to everyone all the time. That lover of truth, whom we called “a certain person,” often turns out to be just a boor who bluntly tells his opponent, who does not share his opinion or has made some mistake, that he is stupid. Not only is this lover of truth not distinguished by great insight and he himself does not always do everything right, he is unlikely to tell this truth of his to someone who is stronger and more powerful than him.

So, what is Divine truth and the desire for it, and what does it mean “those who thirst for truth will be satisfied with it”? John of Kronstadt explains this very clearly. A hungry man craves food. After being full, some time passes, and he is hungry again. This is natural in the case of food. But as far as Divine truth is concerned, everything is somewhat different. God loves those who have received the first three beatitudes. For this he gives them a calm and peaceful life. Such people, like a magnet, attract others to themselves. So, Emperor Leo left his throne and went to the desert where Saint Moses Murin lived. The emperor wanted to know wisdom. He had everything he wanted, could satisfy any of his worldly needs, but he was not happy. He longed for wise advice on what to do to regain the joy of life. understood the emperor’s mental anguish. He wished to help the worldly ruler, thirsted for divine truth and received it (was satisfied). Like grace, the holy elder poured out his wise speeches on the emperor and restored his peace of mind.

The Old Testament Adam and Eve lived in the presence of God, and His truth accompanied them at every moment of their lives, but they did not thirst for it. They had nothing to repent of, they did not experience any torment. They were sinless. They did not know losses and sorrows, therefore they did not value their well-being and, without any doubt, agreed to eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. For this they lost the opportunity to see God and were expelled from paradise.

God gave us an understanding of what we should value and what we should strive for. We know that if we strive to fulfill His commandments, He will reward us and give us real happiness.

About the merciful

There are several parables about mercy in the Gospel. These are the parables of the publican and the mite of the poor widow. We all know that giving alms to the poor is a God-pleasing act. But even if we approach this issue wisely and give the beggar not money, which he will most likely spend on alcohol, but food or clothing, we are not like either the tax collector or the widow. After all, by giving alms to a stranger, we, as a rule, do not infringe upon ourselves. Such mercy is commendable, but it cannot be compared with the mercy of God, who gave people His Son, Jesus Christ, for salvation.

The Beatitudes are not as easy to fulfill as they seem at first glance. However, we are quite capable of them. How often, having learned about the troubles of a person, do we utter the following phrases: “Never mind - you have a lot of problems of your own,” “His fate, of course, is difficult, but everyone has their own cross,” or “Everything is God’s will.” " By saying this, we are removed from the manifestation of true, Divine mercy.

True mercy, subject to a person, can be expressed in such sympathy and desire to help another, which will make a person think about the cause of this misfortune, that is, take the path of fulfilling the first bliss. The greatest mercy is that, having cleansed our own hearts and souls from sin, we ask God to help a stranger to us so that He hears and fulfills it.

About the pure in heart

Mercy must be done only with a pure heart. Only in this case will it be true. Having performed an act of mercy, we are often proud of our action. We rejoice that we have done a good deed, and we rejoice even more that we have fulfilled one of the important beatitudes.

Orthodoxy and other Christian religions encourage free material assistance that people provide to each other and the church. They thank donors, call their names during sermons, award certificates, etc. Unfortunately, all this does not at all promote purity of heart; on the contrary, it encourages vanity and other, no less unpleasant qualities inherent in human nature. What can I say? God loves the one who, in the silence of his home, prays with tears for the granting of health and daily bread to some unfortunate person, about whom he only knows his name.

These words are not a condemnation of those who donate to churches or show their generosity clearly and publicly. Not at all. But those who do mercy in secret maintain purity of heart. The Lord sees this. Not a single good deed goes without reward for him. The one who has received recognition from people has already been awarded - he is in a good mood, everyone praises and honors him. He will not receive the second reward, which is from God, for this deed.

About those who bring peace

The 7th Beatitude speaks of peacemakers. Jesus Christ considers peacemakers to be his equals, and this mission is the most difficult. In every quarrel there is the fault of both one and the other side. It is very difficult to stop hostility. It is not those who have known divine love and bliss who quarrel, but, on the contrary, people who are preoccupied with worldly problems and grievances. Not everyone can establish peace between people obsessed with hurt pride, envy, jealousy or greed. Here it is important to choose the right words and to calm the anger of the parties so that the quarrel stops and does not happen again. The peacemakers will be called the sons of God. This is what Christ, the Son of God, said, and His every word is filled with great meaning.

About those expelled for the truth

War is an excellent way to solve the economic problems of one state at the expense of another. We know examples of how the high standard of living of some peoples is supported by the fact that the governments of their countries start wars around the world. Honest diplomats, journalists, politicians and military personnel who have the opportunity to influence public opinion are always persecuted. They are imprisoned, killed, and defamed with lies. It is impossible to imagine that any of the world wars would end after an honest peacemaker brought to the attention of the general public information about the personal interest of a certain representative of the royal family, the presidential clan, a financial or industrial magnate in the production and supply of weapons to the warring parties.

What pushes famous and authoritative people to speak out against unjust wars, despite the fact that they cannot help but understand that their initiative will be punished? They are driven by the desire for a just world, the preservation of the life and health of civilians, their families, homes and way of life, which means true mercy.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus Christ communicated the Beatitudes to all who listened to him. These were people of different nationalities and faiths. The Lord said that the feat in the name of peace would make them equal to the Son of God. Does it matter to God what faith they profess? Of course not. The Lord came to bring faith and salvation to everyone. Children's doctor Leonid Roshal and Jordanian doctor Anwar el-Said are not Christians, but they are peacemakers who prevented the death of several hundred people captured by terrorists during a performance in a Moscow cultural center. And there are many such examples.

About those oppressed for the love of God

How many Beatitudes did the Lord give to people? Just nine. The commandment about those persecuted for faith and love of God is the last. It refers to a greater extent to the great Christian martyrs who, by their death, established faith in Jesus Christ on earth. These people remained in history as saints. Thanks to them, Christians can now openly profess their faith and not fear for their lives and for their loved ones. These saints were given the grace to intercede before the Lord for sinners and ask for forgiveness for them. They help believers in God cope with various difficulties - both ordinary, everyday ones, and in the fight against the forces of evil. With their heavenly prayers they keep the world from destruction. Akathists and entire liturgies are dedicated to them, which are read in all churches on the days of their remembrance.

For our readers: the 7 commandments of Christ with a detailed description from various sources.

One should distinguish between the TEN OLD TESTAMENT COMMANDMENTS given by God to Moses and the entire people of Israel and the GOSPEL COMMANDMENTS OF THE HAPPINESS, of which there are nine. The 10 commandments were given to people through Moses at the dawn of the formation of religion, in order to protect them from sin, to warn them of danger, while the Christian Beatitudes, described in the Sermon on the Mount of Christ, are of a slightly different plan; they relate to more spiritual life and development. The Christian commandments are a logical continuation and in no way deny the 10 commandments. Read more about Christian commandments.

In this article we will talk about the Ten Commandments, which are described in the Old Testament, as well as the seven deadly sins.

The 10 commandments of God are a law given by God in addition to his internal moral guideline - conscience. The Ten Commandments were given by God to Moses, and through him to all humanity on Mount Sinai, when the people of Israel were returning from captivity in Egypt to the Promised Land. The first four commandments regulate the relationship between man and God, the remaining six - the relationship between people. The Ten Commandments are described twice in the Bible: in the twentieth chapter of the book of Exodus, and in the fifth chapter of Deuteronomy.

Ten Commandments of God in Russian.

How and when did God give the 10 commandments to Moses?

God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai on the 50th day after the exodus from Egyptian captivity. The situation at Mount Sinai is described in the Bible:

... On the third day, when morning came, there were thunder and lightning, and a thick cloud over the mountain, and the sound of a very strong trumpet... Mount Sinai was all smoking because the Lord had descended on it in fire; and smoke rose from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain shook greatly; and the sound of the trumpet became stronger and stronger... (Book of Exodus, chapter 19)

God inscribed the 10 commandments on stone tablets and gave them to Moses. Moses stayed on Mount Sinai for another 40 days, after which he went down to his people. The book of Deuteronomy describes that when he came down, he saw that his people were dancing around the Golden Calf, forgetting about God and breaking one of the commandments. Moses in anger broke the tablets with the inscribed commandments, but God commanded him to carve new ones to replace the old ones, on which the Lord again inscribed the 10 commandments.

10 Commandments - interpretation of the commandments.

1. I am the Lord your God, and there are no other gods besides Me.

According to the first commandment, there is not and cannot be another god greater than Him. This is a postulate of monotheism. The first commandment says that everything that exists is created by God, lives in God and will return to God. God has no beginning and no end. It is impossible to comprehend it. All the power of man and nature comes from God, and there is no power outside the Lord, just as there is no wisdom outside the Lord, and there is no knowledge outside the Lord. In God is the beginning and the end, in Him is all love and kindness.

Man does not need gods except the Lord. If you have two gods, doesn’t that mean that one of them is the devil?

Thus, according to the first commandment, the following are considered sinful:

• atheism;
• superstitions and esotericism;
• polytheism;
• magic and witchcraft,
• false interpretation of religion - sects and false teachings

1. Do not make for yourself an idol or any image; do not worship them or serve them.

All power is concentrated in God. Only He can help a person if necessary. People often turn to intermediaries for help. But if God cannot help a person, are intermediaries able to do this? According to the second commandment, people and things must not be deified. This will lead to sin or illness.

In simple words, one cannot worship the Lord’s creation instead of the Lord Himself. Worshiping things is akin to paganism and idolatry. At the same time, veneration of icons does not equate to idolatry. It is believed that prayers of worship are directed to God himself, and not to the material from which the icon is made. We turn not to the image, but to the Prototype. Even in the Old Testament, images of God are described that were made at His command.

1. Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

According to the third commandment, it is forbidden to mention the name of the Lord unless absolutely necessary. You can mention the name of the Lord in prayer and spiritual conversations, in requests for help. You cannot mention the Lord in idle conversations, especially in blasphemous ones. We all know that the Word has great power in the Bible. With a word, God created the world.

1. Six days you shall work and do all your work, but the seventh is a day of rest, which you shall dedicate to the Lord your God.

God created the world in six days, so man must work for six days, and the seventh day is for rest and rest. This is a day that every believer should devote to contemplation and prayer.

In the Old Testament, the day of rest was Saturday, in Orthodoxy this day is Sunday. On Sunday, Christians do not work; they go to church to pray. It is also good to dedicate Sunday to helping those who need it.

1. Honor your father and mother, may you be blessed on earth and have long life.

The fifth commandment says that every child must honor his parents at any age. It was they, together with God, who gave you life and took care of you. Honoring parents means showing patience and obedience, helping and caring for them. Even if your parents did not take good care of you, it is your duty to take care of them more than you think they deserve.

If a person does not honor his parents, he eventually ceases to honor God. Honoring elders makes families stronger and people happier.

1. Thou shalt not kill.

God gives life to man and only He has the right to take it away. He who encroaches on the life of another encroaches both on the will of God and on His plan. The same commandment states that you cannot take your own life. By killing the life in ourselves, we also violate this commandment, for our life does not belong to us, but only to God. Suicide is perhaps the most terrible sin for which a person cannot repent.

The fifth commandment prohibits abortion, because from the moment of conception a child carries within itself a spark of God, and therefore abortion is equated to murder.

People who are subject to bad habits that shorten their lives also sin against the sixth commandment.

1. Don't commit adultery.

The seventh commandment prohibits any illicit relations. A legal relationship, according to the Bible, is a relationship through marriage and only between representatives of opposite sexes who are not relatives.

Adultery is considered a sin and destroys a person physically and spiritually. The most terrible diseases are spread by human adultery. First of all, Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed for the sin of adultery.

God does not forbid love, He is Love Himself, but He requires chastity.

1. Don't steal.

Disrespect for another person can result in theft of property. Any benefit is illegal if it is associated with causing any damage, including material damage, to another person.

It is considered a violation of the eighth commandment:

• appropriation of someone else's property,
• robbery or theft,
• deception in business, bribery, bribery
• all kinds of scams, fraud and fraud.

1. Don't bear false witness.

The ninth commandment tells us that we must not lie to ourselves or others. This commandment prohibits any lies, gossip and gossip.

1. Don't covet anything that belongs to others.

The tenth commandment tells us that envy and jealousy are sinful. Desire in itself is only a seed of sin that will not germinate in a bright soul. The tenth commandment is aimed at preventing the violation of the eighth commandment. Having suppressed the desire to possess someone else's, a person will never steal.

The tenth commandment is different from the previous nine; it is New Testament in nature. This commandment is not aimed at prohibiting sin, but at preventing thoughts of sin. The first 9 commandments talk about the problem as such, while the tenth talks about the root (cause) of this problem.

7 deadly sins.

The Seven Deadly Sins is an Orthodox term denoting basic vices that are terrible in themselves and can lead to the emergence of other vices and violation of the commandments given by the Lord. In Catholicism, the 7 deadly sins are called the cardinal sins or root sins.

Sometimes laziness is called the seventh sin; this is typical for Orthodoxy. Modern authors write about eight sins, including laziness and despondency. The doctrine of the seven deadly sins was formed quite early (in the 2nd – 3rd centuries) among ascetic monks. Dante's Divine Comedy describes seven circles of purgatory, which correspond to the seven deadly sins.

The theory of mortal sins developed in the Middle Ages and was illuminated in the works of Thomas Aquinas. He saw in seven sins the cause of all other vices. In Russian Orthodoxy the idea began to spread in the 18th century.

I have heard more than once about the seven commandments of Christ from different people. However, no one could list them for me.

Here is the famous theologian Alexander Vladimirovich Oleshko about them

mentions it, but doesn’t give a decryption either.

Still, some were able to name two of them: do not kill, do not steal.

This helped me in my search through all four canonical gospels. The three evangelists tell about the answer of Jesus Christ to the young man’s question: “ Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?».

And I found that five of them were taken from

Ten Commandments of the Law of Moses:
„Do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and mother.“(Luke 18:20).
In addition, Mark also mentions the commandment “ don't lie” (Mark 10:19, taken from Leviticus 19:13), and Matthew - about the commandment “ love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 19:19, taken from Leviticus 19:18).

In total - the seven commandments of Christ:

1) dont kill,
2) do not commit adultery,
3) don't steal,
4) don't bear false witness,
5) don't lie,
6) honor your father and mother,
7) love your neighbor as yourself.

God's law is a guiding star for every Christian. This is the only way to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The modern world is very difficult for any person. Therefore, everyone should see the need for the 10 commandments of God and the 7 deadly sins. This applies not only to adults, but also to children. That's why many people turn to such authoritative guidance. The 10 commandments of God in Russian appeared relatively long ago.

Interpretation of the 10 biblical commandments

God created rules and laws. People must have an understanding of evil and good, of their own intentions and actions. Children cannot understand the commandments in an adult way, which means they need to be explained in a simple form. That’s why God’s commandments are presented here with clear interpretations for children.

God is one

The Bible says, “I am the Lord your God, and there are no other gods besides Me.” There is only one Creator, and there is no one else but him, therefore you must believe with all your soul and heart. This is equivalent to believing your parents - mom and dad. The Creator who created the world does not forget about people and takes care of everyone. God must always be remembered and revered, and one must turn to him only through prayer.

Do not make yourself an idol

God said so that people do not create any image for themselves, do not serve or worship it. If any idol appears, many forget about the commandments and about God himself. A bad child is one who is able to exchange his father and mother for a computer or dolls.

An example can be taken of Kai, who became addicted to evil, therefore, he lost love and goodness, because he chose the snow queen as an idol. The fairy-tale character had different toys, but he had no happiness. Only after Gerda came to the ice castle, Kai’s heart was filled with kindness and love, after which he came to life again. For Christians, God becomes above all, and the next lower level is occupied by loved ones. Idols can be not only things, but also people, for example, celebrities. Therefore, you should not get carried away by popular people who will not do anything good for your soul.

Don't take the name of the Lord in vain

The Lord's name should be treated with reverence and not pronounced unnecessarily. One must speak the name of God only with great reverence and attention. Every appeal to the Lord is done through prayer. One priest once said that it is like a telephone conversation: at one end of the tube they speak, and at the other they listen. Therefore, a Christian person should not cry out to God without reason. The Lord's name is kept in the heart with all thrift and there is no point in letting it out in vain. If during a conversation the words “Lord” were accidentally said, then immediately in addition the words “Glory to you” or “Have mercy on me” are said.

Six day work week

For 6 days you can do all the things and work, but on the 7th day you can’t do this - this is God’s day and is dedicated only to him. The seventh day is Sunday. On ordinary days one must fulfill all the commandments and pray, but on Sunday everyday chores stop and attention is devoted to the Heavenly Father. To fulfill the fourth commandment, you should go to church and take communion, and also take part in the divine service.

Honor your parents

Christ said that those who honor their parents will be blessed on earth. Children are obliged to help their parents and obey them. When children are small, parents raise them and help them until they become adults. Adult children should not forget about their elderly mother and father.

Respect is not limited to politeness; specific assistance must be provided. Parents will be at the end of their lives, so adult children should provide all possible help, both materially and spiritually. Support means a lot, so you should listen to your elders and respect mentors and teachers. To be worthy, you need to treat people well.

Don't kill

The taking of human life by another human being is truly the most horrific event. God gave life - it is a priceless gift. No one has the right to take such a gift from a person. If we take various wars as an example, killing aggressors is also considered a sin, but to a lesser extent. This sin is justified, but refusing to defend yourself is truly a betrayal and such a decision is considered a terrible sin. You always need to protect loved ones from invaders.

Adults and teenagers must understand that it is possible to commit murder without a weapon in your hands. It is enough to take a sneaky step with a word or deed. Although the one who conceived the terrible intention did not participate in direct contact, he is the murderer who conceived such an intention. It is unacceptable to mock our smaller brothers: domestic animals, birds, beasts and insects - all those who have life. God created man to take care of them.

Don't commit adultery

You cannot cross love. It is also prohibited to betray. This law of fidelity is about those who are loved by a person and love him. To save the family, it is important to observe the commandment of fidelity. A husband should not look at other women - this is adultery. Even thoughts about others develop into lust, which in turn is sin.

A husband and wife who are faithful to each other will remain together forever and live a long and happy life. Any factor of betrayal is treason. It is difficult to live with such a feeling of guilt, and besides, a person will bring a terrible sin onto his soul.

Do not steal

The next bad thing is stealing, which means taking other people's things without returning them. Most people are inclined to believe that if an item was found on the street, then the act is not considered theft.

For example, a man was walking along the road from work and discovered an expensive phone. There are two options: take it with you, no matter how much it costs, or find the owner of the device. In the second case, the act will become noble. You can't steal or take someone else's property. In this way, God tests a person’s faithfulness, so you should not be tempted and take sin on your soul.

Don't bear false witness

Sometimes people deliberately use lies to hide the truth and overcome some unpleasant situations in life. They think it will help them. It is important to understand: no matter what the deception, it will always be revealed, even later, but this cannot be avoided. It is a sin if one person comes up with something bad to say about another. Many engage in slander to defame innocent people.

Don't covet anything that belongs to others

Envy knows no bounds; it destroys joy. Therefore, you cannot be jealous. Usually this happens because someone lives better than another. There is a saying: “The miser pays twice.” There are moments in life when a greedy and envious person uses cunning to buy some product, but after a while, even if it’s a long time, that person will also be tricked. You can’t do this; you have to rejoice in positive situations, when something good happens to friends or loved ones. We should thank God for such an event, and not grind our teeth and envy. In Christianity they do not envy “white envy”; they can only rejoice. Such virtue is much better than envy and greed.

Seven deadly sins

In this regard, there is a widespread opinion that the “seven terrible sins” are an equal number of committed actions. This is wrong. The list of small sinful acts can be very long, for example:

• sports fanaticism;
• workaholism;
• crazy passion for games.

Simply, the number 7 consists of main groups and has many subgroups of bad deeds. Saint Gregory the Great first proposed the idea of ​​such a classification. This happened in 590. But in the church there was a slightly different classification, and there were eight sins.

Deadly sins in Orthodoxy, list of main addictions:

1. pride. A slight contempt for a person gives rise to pride. If a proud person feels contempt for others because they are low in origin, poor and ignorant, then he independently ascribes himself to the wisest people. After all, he is rich, strong, noble and prudent. He resists and mocks the preferences of others. But he can be healed if he turns to God. After all, it was said that the Lord gives grace to the humble, but resists the proud;
2. envy. The well-being of a neighbor always upsets an envious person. Therefore, the human soul becomes evil. The vice of an envious person manifests itself in this way: to see the happy as unhappy, the rich as poor, the healthy as poor. The happiness of an envious person appears when the happy life of another person is overtaken by disaster. Such a vice, penetrating the heart, forms the launching pad for all other sins, not counting the many upcoming small and large dirty tricks. As a result, a terrible sin can happen - murder, due to the fact that someone lives better and has his own good deed. Perhaps the envious person is not capable of committing a crime, but this will always make him feel bad. Vice will begin to intensify and devour the soul. A person will needlessly bring himself to the grave, but the afterlife will not save him. There he will continue to suffer;
3. gluttony. There are three types of gluttony: eating at different times is the first type; the second is oversaturation, and the third is the consumption of exclusively tasty dishes. A true Christian must be careful: meals are taken at a strictly defined time, one must not oversatiate oneself, one must thank God, even for the merest food. With gluttony, the stomach is in its own slavery. This is not only excessive gluttony at the dinner table, but also an insane culinary pickiness with a preference for gourmet dishes. If you look at it from a cultural point of view, there is a huge gap between a gourmet and an unrestrained glutton. Nevertheless, they are doomed to food slavery. For this category, food is not an ordinary source of energy, but becomes the main goal in life;
4. fornication. Man is not omnipotent and succumbs to various temptations, but one cannot stop fighting and repenting of sins. Only in this way can the path to holiness be paved. At every step in a modern metropolis one encounters a wide variety of images. These perversions are shown on TV, and the Internet is full of all sorts of bad things. Often a young person overshadows his good desires with poisonous images and is unable to think about anything else. The demon of passion begins to take possession of him. Walking next to women, a young man perceives them as females. The intoxicated brain is filled with lustful thoughts, and the heart craves the satisfaction of dirty thoughts. Such depravity is not inherent even in animals, but man is capable of stooping even to such a level. Fornication is considered not only extramarital sex life and infidelity, but also similar thoughts;
5. anger. In a fit of anger, a person entails great danger. He swears at himself, yells at those around him, and becomes feverish with anger. Such a person is like a demon. But for the human soul, anger is considered a natural property. The Lord God specifically invested such a quality in man, but in order to resist and be angry at sin, and not at people. Over time, righteous anger became perverted and began to be directed at one’s neighbor. Over trifles, fights, swearing, shouting and murder occur. This is a harmful sin;
6. greed. Many people claim that only wealthy people who want to increase their wealth can be greedy. But such sin applies to everyone: both rich and poor people. Passion consists of painful attempts to possess things and increase material wealth;
7. laziness. Expressed by extreme pessimism and general physical and spiritual relaxation. A strong-willed person purposefully moves towards a goal with jealousy in his heart, which moves him forward. And despondency manifests itself in an unattainable goal. A person sets himself too difficult a task, therefore, the will is not moved by jealousy, which in turn results in laziness. A person becomes upset that he cannot achieve what he wants, and gives up, despondent for days on end. This happens when a person moves away from the Creator and directs all his thoughts to earthly affairs, and not to heavenly ones.

Ten Interesting Facts About the Bible

The most legendary book is the Holy Scripture. It was written in ancient times several thousand years ago. It is one of the most famous and purchased on the entire planet.

Interesting Facts:

1. as of 2016, the Holy Scriptures were published in 3,223 languages. But the complete set of the New and Old Testaments can be seen in only 636 languages. This number also includes Russian;
2. in the sixth century, when sneezing they said: “God bless.” This was due to the fact that in this way one gets rid of evil;
3. the price of Judas’ betrayal was equal at that time to 4 months’ salary of an ordinary worker;
4. The Codex Vaticanus is the oldest version of Holy Scripture. Kept in the Vatican Museum. It was written no later than 350 AD. e. in ancient Greek;
5. it will take 660 minutes to read the New Testament, and 2280 minutes to read the Old Testament;
6. the first English-language edition was published in Antwerp in 1535. The editor-in-chief was Miles Coverdale;
7. The Bible is considered the most popular book on the planet. At least 32,876 pieces are produced every day. One copy of the Holy Scriptures is produced every second;
8. The ancient Gospels were not divided into verses and chapters. It was not until 1214 that the Bishop of Canterbury, Stephen Langton, introduced chapter divisions into the Bible. But it was not until 1560 that the final division of the Holy Scriptures into verses and chapters with numbering took place;
9. the most stolen book in the world is the Bible;
10. the word “Christian” is mentioned in Holy Scripture only three times, and the words “fear not” can be found 365 times - this is an equal number of days in a year.

The Law of God for every Christian is a guiding star that shows a person how to get into the Kingdom of Heaven. For many centuries now, the importance of this Law has not diminished. On the contrary, human life is increasingly complicated by conflicting opinions, which means that the need for authoritative and clear guidance from God’s Commandments increases. That is why many people turn to them in our time. And today the commandments and the seven major deadly sins act as regulators of our lives. The list of the latter is as follows: despondency, gluttony, lust, anger, envy, greed, pride. These are, naturally, the main, most serious sins. The 10 commandments of God and the 7 deadly sins are the basis of Christianity. It is not necessary to read mountains of spiritual literature - it is enough to avoid what leads to a person’s spiritual death. However, this is not as easy to do as it seems at first glance. It is not easy to completely eliminate all seven deadly sins from your life. And keeping the Ten Commandments is also not an easy task. But we must at least strive for spiritual purity. God is known to be merciful.

Commandments and laws of nature

The foundations of Orthodoxy are the commandments of God. You can compare them with the laws of nature, because the source of both is the Creator. They complement each other: the first give the human soul a moral basis, and the second regulate soulless nature. The difference lies in the fact that matter obeys physical laws, while man is free to obey moral laws or ignore them. God's great mercy lies in giving each of us freedom of choice. Thanks to her, we improve spiritually and can even become like the Lord. Nevertheless, moral freedom also has another side - it imposes responsibility on each of us for our actions.

The Seven Deadly Sins and the 10 Commandments are the basis on which a person’s entire life should be built. If we deliberately violate God's Commandments, we degenerate spiritually and physically. Failure to comply with them leads to suffering, slavery and ultimately to disaster. We invite you to familiarize yourself in detail with the commandments of God. They underlie both modern and ancient legal systems.

How did the commandments come about?

The most significant event of the Old Testament is their receipt from God. The very education of the Jewish people is connected with the 10 commandments. Before they were received, a tribe of brutalized and powerless Semitic slaves lived in Egypt. After the appearance of the Sinai legislation, in fact, a people called to serve God arose. Subsequently, the apostles, great prophets, and saints of the first times of Christianity emerged from it. From him, according to the flesh, Jesus Christ was born. Having accepted the commandments, the people promised to keep them. This is how the Covenant (that is, union) between the Jews and God would be concluded. It consisted in the fact that the Lord promised his protection and mercy to the people, and the Jews had to live righteously.

First three commandments

The first 3 commandments are dedicated to the relationship with the Lord. According to the first of them, a person should not have other gods than the true one. The second warns us against creating an idol, against worshiping false deities. The third commandment calls not to take the name of the Lord in vain.

We will not dwell in detail on the meaning of the first three commandments. They are connected with the attitude towards God and, in general, are understandable. Let's look at the other 7 commandments of God in detail.

Fourth Commandment

According to it, it is necessary to remember the Sabbath day in order to spend it holy. For six days a person should work and do all his work, and the seventh day should be dedicated to God. How should we understand this commandment? Let's figure it out.

The Lord God commands you to do the necessary things and work for six days - this is understandable. It's unclear what to do on the seventh day, isn't it? It must be devoted to holy deeds and service to the Lord. The works pleasing to Him include the following: prayer at home and in the temple of God, concern for the salvation of the soul, enlightenment of the heart and mind with religious knowledge, helping the poor, religious conversations, visiting prisoners in prison and the sick, consoling the mourning, as well as other works of mercy.

The Sabbath in the Old Testament was celebrated as a remembrance of how God created the world. It says that on the seventh day after the creation of the world, “God rested from His work” (Gen. 2:3). Jewish scribes after the Babylonian captivity began to explain this commandment too rigoristically and formally, prohibiting any deeds on this day, even good ones. From the Gospels it is clear that even the Savior was accused by the scribes of “breaking the Sabbath”, since Jesus healed people on that day. However, it is “a man for the Sabbath”, and not vice versa. In other words, the peace established on this day should benefit spiritual and physical strength, and not deprive us of the opportunity to do good deeds and not enslave people. Weekly withdrawal from everyday activities provides an opportunity to collect thoughts, think about the meaning of earthly existence and one’s work. Work is necessary, but the salvation of the soul is the most important matter.

The fourth commandment is violated not only by those who work on Sunday, but also by those who are lazy and shirk their duties on weekdays. Even if you do not work on Sunday, but do not dedicate this day to God, but spend it in entertainment and amusements, indulging in excess and revelry, you also do not fulfill God’s Covenant.

Fifth Commandment

We continue to describe God's 7 commandments. According to the fifth, one should honor one’s father and mother in order to live long and happily on earth. How can we understand this? Honoring parents means loving them, respecting their authority, not daring to offend them with actions or words under any circumstances, obeying them, taking care of them if they need something, helping parents in their labors, praying to God for them, as in life. , and after the death of parents. Not respecting them is a great sin. Those who slandered their mother or father were punished by death in the Old Testament.

Being the Son of God, Jesus Christ treated his earthly parents with respect. He obeyed them and helped Joseph with carpentry. Jesus reproached the Pharisees for denying the necessary maintenance to their parents under the pretext of dedicating their property to God. By doing this they violated the fifth commandment.

How to treat strangers? Religion teaches us that it is necessary to show respect to everyone, in accordance with his position and age. One should respect spiritual fathers and shepherds; civilian leaders who care about the well-being, justice and peaceful life of the country; teachers, educators, benefactors and elders. Young people who do not respect old people and elders sin, considering their concepts obsolete, and themselves as backward people.

Sixth Commandment

It says: “Thou shalt not kill.” The Lord God with this commandment prohibits taking the life of oneself or other people. Life is the greatest gift, only God can set its limits for each person.

Suicide is a very serious sin, because in addition to murder, it also involves others: lack of faith, despair, murmuring against God, as well as rebellion against His providence. It is also terrible that a person who has violently ended his own life does not have the opportunity to repent of the sin committed, since repentance after death is invalid. A person is guilty of murder even when he does not kill himself personally, but contributes to it or allows others to do so. In addition to physical murder, there is also spiritual murder, which is no less terrible. It is committed by the one who seduces his neighbor to a vicious life or to unbelief.

Seventh Commandment

Let's talk about the seventh commandment of God's law. “Thou shalt not commit adultery,” it reads. God commands to remain mutually faithful to wife and husband, to be chaste when unmarried - pure in words, deeds, desires and thoughts. In order not to sin against this commandment, one should avoid everything that arouses unclean feelings in a person, for example: “piquant” jokes, foul language, shameless dances and songs, reading immoral magazines, viewing seductive photographs and films. The seventh commandment of God's law indicates that sinful thoughts should be stopped at their very appearance. We must not let them take over our will and feelings. Homosexuality is considered a grave sin against this commandment. It was for him that Sodom and Gomorrah, the famous cities of antiquity, were destroyed.

Eighth Commandment

God's 7 commandments concern various aspects of human life. The eighth is devoted to the attitude towards the property of other people. It says: “Thou shalt not steal.” In other words, appropriation of property belonging to others is prohibited. There are various types of theft: robbery, theft, sacrilege, bribery, extortion (when, taking advantage of the misfortune of others, they take a lot of money from them), parasitism, etc. If a person withholds an employee’s wages, weighs and measures during a sale, conceals what was found, evades payment of a debt , then he commits theft. In contrast to the greedy desire for wealth, faith teaches us to be merciful, hardworking and selfless.

Ninth Commandment

It says that you cannot bear false witness against your neighbor. The Lord God thus prohibits all lies, including: slander, denunciations, false testimony in court, slander, slander, and gossip. Slander is a devilish work, since the very name “devil” means “slanderer.” Any lie is unworthy of a Christian. It is not consistent with respect and love for others. We should refrain from idle talk and watch what we say. The Word is God's greatest gift. We become like the Creator when we speak. And the word of God immediately becomes action. Therefore, this gift must be used only for the glory of God and for a good purpose.

Tenth Commandment

We have not yet described all 7 of God's commandments. You should stop at the last, tenth. It says that it is necessary to abstain from impure desires and envy of one's neighbor. While the other commandments focused primarily on behavior, the last one focuses on our desires, feelings and thoughts, that is, what happens inside a person. It is necessary to strive for spiritual purity. It should be remembered that a bad thought is where every sin begins. If a person dwells on it, a sinful desire appears, which pushes him to commit the corresponding act. Therefore, in order to fight various temptations, it is necessary to nip them in the bud, that is, in thoughts.

For the soul, envy is poison. If a person is subject to it, then he will always be dissatisfied, he will always lack something, even if he is very rich. In order not to succumb to this feeling, we should thank God for being merciful to us, sinners and unworthy. For our crimes we could be exterminated, but the Lord not only endures, but also sends His mercies to people. The task of every person’s life is to acquire a pure heart. It is in him that the Lord rests.

Beatitudes

The commandments of God and the Gospel beatitudes discussed above are of great importance for every Christian. The latter are part of Jesus' commandments that he spoke during the Sermon on the Mount. They are included in the Gospel. They received this name because following them leads to eternal bliss in eternal life. If the 10 Commandments prohibit what is sinful, then the Beatitudes tell us how one can achieve holiness (Christian perfection).

Seven Commandments for the Descendants of Noah

Not only Christianity has commandments. In Judaism, for example, there are 7 laws of the descendants of Noah. They are considered the necessary minimum that the Torah imposes on all humanity. Through Adam and Noah, according to the Talmud, God gave us the following 7 commandments of God (Orthodoxy, in general, states approximately the same): the prohibition of idolatry, murder, blasphemy, theft, adultery, as well as the prohibition of using flesh that has been cut off from a living animal, and the need to create a fair judicial system.

Conclusion

Jesus Christ, when asked by a young man about what should be done in order to inherit eternal life, answered: “Keep the commandments!” After that he listed them. The Ten Commandments above give us the basic moral guidance we need to create life, both public, family and private. Jesus, speaking about them, noted that they all essentially boil down to the teaching of love for neighbors and God.

In order for these commandments to benefit us, we must make them our own, that is, allow them to guide our actions and worldview. These commandments must be rooted in our subconscious or, figuratively speaking, must be written on the tablets of our hearts by God.