# The extent of the fifth commandment



## Wannabee (Jun 9, 2008)

We're working on a children's catechism for our church. Two questions that we have in relation to the 5th commandment are:

Q. What is required in the fifth commandment?
A. The fifth commandment requires the preserving the honor and performing the duties belonging to every one in their several places and relations, as superiors (Eph 5:21), inferiors (1 Pet 2:17) or equals (Rom. 12:10).

Q. What is forbidden in the fifth commandment?
A. The fifth commandment forbids the neglect of, or doing any thing against the honor and duty which belongs to every one in their several places and relations (Mt. 15:4-6; Ez. 34:24; rom 13:8).​I received this comment: "regarding the 5th commandment. It appears to me that more is being read into this commandment than is actually there."

I can understand that this could be an application, but is this the intent of or an imposition on the fifth commandment?


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## jwithnell (Jun 9, 2008)

"Reading more in ..." do you mean the extrapolations for more general authority and for people's places in society, not just parental authority? The answers you showed square well with historic, reformed interpretation of the commandments.


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## MW (Jun 9, 2008)

Wannabee said:


> I can understand that this could be an application, but is this the intent of or an imposition on the fifth commandment?



Application is by definition the intention of morally obliging instruction.

According to sound commentators on the Book of Deuteronomy, chapters 10ff. provide an application of the ten commandments to Israel on the borders of the promised land. If so, then 16:18-18:22 would specifically relate to the fifth commandment, which gives instruction concerning judges, kings, and priests. Hence the OT itself applies the fifth commandment to communal authority structures.


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