Pastoral and Social Ethics

 

Study Guide

 

 

Lesson I: Terminology

 

Key Terms:

 

 knowledge of God (Lecture, I, A, 1)                                    virtue (I, B, 7)

 doctrine (", I, A, 2)                                                    good (I, B, 8) (general)

 theology (", I, A, 3)                                                    teleological goodness (")

 systematic theology (I, A, 4)                                                 moral goodness (")

 biblical theology (I, A, 5)                                           right (as distinguished from good)

 exegetical theology (I, A, 6)                                                  (I, B, 9)

 ethics (I, A, 7)                                                            ought (I, B, 10)

                                                                                    duty (I, B, 11)

                                                                                    justice (I, B, 12)

                                                                                    ethical justification (I, B, 13)

                                                                                    obligation (I, B, 11, 14a)

                                                                                    prohibition (I, B, 14b)

                                                                                    permission (I, B, 14c)

                                                                                    commendation, praise (I, B, 14d)

 moral (I, B, 1) (learn both defs.)                                ethos (Murray, 11)

 immoral (I, B, 2)                                                        anastrophe (")

 amoral (I, B, 3)                                                           way (", 12)

 moralistic (I, B, 4) ‑ learn enough                              conduct (")

            of these to show the ambiguity                       behavior (")

 value (I, B, 6)                                                             dispositional complex (13)

                                                                                    biblical ethic (14)

 

Questions

 

1. "Ethics is not a branch of theology, but equivalent to theology" (Lecture, I, A, 7). Explain, evaluate.

2. If one distinguishes between moral and non‑moral goodness (I, B, 8), how can he see ethics as applying to all of life?

3. Is it possible to be a "good plumber" without being morally good? (I, B, 8.) Take into account ambiguities of "good" and what you know about common grace.

4. Why do some people think it is wrong to refer to Bible characters as moral examples? How do you evaluate their position?

5. Are we obligated to perform acts of moral heroism, like those of David's mighty men? Why or why not?

 

 

 

 

 

Lesson 2: The Basic Structures of Christian Ethics

 

Key Terms:

 

lordship attributes (Lecture, I, C, 1)                           motive (I, C, 3, c)

control (I, C, 1, a)                                                       factors in ethical judgment (I, C, 4)

authority (I, C, i, b)                                                     situational perspective (I, C, 5, a)

presence (I, C, 1, c)                                                     normative perspective (")

goal (end, purpose) (I, C, 3, a)                                    existential perspective (")

standard (I, C, 3, b)               

 

 Questions:

 

1.      Formulate a reply to the "problem of the virtuous pagan" (Lecture, I, C, 3; Heidelberg Catechism; Westminster Confession).

2.      How does Scripture warrant its own ethical teaching (I, C, 5)?

3.      Show how each perspective is related to the others (I, C, 6, 7).

4.      How and why do non-Christian ethical systems lose the balance of the three perspectives (I, C, 8a)?

5.      "Reformed ethics is characterized by its positive view of the law." Comment (I,

C, 8, b-c).

 

 

Lesson 3: Christian and Non‑Christian Ethics: the Basic Differences

 

Key Terms:

 

Christian transcendence (Lecture,                              objectivity (Christian, non‑Christian)

I, D, 3, a, i)                                                      (I, D, 3, e)

" immanence (I, D, 3, a, ii)                                          inwardness (") (")

Non‑Christian transcendence (I, D,                            authority (") (I, D, 3, g)

3, a, iii)                                                freedom (") (")

" immanence (I, D, 3, a, iv)    

Christian irrationalism (I, D, 3, b)      

" rationalism (")                                                          

Non‑Christian irrationalism (")                                   

" rationalism (")                                                          

absoluteness (Christian, Non‑Christian                      

(I, D, 3, c)                                          

relevance (") (")                                                          

sovereignty (") (I, D, 3,d)                                          

responsibility (") (")                                                    

 

Questions:

 

1. "The antitheses of transcendence‑immanence, etc., render the non-Christian ethical enterprise meaningless." Discuss this contention, analyzing one such antithesis. Evaluate. (Lecture, I, D, 4.)

 

 Lesson 4: History of Secular Ethics (Ancient)

 

 

Key Terms:

 

 moira (Lecture, II, A, 1)                                            eudaimonia (Aristotle) (II, B, 8, e)

detachment (II, a, 2, e, ii)                                           egoism (II, B, 8, g)

deontological ethics (II, B, 1, a)                                

naturalistic fallacy (II, B, 1, a)             

teleological ethics (II, B, 1, b)                                   

personalist ethics (II, B, 1, c)

self‑realization (II, B, 1, c, ii)                                     

hedonism (II, B, 5, c)

Euthyphro (II, B, 7, c)

Form of the Good (II, B, 7, c-d)

highest good of man (summum bonum) (Aristotle)

 (II, B, 8, d)

 

Questions:

 

1. Describe and criticize "ethics as a quest for the transethical" (Lecture, II, A, 2).

2. "Non‑Christian ethics cannot do justice simultaneously to the concerns of all three perspectives" (II, B, 1, d). Mention three examples with Christian responses.

3. Describe and criticize the ethical views of one pre‑Socratic (pre-Platonic) philosopher or school (II, B, 2‑6).

4. Match each of the following names with one or more views or concepts. Choose the ones most characteristically associated (II, B).

 

Names: Thales, Heraclitus, Epicurus, Thrasymachus, Plato, Aristotle, Cyrenaicism, Cynicism, Stoicism, Plotinus.

 

Views:

a. quantitative hedonism (II, B, 9, a)

b. Live according to nature (II, B, 8, d)

c. Evil is from non‑being (II, B, 7, b)

d. The highest pleasures come from the moderating of desire (II, B, 5, d, and 9, b)

e. All is water (II, B, 2)

f. The highest ethical authority is the virtuous man (II, B, 8, h)

g. Seek to escape the desire for pleasure (II, B, 10, a, ii)

h. The social contract (II, B, 9, b, v)

i. Live according to the logos (II, B, 4, c; but note II, B, 10, b, i for another right answer)

j. Justice is the interest of the stronger (II, B, 6, b)

k. Seek identification with God (II, B, 11, c, d)

n. Virtue is knowledge and vice-versa (II, B, 7, e)

 

5. "Plato and Aristotle made goodness abstract, an empty form" (II, B, 7, 8). Explain, present an argument for it, and give your own evaluation.

6. Discuss critically some ethical theme in Plato or Aristotle (II, B, 7, 8).

 

Lesson 5: History of Secular Ethics (Modern)

 

 

Key Terms:

                                                                                    class struggle (II, B, 18, b)

                                                            dictatorship of the proletariat (")

                                                                                    laissez‑faire (II, B, 18, f, vii)

individualism (Lecture Outline, II, B, 12, b,              will to power (II, B, 19, a)

iii, (A))                                    slave morality (II, B, 19, c)

                                                utilitarianism (II, B, 20)

                                                act-utilitarianism (II, B, 20, e)

                                                rule-utilitarianism (II, B, 20, e)

                                                intuitionism (II, B, 21)

                                                open question argument (II, B, 21, b)

                                                naturalism (II, B, 22)

                                                emotivism (II, B, 23)

absolutism (II, B, 12, b, iii, b)                                     existentialism (II, B, 25)

state of war (Hobbes) (II, B, 14, a, v)

state of nature (Locke) (II, B, 14, b, vii)                    en soi (II, B, 25, e, ii)

good will (II, B, 16, e)                                                pour soi (")

categorical imperative (II, B, i6, f)                             bad faith (II, B, 25, i)

relations of production (II, B, 18, a)                           inauthentic existence (")

 

Questions:

 

1. Match each of the following names with one or more of the views or concepts. Choose the most characteristic connections.

 

Names: Leibniz, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Kant, Hegel, Marx, Mill, Nietzsche, Moore, Dewey, Stevenson, Sartre

 

Views:

a. Evil is the corruption of natural feelings through civilization (II, B, 15, d)

b. The greatest pleasure for the greatest number (II, B, 20, b)

c. We choose our limits (II, B, 25, f, ii)

d. Moral goodness is indefinable (II, B, 21, b)

e. There are no fixed ethical goals (II, B, 22, e)

f. We have the right to do anything we have power to do (II, B, 14, a, iv)

g. Those principles are duties which can be willed as universal obligations (II, B, 16, g)

h. Ethical standards express feelings, recommend those to others (II, B, 23, c)

i. Absolute sovereignty of the commonwealth (II, B, 14, a, viii)

j. Ethics is self-realization (II, B, 17, d)

k. Ethical systems justify class interests (II, B, 18, c)

l. This is the best of all possible worlds (II, B, 13, c, iv)

m. We must go beyond good and evil (II, B, 19, d)

n. The only unequivocal good is a good will (II, B, 16, d)

o. The power of the state extends no farther than the consent of the governed (II, B, 14, b, viii)

 

2. Discuss "the unclarity of the categorical imperative" (II, B, 16, j, v‑vii).

3. Kant, according to Van Til: "The object of our reverence must be wholly beyond anything that can be empirically perceived.... On the other hand, the object of our reverence must be wholly one with us." Explain in relation to Kant's overall approach and in relation to a Christian critique (II, B, 16).

4. Discuss "the deity of the moral self in Kant's ethics" (II, B, 16).

5. Is Marxism the hope of the poor? Discuss (Lecture Outline, II, B, 18).

6. "The principle of utility, therefore, provides no concrete ethical guidance at all" (II, B, 20, f, viii). Explain.

7. Is the naturalistic fallacy a fallacy? Discuss (II, B, 21, c).

8. "On an emotivist basis, it is difficult to understand why anyone would ever wrestle with a moral problem" (II, B, 23, e, iv). Explain.

9. "Non-Christian ethics has reached the point of admitting that it has no power to tell us what we ought to do" (II, B, 24, g, iii). Explain, evaluate. Give an example.

10. "Non-Christian ethics would like to separate the three perspectives, but cannot" (II, B, 26, a). Explain, evaluate, giving an example.

11. "No system of non-Christian ethics ever does justice even to its own favorite perspective" (II, B, 26, b). Discuss, giving an example.

12. "All non-Christian systems involve rationalism and irrationalism" (II, B, 26, c). Discuss, giving an example.

 

 

Lesson 6: The Normative Perspective: The Standard in General

 

Key Terms:

 

light (I, A, 1)

Word written on the heart (I, B, 2b)

Person-revelation (I., B, 2b, 4b)

Revelation by human example (I, B, 2b, iii)

Covenant document (I, B, 3)

 

 

Questions:

 

1. "Our responsibility is essentially imitation of God" (I, A, 3). (a) Distinguish legitimate from illegitimate imitation. (b) Discuss the Scriptural basis of the statement.

2. "Christians hold to an external standard while non‑Christians hold to an internal standard." Reply. (I, B, 2.)

3. Describe the relation between the law given by Moses and the law written on the heart (I, B, 4b).

4. "The same God is speaking in all the media, and His message is consistent in all of them" (I, B, 4). Explain and evaluate, describing the relations of all the media.

 

Lesson 7: Scripture as Norm

 

Key Terms:

 

power (Lecture Outline, I, C, 1)

authority (I, C, 2)

presupposition (I, C, 2b)

clarity (I, C, 3)

necessity (I, C, 4)

 

Questions:

 

            1."At each turning point in human history, the issue facing man is the question of how he will respond to the spoken or written Word of God" (I, C, 2a). Explain, evaluate.

2. Why ought we to obey God's commands? Discuss (I, C, 2, b, iv).

3. In what sense is the clarity of Scripture an ethical concept (I, C, 3)?

 

 

Lesson 8: The Sufficiency of Scripture for Ethics; the Adiaphora; Natural Law

 

Key Terms:

 

sufficiency (I, C, 5, a)                                                 strong (I, C, 5, d, iii, (A))

eternal law (I, C, 5, c, iii)                                            weak (")

natural law (")                                                             weakness of faith (I, C, 5, d, iii, (B))

human law (")                                                              liberty under the gospel (WCF XX, 1)

divine law (")                                                                          (summarize)

moral syllogism (I, C, 5, c, iv, b), I))                           lordship over the conscience (XX, 2)

application (I, C, 5, c, iv, b)

adiaphora texts (I, C, 5, d, iii) (summarize)

 

Questions:

 

1. Summarize the biblical basis for the doctrine of the sufficiency of Scripture (I, C, 5, b).

2. "Sufficiency is in respect to matters of salvation." Reply (I, C, 5, c, i).

3. "We must make our decisions on the basis of Scripture, not taking account of circumstances." Evaluate (I, C, 5, c).

4. "In Scripture, men are rebuked for failing to make applications of revelation to current questions" (I, C, 5, c). Cite evidence.

5. Enumerate possible meanings of the term adiaphora (I, C, 5, d).

6. What is the main difficulty with the term adiaphora (I, C, 5, d, ii, (G))? Show how this problem enters into the various uses of the term.

7. Distinguish the three problems dealt with in Romans 14:1‑15:13 and the Pauline solutions to them (I, C, 5, d, iii).

8. "Romans 14:1‑15:13, far from setting forth an area of moral neutrality, contains a pervasive emphasis upon God's concern for all human actions" (I, C, 5, d, iii, (A)). Present evidence and evaluate.

9. Evaluate the thesis stated in question 8 in regard to I Cor. 8‑10 (I, C, 5, d, iii, (B)).

10. "An idol, unlike God, has no power to curse those who eat his food" (I, C, 5, d, iii, (B)). Cite evidence and discuss.

 

 

Lesson 9: Law and Redemptive History

 

Gospel (I, D, 2)

Redemptive history (I, D, 2)

Law (I, D, 2)

 

Questions:

 

1. "All Scripture is law." Discuss and evaluate, relating it (a) to the imperative character of Scripture as a whole (I, D, 1, e) and (b) to the concept of "normative history" (I, D, 2).

2. Is Scripture a redemptive history? Discuss (I, D, 2).

3. Should ethics and theology be controlled by redemptive history? Discuss (I, D, 2, c).

4. If Scripture teaches a consistent system of ethics, why was divorce practiced in the O.T. contrary to the N.T. provision? (Murray, 14‑17).

5. "The progressiveness of revelation bears upon the gravity of an offense" (18). Explain.

 

 

Lesson 10: Law and Gospel; Law and Grace

 

Key Terms:

 

law (Lutheran) (I, D, 3, a)

gospel (") (")

first use of the law (I, D, 3, e, i)

second "  "   "  " ( " )

third  "  "   "  " ( " )

under law (three meanings) (I, D, 4, c; Murray, 186ff, 190)

under grace (Murray, 186)

 

Questions:

 

1. Distinguish Reformed and Lutheran views of law and gospel (I, D, 3).

2. Distinguish Reformed and Lutheran views of the uses of the law (I, D, 3, e).

3. Summarize what law can and cannot do (I, D, 4; Murray, 181ff).

4. "The idea of keeping commandments is inconsistent with the liberty and spontaneity of the Christian man." Reply (182f).

5. Compare the phrase "under law" in I Cor. 9:20 with that in Rom. 6:14 (187ff).

6. Is there positive evidence that Paul saw himself as obligated to keep God's law? Mention some passages and explain (190‑194).

7. Compare the Formula of Concord (VI), the Westminster Confession of Faith (XIX, 6; cf. Larger Catechism 97) and the Heidelberg Catechism (115) on the uses of the law for the regenerate. To which of the others is the Heidelberg closest?

 

 

Lesson 11: Old and New Covenants

 

Key Terms:

 

destroy (kataluo) (Murray, 149)                      moral laws (Westminster Conf., XIX, 3)

 fulfill (149f)                                                                           (I, D, 6, a)

 breaking (153)                                                ceremonial laws (")

 gradation (")                                                   judicial laws (WCF XIX, 4)

 exclusion (")                                                   general equity (")

 

Questions:

 

1. "(Jesus) did come to discontinue the observance of the rites and ceremonies of the old economy. But it is not correct to say that he came to abrogate them" (Murray, 150). Explain, evaluate.

2. "Strictly speaking, the Levitical ritual did not serve as the pattern for the work of Christ..." (151). State Murray's alternative view of the relation between the ritual and the work of Christ; explain; give Scriptural references.

3. "If we do not like minutiae or insistence upon them, then we are not at home with the attitude of Jesus" (151; cf. 154). Explain, evaluate.

4. Present and discuss evidence from Paul concerning the continued authority of the Mosaic law during the New Covenant (194f).

5. "...the demand for obedience in the Mosaic covenant is principally identical with the same demand in the new covenant..." (199). Discuss Murray's argument for this.

6. "Believers under the gospel continue in the covenant and in the enjoyment of its privileges because they continue in the fulfillment of the conditions; they continue in faith, hope, and obedience" (199). How does Murray guard against salvation by works when obedience is a condition of gospel privilege? Does he guard adequately against it? Discuss.

7. Kline argues that the Mosaic covenant included a principle of works for maintenance of the earthly (typological) blessings in the promrised land (lectures in Old Testament Biblical Theology). Does this view contradict Murray's position (194‑201), or might it be regarded as a supplement to it? Discuss.

8. Does Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount criticize the O.T. law? If not, what is he criticizing? Discuss.

9. "The judicial laws of Israel are ambiguous in that they envisage the nation both as a holy nation, distinct from all others, prefiguring the consummation, and as a nation among other nations, facing the same political and social needs as other nations" (I, D, 6, c, vi). Discuss, evaluate.

 

 

Lesson 12: Law, Love and Situationism

 

Key Terms:

 

Situation ethics (I, D, 7, e, iii)

 

 

 Questions:

 

1. "Love carries into effect the law of God" (Murray, 22). Discuss the bearing of Romans 13:8-10 on this thesis.

2. Murray argues that to say love is the fulfillment of the law implies that there is "content to the law that is not defined by love itself" (24). Does this mean that even if all one's actions were done out of love, he might still be disobedient, having missed some of the "other content" of the law? But then what becomes of Paul's argument in Romans 13:810? Discuss.

3. Summarize Murray's argument to the effect that love does not exist apart from obedience to the commandments (22‑26).

4. "Love is a provocative characterization of law" (Lecture, I, D, 7, d). Explain, evaluate.

5. How can law be more than a general guide if God's will for me is absolutely concrete? Discuss. (I, D, 7, e, ii.)

 

 

Lesson 13: Priorities

 

Key Terms:

 

 

legal system (I, D, 9, a)

weightier matters of the law (I, D, 9, b)

graded absolutism (I, D, 9, c)

prima facie duties (I, D, 9, c)

priorities (I, D, 9, e, vii)

 

Questions:

 

1. "In any particular situation, a lesser principle may be transcended by a higher one" (I, D, 9, d). Explain, distinguish from situation ethics.

2. Are we ever justified in not carrying out a divine command? Make necessary distinctions (I, D, 9, e).

3. "We must frequently stop obeying one command in order to obey another" (I, D, 9, iii). Give some examples.

4. "Many divine commands are given to the church as a body, rather than to individuals" (I, D, 9, iv). Give some examples.

5. "Whether to obey a divine command is a question that can never be settled by human judgment." Reply, making necessary distinctions (I, D, 9, e, viii).

 

 

Lesson 14: Situation and Knowledge of our Duty

 

 

Key Terms:

 

casuistry (Lecture Outline II, A, 4)

 

Questions

 

1. "..without the application, we would have no norm at all." Explain, evaluate (II, A, 1, d).

2. Does the end justify the means? Discuss (II, A, 3).

3. Is a "Christian utilitarianism" possible? Explain and respond. (II, A, 3, c; cf. earlier discussion of utilitarianism.)

4. Are all transgressions equally heinous? Present and evaluate the answer of the Larger Catechism (150).

5. Describe how the "situation" functions in the evaluation of the heinousness of sins according to the Larger Catechism (151).

6. Present and discuss some of the dangers involved in casuistry (II, A, 4, d).

7. Does the Larger Catechism fall into any of the perils of casuistry? Discuss (151).

 

 

Lesson 15: The Ethical Situation; Tragic Moral Choice

 

 

Key Terms:

 

God's decree (II, B, 1, a, i)

conflict of duties (II, B, 1, a, iii)

tragic moral choice (")

choice between two evils (II, B, 1, a, iii, (D), (4))

choice between two wrongs (")

 

Questions

 

1. It is sometimes said that we ought to make our decisions on the basis of God's perceptive will, not his decretive will. Does the decretive will of God have any relevance to our decision‑making? Discuss (II, B, 1, a).

2. Are there tragic moral choices? Discuss (II, B, 1, a, iii, (C)).

 

 

Lesson 16: Freedom and Moral Responsibility

 

Key Terms:

 

autexousion (II, B, 1, a, iv, (A), (1))

 

Questions

 

1. Are there ambiguities in the statement "‘Ought' implies ‘can'?" Discuss (II, B, 1, a, iv, (C)).

2. "As to whether ‘ought' implies ‘can,' the basic question is a question of morality, not of metaphysics or anthropology" (II, B, 1, a, iv, (C), (3)). Explain; evaluate.

3. "Free will in the Arminian sense is actually destructive of responsibility" (II, B, 1, a, iv, (C), (4)). Explain; evaluate.

4. "Character is always an achievement." Reply.

 

Lesson 17: God's Presence; Reward

 

Key Terms:

 

covenant solidarity (II, B, 1, c, iii)

age to come (II, B, 1, c, iv, (b))

this age (II, B9 1, c, iv (d))

already/not yet (")

 

Questions

 

1. Describe the tension between "already" and "not yet" in its bearing upon ethical life (II, B, 1, c, iv, (D)).

2. "The consummation is a purifying doctrine" (II, B, 1, c, v). How? Discuss.

3. Discuss the doctrine of rewards in Scripture. Do rewards compromise salvation by grace? (II, B, 1, c, v, (F), (1)) (also confessions).

4. Van Til says that the concept of reward is "nothing but what we would expect if we were to try to work out a consistently theistic scheme of interpretation." Why? Discuss..

5. Is the reward‑motive in Scripture selfish? Discuss (II, B, 1, c, v, (F), (3); Confessions).

 

 

Lesson 18: Angels

 

Required:

 

Lecture Outline II, B, 2.

 

Questions

 

1. "The doctrine of angels rebukes the smallness of our cosmology" (II, B, 2, a). Explain; evaluate.

2. "God doesn't press buttons...rather, he sends messengers" (II, B, 2, a, iv). Explain; evaluate.

3. "Don't base your hopes or fears merely upon the empirical situation" (II, B, 2, b, i, (F)). Discuss Scriptural basis, relating to the doctrine of angels.

4. "Angels are witnesses to human salvation" (II, B, 2, b, ii). Explain and apply to the Christian life, using Scripture references.

5. "The doctrine of angels is a measure of the greatness of our salvation in Christ..." (II, B, 2, b, iii). Explain; summarize biblical basis.

 

 

Lesson 19: The Basis of Social Ethics

 

Key Terms:

 

Corporate task (II, B, 3, a).

Cultural mandate (II, B, 3, a)

 

Questions:

 

1. "Thus the individual is not responsible to replenish and subdue the earth" (II, B, 3, a, iii). Explain; evaluate.

2. What would have happened if Eve had sinned, but Adam had remained obedient? Discuss (II, B, 3, b, vii).

3. "Ministers ought to preach the gospel, not politics." Discuss this in relation to "theology as application" and in relation to the "corporate character of the moral life" (II, B, 3, f, vii).

4. "Each of us at each time is in a morally unique situation." Does this contradict I Cor. 10:13? Discuss (II, B, 4, c, esp. vii).

5. Van Til says, "That the ethical ideal for man should be self‑realization follows from the central place given him in this universe" (Van Til, Christian-Theistic Ethics, 44). Explain; evaluate.

6. Van Til argues that God intended for man to become more and more "spontaneous," "self-determining," "increasing in momentum" (Ibid., 45f). Are you surprised that a Calvinist should argue this way? Explain and evaluate.

 

Lesson 20: The Natural Environment (cf. later discussions of fifth, sixth and eighth commandments)

 

 

Key Terms:

 

curse on the ground (II, B, 5, c)

 

Questions

 

Does the cultural mandate justify exploitation of the environment? Discuss (II, B, 5).

 

 

Lesson 21: Inadequate Goals for Ethics

 

Key Terms:

 

twofold end (II, C, 1)                                     supernatural virtues (II, C, 1, c, iv)                

consilia evangelica (II, C, 1, c, vi)                 

 

Questions:

 

1.      Describe the views of Augustine and Aquinas on the goals of human life (I, C, 1, b-c).

2.      How would you reply to someone who seeks an ascetic life (I, C, 1, b-c)?

 

 

Lesson 22: The Biblical Goal of Ethics

 

Key Terms:

                       

chief end of man (WSC 1, WLC 1)               

 (either one)

summum bonum (II, C, 2, c)

kingdom of God (II, C, 2, c)

cultural mandate (II, C, 3, b)                         

great commission (")              

 

Questions:

 

1. "We are called to serve God and deny ourselves." Respond, noting any ambiguities, giving Scriptural data (II, C, 2, b).

2. "The great commission is an application of the cultural mandate to the post-fall situation" (II, C, 3, b). Explain, present evidence, evaluate.

3. "After the fall, the goal of ethics is always presented in specifically redemptive terms" (II, C, 3, b, iii). Explain, present evidence, evaluate.

 

Lesson 23: Goodness and Human Nature

 

Key Terms:

 

personalism of Christian ethics (III, B, 1, .1)

 

Questions

 

1. "Though God's norms were imposed upon him from above, in one sense they were also imposed by man upon himself" (III, B, 1, e). Explain; evaluate.

2. Discuss the relation between obedience to law and spontaneous action in the Spirit for the Christian (III, B, 3, c, ii; cf. Lesson 20, question 6).

3. "The process of sanctification brings about greater and greater unity between us and the goodness of Christ which indwells us" (III, B, 3, d). Describe the process and discuss.

 

 

Lesson 24: Motive, Especially Love

 

 

Key Terms:

 

motive (two meanings) (III, C, 1, a, b)                       love (III, C, 3, f, iii)

necessary for good works (III, C, 3,                           priority to household of faith

 a, i)                                                     (III, C, 3, f, iii, (F), (2))

sufficient for good works (;III, C,                              death to sin (Murray 204f)

3, a, ii)                                     fear (two meanings) (231f)

faith (III, C, 3, c, i)                                                     fear of God (in which godliness

repentance (III, C, 3, d)                                                                      consists) (236)

hope (III, C, 3, e)

 

Questions

 

1. Why is a right motive necessary? Argue from Scripture (III, C, 2).

2. "Faith is a particular act, followed by other acts which are not faith but works." Evaluate this formulation (III, C, 3, c, ii, (D), (1)).

3. "Love is voluntary, not emotional" (III, C, 3, f, iii, (C), (3)). Discuss.

4. "Love gives an inevitably positive thrust to the law of God." Explain; evaluate (III, C, 3, f, iii, (G), (3)).

5. "Hence the relation which the new life of the believer sustains to Christ, specifically to his death and resurrection, is not simply that Christ has by his once-for-all accomplishment secured and procured for believers sanctifying grace..." (Murray, 207f). What more is it, according to Murray? Explain, referring to biblical data.

6. When did believers die with Christ and rise to newness of life? Discuss (208ff).

7. "...when (the believer) does well he is acting in terms of the new man which he is; when he sins he is acting in terms of the old man which he also still is" (212ff). Discuss; evaluate, referring to Romans 6, Col. 3:9f, Eph. 4:22-24.

8. Murray denies that the believer has in him an "old man" who must be progressively crucified, but he agrees that the believer must progressively put to death the deeds of the flesh (219). Is Murray, then, agreeing with the real intent of the former view while denying that Scripture uses the "old man" figure to make that particular point? Is this, then, merely a debate over words? Why shouldn't we use a Scriptural figure to make a Scriptural point, even if the metaphor and the point are not so related in Scripture itself? Discuss.

9. What is the radical change that comes upon the believer with the death of the old man in Romans 8? Discuss (219‑221).

10. Show now the Holy Spirit is related to the resurrection of Christ according to Murray (22iff).

11. Show how the Holy Spirit is related to love as ethical motive (225-228).

12. "The fear of God is the soul of godliness" (229). Discuss some Scripture passages to this effect.

13. "...ethics has its source in religion .." (231). Present Murray's argument; discuss.

14. "We should obey God out of love, not for fear of the consequences of disobedience." Discuss (233-236).

15. Show the relation of the fear of God to ethics from the life of Abraham (238ff).

16. Murray says that the concept "fear of God" has suffered eclipse in our time because of the eclipse of faith itself (24i). Do you agree? Might it not be that Christians today put less emphasis on this concept because they are putting more emphasis on other concepts which were neglected in past ages (friendship with God, the gifts of the Spirit, etc.)?

17. Discuss the imprecatory Psalms. How are they consistent with the biblical ethic of love? (III, C, 3, g, iv, f)).

 

 

Lesson 25: The New Life as a Means of Ethical Knowledge

 

Key Terms:

 

word as decree (III, D, 1, a, 1)                       aisthesis (III9 D, 3, 6, iv, (B), (1))

word as address (III, D, 1, a, ii)                     knowing that (III, D, 3, b, v, (B))

word as presence (III, D, i, a, iii)                    knowing now (")

wisdom (III, D, 2, a)                                       concept (III, D, 3, b, v, (C))

knowledge (III, D, 2, b)                                 analogies (III, D, 3, D' V' (D), (3), aa)

truth (III, D, 2, c)                                            patterns (")

doctrine (III, D, 2, d)                                      duck‑rabbit (III, D, 3, b, v, (D),

dokimazein (III, D, 3, b, iv)                                                    (4), aa)

seeing as (")

 

Questions:

 

1. "Obedience is not only a consequence, but a constitutive aspect of the knowledge of God" (III, D, 2, b, v). Explain; evaluate.

2. "Life ought to be built on doctrine." Discuss (III, D, 395).

3. "Knowing our duty presupposes sanctification" (III, D, 3, b, iv, (E)). Discuss in relation to Hebrews 5:11-14.

4. Discuss David's conviction of sin as a case of "seeing as" (III, D, 3, b, v, (D), (6j, cc).

5. "Ethical discourse is never merely a matter of setting forth facts and verses" (III, D, 3, b, v, (D), (7)). Explain; evaluate.

6. How does God guide us today? Distinguish your view from alternatives. (III, D, 3, b, v, (E). Cf. Lesson 8.)

 

 

Lesson 26: Organs of Ethical Knowledge; Conscience

 

Key Terms:

 

work of the law (III, D, 4, a, i)                       conscience (Aquinas) (III, D, 4, c, i)

law written on the heart (III, D, 4,                 conscience (Scripture) (III, D, 4, c, ii)

a, ii)                             reason (four meanings) (III, D, 4, e)

synteresis (III, D, 4, b)                                    will (III, D, 4, f)

moral syllogism (III, D, 4, c, i, (A))                imagination (III, D, 4, g)

 

Questions:

 

1. Is it ever right to go against the conscience? If not, is conscience therefore infallible? Discuss (III, D, 4, c, ii, (E)‑(F)).

2. What role does our experience play in the making of moral judgments (III, D, 4, d)?

3. Discuss the question of whether intellect or will is primary in ethics (III, D, 4f).

4. Discuss the function of imagination in ethical decision (III, D, 4, g).

5. Discuss relations between emotion and reason in ethical judgments (III, D, 4, h, iv).

 

 

Lesson 27: Introduction to the Decalogue

 

Key Terms:

 

breadth of the commandments (Intro. B, 1)

narrowness of the commandments (B, 2)

 

Questions:

 

1. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using the Decalogue to summarize Christian ethics (Intro., A).

2. "It is never legitimate to refute a proposed specific application of a commandment merely by referring to its general meaning" (B, 2, i). Explain; evaluate.

3. "Each commandment teaches the whole of our obligation from a particular point of view" (B, 3, b). Explain, evaluate (Cf. B, 1, b).

 

 

Lesson 28: Biblical Prefaces to the Decalogue

 

 

Questions:

 

1. Discuss the nature of the phenomena preceding the giving of the law and the function of these phenomena in the history of revelation (C, 1, a-c).

2. Discuss the meaning of the name Yahweh as it bears upon the covenant law (C, 2; cf. Lesson 2).

3. Discuss relationships between obedience and blessing in the context of the law (C, 3)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lesson 29: The First Commandment (General thrust)

 

 

Key Terms:

 

idolatry (Heidelberg Catechism, 95)

(Westminster Larger Catechism, 105)

worship (narrow focus) (Lecture I, A, 1, b, i)

worship (broad focus) (I, A, l, b, ii)

 

Questions:

 

1. "The language of worship is used in Scripture for ethical purity in general" (I, A, 1, b, ii, (C)). Present biblical basis and evaluate.

2. "A negative emphasis in preaching betrays lack of love." Discuss (I, A, 2, a, vi).

 

 

Lesson 30: The First Commandment (Problem Areas)

 

Key Terms

 

Occult (I, B, 1)

Religious pluralism (I, B, 2)

Secret societies (I, B, 3)

Oath of secrecy (I, B, 3, b), (1))

Bond of brotherhood (I, B, 3, b), (2))

 

 

Questions

 

1. What relations between the believer and false religions are forbidden by Deut. 16:9-14? Explain (I, B, 1, b, ii).

2. Is it wrong to read your horoscope every day? Discuss (I, B, 1, b).

3. A member of your congregation wants to join the Masonic lodge. Give Scriptural counsel (I, B, 2).

4. A parent in your congregation is uncertain about whether to sent his child to a Christian or a secular school. What considerations ought to influence his decision (I, B, 3)?

5. "Machen ought not to have left the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. in 1936. He ought rather to have accepted his suspension from the ministry and continued to fight for the truth." Discuss (I, B, 5).

 

 

Lesson 31: The Second Commandment (General Thrust)

 

 

Key Terms:

 

matztzebah (II, A, 1, b, iii)

pesel (II, A, 1, b, iv)

temunah (II, A, 1, b, v)

Pagan sacramentalism (II, A, 4)

Idolatry (two meanings) (II, B, 1)

God's essential invisibility (II, C, 1, a), (3), (a))

redemptive‑historical invisibility (II, C, 1, b, iii)

theophany (II, C, 1, b))

covenant jealousy (II, C; 4)

 

Questions

 

1. Does the second commandment forbid art? Discuss (II, A, 1).

2. "The second commandment forbids not only making images of false gods, but specifically worship of the true God by images" (II, A, 3, b). Explain; present biblical basis; evaluate.

3. "Images are wrong because God cannot be pictured." Discuss (II, C, 1; Heidelberg Catechism, 97).

4. "The dignity of man, as well as the honor of God, is at stake in the second commandment" (II, C, 3, b). Why? Discuss.

5. Does God punish children for their fathers' sins? Discuss (II, D, 1).

6. "In the second commandment, grace abounds more broadly than judgment" (II, D, 2). Present the argument for this assertion and discuss.

 

 

Lesson 32: The Regulative Principle; Images and Music

 

Key Terms:

 

regulative principle (II, E, 4, a)

element of worship (II, E, 4, a, ii, b)); see also d))

circumstance of worship ("; cf. II, F, 3, a; II, F, 4, c, v)

exclusive psalmody (II, F, 3)

pneumatikos (in Col. 3:16) (II, F, 3, c)

 

Questions

 

1.      Is there a difference between the sufficiency of Scripture for "faith and worship" and for other areas of life? Discuss (II, E, 4, c).

2.      Present and discuss the biblical basis for the "regulative principle" for worship (II, E, 4, c).

3.      Discuss the use of the elements/circumstances distinction in Puritan-Scots theology beyond the confessions. Is that teaching scriptural? (II, E, 4, d)

4.      Does the regulative principle impose on Reformed churches an archaic or traditionalist style of worship? Discuss. (II, E, 4, e).

5.      The Heidelberg Catechism: "God has willed that his church be instructed, not by dumb images, but by the preaching of his word" (A, 98). Evaluate (II, F, 1).

6.      "Since Christ is divine, any representation of him violates the second commandment." Evaluate (II, F, 2).

7.      Is song an "element" of worship? Respond, showing the relevance of this issue to the question of exclusive psalmody (II, F, 3, a).

8.      Is the singing of scriptural but uninspired hymns in worship an act in obedience to a Scriptural command? Discuss (II, F, 3).

9.      Present and evaluate the argument for prohibiting the use of instruments in New Covenant worship (II, F, 4).

 

 

Lesson 33: The Third Commandment: Oaths, Drama

 

 

Key Terms:

 

nasa' (in third commandment) (III, A, 2)                   confession (III, B, 2)

vanity (") (III, A, 3)                                                    blasphemy against the Holy Spirit

oath (III, B, 1, a)                                                                     (III, B, 2, b, iii, (B))

adjuration (III, B, 1, a, iii, (A))                                   blessing (III, B, 3)

solemn attestation (III, B, 1, a, iii, (B))

 

Questions:

 

1. Discuss the functions of "naming" in Scripture and the applications of these to the "name of the Lord" (III, A, 1, a; cf. Intro., C, 2, Lesson 2).

2. Discuss the "breadth and narrowness" of the "name of the Lord" (III, A, 1, bed; Westminster Shorter Catechism, 55).

3. Discuss the use of the phrase "bearing the name" in the third commandment (III, A, 2).

4. "The first three commandments exhibit the three perspectives of Christian ethics." Explain; evaluate (III, A, 5).

5. Does Scripture prohibit oaths in Matt. 5:33-37, James. 5:12? Discuss (III, B, 1, b, iv; Murray, 168-174).

6. "We ought never to joke about the things of God." Discuss (III, B, 1, d).

7. Calvin and Luther used to use strong and picturesque language to characterize their opponents (stupid, foolish, swine, donkeys, etc.). Discuss the ethics of this practice (III, B, 3, b).

8. Does Eph. 4:29 allow an actor to utter blasphemies in the portrayal of a blasphemer? Discuss (III, C).

 

 

Lesson 34: The Fourth Commandment (General Thrust)

 

Key Terms:

 

works of necessity (IV, C, 3, a, iv)

 

Questions:

 

1. Set forth the meaning of God's own Sabbath rest in Gen. 2:2f (IV, B, 1‑2).

2. "The divine Sabbath was offered to Adam and Eve" (IV, B, 3). Explain; evaluate.

3. Set forth the relationship between divine and human Sabbath according to Gen. 2:3, Ex. 20:11 (IV, C, 1; Murray, 31-33).

4. "The human Sabbath is a meeting with God." Explain; evaluate (IV, C, 2; Murray, 34).

5. "The fourth commandment requires a six day work week." Discuss; evaluate (IV, C, 3, a, i; Murray, 83).

6. Did God forbid Israel to enjoy recreational activity on the Sabbath? Discuss (IV, C, 3, a, iii).

7. "Works of mercy are presented in Scripture, not as a mere exception to the general prohibition of labor, but as a central function of the Sabbath." Present argument and evaluate (IV, C, 3, c; IV, E, 4).

8. Current high unemployment figures are paradoxical, since many "menial" jobs find no takers. Yet we are often told that it is patronizing to expect poor people to take menial jobs. Reply (Murray, 35f, 85-89).

 

 

Lesson 35: The Fourth Commandment (New Covenant Obligation)

 

 

Key Terms:

 

Calvin's view of the Sabbath (IV, D, 1, a)

Carson's view of the Sabbath (IV, D, 1, b)

the early Kline's view of the sabbath (IV, D, 1, d)

the Puritan view of the Sabbath (IV, D, 1, e)

redemptive rest (IV, D, 3, b, c)

symbolic weight (IV, E, 2, b, 3)

 

Questions:

1.      Does Ex. 20:11 teach that the Sabbath is a creation ordinance? Discuss. (IV, D, 2, a).

2.      Discuss the bearing of Mark 2:27 on the question of whether the Sabbath is a creation ordinance (IV, D, 2, f).

3.       Discuss the same issue regarding Mark 2:28 (IV, D, 2, g).

4.      Same for John 5:17 (IV, D, 2, h).

5.      Same for Hebrews 4 (IV, D, 2, i).

6.      "In the New Testament, a certain amount of day keeping is explicitly required." Present evidence; evaluate (IV, D, 4, c, i).

7.      Discuss Rom. 14:5, Gal. 4:10, and Col. 2:16-17. Do these verses present insuperable barriers to a Sabbatarian position? Discuss. (IV, D, 4, c, 3-5).

8.      Discuss "the New Covenant believer's obligation to spend the whole Sabbath in worship" (IV, E, 1, b; Westminster Confession XXI, 8).

9.      What is meant by a "change of day" for the Sabbath under the New Covenant? Discuss (IV, E, 2, b, e).

10.  Summarize Scriptural evidence for a first‑day Sabbath under the New Covenant (IV, E, 2, c‑d).

11.  "Since the Sabbath is a covenant sign, those outside the church ought not to be encouraged to, but rather discouraged from, keeping it." Discuss (IV, C, 3, o; IV, D, c, ii; IV, E, 1, b, iv, (D); IV, E, 3).

12.  The Heidelberg Catechism applies the fourth commandment to the present‑day believer as follows: "that all the days of my life I rest from my evil works, allow the Lord to work in me by his Spirit, and thus begin in this life the everlasting Sabbath" (A, 103). Discuss the scripturality of this application (VI, D, 3, b, c).

 

Lesson 36:  The Fifth Commandment.

 

Key Terms

 

Honor (V, B, 1)

Reverence (V, B, 1, a)

Corban (V, B, 1, a, 2, b).

Latreia (V, B, 1, a, 2, c).

Douleia (")

Uperdouleia (")

Submission (V, B, 1, b)

Obedience (V, B, 1, b, 2)

Financial support (V, B, 1, b, 3)

Father and mother (V, B, 2)

Promise of prosperity (V, B, 3)

Subsidiarity (V, B, 5)

Civil disobedience (V, C).

Punishment (V, C)

Deterrence (V, C, 1)

Reformation (as theory of punishment)(")

Restitution (")

Restraint (")

Taxation as punishment (")

Retribution (")

 

Questions

 

1.      Formulate and discuss the similarities and differences between the honor we owe to God and that which we owe to human beings (V, B, 1, a).

2.      Should we express deference to human beings in the way we speak to them? In the way we hear them? Mention examples (V, B, 1, a, 2, e; b, 1).

3.      What limits should be placed on our obedience to lawful human authorities (V, B, 1, b, 2)?

4.      Is the Larger Catechism right to extend the meaning of "father and mother" to all relations of superiors, inferiors and equals? Discuss (V. B, 2).

5.      Why is the promise of prosperity attached especially to the fifth commandment (V, B, 3)?

6.      Match the following names with their views of the state: Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Machiavelli, Locke, Anabaptism, Lutheranism, Calvin, Rutherford, Kuyper, Dooyeweerd, Clowney, Frame:

a.       State is the whole of which all individuals are parts, so it is more important.

b.      The Church is more important than the state, for grace is superior to nature.

c.       The despot may do anything to achieve his ends.

d.      Christianity discourages political involvement, so Christianity should be discouraged.

e.       Believed in social contract.

f.       The state is satanic.

g.      The ideal is world government.

h.      The philosopher knows the forms, so he ought to rule.

i.        The state is God's left hand, using principles alien to the gospel of grace.

j.        Elaborate philosophical account of modal spheres, but creating uncertainty in practice.

k.      The state is the organization of the human race as a family under Adam.

l.        The church is the new theo-political form of the kingdom and does not possess the sword.

m.    The state is an unnatural institution. It is under God's law, but not a theocracy.

7.      Does Scripture imply a "right of revolution"? Explain. (V, C).

8.      What purpose or purposes should be served by punishment (V, D, 1)?

9.      What forms of punishment do you believe should be employed for lawbreakers (V, D, 3).

10.  Discuss objections to capital punishment and responses to those objections (V, D, 3, d)).

11.  What crimes, if any, in our society should bear the death penalty (V, D, 3, d)?

12.  Does Scripture mandate or prohibit specific roles for women in the home, church, or society? Discuss. (V, E).

 

Lesson 37: The Sixth Commandment

 

Key Terms

 

Ratzach (VI, A, 3)

Voluntary manslaughter (VI, A, 3, c, 1, a)

Involuntary manslaughter (VI, A, 3, c, 1, b)

Negligent homicide (VI, A, 3, c, 1, c)

Accidental killing (VI, A, 3, c, 1, d)

Talion (VI, C, 2, b)

Herem warfare (VI, D, 1, b)

Pacifism (VI, D, 3)

Just war theory (VI, D, 3, c, 4)

Live birth interpretation (VI, E, 1, a, 1)

Miscarriage interpretation (VI, E, 1, a, 2)

Later Kline interpretation (VI, E, 1, a, 3)

Personhood (VI, E, 8).

Doctrine of carefulness (VI, E, 9).

Spiritual death (VI, F, 1, a, 2).

Eternal death (VI, F, 1, a, 2).

Brain death (VI, F, 1, b, 5).

Mercy killing (VI, F, 2)

Letting die (VI, F, 3)

Active euthanasia (VI, F, 3, a)

Passive euthanasia (VI, F, 3, a)

Ordinary care (VI, F, 3, b, 2, d)

Extraordinary care (")

Genetic engineering (VI, I)

 

 

Questions

 

1.      Explain the provisions in the Mosaic law for someone who kills another accidentally (VI, A, 3, c).

2.      "Jesus in effect equates the sixth commandment with the law of love." Explain, evaluate. VI, A, 3, c, 5).

3.      Is anger always wrong? Discuss (VI, A, 3, c, 6).

4.      Indicate the teaching of Scripture concerning the right of revenge (VI, A, 4).

5.      Explain the biblical teaching concerning love of enemies (VI, B).

6.      What does Jesus mean in teaching us to "turn the other cheek?" What (significantly) does he not mean? (VI, C).

7.      What does Deut. 20 teach about the wars of Israel? (VI, D, 1). 

8.      Reply to a pacifist (VI, D, 3).

9.      Would you describe your position on war as a "just war theory?" Why or why not? (VI, D, 3, c, 4; also following material under "conclusions.")

10.  Should the United States maintain a nuclear deterrent? Are there any circumstances in which nuclear force may be used? (VI, D, 3, c, 6)

11.  Expound Ex. 21:22-25, distinguishing possible interpretations, showing which is correct in your opinion, and explaining the bearing of each on abortion (VI, E, 1).

12.  Develop a full argument concerning the legitimacy of abortion, pro or con (VI, E, 1).

13.  Does Scripture allow us to accept modern criteria of brain death? Discuss. (VI, F, 1, b, 5)

14.  "We should never kill, but we may let people die." Evaluate, carefully noting ambiguities. (VI, F, 3).

15.  Is it ever legitimate to withhold extraordinary care? Ordinary care? When? Discuss your reasons. (VI, F, 3, c, 3).

16.  Present an ethical evaluation of suicide (VI, F, 4).

17.  Alcoholic beverages destroy brain cells. Should we then abstain from them? Defend your answer. (VI, F, H).

18.  To what extent should we accept the benefits of genetic engineering? (VI, I)

19.  Is Christianity responsible for modern indifference to the environment? Discuss. (VI, J)

20.  What is the Christian's obligation to people of other races and cultures? (VI, K).

21.  Are denominations biblical? (VI, L).

 

Lesson 38: The Seventh Commandment

 

Key Terms

 

Marriage (VII, A)

Adultery (VII, B)

Ervath dabar (VII, C, 5)

Porneia (VII, C, 5)

Lust (VII, E)

 

 

Questions

 

1.      Explain the nature of marriage according to Scripture (VII, A).

2.      What does Scripture teach about prostitution (VII, C)?

3.      Is pre-marital sex ever permissible? Give a biblical argument (VII, D).

4.      What guidance can you give concerning the legitimacy, outside of marriage, of sex acts short of intercourse (VII, E)?

5.      What sexual thoughts, feelings, actions are appropriate for an unmarried Christian? (VII, E)

6.      Discuss biblical principles bearing on the question of birth control (VII,

7.      Discuss the bearing of one of the following passages on the question of divorce: Deut. 24:1-4, Matt. 5:31f, I Cor. 7:10-15, Romans 7:1-3.

 

 

 

Lesson 39: The Eighth Commandment

 

Key Terms

 

Stewardship (VIII, B, 1)

Private property (VIII, B, 1)

Socialism (VIII, E, 1)

 

Questions

 

            1.  Does Scripture warrant private property? How? (VIII, B, 2, also D).

            2. What does the Bible teach about wealth? Summarize. (VIII, B, 2, b-f).

            3. Is there a biblical "work-ethic?" Discuss. (VIII, C).

            4. Show some forms of stealing mentioned in Scripture (VIII, D).

            5. Does Scripture warrant socialism? Discuss. (VIII, E, 1).

            6. Should there be limits on free enterprise? Give a biblical basis for your answer. (VIII, E, 2).

            7. Are Christians required to tithe? Why or why not? If not, should they do it anyway? (VIII, F).

            8. Are there any applications of the OT usury statutes that bear upon modern Christians? Discuss. (VIII, G)

            9. What are the most important causes of world hunger? How should Christians respond to this crisis? (VIII, H).

            10. May a Christian enjoy luxuries while others are starving? Discuss.

            11. Is gambling ever legitimate? Discuss. (VIII, J).

 

 

Lesson 40: The Ninth Commandment

 

Key Terms

 

Witness (IX, A)

Gossip (IX, A, 4, a)

Slander (")

Judging rashly (")

Jocular lie (IX, B, 1)

Polite lies (IX, B, 2)

Necessary lies (IX, B, 3)

Virtual promise (IX, B, 3, c)

 

Questions

 

1.      What is "false witness?" Show the range of biblical applications of the concept (IX, A).

2.      Are lies ever justifiable? Present a biblical account. (IX, B)

 

Lesson 41: The Tenth Commandment

 

Key Terms

 

Covet (X, C)

Spontaneous desire (X, B, 1)

Nursing spontaneous desire (X, B, 2)

Tittilatio (X, B, 2)

Planning to achieve the desire (X, B, 3)

Accomplishing the desire (X, B, 4)

Envy (X, D, 1)

Contentment (X, D, 2)

 

Questions

 

            1. What kinds of desires are sinful? Are there any that are not? Which? Discuss. (X, C, E).