Covenant And Commandment

Introduction: A Covenant With The Reader

Part 1: The Covenant And The Commandments
Chapter 1: The God Of Covenants
Chapter 2: The Hebrew Looks At God
Chapter 3: Humankind, Community, And History
Chapter 4: The Covenant And The Law
Chapter 5: The Ten Commandments: Their Origins, Character, And Scope

Part 2: The Vertical Commandments
Chapter 6: But First. . . A Word From God
Chapter 7: The First Commandment: The Character Of God
Chapter 8: The Second Commandment: Concerning Idols
Chapter 9: The Third Commandment: On Using The Name
Chapter 10: The Fourth Commandment: Confessing Our Humanity

Part 3: The Horizontal Commandments
Chapter 11: “Let Persons Be Persons”
Chapter 12: The Fifth Commandment: Recognition Of Indebtedness
Chapter 13: The Sixth Commandment: Respect For Persons As The Image Of God
Chapter 14: The Seventh Commandment: Respect For Persons In The Male-Female Relationship
Chapter 15: The Eighth Commandment: Respect For Property As An Extension Of Selfhood
Chapter 16: The Ninth Commandment: Respect For The Integrity Of Society
Chapter 17: The Tenth Commandment: The Inwardness Of The Law

Afterword: Down From The Mountain

Questions For Personal Reflection Or Group Discussion

Additional Info
Covenant and Commandment at first seeks to establish that the heart of Hebrew faith and thought is a vision of God as one who makes covenants-with Israel, with all humankind, and, indeed, with the whole creation. As a covenant-maker, God binds himself through his promises. It is Israel’s conviction that God is the kind of God who makes promises and keeps them. This conviction, as Christian contends, has given creative power and shape to the whole of Hebrew and Christian history.

As the books continues, C. W. Christian contends that the Hebrew law, especially that expression called the Ten Commandments, can best be understood as a joyful response to God’s covenant grace, a response that embraces every aspect of our being: community with God, with each other, and with God’s world. Each of the commandments is then examined to discover how it may provide guidance in living unto God and in human community.

Covenant and Commandment is ideal for either personal or group study on the nature and use of the Ten Commandments. A study guide with relevant questions is provided for reflection and discussion.