An Explanation of Luther's Small Catechism Part 9

CHAPTER VI.

THE SECOND COMMANDMENT.

G.o.d'S NAME.

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy G.o.d in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain.

_What is meant by this Commandment?_

We should so fear and love G.o.d as not to curse, swear, conjure, lie or deceive by His name, but call upon Him in every time of need, and wors.h.i.+p Him with prayer, praise and thanksgiving.

THE NAME OF G.o.d. [Ps. 111:9, Mal. 2:2, Rev. 15:4] A name is that by which we know a person. G.o.d's name means all by which He is known to us; hence not only the words G.o.d, Lord, Jehovah, Jesus Christ, the Almighty, the Eternal, the Omniscient One, etc., but the Word of G.o.d and the Sacraments, and all holy things.

This Commandment _forbids_ the wrong use, and _commands_ the right use of G.o.d's holy name.

I. WHAT IS FORBIDDEN.

TAKING G.o.d'S NAME IN VAIN:

1. _Thoughtlessly_. G.o.d's name is taken in vain thoughtlessly by using it as an exclamation in our conversation, by reading or hearing G.o.d's Word without devotion, jesting about sacred things, quoting Scripture in fun, and the like. Thoughtlessness is no excuse. We must give an account to G.o.d for every idle word; [Matt. 12:36+] how much more for every vain use of His name.

2. _Intentionally._ This is done by those who

CURSE; [Jas. 3:9, 10, Matt. 5:44, Rom. 12:14+] that is, by those who call on G.o.d to do evil to themselves or to others. Disguised forms of cursing are sinful also.

SWEAR. We are forbidden to confirm what we say by the use of G.o.d's name, either

_Needlessly_ [Matt. 5:34-37+] in our ordinary conversation, or

_Falsely_ [Lev. 19:12+] before a magistrate.

There is a Legal Oath: [Deut. 6:13, Heb. 5:16] 1. Of Witness. 2. Of Innocence. 3. Of Allegiance, 4. Of Office. The oath taken by our Lord before the high-priest shows that the oath before a magistrate is not forbidden. [Matt. 26:63, 64] When taking a legal oath, we must be careful to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

False swearing or perjury is a great sin. It is punished by the State, and will be punished by G.o.d. [Ezek. 17:19]

Swearing by anything besides G.o.d's name is forbidden also. [Matt.

5:34-37+]

CONJURE. [Deut. 18:10-12+] This commandment forbids all magic arts, witchcraft, sorcery, pow-wowing, fortune-telling, and all attempts by signs or formulas to discover what G.o.d has kept hidden or to attain what He has withheld. If results are obtained by such means, _e.g._, by pow-wowing, that is no justification for their use. [Matt. 16:26] If we desire to obtain help through the use of G.o.d's name, we must pray and not conjure.

LIE. The eighth commandment forbids lying in general; this commandment forbids lying by G.o.d's name. It is broken by those who teach falsehood and error and yet declare that they are teaching G.o.d's Word. [Gal. 1:8]

DECEIVE BY HIS NAME. This is done by those who a.s.sume Christ's name by calling themselves Christians, and yet are hypocrites, and use religion as a cloak. [II Tim. 3:5+, Matt. 15:8]

Sins against this Second Commandment are common, but not small sins. G.o.d will not hold him guiltless who commits them.

II. WHAT IS COMMANDED.

We should

CALL UPON HIM. G.o.d has given us His name so that we might call upon Him for His help and grace. [Ps. 145:18+]

IN EVERY TIME OF NEED. We should call upon G.o.d in every time of trouble, danger or distress. [Ps. 50:15+] But if we call upon G.o.d only in times of special need, and do not call upon His name at other times also, we are not keeping this commandment.

AND WORs.h.i.+P HIM [Col. 3:16] in our hearts, in our homes and in church,

WITH PRAYER [Matt. 7:7+] for ourselves and for others, [I Tim. 2:1, 2]

PRAISE [Ps. 145:1] for His majesty and glory and wonderful works,

AND THANKSGIVING for temporal and spiritual blessings. [Ps. 106:1+]

QUESTIONS.--1. What is meant by G.o.d's name? 2. What does this second commandment forbid and command? 3. How is G.o.d's name taken in vain thoughtlessly? 4. How is G.o.d's name taken in vain intentionally? 5.

Define cursing? 6. Define swearing? 7. What kind of swearing is forbidden? 8. What kind of swearing is permitted? 9. When taking a legal oath, what must we be careful to do? 10. Define conjuring, lying, and deceiving by G.o.d's name? 11. What is the right use of G.o.d's name? 12.

Why should we call upon G.o.d? 13. When should we call upon Him? 14. Where shall we wors.h.i.+p Him? 15. How shall we wors.h.i.+p Him?

SCRIPTURE VERSES.--Matt. 12:36. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

Rom. 12:14. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.

Matt. 5:34-37. But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is G.o.d's throne: nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be Yea, yea; Nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

Lev. 19:12. Ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy G.o.d: I am the Lord.

Deut. 18:10-12. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pa.s.s through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy G.o.d doth drive them out from before thee.

II Tim. 3:5. Having a form of G.o.dliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Matt. 15:8. This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips: but their heart is far from me.

Ps. 143:18. The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.

Ps. 50:15. Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and then shalt glorify me.

Matt. 7:7. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

Ps. 106:1. Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever.

READING.--Balaam, Numb. 22; Herod's Oath, Matt. 14:1-12; Saul and the Witch at Endor, I Sam. 28.

ILl.u.s.tRATIONS.--_Cursing_: Job 3:1-7. s.h.i.+mei, II Sam. 16:5-14.

_Swearing_: Herod; Peter, Matt. 26:89-75. _Conjuring_: Saul at Endor; Bar-jesus, Acts 13:1-12. _Lying and Deceiving_: The Pharisees, Matt.