The Substance of the Eighth Commandment – A Kingdom Catechism

The Substance of the Eighth Commandment

A Kingdom Catechism

Respect the property rights of others.

Q 111: What is the substance of the eighth commandment?

A 111: The substance of the eighth commandment is that men must respect the property of others as such, in order to allow their neighbors to fulfill their stewardship obligations before the Lord. (Exod. 22:5, 6; Deut. 22:1-4; Deut. 24:14, 15; Exod. 22:10-13; Deut. 15:7, 8)

We must practice contentment and stewardship of our own property, and extend to our neighbors the same right and duty. By practicing contentment we receive what God has given us with gratitude and guard our hearts against all covetousness. By practicing stewardship we demonstrate our desire to make the best use of our property in loving God and our neighbors. By not stealing from our neighbors we encourage them to practice contentment and stewardship as well.

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In the Gates is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore, editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001, 2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.