The Seven Capital Sins

Ponticus (345-399). The purpose of this monk when creating a list of sins was to survey the main vices that get in the way of a routine aimed at spiritual exercise (asceticism).

Therefore, the seven deadly sins did not appear in the Bible, although they are all closely associated with biblical passages. On a careful reading of the Bible, references can be found to each of the seven sins, but nowhere will you find the name “seven sins” or anything like a list of the most serious vices that keep Christians from the grace of God. God.

According to Catholic doctrine, capital sins are the source of all vices. They are at the origin of all known sinful actions. Currently, the following capital sins are recognized: pride, avarice, envy, anger, lust, gluttony, and laziness.

But the list of deadly sins has varied over time. The first list, for example, had eight instead of seven sins, one of which is the addiction to sadness, which is no longer on the current list.

The original formulation by the monk Evagrius Ponticus gained official contours only in the 6th century when Pope Gregory I (540-604) wrote his list. It contained the following sins: envy, anger, avarice, gluttony, lust, sadness, and vainglory.

As can be seen, in Gregory's list the sins are reduced to seven. Two sins that already appeared in the original list remain sadness and vainglory (vanity). The sin of laziness is excluded and envy is added, which continues to this day. Gregory's list is shorter because he decided to exclude pride, elevating it to the rank of "lord" of all sins.

The person responsible for presenting the list we know today is the Catholic friar Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274). He reviewed the previous lists and presented the definitive list of the seven deadly sins:

Pride: excessive pride or vanity, pride is the main sin. It is the sin committed by Lucifer, who rebelled against God. Its opposite is humility.

Avarice: is the exaggerated attachment to money and material goods. Its opposite is generosity.

Envy: sadness for the achievements of others. Its opposite is charity, detachment. The first murder, narrated in the Old Testament, is provoked by the envy that Cain felt for Abel.

Anger: it is anger, fury, out of control, which can lead to violence. Its opposite is patience.

Lust: is the excessive pursuit of sexual pleasures. Its opposite is chastity.

Gluttony: is the exaggerated desire to eat and drink. Its opposite is moderation.

Laziness: unwillingness to engage in activities (physical or mental) that require effort. The opposite of laziness is action, effort. Thomas Aquinas used the term acedia (type of sadness, apathy, boredom, torpor). But over time the use of the term laziness prevailed.

The word “capital” comes from the Latin term caput, which means “head”. This means that the deadly sins are the leaders, the heads of all sinful actions. They are at the origin of all faults. That is why it is said that the seven sins are not concrete actions, but human tendencies to vice.

So a person can murder out of anger. Envy can be behind acts of cruelty and cheating. Manifestations of selfishness and lack of charity are the fruit of avarice.

All human defects, from the Christian point of view, are derived from each of the seven sins, which can be seen as tendencies towards addiction. These tendencies, in turn, have to do with the sinful nature of human beings, whose origin lies in the original sin committed by Adam and Eve. Like the fault committed by Adam and Eve in Paradise, all sin can be seen as a transgression of the divine will.

10 Commandments of God (and Their Meanings)

What are the ten commandments of God:

In the Bible, there are the Ten Commandments or Decalogue, which consist of 10 rules that were given by God to His people, so that they would have a happier and more prosperous life. God gave these commandments to Moses, who wrote them on tablets of stone. The 10 Commandments are found in Exodus 20.

The word commandment comes from the verb manda, which means order or rule. A commandment is a voice of command, precept, or mandate.

Ten Commandments of God

You will have no other gods besides me.

You shall not make for yourself an idol, or an image of anything in heaven, on earth, or in the waters under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the sins of their fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who despise me, but dealing kindly to a thousand. generations to those who love me and keep my commandments.

You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not let anyone who takes his name in vain go unpunished.

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall work and do all your work on them, but the seventh day is the Sabbath to the Lord your God. You shall not do any work on that day, you, nor your sons or daughters, nor your male or female servants, nor your livestock, nor the foreigners who dwell in your cities. For in six days, the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them, but on the seventh day, he rested. Therefore, the Lord blessed the seventh day and sanctified it.

Honor your father and mother, that you may have a long life in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

Thou shalt not kill.

Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Thou shalt not steal.

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male or female servants, or his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to him.

Meaning of each of the 10 Commandments

1. Thou shalt have no other gods besides me

The greatest of all commandments says that God is unique and must be loved above all. For those who follow this commandment, one should not put God in second place, which means living according to his law and never looking outside of it (either in superstitions or other beliefs) for the answers to the questions of existence.

2. Thou shalt not make for thyself any idol

You shall not make for yourself an idol, or an image of anything in heaven, on earth, or in the waters under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sins of their fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who despise me.

Exodus 20:4-5

This commandment says that nothing replaces God, and therefore idols are not to be worshiped in his place.

There is a divergence here between the Catholic Church and the Protestant denominations which, taking the commandment literally, do not make use of images. Catholics defend themselves by saying that the veneration of images (icons) cannot be confused with the worship of God. The veneration of images of saints, for example, would be a way of accessing God, not its replacement.

3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain

Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

Exodus 20:7

This commandment calls attention to respect for God and sacred things. Abusing God's name and playing with him are considered disrespectful attitudes.

4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy

This commandment says that one day a week must be kept for rest and for worshiping God. For Jews, the weekly day of inactivity is Shabbat ("rest"). Christianity in general (with rare exceptions) considers Sunday as the Lord's Day because it is the day of Christ's resurrection. In Christianity, the commandment has to do with the importance of rest.

5. Honor your father and mother.

Honor your father and mother, that you may live long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

Exodus 20:12

The commandment that one must honor father and mother is justified by the fact that it is the parents who give life and transmit the knowledge of God. Parents, to some extent, are the figure of the divine presence in the life of the individual.

6. Thou shalt not kill

This commandment, which is found in Exodus 20:13, deals with a fundamental value: life. Therefore, implicit in this commandment is the idea that human life is sacred because it was created by God.

You have heard what was said to your ancestors: 'Thou shalt not kill,' and 'whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.'

But I say to you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Also, whoever says to his brother, 'Rakka', will be taken to court. And anyone who says, 'Crazy!' runs the risk of going to hellfire.

Matthew 5:21,22

7. Thou shalt not commit adultery

This commandment, which is found in Exodus 20:14, speaks of the prohibition of adultery (extramarital relationship) and the protection of marriage, the sacrament that gives rise to the family. For Christians, adultery is a serious offense, as it violates the sacred covenant made before God.

In Matthew 5:27,28, it is seen that sin can exist in thought, even before adultery is committed:

Ye have heard that it was said to those of old, Thou shalt not commit adultery.

But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust after she has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Matthew 5:27,28

8. Thou shalt not steal

This commandment is found in Exodus 20:15. It expressly says that it is wrong to take possession of another's property, which includes any kind of theft, robbery, fraud, extortion, kidnapping, or act of corruption.

In Mark 10:19, some of the commandments are recovered, including the one that forbids theft:

Thou knowest the commandments: Thou shalt not commit adultery; thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal; thou shalt not bear false witness; thou shalt not defraud anyone; honor your father and mother.

Mark 10:19

9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor

This commandment forbids accusing a person of what he has not done. Therefore, it can be said that he deals with slander, lying, gossip and slander. Failing the truth is a serious moral fault before God.

10. Thou shalt not covet

This commandment, which is in Exodus 20:17, deals with the sin of envy or covetousness - dissatisfaction with what you have and the desire to have what is not yours. This is what we read in Deuteronomy 5:21:

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, and thou shalt not desire thy neighbor's house, nor his field, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's.

Deuteronomy 5:21

the most important commandment

The Bible reveals an episode where Jesus is questioned about the most important commandment of all. Jesus replied that the most important thing is, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" (Matthew 22:37). 

The second most important is:

"Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:39).

These two commandments are also known as the golden rule because whoever manages to fulfill them will surely also fulfill the 10 commandments expressed in the Old Testament.

The second, which speaks of love among others, is also often described as the new commandment, thanks to the biblical passage in John 13:34.

The Bible

The Bible is a collection or compilation of sacred books, containing the stories, doctrines, codes, and traditions that guide Christians, based on Jewish tradition (Old Testament) and the spread of the Gospel (New Testament).

Bible is a term derived from the Greek word βιβλίον (biblíon), which means parchment, papyrus, or book, and the Greek expression τὰ βιβλία τὰ ἅγια (ta bible ta hágia), which means holy books.

It was written by about 40 men over a period of approximately 1600 years. The first book of the Bible is Genesis which was written around 1445 BC. The last book is Revelation, written around A.D. 90-96. It was originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.

The Holy Bible (Biblia sacra in Latin) is the best-selling book of all time. It has been translated into over 2,500 languages ​​and is available in different versions, according to traditions and their translations. It is currently also available in digital format.

In a figurative sense, the term bible is also used to refer to an important book, a kind of “guide” that contains all the information relevant to specific areas. Examples are the Java Script Bible, the Business Administration Bible, the Musician's Bible, the Football Bible, etc.

The Structure of the Bible

The Christian Bible is divided into two main parts: the Old and New Testaments. Testament (berith in Hebrew) means covenant, covenant, or contract. Each of them brings together a collection of sacred texts. Let's get to know some essential details.

Old testament

The Old Testament (Tanach for the Jews and Septuagint for the Greeks) is regarded by Christians as the story of creation. This is because it has stories related to the creation of the world and the events of the Hebrew people until 445 BC. about.

There are two versions of the Old Testament, which circulated alternately in the times of Jesus and the apostles:

Hebrew Canon or Palestinian Canon, written in Hebrew, consists of 39 books. This version excludes so-called deuterocanonical books;

Alexandrian Canon, Version of the Septuagint (LXX) or Septuagint Bible. This version was written in Greek and contains the Hebrew canon. In addition, it also has the deuterocanonical books, called apocryphal by the Protestant tradition, such as Tobias, Judith, 1st and 2nd book of Maccabees, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, and Baruch.

Both canons have different order, distribution, and titles. The Catholic and Orthodox Churches recognize the Alexandrian Canon or Version of the Seventy. Protestant or Lutheran-inspired churches use the Hebrew or Palestinian canon. For its part, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria admits other books, such as the book of Enoch and the book of Jubilees.

New Testament

The New Testament contains 27 books and is considered by Christians to be the history of salvation. It includes the Gospels, which represent the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. They cover events during his life, his message, his death, and his resurrection.

In addition, the New Testament contains the narration of the acts of the apostles (which tells of the birth of the early Church), the pastoral letters of the first Christian leaders, and the prophetic book of Revelation.

Learn more about the Gospel and Revelation.

In the case of the Jewish holy book, which corresponds to the Christian Old Testament, copies were made by Hebrew copiers called masorets. They were in charge of copying the Hebrew Scriptures between the 6th and 10th centuries, and they used to check each letter to avoid mistakes.

In the Christian world, translations and copies of the Bible were carried out by monks in monasteries, many of them were also responsible for incorporating illuminations or illustrations of great artistic value.

Monks could copy alone or in groups under the dictation of a brother, which accelerated the production of copies. So it was not surprising that there were some errors in the process.

There are differing opinions about the reliability, preservation, and integrity of the Bible. This is because many years have passed since the first manuscripts and there have also been possible errors in the translations into different languages ​​and differing opinions in the dogmas.

The first vernacular translation of the Bible, and also the first printed version, was the Bible translated by Luther into German in the 16th century.

Archeology has also provided interesting insights into the formation of historical biblical texts themselves.

Torah

What is Torah?

The Torah makes up the first 5 books of the holy book of the Jewish religion and originates from the Hebrew term Yará, which means teaching, instruction, or the law.

It is considered a guide for Jews, with 613 commandments that teach how they should or should not act, whether in the social, family, or religious relationships, for example.

The Torah tells the story of God's creation of the world, the arrival of the Jewish people in Israel, and the death of Moses on Mount Nob. It consists of five books and is equivalent to the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Christian Bible. Are they:

Bereshit, also known as Genesis;

Shemot, also known as Exodus;

Vayikrah, also known as Leviticus;

Bamidbar, also known as Numbers;

Devarim, also known as Deuteronomy.

There are two types of Torah: written, which contains the 613 written commandments, and oral, which is the set of instructions that teach how to fulfill the commandments of the Written Torah.

Among these 613 commandments, 248 are considered positive teachings, which guide the Jewish people to what should be done, and the other 365 are considered negative teachings, which instruct them on what should not be done.

The Jews consider that Moses wrote the Torah through the teachings of the God of Israel, which passed directly to him. This revelation from God to Moses took place 50 days after the liberation of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt.

Upon leaving Egypt, the Jews wandered for forty years through the desert towards the so-called Promised Land, where Israel is located.

Throughout that time, Moses was responsible for transcribing the teachings received by God and transmitting them to the prophets of the time and the Jewish people. Therefore, the Torah is also called by the Jews Torat Moshe, the Law of Moses, considered the greatest prophet by Jewish tradition.

For public Torah readings, Jews divide the books into small sections and begin reading them in order, starting with Genesis and ending with Deuteronomy.

When dividing the book, the small excerpts are read three times throughout the week, inside the Synagogues, on specific days:

on Mondays and Thursdays, small sections are read,

and the main reading takes place on Saturday mornings, a holy day for Jews called Shabbat by Jewish tradition.

These Torah scrolls, distributed on parchments, are called Sefer Torah and are the holiest objects in Judaism.

The origin and history of the Torah

The teachings that make up the Torah were sent by God to Moses on top of Mount Sinai, during the exodus of the Jewish people, which took place between 1300 and 1250 BC.