Institutes of the Christian Religion (1559) - John Calvin
Book 2 - God the Redeemer
Chapter 8 - Explanation of the Moral Law:
The 10 Commandments
Sections 6-10 - The law to be spiritually understood by God's purpose
Section 6 - Since the law is God's law, it makes a total claim upon us
An earthly king's "jurisdiction extends only to outward political order,"
not to what man "merely conceives in his mind."
But God calls for "obedience of soul, mind, and will,"
because His law is spiritual - Rom 7:14.
Section 7 - Christ Himself has restored right understanding of the law
Jesus is the Law's best interpreter.
He didn't add to it to correct its defects - it had none.
"He only restored it to its integrity" from Pharisees-Matt 16:6, 11-12
Section 8 - Ways to the right meaning
"He who would confine his understanding of the law within the narrowness of the words deserves to be laughed at."
Consider "why it was given to us," and its full meaning comes clear.
Section 9 - Commandment and prohibition
When a good thing is commanded, its opposite evil is prohibited.
We often assume that abstinence from what is forbidden is sufficient,
when the opposite virtue is implicitly commanded.
[Example: do not grumble - Phil 2:14:
this calls us to rejoice, not just suppress grumbling.]
Section 10 - By its strong language, the law shocks us to detest sin
To get us to hate, and "weigh the gravity of transgressions."
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