On the First and Second Commandments

Second Sermon of the Second Decade

Hello friends! I apologize that I have fallen a bit behind on our journey through the Decades, but I will be posting one reflection a day this week until I am caught up! To refresh your memories, we are in the early part of the Second Decade. The First Decade introduced us to the doctrines of of the Word of God, faith (both the fides qua and the fides quae, the latter of which via an exposition of the Apostle’s Creed), and charity. The very last sermon of the First Decade, in expositing the Christian life in terms of the love of God and neighbor, opened up the issue that will occupy the Second and Third Decades: the law. This will mostly be handled via an exposition of the Decalogue, but Bullinger began the Second Decade with a general analysis of law and discussion of the law of nature and the law of men. However, in the second sermon, the topic of this post, Bullinger begins his exposition of the Decalogue, first treating God’s law in general and then discussing the first and second commandments.