Calvin pushes the Sixth and Seventh Commandments far deeper than outward behavior, showing that God’s law governs not only the hand but the heart. Murder is not merely the act of shedding blood; it begins wherever anger, hatred, or the desire to harm another person takes root, because every human being bears the image of God and belongs to the same human family. Likewise, chastity is not merely the avoidance of adultery but the disciplined ordering of desire according to God’s design for marriage. Calvin argues that purity of life requires both inward restraint and outward obedience: we must defend our neighbor’s life, guard our own hearts from hatred, honor the dignity of marriage, and recognize our limitations honestly before God. Celibacy is a gift given only to some, while marriage stands as the ordinary remedy for human weakness. In both commandments the law exposes the depth of human sin and calls believers to lives marked by self-control, reverence for God’s image in others, and sincere devotion of body and soul to the Lord.

Readings:

John Calvin — Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 2, Chapter 8 (Sections 39–44)

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