(God's) Commandments classification chart

MJ. Smith
MJ. Smith MVP Posts: 54,473
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One annoyance I have with Logos is its tendency to choose a single option that stresses one particular aspect and present it without mention of the alternative. For example, I would like to see multiple ways of classifying the commandments/laws. Some of the options (from Perplexity):

Jewish Classifications

Traditional Rabbinic Classification [We have this in an interactive]

  1. 613 Mitzvot (Commandments)
    • 248 Positive Commandments
    • 365 Negative Commandments

Maimonides' Classification
Maimonides organized the 613 commandments into 14 books in his Mishneh Torah:

  1. Knowledge
  2. Love
  3. Seasons
  4. Women
  5. Holiness
  6. Asseverations
  7. Seeds
  8. Divine Service
  9. Sacrifices
  10. Purity
  11. Injuries
  12. Acquisition
  13. Judgments
  14. Judges

Modern Jewish Approaches
Contemporary Jewish scholars often classify commandments based on their ethical and ritual functions:

  1. Ethical Commandments
  2. Ritual Commandments
  3. Social Justice Commandments
  4. Family-related Commandments

Christian Classifications

Traditional Ten Commandments Division

  1. Commandments relating to God (1-4)
  2. Commandments relating to Humans (5-10)

Luther's Classification
Martin Luther categorized commandments in his catechism:

  1. First Table (Commandments 1-3): Duties to God
  2. Second Table (Commandments 4-10): Duties to Neighbors

Reformed Tradition Classification
Often divides the law into three categories:

  1. Moral Law
  2. Ceremonial Law
  3. Civil Law

Historical Classifications

Augustine's Classification
Augustine proposed a division of the Decalogue:

  1. Commandments concerning God (1-3)
  2. Commandments concerning the Sabbath (4)
  3. Commandments concerning human relationships (5-10)

Thomas Aquinas' Approach
Aquinas classified laws in his Summa Theologica:

  1. Eternal Law
  2. Natural Law
  3. Human Law
  4. Divine Law (Old and New Law)

Contemporary Scholarly Approaches

Form-Critical Classification
Based on the literary form of the commandment:

  1. Apodictic Laws
  2. Casuistic Laws

Socio-Historical Classification
Categorizing commandments based on their historical context:

  1. Pre-Monarchic Commandments
  2. Monarchic Commandments
  3. Exilic/Post-Exilic Commandments

Thematic Classification
Many modern scholars classify commandments based on their primary themes:

  1. Worship-related Commandments
  2. Ethical Commandments
  3. Social Justice Commandments
  4. Purity Laws

Jacob Milgrom's Holiness Classification

Jacob Milgrom, a renowned scholar of Leviticus, proposed a classification based on the concept of holiness:

  1. Ritual Purity Laws
  2. Moral Purity Laws
  3. Genealogical Purity Laws
  4. Land Purity Laws

Mary Douglas' Anthropological Approach

Mary Douglas, applying anthropological insights, suggested:

  1. Boundary-Marking Commandments
  2. Structural Commandments
  3. Symbolic Commandments
  4. Integrative Commandments

Walter Brueggemann's Covenantal Classification

Brueggemann categorizes commandments within a covenantal framework:

  1. Commandments of Fidelity
  2. Commandments of Freedom
  3. Commandments of Justice
  4. Commandments of Blessing

John H. Walton's Ancient Near Eastern Context Approach

Walton classifies commandments based on their ancient Near Eastern cultural context:

  1. Identity-Forming Commandments
  2. Order-Maintaining Commandments
  3. Relationship-Defining Commandments
  4. Wisdom-Oriented Commandments

Richard E. Friedman's Source-Critical Classification

Friedman, using source criticism, categorizes commandments based on their presumed textual origins:

  1. J Source Commandments
  2. E Source Commandments
  3. P Source Commandments
  4. D Source Commandments

Phyllis Trible's Feminist Interpretation

Trible offers a classification from a feminist perspective:

  1. Gender-Inclusive Commandments
  2. Patriarchal Commandments
  3. Liberating Commandments
  4. Ambiguous Commandments

Traditional Three-fold Division

This widely accepted scheme, particularly in Reformed theology, divides the Old Testament law into three categories:

  1. Moral Law: Considered eternally binding (e.g., Ten Commandments)
  2. Ceremonial Law: Fulfilled in Christ (e.g., sacrificial system)
  3. Civil Law: Specific to ancient Israel's governance

New Covenant Theology Approach

This perspective emphasizes the distinction between Old and New Covenants:

  1. Old Covenant Laws: Abrogated with the coming of Christ
  2. New Covenant Laws: Derived from Christ's teachings and apostolic writings

Dispensationalist View

Dispensationalism categorizes laws based on different dispensations or eras:

  1. Edenic Law
  2. Adamic Law
  3. Noahic Law
  4. Mosaic Law
  5. Messianic Law (Millennial Kingdom)

Lutheran Two Kingdoms Doctrine

This approach distinguishes between:

  1. Laws of the Earthly Kingdom: Governing civil affairs
  2. Laws of the Spiritual Kingdom: Governing spiritual matters

Catholic Natural Law Theory

Developed by Thomas Aquinas and others:

  1. Eternal Law: God's rational plan for the universe
  2. Natural Law: Moral law knowable through reason
  3. Divine Law: Revealed in Scripture
  4. Human Law: Positive law enacted by human authority

John Calvin's Use of the Law

Calvin proposed three uses of the law:

  1. Pedagogical Use: Revealing sin and need for grace
  2. Civil Use: Restraining evil in society
  3. Didactic Use: Guiding believers in righteous living

Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."

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