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Q 93: What is the substance of the sixth commandment?
A 93: The substance of the sixth commandment is that men must neither hate nor harm their neighbors but rather do everything in their power to uphold their wellbeing. (Lev. 19.17, 18; Ex. 21.20, 21; Deut. 22.8)
As with all the commandments of the Lord, obedience to the sixth commandment begins in the heart. Wrong affections toward our neighbors may not only lead to our actually doing them harm, they are harmful and wrong in and of themselves. At the same time, by nurturing positive affections of neighbor-love toward others we help to ensure that our actions will likewise be consistent with what the Law of God requires. Each of the commandments has a “negative” or prohibitive aspect, and each has a “positive” and prescriptive component. Together these form the substance of a proper approach to loving our neighbors as ourselves.
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