Spoke 9

Romans 9 9^th Commandment

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Warning: Undefined variable $spacer in /home/biblewhe/public_html/InnerWheels/Romans/Rom09.php on line 30

Warning: Trying to access array offset on null in /home/biblewhe/public_html/InnerWheels/Romans/Rom09.php on line 30
9^th Commandment

I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:

Romans 9 (vss 1-2)

Romans 9 opens with words that link directly to the Ninth Commandment. This same phenomenon is seen inmany chapters of Romans, most notably in the link between Romans 7 and the Seventh Commandment, and Romans 10 which links to the Tenth Commandment (The End of the Law). This pattern also exhibts a third layer fractal self-reflection from the Ninth Verse of Romans 1 to the Ninth Chapter of Romans:

For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; - Rom 1:9

Paul's mention of "prayers" also links to the Number 9 which is the "hour of prayer" found in Acts 3:1. This is, in part, the basis of the ancient Roman Catholic tradition of the which last for nine days (novem being latin for nine). Here is how the novena is defined in the Catholic New Advent Online Encyclopedia :

A nine days' private or public devotion in the Catholic Church to obtain special graces. The octave has more of the festal character; to the novena belongs that of hopeful mourning, of yearning, of prayer. "The number nine in Holy Writ is indicative of suffering and grief" (St. Jerome, in Ezech., vii, 24; -- P. L., XXV, 238, cf. XXV, 1473).

Questions? Comments? Join the discussion on the Bible Wheel Forum!