Which is GOD’S first commandment: honor or obedience? (Part 1)

This was the question Rovic “Sher Lock” Canono recently posted on his FB wall insinuating that Bro. Eduardo V. Manalo as Executive Minister of the Iglesia Ni Cristo must first obey the commandment to honor his parents such as his mother, Mrs. Tenny before he could expect her to obey him as Executive Minister. He concludes by saying that “HONOR is greater than obedience ...”

 

First of all, what can one expect when the one explaining Biblical matters is a pathological liar with the likes of Rovic Canono? Actually, we were not able to keep track of the number of times he twisted the truth. He just keeps on sowing lies and does not even care if his claims and accusations before were proven to be untrue and were just figments of his own malicious imagination.

And look how Rovic Canono has now become, “levellling up” his lies by attempting to explain matters intended only for those given the right to reveal God’s words (Rom. 10:15; Col. 1:25). The devil must now be very happy with Rovic Canono as he is following his footsteps, what is natural to him, that is to lie.

“You are the children of your father, the Devil, and you want to follow your father's desires. From the very beginning he was a murderer and has never been on the side of truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he is only doing what is natural to him, because he is a liar and the father of all lies” (John 8:44 TEV).

In using verses from the Bible to support his lies, Rovic Canono has taken another step in following the footsteps of his lying father—the devil (Matt. 4:1-10).

One will immediately notice that most of what Rovic Canono posted were not his own. They were taken from a commentary which Rovic Canono did not mention. Was it just a case of lapse on his part? I would like to believe that if the one involved is not Rovic Canono. But since the one involved is a pathological liar, then I am compelled to believe that that was intentional on his part—an attempt to either claim credits for himself or to hide from the unsuspecting, the source of the basis of his conclusion depriving them of the means to study for themselves what the original source was really trying to say. Either way, what Rovic Canono did was a plain and simple act of plagiarism.

One of the sources of Rovic Canono is a commentary on Ephesians 6:1-3 from The Pulpit Commentary. From that commentary, Rovic Canono formed his own conclusion—a conclusion that is totally different from the intended meaning of the original source, that is, The Pulpit Commentary.

If one were to study the commentary, it was just a plain comparison between obedience to parents and the act of honoring the parents. So, when the original source says, “Honor is higher than obedience (Eph 6:1)”, it was talking about the same recipients of obedience and honor—the parents. That is why the original source even gave the verse of reference, that is, Ephesians 6:1. Let us quote directly Ephesians Chapter 6 verses 1 and 2:

¹Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ²“Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: (Ephesians 6:1-2 NKJV, emphasis mine).

It is then clear that the one who gave the commentary was comparing the act of obeying the parents with the act of honoring the parents. So when Rovic Canono compared the son’s act of honoring his mother and the mother’s act of obeying his son as her Executive Minister, it is either he misinterpreted what the commentator was trying to say or he is again lying through his teeth—a natural thing for him to do.

Obviously, the original source was highlighting the word that was used in the Decalogue or Ten Commandments given by God through Moses.

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you” (Exo. 20:12 NKJV, emphasis mine).

The words used in the Decalogue was “Honor your father and your mother.” In the same version, Apostle Paul quotes from the Decalogue and writes “HONOR your father and mother”. When The Pulpit Commmentary gave its meaning to the quotation of Apostle Paul (Ephesians 6:2), he compared it to the earlier pronouncement of Apostle Paul (Ephesians 6:1) for children to obey their parents in the Lord. Then the author concludes, “Honor is higher than obedience (Eph 6:1)” highlighting the words “the first commandment with a promise.”

Let it be clear that this is not an attempt to defend The Pulpit Commentary. This is not to promote their own interpretation of the Holy Scriptures specifically what is written in Ephesians 6:1-2. Rather, this is to expose the misleading interpretation of the likes of a pathological liar such as Rovic Canono.

We respect the words of the Decalogue as well as the quotation made by Apostle Paul in reference to this. To honor one’s parents is a God-given duty and obligation of children to parents. It is a prerequisite to obedience for how can one obey someone whom he or she does not honor or respect. It is in this context, that honor comes first before obedience. Obedience such as to parents is a product of the respect and honor that one accords to them.

Before I conclude the first part of this article, I would like you to notice something that Rovic Canono deliberately left out in the quotation from the The Pulpit Commentary of Ephesians 6:1-2:

Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)

Verse 2. - Honor thy father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise). The exhortation, based on natural morality (ver. 1), is here confirmed from the Decalogue. “Honor” is higher than obedience (ver. 1); it is the regard due to those who, by Divine appointment, are above us, and to whom our most respectful consideration is due. Father and mother, though not quite on a footing of equality in their relation to each other (Ephesians 5:22), are equal as objects of honor and obedience to their children. It is assumed here that they are Christians; where one was a Christian and not the ether (sic), the duty would be modified (The Pulpit Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright © 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2010 by BibleSoft, Inc.). (emphasis mine)

The words in bold letters were the ones that Rovic Canono deliberately left out which also explains why he intentionally did not present the source of his material.

The commentator was assuming that Apostle Paul was writing his letter to Christian children with both Christian parents in mind. But in instances when one parent is a Christian and the other is not, the commentator says “the duty would be modified.” The duty the commentator is referring to is the duty to honor and obey the parents.

While obedience to parents is a Christian duty or responsibility and Christ Himself quotes from the Decalogue to prove this, however, it has a limit set forth also by the Lord Jesus Christ. He says:

“He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Matt. 10:37 NKJV).

Clearly, loving Christ is higher than loving one’s parents. That for sure is not derived from a commentary but from the words of the Lord Jesus Himself.

To be continued.

 

Lowell Menorca: Ang Sagot

“We didn’t try to BURY you, because we know that you are WEEDS.”