The Sabbath

and the Lord's Day

The Law

to a system out of date (Gal. 3:19 25; 4:21 25; 6:1 3, 13, 14; 2 Cor. 3:3 15).

  Proposition 13. The law of Sinai was given to retrain criminals who would obey God only through fear.

  Consider this proposition well. A failure to understand this simple fact is the cause of all the blunders of Sabbatarians and legalists in their extravagant and unscriptural praises of "the ministration of death, written and engraver in stones" (2 Cor. 3:7). On this point hear Paul state why the law was made and notice that it is of the moral precepts of the law that he speaks. "Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for man slayers, for whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for men stealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine" (1 Tim. 1:9, 10). The apostle here refers directly to the code of Sinai, including the Ten Commandments, that which prohibited murder, theft, lying, etc. This law, he says, was not made for a righteous man but for the lawless. Of this law in another place Paul says: "Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgression" (Gal. 3:19). Again, "The law entered that the offense might abound" (Rom. 5:20), and, "until the law sin was in the world" (vs. 13). It is manifest that sin, offense, and transgression existed before "the law" was given, and that it was given to prohibit already existing crimes. Evidently God put the race on trial from Adam to Moses under the same eternal law of right and love that governed holy men. But mankind failed shamefully. They did not live by that rule. They became lawless. Disregard of God and open violence toward men were increasing till life and property were insecure. Then God selected one nation, the Hebrews, and gave up the rest to their own ways (Rom. 1: 20 28).

  Up to this time God's people had not been a nation by themselves, but had dwelt among other nations and had been subject to their civil laws which prohibited open violence and protected life and property. But as soon as [69] they became a nation by themselves, it became absolutely necessary to have a national law of their own which would prohibit and punish open crime, such as murder, theft, adultery, etc. Life and property would not have been secure without this, because many among them were wicked lawless men, "stiff necked and rebellious." If all had been righteous, if all had loved God and their neighbors, there would have been no need of a prohibitory law with a death penalty. We can readily see why Paul says "the law was not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless. " These lawless ones would have robbed and murdered the righteous ones had there been no national, temporal law to protect them; for these wicked men would have cared little about God's higher law, which pertains to the future judgment. But as the Jewish government was a theocracy, one in which God himself was ruler, the law required and regulated service to him as well as duties among themselves.

  Hence to this nation God gave the law of Sinai (Exod. 20:2). Would it have been given had they obeyed God without it? Paul has settled that point. "The law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless" (1 Tim. 1:9). This, then, is not God's original law by which he prefers to govern men. It was a law of prohibitions, threats, pains, and penalties Its object was to restrain open crime, protect men in their natural rights, and preserve the knowledge of God in the earth till Christ should come (Gal. 3:19 25). In order to keep that nation separate from all others, many burdensome rites were incorporated into the law, which made it a yoke of bondage (Acts 15:10; Gal. 5: 1 3) .

  When Christ came, and the Jewish nation was rejected and dispersed, and their national law overthrown, and the gospel went to all nations, that law had served its purpose, and so passed away as a system (Matt. 5:17, 18; Rom 10:4; Gal. 3:24; Heb. 7:12 19). Now Christians are not under the Aaronic priesthood, nor the Jewish law (Heb. 7:11, 12); but are under the priesthood of Melchisedec (Heb. 7:14 19), as was Abraham our father (Gen. 14:18 20), who never had "the law" of Sinai (Gal. 3:17,) but walked by the higher law which governs holy men (Gen. 26:5) The Jewish law being removed, we now come [70] under the same law by which Enoch and Abraham "walked with God."

  Now, as in the days before Moses, God's people are not a nation by themselves, but are scattered among all nations, where they are governed and protected by the civil law of those nations. Hence the New Testament provides no civil law for the government of Christians, no temporal penalties for criminals. It would be directly contrary to the nature of the gospel to do either. All this | is left to the rulers of nations where Christians happen to be. Criminals are turned over to the magistrates and i laws of the land. Paul makes this very plain and puts the question beyond dispute. "Let every soul be subject unto I the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the l powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God; and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: for he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing" (Rom. 13:1 6).

  Here is the prohibitory law for "the lawless." This punishes their crime against society. Their offenses against God's great law will be recompensed at the judgment; but the saints of God must be governed by the higher law, the law of supreme love to God and equal love to fellows. Such obedience can come only from a heart renewed by the Spirit of God (2 Cor. 3:3); and "if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law" (Gal. 5:18).

  Is any man a Christian who refrains from murder, theft, and adultery, simply because the law says "Thou shalt not"? No, indeed; he must refrain from these from a higher motive than that. Then he is governed by a higher law than the Decalog. "Love is the fulfilling of [71] the law" (Rom. 13:10). The dispute concerning the Jewish Sabbath involves this point, the obligation of the letter of the Jewish law.

  Proposition 14. The letter of the law is not binding upon Christians as a coercive code.

  If the letter of the law is binding, then we must be circumcised, offer sacrifices, keep the seventh day, and all the Jewish ritual, for "the law" included the "whole law" (Gal. 3:10; 5:3).

  The "righteousness" of the law and the "spirit" of the law is one thing, while "the letter" and outward service is quite another. "Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfill the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision cost transgress the law? For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God" (Rom. 2:26 29).

  Paul argues that Christians must be circumcised, but not "outwardly in the flesh," as formerly, but "inwardly in the spirit, not in the letter." By this he illustrates the difference between keeping the law now and formerly. So, further on: "Ye are not under the law, but under grace" (Rom. 6:14). In the next chapter he says: "But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter" (Rom. 7:6).

  How can anyone misunderstand language so plain? Now, under Christ, we are delivered from the law; that law is dead, and we serve Christ in the spirit, "not in the old letter." The higher law of God, namely, supreme love to God and equal love to our neighbors, upon which the Jewish law hung, was the "spirit," "righteousness," or real intent of "the law." This "first and great" law Christians do keep, while free from the mere letter of the law, which was bondage.

  "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh. but by love [72]

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