THE NEW TESTAMENT OF 2 COR. III, 6, CONTAINS THE LETTER THAT KILLETH AND THE SPIRIT THAT GIVETH LIFE
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THE NEW TESTAMENT OF 2 COR. III, 6, CONTAINS THE LETTER THAT KILLETH AND THE SPIRIT THAT GIVETH LIFE.
By Dudley Marvin Canright
Those who claim the abolition of the law, always quote this chapter as proof of their position. In my discussion at Richland, this chapter came up for investigation. A question asked by my opponent gave me some light upon this chapter that I had not before seen. Let us read a portion of it: “Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart. And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward; not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit; for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away; how shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation is glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.” Verses 3-9. In verse 3, the expression, “written not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart,” manifestly refers to the promise in the new covenant where God says, “I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts.” Jer. xxxi, 33. Once this law was written on tables of stone; but in the new covenant it is written on tables of the heart. In verse 6, Paul says, God “hath made us able ministers of the new testament [covenant]; not of the letter, but of the spirit; for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” Here the letter that killeth is manifestly that which was written on tables of stone, namely, the ten commandments. Indeed, this is generally admitted, and even argued, by our opponents, for they think that they can make a point on that. Eld. J. K. Cornell asked me this question, “If the old law, here called the letter that killeth, is binding in the gospel dispensation, who are its ministers? for Paul says that God has not made us ministers of that.” His idea was, that if the law has no one to administer it, it can be of no force, and hence not binding. Well, let us look at that verse again. “Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament [covenant]; not of the letter, but of the spirit.” Letter of what? Answer: Of the new testament, for this is what Paul is talking of. The thing here called the letter, belongs to, and is a part of, the new testament. There is no possibility of evading this fact. The thing is too plain to be misunderstood. “Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter [of the new testament]; but of the spirit [of the new testament]; for the letter [of the new testament] killeth, but the spirit [of the new testament] giveth life.” Then in the new testament, or covenant, there are two important points, first, the letter that killeth, and, second, the spirit that giveth life. God has not made us ministers of the first, the letter that killeth, but of the second, the spirit that giveth life. This is the very point that Paul has in his mind, and is arguing in this110chapter. Hence he goes on to say, “But if the ministration of death . . . was glorious, . . . how shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious; for if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness [that is, pardon, forgiveness,] exceed in glory.” Paul is here comparing the glory of the gospel ministry with the glory of the ministry in the former dispensation. Under the old covenant, if a man violated the law of God, if he killed, and stole, &c., the penalty was death, and the ministers of that dispensation were commissioned to put him to death. Here was the ministration of death. But if a man was found guilty of these crimes, and heartily repented, and begged for mercy and pardon, were they authorized to grant him this? No; this was no part of their ministry. He died without mercy. Heb. x, 28. But how is it with the gospel ministry under the new covenant? God’s law is the same now that it was then; and the penalty for the violation of that law by killing, or stealing, &c., is death. Now as God’s ministers see persons committing these crimes, and thus violating God’s law, are they commissioned to go about and put them to death, and thus act as ministers of the letter that killeth? No; God has given them no such commission as that. Then what is their ministry? Answer: They are to go about and offer pardon, forgiveness, and life, to those who realize that they are sinners, condemned to death. Thus the gospel preacher becomes simply a minister of the spirit that giveth life, but not of the letter, for that killeth. How striking, then, and how forcible Paul’s comparison between the gospel ministry and the ministry of the old dispensation. That was simply the ministration of condemnation and death. And yet it had much glory connected with it. This is the ministration of mercy, of pardon, and of life. Then how much more glorious is this ministration than that! But will not the transgressors of God’s law be punished because he has not commissioned us to administer that punishment? Certainly they will; but God himself will administer that punishment. “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” Rom. xii, 19. D. M. CANRIGHT.
Washington, Iowa, Sept. 11.