Some Striking Contrasts.
By W. N. G.
THE writings of Paul abound in contrasts of things pertaining to the old and new dispensations, the types and antitypes, of carnal and spiritual things, of the true and false, etc. He lived in the transitional age, when there was a call for a radical change in the "form of doctrine." He preached a gospel, and presented a religion, new to both Jew and Gentile. Hence reasoning, deducing, comparing, and contrasting were always necessary. Several important contrasts appear in 2 Cor. 3. IN the beginning of the chapter there is a threefold contrast: (1) The false apostles had brought letters of commendation; the apostle and his co-workers had brought none and asked none, depending entirely upon their own efforts and the witness of the Spirit to establish their character. (2) The letters of their opposers were of the ordinary kind, written with ink; the church at Corinth, known and read of all, far and near, raised up by the aid of the Spirit of the living God, was Paul's letter or testimonial. (3) These Judaizing teachers still, to a certain extent, claimed allegiance or connection with Moses, whose divine commission had been witnessed by the tables of stone; Paul's testimonial from the Spirit was even more enduring, being written in the hearts of those who believed through his instrumentality. VERSE 6: "Who also 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." Much doctrinal confusion has arisen from a misconception of this text. It is commonly construed as a contrast between the letter and spirit of the ten commandments. But such an idea is out of the question, for no such contrast could exist in a "perfect" law (Ps. 19:7). Again, it is used by some who believe the law still in force, as an excuse for laxness in its observance; they plead that it is possible to be too tenacious in its outward observance, and thus the spirit be voided. Now the letter of the moral law, or any criminal law, could not kill any but violators of its provisions, and its spirit could not give them life. Nothing but a pardoning power could do that. And this would make nothing against the law, but for it; for if it contained within itself a pardon for the crime it condemned, it would be self-stultifying and of no force whatever. On the other hand, the man who implicitly obeys the law is free from its condemnation. One cannot overdo obedience to the law; beyond the point of legitimate obedience is disobedience. We seldom find any fears of being "killed" by the "letter" of the ten commandments, excepting in cases where an apparent self-interest would fall a little short of obedience. WHAT, then, is the letter and spirit of, that are here contrasted? The apostle plainly says, of the new testament. The old covenant had its letter and spirit; so has the new. The Jews had been wrecked upon the letter of the old, not properly discerning its spirit; so the Corinthians were hanging upon the outward forms of Christianity—their apostasy showing that they had little conception of its true spirit. As is conspicuously the case to-day, in fulfillment of a prophecy of the same apostle, they had a "form of godliness," but not the "power," 2 Tim. 3:5. Paul was a minister not merely of the outward forms, but of the spirit and power of the gospel. VERSES 7-11 carry out another contrast: "But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious," &c. These verses contain a contrast of the two ministrations, the apostle holding that the ministry entrusted to him was more glorious than that entrusted to Moses, for the latter was to be done away. This idea kept in view will preclude the error that many fall into of construing this scripture into a doing away of that which was "written and engraven in stones"—the moral law. EVERY one at all familiar with the subject knows that the ministration was not graven on the stones. Nothing but the moral law was written there,—here called death. A ministration is something to be performed, not written. Why is the law called death? Because its penalty was death. Everything pertaining to the ministration of Moses was death. It was not a remedial system; there was no pardon attached to it, only in figure. It was also called, appropriately, the "ministration of condemnation." Hence the contrast: Under that ministration, men were condemned and put to death; under the ministration of the Spirit, pardon and life are proclaimed. "If the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory." Verse 9. MUCH labor has been bestowed upon the fruitless task of proving by this chapter that the decalogue was abolished with the Mosaic ministration. The phrase "done away" occurs in verse 7, and refers plainly to the glory of Moses' countenance. Again it occurs in verse 11, and as plainly applies to the "ministration of condemnation." In verse 13, the word "abolished" has the same reference; and in verse 14, this same vail that Moses put over his face [verse 13] is said to be "done away in Christ." This vail could not have been the decalogue, for the vail was over Moses' face, and the tables of the law were in his hand. The vail was to cover the glory, and the law was to make manifest God's will. IN Eph. 2:15, this same apostle says Christ "abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances." And in Col. 2:14 he uses this expression: "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross." If there are any ordinances contained in the decalogue then we must admit that it was abolished; otherwise we feel compelled to yield obedience. Notice also, Rom. 3:31: "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law." The words "make void" used here are the same as "abolished" in 2 Cor. 3:13. ANOTHER contrast is presented in verses 12 and 13: "Seeing then we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech; and not as Moses, which put a vail over his face," &c. There is no obscurity about the gospel; all types and shadows, and the vailed glories connected therewith, have passed away, and plainness of speech is in order. Dr. Barnes truly says:— "The doctrine of the passage is, that such is the clearness and fullness of the Christian revelation, arising from the fact that it is the last economy, and that it does not look to the future, that its ministers may and should use clear and intelligible language. They should not employ language abounding in metaphor and allegory. They should not make use of unusual terms. They should not draw their illustrations mainly from science. They should not use mere technical language. They should not attempt to veil or cloak their meaning. They should not seek a refined and overwrought style. They should use expressions which other men use; and express themselves as far as possible in the language of common life. What is preaching worth that is not understood? Why should a man talk at all unless he is intelligible? Who was ever more plain and simple in his words and illustrations than the Lord Jesus?"39As to the vail over Moses' face, verse 7, as also the account in Ex. 34, gives the idea that it was merely to cover the intense brightness of his countenance which the Israelites could not look upon while he spoke to them; but verse 13 indicates a further design,—"that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished." There was something here designedly hidden from them. They were not prepared to comprehend the greatness of that which was typified by their institutions, and it was hidden from them. THE remainder of the chapter draws still another contrast. Of the Jews it is said, "until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament;" they read it as they always did. Their minds were blinded to such an extent that the vail is even "upon their heart." They cannot discern their own prophecies, or the meaning of their ceremonies. But this "vail is taken away in Christ." "Nevertheless, when it [Israel] shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away." Verse 16. That is the only chance. "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." Verse 17. See also, Rom. 8: 1-7. "But we all, with open [unveiled] face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." Verse 18. Rom. 8: 29. Macknight says, "we all reflecting as mirrors the glory of the Lord." Locke renders it, "with open countenances, as mirrors, reflecting the glory of the Lord."