R. F. COTTRELL by R. F. Cottrell

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · May 6, 1886

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 12, No. 17.

R. F. COTTRELL

By R. F. Cottrell

From the Beginning.

CONVERSING with one who would have the "new commandment" supersede the ten, especially the fourth, I referred him to the statements of the apostle John, namely: 1. "I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning." 2. "Again, a new commandment I write unto you." My friend claimed that the beginning here referred to was the beginning of the gospel, the day of Pentecost, to which Peter referred when he said, "The Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning." Acts 11: 15. The old commandment, then, was the new commandment which Jesus gave to his disciples, that they should love one another. That being the case, said I, John's new commandment must be newer still; something he had introduced since Jesus gave his new commandment, and since the beginning of the gospel proclamation on the day of Pentecost. Consequently that has been superseded. Rather late to introduce new principles. My friend looked abashed, and attempted no reply.

It appears that the "beginning" of the apostle dates a little further back. He says, "For this is the message [margin, commandment] that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother." It seems that Cain was bound by, and violated the principle of, the old commandment, in that, instead of loving his brother, he killed him, thus breaking the commandment of the decalogue that says, "Thou shalt not kill."

From the beginning, the old commandment required that we should "love one another." How, then, is the commandment of Christ to his disciples, that they should love one another, a new commandment? Not because the principle required is new, but because a new motive and measure of our love has been given and exemplified in the love of Christ for us. "As I have loved you, that ye also love one another." Said he, "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 13: 34; 15: 12, 13.

I close by submitting that we cannot keep either the old commandment or the new, and at the same time violate one of the last six commandments of the decalogue. And can we love God with all our heart and break one of the first four? "This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments."