The Spirit and Letter of the Law
By Editor
SAYS a friend: “Christ lays great stress upon ‘spirit’ in interpreting Pharisaic conscience. And yet the latter was a strict law abider.” Our friend seems to imagine that we do not believe in spiritual observance of the law. The fact is we do not believe in anything else. We do indeed plead for the observance of the letter of the law, but not without the spirit. Spiritual observance of the law, however, presupposes literal observance. To yield spiritual obedience to the law is impossible to some who disregard the letter. So the Pharisee was not a law abider. And when it is said that Christ laid great stress on the spirit of the law, it is equivalent to saying that he laid stress on the whole law, both letter and spirit.