FOR want of scripture evidence that there are two distinct laws, one, the law of God, or ten commandments, the other, the law of Moses, or what the Apostle calls the "enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances," many are led to the conclusion that the commandments of God were done away when the hand-writing of ordinances was nailed to the cross. We will here present plain scripture testimony which shows the two laws.
1. THE LAW OF MOSES, or the law of commandments "contained in ordinances," was written by the hand of Moses in a Book. This Book was called the Book of the covenant.
"And it came to pass when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a Book, until they were finished, that Moses commanded the Levites which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying, take this Book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God." Deut. xxxi, 24-26. See verses 9-11.
"And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the Lord Hilkiah the priest found a Book of the law of the Lord, given by the hand of Moses." (See marg.) 2 Chron. xxxiv, 14.
"And he read in their ears all the words of the Book of the covenant that was found in the house of the Lord." 2 Chron. xxxiv, 30.
"And the king commanded all the people, saying, keep the passover unto the Lord your God, as it is written in the Book of this covenant." 2 Kings xxiii, 21.
"And they spake unto Ezra the scribe, to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel." Neh. viii, 1-3.
"Then said I, lo, I come (in the volume of the Book it is written of me) to do thy will, O God." Heb. x, 7.
"Have ye not read in the Book of Moses." Mark xii, 26.
When the Apostle speaks of "blotting out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross," he certainly refers to the law of ordinances written by the hand of Moses in the book of the covenant.
The ordinances of the Jewish law, contained in the book of the covenant, shadowed forth the "good things" of the gospel. Its "carnal rites," "burnt offerings and sacrifices," and "meats and drinks and divers washings," were all blotted out, and nailed to the cross when the body which cast the shadow, came, when the Lamb of God shed his most precious blood.
2. THE LAW OF GOD, or ten commandments, was written with the finger of God, on two tables of stone, which were called the tables of the covenant.
"And the Lord said unto Moses, come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them." Ex. xxiv, 12.
"And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God." Ex. xxxi, 18.
"And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables." See Ex. xxxii, 15, 16.
"And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments." See Ex. xxxiv, 28, 29.
"And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone." Deut. iv, 13.
"And it came to pass at the end of forty days and forty nights, that the Lord gave me the two tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant." See Deut. ix, 9-11; v, 22.
By this class of texts we learn, first, that the tables were the work of God, second, that God himself wrote upon them with his finger, third, that the matter written, was the ten commandments, and fourth, that the ten commandments, alone, are, not a part of a law, but "a law."
How natural and appropriate the figure of blotting out and nailing to the cross, the ordinances written by the hand of Moses in the Book of the law. But, this figure, when applied to the law of God, engraven in the tables of the covenant, is entirely out of place.
The Book of the law could be nailed to the cross, and the hand-writing of Moses therein contained could be blotted out. And, it is true, that the tables of the covenant could be nailed to the cross; (after a process of drilling;) but what was engraven therein could never be blotted out.
The law of God is founded on obligations growing out of the nature of men, and their relations to God and one another; obligations binding on man before this law was written by the finger of God, and which continue to the close of time. The law of Moses, relating to outward observances which were not obligatory till they were commanded, was binding only on the Jews till the death of Christ.
THE TWO LAWS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.
It is our object to show that the word law, so often used in the epistles of St. Paul, does not apply to one and the same law; but sometimes to the ceremonial law of Moses, and sometimes to the ten commandments. If the word law, refers to one law only, then the Apostle has often contradicted himself. Here we will give two texts that the reader may see the contradiction, if but one law is meant.
"Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." Gal. v, 4.
"For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified." Rom. ii, 13.
Has the Apostle contradicted what he wrote to the Galatians, A. D. 58, relative to the law, in his letter written to the Romans two years later? This he certainly has done, if he refers to one and the same law in both texts. But we are not ready to admit that there is a contradiction in his testimony. Much rather would we admit the clear distinction between the two laws, than to thus charge the Apostle. When we apply the word law correctly, there is no contradiction. To do this, we should study well the context, which, with the text, will determine the true application.
When speaking of the law, in Rom. ii, 13, the Apostle refers to the ten commandments alone. See verses 12-22. That we may not mistake what law is referred to, he quotes three of the ten commandments.-The doers of this law, says he, "shall be justified."
But when the Apostle mentions the law, in Gal. v, 4, he speaks of circumcision in connection with it which judaizing teachers were pressing upon the gospel church, and testifies that if they were circumcised, they were debtors to do the whole law of shadows, of which the gospel is the body or substance, and Christ its "end." Surely, those who turned from a living substance, the gospel, and sought justification by the deeds of a dead law of shadows, had "fallen from grace."
We are often referred to Rom. vii for proof that the commandments of God are abolished. We are told that verse 6 shows that the law is dead. Read it with the marginal reading, and it will be seen that it is the Christian, (who has been convinced of sin by the law, has submitted to obey it, and has been made free in Jesus Christ,) that is dead to the law, instead of the law being dead. "But now we are delivered from the law, [condemnation of the law,] being dead to that wherein we were held." The law of God condemns, and leaves the sinner bound; but through faith in Jesus Christ he receives grace and freedom. "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, [transgression of the law,] that grace may abound?" Or, shall we who have been delivered from the condemnation of the law, and have found pardon through faith in the atoning blood of Christ, violate any part of the "royal law," because we have found freedom? "God forbid." For the moment we do, we are bound by its condemnation again. And further, it cannot be the law of God that is dead, for this law is the very living instrument to convict the sinner of sin, and slay him as it slew Paul.106"What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law, had said,
[tenth commandment,] "Thou shalt not covet."-Verse 7.
"For I was alive without the law once; but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died."-Verse 9.
"Do we then make void the law through faith?-God forbid; yea, we establish the law." Rom. iii, 31.
The epistle to the Romans was written A. D. 60, twenty-nine years after the hand-writing of ordinances was nailed to the cross. If the Apostle wished to teach the Romans that the ten commandments had been abolished, and had been dead twenty-nine years, that they were a "yoke of bondage," and if observed by them, they would fall from grace, we might expect him to write to them something as follows: Wherefore the law is unholy, and the commandment unholy, and unjust, and bad.
But instead of this, he testifies that the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.-Verse 12. Paul also says, "For we know that the law is spiritual." See verse 14. Who dare say that this was any part of that law of ceremonies that had been dead twenty-nine years? "For I delight in the law of God after the inward man." Verse 22. Who will say that he delighted in a yoke of bondage? "I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God." Verse 25. Will any one say that Paul thanked God that he served a law that had been abolished twenty-nine years, after teaching the Galatians two years before that, if they sought to be justified by it, they would fall from grace? Certainly no sane man will charge the great Apostle to the Gentiles with such contradictions and folly. Then we cannot avoid the conclusion that he speaks of two distinct laws.
One was called a "yoke of bondage," [Gal. v, 1,] for when in force, it could not "make the comers thereunto perfect;" but now it had been dead twenty-seven years. The other is called "holy," "just," "good," and "spiritual," and was the Apostle's "delight."-James calls it the "ROYAL LAW OF LIBERTY." Chap. i, 25; ii, 8. One was the "enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances." The other is the law of God, the ten commandments. One was abolished at the cross, while the other remains as firm as heaven.