p. 68 | THERE IS ONE LAW-GIVER

Publishing Committee · Rochester, N. Y. · Oct 10, 1854

"THERE IS ONE LAW-GIVER."

It is commonly supposed that Christ is the Christian's law-giver, and from this erroneous supposition grow incorrect views relative to the weekly Sabbath. It is first assumed that Christ is the law-giver, and has given, in person, or by the inspired Apostles, a perfect code of laws for the gospel dispensation; then it is asserted, that as the Sabbath law is not in the New Testament, the seventh-day Sabbath is not binding on Christians. We regard the assumption that Christ is our law-giver as one of the most dangerous errors of the times, as it leads men to trample on the authority of God; therefore shall expose it by the light of revealed truth.

Said Moses to the people, "The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken." Deut. xviii, 15.

Said God to Moses, "I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him." Verse 18.

Peter speaking of Christ, says, "For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you, of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you." Acts iii, 22.

We will now inquire, Did Moses legislate? Did he make laws for the people? He did not. Neither did Christ. Moses received words from the mouth of God, and spake them to the people as such; so did our Lord Jesus Christ. "Hear him."—

"Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me." John vii, 16.

"Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things." John viii, 28.

"For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak." John xii, 49, 50.

"He that loveth me not, keepeth not my sayings; and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me." John xiv, 24.

Says the Father, [Deut. xviii, 18,] "He shall speak unto them all that I shall command him." Says the Son, [John xii, 49,] "The Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak." By these testimonies from the Father and Son we learn that it was not the work of our Lord Jesus Christ to legislate; but he received the doctrines which he taught from the mouth of the Father, and spake them to the people. In this respect, as a prophet, or teacher, he was like Moses. In both cases the Father is the law-giver.

The transfiguration is referred to as proof that Christ is the law-giver in the gospel age. It is said that the presence of both Moses and Christ, (the teachers of both dispensations,) and Moses being placed upon the back-ground by the voice from heaven, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear him," shows that Christ is the law-giver in the present age.

But a very important personage in this scene is overlooked. It is the Father. Peter, referring to the occasion, says, "For he received from God the Father honor and glory." 2 Pet. i, 17.

It is also said, that to keep the ten commandments is going back from Christ to Moses.

Not so. Jehovah (not Moses) spoke the ten commandments in the audience of all the people, then wrote them in stone with his finger. He (not Moses) was the law-giver. He also appears at the mount of transfiguration as the commander and law-giver. His voice is heard, as the highest authority. "Hear Him!" He is the law-giver of both dispensations; while the Scriptures represent Moses and Christ as prophets, or teachers. True, we are to hear Christ; but what does he say of his doctrine? "My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me."

If Christ be our law-giver, who is our advocate? We have none. But the New Testament definition of sin, is, "the transgression of the law." 1 John iii, 4. And the Apostle says, "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." Chap. ii, 1. Here are three parties introduced. (1) the sinner, or transgressor of the law, (2) the Advocate, and (3) the Father, whose law the sinner transgresses. It is perfectly plain, then, that in the dispensation of the gospel, the Father is the law-giver, and Jesus is the advocate or mediator between the offending sinner, and an offended God.

But let us take the view of this subject with Christ for the Christian's law-giver. "Sin is the transgression of the law" of Christ. "And if any man sin, we have an advocate with" Jesus Christ. But who is this advocate? The Papist can answer, The Pope, while the Protestant has no reply.

All agree that nine of the ten commandments are binding on men in the gospel age. But if Christ be our law-giver, instead of the Father, how is it that nine of the former law-giver's precepts are binding on Christians? Is it replied that the new law-giver commanded nine of the old commandments over again? This we deny.

Christ has never given one of the ten commandments on a new account, as resting on his authority. Never. He quotes from the law of his Father, and leaves each precept resting on its original base. In proof of this position, we turn to Matt. xix, 16-23. "Good Master," says the young man, "what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" "If thou wilt enter into life," says the Master, "keep the commandments." The young man saith unto him, Which? Then our Lord quotes five precepts from the decalogue. Certainly there is nothing in all this that presents the least idea that our Lord is giving a new law, or that he is giving nine precepts of the Father's law over again. He mentions but five precepts.

But it may be said that Jesus gave two new and great commandments to take the place of the ten, as recorded in Matt. xxii, 35-40. "Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

These two commandments are claimed to be new, and to take the place of the ten. But how new? What is the age of the first? "Hear, O Israel," said Moses, "The Lord our God is one Lord. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." Deut. vi, 4, 5. This commandment was at least 1400 years old when repeated by our Lord.

What is the age of the second? "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Lev. xix, 18. This was also 1400 years old when quoted by our Lord; yet modern theologians talk of these two commandments being something new, and taking the place of the ten. We would inquire, If all the law hangs on the two, how is it that the two have taken the place of the ten? If all the law hangs on the two, then we have it all, and not nine-tenths of it only.

Turn to the "Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants," &c. And mark: Jesus is the Revelator, and not John. "Hear him" "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Rev. xii, 17. The testimony of Jesus Christ embraces all the sayings of Christ and his inspired Apostles, peculiar to the gospel. The commandments of God are the ten, spoken by the Father and engraven in the tables of stone, and taught by Christ and the Apostles. See Rev. xiv, 12.

Hear the Revelator, as recorded in the last chapter of the Book of God. "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." Rev. xxii, 11-14.

Here are most solemn declarations from the Son of God, which apply to that short period just prior to the Second Advent, when there shall be no "Intercessor," when Christ is to come quickly. O dreadful day of keenest anguish and black despair, to those who have broken the commandments of God. "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still."

But to the just it is said at that time, "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." Here are three parties introduced: (1) the commandment-keepers, (2) the author of the commandments, and (3) the speaker, which is the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ, then, as speaking of his Father's commandments, and pronounces a blessing on those who shall keep them. When the unjust take up the lamentation, that "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved," then those who keep the Father's commandments will be "blessed."

Reader, have you ever thought that this blessing, pronounced by the Son of God upon those who should "do his [the Father's] commandments," had a special application to the last days? Read carefully Rev. xxii, 11-14, and mark the connection of the sentences, and we think you will agree with us that it does. Is not the fourth commandment one of the Father's? It is. Can it be said that a man does "his" commandments, while he disregards the fourth? It cannot. Have those, then, who do not obey the fourth commandment any reason to claim the blessing promised by the Son of God in Rev. xxii, 14? And if they continue to tread under foot one of the commandments of God, have they not reason to expect to be finally classed with those commandment-breakers mentioned in verse 15? The reader will please answer the last two questions.

If it be said that the Apostles in their writing have given a code of laws for the gospel age, we reply, that this view makes twelve law-givers, whereas James says, "There is one law-giver."

Notice the commission to the eleven: "Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." Matt. xxviii, 19, 20. Christ taught them what he had received of the Father, and this they were to teach men to observe; therefore gospel truth proceeds from the Father.

Notice also the work of the Holy Spirit, and from whom it proceeds. "But the Comforter, which is

the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." John xiv, 26. "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever." Verse 16. The Holy Spirit came from the Father, and one object for which it was sent was to call to the disciples' memory the words of divine truth which the Son had received of the Father and had spoken to them. We have, then, the plainest testimony that all revealed light and truth proceeds from the Father, who is the Christian's law-giver.