BEING DEAD TO THAT by George W. Amadon

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 25, 1858

"BEING DEAD TO THAT."

By George W. Amadon

IN the seventh chapter of Romans, which contains Paul's masterly arguments for the perpetuity of the ten commandments, we find the following declaration:

" Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now are we delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held." Verses 4–6.

For the past few years the last clause of this quotation has become a particular favorite with a set of "lawless" interpreters of Bible truth, who take great delight in "wresting" it as they do many other scriptures, to their own destruction. But notwithstanding the clandestine efforts of some to throw obloquy on God's commandments, we still take great satisfaction "in the law of God after the inward man," and rejoice that it "is perfect, converting the soul." And we fully believe that the time is not far distant when those who are found "fighting against God" and the Lamb, whose hearts "are fully set in them to do evil," will find it a "hard thing to kick against the pricks."

The argument usually raised from the first part of verse 6, by the enemies of legal restraint is, that Christ by his death, not only made an atonement for the transgressions of law-breakers, but actually annulled, abrogated, abolished and did away the law which denounced all actions that were sinful; which looks about as reasonable as it would for the governor of some State, out of lenity to his prison convicts, to commute their sentence and then break down the "middle walls of partition" which had hitherto confined them to their place of labor, and kept them from going free at large.

Those who take this position seem to studiously avoid the marginal reading of verse 6, and would, no doubt, greatly prefer to have the Bible printed without "marginal readings, note or comment." But the fact that the margin of verse 6 reads, "we are delivered from the law, being dead to that wherein we were held." shows that the Editors of the reference Bibles understood it as speaking of the death of the sinner, and not of the law, which exactly agrees with verse 4: "Ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ." This is also sustained by the Greek, of which the following is a literal translation:

Verse 6. "But now are we freed from the law, having died to that in which we were held." Paul don't say, nor any other New Testament writer, that the Law has died, or been abolished, or anything of the kind. Mark that.

In looking at this passage of late we have been led to examine how it is rendered by others who have favored us with different translations of the New Testament; not that we are dissatisfied with it as it reads in the King's version, but "in the multitude of counsellors there is" always "safety." Prov. xxiv, 6. And as but few have the privilege of comparing the Scriptures with other translations, we give a few specimens which are collateral authority to the marginal reading of verse 6 already quoted:

Syriac Testament.—"But now are we absolved from the law, and are dead to that which held us in its grasp."

Wakefield's Translation.—"But now we have been released by death from that law by which we were holden."

Whiting's Translation.—"But now are we separated from the law, being dead to that by which we were held."

Macknight's Translation.—"But now, having died with Christ, we are released from the law, by which we were held in bondage."

Wesley's Translation.—"But now are we freed from the law, being dead unto that whereby we were held."

Sawyer's Translation.—"But now are we released from the law by which we were held, having died."

Rheimish Testament.—"But now are we loosed from the law of death wherein we were detained."

These above versions seem all-sufficient to substantiate the marginal note already spoken of, and make a sort of seven-fold argument which we think cannot be invalidated. But if any still seem to be "contentious," we would, in closing, briefly call their attention to verses 7, 9, 12, 14, and 20 of this same chapter.

Now any one who has the least atom of spiritual discernment will readily see that Paul speaks in all these verses of the same law (live laws: not dead ones) which is referred to in verse 6. And what does he say? Does he speak like one talking of an abrogated code, or "things that have passed away?" Hear his weighty and powerful reasoning while he speaks the truth before God and lies not.

Verse 7. "Is the law sin? God forbid! For I had not known sin but by the law." He seems perfectly astonished at such preposterous ideas as are continually being reiterated in these days of evil inventions. The law sin! Why, God forbid, says he. If it had not been for the law I never should have known what a wicked Pharisee I was. He acknowledges in the most emphatic manner his carnality before he became subject to the law of God.

Verse 9. "For I was alive without the law once; but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died." Is this the dialect of one who talks of dead or abolished precepts? Far from it. It was Paul who died and not the law. But when did the commandment come to Paul, and how? When he was on that wicked journey to Damascus with letters of authority from the Rabbis to apprehend and kill poor christians; and this was some years after Christ's death when the law deceased, as men tell us now-a-days. We should judge however, from the effect these commandments had on Paul that they were not wholly dead yet, for when the commandment came it caused in him such perturbation that he neither saw, ate nor drank for the space of three days.

Verse 12. "Wherefore, the law is holy, and the commandment holy, just and good." Is Paul here lauding a dead law which has served its time and passed among the things that were? We know not. The Spirit of God which attends live laws: not dead ones, brought the prohibition home to his heart, and Paul saw that he had been breaking some of the ten commandments, in his wicked course, which made him a sinner; for sin, says a brother Apostle, is the transgression of the law. And in grateful view of the good work it had wrought for him he exclaimed, "The law is holy, just and good."

Verses 14 and 20. "We know that the law is spiritual," and "I delight in the law of God after the inward man." This don't sound much like those who talk of dead or obsolete laws. Men in these times say, (or rather one man has said,) "That the ten commandments are a miserable, rickety, thunder and lightning old law: that they are dead and buried, and don't deserve a grave-stone." This is the language of those who are united with the "little horn" and the Devil against God's celebrated law and the message of the third angel. They speak of it as a relic of Judaism, and a curse to man, and bitterly anathematize those who are trying to raise up the foundations of many generations. But God is on the side of truth, and it, of itself, is mighty and will surely prevail. But what a fearful account will some hireling shepherds have to settle when the Lord comes to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their HARD SPEECHES which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." Then let those who are making void God's law rage on, foaming out their own shame, for they are sensual, not having the Spirit. But let us, dear brethren, keep ourselves in the love of God, and this is the love of God that we keep his commandments, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life; and in God mightily contend for the faith once delivered to the saints.

G. W. A.