The Two
Parts of the Word of God: Law & Gospel
by Theodore Beza (1519-1605)
The following article
by Theodore Beza was taken from chapter four (sections 22-30) of his book The Christian Faith, translated into
english by James Clark (Focus Christian Ministries Trust, East Essex England,
1992). This book was a "best seller" during the Protestant
Reformation, and appeared in 1558 under the original title of Confession De Foi Du Chretien. The current
modern edition contains no copyright notice, therefore it is assumed that the
articles contained within it may be freely distributed. The electronic edition
of this book was scanned and edited by Shane Rosenthal for Reformation Ink. Original pagination has been retained for purposes
of reference. Original title appears below.
That which we call The
Word of God: Its two parts -- the Law and the Gospel
On this subject we call the "Word
of God" (for we know well that the Eternal Son of God is also so named)
the canonical books of the Old and New Testament; for they proceed from the
mouth of God Himself.
We divide this Word into two principal
parts or kinds: the one is called the "Law", the other the
"Gospel". For, all the rest can be gathered under the one or the
other of these two headings.
What we call Law (when it is
distinguished from Gospel and is taken for one of the two parts of the Word) is
a doctrine whose seed is written by nature in our hearts. However, so that we
may have a more exact knowledge, it was written by God on two Tables and is
briefly comprehended in ten commandments. In these He sets out for us the
obedience and perfect righteousness which we owe to His majesty and our
neighbours. This on contrasting terms: either perpetual life, if we perfectly
keep the Law without omitting a single point, or eternal death, if we do not
completely fulfil the contents of each commandment (Deut. 30:15-20; James
2:10).
What we call the Gospel ("Good
News") is a doctrine which is not at all in us by nature, but which is
revealed from Heaven (Matt 16:17; John 1:13), and totally surpasses natural
knowledge. By it God testifies to us that it is His purpose to save us freely
by His only Son (Rom. 3:20-22), provided that, by faith, we embrace Him as our
only wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption (1 Cor 1:30). By it,
I say, the Lord testifies to us all these things, and even does it in such a
manner that at the same time he renews our persons in a powerful way so that we
may embrace the benefits which are offered to us (1 Cor 2:4).
The similarities and the differences between the Law and the Gospel
We must pay great attention to these
things. For, with good reason, we can say that ignorance of this distinction
between Law and Gospel is one of the principle sources of the abuses which
corrupted and still corrupt Christianity.
The majority of men, blinded by the
just judgement of God, have indeed never seriously considered what curse the
Law subjects us to, nor why it has been ordained by God. And, as for the
Gospel, they have nearly always thought that it was nothing other than a second
Law, more perfect than the first. From this has come the erroneous distinction
between precept and advice; there has followed, little by little, the total
ruin of the benefit of Jesus Christ.
Now, we must besides consider these
things. The Law and the Gospel have in common that they are both from the one
true God, always consistent with Himself (Heb. 1:1-2). We must not therefore
think that the Gospel abolishes the essence of the Law. On the contrary, the
Law establishes the essence of the Gospel (Rom 10:2-4); this is what we shall
explain a little further on. For both set before us the same God and the
essence of the same righteousness (Rom 3:31), which resides in perfect love to
God and our neighbour. But there is a great difference in these points which we
shall touch on, and especially concerning the means of obtaining this
righteousness.
For, in the first place, as we alluded
to before, the Law is natural to man. God has engraven it in his heart from
creation (Rom 1:32; 2:14,15). When, a long time afterwards, God made and
exhibited the two Tables of the Law, this was not to make a new law, but only
to restore our first knowledge of the natural law which, because of the
corruption of sin, was little by little becoming obliterated from the heart of
man (Rom 7:8-9). But the gospel is a supernatural doctrine which our nature
would never have been able to imagine nor able to approve without a special
grace of God (1 Cor. 1:23; 2:14). But, the Lord has revealed it, firstly to
Adam shortly after his sin, as Moses declares (Gen 3:15), afterwards to the
patriarchs and the prophets in increasing degrees as seemed good to Him (Rom
1:2; Luke 1:55,70), until the day in which He manifested Jesus Christ in
Person. It is He who has clearly announced and accomplished all that is
contained in the Gospel (John 15:15; 6:38). This Gospel God still reveals today
and will reveal it until the end of the world by the preaching instituted in His
Church (John 17:18; Matt 28:20; 2 Cor. 5:20).
In the second place, the Law lays bare
to us the majesty and justice of God (Heb. 12:18-21). The Gospel sets forth
this same justice to us, but there it is pacified and satisfied by the mercy
manifested in Christ (Heb. 12:22- 24).
In the third place, the Law sends us to
ourselves in order to accomplish the righteousness which it commands us, that
is to say, the perfect obedience to its commandments, which is necessary in
order to escape guilt. That is why it shows us our curse and subjects us to it,
as the Apostle declares (Rom 3:20; Gal 3:10-12). But the gospel teaches us
where we shall find what we do not have and, having found it, how we shall be
able to enjoy it. That is why it delivers us from the curse of the Law (Rom
3:21,22; Gal 3:13,14). In conclusion, the Law pronounces us blessed when we
accomplish it without omitting anything; the Gospel promises us salvation when
we believe, that is to say, when, by faith, we take hold of Jesus Christ who
has everything which we lack, and still more that we need. Now, these two terms
-- to do what the Law commands, or to believe what God offers us in Jesus
Christ -- are two things which are not only very difficult but totally
impossible to our corrupt nature. This latter, as St Paul says, cannot even
perceive what is of God (2 Cor. 3:5; Phil 1:29). That is why it is necessary to
add a fourth difference between the Law and the Gospel.
Thus, the fourth difference between the
Law and the Gospel is that the Law, by itself, can only show us, and make us
see, our evil more exceedingly, and aggravate our condemnation; not through any
fault of its own (for it is good and holy), but because our corrupt nature
burns for sin the more it is reproved and threatened, as St. Paul has declared
through his own example (Rom 7:7-14). But the Gospel not only shows us the
remedy against the curse of the law, but it is at the same time accompanied by
the power of the Holy Spirit who regenerates us and changes us (as we have said
above); for He creates in us the instrument and sole means of applying to us
this remedy (Acts 26:17,18).
In order to speak even more clearly,
let us expound these words "letter" and "spirit" which some
have taken in the wrong sense. I say, therefore, that the Gospel is not
"letter", that is to say, only a dead doctrine which sets before us
in their bareness and simplicity (I do not say those things which it is fitting
for us to do -- for that is the office of the Law) the things which it is
necessary for us to believe: that salvation is promised freely in Jesus Christ
to those who believe; but it is "spirit", that is to say, a powerful
means full of efficacy from the Holy Spirit, and He uses it to create in us the
power to believe the things which He teaches us, that is to say, to embrace
free salvation in Jesus Christ. It is thus that the Law itself, which kills us
and damns us in ourselves, justifies us and saves us in Jesus Christ, taken
hold of by faith (Rom 3:31).
This is the reason why I have said that
the Law and the Gospel are not contrary in that which concerns the essence of
the righteousness with which we must be clothed in order to be accepted before
God and to participate in eternal life; but they are contrary with regard to
the means of having this righteousness. For the Law justly seeks in us this
righteousness; it has no regard to what we can do but to what we ought to do
(Gal 3:12). Man, indeed, by his own fault alone, has made himself unable to
pay; nevertheless, he does not cease to be a debtor even if he is unable to
pay. And consequently, the Law does us no wrong in demanding from us that which
we owe, although we cannot pay it. But the Gospel, softening this righteous
rigour as with the honey of God's mercy, teaches us to pay by Him who has made
Himself our Surety, who has put Himself, I say, in our place and paid our debt,
as principal debtor, and to the last farthing (Col. 2:13,14). So that the
rigour of the Law which made us tremble in ourselves and struck us down
completely, now confirms us and accepts us in Jesus Christ. For, since eternal
life is due to those who have obeyed the Law perfectly, and Jesus Christ has
fulfilled all righteousness in the name of those who should believe in Him and
take hold of Him by faith (1 Cor. 1:30; Phil. 3:9), it follows that, even
according to the rigour of the Law, salvation cannot fail those who, by faith,
have become united and incorporated with Jesus Christ.
For what ends the Holy
Spirit uses the preaching of the Law
Having carefully understood this
distinction of the two parts of the Word of God, the Law and the Gospel, it is
easy to understand how and to what end the Holy Spirit uses the preaching of
the one and the other in the Church. For there is no doubt that He employs them
for the purpose for which they have been established.
We are then all so blind, whilst our
corruption reigns in us, that we are ignorant even of our ignorance (John 9:41)
and, not ceasing to smother the little light of knowledge which has been left
to us so as to render ourselves inexcusable (Rom. 1:20,21; 2:1), we are pleased
about that which ought to displease us most. It is necessary, before all
things, that God, all good and full of pity, makes us know clearly the cursed
pit in which we are. He could do it no better than by informing us, by the
declaration of His Law, what we ought necessarily to be. Thus, blackness can
never be better known than in being placed beside white (Rom. 3:20; 7:13).
This is why God begins with the
preaching of the Law. In it alone we can see what we ought to be; and yet we
cannot fulfil a single point of it. In it alone, we can see how near we are to
our damnation, unless there comes to us some very strong and sure remedy.
And indeed, the stupidity which has
reigned in the world at an times and reigns now more than ever, shows clearly
how necessary it is that God begins at this point in order to draw us to
Himself: by making us know what great and certain danger those are in who think
least of it. The fact is, the Law was not given to justify us (for if this were
so, Jesus Christ would have died in vain, as St. Paul says; Gal 2:21; 3:18-21),
but, on the contrary, to condemn us, and to show us the hell which is opened
wide to swallow us, to annihilate and totally abase our pride, in making the
multitude of our sins pass before our eyes and showing us the wrath of God
which is revealed from Heaven against us (Rom 1:18; 4:15; Gal 3:10,12).
However, for a long time men have been blind and senseless. Not only do they
seek their salvation in that which condemns them wholly or in part, that is to
say, in their works, instead of running to Jesus Christ by faith, the only
remedy against all that they can be justly accused of before God; but, what is
more, they do not cease to add law upon law to their conscience, that is to
say, condemnation upon condemnation, as if the Law of God did not condemn them
enough (Gal 4:9,10; 5:1; Col. 2:8,16-23). It is like a prisoner to whom the
prison door would be opened, but who, turning away from a freedom which he does
not understand, goes away and voluntarily locks himself in a prison which is
even more secure.
There then is the first use of the
preaching of the Law; to make known our innumerable faults so that in ourselves
we begin to be miserable and greatly humble ourselves; in short, to beget in us
the first degree of repentance which is called 'contrition of heart'; this
produces a full and open confession toward the Lord. For he who does not know
that he is sick will never come to the physician. 'Mere are none more unfit to
receive the light of salvation than those who think they see clearly by
themselves, through lack of understanding how thick is the darkness in which
they are born; so great that they must come out of it. On the contrary, they
have always made it thicker from then on, and have not ceased to rush on
willingly in it (John 9:41).
The other part of the
Word of God called "Gospel": Its authority, why, how and for what end
it was written
After the Law comes the Gospel, the use
and necessity of which cannot be better understood than by noting the following
points:
Firstly, even as there is only one
Saviour (Matt 1:21; Acts 4:12; 1 Tim 2:5), there is also only one doctrine of
salvation which is called Gospel, that is to say, Good News (Rom 1:16). It was
fully announced and declared to the world by Jesus Christ (John 15:15) and the
Apostles (John 17:8; 2 Cor. 5:19,20), and faithfully recorded by the
Evangelists (Eph. 2:20; 1 Pet 1:25) so as to prevent the wiles and craftiness
of Satan who, without this, would have more easily put forward to men his
dreams under the name of the gospel; however, he has not entirely failed to do
so, by the just vengeance of God who has been provoked to anger against the men
who, in their accustomed manner, have always preferred darkness to light. And
when we say that the Apostles and Evangelists have faithfully recorded all the
doctrine of the Gospel, we understand three points:
1. They have truly added nothing of
their own as far as the substance of the doctrine is concerned (Col. 1:28; 2
Tim 3:16,17), but they have obeyed with precision and simplicity what the Lord
had said to them: "Go, preach all that I have commanded you" (Matt
28:20); and St. Paul, in writing to the Corinthians, confesses that he does so
(1 Cor. 11:23).
2. They have omitted nothing of that
which is necessary to salvation. For, otherwise, they would have been disloyal
to their commission which is not possible. And we see also St. Paul (Acts
20:27; Gal 1:9) and St. Peter (1 Pet 1:25) testify how conscientious they have
been and how particular in this area (John 15:15; 16:13). That is why St.
Jerome, writing on this subject, says, Chatter and babbling must not be
believed without the authority of Holy Scripture." And St. Augustine says
even more clearly, "It is true that the Lord Jesus did many things which
have not all been written down; for the Evangelist himself testifies that Jesus
Christ said and did much that has not been written down. But God has chosen to
have written down those things which are sufficient for the salvation of those
who believe. (John 20 :30- 31)
3. What they have written, is written
in such a way that the most uncultured and most ignorant in the world, if it is
only held out to them, can learn there what is necessary for their salvation (1
Cor. 1:26,27). For otherwise, why would the Gospel have been put in written
form in a language which everyone was then able to understand (1 Cor. 14:6-40),
and even in the most familiar and popular manner of speaking which it had been
possible to choose (1 Cor. 2:1). That is why St. Paul said that if the Gospel
was hidden, it was hidden to those who were perishing and whose mind the god of
this world had blinded, that is to say, the unbelievers (2 Cor. 4:3). And,
indeed, the experience of all times has shown that God has not called the most
wise and most learned, but, on the contrary, mostly of the most ignorant of the
world (Is 29:14; Luke 10:21; 1 Cor. 1:26,27; 3:18); so far from the truth is
it, that He wished to hide or cover His doctrine so that it should be understood
by no-one.
We draw, then, two conclusions from
this discourse which are very useful to what we are discussing:
The first is, that it is not necessary
to reckon as Gospel anything which men have added to the Word of God written,
that is to say, the doctrine contained in the books of the Old and New
Testament; but that all additions are merely superstitions and a corruption of
the only true Gospel of our Lord (Matt 15:9); St. Paul, has also spoken of this
(Gal 1:8-9; 2 Tim 3:16,17). And St. Jerome wrote on this subject, "What is
said without the authority of Holy Scripture is also easily set aside, as has
been said."
The second conclusion is that those who
say that it only belongs to certain persons to read Scripture, and who, for
this reason, do not want it to be translated into the common language, for fear
that simple women and other people may read it (Rom 1:14; Gal 3:28; Matt
11:28), are the true antichrists, and instruments of Satan (Matt 23:13); they
are afraid that their abuses be discovered by the coming of the light.
The manner in which the
Gospel includes, in substance, the books of the Old Testament
Moreover, by this word Gospel we are
far from meaning what is commonly called such, i.e., certain extracts which are
disconnected without reason, neither discourses from the books of the four
Evangelists or from the Epistles of St. Paul. On the contrary, we understand
under this word Gospel, not only all of the New Testament but also all that has
been promised or predicted in the Old Testament on the subject of Jesus Christ
(Acts 26:22-23; 28:23 John 5:39; Rom 1:2).
For, as we have already said, the
Gospel is the only means by which from the beginning of the world, God has
always saved His elect (Heb. 13:8; Acts 4:12). That is why, as Moses declares (Gen
3:15), God began to announce it to the world from the sin of Adam, although it
was manifested and preached clearly, a long time afterwards, by Jesus Christ
Himself in Person, and by His Apostles (Rom 1: 1-6; 16:25, 26).
Thus, to summarize, we call Gospel the
Good News which, from the beginning, and by His grace and mercy alone, God has
announced to His Church: those who, by faith, embrace Jesus Christ shall
partake of eternal life in Him (Rom 3:21, 22; John 6:40).
How what we say about the
authority of the written Word must be understood: Why it is necessary that it
be translated into all languages
When we say that the Gospel, written
and recorded in the manner which God has given us, is the sole ordinary means
which God uses to save men (that is why this Word is called The Word of Life
and of reconciliation; John 6:68; Acts 5:20; Phil 2:16); we do not stop at the
syllables, nor at the paper and ink, nor at a Gospel hung by the neck, or
pronounced only as the charmers pronounce their charms, nor at a well patterned
book, or worshipped with incense or other fineries. Let us never displease God
by approving such sorceries and sacrileges.
But, in the first place, we close the
door to all these fantastic notions which the Devil has made use of, in all
times, to corrupt men.
And then, we hear the Gospel well and
duly preached and expounded, so as to better understand the substance of it
(Rom 10:8; 1 Pet 1:25), to put it in the heart where, by faith, it can produce
the fruits of true repentance (Matt 13:23; Acts 16:14). The Apostles show this
clearly. When Jesus Christ sent them out, He did not say to them, "Go,
read the Gospel in an unknown tongue, and worship the book in which it is
written." but He said to them, "Go and preach the Gospel to every
creature." (Matt 28:19). 1 leave aside the remonstrances that St. Paul
makes to the Corinthians when he speaks of the abuse that those committed in
taking pleasure in hearing foreign languages ring out in the Church of God,
without any prophet to explain what was said (1 Cor. 14). But how shall anyone
believe without having heard, seeing that faith comes from what is heard, as
St. Paul says (Rom 10:17)? And how shall anyone hear it when, far from being
duly expounded, it is chanted in an unknown language (1 Cor. 14:9, 16-28)? How
also shall anyone be established in the holy and true doctrine, comforted amid
so many and various temptations, warned to resist false doctrines (Rom 15:4; 2
Tim 3:16), without meditating night and day in the Word of God (Ps. 1:2), and
examining carefully the passages of Holy Scripture (Acts 17:11; John 5:39).
Thus has it always been done in the Church, until the Devil, through the just
punishment of God, removed this light to bring in his darkness, without anyone
perceiving it. St. Peter is a witness for this, when writing to all believers,
he commends the diligence with which they should take heed to hear the word of
the prophets (2 Pet 1: 19,20). For he knew that the word which the Lord had
said to him, "Feed my sheep." (John 21:15-17), must be heard from the
preaching of the Word of Life. St. Paul, also, expounded the same thing and
practised it (Acts 20:27,28).
However, we do not say that it is
permitted to everyone to be a teacher in the Church, and to expound the Holy
Scriptures; for this office belongs, as we shall soon say more fully, to those
who are called and lawfully ordained to do it (Rom. 10:15). But we say that
everyone must read the Scriptures, and have the knowledge of them to confirm
what has been expounded well in the Church, and to reject the false doctrine of
false pastors. We say that the reading of the Holy Scriptures, -- adding what
is necessary, i.e. the pure preaching and exposition of them: it is for this
that teachers and pastors are ordained in the Church (1 Cor. 4:2; 2 Cor.
5:19,20), and not to re-sacrifice Jesus Christ (Heb. 10:18) or to howl in a
language unknown to the people (1 Cor. 14:28) --, is far from committing
heresy; on the contrary, there is no other means of extirpating heresies (2
Tim. 3:15-17). And whoever prevents the reading of the Scriptures takes away,
at the same time, from the poor people the only means of consolation (Rom.
15:4) and salvation (Luke 1:77; Acts 13:26; Eph. 1:13).
How the Holy Spirit uses
the external preaching of the gospel to create faith in the heart of the elect,
and to harden the reprobate
In the same way as the external
preaching of the Gospel is an odour of death for the rebels who harden
themselves, so is it an odour of life for the children of God (2 Cor. 2:15,16).
Not that this force and power to save resides in the sound of the word, or that
it comes from the energy of him who preaches (1 Cor. 3:7-8). But the Holy
Spirit, whose office we are describing, uses this external preaching as a pipe
or channel; He comes then to pierce to the depth of the soul, as the apostle
says (Heb. 4:12; 1 Pet 1:23), so as to give by His grace and goodness alone,
understanding to the children of God that they may be able to perceive and
comprehend this high mystery of their salvation through Jesus Christ (Acts
16:14; Eph. 1: 18,19). Then, He also corrects their judgement so that they
approve, with wisdom from God, what sense and reason used to think was folly (1
Cor. 2:6-16). Moreover he corrects and changes their will so that, with ardent
affection, they embrace and receive the sole remedy which is offered in Jesus
Christ (Phil. 1:29; Acts 13:48) against the despair into which, without this,
the preaching of the Law would necessarily bring them (Eph. 2:1,4,5).
This then is how the Holy Spirit, by
the preaching of the Gospel, heals the wound which the preaching of the Law has
uncovered and made worse (Rom. 6:14). This, I say, is how the Holy Spirit, by
the preaching of the Gospel, creates in us the gift of faith which comes, at
the same time, to take hold of an that is necessary for salvation in Jesus
Christ; this is what we have shown above.
The other fruit of the
preaching of the law, once the preaching of the gospel has effectually done its
work
Among the effects that Jesus Christ
produces when He dwells in us, we have shown, and this is not the least, that
He creates in us a pure heart (Ps. 51:10) to know (Jer. 24:7), to will and to
do what is of God (Phil 2:13); previously we were slaves in sin (Rom 6:22),
enemies of God (Eph. 2:12), incapable even of thinking anything good (2 Cor.
3:5).
Thus, when our disposition has been
changed, the preaching of the Law begins also to change its effect in us, such
that instead of terrifying us, it consoles us (1 John 2:17; 2 Pet 1: 10,11);
instead of showing us how near our damnation is, it serves us as a guide to
teach us the good works (Jer. 31:33; Rom 7:22) in which God has purposed we
shall walk (Eph. 2:10); finally, instead of being an unpleasant and unbearable
yoke, it becomes pleasant and light to us (Matt 11:30). There remains with us
only one regret: that of not being able to obey it perfectly, as we wish to do,
on account of the remnant of our corruption which battles against the Spirit
(Rom 7:22,23). But all this regret does not drive us to despair, but rather
drives us to pray ardently to our Father who strengthens us more and more (Rom
8:23-26). Faith, which is the testimony of the Spirit of God crying in our
hearts (Rom 8:15), indeed assures us that the curse of the Law has been blotted
out by the blood of Jesus Christ to whom it unites us (Rom 8:1); moreover, the
same faith also assures us that the Spirit shall conquer, however long He
tarries (Rom 6:14), and even death shall be the means of our victory (John
5:24; 1 Cor. 15:26,54; Heb 2:14). Thus is brought to completion in us, by
degrees, the remainder of true repentance, which comes from true conversion; it
begins with contrition, or feeling of sin, and progresses by amendment of all
that is in the man, visible and invisible (1 Thes. 5:23).
That is also why we conclude that this
leads every true penitent to confess his fault before him whom it concerns,
that is to say, before those who have been offended, and even before the whole
assembly of the Church, if that is necessary. This confession must be
accompanied, according to the measure in which this is possible, with
restitution and satisfaction towards one's neighbour, for, without this,
repentance can only be feigned and counterfeit. Thus, it is easy to see that we
do not reject, but, on the contrary, require as necessary to salvation the true
confession which has been ordained of God. Nevertheless, we have no desire to
torment consciences by auricular confession (as it is called), which men have
invented, in place of true confession and repentance, nor to establish towards
God any other satisfaction than the sole satisfaction of Jesus Christ.
The second means which
the Holy Spirit uses to enable us to enjoy Jesus Christ, and why the Lord has
never been content solely with the preaching of His word.
We have said that the Sacraments are
the other means, the other instrument by which the Holy Spirit applies to us
all that is necessary for our salvation. But, since by this word is generally
understood all the signs by which any sacred and spiritual thing is declared to
us, it is necessary, first of an, to limit the meaning of the word.
Therefore, we must understand that our
God, who is perfectly merciful, in using our very poor and miserable nature as
a means to better manifest His goodness and long suffering, has not been
content to simply make known to us and to show us, as it were from a distance,
the means by which it has pleased Him to save us. Nevertheless, even in this,
He uses incomprehensible gentleness and compassion in informing us of His will
through men similar to ourselves (Deut. 18:15; Phil 2:7; 2 Cor. 5:19,20), and,
what is more, stammers, so to speak, with us as nurses do with their little
children (1 'Mess 2:7). But, in addition, to crown His infinite goodness, He
has willed to add to the preaching of His Word certain actions which are
designed to compel the most uneducated and stubborn in the world to believe
more and more that God is not mocking them in offering them eternal life by
this most wondrous means -- the death of His own Son. Thus, by such signs and
actions, all their senses are driven to consent to the doctrine of the Gospel,
as if they were already fully enjoying the salvation which is promised to them.
In the same way, we see (if it is proper to make a comparison between affairs
in the world and the incomprehensible goodness of God) that, when judicially
the possession or ownership of something is awarded to us, certain ceremonies
and actions will be used in the act of taking possession or in the execution of
a warrant, to assure us and to testify to others that such and such belongs to
us. Even in our civil affairs, although a lawyer has signed a contract and
appended the name of the witnesses, in addition to all this, the seal of the
office where the contract was drawn up will be affixed, so as to render the
contract more valid and authentic (Rom 4:11).
Thus, from the beginning, our Lord God
was not content with announcing to Adam the grace by which He had purposed to
save His Church through His Son; He willed to add thereto sacrifices, as living
figures of the future sacrifice of Jesus Christ, to strengthen the faith of the
children of God in the redemption which they were awaiting (Heb. 11:4). Then
afterwards, renewing this covenant of grace and of mercy to Abraham, He added
thereto the Sacrament of circumcision (Gen 17:10,11). Finally, at the time of
Moses, He added thereto the Sacrament of the Passover Lamb and many other
ceremonies (Ex. 12); these were Sacraments representing to them what Jesus
Christ would accomplish in His time, that is to say, all the mystery of their
salvation: the Apostle declares this amply in the Epistle to the Hebrews.
But when the time appointed by God
arrived, Jesus Christ, by His coming, put an end to all that which had
prefigured His coming. He put an end to the shadows and Old Testament
Sacraments and brought to the world another greater clarity so that,
henceforth, men might worship God with more pure and spiritual service, as
approaching more. closely the nature of God who is Spirit (John 4:21-25).
However, having still regard to our frail and dull nature, He thought well to
add some Sacraments and external signs to the preaching of this eternal Word,
to better nourish and support our faith. For, although Jesus Christ has already
acquitted us by His death, yet, while we are below, we possess the Heavenly
Kingdom only by hope (Rom 8:24; 1 Cor. 13:9); it is needful that we be
supported to grow in this and persevere to the end (Eph. 4:15).
This article was made available on the internet
via REFORMATION INK (www.markers.com/ink).
Refer any correspondence to Shane Rosenthal: ReformationInk at mac.com (connect
and write as @mac.com -- when I connect them I get a lot of junk mail).
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