The New Law

“The New Law”

The Signs of the Times 13, 24. June 23, 1887

E. J. Waggoner

An exchange says:

“Many persons seem to think that because the Ten Commands were done away, we have no moral precepts to guide us. I will, therefore, in a few words, show that nine of the commands-all the moral part-are adopted or re-enacted in the new law (New Testament) which is now our authority in place of the old law that it supersedes and annuls.”

There are many people who entertain, just such ideas as are expressed in this quotation, and therefore, before we examine that which the writer gives as a substitute for the decalogue, we wish to show how erroneous such assumptions are.

(a) It is assumed that the Ten Commandments were done away.

But this is in direct contradiction of what the Scriptures say of God’s purpose concerning the law, and of its nature. First read a few statements: “Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them forever.” Ps. 119:152. “Thy word is true from the beginning; and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth forever.” Verse 100. “The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure. They stand [margin, “are established”] fast forever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.” Ps. 111:7, 8. Again, our Saviour said: “It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.” Luke 16:17. If it is asked how this can be, the briefest examination of the nature of the law will give the answer.

(b) The law of God is the righteousness of God.

This is indicated in Isaiah’s prophecy: “The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness’ sake; he will magnify the law, and make if honorable.” But Isa. 51:6-7 shows beyond all question that the law is God’s righteousness. We read:

“Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath; for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner; but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished. Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law.”

The people who know righteousness are they in whose heart is the law of God; the obvious meaning is that they know righteousness because the law is in their heart; and this will be made still more evident further on. The righteousness which is known by the law of God is God’s righteousness; and when that truth is grasped, we scarcely need to be told that it will not be abolished, for that would be to tear God from His throne. Now we can understand how it is easier for heaven and earth to pass than for a particle of the law to fail.

(c) The law of God is His will.

Paul says:

“Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, and knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law.” Rom. 2:17, 18.

This is perfectly in harmony with the statement that the law is God’s righteousness, for God is righteous, and His will must be righteous. That the Ten Commandments are referred to by “the law” is evident from verses 21-23. Now since the Ten Commandments are the righteousness of God, and His will, it necessarily follows that they cannot be abolished.

Be it understood that when “the law” is mentioned, there is no discrimination, but the whole law is referred to. David had reference to the whole law when he said: “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.” Now if a part of the law were abolished, it would be no more perfect. But it is useless to speak about the possibility or probability of the abolition of any part of the law; for it would be impossible to abolish any portion of it. God Himself could not abolish any portion of it; for that would be to abolish His own goodness, and “he cannot deny himself.”

So long as God’s throne is in Heaven, and His kingdom rules over all, so long must the Ten Commandments, the law of His kingdom, remain intact.

It is assumed that only nine of the Ten Commandments were moral, and that the fourth was not.

But this assumption is itself fatal to the assumption that the Ten Commandments were done away; for a moral law cannot be done away. Moral duties grow out of the nature of God, and they can not be done away so long as God is God. He who admits that nine of the Ten Commandments are moral thereby admits that they cannot be abolished.

Let us make this point a little more clear.

If a law is abolished, then the duty which it once enjoined is no longer a duty, and that which it forbade is no longer a crime.

Now take the seventh commandment. If that were ever abolished, even though it were afterward re-enacted, there must have been a time when it was not an immoral act to commit adultery! So also of the eighth commandment: if that were abolished, then it was not wrong to steal. But no right-minded person can conceive of a time when it would be right to kill, steal, or commit adultery.

Now if it could never be right for all people to live promiscuously, as to persons and property, or for human life to be considered as of no value, or for God’s name to be held in no repute, then it follows that the commandments which forbid such things must always be in force. It is impossible for anyone who has any just conception of morality to imagine such a thing as a moral law being abolished.

Having seen that moral commandments cannot be abolished, let us consider the fourth commandment in particular.

It is claimed that it is not moral. Did it ever occur to anyone to wonder why God should insert a non-moral commandment in the midst of moral precepts? It would be much easier to answer the statement that it is not moral, if those who say so would tell us what is necessary to constitute a moral precept.

“Moral” is defined as “relating to duty or obligation.” Well, the Sabbath commandment was given by the Creator of the universe, and certainly, it is man’s duty to obey. We cannot conceive of anything that could have more effect in making a commandment moral than that it came from God, for He is the source of all morality.

As with the other commandments, so with the fourth; we cannot conceive of a time when to violate it would not be sin.

The Sabbath commandment is the first of which we have the record of its being given to man. In Eden at the close of creation it was sanctified.

It “was made for man.” It was based on the unalterable facts of creation (Gen. 2:2-3); so that the only way it could be abolished would be to abolish the fact that the earth was created, which is of course impossible. It is sometimes claimed that the fourth commandment is not like the others, because, while they are to be kept every moment of time, it requires a duty only once a week.

Such have read the commandment to little purpose. The very first word, “remember,” covers every moment of a man’s life. Not only during the twenty-four hours of the Sabbath is the fourth commandment to be kept, but during all the hours of the week. The man who does not remember the Sabbath every working day, will not keep the Sabbath when it comes.

The fourth commandment covers the six days of labor as well as the seventh day of rest; and when we consider that it alone of all the ten, names and specifies the giver of the law, we cannot fail to see that it is the very heart of the moral law.

Take it away, and there would be nothing to point out the authority of the lawgiver.

We will now examine the new law, as given by our exchange.

It is as follows:-

1-One God; Eph 4:6: 1 Cor 8:6.

2-Idolatry forbidden; 1Cor 6:9, 7-14, and 1 John 5:21.

3-Swearing forbidden; Jas 5:12.

4-Sabbath; nowhere enjoined, either by precept or example.

5-Obedience to parents enjoined; Eph 6:1-2, and Col 3:20.

6-Murder forbidden; Rom 13:9; Gal 5:21, 1 Pet 4:15; 1 John 3:15.

7-Adultery; Rom 21:9; 1Cor 6:9; Heb 13:4; Jas 4:4.

8-Steal not; Rom 13:9; Eph 4:28.

9-False witness; Rom 13:9.

10-Covetousness forbidden; Rom 13:9; 1 Cor 6:10; Eph 5:5.

We have copied the above exactly and are not responsible for the reference to Rom 21.

The first “commandment” of this new law tells us that there is one God. Very well, we can believe that, but the mere statement that there is one God does not involve any duty. The devils themselves can and do keep such a commandment as that. See James 2:19.

The fact is, the texts cited contain no semblance of a commandment, as anybody can see for himself. Those scriptures which are referred to as containing the second commandment, refer simply to the first. The second commandment forbids bowing down to images, or the representation of God, by something in heaven or earth.

Nothing to this effect is found in the New Testament.

Without the Old Testament, it would be utterly impossible to convict the Catholic of sin when he makes obeisance to the image of the Virgin Mary or of Christ. The sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth commandments, as given in the “new law,” are simply quotations from the Decalogue given upon Sinai, and do not purport to be anything else.

We are told that, just as the new constitution of California contains many things that were in the old one, so the new law contains many things that were in the decalogue of Sinai, and that therefore we must consider these commandments as part of the new law. But now that the new constitution of California is in force, men do not quote anything from the old one; whereas Paul is quoting directly from the Ten Commandments of Sinai, and is not giving a new law, nor quoting from some other law in the New Testament.

Moreover he declares (Rom. 7:7) that long before this was written, he was convicted of sin by the law which says, “Thou shalt not covet.”

As to the fourth commandment, we find it taught by the example of Christ and the apostles (Luke 4:16; Acts 13:14; 17:2; 18:4), and also by precept. Matt. 24:20. But this is not why the Sabbath should be kept. It should be kept because “in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day, and hallowed it.”

One more point should be noticed concerning

this alleged new law.

That is, that it is quoted from four different men, who wrote about thirty years after Christ. Allowing that they had a right to make laws, and that the scriptures quoted constitute the new law, we should have a period of about thirty years between the crucifixion, when it is alleged that the old law was done away, and the giving of the new law. Thirty years in which there was no moral law whatever! Thirty years in which it was not wrong to swear, kill, steal, lie, and commit adultery! To such lengths of absurdity will men go in their attempts to evade a plain but unpleasant duty. But the simple fact is that Peter, James, John, and Paul had no more authority to enact or re-enact moral precepts than the Pope of Rome has.

“There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy.” James 4:12. Isaiah tells us who this “one lawgiver” is; “For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us.” Isa. 33:22.

If any of the apostles had presumed to speak anything on their own authority, or to enact or re-enact any moral precept, they would have been acting the part of the “man of sin,” “the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”

To say that the apostles presumed to institute moral precepts is to basely slander them.

From this examination of the matter, and if space allowed it might be made much more thorough, we find that if there is any moral obligation in the world at the present time, it is by virtue of the Ten Commandments. If they have been done away, then there is no such thing as morality or immorality; there can be no such thing as character.

But they have not been abolished; they cannot be abolished; and therefore to fear God and keep his commandments still constitutes the whole duty of man. He who presumes to sit in judgment on the law, and to absolve himself from obedience to any part of it, will find to his sorrow that there is one Lawgiver who is able to destroy. W.

 

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