A. LAW AND GOSPEL

Fr. H. R. Frank has called attention to the fact that the doctrine of Law and Gospel and in particular of the difference between Law and Gospel — a doctrine which Luther and the old theologians treated most thoroughly — has practically disappeared from modern theology. Modern theologians have no use for it.109 Frank says: “Ritschl has declared most emphatically that the customary distinction between Law and Gospel with all that it implies is incorrect.” And Horst Stephan made a similar statement: “There is no sense, after the manner of the old dogmatics, in dividing the ‘Word of God’ into Law and Gospel.”110 Frank is right in saying: “It characterizes the present state of affairs that men find also this part of the evangelical doctrine objectionable and declare it to be in conflict with the true evangelical spirit” (loc. cit., p. 104). It does not surprise us that modern theology would have no use for the distinction between Law and Gospel. That idea is the inevitable result of the denial of the satisfactio Christi vicaria, which characterizes modern theology. Certainly, if God did not fully reconcile mankind unto Himself through Christ’s vicarious satisfaction, if Christ has not, in our stead, fulfilled the requirements of the Law which binds mankind, and suffered its punishment in our stead, it necessarily follows that man must somehow by his own work and his own virtues either effect his reconciliation with God or complete the reconciliation begun by Christ. That is just what modern theologians teach. The “conservatives” among them, too, hold that the Savior’s work of reconciliation must be supplemented by man’s holiness. One of them states it thus: “We are compelled to make the transformation of man a factor in the work of the atonement.”111 That does away with the difference between Law and Gospel. What we get, as Frank puts it, is “a veritable hodgepodge” (Glaubenslehre, 1921, p. 124).

This “hodgepodge” is not a harmless matter. Scripture warns us that the commingling of Law and Gospel has fatal results. It definitely tells the sinner who is seeking remission of his sins and eternal salvation that he can obtain this in no other way than by completely eliminating the Law from his consideration and placing himself under the Gospel. This is God’s method of forgiving sins and bestowing salvation: “without the Law,” (Rom. 3:21); “by faith … without the deeds of the Law,” … (Rom. 3:28); “by faith in Jesus Christ,” (Gal. 2:16; Rom.3:22); “through faith,” (Eph. 2:8); “through the Gospel,” (1 Cor. 4:15). All who refuse to eliminate the Law in the matter of obtaining grace and salvation remain under the curse of the Law, since the Law pronounces the curse on everyone who has not continued in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them (Gal. 3:10). Luther is therefore right in saying that every Christian must know the art of separating Law and Gospel. “If this is lacking, one cannot tell a Christian from a pagan or a Jew” (St. L. IX:798). There is only one way to be and remain a Christian: Man must silence his conscience against the accusations of the Law with the Gospel, which assures him of the forgiveness of sins “without the Law.” And only those men are able to lead a holy life according to the Law who “are not under the Law, but under grace” (Rom. 6:14). All this will be treated in detail in the chapter on the means of grace under the heading “Law and Gospel,” in Vol. III. Here we are presenting only so much as bears on the matter before us — the “division” of the doctrines of Scripture and the characteristics of true “theology” and the true “theologian.”

Holy Scripture, the Word of God, is divided into Law and Gospel.112 The theologian must teach both, without curtailment or alteration. He dare not discard any part of the Law nor make any alterations in the Gospel. As for the Law, God declares: “Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law,” and adds the warning: “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:17-19). And as for the Gospel, the Apostle Paul pronounces the curse on everyone who teaches any other Gospel than he himself taught (Gal. 1:7-9). But now Law and Gospel are absolute opposites, “plus quam contradictoria” (St L. IX:447). The Law curses everyone who has not kept it perfectly (Gal. 3:10; Rom. 3:9-19) and is “the ministration of condemnation” (2 Cor. 3:9). But according to the Gospel, God does not impute to man the transgression of the Law (2 Cor. 5:19). This is “the Gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24), also “the ministration of righteousness” (2 Cor. 3:9). How shall the theologian meet this seemingly confusing situation? He will preach both Law and Gospel in their full force; but no confusion can arise if he keeps Law and Gospel separate. He does that when he confines each to its own particular sphere. He who knows when and where to apply the Law, when and where to apply the Gospel, is indeed a Christian theologian.

1. According to God’s will and order, as set down in Scripture, the knowledge of sin must be taught from the Law, for “by the Law is the knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3:20), while the remission of sins, or justification, must be taught solely from the Gospel, for “we conclude that a man is justified by faith, without the deeds of the Law” (Rom. 3:28). Whoever teaches that forgiveness is obtained also by observing the Law is no Christian theologian, but a deceiver, who seduces men away from Christianity, for “Christ is become of no effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the Law; ye are fallen from grace” (Gal. 5:4). The evil work of such calls forth the imprecation of the Apostle: “I would they were even cut off which trouble you” (Gal. 5:12). It follows that the Law, by which the knowledge of sins is produced, must be preached to the self-righteous and secure sinners, to those who will not acknowledge that they deserve God’s wrath and eternal damnation. “We know,” says the Apostle, “that what things soever the Law saith, it saith to them who are under the Law, that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God” (Rom. 3:19). The Gospel, on the other hand, should be preached to those whom the Law has humbled and who therefore are contrite and brokenhearted and poor in spirit (Matt. 11:5; Luke 4:18). The spiritual condition of the persons dealt with determines when the Law and when the Gospel is to be applied.

2. The Law is the only source from which the Christian theologian teaches what good works are, even as Christ Himself pointed to the Law when He answered the question which works are commanded by God and are therefore God-pleasing (Matt. 15:1 ff.; 22:35 ff.; 19:16 ff.). Christians, too, need the Law in this respect, for, because of their old Adam, they are prone to take commandments of men, such as the commandments concerning meat and drink, celibacy, etc. (Col. 2:16-22; 1 Tim. 4:1 ff.), to be commandments of God. But the Law cannot produce the works which are commanded by God and are good in His sight. The Christian theologian knows and ever bears in mind that only the Gospel can create in man the will and strength to do good works. The Apostle knew of no other way: “I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God” (Rom. 12:1). Axiom: Lex praescribit, evangelium inscribit (Jer. 31:31-34). Luther: “The lawmonger compels by threats and punishments; the preacher of grace persuades and incites men by setting forth the goodness and mercy of God” (St. L. XII:318). Learn to preach the Gospel, and you have learned the art of making your people zealous of good works.

3. The Christian theologian knows, too, that he cannot successfully combat sin by means of the Law. The Law can, indeed, check sin outwardly, but inwardly it only activates and multiplies sin. Paul speaks from experience: “For when we were in the flesh [under the Law], the motions of sin which were by the Law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death” (Rom. 7:5). It is the Gospel alone which slays the sin in man. “But now we are delivered from the Law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit and not in the oldness of the letter” (Rom. 7:6). And Rom. 6:14 declares: “Sin shall have no dominion over you; for ye are not under the Law, but under grace.” Axiom: Lex necat peccatorem, non peccatum; evangelium necat peccatum, non peccatorem. — “Therefore place him who is well versed in this art of dividing the Law from the Gospel at the head and call him a Doctor of Holy Writ” (St. L. IX:802).