The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1962-01-05

know? What can I believe?
and What shall I do? During
the next three months these
Bible studies. in which more
than 80 denominations join, will
be working on that third ques-
ton. All Christians are agreed
that the standard for our life
and action in this world is to
be found in the Bible. But here
the difficulties and hard ques-
tons begin. What part of the
Bible. Old or New Testaments?
The teachings of Moses or the
teachings of Jesus? the Law or
the Gospel? the Ten Command
ments or the Spirit Of Jesus?
Can a Christian be described as
one who has outgrown the Ten
Commandments?
No Conflict
All their others or business
points in the wrong direction.
If the first Christmas had
thought that the gospel did
away with the Ten Command
ments, they would not have kept
the Old Testament. If the people
who wrote the stories of Jesus
and his teachings had supposed
they were in conflict with the
word and will and law of God
as they found it in the Old
Testament, they would not have
undertaken to write the New. It
is not a case Of "either the Ten
Commandments or the Spirit of
Jesus" 1t is not question of
Moses versus Christ. Saint Paul
calls the Law "holy and just
and good" Romans 7:2) Jesus
said that not the least part of
the Law should pass away It'll
all be accomplished or It'll its
purpose is complete" as j. b.
Phillips translates it.
What we have is rathers the
Law in the Gospel lie. in the
whole New Testament teach
ing>, the Law as interpreted by
the gospel, the Law seen in the
light of the gospel. the Ten
Commandments understood as
Jesus understood them.
Never Obsolete
Confusion about the Ten Com
mandmentS would clear away
considerably if people realized
that they are not like the laws
and statutes Of our nation or
states and cities today. Our
laws have become obsolete be-
cause they are confined to one
particular situation. and when
the situation no longer exists.
the law just fades away. For
instance, it used to be required
by law in various communities
that drinking troughs be requir-
ed for horses. When horses were
replaced by horsepower. the
horse-troughS vanished. A GER
tain school in New York State,
about the year 1845, had among
its regulations one that forbade
all students to enter "taverns,
groceries or other places of en-
tertainment." It is safe to say
that that school long since
dropped that rule. Groce
stores in the village have
changed quite a lot in the past
100 years or more. Now the Ten
Commandments never were in
tended to be like rules and
regulations. In the Old Tesla
ment. they are given three diff
ferent times, and each time diff
ferently. Eek. 20. Elk. "a. and
Deut. s., The careful reader
will see that already the Com
mandments were being revised,
as we would say. to fit new
situations. They repre- II t
principles rather than rules, and
SO are immortal.
A Fresh Beginning
In the great summary Of
Jesus teaching which we have
in the Sermon on the Mount,
while Jesus had good deal to
say bout Interpreting the law of
God. he did not begin with this.
He did not begin with laws Of
any kind. He began las every
body knows with "Beatitudes.
That is, he starts off by de-
scribing those to whom Gods
kingdom belongs, those who will
see God, those who are rightly
called the sons Of God. If YOU
have the wrong kind Of people,
no amount Of laws will improve
matters much. You do not get
q better world by saving the
Ten Commandments louder and
faster. You get better world
not by improvements IN laws.
but by improvements in people.
Improvements is too weak a
word. Radical change is more
what Jesus is calling for.
Only those who are 50 close to
the wind and will Of God that
they can be called "sons of
God" only those who are grow
ing in Godlikeness, are the kind
of persons who have discovered
what it is to live.
Biased on outlines copyright.