Law, letter and spirit of

A rigid adherence to the letter of the law often masks hypocrisy and neglect of its spirit, namely having God at the centre of one's life and putting others before oneself, or recognising that the law points to Jesus Christ.

The letter of the law

Overemphasis on keeping some parts of the law

Mark 7:1–8 parallel Matthew 15:1–2 See also Isaiah 29:13; Matthew 9:10–13 parallels Mark 2:15–17, Luke 5:29–32

Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus, and they saw some of His disciples eating with hands that were defiled— that is, unwashed. Now in holding to the tradition of the elders, the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat until they wash their hands ceremonially. And on returning from the market, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions for them to observe, including the washing of cups, pitchers, kettles, and couches for dining. So the Pharisees and scribes questioned Jesus: “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders? Instead, they eat with defiled hands.” Jesus answered them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’ You have disregarded the commandment of God to keep the tradition of men.”

Hypocrisy with regard to keeping the law

Mark 7:9–13 parallel Matthew 15:3–6 See also Matthew 23:1–33; Luke 11:37–52, Luke 18:9–14; John 9:1–16; Romans 2:17–24; Isaiah 52:5

He went on to say, “You neatly set aside the command of God to maintain your own tradition. For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever you would have received from me is Corban’ (that is, a gift devoted to God ), he is no longer permitted to do anything for his father or mother. Thus you nullify the word of God by the tradition you have handed down. And you do so in many such matters.”

The spirit of the law

Jesus Christ and the law

Matthew 5:17–6:19 See also Matthew 19:16–30 parallels Mark 10:17–30, Luke 18:18–30

Jesus Christ's attitude to the Sabbath

Mark 2:23–3:6 parallels Matthew 12:1–14, Luke 6:1–11 See also Mark 1:21–28 parallel Luke 4:31–37; Luke 13:10–17, Luke 14:1–6; John 5:1–16, John 7:21–24

Jesus Christ's treatment of the woman taken in adultery

John 8:2–11

The greatest commandment

Matthew 22:34–40 parallel Mark 12:28–34 See also Matthew 25:31–46

And when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they themselves gathered together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested Him with a question: “Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law?” Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

The importance of obedience and right attitudes outweighs that of outward actions

Romans 2:25–29 See also 1 Samuel 15:22–23; Psalm 51:16–17; Proverbs 21:3; Isaiah 1:11–17; Jeremiah 7:21–23; Hosea 6:6; Amos 5:21–24; Micah 6:6–8; Galatians 3:1–5

Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. If a man who is not circumcised keeps the requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? The one who is physically uncircumcised yet keeps the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker. A man is not a Jew because he is one outwardly, nor is circumcision only outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew because he is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise does not come from men, but from God.

The spirit of the law is embodied in the new covenant

2 Corinthians 3:3–6 See also John 4:19–24; Romans 7:4–6, Romans 8:1–11; 1 Corinthians 15:45–46; 2 Corinthians 3:13–18; Galatians 5:18; Hebrews 7:18–22, Hebrews 8:1–13; Jeremiah 31:31–34

It is clear that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such confidence before God is ours through Christ. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God. And He has qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.