The Second Helvetic Confession Chapter 12
Of the Law of God
The Will of God Is Explained
for Us in the Law of God. We teach that the will of God is explained for us
in the law of God, what he wills or does not will us to do, what is good and
just, or what is evil and unjust. Therefore, we confess that the law is good and
holy.
<When properly understood concerning the Old Testament
law, the end result cannot be other than the Law of God is good and perfect.
The problem begins with too literal of an application of all Old
Testament law. Christ who says they are that which speaks of Him testifies
that the ceremonial and dietary laws have been fulfilled. Also it must be considered that the Old Testament law was
given to a theocracy and if left in place as written would cause a contradiction
in the Holy Writ. Whereas the New
Testament admonishes man to obey the laws of the civil government, and such a
civil government removes much of the punishment of evil from the hands of the
citizen as an example. The words of
the apostles in asking if they should obey the law of man or God is not the
context to be used to show that civil disobedience is of God. They were speaking to Jewish leaders who at that point were
representative of the theocracy, though modified earlier with the addition of an
earthly king, but still under the direct law of God.
These leaders were claiming for themselves an authority that was not
theirs to begin with and thus was merely the word of men against the command of
God. >
The Law of Nature. And this
law was at one time written in the hearts of men by the finger of God (Rom.
2:15), and is called the law of nature (the law of Moses is in two tables), and
at another it was inscribed by his finger on the two Tables of Moses, and
eloquently expounded in the books of Moses (Exod. 20:1 ff.; Deut. 5:6 ff.). For
the sake of clarity we distinguish the moral law, which is contained in the
Decalogue or two Tables and expounded in the books of Moses, the ceremonial law,
which determines the ceremonies and worship of God, and the judicial law, which
is concerned with political and domestic matters.
<The Helvetic here makes a proper division of the
sections of the Old Testament law. The introduction of natural law is also
introduced here. This is the law of God Paul refers to in Romans where he says
that the Gentiles without the law are a law unto themselves when they do that
which is in the law. So while this natural law is not to be a source of
objective truth, it exists and as such testifies to the creation of man in the
image of God. It is this natural law that will still the lips of the reprobate
the last day, for even without the Law of God being revealed, they are condemned
by their own disregard of that which they know to be just by nature. >
The Law Is Complete and
Perfect. We believe that the whole will of God and all necessary precepts
for every sphere of life are taught in this law. For otherwise the Lord would
not have forbidden us to add or to take away anything from this law; neither
would he have commanded us to walk in a straight path before this law, and not
to turn aside from it by turning to the right or to the left (Deut. 4:2; 12:32).
<It is hard to distinguish
here whether the author has in mind the whole of the law, or the more narrow
view of the Decalogue, which he equates with the law God has written in the
hearts of mankind. I see him here
referring to the more narrow application and find this in agreement with later
Reformed confessions that declare the Decalogue is the summary of all Scripture.
This finds weight too in the reduction of the ten to two by Christ.
Nonetheless it must be considered that every single word proceeding from
the mouth of God is an eternal and divine word that cannot be set aside.
This is the principle that causes the Theonomist and Reconstructionist
problems, that is, where and how is the equity of the fullness of the Old
Testament law brought forward into the next generation, especially since the
paradigm shift of Calvary. Nonetheless, as Paul taught Timothy “all Scripture
is good for …” Thus the whole of the revealed Word is to be revered and
obeyed. We might also consider that
as a sovereign, God’s every Word is a command or law to those beneath Him. Who
then can claim equality with God and change this Word? Thus the use and purpose
of the Old Testament Law must be sought and applied. Even as Paul also notes the
Law was sent to expose sin and be the schoolmaster for the just. >
Why the Law Was Given. We
teach that this law was not given to men that they might be justified by keeping
it, but that rather from what it teaches we may know (our) weakness, sin and
condemnation, and, despairing of our strength, might be converted to Christ in
faith. For the apostle openly declares: The law brings wrath, and, Through the
law comes knowledge of sin (Rom. 4:15; 3:20), and, If a law had been given which
could justify or make alive, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But
the Scripture (that is, the law) has concluded all under sin, that the promise
which was of the faith of Jesus might be given to those who believe . . .
Therefore, the law was our schoolmaster unto Christ, that we might be justified
by faith (Gal. 3:21 ff.).
<More simply stated, it was never intended by God for
any to come to salvation by the law. The
phraseology of schoolmaster is biblical and the best to use here.
More simply worded, God gave man the law to reveal sin. Note the
author’s inclusion of the parenthesis that points to the equality of Scripture
and Law in this definition of beliefs. >
The Flesh Does Not Fulfill the
Law. For no flesh could or can satisfy the law of God and fulfill it,
because of the weakness in our flesh which adheres and remains in us until our
last breath. For the apostle says again: God has done what the law, weakened by
the flesh, could not do: sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and
for sin (Rom. 8:3). Therefore, Christ is the perfecting of the law and our
fulfillment of it (Rom. 10:4), who, in order to take away the curse of the law,
was made a curse for us (Gal. 3:13). Thus he imparts to us through faith his
fulfillment of the law, and his righteousness and obedience are imputed to us.
<Many fail to grasp here
that the atonement required the perfect sacrifice. In his sinful nature man could thus never offer himself as
this perfect sacrifice and thereby fulfill all righteousness no matter how well
he kept the law. Paul’s call for
living sacrifices to the glory of God was the purpose of God from the beginning.
Such sacrifice being of necessity for God has spoken thus, that without
the shedding of blood there is no atonement (remission of sin). >
How Far the Law Is Abrogated. The
law of God is therefore abrogated to the extent that it no longer condemns us,
nor works wrath in us. We are under grace and not under the law. Moreover,
Christ has fulfilled all the figures of the law. Hence, with the coming of the
body, the shadows ceased, so that in Christ we now have the truth and all
fullness. But yet we do not on that account contemptuously reject the law. For
we remember the words of the Lord when he said: I have not come to abolish the
law and the prophets but to fulfill them (Matt. 5:17). We know that in the law
is delivered to us the patterns of virtues and vices. We know that the written
law when explained by the Gospel is useful to the Church, and that therefore its
reading is not to be banished from the Church. For although Moses' face was
covered with a veil, yet the apostle says that the veil has been taken away and
abolished by Christ.
<Bad exegesis here C
the veil referred to by Paul was that of the temple dividing all but the high
priest from the mercy seat. This
office no longer being valid as Christ is our high priest forever.
However this does not take away from what Bullinger has placed before us.
The Old Testament as the shadow and type of which Christ is the
fulfillment is the conclusion of the Bible and the Church from the beginning.
>
The Sects. We condemn
everything that heretics old and new have taught against the law.
< This portion is a rather generic ending to a good
presentation of what we are to believe about the law. Nonetheless such an open
ended statement is valid in that Paul says we are not to accept any other Gospel
no matter by whom it is presented without giving details of what this other
Gospel might include. >
