Having Not the Law
Via On the Spirit and the Letter
Chapter 42 [XXV.]— Difference Between the Old and the New Testaments
I beg of you, however, carefully to observe, as far as you can, what I am endeavouring to prove with so much effort. When the prophetpromised a new covenant, not according to the covenant which had been formerly made with the people of Israel when liberated from Egypt, he said nothing about a change in the sacrifices or any sacred ordinances, although such change, too, was without doubt to follow, as we see in fact that it did follow, even as the same prophetic scripture testifies in many other passages; but he simply called attention to this difference, thatGod would impress His laws on the mind of those who belonged to this covenant, and would write them in their hearts, Jeremiah 31:32-33 whence the apostle drew his conclusion—not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart;2 Corinthians 3:3 and that the eternal recompense of this righteousness was not the land out of which were driven the Amorites and Hittites, and other nations who dwelt there, Joshua 12 but God Himself, to whom it is good to hold fast, in order that God’s good that they love, may be theGod Himself whom they love, between whom and men nothing but sin produces separation; and this is remitted only by grace. Accordingly, after saying, For all shall know me, from the least to the greatest of them, He instantly added, For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. Jeremiah 31:34 By the law of works, then, the Lord says, You shall not covet: Exodus 20:17 but by the law of faith He says, Without me you can do nothing; John 15:5 for He was treating of good works, even the fruit of the vine-branches. It is therefore apparent what difference there is between the old covenant and the new—that in the former the law is written on tables, while in the latter on hearts; so that what in the one alarms from without, in the other delights from within; and in the former man becomes a transgressor through the letter that kills, in the other a lover through the life-giving spirit. We must therefore avoid saying, that the way in which God assists us to work righteousness, and works in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure, Philippians 2:13 is by externally addressing to our faculties precepts ofholiness; for He gives His increase internally, 1 Corinthians 3:7 by shedding love abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given to us.Romans 5:5
Chapter 43 [XXVI.]— A Question Touching the Passage in the Apostle About the Gentiles Who are Said to Do by Nature the Law’s Commands, Which They are Also Said to Have Written on Their Hearts
Now we must see in what sense it is that the apostle says, For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves, which show the work of the law written in their hearts, Romans 2:14-15 lest there should seem to be no certain difference in the new testament, in that the Lord promised that He would write His laws in the hearts of His people, inasmuch as the Gentiles have this done for them naturally. This question therefore has to be sifted, arising as it does as one of no inconsiderable importance. For some one may say, If God distinguishes the new testament from the old by this circumstance, that in the old He wrote His law on tables, but in the new He wrote them on men’s hearts, by what are the faithful of the new testament discriminated from theGentiles, which have the work of the law written on their hearts, whereby they do by nature the things of the law, Romans 2:14 as if, forsooth, they were better than the ancient people, which received the law on tables, and before the new people, which has that conferred on it by the new testament which nature has already bestowed on them?
Chapter 44.— The Answer Is, that the Passage Must Be Understood of the Faithful of the New Covenant
Has the apostle perhaps mentioned those Gentiles as having the law written in their hearts who belong to the new testament? We must look at the previous context. First, then, referring to the gospel, he says, It is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jewfirst, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.Romans 1:16-17 Then he goes on to speak of the ungodly, who by reason of their pride profit not by the knowledge of God, since they did notglorify Him as God, neither were thankful. Romans 1:21 He then passes to those who think and do the very things which they condemn—having in view, no doubt, the Jews, who made their boast of God’s law, but as yet not mentioning them expressly by name; and then he says,Indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that does evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile: but glory,honour, and peace, to every soul that does good; to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: for there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without law, shall also perish without law; and as many as have sinned in the law, shall be judged by the law; for not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. Romans 2:8-13 Who they are that are treated of in these words, he goes on to tell us: For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, Romans 2:14 and so forth in the passage which I have quoted already. Evidently, therefore, no others are here signified under the name of Gentiles than those whom he had before designated by the name of Greek when he said, To the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16 Since then the gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes, to the Jew first, and, also to the Greek; Romans 1:16 and since indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, are upon every soul of man that does evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek: but glory, honour, and peace, to every man that does good; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek; since, moreover, the Greek is indicated by the term Gentiles who do bynature the things contained in the law, and which have the work of the law written in their hearts: it follows that such Gentiles as have the lawwritten in their hearts belong to the gospel, since to them, on their believing, it is the power of God unto salvation. To what Gentiles, however, would he promise glory, and honour, and peace, in their doing good works, if living without the grace of the gospel? Since there is no respect ofpersons with God, Romans 2:11 and since it is not the hearers of the law, but the doers thereof, that are justified, Romans 2:13 it follows that any man of any nation, whether Jew or Greek, who shall believe, will equally have salvation under the gospel. For there is no difference, as he says afterwards; for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God: being justified freely by His grace. Romans 3:22-24 How then could he say that any Gentile person, who was a doer of the law, was justified without the Saviour’s grace?
