The Spirit of the Pharisees
What exactly did Paul mean when he wrote: “the letter killeth but the spirit giveth life”
Paul was trying to warn the church at Corinth of the different between the ministration of death, also called the ministration of condemnation; the written law, letter and the ministration of the spirit, also called the ministration of righteousness, which is the law engraved in our hearts. 2Cor. 3: 7 – 9. read more
Paul was trying to warn the church at Corinth of the different between the ministration of death, also called the ministration of condemnation; the written law, letter and the ministration of the spirit, also called the ministration of righteousness, which is the law engraved in our hearts. 2Cor. 3: 7 – 9. read more
The former things dealt with no room for repentance but judgment, (the soul that sinneth shall die Ez18:20)while the other is of grace. Hence, the letter killeth but the spirit giveth life. (2cor. 3:6). For instance, Jesus was accused that some of His disciples ate with unwashed hands. He was also accused of eating with the publicans, healing on the Sabbath day, not fasting, teaching without license, etc. Jesus apparently “broke” all their so called laws (letters). But in effect, He was operating in the ministration of grace, not derived by the legality of the written laws but revelation of God. Jesus called the Pharisees who kept all the laws ‘hypocrites’, because the law simply energized their flesh to do things commanded by the organization as doctrines, and not by revelation.
It bring self performances and self righteousness. It binds as it closes our hearts to receive new revelation from God, except the law. When we do, we wrestle, just like Peter in Acts 10. Jesus Himself asked him to eat all manner of things which the ‘church’ had written in their doctrine that must not be eaten. But he refused. He feared the law more than revelation. Jesus used that to teach him about letter that killeth. They were neckdeep in keeping the law and could not understand the identity of Jesus.
All those who looked for Jesus through the law failed, including the Pharisees and the High priest despite their big titles. Same is true today. No one could know Christ through theology or church doctrines. Peter, who knew nothing about the law but attuned to the Holy Spirit confessed: ‘thou art the Christ the son of the Living God’ (matt.16:16). Jesus said flesh and blood (doctrine)did not revealed it to him. We can never know Christ by obeying church creeds, doctrines, tenets, of confession of faith, etc. Christ is known by revelation through our church‘s peculiar norms of observing this or that. Denying ourselves of shoes, earings, head ties, etc. does not make us acceptable to God without personal revelation in our hearts. Its all letters, it kills! ‘Let every man be fully persuaded in his heart(not every church)for whatsoever is not faith is sin. Rom 14:23.
Ordinances which keep people or members of a denomination, but not the other are all tonic for self glorification and self righteousness. The Bible called it ‘doctrines of men’. Those who do it obey the church not Christ. Such are always judgmental, critical and hypocritical. They condemn often and pride themselves in their ‘holy life’. It is the spirit of the Pharisees. Spirit of self-performance. Doctrine is their message, not Christ. They preach letter. They judge on performances not on faith. (Read Rom. 14. Col. 2:20-22). ‘These things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship and humility and neglecting of the body; not in any honor to the satisfying of the flesh’. Col.2:23
Let us believe Christ not creeds. Doctrine binds. The letter killeth. Obeying what the church council calls ‘binding’ on all does not mean obeying Christ. Even if they have (and they will always have) portion of the Bible to support such claims. It is the oldness of the letter. It kills.
The vehicle of the fulfillment of such doctrine is zeal, which brings criticism and judgment without mercy, evenof those of the same faith but different denomination. With letter paul, though he was obeying God not knowing he was persecuting the Christ. through the letter, they wanted to stone the woman caught in adultery. Through the letter they stone Stephen and even killed the messiah. But in all these, the spirit giveth life! Things of the spirit are perceived in the spirit not in the letter or doctrine. ”But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of the spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter”. Rom. 7:6
Dead to the law, but bound to Christ. “As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but was the servants of God”. 1 Pet. 2:16