Distinction between Law and Gospel: Fact or Fiction? Matters Much or Little? (Part 3)

You may be seeing how separating the law in different covenants has biblical validity, but do not understand why we must see these distinctions everywhere in scripture and see it as a matter of primary importance. Here is why this is not only true but essential and not simply essential somewhere, but in all places:

The key to understanding all the Bible and the Gospel is in distinguishing Law and Gospel.

In Romans 5:12-21, Paul continues his explanation of the Gospel through discussing two heads of two different covenantal arrangements. There are two vital things to glean from this. First, Paul literally summarizes the bible and all reality and eternity in light of two different covenantal heads. This specifically means our relationship to God though the works-arrangement of Adam and/or through the grace-arrangement of the last Adam is a theme and concept which covers and qualifies the whole scope of scripture (past, present and future). ...Paul literally summarizes the bible and all reality and eternity in light of two different covenantal heads.Paul literally sees the distinction of relating to God through the conditional performance of the first Adam (his law-keeping under covenant of works) and or through the merits achieved by the last Adam conditionally and credited to those He represents unconditionally as being the key concept which encapsulates all scripture. So, the idea that this law and gospel and/or law-covenants and grace-covenants is some sort of falsely imposed system in the bible is totally unfounded. The key to scripture is found in which covenant head represents you; you are either existing in the covenant of works unto condemnation and death or in the covenant of grace (based on Christ's work) unto justification and life. All scripture is understood in light of this distinction.

Secondly, according to Paul, our understanding of the gospel is connected in our capacity to distinguish relating to God covenantally by the conditional works of Adam and or relating to God unconditionally through the met conditions of the last Adam. The gospel is said to be of first importance (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). If the gospel is of first importance, and if part of Paul’s gospel explanation is in these covenantal distinctions, then we cannot see this whole law and gospel distinction as some sort of fabricated issue of interpretive importance. The law of God is distinguished by which covenantal head and arrangement it exists in.Interestingly, Paul continues his discussion of the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15 by returning to this two heads of two covenants based on two different principles with two outcomes (1 Corinthians 15:12-58). For Paul, the conversation of the gospel is the conversation of two covenant heads representing two different covenants that see the law of God operating on different principles. The law of God is distinguished by which covenantal head and arrangement it exists in.

Another place of importance is found in Galatians 4:21-31. Paul here states that the key to understanding the totality of Old Testament (OT) revelation as it pertains to how God relates to man is found in distinguishing two kinds of covenants which operate on two distinct and unconfused principles. Sarah represents the covenant of grace seen in the Abrahamic promises that are based on God's works not our works. ...the key to understanding the totality of Old Testament (OT) revelation as it pertains to how God relates to man is found in distinguishing two kinds of covenants which operate on two distinct and unconfused principles.Hagar represents the Sinai/Mosaic covenant which is based on our performance and works (of the flesh). According to Paul, God divides the OT by either relating to God on the basis of a conditional covenant (grounded in our works) or an unconditional covenant (grounded on Christ's work in which we trust). So can we see this law and gospel distinction as key to understanding all things? Well if Paul can break down all which precedes him in redemptive history with these law and gospel covenantal distinctions then yes. Paul is explaining these covenantal categories which cover all revelation because their ignorance of these concepts has led them to misunderstanding the gospel. The Galatian issue was in many ways a failure to distinguish the law of God in our life as it was administered though the Abrahamic arrangement from the Mosaic arrangement. Paul is explaining this separation in relating to God either by law-covenants or grace-covenants because it is vital to understanding the gospel that they are muddling! We must distinguish law in the covenant form in which it exists to understand redemptive history and our redemptive present!

Let us go somewhere else to see how this is key to understanding all scripture and the gospel and all else:

Galatians 3:15-18 “Brothers, I’m using a human illustration. No one sets aside or makes additions to even a human covenant that has been ratified. 16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say “and to seeds,” as though referring to many, but referring to one, and to your seed, who is Christ. 17 And I say this: The law, which came 430 years later, does not revoke a covenant that was previously ratified by God and cancel the promise. 18 For if the inheritance is from the law, it is no longer from the promise; but God granted it to Abraham through the promise.”

According to Paul, rightly understanding redemptive history it its totality is connected to understanding the distinction (not confusion) of the Abrahamic covenants based on promise (not our law-keeping) and the Mosaic covenant of law (based on our law-keeping). Not mixing these covenant arrangements which administer the law of God differently is how we understand the gospel! Mixing and muddling these arrangements is how we distort the gospel! Flatten the law of God out to not recognize these two pacts that law can exist in results in us losing the gospel and the law.

Let's look at how the argument continues:

Galatians 3:19-25 “Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise was made would come. The law was put into effect through angels by means of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator is not for just one person, but God is one. 21 Is the law therefore contrary to God's promises? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that was able to give life, then righteousness would certainly be by the law. 22 But the Scripture has imprisoned everything under sin's power, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 Before this faith came, we were confined under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith was revealed. 24 The law, then, was our guardian until Christ, so that we could be justified by faith. 25 But since that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”

So, in the verses before 19, Paul says that the covenant of grace is not based on our law-keeping and that this arrangement was not annulled by the law covenant which came 430 years later. God did not add the Mosaic conditional covenant to the grace arrangement nor replace it by the conditional arrangement. Not only that, Paul says that Abraham's justification had nothing to do with the conditional framework of Moses. Meeting conditions of law has nothing to do with the Abrahamic grace arrangement! So why bring in this conditional covenant if it could not save? Paul tells us that God brought the conditional covenant of works back (from the garden) not to be a means of grace or means of blessing, but to condemn us and kill us and show us that we must and can only relate to God in an unconditional framework (verse 24). The law must come to us not for life but from the life that is rooted in Christ's “for us” life. According to Paul the bible breaks down like this. God gave fallen men a covenant of grace which saved by the promise of what God would do for us. God then brings the Mosaic conditional covenant in order to bring out our need for Christ to meet the conditional covenant terms and to bring the final realization of relating to God unconditionally in the New Covenant arrangement. So now the law of God having been fulfilled in the conditional arrangement enables us to be under the law of God in an unconditional arrangement.

According to Paul all of biblical history can be understood in how our law-keeping under a covenant of works is not the same as the Abrahamic covenant of grace and in seeing how these distinct covenant arrangements are the key to understanding the work of Christ and the law of God. Law administered under a conditional covenant comes to show the need for Christ to fulfill that covenant and bring us finally into a different kind of covenant where our law-keeping is not the initial or final basis of the bond and blessings (Hebrews 8). So is this law and gospel (or covenants of grace and works) distinction something that is relevant to interpreting all scripture and important in understanding the gospel that is of first importance? Absolutely. According to Paul, distinguishing law and gospel (or covenants of grace and covenant of works) is necessary to understand every scripture in all the scriptures and to rightly understand the nature and efficacy of the gospel.