Monster Media 1993 #2/Image.iso/text/nailed.zip/NAILED.TXT

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                        Who Nailed What To The Cross?

          Martin Luther, a Roman Catholic monk, was professor of Biblical
     literature at the Catholic University of Wittenberg, Germany.  On
     October 31, 1517, as the festival of All Saints was approching, he
     tacked on the Castle church door a paper containing ninety-five pro-
     positions of which he had written against what he believed to be
     unholy practices of the Catholic Church.

          Luther's bold act was a world-shaking event.  It set into rapid
     movement the forces of Protestantism.  Such was the good result of
     posting a paper on a church door.

          More than nineteen hundred years ago Roman soldiers nailed, not
     a holy protest to a church door, but a holy Man to a tree.  These
     men did not realize who the Man was or what they were really doing.
     And the Man prayed, "Father forgive them; for they know not what they
     do. "  Luke 23:34."

          The cruxifiction of Jesus Christ was a universe-shaking event,
     opening a new era of world history and assuring a day of universal
     good will-a time when all the intelligent creation will worship the
     true God and obey the precepts of his holy law.



                    The Mysterious Manuscript of the Cross

          The dying Son of God Himself is said to have nailed something to
     the cross.  The apostle Paul speaks of it in these words:
       "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, ...
     and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross."  Colossians 2:14.

          This does not mean that Jesus took a hammer and nailed a roll of
     ordinances to the cross.  But it does signify to all of that some law
     or set of laws ended then.

          Paul again speaks of it in Ephesians 2:15: "Having abolished in
     his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ord-
     inances. "

          It is clear to all that there must be more than one type, or
     kind, of law in the Bible.  We know that the ten-commandment, moral
     law of God did not end at the cross.  This we have already learned.
     It is just as wrong today to steal, kill, commit adultery, or break
     any one of the Ten Commandments as it ever was.

          Christ did not come to destroy this law; He came to fulfill it.
     Consider also that had God desired to abolish this law, Christ need
     not have died to meet its holy demands.  Gods holy moral law is as
     enduring as His own character.

                             Three Types of Laws

          First and foremost, there is the moral, ten-commandment law,
     written by God on tables of stone. (Exodus 31:18.) "Think not that I
     am come to destroy the law," said Christ.  Matthew 5:17.

          Second, there are the ceremonial, sacrificial sanctuary laws-
     the ritual laws of worship.

          Third, there are the civil laws of the Jewish nation.  These
     regulated the multitude of matters pertaining to health, sanitation,
     disease, crime, court procedure, and so forth.

                    What Laws Were Nailed to the Cross?

          With the ending of the Jewish nation as God's chosen instrument,
     the civil laws naturally lapsed.  For instance, by the law of Exodus
     22:1, one who stole an ox was, if apprehended, required to give the
     owner five oxen.  Though this law was a good one, it would not of
     necessity be followed in a nation today.  However, the principles
     underlying the civil laws remain unchanged.  For instance, it is
     just as obligatory upon a Christian to abide by the principles of
     health as lt ever was for a Jew.

          But more specifically, the ceremonial laws were nailed to the
     cross.  "The law of commandments contained in ordinances."  "The
     handwriting of ordinances that was against us."

          Gone were the blood offerings, the meat and drink offerings, the
     special holy days and yearly sabbath days "which are a shadow of things
     to come; but the body is of Christ."  Colossians 2:17.  The typical
     services and their yearly holy days (not the weekly Sabbath of the
     Ten Commandments) pointed forward to Christ the His death on the
     cross.

          When He died the great veil of the Jewish Temple at Jerusalem
     was torn from top to bottom.  (Matthew 27:51.)  This signified the
     end of the ceremonial system and laws.

          In the figure of Paul's speech they had been nailed to His
     cross.  (See the delineation at the close of this chapter for a com-
     parsion of the moral and ceremonial laws.)


                             What Men Say

          Prominent Bible students have always recognized these different
     types of laws in the Bible.

          The great Dr. Barnes writes, when commenting on Matthew 5:18:
     "The ceremonial laws are such as are appointed to meet certain states
     of society, or to regulate the religious rites and ceremonies of a
     people.  These can be changed when circumstances are changed, and yet
     the moral law be untouched."--Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the
     Gospels   (1860 ed.), vol. 1, p. 65.

          Methodists Articles of Religion, article 6, says, "Although the
     law given from God to Moses, as touching ceremonies and rites, doth
     not bind Christians, nor ought the civil precepts thereof of neces-
     sity be received in any commonwealth, yet, notwithstanding, no Chr-
     istian whateverso is free from the obedience to the commandments which
     are called moral."--Cited in Philip Schaff, The Creeds of Christendom,
     vol. 3, p. 808.

          A Lutheran catechism states:
          "Ques.--How many kinds of law are given in the Old Tesetament?
          "Ans.--Three.  (1)  The ceremonial, or church, law, which God
     gave to the Jews for the regulation of their worship, sacrifices,
     festivals, and other ceremonies;  (2) the civil law, or that which
     regulated their political affairs;  (3)  the moral law, or that which
     rekated ti their duties to God and man, which is summarily compre-
     hended in the Ten Commandments.
          "Ques.--Are we under obligation to keep the ceremonial, or church,
     law of the Jews?
          "Ans.--No, the ordinances which it enjoined were only types and
     shadows of Christ; and when they were fulfilled by His death, and the
     distinction between Jew and Gentile was removed, the ceremonial law
     was abolished, because it was no longer necessary.
          "Ques.--Are we under oblgation to keep the moral law?
          "Ans.--Yes, because that is founded on the nature of God and
     cannot be changed; it is of universal applcation, which was impossible
     with respect to the ceremonial and civil laws.  Christ demands obedience
     to His law."
          The special emphasis we have placed on the distinction between
     the moral law and other laws in order that you may be well armed to
     meet deceptions that would distort the teaching of God's Holy Word
     against His holy law.

          The ceremonial laws are like the scaffolding of a building, to
     be removed when the building is finished.  The moral law is like the
     foundation of the building.

          Throwing away the Ten Commandments with the abolition of the
     ceremonial law is like tearing down the building when removing the
     scaffolding.

          Said Jesus:  "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine,
     and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his
     house upon a rock:  and the rain decended, and the floods came, and
     the winds blew, and beat upon the house; and it fell not:  for it
     was founded upon a rock."  Matthew 7:24, 25.

          Many years ago a bridge was to be built across the Conemaugh
     River in Pennsylvania.  The contract for the job was given out, and
     the contractor set to work.  On each side of the river he dug down
     And down to bedrock.  Friends said it was too expensive, but he was
     building solidly.  Finally his bridge was finished, and the matter
     forgotten.

          In late spring of 1889 melting snows in the mountains and heavy
     rains brought more and more water down the streams.  The South Fork
     Reservoir was surely filling to the very top.  Its walls were weak,
     and finally gave way, permitting a mighty wave of water to sweep
     down the valley.  Trees, houses, buildings--everything was swept
     before the gigantic liquid wall.

          What would happen when all this water and wreckage would strike
     the bridge built many years before?  With awful impact it struck.
     The bridge staggered, groaned, shivered, and shook; but it stood!
     The flood swept on, spreading death and desolation in one of America's
     greatest disasters--The Johnstown Flood.  That bridge, built on the
     solid rock, stood like a lone and mighty stronghold in the midst of
     ruin and desolation.  It had stood the test of storms and floods
     because it was fastened to the rock.

          Let us build upon the rock of Christ Jesus and upon the found-
     ation of His unchangeable, everlasting law.

                          "We are building every day
                             A temple the world may not see,
                          Building, building every day,
                             Building for eternity.'"


                      Moral and Ceremonial Law Compared

           Moral law                                Ceremonial Law
        Ten Commandments                       Commandments Contained in
                                                      Ordinances
     1. A perfect law.                     1.  An imperfect law.

        "The law of the Lord is                "For there is verily a dis-
     perfect, converting the soul."        annulling of the commandment
     Psalms 19:7.                          going before for the weakness
                                           and unprofitableness thereof.
        "All thy commandments              For the law made nothing perfect,
     are righteousness."  Psalms           but the bringing in of a better
     119:172                               hope did." Hebrews 7:18, 19.

        "Thy righteousness is an               "For the law having a shadow
     everlasting righteousness, and        of good things to come, ... can
     thy law is the truth." Verse 142.     never with those sacrifices which
                                           they offered year by year contin-
        "Wherefore the law is holy,        ually make the comers thereunto
     and the commandment holy,             perfect.  Hebrews 10:1.
     and just, and good."  Romans 7:12
                                           2.  A law not in itself spiritual.
     2.  A law in itself spiritual.
                                               "Which stood only in meats and
         "For we know that the law         drinks, and divers washings, and
     is spiritual." Romans 7:14            carnal ordinances, imposed on
                                           them until the time of refor-
                                           mation. "  Hebrews 9:10."




     3. Spoken by Jehovah.                 3. Spoken by Moses.

        "And the Lord spake unto              "And the Lord called unto
     you out of the midst of the           Moses,...saying, Speak unto the
     fire....And he declared unto          children of Israel, and say
     you his covenant, which he            unto them, If any man of you
     commanded you to perform,             bring an offering unto the
     even ten commandments."               Lord, ye shall bring your of-
     Deuteronomy 4:12, 13. (Ex-            fering of the cattle, even of
     odus 20:1.)  "He added no             the herd, and off the flock."
     more. " Deuteronomy 5:22."            Leviticus 1:1, 2.
                                              "This is the law of the
                                           burnt offering, of the meat
                                           offering, and of the sin offer-
                                           ing,... which the Lord comm-
                                           anded the children of Israel
                                           to offer their oblations unto
                                           the Lord."  Leviticus 7:37, 38.


     4. Written by the Lord upon           4. Written by Moses in a book.
     two tables of stone.

        "These words by the Lord              "And the Lord said unto
     spake unto all your assembly          Moses, Write thou these
     in the mount out of the midst         words." Exodus 34:27.
     of the fire, of the cloud, and
     of the thick darkness, with a            "And Moses wrote this law,
     great voice: and he added no          and delivered it unto the
     more.  And he wrote them in           priests the sons of Levi."
     two tables of stone."  Deute-         Deuteronomy 31:9.
     ronomy 5:22. (Exodus 31:18.)
                                              "And they spake unto Ezra
                                           the scribe to bring the book
                                           of the law of Moses." Nehe-
                                           miah 8:1. (2 Kings 22:8-16.)



     5. Eternal, therefore requi-         5. Abolished, therefore not
     ring obedience from all.             requiring obedience from any.

        "Do we then make void the            "Having abolished in his
     law through faith?  God for-         flesh the enmity, even the law
     bid: yea, we establish the law.      of commandments contained in
     Romans 3:31.                         ordinances." Ephesians 2:15

        "Think not that I am come            "Blotting out the handwriting
     to destroy the law, or the           of ordinances that was against
     prophets: I am not come to           us, which was contrary to us,
     destroy, but to fulfil." Mat-        ...nailing it to his cross....
     thew 5:17.                           Let no man therefore judge you
                                          in meat, or in drink, or in re-
        "But it is easier for heaven      spect of an holyday, or of the
     and earth to pass away, than         new moon, or of the sabbath days:
     for one tittle of the law to         which are a shadow of things to
     fall. " Luke 16:17, R.V."            come; but the body is of Christ."
                                          Colossians 2:14-17.
        "If thou wilt enter into life,
     keep the commandments."                 "Certain which went out from
     Matthew 19:17.                       us have troubled you with words,
                                          subverting your souls, saying,
        "Circumcision is nothing,and      Ye must be circumcised, and keep
     uncircumcision is nothing, but       the law: to whom we have no such
     the keeping of the commandments      commandment." Acts 15:24.
     of God." I Corinthians 7:19.

        "Blessed are they that do his
     commandments, that they may have
     right to the tree of life."
     Revelation 22:14.



     Typed by Ernst Verner

     The Verner Group, INC..