"He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant--
not of the letter but of the Spirit; for
the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."
(2Co 3:6)
There is a lot of "letter of the law" around here.
I see a lot of cherry picking of scripture to prop up one persons doctrine or the other. When you take the New Testament in its entirety its about freedom in christ and mercy and grace. Too many trying to take the splinter out of other people's eye.
You might also note that
there is no "letter of the law" or "spirit of the law" in the text,
although this notion is popular throughout our entire society.
There is only "the letter" and "the spirit."
The letter = the law.
The spirit = the Holy Spirit.
2Co 3:6 does not mean that the external,
literal sense of Scripture (the law),
or obedience to the external, literal sense of it, are deadly (
kills) or unprofitable;
while the inner
spiritual sense of Scripture, or our inner attitude, are
vital (
life-giving). Paul is not saying that the letter and the spirit of the law are
distinct, different or opposed.
"The letter" means the law as an
external standard
before which all people stand guilty
and condemned to death (kills) because they are law breakers, which is why the letter is
"the ministry that brought death" and "the ministry that condemns" (3:9).
On the other hand, the spirit that gives life means the "Spirit of the living God (not our
inner attitude, or some inner spiritual sense of the words), which Spirit writes that
same
law (the letter) inwardly "on tablets of human hearts," in fulfillment of the promise of the
covenant (Jer 31:31-34).
"The spirit" means the law as
internally written on our hearts.
The letter and the Spirit are
both the law. Writing the law on our hearts
is the Holy Spirit providing the believer with
love for God's law (the letter),
which previously he had not possessed, as well as with the
power to keep it,
also which previously he had not possessed.
The verse does not pit
inner attitude against outward obedience, or "inner leading"
against God's Word written, as many are wont to interpret and apply it.
The verse pits
an inability to obey the standard (resulting in death) against
an ability to obey the standard (resulting in life).
There is no "letter of the law," nor "spirit of the law," nor "dead letter" in Scripture.
The notion of an obedience to "the letter of the law" which is not an obedience to
"the spirit of the law" is a notion not found in Scripture. According to Scripture,
"the spirit" is the Holy Spirit, and "the letter" is the law.
To obey the letter is to obey the Spirit.
Christ condemned the Pharisees (Mt 23:25-28) for not keeping the letter (the law),
for their disobedience (e.g., Mt 15:3-9, 23:1-7, 23-24; Lk 20:46-47).
He did not condemn their hearts in spite of their obedience to the letter (hypocrisy (Mt 15:8-9),
but condemned their hearts for lack of obedience to the letter, for specific disobedience to
the letter (Is 1:17; 3:14-15, 10:1-2, 29:13; Zec 7:4-12). They were hypocrites, not because
they obeyed the letter while failing to obey the spirit, but because they disobeyed the letter (the law)
while pretending to be just and upright.
Christ's condemnation was always for not obeying the letter (the law).
The law (letter) of circumcision in the OT required both an external circumcision and
an internal circumcision (Dt 10:16; Jer 4:4, 9:26; Eze 44:9).
It was their disobedience to the law (letter) of internal circumcision which
caused their exile from the land.
