Hey Willie-T I'm so glad you got a steak dinner from your wife out of this!!! 
It's obvious you were once a teacher because you have more patience than most on these crazy forums.
And your inventive ways of bringing out the truth of Scripture has the marks of a good teacher too!
Below is a list of the differences of the old and new covenants. Look familiar?? Just like you said, the law is also described as the ministry of death...
2 Cor.3:7-8-9 But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was,8- how shall the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory? 9- For if the MINISTRY OF CONDEMNATION has glory, much more does the MINISTRY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS abound in glory.10- For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory on account of the glory that surpasses it.
The law is not permanent 3:14-15 Removed in Christ... 16. Whenever a man turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is LIBERTY.
OLD-God demanded righteousness from man. NEW-God imparts righteousness to man through the finished work of Jesus. Rom.4:5-7 OLD-God will visit your sins to the 3rd 4th generations. Ex.20:5 NEW-God will by no means remember your sins. Heb. 8:12;10:17
OLD- The children of Israel were blessed only if they obeyed God's commandments perfectly inwardly and outwardly Duet.28:13-14 NEW-Beleivers don't have to depend on their self-efforts to receive God's blessings, because Jesus fullfilled every one of the requirements of the law on their behalf. Col. 2:14
OLD-
They were cursed of they did not obey God's commandments perfectly Duet.28:15-16,18,20
NEW- Believers can enjoy God's blessings and undeserved favor because Christ became a curse for them on the cross. Gal.3:13
OLD- Depending on self-effort produces behavior modification without heart transformation. NEW- Beholding the loveliness of Jesus and His finished work brings about inner transformation, which produces good works that are motivated by God's love. 2 Cor.3:18
OLD-The blood sacrifices of animals covered the sins of the children of Israel for only one year, and the process had to be repeated every year Heb.10:3
NEW- The blood of Jesus has removed the sins--past,present and future of believers completely and perfectly, once and for all. Heb.10:11-12
OLD-Obeying the law could not and did not give the children of Israel the power to stop sin in their lives. The law has no power to make anyone holy, just and good. NEW-Sin has no dominion over believers Rom.6:14 as the power of Jesus to overcome temptation kicks in when they are conscience that they are righteous in Christ apart from their works Rom. 4:6
OLD- The children of Israel were robbed of their confidence in the goodness of God because they were always looking at themselves to see how well or poorly they performed (i.e. self-conscience) NEW-Believers can have a tremendous sense of confidence and security in Christ because they are now looking to Jesus and not themselves (i.e. Christ-conscience)
OLD-The Children of Israel could not have an intimate relationship with God because their unrighteousness put distance between them and God. NEW-Beleivers can enjoy close,intimate relationship with God as their Father because they are made righteous by faith in Jesus.
2 Cor.5:17; Rom.5:7-9 Heb.10:10
OLD-The Children of Israel could not enter the holy of holies (where the presence of God was) Only the high priest could, ant that only once a year, on the Day of Atonement. Lev.16:2, 14 NEW-Not only can believers enter God's holy presence, they can also come boldly to His throne of grace in their time of need because Jesus perfect atonement. Heb.4:16
OLD-The children of Israel were under the ministry of death. 2 Cor. 3:17
NEW- Believers are under the ministry of Jesus' abundant life. 2 Cor.3:6; John 10:10
I always love "Compare & Contrast studies.... Thank you for that.
Actually, just about my whole family on my mother's side were teachers and professors. Nine of them, as I recall. And I "taught" criminals and ex-cons for 24 years, although it wasn't exactly a "normal' classroom setting. Some people wouldn't agree with you about me having patience because I put up with very little BS and lying, but yeah.... after a career like that, this playground name-calling really seems kind of boring in its sameness.
The steak dinner was kind of funny.
I typed that, and my wife happened to walk by and read it. She commented that that seemed like a very pleasant subject that would elicit a lot of logical dialogue. You can imagine my surprise, and what I answered. I listed the people who would go off the deep end over it, some, just because the post contained the word, "grace." (only missed one... but they may yet post)
So, anyway, she told me I didn't give people enough credit.... and that's when it escalated into a friendly bet on a dinner. She said you could have knocked her over with a feather when she saw the tenor of negativity in so many posts. I reminded her there is a whole world of people out there who are not like the people we hang out with.
Long story, short... I don't think I will be able to entice her into such a bet in the future.
