In Defense of the Faith

Christ Magnifies The Law

The following paragraphs also were written by Mr. Canright before he renounced the moral law. In these he clearly shows that Christ did not abolish the Ten Commandments, but greatly magnified and confirmed them. Thus again speaking as an Adventist he answers himself: DOF 40.2

“We will now briefly examine what is said of the law of God. The psalmist says, ‘The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.’ Psalm 19:7. Since it came from a perfect being, we should naturally expect it to be perfect. Of the extent of this law we read: ‘Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.’ Ecclesiastes 12:13. The requirements of God’s law extend to every moral duty of man. The Ten Commandments is, of course: but a brief epitome of these duties, while all the moral precepts of the Old Testament, and of the New also, are but the further explanation of it, and continue in force with it. Of this law the Lord says, ‘I gave them My statutes, and showed them My judgments, which, if a man do, he shall even live in them.’ Ezekiel 20:11. DOF 40.3

“Speaking of the effect of Christ’s mission upon the law, the prophet says, ‘He will magnify the law, and make it honorable.’ Isaiah 42:21. Did He magnify the law by abolishing it? Did He make it honorable by doing it away? No, indeed. Listen to His own words as He shows how His coming was to affect the law (Matthew 5:17-28) “Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets.’ He is careful at the very opening of His ministry to disclaim any intention of destroying the law. ‘I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.’ To fulfill is to keep. Galatians 6:2. ‘Bear you one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.’ Is a law ended when it is fulfilled? Then the law of Christ was abolished in the apostles’ time. No; to fulfill a law is to keep it. (See also Romans 2:25-27; James 2:8-12.) So Jesus came to obey the law, not to break or abolish it. DOF 41.1

“That it is the Ten Commandments of which He is speaking, He shows by quoting two of them to illustrate what He means (verses 21, 27): ‘Thou shall not kill,’ and ‘Thou shall not commit adultery.’ Where are these words to be found? Nowhere in all the Old Testament except in the Ten Commandments. Hence it is certain that this is the law of,, which He is speaking.... DOF 41.2

“Jesus then takes two of those commandments, and comments on them to show how broad is their application: ‘You have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shall not commit adultery; but I say unto you, That whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her, bath committed adultery with her already in his heart.’ Does He abolish that commandment? He does that which is just the opposite: He that it extends farther than to the outward act. He simply states what had always been true of it, though not explained so clearly before. Thus He magnified the law, and made it honorable. How different this language is from that which we have found used when the ceremonial law was‘ken of! So we shall find it all the way through... DOF 41.3

“Every time the Ten Commandments, or any one of the Ten Commandments, is mentioned in the New Testament, it is honored, exalted, and enforced; while on the other hand, the law of ordinances is always spoken of as being of no further importance. Notice a few examples. When the Pharisees asked Jesus why He transgressed the tradition of the elders in not washing His hands before eating, He said unto them, ‘Why do you also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honor thy father and mother; and, He that curses father OT mother, let him die the death. But you say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me, and honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have you made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. You hypocrites! well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draws nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honors Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me. But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.’ Matthew 15:1-9. DOF 41.4

“Jesus quoted the fifth commandment, and then severely reproved the Pharisees for making this void. He says that all their other worship is in vain as long as they disregard one of these commandments.... DOF 42.1

“Finally, Paul concludes his argument on the Ten Commandments thus: ‘Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law.’ Romans 3:31. DOF 42.2

“Here we take our stand. The apostle’s statement is positive, dear, and decisive. The law is not abolished.... DOF 42.3

“In Romans 7, Paul again refers to the Ten Commandments (verse 7): ‘1 had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shall not covet.’ This is a quotation from the tenth commandment, showing what law he means. Of this law he says (verse 12), ‘Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.’ How could he exalt that law in higher terms than this? Nor does he say that it used to be holy, but he says, ‘the law is holy.’ It was still holy, just, and good, when he was writing, thirty years after the resurrection. Again he says of it (verse 14), ‘For we know that the law is spiritual.’ Again (verse 22), ‘For I delight in the law of God after the inward man.’ Could Paul have said all this of an old abolished law, which at the best was a yoke of bondage, which was against us, and contrary to us? No, indeed. DOF 42.4

“The testimony of James in favor of the Ten Commandments is plain and strong. Chap. 2:8-12. ‘If you fulfill the royal law [royal, kingly, the law of the great King] according to the scripture, Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself, you do well.’ It requires love to fulfill the law, hence in keeping it we must remember this principle. ‘But if you have respect to persons, you commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.’ Now he will show of what law he is speaking: ‘For He that said [margin, “that law which said”], Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now, if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.’ Here James quotes the sixth and seventh of the Ten Commandments, the holy law which says what he here quotes. Thus he directly enforces that law, and all of it, too, for he says that whosoever keeps the whole of that law and yet offends in one is guilty of all. Then the whole ten are binding and must be kept. Hence he adds: ‘So speak you, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.’ Then men will be judged by this law in the judgment. It is properly led the ‘law of liberty,’ because those who keep it are not condemned, but are free from sin. Thus David says, ‘I will k at liberty: for I seek Thy precepts.’ Psalm 119:45. DOF 43.1

“John also says, ‘This is the love of God, that we keep is commandments.’ 1 John 5:1 Describing the saints who at the second advent, the Lord says, ‘Here are they at keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.’ v. 14:12. The faith of Jesus embraces the gospel, the teachings of Christ. The commandments are those of God the Father-His moral law, the Ten Commandments. And, finally, in the very last revelation we have from Jesus, which we find in Revelation 22:14, He especially mentions His Father’s commandments, and pronounces a blessing upon those who keep them. ‘Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.’ DOF 43.2

“Thus we see that whenever the Ten Commandments are mentioned, or any one of them, either by Jesus or His apostles, they are always praised, exalted, and enforced. That law is held up as the standard of life, the test of character, and the rule of judgment.”—D. M. Canright, The Two Laws (1886), pp. 87-97. DOF 44.1

Can any candid mind turn lightly from the truth thus clearly stated by Mr. Canright, buttressed as it is in its every detail by a “Thus says the Lord,” and in its stead accept his later teaching, that “the law is not binding upon Christians”. That it “is dead”. And that “we have something better than the Ten Commandments”? We think not. DOF 44.2