5. In what respect he was a pattern or example to them, he has made
plain; for instance, in the beginning of this chapter, in the third
verse and following, he says: "For we are the circumcision, who
worship by the Spirit of God, and glory in Christ Jesus, and have no
confidence in the flesh: though I myself might have confidence even
in the flesh: if any other man thinketh to have confidence in the
flesh, I yet more: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of
Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews." That is, he
commands the highest honor a Jew can boast. "As touching the law," he
goes on, "a Pharisee; as touching zeal, persecuting the Church; as
touching the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless.
Howbeit what things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for
Christ. Yea verily, and I count all things to be loss for the
excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I
suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but refuse, that I
may gain Christ, and be found in him, not having a righteousness of
mine own, even that which is of the law, but that which is through
faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith."
6. "Behold, this is the picture or pattern," he would say, "which we
hold up for you to follow, that remembering how you obtained
righteousness you may hold to it--a righteousness not of the Law." So
far as the righteousness of the Law is concerned, Paul dares to say
he regards it as filth and refuse (that proceeds from the human
body); notwithstanding in its beautiful and blameless form it may be
unsurpassed by anything in the world--such righteousness as was
manifest in sincere Jews, and in Paul himself before his conversion;
for these in their great holiness, regarded Christians as knaves and
meriting damnation, and consequently took delight in being party to
the persecution and murder of Christians.
7. "Yet," Paul would say, "I who am a Jew by birth have counted all
this merit as simply loss that I might be found in 'the righteousness
which is from God by faith'." Only the righteousness of faith teaches
us how to apprehend God--how to confidently console ourselves with
his grace and await a future life, expecting to approach Christ in
the resurrection. By "approaching" him we mean to meet him in death
and at the judgment day without terror, not fleeing but gladly
drawing near and hailing him with joy as one waited for with intense
longing.
Now, the righteousness of the Law cannot effect such confidence of
mind. Hence, for me it avails nothing before God; rather it is a
detriment. What does avail is God's imputation of righteousness for
Christ's sake, through faith. God declares to us in his Word that the
believer in his Son shall, for Christ's own sake, have God's grace
and eternal life. He who knows this is able to wait in hope for the
last day, having no fear, no disposition to flee.
8. But is it not treating the righteousness of the Law with
irreverence and contempt to regard it--and so teach--as something not
only useless and even obstructive, but injurious, loathsome and
abominable? Who would have been able to make such a bold statement,
and to censure a life so faultless and conforming so closely to the
Law as Paul's, without being pronounced by all men a minion of the
devil, had not the apostle made that estimation of it himself? And
who is to have any more respect for the righteousness of the Law if
we are to preach in that strain?
9. Had Paul confined his denunciations to the righteousness of the
world or of the heathen--the righteousness dependent upon reason and
controlled by secular government, by laws and regulations--his
teaching would not have seemed so irreverent. But he distinctly
specifies the righteousness of God's Law, or the Ten Commandments, to
which we owe an obligation far above what is due temporal powers, for
they teach how to live before God--something no heathenish court of
justice, no temporal authority, knows anything about. Should we not
condemn as a heretic this preacher who goes beyond his prerogative
and dares find fault with the Law of God? who also warns us to shun
such as observe it, such as trust in its righteousness, and exalts to
sainthood "enemies of the cross of Christ ... whose God is the
belly"--who serve the appetites instead of God?
10. Paul would say of himself: I, too, was such a one. In my most
perfect righteousness of the Law I was an enemy to and persecutor of
the congregation, or Church, of Christ. It was the legitimate fruit
of my righteousness that I thought I must be party to the most
horrible persecution of Christ and his Christians. Thus my holiness
made me an actual enemy of Christ and a murderer of his followers.
The disposition to injure is a natural result of the righteousness of
the Law, as all Scripture history from Cain down testifies, and as we
see even in the best of the world who have not come to the knowledge
of Christ. Princes, civil authorities in proportion to their wisdom,
their godliness and honor are the bitter and intolerant enemies of
the Gospel.
11. Of the sensual papistical dolts at Rome, cardinals, bishops,
priests and the like, it is not necessary to speak here. Their works
are manifest. All honorable secular authorities must confess they are
simply abandoned knaves, living shameless lives of open scandal,
avarice, arrogance, unchastity, vanity, robbery and wickedness of
every kind. Not only are they guilty of such living, but shamelessly
endeavor to defend their conduct. They must, then, be regarded
enemies of Christ and of all honesty and virtue. Hence every
respectable man is justly antagonistic toward them. But, as before
said, Paul is not here referring to this class, but to eminent, godly
individuals, whose lives are beyond reproach. These very ones, when
Christians are encountered, are hostile and heinous enough to be able
to forget all their own faults in the sight of God, and to magnify to
huge beams the motes we Christians have. In fact, they must style the
Gospel heresy and satanic doctrine for the purpose of exalting their
own holiness and zeal for God.