1. How is the law of God divided?

Into three divisions, viz.: the ceremonial, the judicial or forensic, and the moral law.

2. What is the Ceremonial Law?

It is the external arrangement of sacrifices, and of the whole Levitical cultus, which served not only to distinguish the Jewish people from other nations, but also to foreshadow Christ and his benefits, and through faith truly to apply him to the elect and believing.

3. Has the Ceremonial Law been abolished? and if so, why?

It has been abolished:

1. Because God himself established it only for a certain time, and for a certain nation, the Israelites, again and again in Exodus and Leviticus repeating these words: “Ye shall observe these things in your generations.”
2. Because the Ceremonial Law possessed only the type and shadow of Christ, who was to be born at some future time. Hence, since he has come in the flesh, these types and shadows have necessarily been abolished. Heb. 10:1. The law had a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of these things (i.e., of the body and blood of Christ).
3. Because God himself promised a new covenant. Jer. 31:31. Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and the house of Judah. And: In that he saith a new covenant, he hath made the first old, Heb. 8:13. (Melanchthon’s Loci and Examen.)

4. What is the Forensic or Judicial Law?

It is the political constitution, which prescribes the manner of observing judicial trials, and maintaining external discipline among the Israelitish people.

5. Has this law also been abolished?

It has:

1. Because it was adapted only for a certain time and for a certain form of government, namely, the Jewish.
2. Because the Jewish commonwealth was to continue only until the time of Christ. Therefore, this law could not be perpetual. Gen. 49:10. The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.
3. Because the Gospel does not remove any political institutions, which are in any manner in accordance with the Divine will and justice. Matt. 22:21. Render therefore unto Caesar, the things which are Caesar’s; and to God, the things that are God’s.Rom. 13:1. Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God.

6. What is the Moral Law or the Ten Commandments?

The Moral Law is doctrine revealed to us by God, enjoining upon us what we ought to be, what we ought to do, and what to omit to do, requiring perfect obedience towards God, and declaring his wrath against all those not affording such perfect obedience, and the eternal death with which he will punish them. (Melanchthon’s Loci.)

7. Have we not a knowledge of this law by nature? Why then do you say that it is doctrine revealed to us by God?

The Divine Law is indeed inscribed upon the hearts of men, so that human reason naturally has some knowledge of it; but, as Paul says, there is a veil upon the hearts of men, which means that the false impression has taken possession of their minds, that external and civil works can satisfy the demands of the law. Therefore, there was a necessity for a new revelation, which through the ministry of Moses was made in the desert, by the giving of the Ten Commandments. (Form of Concord, Arts. v and vi; Apology, Art. iii.)

Rom. 2:14, 15. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these having not the law, are a law unto themselves; which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing, or else excusing one another.

8. What therefore do the Ten Commandments require?

Not only external civil works, which a rational man can in some manner perform, but also other works placed far above the utmost power of reason, viz., to truly fear, love and call upon God. (Apology, Art. iii; Form of Concord, Art. v.)

9. How many uses has the Moral Law, and what are they?

Generally speaking, the Divine Law has three uses. One is political, that external discipline and decency may to a certain extent be preserved against lawless and reckless men. Another use is pedagogical, to lead sinners to a knowledge of sin. A third use is didactic, that those, who have been regenerated by God’s Spirit, and converted to the Lord, and in whom the veil of Moses has now been removed, may learn how to walk in true piety, and to have a certain fixed rule according to which they both can, and ought to conform their whole life. (Form of Concord, Epitome, Art. vi, 1.)

10. What necessity is there of a law for those who are regenerate, inasmuch as they are so free, that even as the sun of itself without any compulsion performs its regular course, so they also of themselves by the impulse of the Holy Ghost, do that which God requires of them?

Although believers truly converted to God, and justified, are freed from the curse of the law, and hence both truly are free, and are correctly said to be so, yet they ought to exercise themselves daily in the divine law.

Ps. 1:2. His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

For the law of God is like an exceedingly bright mirror, in which the will of God, and those things which please him, are most clearly set before our eyes. (Form of Concord, Sol. Dec., vi, 4.)

11. But has not the Law been framed for the righteous?

Not indeed for the righteous, but for the unrighteous, as the Apostle testifies: yet this should not be understood as implying that the righteous should live without law. But this is the true and genuine meaning of the words of Paul: that the law cannot destroy by its curse, those who through Christ have been reconciled with God; and that by its restraint it cannot become burdensome to the regenerate, inasmuch as they according to the inner man delight in the law of God, and of their own accord perform its works. (Form of Concord, Ib., vi, 5.)

12. But why have the regenerate need of the Law as an instructor?

Because the renewal and sanctification of their mind in this life is only begun, and not completed; so that the old Adam with all his mental and physical strength always inheres in their nature. (Form of Concord, ib., vi, 7.)

13. Prove this from the Scriptures.

The Apostle says concerning himself (and he surely had been born again): I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good, I find not. For the good that I would, I do not; but the evil, which I would not, that I do…. I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin. Rom. 7:18, 19, 23.

So also in Gal. 5:17. The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

On this account the regenerate need not only the constant admonition, teaching, and threatenings of the law, but also its chastisements, so that their sloth may be removed, and they may obey the Holy Ghost, as it is written: It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. Ps. 119:71.

Also, 1 Cor. 9:27. I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection; lest that by any means when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. So also, Heb. 12:8. If ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards and not sons. (Form of Concord, Ib., viii, 9.)

14. Can any other reason be assigned, on account of which the Law should be urged in the church and upon the regenerate?

Yes. For on account of the old Adam, who still firmly inheres in all their powers, it can easily happen that the regenerate by a pretext of private devotion in matters of religion can frame something, or can select for themselves forms of worship, not instituted by the word of God: or that they can easily imagine or persuade themselves that their life and works are entirely pure and perfect. Hence the law not only by its warnings and threats, but also by its punishments and chastisements, forces the old Adam to obey the Spirit, and brings him into captivity to itself. Yea, just as in a mirror, it shows that all things in the regenerate, while they remain still in this life, are imperfect and impure, so that they must join in the confession of the Apostle: “I know nothing by myself, yet am I not hereby justified.” 1 Cor. 4:4. (Form of Concord, Epitome, vi, 4; Sol. Dec., vi, 21.)

15. But does not the Gospel afford this to the regenerate?

Yes, the Gospel affords this in part; but in a far different manner from the Law. For the Law indeed declares that it is the will and command of God, that we should walk in a new life, but it does not give us the power and ability by which we can begin and yield this new obedience. But the Holy Ghost who is given, not through the preaching of the law, but through the preaching of the Gospel, renews man’s heart. (Form of Concord, Sol. Dec., vi, 11.)

16. Does the Holy Ghost accomplish this by the use of means or without them?

By the use of means. For he uses the ministry of the law for the purpose of thereby teaching the regenerate, and in the Ten Commandments showing them what is the will of God, and what is pleasing to him, so that they may know by what good works to fulfil those things in which “God had before prepared that they should walk.” Eph. 2:10. (Form of Concord, ib., 12.)

17. Do the works of the Law and the works of the Spirit therefore differ?

Greatly. But the distinction arises from the diversity of men who strive to live according to the law and will of God, some of whom are not as yet regenerated, but others are regenerated. (Form of Concord, ib., 16.)

18. What relation do the works of the unregenerate sustain to the law of God?

An unregenerate man who lives to a certain extent in conformity with the law of God, and therefore performs the works of the law only because they have been commanded, affords this obedience either from fear of punishment or hope of some reward. He, therefore, is still under the law as a slave, and his works, St. Paul properly calls, works of the law. (Form of Concord, ib., 16.)

19. What relation do the works of the regenerate sustain to the law of God?

When a man has been regenerated by the Holy Ghost, and has been freed from the law, i.e., from the constraint of the law, and is led by the Spirit of God, he both lives according to the unchangeable will of God revealed in the law, and, so far as he has been regenerated, does all things with a free and ready spirit. Such works are not properly called works of the law, but works and fruits of the Spirit. For these are the men who are no longer under the law, but under grace. Rom. 6:14. (Form of Concord, Sol. Dec., ib., 17.)

20. Can the regenerate obey or fulfil the moral law, and thus be justified?

That they cannot is very evident from what has already been said. For the good works of the regenerate in this life, on account of sin inhering in the flesh, are imperfect and impure. And although, according to the inner man, they perform those actions which are pleasing to God; yet they constantly and incessantly have to strive with the old Adam, who, like an ungovernable and obstinate animal, lusts against the Spirit, and therefore must be restrained not only by the teachings, exhortations and threatenings of the law, but also by its blows and punishments, so impossible is it to obey or fulfil the law. (Form of Concord, ib., 24.)

21. In how many ways did Christ fulfil the moral law?

Principally in four ways:

1. By explaining the true sense of the law. Matt. 5.
2. By affording it perfect obedience. Rom. 5:19. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
3. By taking upon himself the curse of the law. Gal. 3:13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.
4. By bestowing upon us his own righteousness, and that obedience which he afforded the law. 2 Cor. 5:21. He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be the righteousness of God in him.