“The Letter Killeth”

When Paul was writing his epistles, he was lead of the Spirit to compose them to specific targets – the Saints at Rome, the Saints at Ephesus; John wrote to the Seven Churches in Asia Minor. They were written Christian directives for that day and age, and in those directives cited Christian principles that are eternal exist.

Because Paul was writing to believers in that day and age he would reference the scripture of Old Covenant to illustrate origin and prophecy of what Jesus came and did. But the principles of that Covenant and age were wrapping up – and this includes God writing laws on stone or with ink because He promised He would after that age write His laws upon our minds and hearts.

What Paul wrote to them in that fading age was never intended to become new laws written with ink for believers. NEVER. Yes, there were epistles written to the believers of that age. Yes, they were inspired by the Holy Spirit, and yes, they bear vital living insights to being a Christian today. But the Apostles were inspired to write to them specifically, not to create another testament of laws.

When believers take letters written with ink and try and use them as our guide in PLACE of what God has written on our hearts, we discover that the results are the same results that the Law written in stone produced in the Children of Israel –

Anger

Hatred

Division

Judgments

Condemnation

Paul tells us why here in this wonderful letter he wrote to the believers at Corinth –

“BECAUSE THE LETTER KILLETH!”

The “letters” will always kill the Spirit of God which . . . bears the fruit of love. Which always. Bears the fruit of Love – with love being defined by the scripture, not by men’s interpretation of what love is.

I want you to think about the Laws that God has written in your mind and heart for a minute. When they are really and truly at work in you. Imagine that you are sitting with someone, anyone, everyone and they are not in a good place. They have hurt you, stole from you, maligned your good name, insulted you somehow – done something really wrong – and you are looking at them in the eyes.

Now, imagine that you are armed with the words of the New Testament apostles to the church in that day and age – the hard stuff – the stuff on hell and holiness and excommunication. Imagine your words and approach to the person. Now imagine that you are filled with the Spirit of Love written on your heart and mind by God. What would be the result then? How would you feel or think in having responded to the offender with this love?

This is why the Spirit is superior to the letter, and how and why the letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life!

How far astray we have wandered through the tutelage of Men. They have taken liberties that actually work AGAINST some central principles God established and his apostles conveyed through their letters anciently! But instead of reading words of wisdom found IN the directions the apostles gave to the believers in that transitionary period, things like the fact that the letter kills, but the spirit giveth life,

Things like, God will shake everything in heaven and in earth once more so the only thing that will remain will be unshakable.

Things like Jesus has had the victory over all sin and spiritual death, that Satan is over and hell a past event . . .

Things like the Church-Bride was taken and what remains is His Spiritual body thriving in His Spiritual Kingdom . . .

Man has ignored all of this, and have instead implemented and focused on the exact opposite things. Killing, instead of giving life; building upon shakable things; and thinking that Jesus has yet to be victorious. So again, Paul says:

“Who,” speaking of God, “also has made us able ministers of the new testament; (His new testament is described in Jeremiah 31:31-34) not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.”

In other words, Paul (and those with him) were appointed to go forth and make the provisions of that new covenant known to a dying world of laws written in ink and stone. This is the true distinction between the Old Testament or Covenant and the New. The Old was written with ink and first in stone. The new is written by the Spirit on the fleshy living tables of the human heart and mind.

Paul touches on this a principle related to this in Romans 2, saying at verses 28-29

28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, (the SAME place where God now writes His laws, and Paul adds) “in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”

Clearly speaking of the Old Covenant and how it operated, Paul said in Romans 7:6

6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

It is vital, folks, to really apply these words to ourselves, realizing that the New Testament, as PAUL says, is of the Spirit and NOT of the Letter, FOR the letter killeth BUT the SPIRIT giveth life. Then Paul adds:

not of the letter, but of the spirit: for . . . the . . . letter . . . killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

Let me step back and preach it – because I believe what I am about to say is so vital and important to the faith. When Paul was writing his epistles, he was lead of the Spirit to compose them to specific targets – the Saints at Rome, the Saints at Ephesus; John wrote to the Seven Churches in Asia Minor. They were writing Christian directives for that day and age, and in those directives cited Christian principles that are eternal. Because Paul was writing to believers in that day and age he would reference the scripture of Old Covenant to illustrate origin and prophecy of what Jesus came and did. But the principles of that Covenant and age were wrapping up – and this includes God writing laws on stone or with ink because He promised He would after that age write His laws upon our minds and hearts.

So, I submit to you that the letters Paul wrote to them in that fading age were never intended to become new laws written with ink for believers.

Ever? NEVER.

Yes, there were epistles written to the believers of that age. Yes, they were inspired by the Holy Spirit, and yes, they bear vital living insights to being a Christian today. But they were never to take precedence over the laws written on the minds and hearts of God’s children and here is how you can know what I am saying is true:

When we take letters written with ink and try and use them as our guide IN PLACE of what God has written on our hearts, we discover that the results are the same results that the Law written in stone produced in the Children of Israel –

Anger

Hatred

Division

Judgments

Condemnation

Paul tells us why here in this wonderful letter he wrote to the believers at Corinth –

BECAUSE THE LETTER KILLETH!

BECAUSE THE LETTER KILLETH!

The “letters” will always kill the Spirit of God which . . . bears the fruit of love. Which always bears the Fruit of Love – with love being defined by the scripture, NOT by mans interpretation of what love is.