Do you preach the gospel, or the law? He, who brings the gospel to the poor, says to them, "God loves you, Christ saves you, and his Spirit sanctifies you." By that the preacher testifies the work of the effectual power of God. But he who preaches the law, reproaches his hearers saying to them, "You must pray, you must believe, you are required to offer sacrifice, honor your parents, and live in a pure manner; for if you do not do the duties you will fall into hell." Woe to the lawyers who teach only commandments, and never know the saving power of God. They are dashing down to the lowest level for they do not do what they require others to do. Therefore we are all sinners in need of God’s grace.
The law leads sinners into repentance, and brokenness; and he who is renewed receives the Holy Spirit who is the divine power for keeping the commandments, for the law is not only a mirror for the sinners, but also our motive to sanctification.
Dear brother, do you ask people to do something you yourself do not do, or do you preach beside the law the power of God, which overcomes sins? Do you look like the strict judge, or the merciful Savior?
Those that are filled with excessive and often misguided enthusiasm for the law are the descendants of killers, for their fathers persecuted and stoned the godly that called for repentance, from the blood of Abel (Genesis 4:8-10) to the prophet Zechariah (2 Chronicles 24:20-22) according to the order of books in the Hebrew Bible, which, unlike the English Bible, ends with Chronicles. These two indications in Christ’s statement mean that the revolution of the professors against God’s Spirit dressed in zealous hypocritical godliness is a characteristic of all the professors of the Old Testament. Imagine the meaning of this statement from the mouth of Christ in front of the dissembling, experienced scribes, "Your fathers were killers, and you are buriers of the killed, for you are continuing their murders in the spirit of disobedience, not preaching mercy or repentance, but persecuting the prophets and truthful messengers who preach the Spirit of God and love. You feel your weakness before their power. Yet because of your deceitful spirit that is versed in the Holy Bible, God’s condemnation will mercilessly fall upon you.
Christ pierced the knowledge of those men learned in the law who invented many meanings out of the letters, and twisted the original meanings of the words. They did not know God in fact, nor did they let the multitudes search freely in the old books, but they reserved the right of interpretation for themselves, and imagined themselves to be greater than the public. Yet, they had already lost the key of the knowledge of God, and were unable to enter into the expanses of God’s wisdom because of their false and hollow profession of religion. Furthermore, they stopped all the people from coming willingly to God. This appeared clearly in their refusal of Christ who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. They were blind to his divinity, though they learnt the prophecies of the Old Testament by heart. On top of that, they instigated the people, and prevented them from following Christ, calling him a deceiver, and a false prophet. They went astray too far.
Woe to us if we do not present to people our Lord Christ, the only Way to God, the Truth that uncovers our sins, the clear Righteousness of our comfort, and the Power of everlasting life. Woe to us if we bring human personal, and political opinions, technologies, or deceitful, illusive philosophies, and have recourse to the law and burdensome commandments. Woe to us if we do not testify the imminent coming of Christ, and the coming of the antichrist before him who will deceive all those who do not expect Christ, their Savior with diving love. Did you experience the power of God? Did you experience conversion, and second birth? Did your pride become broken? Did the disobedience of your independence end through your faith in God? We testify to you that Christ is the Savior and the Judge. So never go past him or ignore him.
The then professors contrived to draw Jesus into the snare of their laws. But today Christ calls those that are particularly pious and thoroughly acquainted with and skilled in the Holy Bible to repent lest they think themselves better than the others except by the grace given to them everyday by Christ.