Part 3 - The Two Ministrations

This Article is part of a multi-part Study Series called Contrasting Two Ministrations.

Paul, in Galatians 3 and 4 (below), tells us as believers that "the Law" was our "Schoolmaster" as both our "Tutor" and our "Governor." "before" we came to "faith." (v23). The Law's purpose was to bring us to faith in Christ (v24). A young child needs a tutor or teacher and also a governor (a diligent parent) to oversee and direct them in the ways of right living. Of course, the "way" ultimately is to learn to live in and by Christ's indwelling righteous "Spirit of life" (Rom 8:2).

"But BEFORE faith came, we were Kept Under The Law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24 Wherefore The Law Was Our Schoolmaster to Bring Us Unto Christ, (so) that we might be justified by faith (in Christ). 25 But AFTER that faith is come, we are NO Longer under a schoolmaster. (Gal 3:23-25)

"Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; 2 But (he) is under Tutors And Governors until the time appointed of the father.

3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: 4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, (so) that we might receive the Adoption of Sons (grown up sons). 6 And Because Ye Are Sons, God Hath Sent Forth The Spirit Of His Son Into Your Hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

7 ...thou art No More A Servant... But A Son; and if a son, then an Heir of God Through Christ. (Gal 4:1-7)

The Tutors and Governors that God the Father appointed were the elements of the "the Law,"  which was our "Schoolmaster" (3:24). These lead us to "adoption" as "sons" (v4:5 above). Our "adoption" may be seen as our Bar mitzvah. An adopted "son" is a grown up "child of God" who has learned to be "led of the Spirit" (Rom 8:14) This "adoption" is our coming of age after the work of the Tutors and Governor. We should by then to have learned to live by "The Spirit of His Son (that Paul says, God sent) Into Your Hearts" (v4:6 above), not to live by the spontaneous desires (lusts) of "the flesh."

So what exactly was the Law's job?

Our fruitless exercise under "the Law" was to show us how hopeless we are within ourselves to life righteously. God intended that we thereby should have come to see our need of Christ to be our new, capable, righteous life.

The Law and the works it demands are the Lord's tools to teach us our need of Christ. In the believer the "works" demanded by "the Law" actually serve to negate the power of Christ's "Spirit of Life" within. The Christ-life operates only by pure "grace."  Thus Paul wrote, "if by GRACE, then is it NO more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. (Rom 11:6a).

So when a believer, after his "salvation by grace through faith," then tries to please God or earn favor with the Lord through their good works, they have then departed from their grace relationship with Him.

Believers can only live victoriously when living "by grace through faith" and in accord with the indwelling "law (normal operation) of the Spirit of life." They then enjoy the limitless supply of the inexhaustible power of the righteous "Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" (Rom 8:2a). Only His life overcomes "Sin in the flesh."

Paul here below clearly contrasts what he calls the "Ministration of Death" by the Law's demands, with the "Ministration of Righteousness" that is empowered by "the (indwelling) Spirit of life in Christ Jesus."

Here the word "ministration" that is seen repeatedly in 2Cor 3 means "the ministry of ..."

"Who also hath made us able ministers of the New Testament; NOT of The Letter ("Law"), but of The Spirit: for the letter ("Law") killeth, but the spirit giveth life (Zoë, God's Spirit).

7 But if the Ministration Of Death, (the Law) written and engraven in (dead) stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory Was To Be Done Away:

 8 How shall not the Ministration of The Spirit be rather glorious? 9 For if the Ministration of Condemnation be glory, much more doth the Ministration Of Righteousness exceed in glory. 10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. 11 For if that (Old Covenant Law) which is done away (is made of no effect) was glorious, much more that (the spontaneous regulatory operation of His indwelling "Spirit of Life") which Remaineth is Glorious.

12 ... we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech (openly proclaim): 13 And NOT as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: 14 But their Minds Were Blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament (Covenant, of the Law); which vail is done away in Christ. 15 But even unto this day, when Moses (Law) is read, the vail is upon their heart.

16 Nevertheless when it (the heart of the Christian) shall turn (from Law) to the Lord (himself), the vail (the blinding of the Law) shall be taken away." (2 Cor 3:6-16, KJV, with emphasis added)

Knowing man's "infirmity" due to every man's "Sin in the flesh," (cf., Rom 6:19a), God intended that the "Ministration" that is of "the letter (Law)," which is also called the "Ministration of Condemnation" and "Ministration Of Death," would serve to expose and reveal to man his hopeless, sinful, needy condition. This is so man would become convicted by his conscience and then turn to receive Jesus Christ as his Savior. Then also he simultaneously receives Christ's resurrected "Spirit of life" to dwell within his human spirit (John 3:6, 1Cor 6:17). Only the "Ministration of the Spirit" bears the "Ministration of (the) Righteousness" of Christ to be expressed in and through the believer.

When a man tries to live according to the "Ministration of 'the Law" he is under its "curse."

"... As Many As Are of The Works of The Law Are Under The Curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in All Things which are written in the book of the Law to Do Them. (Gal 3:10)

"whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet Offend In One Point, he is Guilty Of All." (James 2:10).

Thankfully, every genuine believer has already died with Christ, and "in Christ." Each believer has died and was "buried with Him" (Rom 6:3-4, cf., Gal 2:20). With our "old man (old soul-self)" being already dead and buried, every believer is delivered from the demands of "the Law" that had empowered the Sin-nature in their flesh. "the strength (Gk., dunamis, power) of Sin is the law. (1 Cor 15:56).

"For 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. (Romans 7:18 KJV)

"For sin (the Sin-nature) shall NOT have dominion over you: for (because) ye are NOT under the Law, but Under GRACE." (Rom 6:14)

"... our Old (unrenewed) Self was nailed to the cross with Him in order That [Our] Body [which Is The Instrument] Of Sin might Be Made Ineffective and inactive for evil, (so) that we might no longer be the slaves of sin. 7...when a man dies, he is freed from [the Power of] sin [among men]." (Rom 6:6-7 (AMP)

By the cross, our flesh nature of Sin, which is at "enmity against God" (Rom 8:7), has been circumcised, cut away from our soul, once and for all... making us free from the dominion of "Sin in the flesh." The Lord cut us loose at the cross, where we died with Him. Thus, we are now at liberty to walk with the Lord in righteousness due to the "circumcision made without hands."

"in (Christ) ... ye (believers) Are Circumcised with the Circumcision Made Without Hands, in Putting Off (divesting you from) The Body of The Sins Of The Flesh by the circumcision of Christ: (Col 2:11)

Believers are now free to walk with the Lord under the "ministration of righteousness," being empowered spontaneously by the indwelling "the Law (the spontaneous regulating operation) of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law (the spontaneous regulating operation) of sin and death. (Rom 8:2, KJV)

Paul writes in four verses of 2 Corinthians chapter 3 that "The 10 Commandments" of the Law that condemns men to death are abolished or done away for the members of "the body of Christ."

  1. the Ministry of Death, in letters engraved on stones ... abolished [done away] v7
  2. Ministry of Condemnation... abolished [done away] v9, 11
  3. the Old Covenant... is abolished [done away, taken away] in Christ, v14
  4. whenever "the heart turns to the Lord," the veil [the Law] is abolished [taken away] v16