Mr. Mauro does not sufficiently draw the distinction between the moral Law and the ceremonial Law. Before quoting an extract from his writings to show this, it will be well to explain somewhat the distinction that exists between the two.
The ten commandments and all the regulations for the conduct of the children of Israel given by Jehovah through the medium of Moses constitute the moral Law. It was this that they were to do, and if they did it perfectly, their life would not be forfeited, they would live. "This do and thou shalt live" (Luke 10:2828And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. (Luke 10:28)). We know that not one single person got life that way. Scripture says, "We know that what things soever the Law saith, it saith to them who are under the Law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God" (Rom. 3:1919Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. (Romans 3:19)).
What, then, was the ceremonial Law? We call it Law because it contained definite instructions, but it is not really Law in the sense that the moral Law was. The moral Law was DEMAND upon a people in the flesh. It only meant bondage, condemnation and death. How Mr. Mauro could pen the following words, "The law of Moses an unspeakable blessing to Israel" (The Gospel of the Kingdom, p. 42), we cannot conceive. That the Law of Moses was a very right and salutary dispensation, or era, nobody can deny. That it was administered in God's wisdom is true. But there was no blessing that way. It taught a lesson. It was the schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, if rightly understood (Gal. 3:2424Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. (Galatians 3:24)).
The ceremonial Law was that system of approach to God by sacrifices that foreshadowed the coming into the world of the Lord Jesus, and of His sacrificial death on the cross for God's glory and satisfaction in regard to sin-the only way of blessing for the sinner. It spoke not of Law as the moral Law did, but of grace, which the Gospel does. The contrast could not be greater.
Indeed, the Law pure and simple was never yet given to Israel. When Moses, descending with the two naked stones on which God had written with His own finger the ten commandments, heard the sound of revelry in the camp, and realized that the people had already broken the first and foremost commandment in worshipping the golden calf, he threw the tables of stone out of his hands, and broke them beneath the mount. He realized that to bring a naked Law into the camp meant death to all who had broken its commandment.
The second time he received the tables of stone at the hands of God, he was instructed to make an ark of shittim wood, and put the tables of the Law within the ark, a foreshadowing of our Lord perfectly keeping the Law.
We know His keeping the Law perfectly did not suffice for our salvation; it was His atoning death that alone sufficed for that. But His perfectly keeping the Law enabled Him to lay down voluntarily, as doing God's holy will, a life that was not forfeited. The tables of the Law within the ark of the covenant foreshadow this, whilst the blood sprinkled on the mercy-seat set forth the truth that there was no approach to God save through the sacrificial death of His own Son.
Mr. Mauro, commenting on Dr. Scofield's statement that the people of Israel made a fatally bad choice in consenting to be under the Law, evades the point at issue. Please note in the extract we are about to give that Mr. Mauro speaks only of the ceremonial Law and does not allude to the moral Law at all, and yet it is the moral Law that is in question. He says: "But nothing could be further from the truth. For the gift of law to Israel was both a distinguished honor and an unspeakable benefit. It gave them the knowledge of the true God; it gave them the way of access to Him for worship and for obtaining mercies and blessings; it gave them a sanctuary, a priesthood, acceptable sacrifices-including a sin offering-and promises, such that, by meeting the fair and reasonable conditions, they might have been a 'peculiar treasure' to God and 'a kingdom of priests and an holy nation' forever (Ex. 19:4, 54Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. 5Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: (Exodus 19:4‑5)). Therefore, if it be asked, 'What advantage then hath the Jew,' over all other nations in the world? the inspired answer is, `Much every way: chiefly because that UNTO THEM WERE COMMITTED THE ORACLES OF GOD' (Rom. 3:11What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? (Romans 3:1))." (The Gospel of the Kingdom, pp. 36, 37).
Mr. Mauro begins by saying, "But nothing could be further from the truth." This is really the only true comment to be made as to his own statement. Nothing can be further from the truth than what he says. Did the Law-the ten commandments-give to Israel "the true knowledge of God?" Sinai smoking as the smoke of a furnace, the whole mount quaking greatly, the trumpet sounding long and waxing louder and louder, all the people in the camp trembling, even Moses, the lawgiver, exceedingly fearing and quaking, did not look like it. Mr. Mauro says that "the Law gave them [the children of Israel] the way of access to Him [God] for worship and for obtaining mercies and blessings." It did nothing of the sort. Do we not read: "The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing" (Heb. 9:88The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: (Hebrews 9:8))?
Did the Law furnish a sin-offering, as Mr. Mauro states? Surely not. The Law could only condemn to death those who broke its commandments. The Law has no mercy, as such, for Scripture again tells us: "The word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a due recompense of reward" (Heb. 2:22For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; (Hebrews 2:2)).
No sin-offering is indicated here. The fact is that Mr. Mauro in seeking to make out Dr. Scofield to be wrong, himself plunges into error, and mixes up the moral Law and the ceremonial Law. Even the ceremonial Law did not give full access to God, whilst the moral Law only spoke of distance.
The moral Law is bound up with man's responsibility; the ceremonial Law, as we have said, foreshadowed God's gracious provision in Christ for the blessing of His people through the atoning sacrificial work on the cross of Calvary.
It is amazing that Mr. Mauro in his attempt to discredit the Scofield Bible, will even sweep aside Scripture. We give an extract to prove this:
"But does not Paul say that the law brought death and a curse? that those who are under the law are under a curse? and that no one can be justified by the law? The reply is that the law is indeed a two-edged sword, bringing life to those who submissively receive it and who set their heart to obey it; but bringing death and condemnation and a curse to those who despise it, or who only profess respect for it with the lips while in their hearts they continue unchanged in their own ways. But precisely the same thing is true of the Gospel" (The Gospel of the Kingdom, p. 49).
He begins by asking if Paul does not say that the Law brought death and a curse, and that no one can be justified by the Law, which is just what Paul did say. Then he proceeds to tell us in complete denial of this that the Law brings life to those who receive it submissively, and who set their heart to receive it. One can scarcely believe one's eyes in reading this astounding statement that blessing can come through law-keeping, apart from the gospel, when Scripture emphatically says it cannot. Paul indeed tells us that, "A man is not justified by the works of the law" (Gal. 2:1616Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. (Galatians 2:16)).
The illustration of the "two-edged sword" is unfortunate. A sword is an instrument to wound and kill only, and not to give life.
That we have made no mistake in this serious matter, we append another extract: "Returning to Paul, we note that after saying that `the commandment was ordained unto life,' he immediately adds that he found it to be 'unto death' (Rom. 7:1010And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. (Romans 7:10)). Why so?
"Because Paul was a Pharisee. He had been thoroughly indoctrinated into rabbinism, one of the cardinal doctrines of which was this very teaching as to the earthly and 'Jewish' character of the Kingdom which has become the cornerstone of modern dispensationalism. He had been schooled in a barren orthodoxy. He was 'called a Jew,' and made his `boast of the law' (Rom. 2:17, 18, 2317Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, 18And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; (Romans 2:17‑18)
23Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonorest thou God? (Romans 2:23)); but he had yet to learn that 'He is not a Jew' -though 'called a Jew' - 'who is one outwardly... but he is a Jew who is one inwardly" (vers. 28, 29). Of course to such it will be found that the law was 'unto death'; and precisely so with the gospel. But all who were like Ezra, of whom it is recorded that he 'prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it' (Ezra 7:1010For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments. (Ezra 7:10)) have found that it was indeed 'ordained unto life'. Paul clearly states the principle here involved when he says, 'But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully' (1 Tim. 1:88But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; (1 Timothy 1:8)). And the same is true of the gospel as well" (The Gospel of the Kingdom, pp. 50, 51).
Here we get an extraordinary statement, that Paul did not find the law was ordained to life because he was a Pharisee, and was indoctrinated in the rabbinical teaching as to the Jewish aspect of the Kingdom of Heaven; whilst Ezra and others like him found that the Law was indeed for them "ordained to life." This is shocking.
It is happily true that in other parts of Mr. Mauro's writings he tells his readers that salvation is by faith, without works, through the atoning sacrifice of Christ, but the above statements should never have been made. As they stand, they teach salvation by works, contradicting Paul, as we have seen in the extract just given from page 49. They are subversive of the truth of the gospel. They are the denial of the very fundamentals of the Christian faith.