Two Tables of the Law, What We Can and Can't Do

About this sermon

http://www.wolfmueller.co/can-cant-two-tables-law/ To warm us up, here is some handy theological vocabulary: “The Two Tables of the Law.” When Moses brought the Ten Commandments down from Mt. Sinai they were written on two tablets (see Exodus 32:5-16). With this in mind, students of the Scripture have seen two groups of commandments, the first having to do with God, and the second having to do with our neighbor. The “First Table of the Law,” then, describes our fear, love, and trust of God, our exclusive worship God, our prayers, and our hearing the Lord’s Word. The “Second Table of the Law,” beginning with the commandment “Honor your father and your mother” gives shape to our love for our neighbors. Jesus beautifully summarizes both tables when asked about the greatest commandment: Now, when it comes to good works, we normally think of the Second Table of the Law, and especially the outward works of love and kindness to our neighbor. When I help someone, give to those in need, etc., I think, “Good Work!” Likewise, we normally think of sins according to the Second Table of the Law, those things we do to hurt our neighbor: murder, theft, adultery, etc. When you as someone to list the Ten Commandments, which comes first? “You shall not murder. You shall not steal.” Second Table. There is no doubt that the Second Table defines good works and sin, but this is only half of the Law. These outward works are what the Lutheran Confessions call “civil works.” They are the good works taught by the philosophers. These are the kinds of good works that we can manage with our own reason or strength. But, and this is the point, there is an entire world of sin and good works taught in the First Table of the Law, the works that have to do with God. When the Lutheran Confessors speak of Good Works, these are the works they are thinking of. Here is an example from The Apology to the Augsburg Confession: I find this list of good works astonishing, and I hope you are surprised as well. When Philip Melanchthon thinks of true and Christian works, he lists: Loving God above all. Truly fearing God. Truly believing that God hears our prayers. Willingly obeying God in death and other troubles (called God’s “visitations”!). Not coveting. These are the good works of the First Table. (Mostly. “Coveting” is covered in Commandments 9 and 10, but remember how St. Paul equates covetousness with idolatry in Colossians 3:5.) These things cannot be accomplished by our own reason and strength. In fact, even by the strength of the Holy Spirit working through the Word, we only begin to accomplish these things. Now, both the theological and practical results of focusing on the Second Table of the Law and forgetting the First is disastrous. Here’s some more Melanchthon (well worth our time to digest): If the Law is merely the Second Table it becomes “doable” by my own reason and strength. If I define righteousness only according to the Second Table, then I can achieve it with my own efforts. And, apart from faith, that is, a trust in the promise fo the forgiveness of all my sins won for me by the death of Jesus on the cross, then all my outward civil good works are stained, and, in fact, a cause for judgment. The good works that God require of us are much more than the outward acts of love for our neighbor. God requires our worship, our fear and love and trust, our confidence in His goodness even in the midst of trouble and death. Our flesh is much too weak to accomplish these things. We are guilty of breaking God’s Law at the primary point, at the First Commandment. We have some hope and chance of achieving a human civil righteousness according to the Second Table of the Law. But there is no hope of righteousness in ourselves when it comes to the First Table. Our only hope is Christ. Melanchthon will bring it all home (and don’t skip this because it is a quotation. These words are the entire reason I wrote this post.): Amen. PrBW Trinity 2, 2017 The Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article IV. Read online here.

Topics

• Obedience