283. The Fulfillment and Containment of Old Law in New Law

Subscribe in Podcast App | Download Transcript

Lecture Notes

Main Topics #

The Fulfillment of Old Law by New Law #

• The New Law fulfills the Old Law as perfect fulfills imperfect
• Fulfillment occurs in three distinct ways:
  1. By justification through Christ’s passion: The Old Law promised justification but could not effect it; the New Law achieves this through Christ’s power
  2. By revelation of promises: The New Law shows what the Old Law merely promised in words
  3. By completion of figures: The New Law completes what the Old Law figured in its ceremonial precepts
• Ceremonial precepts are not eliminated but fulfilled—their signification is completed
• Moral precepts are deepened and internalized rather than contradicted

The New Law Contained in the Old Law #

• The New Law is contained in the Old Law in potentia (in power), not in actu (in act)
• Three senses of “in” are operative:
  1. Physical location in place
  2. Part in whole
  3. Genus containing species, cause containing effect
• The relationship is analogous to:
  • A tree contained in a seed: fully present but requiring development
  • Fruit contained in the ear of grain: herb → ear → full fruit (progression from natural law through Mosaic law to Gospel)
• All things to be believed in the New Testament are treated in the Old Testament implicitly under a figure rather than explicitly
• The precepts of the New Law are greater in explicit manifestation but all are substantially contained in the Old Law

Christ’s Fulfillment Through Teaching and Deed #

• By deed: Christ observed the legal observances of his time (circumcision, etc.), fulfilling them in act
• By teaching: Christ fulfilled the precepts in three ways:
  1. By expressing true understanding: Interior acts fall under the law’s prohibition (e.g., anger under homicide, lust under adultery)
  2. By ordering safer observance: The New Law requires abstaining from swearing except in necessity (vs. Old Law’s prohibition of perjury)
  3. By adding counsels of perfection: Commands to go beyond precepts (e.g., selling all possessions)

The Apparent Burden of the New Law #

• The New Law appears heavier because it prohibits interior motions of the soul
• However, the actual difficulty is twofold:
  1. On exterior works: The Old Law is much heavier (many ceremonies); the New Law imposes few exterior works
  2. On interior acts: The New Law is heavier for those without virtue, but easier for those with virtue
• The grace of the Holy Spirit makes observance easy and delightful for those who love God
• Augustine’s principle: “My commands are not grave to the one who loves, but to the one not loving, they are grave”

Key Arguments #

The Objections Against Fulfillment #

• Objection 1: The New Law is not totally fulfilling because the judicial and ceremonial precepts are not mentioned

  • Resolution: Ceremonial precepts are fulfilled through exclusion of observance; judicial precepts teach the intention of justice (not private revenge) which remains in the New Law

• Objection 2: The New Law contains things not in the Old (e.g., faith in Trinity)

  • Resolution: These are contained implicitly in the Old Testament, not explicitly; all things to be believed are treated in the Old Testament “under a figure”

• Objection 3: The New Law cannot be contained in the Old if having the Old means one has the New

  • Resolution: Something is contained in another in power (as effect in cause, genus in species) as well as in act; the greater is contained in the lesser in potentia

The Apparent Weight of the New Law #

• Objection 1: The New Law prohibits interior acts (anger, lust) which the Old did not; therefore it is heavier
• Objection 2: The Old Law promised prosperity; the New Law promises tribulation
• Objection 3: The New Law makes additions to the Old Law’s precepts (e.g., oaths, divorce), making it more difficult

Against all: Christ says “My yoke is sweet and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30)

Resolution: The distinction between exterior and interior difficulty is crucial. The New Law is lighter overall despite appearing heavier in interior acts.

Important Definitions #

Key Distinctions #

• In actu (in act): Explicitly present and manifest
• In potentia (in power): Present implicitly, requiring development
• Substantia (substance): The essential meaning or content
• Figura (figure): A figurative or shadowy representation
• Precepts: Commands binding on all; the precepts of the natural law remain in the New Law

The Two-Fold Difficulty of Virtue #

1. Exterior difficulty: The actual external work and its execution
2. Interior difficulty: The internal act of will, emotion, and motive—doing something “promptly and with delight”

Examples & Illustrations #

The Seed and the Tree #

• A tiny seed contains a great tree in power, not in act
• If someone showed you an acorn and said a massive oak tree could grow from it, you’d rather take the acorn than wait for the full tree
• The New Law is similarly contained in the Old Law as potential awaiting actualization

The Ear of Grain #

• Chrysostom’s progression: First the herb (legi naturae—natural law), then the ear/spicae (Mosaic law), then the full fruit (Gospel)
• Each stage develops what was present in potentia in the previous stage

Interior vs. Exterior Precepts #

• Old Law: “You shall not commit adultery” (exterior act)
• New Law: “You shall not desire your neighbor’s wife” (interior act)
• Old Law: “You shall not kill” (exterior act)
• New Law: “You shall not be angry with your brother” (interior act)
• The New Law deepens the understanding of what the law truly prohibits

Virtue and Ease #

• Aristotle teaches that the just man does just things easily and with pleasure
• Doing such things without justice is valde difficile (very difficult)
• A mother changes diapers with ease because of love for her child; for those without such love, it would be burdensome
• Similarly, the precepts of the New Law are easy for those with charity and virtue

Notable Quotes #

“The new law is compared to the old as the perfect to the imperfect. But everything perfect fulfills that which is lacking in the imperfect.” — Thomas Aquinas (Berquist’s exposition)

“The new law is contained in the old as fruit in the ear of grain.” — Thomas Aquinas / Chrysostom (Berquist’s key illustration)

“My yoke is sweet and my burden is light.” — Christ in Matthew 11:30 (cited as resolution to the apparent weight of the New Law)

“My commands are not grave to the one who loves, but to the one not loving, they are grave.” — Augustine, cited by Aquinas and Berquist

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened.” / “My yoke is sweet and my burden is light.” — Matthew 11:28-30 (cited as authoritative against the claim that the New Law is heavier)

Questions Addressed #

Does the New Law Fulfill the Old Law? #

• Answer: Yes, through justification, revelation of promises, and completion of figures
• The Old Law promised what the New Law effects through Christ’s passion
• Ceremonial precepts are fulfilled in their completion, not abolished
• Moral precepts are deepened, not contradicted

Is the New Law Contained in the Old Law? #

• Answer: Yes, in power (potentia), as a tree is contained in a seed and fruit in the ear of grain
• All things to be believed are in the Old Testament implicitly under a figure
• The precepts are greater in explicit manifestation but substantially contained in the Old Law
• The greater can be contained in the lesser when understood in terms of potency

Is the New Law More Burdensome than the Old? #

• Answer: No; it is lighter overall, though it appears heavier in interior prohibition
• The Old Law is much heavier in exterior observances (many ceremonies)
• The New Law is heavier for those without virtue, but easier for those with virtue and charity
• Grace makes the precepts easy and delightful for those who love God
• The difficulty lies not in the law itself but in the interior condition of the observer