The letter or the spirit? Which one is the one to live by? The Apostle Paul wrote about this in a way quite difficult to understand. The ten commandments are a big part of his writings, as they were a major part of Jesus Christ’s teachings. Paul very much followed Jesus. Paul seems to be highlighting the way of approaching the ten commandments he had taken before his conversion by the resurrected Jesus Christ. His approach was a typical approach to the commandments and the Law given to Moses. He characterises it as legalistic righteousness of adherence to the letter without adherence to the spirit of these commandments. It focusses on knowing the wording, while ignoring the underlying intentions of the commandments, and he seems to criticise it as side-stepping the life of righteousness implied in the commandments. What then does he mean by living by the spirit? In practice it is a life intended to actually fulfil the will of God in giving those commandments, living the life God intended by His giving of them, by actually making the necessary changes in behaviour these commandments require. So in order to comply with the commandment not to commit false testimony, it is necessary to recognise the wrongness of falsehood in a context of brotherliness and oneness in Christ, and then to practice truthful speech in that context instead. Likewise, to obey the commandment not to kill, it is necessary to block the tendencies within us that might lead to wrongful killing, such as by managing our anger, and giving no room for evil intentions to influence our thoughts, words, and actions. To keep us from greed, and stealing, and coveting, we must devote ourselves to the opposite of these, by working hard to provide for needs, both our own needs and our social responsibilities to others, remembering especially our families and the poor among us. It is an overall commitment to live fully the way the commandments suggest, in the will of God in commanding those commandments. The nobility of such thinking and such an approach to our lives is what elevates us above our ignoble fleshly side, as we live by spirit, not by flesh.
