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When we speak of keeping the “spirit of the law,” we meaning honoring the principle the law enforces, and honoring it even beyond the letter of the law.
The keeping of the spirit of a law requires much more of a man than merely keeping the letter of it.
Christ explains that the letter of the law forbids murder, but the spirit of the law forbids even anger and violent language:
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother, ‘you fool’ . . . will be in danger of the fires of hell.” Mat. 5:20-25.
How evident that those who keep the spirit of a law go far beyond the letter of it, not by disregarding the letter, but by seeing a greater depth of meaning.
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother, ‘you fool’ . . . will be in danger of the fires of hell.” Mat. 5:20-25.
How evident that those who keep the spirit of a law go far beyond the letter of it, not by disregarding the letter, but by seeing a greater depth of meaning.
Since keeping the spirit of the law might mean going far beyond the letter of the law, no one should be so foolish [pardon my language] as to think that being faithful to the spirit of the law releases him from obeying the letter of it."
F.D. Nichol
