Direct Answer
If “newness of the Spirit” means the Holy Spirit, the contrast is between serving through the Holy Spirit and serving under the old letter. If it means the spirit of the law, the contrast is between the deeper intent of the law and a merely literal reading of its letter.
Support from Transcript
- Bercot quotes Romans 7:6: “we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.” - He says the New American Standard interprets Paul as contrasting “the oldness of the letter with the newness of the Holy Spirit.” - He then offers another possibility: Paul may be contrasting “the oldness of the literal letter of the law with the newness of the Spirit of the law.” - He calls this “quite a different meaning.” - He also states that “either rendition is linguistically correct.” - The transcript does not fully explain practical implications for obedience, law, freedom, and Christian living.
Discussion Follow-ups
Bercot’s main point is that translation choices can shape theological conclusions, so Christians should be cautious before building doctrine on one possible rendering.