Compromising Truth and Practice

By Walter Chantry 4/1/2010

     Just before Jesus was taken up into heaven He told His disciples: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Witnessing about who Jesus is and what He taught was to be cross-cultural. As His disciples faced new social and cultural changes, they were expected to hold fast to truth and righteousness so as to be bright lights of His kingdom all over the world.

     Today, rapid changes are taking place throughout the world in which we must carry out the Great Commission. The world continues to be marked by men who are “lovers of themselves,” “lovers of money,” or “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Tim. 3). These tendencies of fallen human nature constantly discover new ways to manifest themselves in each society of the earth. There remains a critical need for Jesus’ witnesses to be counter-cultural where sin abounds.

     So rapid are societal changes in America that few are even aware of the radical pressures brought to bear on Christians and their churches. In the last fifty years, even the sense of belonging to a community has largely disappeared. The attractiveness of rural areas draws Christians to want to raise their families where lovely homes can be built near fields and streams. But jobs are to be found in places sometimes hours away from such homes. At the same time, a “satisfactory” church may be found that requires an hour or more of commuting in a different direction from the workplace.

     Since there has often been inadequate planning ahead for these consequences, there are far fewer believers who can attend the worship services of the church on a regular basis. To do so would simply demand more hours on the road than there would be in the assembly of the saints. Churches cancel prayer meetings because today it is impractical for most to attend. Thus, instead of two or three sessions of being taught the Word of God, the number is reduced to once per week. This is at a time when we stand in need of more preaching, not less. All the while children are being trained by experience and parental example that to see the church for an hour or so per week is normal.

     Some will supplement their spiritual diets by listening to favorite preacher(s) on CDs, iPods, or online. Their exchange of ideas with other believers is frequently on blogs or via other faceless computerized contacts. These habits are sometimes replacing the “assembling of themselves together” (Heb. 10:25) as Scripture commands. But electronic transmissions cannot duplicate the Holy Spirit’s presence in a congregation of saints. Additionally, there is a withdrawal from important aspects of pastoral care and exhortations.

     Such isolation and lack of witness in one’s community was not commonplace fifty years ago. It is more difficult to be witnesses with a life spent in a home that is little more than a bedroom and a computer room with perhaps a one-family school room, while at the same time spending countless hours along the highway commuting here and there.

     Another change, of which many are unaware while it presses in upon us, is the immense variety of teachings within evangelical circles. Because various doctrines are taught by Christians, it is often thought that it is of little consequence which set of doctrines we believe. Desiring unity among the shrinking number of Christians in our nation, we do not wish to discuss conflicting teachings among “us.” It is too satisfying to swell our numbers by being very inclusive. With this laissez faire attitude, the very doctrines we have claimed to hold precious have often been given up.

     Roman Catholicism has long claimed to follow other authorities in addition to the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. Contrastingly, Protestantism in the days of the Reformation planted a flag inscribed with “Scripture alone.” It is essential to the very nature of our Protestant heritage that every article of Christian faith and behavior must be established on the basis of the teaching of Scripture. First Timothy 3:17 teaches that Scripture makes men of God “complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” This foundation stone of Protestant thought was courageously confessed by Martin Luther in the famous words: “My conscience is captive to the Word of God.” Today, however, If numerous charismatic Christians hold to sources of revelation other than the Bible, yet profess to be Protestants or even Reformed Protestants, many embrace them as though “Scripture alone” were a non-essential element of our theology.

     Another theology, developed centuries after the Reformation, is “dispensationalism.” During their grapplings with Rome in the sixteenth century, the Reformers insisted that salvation comes to fallen sinners by faith alone in Christ alone. With the advent of dispensationalism, some evangelicals began to teach that at other times throughout history a different way of salvation was offered, one that was based upon works and not focused on Christ. Many today even teach that the Jews may be saved without either faith in Christ or baptism into His church. Only for Gentiles is the way of salvation by faith alone in Christ alone. Yet again there is acquiescence with those who hold such teachings and call themselves Reformed or Protestant even though these teachings are alien to the Reformation. Is this issue a minor difference to put aside so that we may have wider Christian fellowship and cooperation?

     We begin to ask just what the defining principles of the Reformed tradition are. What are the vital issues to which we witness?

     The churches are not only losing their witness by adapting to newer trends among “evangelicals.” They are also morphing into conformity with the world. Nothing less than church order is being restructured to please the ever-more insistent voice of feminism. But the apostle said, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man” (1 Tim. 2:12). Large “Reformed” denominations are now making women “deacons,” as did liberals years ago. When these changes have occurred within churches in the past, the next thing to follow has always been the acceptance of women as elders.

     When secular attitudes mean so much to the Reformed church in Europe and North America, those with positive attitudes toward homosexuality will begin to pressure the church as well. The pattern is to first fall silent on Genesis 19, Romans 1, and 1 Corinthians 6. After all, there is still so much of the Bible to teach, so why not drop the notes sounded there? Will there be a witness to homosexuals for good? Or will there be a cowering before the demand of our society over this issue also?

     There is constant change within and around the churches. Huge shifts occurred between the years 1875–1930, as liberalism swallowed large sections of once Reformed churches. From 1950 to the present time came a revived teaching of Scripture alone, Christ alone, faith alone, grace alone, and the glory of God alone. Will this remain our stand? Already concessions are being made.

     What will the future hold? Will we be witnesses? How much of Jesus’ person, work and teaching is vital to us? To our church?

     “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:18–19). And sometimes the churches too will despise our stand.

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     Rev. Walter J. Chantry served as pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Carlisle, Pa., for thirty-nine years. Following that he edited The Banner of Truth magazine for almost seven years.

Walter Chantry Books:

• 1     Today's Gospel: Authentic or Synthetic?
• 2     Call the Sabbath a Delight
• 3     Shadow of the Cross: Studies in Self Denial
• 4     Signs of the Apostles
• 5     God's Righteous Kingdom

God The Father

By Robert Jeffress 2023

God The Father

     Several years ago, two young men walked out of a suburban Chicago church, engaged in a spirited conversation about their beloved Chicago Bears. The NFL draft had just taken place, and their doom-laden words left no doubt as to their feelings about the Bears’ top selection.

     “What a waste of a first-round pick,” one of the men said. “There are so many better players available.”

     “It’s a decision that will set the team back five years, at least,” his friend agreed. “We can kiss the playoffs goodbye.”

     On and on they went as they shuffled along with the Sunday morning crowd heading down the front steps to the parking lot.

     “They should just tank this season and try to get a high draft pick next year,” one concluded.

     “Yeah, I think it’s time to tear this team apart and start over,” his friend concurred.

     Their woeful commiseration was interrupted by a man standing directly behind them who placed a hand on each of their shoulders. They turned around to find themselves face-to-face with Mike Singletary, the superstar defensive captain of the Chicago Bears. The man known as “Samurai Mike,” famous for his wild-eyed, fearsome stare.

     He leveled that stare at the two young men for just a moment, then he grinned, squeezed their shoulders, and walked away, leaving the two awestruck fans with an encounter they would never forget.

     Mike Singletary didn’t have to reveal his presence that day. He could have stayed silent when he heard the men discussing his new teammate and not troubled himself. No one would have been the wiser. But in making himself known to these young men, Samurai Mike revealed a little of his character. He showed himself to be understanding, playful, and engaging. In his wake, he left two fans for life. They were humbled but excited that he cared enough to interact with them.

     If that seems like an odd introduction to the second core belief of Christianity, God the Father, then consider this: the first chapter of the Bible describes God’s creation of the world. The remaining 1,188 chapters, to some degree, describe God’s revealing Himself to His creation.

     It didn’t have to be that way. God the Creator had no responsibility to make Himself known to us. He could have put His creation on display as a world-size art exhibit. He could have used the universe as His own private gallery, visiting it whenever He felt like admiring His work.

     He could have treated His creation as an enormous science experiment, making note of what happened when He changed certain variables. He might have viewed His creation as dispassionately as a researcher viewing slides and test tubes. Or He could have treated His creation as the world’s most lifelike simulation game, playing when He felt like it and letting it go when He didn’t.

     Instead, God chose to reveal Himself to His creation. He announced His presence over and over again, to the wonder and astonishment of every created being who has ever encountered Him. Not only did God choose to make Himself known, but He also made Himself available to us. He revealed aspects of His nature. He shared secrets of our inner workings that only our Creator would know. He concerned Himself with our well-being. He laid the groundwork for us to have a relationship with Him forever.

     As we examine this second core belief of Christianity, we’re going to focus on three aspects of God the Father’s generous gesture of making Himself known:

     the how, the means He uses to reveal Himself,

     the what, the truths about Himself He chooses to reveal, and

     the what now, the implications of God’s revelation for us.

The How

     Let’s say you had to make yourself known to someone who knew nothing about you. How would you do it? Would you prepare a detailed résumé listing your background, experience, and accomplishments? Would you create a dating profile sharing your likes, dislikes, and what it takes to have chemistry with you? Would you put together a photo album filled with snapshots of the people, places, and events that shaped you?

     God operates on a much grander scale, which is understandable given the limitlessness of what He has to reveal. He makes Himself known to us in ways ranging from the universal to the very personal. We find clues to God’s nature in His creative handiwork, His Word, His Son, and His inner working in our lives. Let’s start with the universal.

God Reveals Himself through Nature

     If you’re the parent of a school-age child, chances are your refrigerator door serves as a de facto art gallery filled with finger paintings, art-class homework, pages torn from coloring books, and random doodles. Each little masterpiece is display-worthy because it reflects something about the person who created it. And why not? We are created in the image of God, whose own creative work reveals aspects of Himself.

     In the Bible, the psalmist - shepherd - king David saw something of God’s nature in the vastness and complexity of the universe He created. In Psalm 8:3–4, David marveled that the one possessing the macro-level skills of designing and sustaining the cosmos also possessed the micro-level skills of caring for human beings.

     Likewise, the interconnectedness of the natural world gives us a glimpse of God’s perfect planning and design. When Job, the long-suffering Old Testament patriarch, challenged his friends’ misunderstanding of the way God works, he offered this advice: “Now ask the beasts, and let them teach you; and the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you. Or speak to the earth, and let it teach you; and let the fish of the sea declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this, in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?” (Job 12:7–10).

     The fact that God provides for even the smallest living things reveals His loving concern. Jesus said, “Consider the lilies” (Luke 12:27), so let’s consider them. Lilies bloom season after season, nourished by the nutrient - rich soil of God’s design. These nutrients are transported by water that falls from the sky and then eventually released back into the atmosphere as part of a cycle God designed. The lilies absorb energy from sunlight in a God - designed process called photosynthesis. Inside each lily’s base is nectar, which attracts bees. As the bees collect this nectar, they transfer pollen from the lily’s stamen to other lilies, triggering the reproductive process. Care to guess who designed the pollination process?

     Jesus’s point was this: if God lavishes such care, such loving concern, and such genius design to ensure that lilies can grow and thrive, then imagine what He does for us — the crown of His creation!

     The apostle Paul said of God, “Since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse” (Rom. 1:20). However, despite the overwhelming evidence, and despite the fact that we have no excuse for doing so, we still find ways to misunderstand God and draw faulty conclusions from His creation. So He also reveals Himself in a more direct way.

Robert Jeffress, What Every Christian Should Know: 10 Core Beliefs for Standing Strong in a Shifting World (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2023)

The Bravest and Newest World

By Andrew Davis 4/1/2010

     As human imagination conceives of the future, it tends to envisage either dreams or nightmares. The dreams live in the hearts of idealists who suppose that human ingenuity is sufficient to craft a perfect world. The nightmares torment the minds of realists, who express their fears in doomsday scenarios they think are inescapable. Christians, however, have been called by God to an infinitely higher future reality, a hope better than any dream — the new heavens and new earth — coupled with a bravery that acknowledges the journey to that perfect world will be bloody and terrifying.

     Since the time that humanity was banished from the garden of Eden, we have longed to return to, or at least to craft, a perfect world of our own making. Human pride drove the building of the Tower of Babel, enabled by a technological breakthrough in engineering materials — the discovery that thoroughly baked ceramics were superior to carved stone in building lofty structures. God’s assessment of human potential is striking: “Nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them” (Gen. 11:6). But God interfered by confusing language and slowing down the process of social engineering.

     Since then, history has been a long journey of human pride, power, and technology seeking to craft a perfect world apart from God. By the beginning of the twentieth century, utopian dreams soared to astonishing heights of optimism. H.G. Wells, undaunted by the carnage of World War I, wrote Men Like Gods (Dover Thrift Editions) in 1923. He describes a utopian parallel universe in which socialism, science, and education had eradicated all evils. In 1932, Aldous Huxley responded with a pessimistic parody entitled Brave New World. In it, he gave a frightening vision of a world where technology and hedonistic nihilism crafted a meaningless existence of pleasure. His brave new world was a nightmare.

     Nowadays, Christians are facing a world that changes at a dizzying pace. The 9-11 attacks resulted in the instantaneous implosion of two of the tallest buildings in the world. The last quarter of 2008 saw the almost instantaneous eradication of years of pension investments in a stock market plunge. Meanwhile, the laboratories of the world keep churning out both technological marvels and ethical nightmares: wireless internet devices and freakish genetic laboratory experiments. Christians look out over a very uncertain future, driven by forces that are hard to understand and harder to predict. How should Christians contemplate the future?

     The starting point for us is Scripture’s revelation of God’s sovereign power in orchestrating a plan for a future world of unspeakable glory. Though humanity can craft technological marvels rising from the plains of Babel, God had to descend a long distance from His heavenly throne to inspect their handiwork. God rules, His power is infinite, and He is still committed to interfering in human history, restraining evil, and accomplishing His plan.

     And how glorious is that plan? Human hearts would never have crafted it and can’t even conceive of it properly, but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit (1 Cor. 2:9–10). That plan is for the bravest and newest world possible. It will be the bravest possible world because it will be founded on the incomparable courage of Jesus Christ in drinking the cup of God’s wrath for its inhabitants. And none but the brave will enter that new world, for the cowardly will be weeded out (Rev. 21:8), and only those who overcome the world by faith will be granted the right to enter. No bravery will be required to live there, yet it will be a world achieved through the greatest acts of bravery in history. The book of Revelation makes it plain that it is a journey of tribulation, even of bloody martyrdom, that leads to the perfect world, and the willingness of the saints to count their sufferings as not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in them brings the greatest glory to God.

     And it will also be the newest world possible, for God says, “Behold, I am making all things new” (Rev. 21:5), so it is called the new heavens and new earth. It will be a new world to explore, a world where there will be no more death, mourning, crying and pain, for the old order of things will have passed away. The worship will be new, as the inhabitants of the place will sing a new song that cannot be taught on earth (14:3). Their dwelling place will be new — the New Jerusalem — shining with sights and technologies presently unimaginable. And their vision of the glories of God will be constantly renewed, for the redeemed will never tire of gazing at His face.

     Christians should saturate their hearts with these promises, while girding themselves with bravery for the road ahead. It is a road filled with changes, but those changes are ordained and managed by the sovereign wisdom of God. The unbelieving imagination looks inward to study human ingenuity and wickedness, and then it looks ahead to utopian dreams or dystopian nightmares. The Christian heart looks upward to the God of the Bible, and then it looks ahead with bravery at the earthly journey still remaining, and with hope at the new world coming.

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     Dr. Andrew M. Davis is pastor of First Baptist Church in Durham, North Carolina, and adjunct professor of historical theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author of An Infinite Journey: Growing toward Christlikeness by Dr. Andrew M. Davis (2014-01-10).

Too Good to Be True?

By Robert Strimple 4/1/2010

     In 1935 I was baptized and then raised in one of the largest “mainline” Protestant denominations. But by age twelve I was so disappointed with the pastors sent to us, all preaching the old liberalism so popular in those years, that I asked my parents if I could transfer to the local Orthodox Presbyterian Church. I went with their blessing, and the Lord soon blessed me with deepening biblical faith.

     As we survey the American scene today, the mainline churches, rather than returning at last to the biblical faith and embracing the gospel, have merely tried one suggestion after another of “how to attract new members” and subsequently have seen their membership shrink every year. And what is even sadder to me, the term evangelical now seems to have lost all meaning. The newly “emergent” churches continue to call themselves evangelical, but to my amazement have adopted a “cultural relevance” theology that shares much in common with the old liberalism of a century ago.

     Most evangelical churches, of course, would still claim to hold to the biblical gospel. But rather than preaching that gospel with joy in its full riches and in the power of the Holy Spirit, too many assume their hearers’ acceptance of that gospel and preach sermons on more “practical” matters such as how to be better spouses, parents, money-managers, and so on. And the sad irony is that without a firm foundation in the fundamentals of our Christian faith, the hearers of such sermons are not achieving even those practical goals.

     Brothers and sisters in Christ, if our churches are to be truly joyful and God-glorifying, growing in both faith and numbers, the gospel must not be assumed, it must be preached and believed (see Rom. 10:13–15). And you, the sheep for whom the Shepherd died, must insist through your elected officers that the gospel not be assumed but preached in your church.

     We have all seen the frightening polls. The most recent one I saw said that those professing themselves to be Christians numbered 75 percent of those who reached adulthood in the 1950s (my generation), 35 percent of the next generation (my children’s), and, this ongoing study projected, will number just 15 percent of the generation now reaching adulthood (my grandchildren’s). This study concluded: “Church-raised eighteen-year-olds are rejecting their faith at an alarming rate.” How are they to be reached and retained? The gospel must be preached to them in the power of the Spirit.

     Why is it that so-called “practical” sermon topics have replaced the gospel? May I suggest this: Marshall McLuhan, Canadian communications guru of the 1960s — he of “the medium is the message” fame — declared that “the church’s problem is that the Gospel is Good News in a world in which bad news is news.” But not only is the Bible’s message good news, it is miraculous, seemingly beyond-our-imagination good news! And let’s face it, such news is harder to believe than ordinary, everyday news about how to improve relations with your neighbor. Yes, the gospel can seem to be almost too good to believe. But we must believe, because God’s Word is true and attested by many evidences (Heb. 2:3–4).

     I would invite you to read again the marvelous narrative of John 11:17–45. The question that our Lord addressed to Martha, He addresses now to us by His Spirit: “Do you believe this?” (v. 26). May the Spirit enable each of us to answer as Martha did: “Yes, Lord; I believe.”

     How discerning is Martha’s reply? Jesus has made an unthinkable assertion — unthinkable on the lips of anyone but God Himself: “I am the resurrection and the life” (v. 25). He then asks her: “Do you believe this?” And Martha answers, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming … .” Martha correctly viewed the resurrection as the great coming saving act of God. She knew that the resurrection would take place “on the last day” (v. 24). But now the further truth dawns upon her that here before her stands the one who is Himself the great final saving act of God — and He has already come! Here is the one promised to come into the world and usher in a new world, a new age. Resurrection, the gift of life — this is the Messiah’s work. “Yes, Lord, I believe that life is available now, in you,” Martha says in effect, “for you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one promised to come into the world.”

     But we have more than Jesus’ authoritative testimony concerning His life-giving power. We also have the authoritative sign that He worked. “Lazarus, come out!” Jesus called out, and he who had died did in fact come out (vv. 43–44). Jesus exercised resurrection power. And thus He manifested Himself in deed as well as in word as the true and final Savior, the Christ, the Son of God.

     Albert Camus, the French existentialist atheist novelist so popular with college students in my day, has his hero in The Plague say at one point: “Salvation is much too big a word for me. I don’t aim so high.” But it is not too high or wonderful for Jesus! The good news of eternal resurrection life in Jesus is not too good to be true. Our Lord Himself says: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (vv. 25–26).

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     Dr. Robert B. Strimple is president emeritus and professor emeritus of systematic theology at Westminster California.

Robert Strimple Books:

• 1     Three Views on the Millennium and Beyond
• 2     The Modern Search for the Real Jesus: An Introductory Survey of the Historical Roots of Gospel Criticism

He Who Has Ears…

By Scott Anderson 4/1/2010

     Everyone loves a story. Whether young or old, we all enjoy hearing, reading, or seeing a good story unfold.

     Stories are remarkably powerful things. They stir-up our imaginations and excite our affections. They instruct us and inspire us. They intoxicate and influence us. They linger with us, often becoming more precious and poignant and powerful over time.

     In seminary, every pastor-in-training learns about the mysterious homiletical power of story and illustrations. How many times has a church congregation snapped back to attention during a sermon because the preacher began recounting a story or explaining his point with a descriptive, sensory-filled illustration? And why do good preachers do this? Because the human heart is spring-loaded to respond to stories and illustrations. Many times, long after the spoken words are forgotten, we can still call to remembrance the main point of a sermon because of the wise and effective employment of a good story.

     During His earthly teaching ministry, the Lord Jesus, who was the master teacher and preacher, often used stories and illustrations as He instructed the crowds of people who flocked to hear Him. Most scholars refer to these types of stories as “parables.” There are about fifty different parables of Christ recorded in the Gospels. In fact, about one-third of all of Jesus’ recorded sayings are parables. This would seem to imply something very interesting: telling stories was one of Jesus’ favorite methods for “proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God” (Luke 8:1) and speaking forth “the words of eternal life” (John 6:68).

     The word parable communicates the idea of placing one thing by the side of another, and from this meaning you can easily figure out how they work: simple terms are used to convey a profound truth. In the ministry of Christ, parables are simple stories taken from the familiar world in which Jesus lived, and they are told to relate an unfamiliar spiritual truth. The common, mundane, and everyday are used to elucidate the uncommon, profound, and otherworldly. One person has said that a parable is “an earthly story with a heavenly message.” And while the parables of Christ are not strict allegories (in which every minor detail is symbolic of something else), they are brief, simple illustrations that usually address one problem or question with which our Lord was dealing. In other words, parables usually drive home one main truth.

     But you might be wondering, why parables? Well, you would not be the only one to have asked that question. After hearing Jesus tell the parable of the soils, “the disciples came and said to him, ‘Why do you speak to them in parables?’” (Matt. 13:10). The reply of our Lord is very interesting:

     “And he answered them, ‘To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

     ‘But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear’” (vv. 11–13, 16).

     You see, Christ was speaking to a mixed-multitude. There were those who received His teaching with open hearts, and those who spurned His truth and persisted in unbelief. Rather than try to weed-out the believers in order to instruct only them, Christ set His teaching before the crowds in the form of parables. Those who had hearts to believe would embrace the teaching and seek to understand further, and those who rejected it, even though they had heard, would not understand at all. In this way, parables withdraw the light from the rebellious at heart who hate the truth, and give light to those who believe and love the truth.

     The implication of this is profound: more than a mere homiletical device or a powerful didactic tool, the parables of Jesus are actually designed to help us see whether illuminating grace is on the move in our lives. (Whether we fully understand every nuance of a given parable is not the main concern — even the disciples had to have some interpreted for them.) Parables function as little tests of faith, beckoning us to see and believe and obey the truth of the Storyteller.

     So as we seek to be the church in this world, let us eagerly read the parables of Jesus — and all of God’s Word — with a humble dependence on the gracious, illuminating work of the Holy Spirit. Let us ask these kinds of questions: Am I embracing Christ as the ultimate good of the gospel today? Am I open to His teaching? Am I joyfully abiding in His instruction? Am I really interested in His truth? Do I have eyes that want to see and ears that want to hear the words of life?

     In reading this way, we will become joy-filled partakers of the great story to which the gospel has so graciously called us, and the Word of God will become a deep well of life-giving truth that provides rich, spiritual satisfaction for our souls.

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     Scott Anderson is president and CEO of Desiring God Ministries in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

7 things God does not want us to be ignorant of

By Kirk M. (ChristianBlog.com 6-17-2015

     The Greek word agnoeo takes the common word noeo (to know) and places an a before it meaning "not". Simply put, this word means “not to know, understand or comprehend” . Although the word agnoeo is used numerous times in the New Testament, there are seven times when it is used in conjunction with the Greek word ou (not) making the meaning in English to be "not ignorant of” . These seven things God does not want us to be ignorant of present wonderful and simple references to some of the most important elements of our Christian walk.

     All but one of these particular usages of agnoeo come in Romans, 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians. For the sake of simplicity, let us look at these seven usages as they come up chronologically in the New Testament. The first usage is found in Romans 1:13:

Romans 1:13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles.   ESV

     And I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you (and was hindered hitherto), that I might have some fruit in you also, even as in the rest of the Gentiles.

     The Apostle Paul did not want the believers in Rome to be ignorant of how many times he wanted to visit them in. It is obvious in verses 8 and 9 that Paul thought highly of the believers in Rome and prayed for them without ceasing. Verses 10-12 express Paul's great desire and expectation to see them and impart unto them some spiritual gift that they would be established. Paul wanted them to not be ignorant that many times he purposed to come to Rome but was hindered. The next reference is found in Romans 11:25:

Romans 11:25 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,

“The Deliverer will come from Zion,
he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;
27  “and this will be my covenant with them
when I take away their sins.”   ESV

     For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant of this mystery, lest ye be wise in your own conceits, that a hardening in part hath befallen Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in;

     Paul did not want the Roman believers (which were a blend of Jews and Gentiles) to be ignorant of this mystery. Time and space do not allow me to go into this difficult verse, but the mystery (secret) Paul was referring to here is found in verse 24 where he talks about grafting branches from a wild olive tree into a good olive tree. The mystery is that this process works and it is reference to grafting the Gentiles into the Jewish tree. It is indeed a secret how this can happen. The next reference is found in 1 Corinthians 10:1:

1 Corinthians 10:1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea,

1 Corinthians 10:5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

6 Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” 8 We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 9 We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, 10 nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. 12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.   ESV

     For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;

     This reference actually includes verses 2-4 and in these verses Paul reminds the predominantly Gentile believers in Corinth of the positives that took place in the Children of Israel's passage from Egypt to the Promised Land. It is important that we all never forget the glorious things God did for His people at this time. It is also very important that we never forget what Paul brings up in verses 5-13. The next reference is found in 1 Corinthians 12:1:

1 Corinthians 12:1  Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.   ESV

     Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.

     The words translated “spiritual gifts” are one Greek word pneumatikos which should be translated as “spiritual things or matters” . The entire realm of spiritual matters encompasses not only the matters brought up in the following verses but all matters in the Divine sphere and also in satan's realm (Ephesians 6:12). God does not want us to be ignorant concerning spiritual matters. The next reference is found in 2 Corinthians 1:8:

Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.   ESV

     For we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning our affliction which befell us in Asia, that we were weighed down exceedingly, beyond our power, insomuch that we despaired even of life:

     In light of the context of the first few chapters of 2 Corinthians (which deal with suffering, affliction and tribulation), it is not surprising that Paul expresses his desire that the Corinthian believers not be ignorant of the affliction he and his companions went through in Asia. Specifically, Paul wanted them to not be ignorant of just how dire the situation was, so much so that they feared for their very lives. The next reference is found in 2 Corinthians 2:11:

2 Corinthians 2:11 so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.   ESV

     that no advantage may be gained over us by Satan: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

     The direct context of this verse is found in verse 10 which is FORGIVENESS. Nothing opens the door to satan faster and more effectively than lack of forgiveness. Nothing gives satan an advantage over God's people more than when they fail to forgive each other. Logically, satan does everything in his power to keep believers from manifesting forgiveness. We must not be ignorant of this truth lest satan gain an advantage over us. The final reference is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:13:

1 Thessalonians 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.   ESV

     But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them that fall asleep; that ye sorrow not, even as the rest, who have no hope.

     What greater way to conclude this study than to bring it back to the hope we have of Christ's return! Specifically, Paul did not want the believers to be ignorant regarding the state of those who had passed away. He did not want the believers to sorrow as the unbelievers did when they lost someone. Verses 14-18 go on to give the incredible details of what our hope entails. The dead in Christ shall rise first and then we which are alive will be gathered together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and forever be with Him.

     The opposite of being ignorant of something is to know or understand. In each of these seven references, God is laying out specific things He wants us to KNOW, UNDERSTAND and COMPREHEND. The more we concentrate on “not being ignorant” of these things, the more we will tap into the heart of God as manifested in the Church Epistles.

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Kirk M. A retired minister living with his wife and animals in rural eastern Missouri

Read The Psalms In "1" Year

Book Three

Psalm 73

God Is My Strength and Portion Forever
73 A Psalm Of Asaph.

12 Behold, these are the wicked;
always at ease, they increase in riches.
13 All in vain have I kept my heart clean
and washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all the day long I have been stricken
and rebuked every morning.
15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
I would have betrayed the generation of your children.

16 But when I thought how to understand this,
it seemed to me a wearisome task,
17 until I went into the sanctuary of God;
then I discerned their end.

18 Truly you set them in slippery places;
you make them fall to ruin.
19 How they are destroyed in a moment,
swept away utterly by terrors!
20 Like a dream when one awakes,
O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms.
21 When my soul was embittered,
when I was pricked in heart,
22 I was brutish and ignorant;
I was like a beast toward you.

ESV Study Bible

By John Walvoord

Messianic Prophecy and the Kingdom (continued)

     Psalm 15:1–5. The one who walks with the Lord will not be shaken. This is fulfilled in history.

     Psalm 16:1–11. This  Psalm is considered one of the messianic  Psalms because verses  8–11 were quoted by Peter ( Acts 2:25–28 ), and verse  10 was quoted by Paul at Antioch ( Acts 13:35 ). David expressed his faith that he would not be abandoned to the grave ( Ps. 16:10 ), referring to himself, but he added that God would not “let your Holy One see decay” (v.  10 ). This was fulfilled by Christ, as David’s body did decay. David would continue in the grave, but in his resurrection he would experience “the path of life” (v.  11 ).

     As used by Peter and Paul,  Psalm 16:10 referred to Christ’s resurrection and was quoted as proof that the resurrection of Christ was predicted. Others today can enjoy fellowship with God as long as they live and have the assurance that when they die, though their bodies may be placed in the grave, they are subject to future resurrection and meanwhile will enjoy fellowship with God in heaven.

     Psalm 18:1–50; cf.  62:12. David enjoyed God’s wonderful deliverance from his enemies and praises God for His goodness.

     Psalm 22:1–31. This  Psalm is considered one of the messianic  Psalms because some of the expressions in the  Psalm go far beyond any sufferings which David himself experienced. There was no known incident in the life of David that exactly corresponded to what the  Psalm states. What may have been true of David as a type of one suffering was literally fulfilled by the sufferings of Christ.

     The opening verse of  Psalm 22 (“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?”) was quoted by Christ, as recorded in  Matthew 27:46 and  Mark 15:34.

     In his distress David reassured himself that his God was “enthroned” ( Ps. 22:3 ). The scorn and mocking of men and their insults mentioned in verses  6–8 was similar to what those mocking Christ on the cross expressed, not realizing they were quoting Scripture (cf.  Matt. 27:39, 42–44 ). Those who surrounded the cross were compared to bulls and roaring lions ( Ps. 22:12–13 ). His “strength is dried up like a potsherd” (v.  15 ).

     This is an obvious reference to the crucifixion: “Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet” (v.  16 ). The “dogs” were evil men.

     Rude stares and the casting of lots for His clothing are described in verses  17–18. David’s personal deliverance is indicated in verses  22–24, but it may also refer to Christ in His postresurrection ministry. The ultimate result is predicted in verses  27–28: “All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before Him, for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations.” The  Psalm closes in verses  29–31 with a note of victory and praise that refers to David’s life, and, in the case of Christ, to His postresurrection triumph.

     Psalm 23:1–6. This Shepherd  Psalm is not usually included among the messianic  Psalms, but the role of the Lord as David’s shepherd anticipated the role of Christ as the Good Shepherd who would care for His flock in this present life.

     David declared, “I shall lack nothing” (v.  1 ), that his soul would be restored (v.  3 ), and that he would “walk through the valley of the shadow of death” (v.  4 ) without fearing evil. The Lord’s goodness will follow him all the days of his life, and he has the hope of dwelling in the house of the Lord forever (vv.  5–6 ).  Psalm 23 paralleled the experience of present-age believers, who are nourished and restored spiritually, are led by the Lord in their walk, and are protected by Him in times of danger.

     Psalm 24:1–10. This  Psalm is also not considered a messianic  Psalm, and yet the wording of the  Psalm goes far beyond anything that David experienced. Some believe that it was written in connection with the ark being brought into Jerusalem and placed in the temple ( 2 Sam. 6 ). The importance of “clean hands and a pure heart” was essential to receiving the blessing from God ( Ps. 24:4–5 ). The references to the “King of Glory” (vv.  7, 9–10 ) obviously went beyond the experience of David as king of Israel and anticipated the Lord’s coming to claim the earth in His second coming.

     Psalm 27:12. False witnesses would be brought against Christ ( Matt. 26:59–61; Mark 14:57–59 ). This also is mentioned in  Psalm 35:11.

     Psalm 31:1–24. This is another  Psalm that is not considered messianic, but verse  5 states, “Into your hands I commit my spirit.” Christ repeated these precise words when He was on the cross ( Luke 23:46 ). Peter expressed the same thought in  1 Peter 4:19.

     Psalm 34:20. In the sacrifice of Christ no bones were to be broken, in contrast to the treatment of the two thieves ( John 19:36 ).

     Psalm 35:19. Christ was to be hated without a cause ( John 15:24–25; cf.  Ps. 69:4 ).

     Psalm 38:11. Friends stay far away ( Matt. 27:55; Mark 15:40; Luke 23:49 ).

     Psalm 40:6–10. This is considered a messianic  Psalm largely because verses  6–8 are quoted in  Hebrews 10:5–7 as fulfilled. As the  Psalm states, these verses refer to David’s praise to the Lord and his desire to do the will of God. This, however, also anticipated prophetically Christ’s perfect obedience and His sacrifice as superior to the sacrifices of the Mosaic law. The argument of  Hebrews 10 is that Christ in His perfect sacrifice supplied that which the Law could not do with its temporary sacrifices. Key words in the  Psalm are righteousness (vv.  9–10 ), faithfulness, salvation, love, and truth (v.  10 ).

     Psalm 41:1–13. God protects His own. This prophesy is fulfilled in history.

     Psalm 41:9. Christ was to be betrayed by a friend (v.  9 ), which was fulfilled in His lifetime ( Matt. 26:14–16, 47, 50; Mark 14:17–21; Luke 22:21–23; John 13:18–19; cf.  Ps. 55:12–14 ).

     Psalm 45:1–17. This is classified as a messianic  Psalm because verses  6–7 refer to David’s throne as eternal ( 2 Sam. 7:16 ), and these verses are quoted in  Hebrews 1:8–9 regarding the ultimate rule of Christ on earth. As the Scripture states, God’s “throne... will last forever and ever” ( Ps. 45:6 ), and His rule will be characterized by righteousness and justice. Verses  8–9 picture the king on his wedding day. The beauty of the bride is described in verse  11: “The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord.” The bride is further described in verse  13–14. Her garments are “interwoven with gold” (v.  13 ) and beautifully “embroidered” (v.  14 ). Future children of the bride are described as princes, and their memory will be perpetuated (vv.  16–17 ).

     Though the  Psalm seems to refer to a wedding of David, it is remarkably similar to the concept of Christ and His bride. The apostle John may have had this passage in mind in  Revelation 19:6–21. The  Psalm as a whole, therefore, is typical of Christ as the King and son of David and will be fulfilled in the Rapture.

     Psalm 46:4–10. Here there is reference to God’s making wars cease and being exalted among the nations (vv.  9–10 ). This will not be literally fulfilled until Christ returns in His second coming.

     Psalm 68:18–19. Christ will lead captives in His ascension ( Eph. 4:8 ). He will also crush the heads of His enemies. This was fulfilled in David’s lifetime and will be fulfilled by Christ at His second coming ( Rev. 19:11–15 ).

     Psalm 69:1–36. Often considered a messianic  Psalm, the portions of this  Psalm detailing David’s cry for help parallel the sufferings of Christ. Those who hated David were similar to those who hated Christ, as verse  4 states: “Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head.” The zeal of David in verse  9, “for zeal for your house consumes me,” was related by the disciples to Christ in explaining Christ’s cleansing of the temple ( John 2:17 ). In  Psalm 69:21 David stated, “They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.” This relates to the vinegar given to Christ on the cross ( Matt. 27:48; Mark 15:36; Luke 23:36 ). Though not a direct prophecy, these passages can be interpreted typically as relating to Christ.

     Psalm 72:1–20. This obviously qualifies as a messianic  Psalm. Generally speaking, this  Psalm predicts that the righteous will prosper and the wicked will be judged. According to the inscription, it was written by Solomon and is one of two  Psalms that he wrote (cf.  Ps. 127 ). It begins with a prayer for the king and then prophesies his successful reign (vv.  1–3; cf.  2 Chron. 9:1–28 ).

     As the  Psalm unfolds, however, it went far beyond anything that Solomon himself could fulfill. In  Psalm 72:5, the King is predicted to “endure as long as the sun, as long as the moon, through all generations.” Likewise, in verse  7 Solomon stated, “In his days the righteous will flourish; prosperity will abound till the moon is no more.” These prophecies obviously went beyond the reign of Solomon and anticipated the reign of Christ in the millennium and ultimately His eternal reign ( Isa. 2:1–5 ).

     The fact that all kings will be under him, as stated in  Psalm 72:11, was relatively fulfilled by Solomon because the kings in his area bowed to him, but obviously, this did not include the whole globe. Of both Christ and Solomon it could be said, “May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun” (v.  17 ). Though Solomon would not live forever, his good name has been perpetuated by the Scriptures that describe his reign. The final prayer anticipates that “the whole earth” will “be filled with his glory” (v.  19 ), to be fulfilled in the millennium.

     The final verse of the  Psalm states, “This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse” (v.  20 ). However, according to the inscriptions, David was the author of other  Psalms, such as  Psalms 86, 101, 103, 108–110, 122, 124, 131, 133, 138–145. This  Psalm supports the premillennial interpretation of Scripture, as it does not find fulfillment in history. The scene was earth, not heaven, and its identification of the Euphrates River (v.  8 ) made clear that it will not be the new earth of  Revelation 21–22.

     Psalm 78:2. The coming Messiah will speak in parables and will reveal things formerly hidden.

     Psalm 89:1–37. This also is clearly one of the messianic  Psalms. God declared, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant, ‘I will establish your line forever and make your throne firm through all generations’” (vv.  3–4 ). This  Psalm confirmed the Davidic covenant revealed in  2 Samuel 7:11–16 (cf. discussion of Davidic covenant).

     The psalmist also declared that God’s love for David will continue forever, that his covenant will never fail, and that his throne will endure as long as the heavens do ( Ps. 89:28–37; Jer. 23:5–8 ). The contingency of disobedience on the part of his descendants was faced. God promised that if they forsook His covenant and His commands, He would punish them, but He would not reverse the covenant: “But I will not take my love from him, nor will I ever betray my faithfulness. I will not violate my covenant or alter what my lips have uttered. Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness — and I will not lie to David — that his line will continue forever and his throne endure before me like the sun; it will be established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky” ( Ps. 89:33–37 ).

     Any interpretation that takes these words in their normal meanings, relating these promises to the Davidic covenant and to the kingdom on earth, will find that the only possible complete fulfillment is through Christ Himself following His second coming.

     Amillenarians take various approaches to this passage, but generally do not treat it literally, finding fulfillment in the present age in the grace of God extended to the church or referring to the reign of Christ on the heavenly throne.

     Psalm 96:1–13. Psalm 96–99, though not generally considered messianic  Psalms, by their content justify consideration as messianic. The psalmist anticipated the time when the Lord will reign over the earth and judge people with justice ( 96:10–13 ). It was a time described as one of joy on earth. The psalmist concluded, “He comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth” (v.  13 ). This will be fulfilled in the millennium.

     Psalm 97:1–12. The opening verse declares that the Lord is reigning. The  Psalm as a whole describes the millennial blessings of Christ when He will come to reign over the earth. This will be fulfilled in the millennium.

     Psalm 98:1–9. This  Psalm speaks of the joy on earth when the Lord reigns and concludes, “Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; let them sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity” (vv.  8–9 ). This will be fulfilled in the millennium.

     Psalm 99:1–9. Starting in a similar way, this  Psalm states, “The LORD reigns, let the nations tremble” (v.  1 ). The Lord is pictured as King in Zion, as One who loves justice (vv.  2–4 ). Moses and Aaron ministered as priests and “Samuel was among those who called on his name” (v.  6 ). This will be fulfilled in the millennium.

     Psalm 102:12–28. This  Psalm refers to the future kingdom on earth. “The nations will fear the name of the LORD, all the kings of the earth will revere your glory. For the LORD will rebuild Zion and appear in his glory” (vv.  15–16 ). This will be fulfilled in the millennium.

     Psalm 105:5–11. The covenant that the Lord made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will continue forever. “He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth. He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac. He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant: ‘To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit’” (vv.  7–11 ). As another reference to the Abrahamic covenant, this  Psalm confirms that the fulfillment will be literal and certain and that the promise was destined for fulfillment in the millennial kingdom.

     Psalm 110:1–7. This is classified as a messianic  Psalm because it clearly refers to Jesus Christ as King.  Psalm 110:1 describes His present position: “The LORD says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’” Christ is declared “a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek” (v.  4 ). His judgment in the millennial kingdom is mentioned: “The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his wrath. He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth” (vv.  5–6 ). This obviously is a reference to the beginning of the millennial kingdom after the second coming of Christ. This is fulfilled in history and prophecy.

     Psalm 118:2–29. This  Psalm is a direct prophecy concerning Christ. “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (vv.  22–24 ). Christ as the rejected King in His second coming will be the capstone, that is, He will fulfill what was anticipated in His authority as King of Kings in ruling the entire earth.

     Psalm 132:11–18. The oath that God made to David was declared: “A sure oath that he will not revoke” (v.  11 ). The psalmist continued, “One of your own descendants I will place on your throne — if your sons keep my covenant and the statues I teach them, then their sons will sit on your throne forever and ever” (vv.  11–12 ). This is fulfilled in history and prophecy.

     Psalm 145:13–14. God will fulfill His promises and possess His kingdom forever. This will be fulfilled in the millennium and in eternity.

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Every Prophecy of the Bible: Clear Explanations for Uncertain Times

Psalm 133 Charles Spurgeon

By Charles Spurgeon 06-19-1834 - 01-31-1892

TITLE.

     A Song of Degrees of David. We see no reason for depriving David of the authorship of this sparkling sonnet. He knew by experience the bitterness occasioned by divisions in families, and was well prepared to celebrate in choicest Psalmody the blessing of unity for which he sighed. Among the "songs of degrees", this hymn has certainly attained unto a good degree, and even in common literature it is frequently quoted for its perfume and dew. In this Psalm there is no wry word, all is "sweetness and light", —a notable ascent from Psalm 110 with which the Pilgrims set out. That is full of war and lamentation, but this sings of peace and pleasantness. The visitors to Zion were about to return, and this may have been their hymn of joy because they had seen such union among the tribes who had gathered at the common altar. The previous Psalm, which sings of the covenant, had also revealed the centre of Israel's unity in the Lord's anointed and the promises made to him. No wonder that brethren dwell in unity when God dwells among them, and finds his rest in them. Our translators have given to this Psalm an admirable explanatory heading, "The benefit of the communion of saints." These good men often hit off the meaning of a passage in a few words.

EXPOSITION

     Verse 1. Behold. It is a wonder seldom seen, therefore behold it! It may be seen, for it is the characteristic of real saints, —therefore fail not to inspect it! It is well worthy of admiration; pause and gaze upon it! It will charm you into imitation, therefore note it well! God looks on with approval, therefore consider it with attention. How good and holy pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! No one can tell the exceeding excellence of such a condition; and so the Psalmist uses the word "how" twice; — Behold how good! and how pleasant! He does not attempt to measure either the good or the pleasure, but invites us to behold for ourselves. The combination of the two adjectives "good" and "pleasant", is more remarkable than the conjunction of two stars of the first magnitude: for a thing to be "good" is good, but for it also to be pleasant is better. All men love pleasant things, and yet it frequently happens that the pleasure is evil; but here the condition is as good as it is pleasant, as pleasant as it is good, for the same "how" is set before each qualifying word.

     For brethren according to the flesh to dwell together is not always wise; for experience teaches that they are better a little apart, and it is shameful for them to dwell together in disunion. They had much better part in peace like Abraham and Lot, than dwell together in envy like Joseph's brothers. When brethren can and do dwell together in unity, then is their communion worthy to be gazed upon and sung of in holy Psalmody. Such sights ought often to be seen among those who are near of kin, for they are brethren, and therefore should be united in heart and aim; they dwell together, and it is for their mutual comfort that there should be no strife; and yet how many families are rent by fierce feuds, and exhibit a spectacle which is neither good nor pleasant!

     As to brethren in spirit, they ought to dwell together in church fellowship, and in that fellowship one essential matter is unity. We can dispense with uniformity if we possess unity: oneness of life, truth, and way; oneness in Christ Jesus; oneness of object and spirit — these we must have, or our assemblies will be synagogues of contention rather than churches of Christ. The closer the unity the better; for the more of the good and the pleasant there will be. Since we are imperfect beings, somewhat of the evil and the unpleasant is sure to intrude; but this will readily be neutralized and easily ejected by the true love of the saints,  if it really exists. Christian unity is good in itself, good for ourselves, good for the brethren, good for our converts, good for the outside world; and for certain it is pleasant; for a loving heart must have pleasure and give pleasure in associating with others of like nature. A church united for years in earnest service of the Lord is a well of goodness and joy to all those who dwell round about it.

     Verse 2. It is like the precious ointment upon the head. In order that we may the better behold brotherly unity David gives us a resemblance, so that as in a glass we may perceive its blessedness. It has a sweet perfume about it, comparable to that precious ointment with which the first High Priest was anointed at his ordination. It is a holy thing, and so again is like the oil of consecration which was to be used only in the Lord's service. What a sacred thing must brotherly love be when it can be likened to an oil which must never be poured on any man but on the Lord's high priest alone! It is a diffusive thing: being poured on his bead the fragrant oil flowed down upon Aaron's head, and thence dropped upon his garments till the utmost hem was anointed therewith; and even so doth brotherly love extend its benign power and bless all who are beneath its influence. Hearty concord brings a benediction upon all concerned; its goodness and pleasure are shared in by the lowliest members of the household; even the servants are the better and the happier because of the lovely unity among the members of the family. It has a special use about it; for as by the anointing oil Aaron was set apart for the special service of Jehovah, even so those who dwell in love are the better fitted to glorify God in his church. The Lord is not likely to use for his glory those who are devoid of love; they lack the anointing needful to make them priests unto the Lord. That ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard. This is a chief point of comparison, that as the oil did not remain confined to the place where it first fell, but flowed down the High Priest's hair and bedewed his beard, even so brotherly love descending from the head distils and descends, anointing as it runs, and perfuming all it lights upon. That went down to the skirts of his garments. Once set in motion it would not cease from flowing. It might seem as if it were better not to smear his garments with oil, but the sacred unguent could not be restrained, it flowed over his holy robes; even thus does brotherly love not only flow over the hearts upon which it was first poured out, and descend to those who are an inferior part of the mystical body of Christ, but it runs where it is not sought for, asking neither leave nor license to make its way. Christian affection knows no limits of parish, nation, sect, or age. Is the man a believer in Christ? Then he is in the one body, and I must yield him an abiding love. Is he one of the poorest, one of the least spiritual, one of the least lovable? Then he is as the skirts of the garment, and my heart's love must fall even upon him. Brotherly love comes from the head, but falls to the feet. Its way is downward. It "ran down", and it" went down": love for the brethren condescends to men of low estate, it is not puffed up, but is lowly and meek. This is no small part of its excellence: oil would not anoint if it did not flow down, neither would brotherly love diffuse its blessing if it did not descend.

     Verse 3. As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion. From the loftier mountains the moisture appears to be wafted to the lesser hills: the dews of Hermon fall on Zion. The Alpine Lebanon ministers to the minor elevation of the city of David; and so does brotherly love descend from the higher to the lower, refreshing and enlivening in its course. Holy concord is as dew, mysteriously blessed, full of life and growth for all plants of grace. It brings with it so much benediction that it is as no common dew, but as that of Hermon which is specially copious, and far reaching. The proper rendering is, "As the dew of Hermon that descended upon the mountains of Zion", and this tallies with the figure which has been already used; and sets forth by a second simile the sweet descending diffusiveness of brotherly unity. For there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore. That is, in Zion, or better still, in the place where brotherly love abounds. Where love reigns God reigns. Where love wishes blessing, there God commands the blessing. God has but to command, and it is done. He is so pleased to see his dear children happy in one another that he fails not to make them happy in himself. He gives especially his best blessing of eternal life, for love is life; dwelling together in love we have begun the enjoyments of eternity, and these shall not be taken from us. Let us love for evermore, and we shall live for evermore. This makes Christian brotherhood so good and pleasant; it has Jehovah's blessing resting upon it, and it cannot be otherwise than sacred like "the precious ointment", and heavenly like "the dew of Hermon." O for more of this rare virtue! Not the love which comes and goes, but that which dwells; not that spirit which separates and secludes, but that which dwells together; not that mind which is all for debate and difference, but that which dwells together in unity. Never shall we know the full power of the anointing till we are of one heart and of one spirit; never will the sacred dew of the Spirit descend in all its fulness till we are perfectly joined together in the same mind; never will the covenanted and commanded blessing come forth from the Lord our God till once again we shall have "one Lord, one faith, one baptism." Lord, lead us into this most precious spiritual unity, for thy Son's sake. Amen.

     Excerpt from The Treasury of David: Spurgeon's Great Commentary on Psalms

     When Charles Spurgeon died in January 1892, London went into mourning. Nearly 60,000 people came to pay homage during the three days his body lay in state at the Metropolitan Tabernacle. Some 100,000 lined the streets as a funeral parade two miles long followed his hearse from the Tabernacle to the cemetery. Flags flew at half-staff and shops and pubs were closed. See entire article here.

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The Continual Burnt Offering (Mark 14:34)

By H.A. Ironside - 1941

July 10

Mark 14:34 And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.”   ESV

     The Gethsemane experience of our precious Lord, incomprehensible as it is to our finite minds, emphasizes, as perhaps nothing else could, the reality of His humanity and His utter abhorrence of sin. Although He had become incarnate for the very purpose of becoming the propitiation for our sins, yet as the solemn hour drew nigh when the weight of a world’s iniquity must be heaped upon Him, His holy soul shrank from the fearful ordeal. Hence the impassioned prayer. “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me.” But His human will was absolutely subordinated to the divine will, as evidenced by the words, “If this cup cannot pass…unless I drink it. Your will be done” (Matthew 26:42).

     In that garden was settled forever the question as to whether there was any other possible way of salvation for lost men, except through the pouring out of His soul unto death and the draining of the bitter cup of divine wrath against sin.

     The hour and the cup are synonymous. That hour had been before Him ever since He came into the world. It was the hour when He should give Himself a ransom for many. We need to realize that it was not easy for the humanity of Jesus to make this supreme sacrifice. It involved circumstances and conditions that the holy One could only contemplate with horror. Let us learn from His agony in the garden something at least of what it will mean for impenitent sinners to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31).


Matthew 26:42  Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”

Hebrews 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.   ESV

Death and the curse were in that cup,
O Christ, ‘twas full for Thee,
But Thou hast drained the last dark drop,
Left but the love for me.
That bitter cup, love drank it up,
Now blessing’s draught for me.
--- Anne Ross Cousin

The Continual Burnt Offering: Daily Meditations on the Word of God

The Institutes of the Christian Religion

Translated by Henry Beveridge

     17. Some, in order obstinately to maintain the error which they have once rashly adopted, hesitate not to assert that the dimensions of Christ's flesh are not more circumscribed than those of heaven and earth. His birth as an infant, his growth, his extension on the cross, his confinement in the sepulchre, were effected, they say, by a kind of dispensation, that he might perform the offices of being born, of dying, and of other human acts: his being seen with his wonted bodily appearance after the resurrection, his ascension into heaven, his appearance, after his ascension, to Stephen and Paul, were the effect of the same dispensation, that it might be made apparent to the eye of man that he was constituted King in heaven. What is this but to call forth Marcion from his grave? For there cannot be a doubt that the body of Christ, if so constituted, was a phantasm, or was phantastical. Some employ a rather more subtle evasion, That the body which is given in the sacrament is glorious and immortal, and that, therefore, there is no absurdity in its being contained under the sacrament in various places, or in no place, and in no form. But, I ask, what did Christ give to his disciples the day before he suffered? Do not the words say that he gave the mortal body, which was to be delivered shortly after? But, say they, he had previously manifested his glory to the three disciples on the mount (Mt. 17:2). This is true; but his purpose was to give them for the time a taste of immortality. Still they cannot find there a twofold body, but only the one which he had assumed, arrayed in new glory. When he distributed his body in the first Supper, the hour was at hand in which he was "stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted" (Isa. 53:4). So far was he from intending at that time to exhibit the glory of his resurrection. And here what a door is opened to Marcion, if the body of Christ was seen humble and mortal in one place, glorious and immortal in another! And yet, if their opinion is well-founded, the same thing happens every day, because they are forced to admit that the body of Christ, which is in itself visible, lurks invisibly under the symbol of bread. And yet those who send forth such monstrous dogmas, so far from being ashamed at the disgrace, assail us with virulent invectives for not subscribing to them.

18. But assuming that the body and blood of Christ are attached to the bread and wine, then the one must necessarily be dissevered from the other. For as the bread is given separately from the cup, so the body, united to the bread, must be separated from the blood, included in the cup. For since they affirm that the body is in the bread, and the blood is in the cup, while the bread and wine are, in regard to space, at some distance from each other, they cannot, by any quibble, evade the conclusion that the body must be separated from the blood. Their usual pretence--viz. that the blood is in the body, and the body again in the blood, by what they call concomitance, is more than frivolous, since the symbols in which they are included are thus distinguished. But if we are carried to heaven with our eyes and minds, that we may there behold Christ in the glory of his kingdom, as the symbols invite us to him in his integrity, so, under the symbol of bread, we must feed on his body, and, under the symbol of wine, drink separately of his blood, and thereby have the full enjoyment of him. For though he withdrew his flesh from us, and with his body ascended to heaven, he, however, sits at the right hand of the Father; that is, he reigns in power and majesty, and the glory of the Father. This kingdom is not limited by any intervals of space, nor circumscribed by any dimensions. Christ can exert his energy wherever he pleases, in earth and heaven, can manifest his presence by the exercise of his power, can always be present with his people, breathing into them his own life, can live in them, sustain, confirm, and invigorate them, and preserve them safe, just as if he were with them in the body; in fine, can feed them with his own body, communion with which he transfuses into them. After this manner, the body and blood of Christ are exhibited to us in the sacrament.

19. The presence of Christ in the Supper we must hold to be such as neither affixes him to the element of bread, nor encloses him in bread, nor circumscribes him in any way (this would obviously detract from his celestial glory); and it must, moreover, be such as neither divests him of his just dimensions, nor dissevers him by differences of place, nor assigns to him a body of boundless dimensions, diffused through heaven and earth. All these things are clearly repugnant to his true human nature. Let us never allow ourselves to lose sight of the two restrictions. First, Let there be nothing derogatory to the heavenly glory of Christ. This happens whenever he is brought under the corruptible elements of this world, or is affixed to any earthly creatures. Secondly, Let no property be assigned to his body inconsistent with his human nature. This is done when it is either said to be infinite, or made to occupy a variety of places at the same time. But when these absurdities are discarded, I willingly admit anything which helps to express the true and substantial communication of the body and blood of the Lord, as exhibited to believers under the sacred symbols of the Supper, understanding that they are received not by the imagination or intellect merely, but are enjoyed in reality as the food of eternal life. For the odium with which this view is regarded by the world, and the unjust prejudice incurred by its defence, there is no cause, unless it be in the fearful fascinations of Satan. What we teach on the subject is in perfect accordance with Scripture, contains nothing absurd, obscure, or ambiguous, is not unfavourable to true piety and solid edification; in short, has nothing in it to offend, save that, for some ages, while the ignorance and barbarism of sophists reigned in the Church, the clear light and open truth were unbecomingly suppressed. And yet as Satan, by means of turbulent spirits, is still, in the present day, exerting himself to the utmost to bring dishonour on this doctrine by all kinds of calumny and reproach, it is right to assert and defend it with the greatest care.

20. Before we proceed farther, we must consider the ordinance itself, as instituted by Christ, because the most plausible objection of our opponents is, that we abandon his words. To free ourselves from the obloquy with which they thus load us, the fittest course wil1 be to begin with an interpretation of the words. Three Evangelists and Paul relate that our Saviour took bread, and after giving thanks, brake it, and gave it to his disciples, saving, Take, eat: this is my body which is given or broken for you. Of the cup, Matthew and Mark say, "This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Mt. 26:26; Mark 14:22). Luke and Paul say, "This cup is the new testament in my blood" (Luke 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:25). The advocates of transubstantiation insist, that by the pronoun, this, is denoted the appearance of bread, because the whole complexion of our Saviour's address is an act of consecration, and there is no substance which can be demonstrated. But if they adhere so religiously to the words, inasmuch as that which our Saviour gave to his disciples he declared to be his body, there is nothing more alien from the strict meaning of the words than the fiction, that what was bread is now body. What Christ takes into his hands, and gives to the apostles, he declares to be his body; but he had taken bread, and, therefore, who sees not that what is given is still bread? Hence, nothing can be more absurd than to transfer what is affirmed of bread to the species of bread. Others, in interpreting the particle is, as equivalent to being transubstantiated, have recourse to a gloss which is forced and violently wrested. They have no ground, therefore, for pretending that they are moved by a reverence for the words. The use of the term is, for being converted into something else, is unknown to every tongue and nation. With regard to those who leave the bread in the Supper, and affirm that it is the body of Christ, there is great diversity among them. Those who speak more modestly, though they insist upon the letter, This is my body, afterwards abandon this strictness, and observe that it is equivalent to saying that the body of Christ is with the bread, in the bread, and under the bread. To the reality which they affirm, we have already adverted, and will by-and-by, at greater length. I am not only considering the words by which they say they are prevented from admitting that the bread is called body, because it is a sign of the body. But if they shun everything like metaphor, why do they leap from the simple demonstration of Christ to modes of expression which are widely different? For there is a great difference between saying that the bread is the body, and that the body is with the bread. But seeing it impossible to maintain the simple proposition that the bread is the body, they endeavoured to evade the difficulty by concealing themselves under those forms of expression. Others, who are bolder, hesitate not to assert that, strictly speaking, the bread is body, and in this way prove that they are truly of the letter. If it is objected that the bread, therefore, is Christ, and, being Christ, is God,--they will deny it, because the words of Christ do not expressly say so. But they gain nothing by their denial, since all agree that the whole Christ is offered to us in the Supper. It is intolerable blasphemy to affirm, without figure, of a fading and corruptible element, that it is Christ. I now ask them, if they hold the two propositions to be identical, Christ is the Son of God, and Bread is the body of Christ? If they concede that they are different (and this, whether they will or not, they will be forced to do), let them tell wherein is the difference. All which they can adduce is, I presume, that the bread is called body in a sacramental manner. Hence it follows, that the words of Christ are not subject to the common rule, and ought not to be tested grammatically. I ask all these rigid and obstinate exactors of the letter, whether, when Luke and Paul call the cup the testament in blood, they do not express the same thing as in the previous clause, when they call bread the body? There certainly was the same solemnity in the one part of the mystery as in the other, and, as brevity is obscure, the longer sentence better elucidates the meaning. As often, therefore, as they contend, from the one expression, that the bread is body, I will adduce an apt interpretation from the longer expression, That it is a testament in the body. What? Can we seek for surer or more faithful expounders than Luke and Paul? I have no intention, however, to detract, in any respect, from the communication of the body of Christ, which I have acknowledged. I only meant to expose the foolish perverseness with which they carry on a war of words. The bread I understand, on the authority of Luke and Paul, to be the body of Christ, because it is a covenant in the body. If they impugn this, their quarrel is not with me, but with the Spirit of God. However often they may repeat, that reverence for the words of Christ will not allow them to give a figurative interpretation to what is spoken plainly, the pretext cannot justify them in thus rejecting all the contrary arguments which we adduce. Meanwhile, as I have already observed, it is proper to attend to the force of what is meant by a testament in the body and blood of Christ. The covenant, ratified by the sacrifice of death, would not avail us without the addition of that secret communication, by which we are made one with Christ.

21. It remains, therefore, to hold, that on account of the affinity which the things signified have with their signs, the name of the thing itself is given to the sign figuratively, indeed, but very appropriately. I say nothing of allegories and parables, lest it should be alleged that I am seeking subterfuges, and slipping out of the present question. I say that the expression which is uniformly used in Scripture, when the sacred mysteries are treated of, is metonymical. For you cannot otherwise understand the expressions, that circumcision is a "covenant"--that the lamb is the Lord's "passover"--that the sacrifices of the law are expiations--that the rock from which the water flowed in the desert was Christ,--unless you interpret them metonymically." [639] Nor is the name merely transferred from the superior to the inferior, but, on the contrary, the name of the visible sign is given to the thing signified, as when God is said to have appeared to Moses in the bush; the ark of the covenant is called God, and the face of God, and the dove is called the Holy Spirit. [640] For although the sign differs essentially from the thing signified, the latter being spiritual and heavenly, the former corporeal and visible,--yet, as it not only figures the thing which it is employed to represent as a naked and empty badge, but also truly exhibits it, why should not its name be justly applied to the thing? But if symbols humanly devised, which are rather the images of absent than the marks of present things, and of which they are very often most fallacious types, are sometimes honoured with their names,--with much greater reason do the institutions of God borrow the names of things, of which they always bear a sure, and by no means fallacious signification, and have the reality annexed to them. So great, then, is the similarity, and so close the connection between the two, that it is easy to pass from the one to the other. Let our opponents, therefore, cease to indulge their mirth in calling us Tropists, when we explain the sacramental mode of expression according to the common use of Scripture. For, while the sacraments agree in many things, there is also, in this metonymy, a certain community in all respects between them. As, therefore, the apostle says that the rock from which spiritual water flowed forth to the Israelites was Christ (1 Cor. 10:4), and was thus a visible symbol under which, that spiritual drink was truly perceived, though not by the eye, so the body of Christ is now called bread, inasmuch as it is a symbol under which our Lord offers us the true eating of his body. Lest any one should despise this as a novel invention, the view which Augustine took and expressed was the same: "Had not the sacraments a certain resemblance to the things of which they are sacraments, they would not be sacraments at all. And from this resemblance, they generally have the names of the things themselves. This, as the sacrament of the body of Christ, is, after a certain manner, the body of Christ, and the sacrament of Christ is the blood of Christ; so the sacrament of faith is faith" (August. Ep. 23, ad Bonifac.). He has many similar passages, which it would be superfluous to collect, as that one may suffice. I need only remind my readers, that the same doctrine is taught by that holy man in his Epistle to Evodius. Where Augustine teaches that nothing is more common than metonymy in mysteries, it is a frivolous quibble to object that there is no mention of the Supper. Were this objection sustained, it would follow, that we are not entitled to argue from the genus to the species; e. g., Every animal is endued with motion; and, therefore, the horse and the ox are endued with motion. [641] Indeed, longer discussion is rendered unnecessary by the words of the Saint himself, where he says, that when Christ gave the symbol of his body, he did not hesitate to call it his body (August. Cont. Adimantum, cap. 12). He elsewhere says, "Wonderful was the patience of Christ in admitting Judas to the feast, in which he committed and delivered to the disciples the symbol of his body and blood" (August. in. Ps. 3).

22. Should any morose person, shutting his eyes to everything else, insist upon the expression, This is, as distinguishing this mystery from all others, the answer is easy. They say that the substantive verb is so emphatic, as to leave no room for interpretation. Though I should admit this, I answer, that the substantive verb occurs in the words of Paul (1 Cor. 10:16), where he calls the bread the communion of the body of Christ. But communion is something different from the body itself. Nay, when the sacraments are treated of, the same word occurs: "My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant" (Gen. 17:13). "This is the ordinance of the passover" (Exod. 12:43). To say no more, when Paul declares that the rock was Christ (1 Cor. 10:4), why should the substantive verb, in that passage, be deemed less emphatic than in the discourse of Christ? When John says, "The Holy Ghost was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified" (John 7:39), I should like to know what is the force of the substantive verb? If the rule of our opponents is rigidly observed, the eternal essence of the Spirit will be destroyed, as if he had only begun to be after the ascension of Christ. Let them tell me, in fine, what is meant by the declaration of Paul, that baptism is "the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost" (Tit. 3:5); though it is certain that to many it was of no use. But they cannot be more effectually refuted than by the expression of Paul, that the Church is Christ. For, after introducing the similitude of the human body, he adds, "So also is Christ" (1 Cor. 7:12), when he means not the only-begotten Son of God in himself, but in his members. I think I have now gained this much, that all men of sense and integrity will be disgusted with the calumnies of our enemies, when they give out that we discredit the words of Christ; though we embrace them not less obediently than they do, and ponder them with greater reverence. Nay, their supine security proves that they do not greatly care what Christ meant, provided it furnishes them with a shield to defend their obstinacy, while our careful investigation should be an evidence of the authority which we yield to Christ. They invidiously pretend that human reason will not allow us to believe what Christ uttered with his sacred mouth; but how naughtily they endeavour to fix this odium upon us, I have already, in a great measure, shown, and will still show more clearly. Nothing, therefore, prevents us from believing Christ speaking, and from acquiescing in everything to which he intimates his assent. The only question here is, whether it be unlawful to inquire into the genuine meaning?

23. Those worthy masters, to show that they are of the letter, forbid us to deviate, in the least, from the letter. On the contrary, when Scripture calls God a man of war, as I see that the expression would be too harsh if not interpreted, I have no doubt that the similitude is taken from man. And, indeed, the only pretext which enabled the Anthropomorphites to annoy the orthodox Fathers was by fastening on the expressions, "The eyes of God see;" "It ascended to his ears;" "His hand is stretched out;" "The earth is his footstool;" and exclaimed, that God was deprived of the body which Scripture assigns to him. Were this rule admitted, complete barbarism would bury the whole light of faith. What monstrous absurdities shall fanatical men not be able to extract, if they are allowed to urge every knotty point in support of their dogmas? Their objection, that it is not probable that when Christ was providing special comfort for the apostles in adversity, he spoke enigmatically or obscurely,--supports our view. For, had it not occurred to the apostles that the bread was called the body figuratively, as being a symbol of the body, the extraordinary nature of the thing would doubtless have filled them with perplexity. For, at this very period, John relates, that the slightest difficulties perplexed them (John 14:5, 8; 16:17). They debate, among themselves, how Christ is to go to the Father, and not understanding that the things which were said referred to the heavenly Father, raise a question as to how he is to go out of the world until they shall see him? How, then, could they have been so ready to believe what is repugnant to all reason--viz. that Christ was seated at table under their eye, and yet was contained invisible under the bread? As they attest their consent by eating this bread without hesitation, it is plain that they understood the words of Christ in the same sense as we do, considering what ought not to seem unusual when mysteries are spoken of, that the name of the thing signified was transferred to the sign. There was therefore to the disciples, as there is to us, clear and sure consolation, not involved in any enigma; and the only reason why certain persons reject our interpretation is, because they are blinded by a delusion of the devil to introduce the darkness of enigma, instead of the obvious interpretation of an appropriate figure. Besides, if we insist strictly on the words, our Saviour will be made to affirm erroneously something of the bread different from the cup. He calls the bread body, and the wine blood. There must either be a confusion in terms, or there must be a division separating the body from the blood. Nay, "This is my body," may be as truly affirmed of the cup as of the bread; and it may in turn be affirmed that the bread is the blood. [642] If they answer, that we must look to the end or use for which symbols were instituted, I admit it: but still they will not disencumber themselves of the absurdity which their error drags along with it--viz. that the bread is blood, and the wine is body. Then I know not what they mean when they concede that bread and body are different things, and yet maintain that the one is predicated of the other, properly and without figure, as if one were to say that a garment is different from a man, and yet is properly called a man. Still, as if the victory depended on obstinacy and invective, they say that Christ is charged with falsehood, when it is attempted to interpret his words. It will now be easy for the reader to understand the injustice which is done to us by those carpers at syllables, when they possess the simple with the idea that we bring discredit on the words of Christ; words which, as we have shown, are madly perverted and confounded by them, but are faithfully and accurately expounded by us.

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     Institutes of the Christian Religion