Have ye not read?

Have ye not read?

Matthew 12:3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;

Matthew 12:5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?

Matthew 19:4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,

Matthew 22:31 But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying,

Mark 12:26 And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?

Mark 12:10 And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:

Luke 6:3 And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him;

Have ye never read?

Matthew 21:16 and said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

Mark 2:25 And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?

Did ye never read?

Matthew 21:42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

Sin before the fall?

...the serpent...said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

Regarding the text on the fall of man in Genesis 3:1-7, there is something I have considered from time to time for 40 years. An older preacher friend brought it up when I was a young man. In the text, the transgression of Adam and Eve is taking the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:11). This theological thread runs through the Bible (see, e.g. Romans 5:12; 1 Corinthians. 15:22; 1 Timothy 2:13-14).

If I remember correctly, the preacher asked whether Eve added to God’s word (or lied), in reference to her saying “neither shall ye touch it.” “Neither shall ye touch it” is not included in the restriction of Genesis 3:17 – “of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Did Eve add to what God told Adam (or lie to the serpent). If so, wouldn’t this be a sin. In the end, this preacher sort of downplayed Eve’s claim with a bit of a humourous twist. He said, “Eve was not present when God gave the command to Adam – and that it was probably Adam who told her, saying, ‘Honey, don’t even touch it.’”

Others have suggested that Eve added to (neither shall ye touch it), subtracted from (“We may eat of the fruit of the trees” instead of “mayest freely eat,” and “lest ye die” instead of “shalt surely die”), and modified (“Ye shall not eat of it” instead of “thou shalt not eat of it”) God’s command. If adding to and taking from God’s word is a sin (Deuteronomy 4:2; Revelation 22:18-19), why was Eve not already in sin before she ever took the fruit?

I am not particularly troubled by this question, but find it somewhat intriguing. It seems a question worthy of legitimate scrutiny.

What are your thoughts? Thanks.

When...I went into the sanctuary of God...

The house of God is, always has been, and always will be the best place to do theology.

• Psalm 27:4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.
• Psalm 55:14 We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.
• Psalm 73:16-17 When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.
• Psalm 92:13 Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.
• Psalm 122:1 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.
• 1 Timothy 3:15 but if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
• 1 Peter 2:5 ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

The WORD, the Word, and the word

The three words - The Word, the Word, and the word (with due acknowledgement to Standard Sacred Text blog by the Peter Van Kleecks)

The archetypal Word, the revealed living Word, Jesus Christ.[i]

John 1:3, 14a - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. ... And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us…

1 John 1:1 - That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

Revelation 19:13 - And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

The typical Word, the revealed written word, the Scriptures.[ii]

Jeremiah 30:2 - Thus speaketh the Lord God of Israel, saying, Write thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book

Luke 4:4 - And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 - All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

2 Peter 1:19-21 - We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

The atypical word, the preaching of the Word.[iii]

Galatians 1:8 - But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Philippians 1:15-16 - Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: the one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely…

2 Timothy 4:2 - preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

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[i] Archetypal, adjective: having the nature of an archetype, or original model; relating to or denoting an original that has been imitated. Here used in the sense of Jesus as the first or original Word.
[ii] Typical, adjective: having the characteristics or distinctive qualities of a particular type of person or thing; conforming to a particular type. Here used in the sense of the revealed written word conforming in type and character to the living Word, Jesus Christ. The written word is also living, “the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”

[iii] Atypical, adjective: having an uneven nature; not typical; irregular. Here used to describe the “uneven nature” of the preached word – in that it is the word only to the extent or degree that it conforms to the living Word and the written word.

Some Biblical Symbols of the Word

The word of God is food to nourish.

• Milk for babes, 1 Peter 2:2; Hebrews 5:12-14
• Solid food for adults, 1 Corinthians 3:1-2
• Bread for the hungry, Amos 8:11; Matthew 4:4; John 6:35; 
• Dessert to the taste, Psalm 119:103
• Necessary food, Deuteronomy 8:3; Luke 4:4

It is the sword of the Spirit, Ephesians 6:17

It is a refining fire, Jeremiah 20:9

It is a powerful hammer, Jeremiah 23:29

It is a reflecting mirror, James 1:23-25

It is seed to plant, Luke 8:11; 1 Peter 1:23

 

It is a guiding light, Psalm 119:105

It is precious metal, Psalm 12:6; Psalm 19:10

It is testimony, Isaiah 8:19-20

 

It is the breath of God, Psalm 33:6; 2 Timothy 3:16-17

It is a shield of protection, Proverbs 30:5

It is cleansing and refreshing water, Isaiah 55:10-11; John 4:14; Ephesians 5:26

Every word of God is pure

Every word of God is pure, Proverbs 30:5.

Commentary by John Gill:

Every word of God is pure,.... The whole word of God. “All Scripture”, given by inspiration of God, to which Agur directs, as giving the best account of God, of his name, nature, and perfections; of his Son, person, offices, and grace; being pure, very pure, “purified” like silver, purified in a furnace of earth. The whole of Scripture is pure, free from all falsehood and error; coming from the God of truth, who cannot lie, and therefore called “the Scriptures of truth”: every promise is pure as well as precious, made without dissimulation, faithfully performed, and all yea and amen in Christ; every doctrine is pure, free from the mixtures and inventions of men; the sincere milk of the word; consistent and all of a piece, not yea and nay; and tending to promote purity of heart and life; wholesome words, and doctrines according to godliness; see Psalm 12:6”

Not a language

I heard someone say this, or something close to it: 

The Word of God is not a language, but a message that can be transferred, translated, and communicated in any language of the world.

The Water and the Word

For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11

The water and the word do not derive from man, but come down from God out of heaven. God’s thoughts and ways are distinct from man’s thoughts and ways (Isaiah 55:8-9; and man’s need to be repented of, verse 7; also cf. Proverbs 14:12). “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17).

The water and the word serve God’s sovereign purpose. “But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased” (Psalm 115:3). The “Father which is in heaven…maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). Compare 1 Samuel 12:18, Job 5:8-10, Psalm 107:20, Psalm 147:15-18. “The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it” (Psalm 68:11).

The water and the word bring life, refreshing, and sustenance. Compare Psalm 65:10, Isaiah 57:15, John 6:63, John 10:10, Acts 14:17, and Ephesians 5:26. As the rain and the snow nourishes the earth that it may bring forth life and the sustenance of life, so does the word of God as he sends it forth. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live” (John 5:25).

The Transcendent Word

I use the King James Bible. I make no apology for it. I want no other.  I believe it is the word of God. Nevertheless, there is a truth (as the King James translators themselves said)[i] that the word of God is the word of God even in the poorest translations. God’s word cannot be bound (2 Timothy 2:9). We must admit that, in ways we may not understand, the word of God transcends its written forms (Psalms 119:89; Isaiah 55:11).[ii]

To understand this, we must consider the natural element of the word as presented to natural man in the natural realm. The word of the Lord on tables of stone may be thrown to the ground and broken (Exodus 24:12; Exodus 32:15-16, 19). The word of the Lord in a book can be misplaced, even in the house of God (2 Kings 22:8-13). The word of the Lord on a scroll might be cut with a penknife and burned in the fire (Jeremiah 36:21-23).

The word did not cease when it was broken, lost, burned in its written form. Yet, even the broken will be re-inscribed (Exodus 34:1-4, 27-28). The lost will be found (2 Chronicles 34:15). The burned will be duplicated (Jeremiah 36:27-28).

The word of the Lord will not, shall not, pass away (Matthew 24:35). The word of the Lord in its purest form exists in the mind of God, where it is forever (Psalms 119:89). God’s word is just as eternal, just as sure, as God himself! (Cf. also Psalm 12:6; Psalm 119:160; Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 5:18; John 1:1; 1 Peter 1:23-25.)

There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord.

(Proverbs 21:30)

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[i] “Now to the latter we answer; that we do not deny, nay we affirm and avow, that the very meanest translation of the Bible in English, set forth by men of our profession, (for we have seen none of theirs of the whole Bible as yet) containeth the word of God, nay, is the word of God. As the King’s speech, which he uttereth in Parliament, being translated into French, Dutch, Italian, and Latin, is still the King’s speech, though it be not interpreted by every Translator with the like grace, nor peradventure so fitly for phrase, nor so expressly for sense, everywhere.” – “An answer to the imputations of our adversaries,” “Translators to the Reader,” Authorised Version, 1611

[ii] “Transcendent” means “surpassing all others; preeminent or supreme.”

Those who will not hear the word of the Lord...

...will hear the word of the Lord. Isaiah 28:14 Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.

The word of the Lord is a simple word.
Isaiah 28:13 But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little...

The simple word is despised and rejected by the scornful leaders.
Isaiah 28:9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. 10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
The arrogant drunken leaders in Jerusalem (see verses 7 & 8) seem to mock the simple message of Isaiah. It is beneath them. These who fancy themselves PhDs do not need (read "want") a kindergarten level lesson (content) in kindergarten style (expression). They are chewers of meat, not suckers of milk.

The simple word is deferred and replaced by a senseless speech.
Isaiah 28:11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. 12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
The simple word is from their God for their good, an agent of rest and refreshing, yet they would not hear (Cf. Isaiah 30:15). Alec Motyer notices, "When the simple intelligibility of the word is refused, divine judgement falls in the shape of the unintelligible." When they reject what will benefit them, they receive what will judge them.

The simple word is enforced and accomplished by the sovereign God.
Isaiah 28:13 But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
God's word is simple. God's word is truth. It is unchangeable and inescapable. It goes forth from God and will accomplish his purpose and pleasure (Cf. Isaiah 55:10-12). In this case (Isaiah 28:9-13) that purpose concludes in judgment.

The word of the Lord is simple, straightforward and inescapable.

[Note: Idea derived from an outline in The Prophecy of Isaiah: an Introduction & Commentary by J. Alec Motyer, page 229.]

Firm Foundation

Hymn 128
CXXVIII. 11s. Broughton Tune. K____.
Exceeding great and precious Promises, 2 Pet. i. 4.

1. How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in his excellent Word!
What more can he say than to you he hath said?
You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled.

2. In every condition, in sickness, in health,
In poverty's vale, or abounding in wealth;
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea;
"As thy days may demand, shall thy strength ever be."

3. "Fear not, I am with thee, O, be not dismay'd,
I, I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My righteous omnipotent hand."

4. "When thro' the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee, thy deepest distress."

5. "When thro' fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace all-sufficient shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee, I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine."

6. "Even down to old age, all my people shall prove
My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne."

7. "The soul that on Jesus hath lean'd for repose
I will not, I will not, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no never, no never, forsake!"*

* Agreeable to Dr. Doddridge's Translation of Heb. xiii. 5.

This version of the hymn copied from A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors: Intended to be an Appendix to Dr. Watts's Psalms and Hymns by John Rippon, as printed by S. C. Ustick in 1801

Thy Word is like a garden

Thy Word is like a garden, Lord, with flowers bright and fair;
And every one who seeks may pluck a lovely cluster there.
Thy Word is like a deep, deep mine; and jewels rich and rare
Are hidden in its mighty depths for every searcher there.

Thy Word is like a starry host: a thousand rays of light
Are seen to guide the traveler and make his pathway bright.
Thy Word is like an armory, where soldiers may repair;
And find, for life’s long battle day, all needful weapons there.

O may I love Thy precious Word, may I explore the mine,
May I its fragrant flowers glean, may light upon me shine!
O may I find my armor there! Thy Word my trusty sword,
I’ll learn to fight with every foe the battle of the Lord. 

By Edwin Hodder, 1863

John Gill on the ministry of the Word

In a reply on the "Hyper-Calvinism" blog, I mentioned that is a charge often leveled against English Baptist pastor John Gill (1697-1771). Here is a quote from him relative to the subject, plus some of Gene Bridges thoughts on the matter. I post this not as proof of Gill being right or wrong, but simply as a matter of record and opinion concerning what he actually believed, which is sometimes a source of controversy.

“The ministry of the word is for the conversion of sinners; without which churches would not be increased nor supported, and must in course fail, and come to nothing; but the hand of the Lord being with his ministers, many in every age believe and turn to the Lord, and are added to the churches; by which means they are kept up and preserved: and hence it is necessary in the ministers of the word, to set forth the lost and miserable estate and condition of men by nature, the danger they are in, the necessity of regeneration and repentance, and of a better righteousness than their own, and of faith in Christ; which things are blessed for the turning of men from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God.” -- John Gill, Body of Divinity, Vol. 2, as quoted by Tom Nettles in his book By His Grace and For His Glory, p.106 (Read Nettles 73-107 for further discussion of Gill & Hyper-Calvinism)

“Gill's use of the offers vocabulary usually throws people who read it today without knowing his operative categories. You have to remember, Gill was an academic who was trying to be extremely precise. His precision is his downfall, because others who were not as precise have taken and still take his work and misunderstand it, thus historians have had a hard time with where to place him...Gill divides the supra scheme into two parts: positive and negative, where the positive is active, with God effectuating His decree to elect by regeneration; it is passive with respect to reprobation by God passing men over, not by God putting fresh unbelief in their hearts and minds. He says that the degree of reprobation "puts nothing in them, it leaves them as it finds them, and therefore does them no injustice." ...Gill did not deny duty faith. This is the single most commonly adduced charge against him, and it seems based on his rejection of the offers vocabulary. True, he did state: GOD does not require all men to believe in Christ and where he does it is according to the revelation he makes of him. He does not require the heathen, who are without external revelation of Christ to believe him at all; and those who have the outward ministry of the word unattended with the special illuminations of God's Spirit are obliged to believe no further than the external revelations they enjoy reaches. (Cause of God and Truth). However, he is simply stating here that man is not condemned for disbelieving the gospel, rather he is condemned for his sins. The basis for the condemnation of those who have never heard is not their rejection of Christ, but their sins. In short, if they die without hearing the gospel, they are justly condemned and their separation from the gospel reflects the presumptive judgment of God. This is not, as some have thought, a denial of duty faith. Elsewhere he writes that "It is man's duty to believe the word of the Lord and obey His will, though he has not a power, yea, even though God has decreed to withhold that grace without which he cannot believe and obey." ... Gill's take on the offers vocabulary is what really throws us for a loop today, because when we see "offer" we think "free offer of the gospel" and the duty of the minister to urge people to come to Christ. First, Gill teaches that is men's responsibility to call everyone to come to Christ. Secondly, for Gill, he was making a category distinction over those who spoke of an offer of grace. Grace, he says, is not offered in the gospel, it is given by God. To speak of an offer of grace is therefore a category error. Gill's other category for offers is the offer of the gospel. The preacher is to offer the gospel to every person, for, unlike offering grace, offering the gospel is his duty and within his power. ("The minister should preach the gospel with a view to seeing all his hearers converted..it is one part of the gospel ministry to persuade men.")” -- Gene M. Bridges on Gill, excerpts from a Baptist Board thread 30 May 2006