BTR10
The Bible Truth Review
Issue No. 10 (January 10, 1991)
In This Issue
“Helps by the Way. No. 5. The Greek Prepositions.” by Charles H. Welch in The Berean Expositor, circa 1912-13. This installment: Dia.
“Judging #1” by J. McEown in Bible Explorations, Vol. 1 No. 8, August 1987. This installment: How Judging Began.
“The Parables. No. 5. The Hidden Leaven and the Hidden Treasure.” by Charles H. Welch in The Berean Expositor, circa 1912-13.
“The Sovereignty of God #6” by Oscar M. Baker in Truth For Today, Vol. 40 No. 10, December 1990. Sixth in the series discussing His limited sovereignty.
“The Word ‘Today’ in Luke 23:43” by Leo Wierzbowski.
“The Wages of Sin. No. 8. Concordance Study.” by Charles H. Welch in The Berean Expositor, circa 1914-15. The final installment in this series.
Subscription Information and Permission to Distribute by Leo Wierzbowski, editor of The Bible Truth Review.
“Helps by the Way. No. 5. The Greek Prepositions.” by Charles H. Welch in The Berean Expositor.
Dia. — The primary idea of this preposition, governing the genitive case, is expressed by the word “through,” and this idea may be seen in the English words which contain it, e.g., diagonal, diameter, diaphragm, &c. The following passages will suffice to show this local meaning of “going through,” viz., Matt. xii.1; xix.24; John iv.4; I Cor. x.1.
The transition is simple from this idea of motion through to the secondary idea of a channel or medium through which the desired result is attained. Examples abound; we cite only a few: John i.7; Acts 1.2; xii.38; Rom. iii.24; Eph. ii.8; Col. i.20. Something is willed and something is accomplished, and the medium through which the will is carried into effect is expressed by the word dia. Winer observes:-
“Dia but rarely indicates the causa principalis (1 Cor. i.9), in other words, is but rarely equivalent to hupo or para. Even when it does indicate the causa principalis it does not denote the author as a source of an act as such, but strictly as the individual through whose agency or favour, &c., one has obtained something (without specifying whether it flows from him directly or indirectly).”
The mediatoral work of Christ in its many phases constantly calls for this preposition (see Rom. v.1; Eph. i.7; Phil. i.11, &c.). Such passages as I Cor. xv.21; Mark ii.27; I Cor. xi.9 should be studied to catch the bearing of this preposition upon the teaching, remembering that I Cor. xv.21 must not be translated without due consideration of, say, the same preposition in I Cor. xi.9. (Mark ii.27 and I Cor. xi.29 have the accusative case — see below). The ek pisteos and the dia tes pisteos of Rom. iii.30 show “the uncircumcised as justified by the direct and unqualified instrumentality of the identical faith which operates in the case of the circumcised.”
Matt. i.22 (A.V.) reads, “that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet.” The English reader could not be positive as to whether the prophet spoke or the Lord spoke. The R.V. attends to the meaning of the prepositions more carefully here and reads, “spoken by (hupo) the Lord through (dia) the prophet.” This witness to the verbal inspiration of Scripture is found in (R.V.) Matt. ii.5, 15, 23; iv.14; viii.17; xii.17, &c., in all which places “through” is a better rendering of dia than “by.” “With patience” (Rom. viii.25), if rendered “through patience,” would show that patience is the medium whereby faith and hope are enabled to bridge the interval of waiting (see also Heb. xii.1).
When dia is applied to time, the basic idea of motion-through is still retained, and can be felt in the word “during.” See “during all their life” (Heb. ii.15); “during forty days” (Acts i.3); “during the night” (Acts v.19). Sometimes the sense demands the word “after,” but even then the idea of going through the stated time is retained. “After three days” (Matt. xxvi.61, so Mark ii.1; Gal. ii.1).
Dia governing an accusative case indicates primarily the ground of an action, and the aim or end only in a secondary way. Consider Matt. xv.3; Rev. xii.11; Rom. iv.2. This last passage contains an important truth. The Lord Jesus was not raised again in order to procure justification, but on the ground that the work of redemption was finished on the cross. Hence the rendering, “raised again because of our justification,” is preferable.
“For ….’s sake” is a frequent rendering. See Matt. x.22; xxiv.22; Rom. xv.30; 2 Cor. iv.5; 2 Tim. ii.10; I John ii.12, &c. Dia touto (literally “through this,” or “on the ground of this”) is translated “therefore.”
As examples which will repay careful study, the reader is directed to Rom. iv.25 (the two cases); John vi.57; 2 Tim. ii.2; 1 Tim. iv.14; Rom. iii.25; iv.11; xiv.14; Gal. iv.13; 1 Thess. iv.14; Phil. i.15. Dia in composition is often emphatic and heightens the original meaning, e.g., katharizo means to cleanse, diakatharizo means to thoroughly cleanse, to cleanse right through.
The reader should consider diagnosis, diatheke (in conjunction with diatithemi, and diatlemenos), diameno, &c.
“Judging #1” by J. McEown in Bible Explorations
ARE WE TO JUDGE?
Sincere Christians may shrink from the word “judge” because they equate it with condemnation. To judge another, some may think, is to point the finger of guilt at them. However, the Scriptural sense of judging is found in the Greek word “krino” and related words which are translated, judge, esteem, conclude, condemn etc… The root meaning, common to all, is: to divide, to separate, or to sift. The outcome may be favorable or unfavorable as when a beauty contest is judged, a sifting is done. In this sense, we are judging continually in our daily lives.
In this series we shall consider: l) How Judging Began, 2) The Need for Judging, 3) Who is Able to Judge, 4) The Basis for Judging, 5) Who Should Be Judged and 6) Goals of Judging.
HOW JUDGING BEGAN
Adam and Eve were created and placed in an environment where all their needs and pleasures were provided but with one prohibition, fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was not to be eaten. God had made the only judgment necessary, the separation of the tree of life from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He knew they were babes in experience, unable to distinguish good from evil.
Knowing God’s command, Eve was tricked and took of the forbidden knowledge. Adam followed willingly. Now both were aware of good and evil and they had to separate the two. Judging had begun.
When Solomon, King of Israel, had to judge God’s people, he realized the difficulty of sifting right from wrong, and he prayed, “…I am but a little child…Give therefore Thy servant an understanding heart to judge Thy People, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this Thy so great a People?” (I Ki 3:7,9)
In Hebrews 5:13,14 we find that those not experienced in God’s Word are “babes”. The mature are “those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil”.
Scripture tells us it was not God’s desire to keep man ignorant but that man should grow in the knowledge of Him, and that growth would come by His Word. “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (I Pe 2:2). “But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (II Pe 3:18).
By reading God’s Word we can grow in the knowledge of Christ. First we learn that as “Jesus”, God came in human form to be our Saviour from death. As we continue reading God’s Word we understand He also came to be Israel’s King when they rule the earth. Finally, we discover God set aside His purpose for Israel because they refused Christ their King. We find that God then created a new thing, one church of believers out of all nations, His family for heavenly places. Christ is named “Head” of this church; it is called His “Body”. We can learn about this only in Paul’s last seven epistles. (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, I & II Timothy, Titus and Philemon). God wants believers to know about and to come into this church. He said His desire is that “…we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro…” but “…grow up into Him in all things, Which is the Head, even Christ” (Eph 4:14,1-5).
Knowledge gathering and the need to sift it began with our first parents. We may gather much information about Christ from our Bibles, but we must “rightly divide” it and separate it for God’s approval (II Ti 2:15). Will we acknowledge and address Him as “Jesus” in the role of His humiliation? Will we claim Him as our “King” though we are not Israelites? Or will we worship Him as the “Lord Jesus Christ” in His full title and role as Head to His Church? Judging began with our first parents and we must distinguish things that are different.
“The Need For Judging”, next issue.
“The Parables. No. 5. The Hidden Leaven and the Hidden Treasure.” by Charles H. Welch in The Berean Expositor.
The parable of the Leaven is the last of the four spoken by the Lord outside the house. It reaches a climax and tells us what the end of the external history of the kingdom of the heavens will be — “the whole was leavened.”
The parable occurs in Matt. xiii.33 and Luke xiii.20, 21. Matt. xiii.33 says, “Another parable spake He unto them. The kingdom of the heavens is like unto leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal until the whole was leavened.” Luke xiii.20, 21 says, “And again He said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal until the whole was leavened.” The wording of the two passages is very similar. Luke adds the question, “Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom?” and uses the expression, “The kingdom of God,” for “The kingdom of the heavens.” The reader will remember that Luke and Mark prefix this question to the parable of the Mustard Tree, and its recurrence is suggestive of something parallel.
Before going further in our investigations we must consider the Scriptural meaning of the word “leaven.” The word in Greek is zume, and occurs thirteen times in Scripture. The significance of thirteen is that of rebellion and the work of Satan. Practically all the titles of Satan are multiples of 13, and the suggestion that leaven is a type of evil is strengthened by this fact.
Let us notice how the word is used in other N.T. passages. In Matthew’s Gospel the Lord uses it as a type of corrupt and corrupting doctrine. “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees . . . . Then understood they how that He bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees” (Matt. xvi.6-12). In Mark viii.15 we read, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.”
A further explanation is given of the meaning of the leaven of the Pharisees in Luke xii.1, “Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” Scripture affords us therefore the plain statement that the Lord Jesus used the figure of leaven as a type of evil doctrine and hypocrisy. This of itself should be sufficient to dispose of the idea that the leaven in Matt. xiii. is typical of the truth. Every occurrence of the word, moreover, whether in the N.T. or the O.T., bears out the fixed meaning of the symbol. The apostle Paul uses leaven as a figure in I Cor. v.6, 7, 8, and Gal. v.9. He speaks of the “leaven of baseness and wickedness,” and contrasts it with “the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (I Cor. v.8). The passage opens with the words, “Know ye not that a little leaven doth leaven the whole lump? Purge ye out the old leaven,” and ends with the words, “Remove ye the wicked man from among yourselves” (I Cor. v.6-13).
In Exod. xii.15 we read in connection with the Passover, “Ye shall put leaven out of your houses.” Exod. xxxiv.25 and Lev. ii.1 declare, “Thou shalt not offer the blood of any sacrifice with leaven,” and “No meal offering which ye shall bring unto the Lord shall be made with leaven.” Here we see that both the sacrifice with blood, and the wonderful bloodless meal offering, must alike be free from leaven. Amos, speaking of Israel’s sins, says, “Come to Bethel and transgress ………and offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven ………for this liketh you, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord
God” (Amos iv. 4, 5). Leaven is undoubtedly a type of evil as used by the Holy Spirit in the inspired Word.
What of the three measures of meal? They certainly cannot typify the corrupt human heart any more than the corrupting leaven can represent the blessed truth of God. Neither can the three measures of pure meal represent the “Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Greek sections of Christendom.” If they do, then the Protestant expositors who are largely the supporters of this interpretation must confess that Rome is looked upon by the Lord in the same light as their own community, and will finally be “leavened with the gospel” (to use their own phraseology), like the Protestant and the Greek. Of course the answer will be that the measures of meal represent “Christendom, the professing church,” not the true church of Christ. This again yields another difficulty. Will “Christendom, the professing church” be so “leavened with the gospel” that at the end it will be true that “the whole was leavened”? When the Son of man cometh, will He find a completely evangelized and believing Christendom? Facts of everyday life as well as prophecy testify to the exact opposite.
Can we find the Scriptural meaning of the three measures of meal? The word meal in the original is aleuron, and means by its etymology meal produced by grinding. The word occurs nowhere else in Scripture apart from the parable of the Leaven. In the O.T. meal and fine flour were typical of the spotless purity of the offering of the Lord Jesus, and of the perfect character of the Word of truth. In Lev. ii. we have the “meat offering.” The word “meat ” is an old English word for food (we still say “grace before meat”), but there is no flesh or blood in the “meat offering” of Lev. ii. The instructions given in the first verse tell us of the perfect purity of the offering; “his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon ….no meat offering which ye shall bring unto the Lord shall be made with leaven” (verse 11).
Meal was used by the prophet Elisha to counteract the “death in the pot” caused by the “wild vine” which had been gathered, symbolizing the deliverance to be wrought by Christ (2 Kings iv. 38-41). In Jer. xxiii. we have the Lord’s severe indictment of the false prophets. “They speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord” (verse 16). “The prophets …. that prophesy lies in my Name …. they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart” (verses 25, 26). “I am against the prophets …. that steal my words …. that use (or smooth) their tongues, and say, He saith” (verses 30,31). “He that hath My Word, let him speak My Word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord” (verse 28). These passages must suffice to show that corn, meal, or fine flour typify the Word of God, living and written.
There is one other symbol to consider and that is “The woman.” In the preceding parables it is a man who sows the seed, but now the symbol changes. Students of the Scriptures are familiar with the fact that a woman is used many times to represent a system either good or bad. Thus we have “that woman Jezebel” in Rev. ii. 20, and she is seen very plainly hiding the “leaven” in the meal. “Thou sufferest that woman Jezebel which calleth herself a prophetess to teach and to seduce My servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.” Here is corruption; this is the doctrine of Balaam as specified in verse 14. In Rev. xvii. 4, 5 we have another woman:-
“And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication. And upon her forehead was a name written, a secret, Babylon the Great, the mother of the harlots and the abominations of the earth.”
The interpretation given by God is that this woman “is that great city” (verse 18), and Babylon, and all that Babylon stands for, is intended here — the great corrupter. The revival of Babylon forms part of Zechariah’s prophecy. In chapter v., under the figure of a lawless woman sitting in the midst of an ephah (a dry measure used for grain, &c.), the prophet depicts the return of wickedness to its original seat — “to build it an house in the land of Shinar.” Many commentators look upon the woman as symbolizing Rome. Romanism is certainly one of the polluted streams, but it is not the fountain head, for idolatry and its accompaniments were doing their deadly work before Rome was built, or Romanism founded. It is interesting to note the efforts now being put forward in Mesopotamia for the revival of this ancient seat of rebellion and corruption.
We have seen that leaven signifies corrupt doctrine. We have seen that the meal represents the perfect offering of Christ and the unadulterated Word of God, and we see that the woman has much to make us feel that Babylonianism is behind this corrupting work. In the parable of the Tares we see the enemy sowing his false seed; in the parable of the Mustard Tree he is found supported by the branches of the abnormal growth which typifies the Gentile epoch; and in the parable of the Leaven he is seen using that great system of corruption, of which he was the founder (Gen. x.), to leaven the pure meal of God.
Coming back to Matt. xiii. we ask, with the disciples, why it is that the kingdom of the heavens is delayed, and the King rejected? The answer is “An enemy hath done this.” He has sown his tares, he inhabits the tree, he leavens the truth.
We have already seen the connection between the leaven and the doctrine of the Pharisees, Sadducees and Herodians. Here is leaven enough for the thee measures of meal. It will be found that this leaven has reference to the Word of God and the Person of Christ. In Matt. xvi. 6-12 the Lord warns His disciples against the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and immediately the Scripture records His question, “Who do men say that I, the Son of man, am?” Peter’s wonderful confession is immediately followed by an attack of Satan, where the cause of the opposition is the revelation of the fact that the Lord Jesus must suffer, die, and rise again. Peter’s words, “Be propitious to Thyself” (verse 22) savoured of men, and were instigated by Satan (verse 23).
The Lord had said, further, that the leaven of the Pharisees was hypocrisy. This leaven is exposed in Matt. xxiii. 13, “Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of the heavens against men.” This is why the King was rejected and the kingdom shut up. In Mark vii. the Lord again unveils their corrupting influence:-
“Well hath Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. However, in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commands of men . . . . full well ye reject the commandment of God that ye may keep your own tradition” (Mark vii.6-9).
Space will not allow us to multiply examples, those given are sufficient to show the working of the leaven. The leaven was everywhere making its corrupting way. Distorted views obtained concerning (1) the Messiah, (2) the Kingdom, and (3) the Scriptures. The Lord Jesus, standing in the midst of a people thus already corrupted, prophesied that this leavening would go on its evil course until the whole was leavened. “When the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith in the earth?” The apostle Paul, writing in 2 Thess. ii. of the rise of Antichrist, says:-
“For the mystery of lawlessness already is inwardly working itself, only until He that restraineth become out of the midst, and then shall be revealed the lawless one . . . . because the love of the truth they did not welcome . . . . they believe the lie” (verses 7-11).
This brings us to the end, “the whole was leavened.” This is the state of things as given in the book of the Revelation. The last parable of the external history of the course of the kingdom is sad indeed. The state of Israel at the “time of the end” is deplorable, and may be summed up under the three heads, Pharisaic, Sadducean, and Herodian. Hypocrisy, infidelity and worldliness “like unto Sodom and Gomorrah.”
We are thankful that this is not the end of these parables. There is another side of the question, there is the divine standpoint, there is the purpose of Him Who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will. This divine aspect is the common link between the next four parables spoken “inside the house” to the disciples. These we must consider in subsequent articles. Before concluding this paper shall we set out the history of the kingdom of the heavens so far as we have seen it at present?
The Sower.
The ministries of John the Baptist, the Lord Jesus, and the Apostles during the “Acts” were to a large extent, externally, failures, but there is yet to be a gloriously fruitful sowing when the time comes for the New Covenant to be put into operation.
The Darnel.
The reason for the delay in the setting up of the kingdom is discovered in the fact that an enemy is at work, and side by side with the true children of the kingdom are the children of the wicked one, but these are not removed until the end of the age.
The Mustard Tree.
The next reason for the delay is that whereas the small seed of Israel should have flourished and filled the earth with fruit, the sovereignty changed hands, and was deposited with the Gentiles, beginning with Nebuchadnezzar, “until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.” This stage is marked by the words, “it becometh a tree, and the fowls lodged in its branches.” That which should have been preeminently the kingdom of righteousness, becomes the habitation of Satan and his angels.
The Leaven.
The third reason for delay is that the leaven of evil has been put into the meal of God’s truth. This will work its course until the rise of Antichrist, and the complete corruption of the visible witness for God.
Thus we see that the Lord Jesus had no idea of the gradual uplifting of the masses, and the permeating influence of the gospel. He saw that man had corrupted his way upon the earth, even as it was in the days of Noah. Hence it is that He uses the same words to represent the end. Blessed be God, that out of all this corruption and apostasy He will yet bring His treasure and display His grace. For this creation groans, and the study of this blessed aspect of the divine purpose shall now be our privilege.
We have considered the first four parables and discovered something of their bearing upon the course of the kingdom of the heavens. A division is now observable, emphasized alike by the structural arrangement, the teaching, and the different place in which they were spoken.
The Treasure.
After the parable of the Leaven the Lord dismissed the multitude, and went into the house. There He explained the parable of the Tares, and then proceeded to unfold the inner or Godward aspect of the kingdom in the four parables that followed. Their relation to each other may be summarized thus:-
A | The treasure in the field. — The nation of Israel as
distinct from the nations.
B | The one beautiful pearl. — The remnant of Israel as
distinct from the nation.
B | The many fish. — The Gentile nations as distinct
from Israel.
A | The treasure in the house. — Israel, viewed as a
missionary nation, sent to the nations.
The first of this series (the Hid Treasure) is in direct contrast with the Hid Leaven. These four parables are found only in Matthew’s Gospel. “The kingdom of the heavens is like unto a treasure hid in the field, which a man finding, hid, and by reason of his joy, withdraweth and selleth whatsoever he hath, and buyeth that field.” Let us examine the terms of the parable in the light of the subject of the kingdom and the Scriptures relating thereto. Just before this parable the Lord had said, “The field is the world,” hence the field here (not “a field,” as the A.V.) means the world. In this world a treasure was hidden. What is the treasure?
Starting with Gen. xii. we have the inception of the special nation, separated and called to a higher glory than any other nation on the earth. When this people was redeemed from Egypt the Lord said to them, “Now therefore, if ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure (s’gullah) unto Me above all people: for all the earth is Mine: and ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation” (Exod. xix. 5, 6). No other nation has ever had such a calling or such a title. Deut. xiv. 2 reads, “The Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar (s’gullah) people unto Himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.” Again, in Deut. xxvi. 18 we read, “The Lord hath avouched thee this day to be His peculiar (s’gullah) people . . . . to make thee high above all nations . . .” In Psa. cxxxv. 4 we read, “The Lord hath chosen …Israel for His peculiar treasure (s’gullah).” In Mal. iii. 17 we read, “And they shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels” (s’gullah). The “jewels,” or peculiar treasure, represent the whole nation of Israel, secured in their position of final blessing by the unchanging love of God (Mal. iii. 10). But in the day of Israel’s blessing one jewel brighter than the rest will be seen — the remnant of faithful ones during the days of Israel’s sin and apostasy. This will be considered under the parable of the one Pearl. Psa. lxxxiii. 3, 4 supplies another name for Israel, “Thy hidden ones,” which should be considered in this connection.
The next item to notice is the statement, “Which a man finding, hid.” The hidden treasure is hidden again until the day when the treasure is claimed. When the Lord Jesus came to this world He limited His ministry to the lost sheep of the house of Israel; He came to seek and to save that which was lost. Israel could never qualify under law to be the treasure; they must be redeemed. They will never be a kingdom of priests by virtue of their own deeds, but solely upon the basis of redemption (cf. Rev. i.). Up till Matt. xvi. the Lord had not spoken of His death, but in verses 20 & 21 He hides the treasure, and declares the great price which He is about to pay for its redemption. That death on the cross secured the treasure and the field. There the Lord Jesus gave His all.
In Luke xix. 11-27 we have further light upon this hiding of the treasure. Lest any should think by His words that the kingdom was to be set up at once, the Lord said, “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.” Thus the second hiding of the treasure is symbolical of the abeyance of the kingdom. The day of manifestation is coming when the words will resound, “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign unto the ages of the ages” (Rev. xi. 15). This parable declares that in spite of all opposition God’s purpose for Israel and the kingdom will be fulfilled. This would comfort the hearts of the disciples. They would see how irresistible is the purpose of Him, Who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will.
Thus has God declared His answer to the evil one. He had hidden his leaven, but the Lord had hidden His treasure. Soon the day will come when the Lord will remove the stain of sin and the corruption of the enemy: soon He will come to make up His jewels, and then shall Israel be a glorious diadem in the hand of their God.
“The Sovereignty of God #6” by Oscar M. Baker in Truth For Today.
Here is a little sample of the UR reasoning quoted from a recent letter to me from one of the disciples of this system.
If not all are called (Acts 15:14, John 6:44), and if God fails in a complete salvation of the race . . . Why does He? Is it because He does not want to? If so,where is His love? Is He notable? If so, where is His omnipotence? If man’s free moral agency stands in the way, who gave this power to men? Did not the Creator? Did not God know that man would misuse this power, if he had it? If not, what becomes of God’s omniscience? If He provided this power knowing that millions would misuse it to their own destruction, what then becomes of God’s love?
Did you get lost in the woods? That is the object of the argument, to get you confused and lost so that you will blame God for everything. But the whole thing revolves about this one idea — that God must save the entire human race from Adam to the end or He will be a failure. A very fine argument!
BUT — Scripture says that God gave the nations up (Rom. 1:24, 26, 28). And nowhere do we find any reference to the fact that God intended to save each and every human being. So the argument put forth starts with a false premise. And that is a mighty shaky foundation to build anything on.
And what is love? Is it something that can be forced on anybody? You do not live very long till you discover that some people will not let you love them. And that is true of God’s love. He so loved the world that He gave — but many will not allow Him to love them, and they will not receive the gift that was given. A gift cannot be forced on anybody, for as soon as it is forced, then it is no longer a gift.
We are not arguing about whether God wants to save folks. His will is not being done here on earth to any appreciable extent, not withstanding their arguments. If so,then why pray, THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN?
And if God is doing everything according to His will, then why and what was the temptation in Gethsemane? Why was our Lord saying NOT MY WILL, BUT THINE? And when all believers can come to the place they can say this same thing, then there will be unity. Unbelievers can never say it. They know nothing of God’s will.
Again we say there is no question about the extent of God’s power. There is no limit to it per se. But there is a limit to His sovereignty, and that is another thing altogether.
We have some very narrow shortsighted men in the world today who think that the ideal government is one in which all the subjects are brainwashed so thoroughly that they do the will for the dictator without question, that they no longer have the ability to question, but like machines do the will of the ruler. But such has always failed and will fail. And there are some who think that God’s government of the world should be on the same pattern, and that if He so much as lets anyone do a bit of thinking for himself, then God has failed. What do you think? Or,can you?
“The Word ‘Today’ in Luke 23:43” by Leo Wierzbowski.
Luke 23:43 — “And Jesus said unto Him, “Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise.””
Should “today” be an adverb for “say” or “shall be” in the verse above? According to the punctuation, it should modify “shall be,” but according to the rest of Scripture, it should modify “say.” The reasons for studying this are: 1) All punctuation in the New Testament comes from the translators — there is no punctuation in the Greek manuscripts; and 2) A popular interpretation of this particular verse rests entirely on the punctuation — an interpretation which contradicts the rest of the Scriptures concerning the coming King, His kingdom, and Paradise.
There is an idiom, “I say unto thee this day,” which emphasizes the solemnity of an occasion. It is found mostly in Deuteronomy:
“I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish . . . ” Here “this day” could modify “witness” or “perish”, but the context and the idiom demands “witness” (Deut. 4:26). Here is the same passage with the punctuation incorrectly changed: “I call heaven and earth to witness against you, this day ye shall soon utterly perish . . .”
“Know therefore this day . . . that the Lord He is God . . .” Here “this day” could modify “know” or “is”, but the context and idiom demands “know” (Deut 4:39). With the punctuation incorrectly changed: “Know therefore . . . this day the Lord He is God . . .”
“. . . I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them . . .” Here “this day” may modify “speak” or “learn”, but the context and idiom demands “speak” (Deut 5:1). With the punctuation incorrectly changed: “. . . I speak in your ears, that this day ye may learn them . . .”
There are many, many more examples of the “I say unto thee this day” idiom in Deuteronomy. You can find them with your concordance.
In the rest of the Old Testament and the New Testament this idiom almost cannot be found. In the New Testament verse in question, the Greek word “semeron” is translated “this day” 23 times and “today” 18 times. Here is another verse from Luke’s pen:
“Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men” (Acts 20:26). With the punctuation incorrectly changed: “Wherefore I take you to record, that this day I am pure from the blood of all men.”
All of the above does not prove where to place the comma in Luke 23:43. It merely shows that there are other passages in Scripture where the comma has been placed differently, due to idiom and context.
Most of the N.T. passages with the verb “to say” and “today” have the Greek word “hoti” between them, which is like our quotation marks. “Hoti” clearly marks which verb “today” modifies. As you might expect, Luke 23:43 does not contain “hoti,” so the correct punctuation depends on the context.
What is the context of Luke 23:43? The heavenly places, far above all, or the second coming, the kingdom, and paradise?
“And he said unto Jesus, “Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.” And Jesus said unto him, “Verily I say unto thee this day, thou shalt be with Me in paradise.””
Here’s what the Scriptures say about the Lord’s coming, kingdom, and paradise:
“The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God.
“Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, ‘Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; He will come and save you.’ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
“And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs, and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (Isaiah 35)
“To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” (Rev. 2:7b)
“And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” (Rev. 22:1,2)
“And he said unto me, ‘These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show unto His servants the things which must shortly be done. Behold I come quickly . . . ‘” (Rev. 22:6,7a)
Indeed, the crucifixion of our Lord was a most solemn event, fulfilling Scripture. The confession of faith of the malefactor on a cross at this time was also a solemn event, and our Lord, fulfilling Scripture, ignoring the beliefs and philosophies of the pagans, responded to his faith with:
“Verily I say unto thee this day, thou shalt be with Me in paradise.”
If our faith is in the traditions of the elders, and not in the Word of God, then we must bend and distort Scripture to “prove” our faith. But if we let the truths in God’s Word make us free, then we shall better know Him and our place in His great kingdom.
May His Spirit work in us to search the Scriptures, that we might test the teachings we hear. May He grant us all repentance to acknowledge the truth when we find it in His Word.
“The Wages of Sin. No. 8. Concordance Study.” by Charles H. Welch in The Berean Expositor.
Before concluding this series and passing on to further studies dealing with the destinies of the saved and unsaved, heaven and earth, and the Scriptures pertaining to these great themes, we feel that a summary of our findings will be of service.
It will be remembered that certain words have been considered with regard to their primary etymological meaning, their secondary or figurative meaning, and their usage. We now provide a concordance to the subject, giving as full particulars as is possible in the limited space. For the arguments, &c., the reader is referred to the various pages of the magazine given in the last column [BTR ed. note: I had to abandon the column format].
Nephesh (Hebrew) occurs 754 times. A.V. translations: 472 — “soul”, 119 — “life”, remainder — 43 different words. Usage references: Gen. i.20,21,24,20; ii.7,19; vii.21,22; 1 Cor. xv.44-47. Meaning as discovered by these considerations: Soul. — Possessed by every living creature, every thing that breatheth. Adam the living soul was of the earth, earthy. Not an equivalent to spirit or spiritual. Reference: Vol. i. pp. 77-82.
Olam (Hebrew) occurs 434 times (including combinations). A.V. translations: 267 — “ever”, 56 — “everlasting”, “world”, “old time”, etc. Usage references: Used of God — Psa. xli.13; cii.17. Used of man — Gen vi.4; Ex. xxi.5,6; Josh. xxiv.2; 1 Sam. i.22; Ps. xc.8; Ecc. xii.14; Isa. xxxii.14; lxiv.4. Meaning as discovered by these considerations: Something hidden or secret. A period of undefined limits, having a beginning and an end, but not necessarily within the knowledge of man. Reference: Vol. i. pp. 90-93.
Abad (Hebrew) occurs 185 times. A.V. translations: 79 — “perish”, 63 — “destroy”, “destruction”. Usage references: Numb. xvi.33; Deut. xii.2,3; Esther iv.16; Ps. xxxvii.20; Rev. ix.11. Meaning as discovered by these considerations: To perish. Reference: Vol. ii. pp. 8-12.
Shamad (Hebrew) occurs 92 times. A.V. translations: 66 — “destroy”, 19 — “be destroyed”. Usage references: Deut. ix.3,14; Ps. cxlv.20; Amos. ix.8. Meaning as discovered by these considerations: To destroy. Reference: Vol. ii. pp. 12,13.
Tsamath (Hebrew) occurs 16 times. A.V. translations: 8 — “cut off”, 5 — “destroy”. Usage references: Lev. xxv.23,30 (margin); 2 Sam. xxii.41,43; Ps. xciv.23. Meaning as discovered by these considerations: To be deprived of being, existence, identity, or relationship. Reference: Vol. ii. pp. 41-43.
Karath (Hebrew) occurs 286 times. A.V. translations: 88 — “cut off”, 59 — “to be cut off”, 84 — “to make a covenant”. Usage references: Gen. ix.11; Exod. xii.15; Ps. xxxvii.38; Dan.ix.26. Meaning as discovered by these considerations: To cut off, as in demise, or as in felling a tree. Reference: Vol. ii. pp. 43-45.
Kalah (Hebrew) occurs 188 times. A.V. translations: 60 — “to consume”, “be consumed”, “consume away”. Usage references: Gen. ii.2; xvii.22; Ps. lix.13; Isa. x.22; Zeph. 1.18. Meaning as discovered by these considerations: To consume, to bring to a complete end. Reference: Vol. ii. pp. 90,91.
Nathats (Hebrew) occurs 42 times. A.V. translations: 22 — “break down”, 5 – – “destroy”. Usage references: Exod. xxxiv.13; Lev. xiv.45; Ps. lii.5. Meaning as discovered by these considerations: Destroy, demolish, break down. Reference: Vol. ii. pp. 91,92.
Muth (Hebrew) occurs 742 times. A.V. translations: 420 — “to die”, 60 — “to put to death”, 57 — “put to death”. Usage references: Gen. ii.17; v.5; Exod. xxi.12; Ezek. xviii.4. Meaning as discovered by these considerations: Death, used of man and of animals. Reference: Vol. ii. pp. 92-94.
Sheol (Hebrew) occurs 65 times. A.V. translations: 31 — “grave”, 31 — “hell”, 3 — “pit”. Usage references: Gen. xxxvii.35; Job xiv.13; Ps. ix.17; xvi.9,10; Hos. xiii.14. Meaning as discovered by these considerations: THE grave (not so much A grave). Reference: Vol. iii. pp. 31-35.
Apollumi (Greek) occurs 92 times. A.V. translations: 23 — “destroy”, 33 — “perish”, 10 — “be lost”. Usage references: Matt. x.28; Luke vi.9; John iii.16; 1 Cor. xv.18; Heb. i.11; xi.31; Rev. ix.11. Meaning as discovered by these considerations: To destroy utterly. Reference: Vol. iii. pp. 84-85.
Apoleia (Greek) occurs 20 times. A.V. translations: 5 — “destruction”, 8 — “perdition”. Usage references: Matt. vii.13,14; John xvii.12; Phil. i.28; iii.19; 1 Tim. vi.9; 2 Peter ii.1-3. Meaning as discovered by these considerations: Destruction. Reference: Vol. iii. pp. 88-90.
Olethros (Greek) occurs 4 times. A.V. translations: 4 — “destruction”. Usage references: 1 Cor. v.5; 1 Thess. v.3; 2 Thess. 1.9; 1 Tim. vi.9. Meaning as discovered by these considerations: Destruction. Reference: Vol. iv. pp. 8-10.
Olothreuo (Greek) occurs 1 time. A.V. translations: 1 — “destroyer”. Usage references: Heb. xi.28. Meaning as discovered by these considerations: Destroyer. Reference: Vol. iv. pp. 10.
Olothreutes (Greek) occurs 1 time. A.V. translations: 1 — “destroyer”. Usage references: 1 Cor. x.10. Meaning as discovered by these considerations: To destroy. Reference: Vol. iv. pp. 10.
Kolasis (Greek) occurs 2 times. A.V. translations: 1 — “punishment”, 1 — “torment”. Usage references: Matt. xxv.46; 1 John iv.18. Meaning as discovered by these considerations: To cut off. Reference: Vol. iv. pp. 10.
Kakouchoumenos (Greek) occurs 2 times. A.V. translations: 1 — “tormented”, 1 — “suffer adversity”. Usage references: Heb. xi.37; xiii.3. Meaning as discovered by these considerations: To suffer ill-usage. Reference: Vol. iv. pp. 10.
Odunomai (Greek) occurs 4 times. A.V. translations: 2 — “be tormented”, 2 – – “sorrow”. Usage references: Luke ii.48; xvi.24,25; Acts xx.38. Meaning as discovered by these considerations: Deep sorrow. Reference: Vol. iv. pp. 11.
Basanizo (Greek) occurs 12 times. A.V. translations: 8 — “torment”. Usage references: Mark v.7. Meaning as discovered by these considerations: To try, and then test, examine by torture. Reference: Vol. iv. pp. 11,12.
Basanistes (Greek) occurs 1 time. A.V. translations: 1 — “tormentor”. Usage references: Matt. xviii.34. Meaning as discovered by these considerations: To try, and then test, examine by torture. Reference: Vol. iv. pp. 11,12.
Basanos (Greek) occurs 3 times. A.V. translations: 3 — “torment”. Usage references: Luke xvi.23. Meaning as discovered by these considerations: To try, and then test, examine by torture. Reference: Vol. iv. pp. 11,12.
Basanismos (Greek) occurs 5 times. A.V. translations: 5 — “torment”. Usage references: Rev. xiv.11. Meaning as discovered by these considerations: To try, and then test, examine by torture. Reference: Vol. iv. pp. 11,12.
The primary question before us throughout this series was, What does Scripture teach regarding the wages of sin? And as a secondary consideration, How dies the doctrine of eternal conscious suffering appear in the light of Holy Scripture? The investigations, summarized in this article, provide a complete answer to THAT question. Surely we need never fear, nor apologize for holding a doctrine as truth, if we have examined every word used by God Himself upon the subject. We call our readers to witness that we have not frittered away valuable time nor space with mere negations, nor with profitless controversy over other men’s opinions; we have gone to the fountain head, and by the evidence adduced we abide.
Eternal conscious suffering is not the wages of sin. Scripture declares that death, destruction, and perishing, preceded by more or less suffering, is the wages of sin. It must be kept in mind, however, that while we have negatived the idea of eternal conscious suffering, there lies before us much that requires patient and prayerful investigation. We have to consider who are involved, how far it applies to all whom we call “unsaved,” and whether it obtains for the ages, or for eternity. The passages which deal with the reconciliation of all, the ransom for all, the mercy that endureth, and the wrath for a little while, demand our most earnest attention. Our only safe course is to continue searching into what God has said, searching out the very words of inspiration, and trusting that He will abundantly fulfill the promise of the words, “the entrance the Thy Word giveth light,” or as one has suggested as an alternative rendering, “Thy words enter, light is given.”
Subscriptions to Contributing Periodicals
Bible Explorations
P.O. Box 2835
Glendale, AZ 85311
(free subscription upon request)
Truth For Today
P.O. Box 6358
Lafayette, IN 47903
(free subscription upon request)
The Berean Expositor
c/o Berean Publishing Trust
10 Dukes Close Cranleigh
Surrey England
GU6 7JU
($8.00 per year)
Permission to Distribute
Permission is hereby granted for you to distribute “The Bible Truth Review” on the condition that none of the contents are altered, added to, or deleted in any way and that you don’t charge anything for folks to receive it (other than normal online usage fees for BBSs, but you get the idea — this is a free periodical — freely you have received so freely give).
Suggestions and Comments
The editor’s email addresses are —
Internet — leo@pine.circa.ufl.edu or leo_w@qm.circa.ufl.edu BITNET — leo@ufpine
CompuServe — 73207,1553
Agape subboard on Kludgewerkes BBS (904-371-1237) — Leo Wierzbowski
Please send your suggestions, comments, or whatever to one of the above electronic mail addresses. I will respond most quickly to Internet or BITNET mail. Allow a month for response to CompuServe mail.