The things concerning the name of Jesus Christ
The Things Concerning the Name of Jesus Christ
SALVATION
is dependent upon an acceptance of the truth "concerning the kingdom of
God, and the name of Jesus Christ" followed by baptism and obedience to
the commandments of the Word (Acts 8:12). The things concerning the name of
Jesus Christ comprehend all that is affirmable of him; and, is, therefore, the
summary of his character as a prophet, sacrifice, priest and king. Hence, to
understand "his name," we must know what is testified of him in the
scriptures. In the Old Testament it us recorded prophetically; in the New
Testament it is set forth historically. unfortunately, the truth concerning the
person, sacrificial mission, and future glory of the Lord Jesus Christ has been
obscured by doctrines that have distorted the facts concerning both the person
and purpose. The propositions herein set down reveal the relationship of the
Lord to his Father in heaven, as well as to mankind upon the earth, and
therefore include vital truths concerning the Godhead, the nature of man, the
hope of the gospel, man's relationship thereto and his future destiny. A
careful consideration of the Bible references listed will enable the reader to
discern truth from error.
Carelinks
PO Box 152
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AUSTRALIA
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18 - There is but ONE God
There is
but ONE God, by whom and out of whom all things have been created, and in whose
immensity-filling Spirit all things subsist; that He who is thus the Father of
all dwells in unapproachable light, styled in the Scriptures, "heaven, His
dwelling place." He and the Spirit are one, but only in the sense in which
the sun in the heavens and the light of the day are one. Jesus is His
manifestation by the Spirit (this proposition strikes at the root of the
popular doctrine of the trinity,1 which confuses the revealed relations
of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit).
Hear, O
Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: (Deuteronomy 6:4).
I am the
LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside Me(Isaiah 45:5).
And Jesus
answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord
our God is One Lord: (Mark 12:29).
And this
is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ,
whom thou hast sent. (John 17:3).
But to us
there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and
one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. (1 Corinthians
8:6; Ephesians 4:6)
For there
is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; (1
Timothy 2:5).
The
blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, who only hath
immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto (1 Timothy
6:16).
Hear thou
in heaven thy dwelling place (1 Kings 8:30).
Our
Father which art in heaven (Matthew 6:9).
Unto thee
lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens. (Psalm 123:1).
1 The only passage in the Bible
that "affirms" the doctrine of the trinity is the following: For
there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy
Ghost: and these three are one. (1 John 5:7). This text is well known to be
spurious and is omitted in the Revised Version of 1881 without note or comment.
19 - That the Spirit is not a Personal God
That the
Spirit is not a Personal God distinct from the Father, but the radiant
invisible power or energy of the Father, filling universal space and forming
the medium of His omniscient perceptions, and the instrument of His omnipotent
behests, whether in creation or inspiration; the distinction between the Father
and the Spirit being, not that they are two persons, but that the Father is
Spirit in focus, so intense as to be glowing substance inconceivable; and the
Spirit, the Father's power, in space-filling diffusion, forming with the
Father, a unity in the stupendous scheme of creation, which is a revolution
around the Supreme Source of all power.
The
Spirit of God 1 moved upon the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:2).
Thou
knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar
off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my
ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it
altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell ( sheol
the grave) behold, thou art there... The darkness and the light are both alike
to thee. (Psalm 139:2-12).
The
Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.
(Job 33:4).
By his
spirit he hath garnished the heavens (Job 26:13).
Thou
sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the
earth. (Psalm 104:30).
The
Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him (the loin) as he
would have rent a kid (Judges 14:6).
The LORD
said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit,
and lay thine hand upon him; (Numbers 27:18).
Yet many
years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in
thy prophets (Nehemiah 9:30).
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.2 (2 Peter 1:21).
1 "Spirit" - ruach in
Hebrew, and pneuma in Greek - is one of those plastic words which depend for
their significance upon the context. It cannot be kept in the groove of a
precise definition. This may appear a little confounding at first sight, but in
reality it is the inevitable state of the case with regard to a word of such
primitive origin. All its meanings are cognate. Both original words translated
"Spirit" have the same radical significance. Ruach (Heb.) is from the
verb ruach, to breathe or blow; pneuma (Greek) from pneo, to breathe or blow.
Every use of the word "Spirit" must therefore be traceable in some
way to this primitive idea of breathing or blowing. And we find this is so. It
is used for breath in such passages as "All flesh wherein is the breath
(ruach) of life" (Genesis 6:17). "In whose hand is every living thing
and the breath (ruach) of all mankind" (Job 12:10); "Thou takest away
their breath (ruacham) (Psalm 104:29). Pneuma is translated "life" in
Revelation 13:15. But of course the most common translation of the word is
"Spirit." In considering the meaning of this form of the word it is
well observed that "Spirit" itself comes from a Latin verb of
precisely the same derivation as ruach and pneo, viz., spiro, to breathe:
"Spirit" is therefore etymologically the correct equivalent of
pneuma. But theology has spoiled the etymology of the word by fixing upon it a
meaning not etymologically derived. This has created all the difficulty. The
only certain way to determine the significance of "Spirit" is to
collate its applications. When we read that the Israelites "hearkened not
to Moses for anguish of spirit" (Exodus 6:9), we naturally understand the
word differently from what we do in 1 Samuel 30:12; And when he had eaten, his
spirit came again to him." In the one case it refers to a state of mind,
and in another to the life energy of the body. In Daniel was found an excellent
"spirit" (Daniel 5:12). This refers to intelligence and disposition,
but when we read "No man hath power over the spirit to retain the
spirit...in the day of death" (Ecclesiastes 8:8) we naturally understand
it as in Ecclesiastes 12:7 "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it
was; but the spirit (that is, the life) return to God who gave it;: in both of
which the word has a very different meaning from what it has in Joshua 5:1
"It came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites... heard that the
LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel...
their heart melted, neither was there any spirit (i.e. courage or heart) in
them any more."
Further Comment.
It is peculiarity of the Greek language that inanimate objects are sometimes
found in the masculine or feminine gender. This is the case with
"Spirit," but not invariably so, for it is also rendered in the
neuter gender as in Romans 8:19, The Spirit itself beareth witness..." In
the Greek, as in the English, this is found in the neuter gender which would
not be the case if the Spirit were a person; for though, in that language,
inanimate objects can be personified as male or female, persons are inevitably
supplied with their proper gender. - Editor.
2 "Ghost" ought in every
case, to be substituted by the word spirit. "Ghost" is no translation
of the original word. It is a mere paraphrase, and mystifies the idea
expressed. It may not do so to critical minds, but it certainly has that effect
with the common run of English readers who recognise in :ghost" the third
person of the trinity, when no such idea is contained in the original word.
Pneuma, the original word, is spirit, breath or wind, and when affirmed of God,
relates to that universal effluence of Deity which is the basis of all organic
law, and the means of that unity which pervades the universe - the medium
through which the will and consciousness of corporealised Deity centrally
located in the "heaven," are made coextensive with infinite space.
"Ghost" is an obsolete Saxon term, flavouring of exploded
superstitions. As the antique form of "guest," it may have been
adopted as the representative of pneuma, to denote the idea of the spirit's
indwelling; but it must be admitted that such a method of translation is both
dangerous and unscholarly.
19A - The Holy Spirit
The Holy
Spirit is the Spirit of God in official manifestation. This is a mode of
description almost peculiar to the New Testament. The Holy Spirit is the same
Spirit mentioned in the testimonies quoted from the Old Testament, but styled
Holy Spirit by way of distinction from the Spirit in it's free, spontaneous,
universal form in nature. It is the same Spirit, gathered up, as it were, under
the focalizing power of the divine will, for the bestowal of divine gifts and
the accomplishment of divine results.
The angel
answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power
of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which
shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35).
How God
anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power: who went about
doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with
him. (Acts 10:38).
The
Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he
shall teach you all things 1 and bring all things to your remembrance,
whatsoever I have said unto you. (John 14:26).
He shall
baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire: (Matthew 3:11).
John
truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not
many days hence... ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come
upon you (Acts 1:5-8).
Suddenly
there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all
the house where they were sitting and they were all filled with the Holy
Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them
utterance. (Acts 2:2-4).
And as I
began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, as on us at the beginning. Then
remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with
water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 11:15,16).
Then laid
they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. And when Simon saw
that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he
offered them money, Saying, Give me also this power (Acts 8:17-19).
The
foregoing testimonies make plain the New Testament meaning of being baptized
with the Holy Spirit, which is a very different meaning from that attached to
it by professors of popular theology. It means an immersion or enswathement in
spirit power, conferring miraculous gifts. No baptism of the Holy Spirit now takes
place. All that can now be done is to preach the Word, and this having been
given through the agency of the Spirit, working in ancient prophets and
apostles, is the Spirit's instrument - the Spirit's word, by which the Spirit
makes war on the natural mind, and hews it into the similitude of the mind of
the Spirit.
1 Here the Spirit is personified,
and some people deduce from this the personality of the Holy Spirit as distinct
from the Father, whose messenger the Spirit is here represented to be. Such forget
that it was the custom of Jesus to personify great principles, such as Manna -
a master, Sin - a master; also the Prince of this world. Wisdom is spoken of in
Proverbs as a woman (Proverbs 8:12) - the Spirit here as a man, but the literal
fact in both cases excludes the idea of personality.
20 - Jesus Christ the Son of God
Jesus
Christ, the Son of God, is not the "second person" of an eternal
trinity, but the manifestation of the One Eternal Creator, who is "above
all and through all" (Ephesians 4:6), and "out of whom are all
things" (Romans 11:36). This Creator is Spirit, dwelling corporeally and
personally in heaven, yet, in His Spirit effluence filling immensity. By this
Spirit-effluence, He begot Jesus, who was therefore His Son; by the same power
He anointed him and dwelt in him, and spoke to Israel through him (Hebrews
1:1). Jesus Christ, therefore, in the days of his weakness, had two sides, one
Deity, the other, man; but not as construed by trinitarianism, which makes
Jesus the Son incarnate. The man was the Son, whose existence dates from the
birth of Jesus; the Deity dwelling in him was the Father, who, without
beginning of days, is eternally pre-existent. There were not two or three
eternal persons before "the man Jesus Christ", but only One, God the
Father, whose relation to the Son was afterwards exemplified in the event
related (Luke 1:35), by which was established what Paul styles the
"mystery of godliness:" "God manifest in the flesh, justified in
the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the
world, received up into glory" (I Timothy 3:16).
And the
angel answered and said unto her (Mary), The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee,
and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy
thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35).
The angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of
David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in
her is of the Holy Ghost. (Matthew 1:20).
For unto
us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon
his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty
God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6).
Jesus,
when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the
heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a
dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:16,17).
The
Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel
to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance
to the captives (Luke 4:18).
For he
whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by
measure unto him. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his
hands. (John 3:34,35).
I can of
mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgement is just; because
I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. (John
5:30).
Jesus
answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. (John
7:16).
I am in
the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not
of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. (John
14:10).
He said
unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God
(Matthew 19:17).
I go unto
the Father: for my Father is greater than I. (John 14:28).
Jesus cried
with a loud voice, saying, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Mark
15:34).
Jesus of
Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs,
which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: (Acts 2:22).
God
anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about
doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with
him. (Acts 10:38).
21 - Jesus as the Second Adam
That
Jesus was of our nature, notwithstanding the mode of his conception and his
anointing with the Holy Spirit. He was raised up as the second Adam
(constituted of flesh and blood as we are, and tempted in all points like unto
us, yet without sin), to remove (by his obedience, death and resurrection) the
evil consequences resulting from the disobedience of the first Adam.
The man
Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5).
God
sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh 1, and for sin,
condemned sin in the flesh: (Romans 8:3).
Forasmuch
then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise
took part of the same; (Hebrews 2:14).
God sent forth his Son, made of a woman (Galatians 4:4).
He was
made sin for us, who knew no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21).
For since
by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead...the first
man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. (1
Corinthians 15:21,45).
The gift
by grace (or favour), which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto
many... For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the
obedience of one shall many be made righteous. (Romans 5:15,19).
He was
heard in that he feared; though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the
things which he suffered; (Hebrews 5:7-8).
In all
things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a
merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God...He was in all
points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 2:17,; 4:15).
1 This is construed to mean that
Jesus existed before he was sent forth in the flesh; but this is a straining of
a form of speech which is precluded by the nature of the subject. If it means
pre-existence in the case of Jesus, it must be allowed the same force in the following
statement in reference to John the Baptist: "There was a man sent from God
whose name was John" (John 1:6). You are compelled in such a case to speak
as if there was a pre-existence: e.g. ,Have you built your house? Have you
printed your circulars? Have you engaged your apprentices? These questions,
wrongly construed, would prove the existence of the house, circulars and
apprentices before the acts had been put forth which call them into existence.
22 - The object of His Death
The Death
of Christ was not to appease the wrath of offended Deity, but to express the
love of the Father in a necessary sacrifice for sin that the law of sin and
death which came into force by the first Adam might be nullified in the second
in a full discharge of its claims through a temporary surrender to its power;
after which immortality by resurrection might be acquired, in harmony with the
law of obedience. Thus sin is taken away, and righteousness established.
God so
loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16).
Behold
the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1:29).
To him
give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him
shall receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:43).
Neither
is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven
given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12).
Whom God
hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his
righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance
of God; (Romans 3:25).
He
appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. (Hebrews 9:26).
Who gave
himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world,
according to the will of God and our Father: (Galatians 1:4).
Who gave
himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto
himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. (Titus 2:14).
For he
hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the
righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21).
22A - His Resurrection
God
raised Jesus from the dead and exalted him to a glorified, incorruptible,
immortal (because spiritual) state of existence, in which he at the present
time acts as priestly mediator between the Father and those who come unto God
by him.
Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not
possible that he should be holden of it. (Acts 2:24).
The God
of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. (Acts 5:30).
Him God
raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; Not to all the people, but unto
witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after
he rose from the dead.(Acts 10:40-41).
God hath
appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that
man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in
that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:31).
Jesus
Christ our Lord, was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; and
declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness,
by the resurrection from the dead (Romans 1:3,4).
Though he
was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. (2
Corinthians 13:4).
Christ
being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
(Romans 6:9).
God hath
glorified his Son Jesus (Acts 3:13).
God hath
raised him from the dead and set him at His own right hand in the heavenly
places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and
every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to
come:(Ephesians 1:20,21).
The
Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; (Hebrews 3:1).
We have a
great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God. We
have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our
infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
(Hebrews 4:14,15).
We have
such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty
in the heavens; (Hebrews 8:1).
23 - The Devil of the Bible
The Devil
1 - Who is he? It is of great importance to understand this question,
because the Son of God was manifested expressly for the purpose of destroying
the devil and his works (I John 3:8; Hebrews 2:14). The mission of Christ is,
therefore, imperfectly understood when the nature of the Bible devil is not
comprehended. It will be found upon examination that the devil is not (as
commonly supposed) a personal, supernatural agent of evil, and that in fact,
there is no such BEING in existence. The devil is a scriptural personification
of sin in the flesh, 2 in its several phases of manifestation -
subjective, individual, aggregate, social and political, in history, current
experience, and prophecy; after the style of metaphor which speaks of wisdom as
a woman, riches as MAMMON and the god of this world, sin as master, etc.
Forasmuch
then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he (Christ) also himself
likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that
had the power of death, that is, the devil (diabolos) (Hebrews 2:14).
For the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).
He put
away sin by the sacrifice of himself. (Hebrews 9:26).
Resist
the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7).
Ye have
not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. (Hebrews 12:4).
The devil
having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot (John 13:2).
The
betrayal of Christ was the result of Judas' thievish propensities; therefore,
says Jesus, "it were good for that man that he had not been born."
Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you (Judas) is a devil? (John 6:70).
Why hath
Satan 3 filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Spirit...How is it that ye
have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? (Acts 5:3-9).
Every man
is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust
hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth
forth death. (James 1:14,15).
Wherein
in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the
prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of
disobedience (Ephesians 2:2).
Give none
occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully. For some are already turned
aside after Satan. (1 Timothy 5:14,15).
Whom I
have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme. (1 Timothy
1:20).
But he
turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence
unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of
men. (Matthew 16:23; Mark 8:33; Luke 4:8).
Satan
hindered us (1 Thessalonians 2:18).
To the
angel of the church (ecclesia) in Pergamos write; These things saith he which
hath the sharp sword with two edges; I know thy works, and where thou dwellest,
even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied
my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was
slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. (Revelation 2:12,13).
Be sober,
be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh
about, seeking whom he may devour: (1 Peter 5:8).
The devil
shall cast some of you into prison 4 (Revelation 2:10).
The God
of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. (Romans 16:20).
I will
put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it
shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (Genesis 3:15).
But God
shall wound the head of His enemies (Psalm 68:21).
Thou
(Israel) art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in
pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms (Jeremiah 51:20).
There
appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven
heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads...And the dragon was wroth
with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep
the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation
12:3, 17).
He laid
hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound
him a thousand years (Revelation 20:2).
{The
symbolism of the verses immediately foregoing is explained in the following}
He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead
bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries. (Psalm 110:6).
And in
the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom... it shall
break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
(Daniel 2:44).
1 The original word translated
"devil" is diabolos. The literal meaning of this is slanderer or
false accuser, as illustrated in the following passages, where the word has
been translated, instead of being, as in most cases, transferred to the English
in a modified form without translation: - "Even so must their wives be
grave, not slanderers (diaboloi), sober, faithful in all things." (1
Timothy 3:11). The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh
holiness, not false accusers (diaboloi), not given to much wine, teachers of
good things" (Titus 2:3). "Without natural affection, trucebreakers,
false accusers (diaboloi), incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are
good" (2 Timothy 3:3). Sin is the great accuser both of God and man. It
slanders the former in virtually denying His supremacy and goodness, and
accuses the latter unto death. The personification of this principle is natural
and effective.
2 The following table of parallel
passages presents this fact to the mind more strikingly than any line of
reasoning: -
|
Hebrews 2:14
|
Romans 8:3
|
|
"Forasmuch
then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise
took part of the same: ...
|
"God
sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh.
|
|
...
that through death ...
|
and for
sin (in the margin, by a sacrifice for sin)
|
|
... he
might destroy him ...
|
condemned
sin in the flesh" "put away sin" (Hebrews 9:26).
|
|
...
that had the power of death ...
|
Sin
hath reigned unto death (Romans 5:21)
Sin bringeth forth death (James 1:15).
The sting of death is sin (1 Corinthians 15:56).
Death by sin (Romans 5:12).
The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).
|
|
...that
is, the devil" ( diabolos, accuser)
|
"The
carnal mind is enmity against God. It is not subject to the law of God,
neither can be" (Romans 8:7).
|
|
"By
one man (Adam) sin entered into the world" (Romans 5:12)
|
"The
Lamb of God taketh away sin of the world" (John 1:29).
|
|
"For
this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works
of the devil."(diabolos) (1 John 3:8).
|
"He
(Jesus) was manifested to take away our sins" (1 John 3:5).
|
|
"So
sin hath reigned unto death" (Romans 5:21)
|
"So
might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our
Lord" (Romans 5:21).
|
|
"Now
the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication,
uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like" (Galatians
5:19-21)
"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of
the eyes, and the pride of life (no superhuman devil, mortal or immortal) is
of the world." (1 John 2:16)
|
"He
that soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; and he that
soweth to the spirit, shall of the spirit reap life everlasting"
(Galatians 6:8).
"Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and
enticed" (James 1:14).
|
3 This, like the word
"devil." is an untranslated word. Originally Hebrew. it was adopted
into the Greek language and finally transferred to the English, as the
traditional symbol of the great pagan myth of an INFERNAL GOD, whose business
is represented as to thwart God and damn mankind. Its simple meaning is
adversary. This will be apparent from the following passages: - "And God's
anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way
for an adversary (sathan) against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his
two servants were with him."(Numbers 22:22). Make this fellow return, lest
in the battle he be an adversary (sathan) to us (1 Samuel 29:3-4). OTHER
ILLUSTRATIONS: 1 Kings 11:14; Psalm 109:20; Job 1:6-9; Ezra 4:1. If this, the
simple meaning of the word, be kept in view, the Bible doctrine of satanism
will be understood. Sin is the great adversary personified. See the texts
quoted above.
4 Sin, incorporated in the
authorities of the Roman state, incarcerated the believers of the gospel. This
was the adversary, careering through the earth in search of prey "seeking
whom he might devour."
23A - Demons, Devils and Evil Spirits
Demons,
Devils or so-called Evil Spirits were the fanciful creation of the pagan mind.1
They were supposed to be a kind of demi-god, inhabiting the air, and producing
disease in human beings by taking possession of them. The following passages
show that in the Bible, the word is not used to express this idea.
They
sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods
that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not. (Deuteronomy 32:17; Psalm
106:37).
And he
ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the
calves which he had made. (2 Chronicles 11:15; Leviticus 17:7).
The things
which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God (1
Corinthians 10:20).
Lord,
have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he
falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples,
and they could not cure him... And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out
of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. (Matthew 17:15-18).
(From
this, the identity of lunacy with supposed diabolical possession is apparent.
The expulsion of the evil which deranged the child's faculties is the casting
out of the demon).
Then was
brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed
him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. (Matthew 12:22).
One of the
multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which
hath a dumb spirit; (Mark 9:17).
1 The word "devils"
occurs but four times in the Old Testament; in two places the original word is
sheedim, signifying breasts and teats. Parkhurst says "As a noun masculine
plural, it was the name given by the Hebrews to the idols worshipped by the
inhabitants of Cannan." The Egyptian Isis was one of these sheedim, and
was called multimammia, or many-breasted, because clustered over with breasts.
They worshipped the prolific principles in nature. Segeerim, twice out of fifty
instances, is rendered devils. It represents something hairy; it came to
signify a goat, a hairy one. The Egyptians, and all other nations at that day,
worshipped it as an emblem of fecundity. Parkhurst says, "It is not,
however, improbable that the Christians borrowed their goat-like pictures of
the devil, with a tail, horns and cloven feet, from the heathenish
representations of Pan the Terrible." - Hebrew Lexicon. In the New
Testament, the word is of frequent occurrence. The translators, however, make
little or no distinction between the Greek words diabolos and daimon, rendering
both, frequently and incorrectly, "devils." Demon, devil-god, or evil
genius, expressed to the Greek mind the idea of human departed spirits, raised
to the rank of gods or deities. The Jews imbibed in a great measure the
traditions of the Greeks and Latins, supposing that diseases and afflictions,
whether mental or physical, were the result of having demons or possessions.
This tradition had impressed itself on the general language of the time,
without being committed to the theory in which that language had its origin;
just as many exploded theories in our time have left their mark in such phrases
as "bewitched," "moonstruck," "St. Vitus' dance,"
" St. Anthony's fire," etc. These phrases are freely used, without
subjecting the person using them to the imputation of believing the original
fiction. Christ's conformity to popular language did not commit him to popular
delusions. In one case, he apparently recognizes the god of the Philistines;
"Ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub, if I by Beelzebub cast
out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? " (Matthew 12:27).
Now, Beelzebub signifies god of flies, a god of the Philistines of Ekron (2
Kings 1:6). Parkhurst remarks "However strange the worship of such a deity
may appear to us, yet a most reasonable instance of a similar idolatry is said
to be in practice among the Hottentots, even to our day. The Jews in our
Saviour's time had changed the name into Beelzebub, i.e., the lord of
dung." He also says, "There is no reason to doubt but it was applied
in the same sense by the Jews, with whom our Lord conversed." Lightfoot remarks,
"And among the Jews it was almost reckoned a duty of religion to reproach
idols and idolatry, and call them contemptuous names;" and Christ in using
the name takes no pain to dwell on the fact that Beelzebub was a reality. This
might, with as much reason, be taken as proof of his belief in Beelzebub, as
his accommodation to popular speech on the subject of devils is taken to prove
his belief in the popular idea.
24 - Human Nature - popular views
Human
Nature - What is it? Philosophy and "orthodox" religion say it is a
thing made up of two parts - body and soul (and some add, spirit); that the
soul is the real, conscious, thinking part of man, in its nature indestructible
and immortal; that when the body is destroyed in death, the soul is liberated
and departs to another sphere of existence, there to undergo, endless happiness
or misery, according to the life developed in the body.1 This doctrine
is known in theology as THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL. This is a PAGAN FICTION
subversive of every principle of eternal truth, as will be discovered by a
consideration of the evidence, which proves:
• A • - That Man is a Creature of Dust
Formation, whose individuality and faculties are the attributes of his bodily
organization.
And the
LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils
the breath of life; and man became a living soul2 (Heb. nephesh chaiyah,
living creature) - (Genesis 2:7).
Male and
female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the
day when they were created. (Genesis 5:2).
In the
sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for
out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
(Genesis 3:19).
The LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from
whence he was taken. (Genesis 3:23).
He
knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. (Psalm 103:14).
Abraham
answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord,
which am but dust and ashes: (Genesis 18:27).
Remember,
I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into
dust again? (Job 10:9).
For all
flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass
withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: (1 Peter 1:24; James 1:10-11).
For that
which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth
them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so
that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. All go unto
one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. (Ecclesiastes
3:19,20).
Then
shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit (ruach spirit or
breath, which in Ecclesiastes 3:19, above quoted, Solomon says the beasts have
as well as man) shall return unto God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7)
Thou
hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die,
and return to their dust. (Psalm 104:29).
Shall the
clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? (Isaiah 45:9).
We are
the clay, and thou our potter (Isaiah 64:8).
He that
is of the earth is earthly (John 3:31).
That
which is born of the flesh is flesh (John 3:6).
The first
man is of the earth, earthly...as is the earthy, such are they also who are
earthy...we have borne the image of the earthly (1 Cor 15:47-49).
1 Strangely enough, this belief is
allied with the doctrine that after the soul has gone to heaven or hell, it
will return at a certain time, called the day of judgement, to be re-united
with the body and judged as to whether heaven or hell is to be its everlasting
portion. Where is the consistency of sending a man to hell first, and then
bringing him to judgement? Let the orthodox believer answer.
2 Kitto renders this passage as
follows: " God formed man - (Heb. Adam) - dust from the ground, and blew
into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living animal."
He also says, "We should be acting unfaithfully if we were to affirm that
an immortal spirit is contained or implied in this passage" (Cyclopedia
Bib. Lit., vol.1, page 659). Kitto's translation is borne out by Paul's
quotation of the very verse in 1 Corinthians 15. Having affirmed that
"there is a natural (or animal) body, and there is a spiritual body,"
he says, by way of proof," And so it is written, the first man Adam, was
made a living soul, the last Adam was made a quickening spirit."
• B • - That Man is mortal (that is,
subject to death or dissolution of being) in consequence of the disobedience of
Adam, which brought death as the penalty of sin. For in the day that thou
(Adam) eatest thereof thou shalt surely die (see margin, Heb. dying thou shalt
die) - (Genesis 2:17).
In the
sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for
out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
Genesis 3:19).
Now, lest
he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for
ever (Genesis 3:22,23).
By one
man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all
men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5:12).
In Adam
all die (1 Corinthians 15:22).
What man
is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the
hand of the grave? (Psalm 89:48; 30:3; 86:13; Job 33:22).
All
(cattle, beast and creeping thing, and every man) in whose nostrils was the
breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died (at the flood). (Genesis
7:22).
Cease ye
from man, whose breath (n'shamah) is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be
accounted of? (Isaiah 2:22).
The
Blessed and only Potentate... only hath immortality, dwelling in the light
which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be
honour and power everlasting. Amen. (1 Timothy 6:16).
• C • - That in the Death State, a
man, instead of having "gone to another world," is simply a body
deprived of life, and as utterly unconscious as if he had never existed.
Corruption will destroy his dead body, and he will pass away like a dream. Hence,
the necessity for "resurrection."
In death
there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks? Psalm
6:5).
For the
living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have
they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love,
and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a
portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 9:5-6).
Whatsoever
thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device,
nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. (Ecclesiastes
9:10).1
The grave
cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the
pit cannot hope for thy truth. The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as
I do this day (Isaiah 38:18-19).
Put not
your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His
breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts
perish. (Psalm 146:3,4).
Why died
I not from the womb?... For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I
should have slept: then had I been at rest, with kings and counsellors of the
earth, which built desolate places for themselves... There the wicked cease
from troubling; and there the weary be at rest. Job 3:11-17; 14:10-12).
Hear my
prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto my cry... O spare me (David) that I may
recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more. (Psalm 39:12-13).
For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on
sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption : but he whom God
raised up again saw no corruption (Acts 13:36, also 2:29-34).
Then
Abraham gave up the spirit (gava, expired) and died in a good old age... and
was gathered to his people.2 (Genesis 25:8).
1 Martin Luther, commenting upon
this passage, says, "Another proof that the dead are insensible: Solomon
thinks that the dead are altogether asleep, and think of nothing. They lie, not
reckoning days and years, but, when awakened, will seem to themselves to have
slept scarcely a moment" (Debt of Grace, page 258).
2 The phrase "gathered to his
fathers," has been contended by some to express the idea that Abraham, in
a disembodied state, joined his ancestors in heaven. This view is excluded by
the fact that Abraham's fathers were idolaters: "Joshua said unto all the
people, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, your fathers dwelt on the other side
of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of
Nachor, and they served other gods" (Joshua 24:2), Abraham's
"fathers" served other gods: they would be, even on the orthodox
theory, excluded from heaven, and therefore Abraham would not be gathered to
them there. Abraham joined them in the grave, for all "go unto one
place" (Ecclesiastes 3:20).
• D • - "Soul" in the Bible
means creature in its primary use, but is also employed to express the variety
of aspects in which a living creature can be contemplated, such as person,
body, life, individuality, mind, disposition, breath, etc. It never expresses
idea of immortality.
And God
said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature1 (the same original
word translated "soul" as applied to Adam) after his kind, cattle,
and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
(Genesis 1:24).
God said,
Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life (in
the margin "soul" - Heb. nephesh2 ) and fowl that may fly
above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. (Genesis 1:20).
In whose
hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind. (Job
12:10).
He
stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and
said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul [nephesh] come into him
again. And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul [nephesh] of the
child came into him again, and he revived. (1 Kings 17:21,22).
It came
to pass, as her soul [nephesh, life] was in departing, (for she died) -
(Genesis 35:18).
It shall
even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh,
and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he
drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite:
so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion.
(Isaiah 29:8; Exodus 12:16; see margin)
Men do
not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is
hungry;(Proverbs 6:30; cp. Leviticus 17:10-12).
Levy a
tribute unto the LORD of the men of war which went out to battle: one soul of
five hundred, both of the persons, and of the beeves, and of the asses, and of
the sheep: Numbers 31:28).
But if
the priest buy any soul with his money, he shall eat of it, and he that is born
in his house: they shall eat of his meat.(Leviticus 22:11).
They
smote all the souls that were therein with the edge of the sword, utterly
destroying them: there was not any left to breathe: and he burnt Hazor with
fire. (Joshua 11:11; 10:32; Jeremiah 4:10; Job 36:14; see margin)
Also in
thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents (Jeremiah
2:34; Ezekiel 13:18-19; 22:25-27).
So that
my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life. (Job 7:15; Psalm
105:1: see margin).
Samson
said, Let me [ in the margin, Heb. my soul] die with the Philistines. (Judges
16:30).
It shall
come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be
destroyed from among the people. (Acts 3:23).
Thou hast
in love to my soul [that is, to me] delivered it from the pit of corruption
(Isaiah 38:17).
Behold,
all souls are Mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is
Mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. (Ezekiel 18:4,20).
For whosoever will save his life [psuche] shall lose it: and whosoever will
lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he
shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in
exchange for his soul [psuche], (same word translated "life" in the
previous verse) or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul [psuche]?3
(Matthew 16:25-26).
And I
will say to my soul [psuche], Soul [psuche], thou hast much goods laid up for
many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him,
Thou fool, this night thy soul [psuche] shall be required of thee (Luke
12:19,20).
Fear not
them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul [psuche]: but
rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul [psuche] and body in hell
[gehenna].(Matthew 10:28).
Saying,
Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel:
for they are dead which sought the young child's life. [psuche] ( Matthew
2:20).
And now I
exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life
[psuche] among you, but of the ship. (Acts 27:22).
And the
second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a
dead man: and every living soul [psuche] died in the sea. (Revelation 16:3).
And when
he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar4 the souls of them
that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And
they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost
thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
(Revelation 6:9,10).
He shall
see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied... because he hath
poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and
he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah
53:11,12).
He seeing
this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul [psuche] was not
left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. (Acts 2:31; Psalm 16:10).
1 Adam Clark, remarking on the
text, says, "nephesh chayiah is a general term to express all creatures
endued with animal life, in any of its infinitely varied gradations."
2 In the 754 places where the
Hebrew word nephesh (soul) occurs in the Old Testament Scripture, it is said in
326 places to be subject to death...The soul is said 203 places to be in danger
of death, and in 123 places to be delivered from death, implying its liability
to death.
"In 106 places where the Greek word psuche occurs in the New Testament
Scriptures, it is said in 45 places to be subject to death... The soul is said
in 29 places to be in danger of death, and in 16 places to be delivered from
death, implying its liability to death." - Waller's Concordance on the
Soul.
3 Adam Clark says of this passage,
"On what authority many have translated the word psuche in the 25th verse
'life', and in this 26th verse 'soul', i know not, but am certain it means life
in both places, "The revisers have since adopted this translation.
4 Adam Clark says of this passage,
"The altar is upon earth, not in heaven." We quote his opinion,
because he was of identical faith with those who use this passage to prove
their belief in disembodied existence in heaven. In reference to the
"souls under the alter," he says, "Their blood, like that of
Abel, cried for vengeance, "The Lord said to Cain, the voice of thy
brother crieth unto Me from the ground" (Genesis 4:10). It is said of
Christ, that his blood..."speaketh better things than that of Abel"
(Hebrews 12:24). It is evident the apostle beheld in vision those of the Lord's
disciples who should suffer martyrdom upon the earth, symbolically styled
"the altar," during the papal persecutions. In Revelation 20:4, John
again, in vision, sees "the souls" (i.e. persons), of them that are
beheaded for the witness of Jesus, "as having come out of their graves
through the resurrection, and lived and reigned with Christ a thousand
years." This will be when "he shall judge the quick (living) and the
dead at his appearing and his kingdom."
• E • - "Spirit" in the
Scriptures, as applied to man, is no more expressive of the philosophical
conception of an immortal soul than "soul," but signifies breath,
life, vital energy, mind, disposition, etc., as attributes of human nature
while alive.
Behold,
I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh,
wherein is the breath [ruach]1 of life, from under heaven; and every
thing that is in the earth shall die. (Genesis 6:17).
For as
the body without the spirit1 [pneuma, in the margin, breath] is dead, so faith
without works is dead also. (James 2:26).
Jesus,
when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the spirit [pneuma].2
(Matthew 27:50).
And they
stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit
[pneuma] - (Acts 7:59)
Hannah
answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit [ruach] (1
Samuel 1:15).
Who
knoweth the spirit [ruach] of man that goeth upward, and the spirit [ruach] of
the beast that goeth downward to the earth? (Ecclesiastes 3:21).
And it came
to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan
westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard
that the LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of
Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there
spirit [ruach] in them any more, because of the children of Israel. (Joshua
5:1).
And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool
[ruach, in the margin, "wind"] of the day: and Adam and his wife hid
themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
(Genesis 3:8).
God made
a wind [ruach] to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged (Genesis 8:1).
There is
no man that hath power over the spirit [ruach] to retain the spirit [ruach];
neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that
war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it. (Ecclesiastes
8:8).
To the
general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and
to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits 3 of just men made perfect
(Hebrews 12:23).
Are they
not all ministering spirits 4, sent forth to minister for them who shall
be heirs of salvation? (Hebrews 1:14).
Beloved,
believe not every spirit [pneuma], but try the spirits whether they are of God:
because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the
Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the
flesh is of God: (1 John 4:1-2).
But when
they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit [in the
original, phantasma], and cried out (Mark 6:49).
1 Ruach primarily signifies
"air in motion, breath, or wind," from the verb ruach, to breathe;
also "intelligence, courage, mind, disposition," etc - Parkhurst.
"Neshamah from the verb nesham, to breath, occurs twenty-four times in the
Old Testament, invariably rendered pneuma (Greek) from the verb pneo, to blow,
breathe, rendered wind, air, the breath of life, the spirit, a living spirit,
i.e., feeling." - Liddell and Scott. Mr. McCullough says, "There is
no word in the Hebrew language that signifies either soul or spirit, in the
technical sense in which we use the term, as signifying something distinct from
the body." - Credibility of the Scriptures, vol II. page 471. Parkhurst
also translates ruach "a puff of breath."
2 Wakefield and others render this
"He expired."
3 That is, to perfected men at the
coming of Christ, who shall judge the quick (living) and the dead at his
appearing (2 Timothy 4:1). "Just men" and those whose names are
written in the "book of life" then shall be made perfect"
(Hebrews 11:40). That Jesus, in the days of his flesh, was not made perfect, is
gathered from the following testimony, "Go ye, and tell that fox...I do
cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected" (Luke
13:32). "The Son who is consecrated (in the margin, perfected) for
evermore" (Hebrews 7:28). "And being made perfect, he became the author
of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him" (Hebrews 5:9).
4 The angels are called spirits,
not because they are immaterial or unseen, for on several occasions they
appeared and gave evidence of being tangible beings. Abraham entertained them,
and they ate and drank; see Genesis 18:2-3. They are called spirits because
they are of spirit nature. Christ likened the resurrected immortalised bodies
of approved believers to those of the angels (Luke 20:36), for they will
possess "divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4). Paul taught that the approved
will have "spiritual bodies" (1 Corinthians 15:44), that is, bodies
energized by the Spirit of God, and not by blood as at present (1 Corinthians
15:50). The glorified, resurrected Christ had a tangible, visible body of "flesh
and bones" (Luke 24:39), though not of blood, and the approved will be
made "like him" (1 John 3:2) - Editor
25 - Origin of the Doctrine of Immortality of the
Soul
The
doctrine of immortality of the soul, not being in the Bible, the question is,
Where has it come from? For an answer to this question, we direct attention to
the following facts which reveal that it has been derived from paganism, and
falsely superimposed upon the teaching of the Bible:
Herodotus,
the oldest historian, writes as follows: "The Egyptians say that Ceres
(the goddess of corn), and Bacchus (the god of wine), hold the chief sway in
the infernal regions; and the Egyptians also were the first who asserted the
doctrine that the soul of man is immortal" (Herod. Book 2;Sec123).
Mosheim
says, "Its first promoters argued from that known doctrine of the Platonic
School, which was also adopted by Origen and his disciples, that the divine
nature was diffused through all human souls; or in other words, that the
faculty of reason, from which proceed the health and vigour of the mind, was an
emanation from God into the human soul, and comprehended it in the principles
and elements of all truth, human and divine" (Ecclesiastical History, vol
1, page 86; Plato page 169).
Justin
Martyr (A.D. 150) said, "For if you have conversed with some that are
indeed called Christians, and do not maintain these opinions, but even dare to
blaspheme the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and say that there is no
resurrection of the dead, but that the souls, as soon as they leave the body
are received up into heaven, take care that you do not look upon these. But I,
and all those Christians that are really orthodox in every respect, do know
that there will be a resurrection of the body and a thousand years in
Jerusalem, when it is built again, and adorned, as Ezekiel, and Esaias, and the
rest of the prophets declare (Dialogue with Trypho, the Jew, section 80).
An
extract from the canon which was passed under Leo X, by the Council of Lateran,
shows that the doctrine of an "immortal soul" that lives when the man
is dead was supported in those days, as it generally has been since, by the
authority of creeds, rather than the Word of God: "Some have dared to
assert, concerning the nature of the reasonable soul, that it is mortal; we,
with the approbation of the sacred council, do condemn and reprobate all such,
seeing according to the canon of Pope Clement the Fifth, the soul is immortal;
and we strictly inhibit all from dogmatising otherwise; and we decree that all
who adhere to the like erroneous assertions, shall be shunned and punished as
heretics" (Caranza, page 412, 1681).
Martin
Luther ironically responded to the decrees of the Council of the Lateran held
during the pontificate of Pope Leo: "I permit the Pope to make articles of
faith for himself and his faithful - such as the soul is the substantial form
of the human body - the soul is immortal - with all those monstrous opinions to
be found in the Roman dunghill of decretals; that such as his faith is, such
may be his gospel, such his disciples, and such his church, that the mouth may
have meat suitable for it, and the dish a cover worthy of it" (Luther's
Works, vol. II, Folio 107, Wittemburg, 1562).
In an old
work printed in 1772, entitled Historical View of the Intermediate State, on
page 348, when speaking of Martin Luther's belief in the relation to the state
of the dead between death and resurrection, it is said to be held "that
they lie in a profound sleep, in which opinion he followed many of the fathers
of the ancient church."
William
Tyndale declares that "In putting departed souls in heaven, hell, and
purgatory, you destroy the arguments wherewith Christ and Paul prove the
resurrection. What God doth with them, that we shall know when we come to them.
The true faith putteth the resurrection, which we be warned to look for every
hour. The heathen philosophers denying that, did put that the souls did ever
live. And the Pope joineth the spiritual doctrine of Christ, and the fleshly
doctrine of philosophers together - things so contrary that they cannot
agree... And because the flesh-minded Pope consenteth unto the heathen
doctrine, therefore he corrupteth the Scriptures to establish it... If the
souls be in heaven, tell me why they be not in as good case as the angels be?
And then what cause is there of the resurrection?" This translator of the
Scriptures into English suffered martyrdom in 1536.
Gibbon
declares that "The doctrine of the immortality of the soul is omitted in
the Law of Moses" (Gibbon, chapter 15).
Richard
Watson remarks, "That the soul is naturally immortal, is contradicted by
Scripture, which makes our immortality a gift, dependent on the will of the
Giver" (Institutes, vol ii, page 250).
George
Combe says, "No idea can be more erroneous, than to suppose that man is an
immortal being, on account of the substance of which he is composed"
(System of Phrenology, pp. 595-7).
The
Hebrew word "nephesh" is found in the original about 750 times, but
in the common version, nephesh is translated in 45 different ways; soul 475
times; life, lives, living 120 times; persons 3 times; fish 1 time; and applied
indiscriminately to man and beast 9 times, etc, etc.
Parkhurst
says, "As a noun, nephesh hath been supposed to signify the spiritual part
of a man, or, what we commonly call his soul; I must, for myself, confess that
I can find no passage where it hath undoubtedly this meaning." (Hebrew
Lexicon).
The Greek
work "psuche," synonymous with nephesh, used in the New Testament,
has 7 different renderings, soul, life, lives, mind, heart, you, etc., etc.
The word
"soul" though frequently occurring in the Bible, is not found in one
instance as indicating it being immortal, immaterial, indestructible, or
"never-dying."
The word
"immortal" is found but once in the Scriptures (See 1 Timothy 1:17).
26 - The Doctrine of Immortality
The
Doctrine of Immortality, There is a doctrine of immortality in the Bible: but
it differs from the popular doctrine in every particular.
First -
Instead of immortality being inherent and natural, the Bible teaches it is a
quality brought within reach by Christ in the gospel, and will only be attained
on condition of believing the gospel and obeying the divine commandments.
For the
wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ
our Lord. (Romans 6:23).
This is
the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. (1 John 2:25).
Jesus
Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to
light through the gospel: (2 Timothy 1:10).
I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were
dead, yet shall he live (that is, by resurrection: see foregoing context) (John
6:40; John 11:25).
Paul, an
apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which
is in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 1:1).
In hope
of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began
(Titus 1:2).
That
being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of
eternal life. (Titus 3:7).
For we
are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why
doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with
patience wait for it. (Romans 8:24,25).
Faith is
the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews
11:1).
He that
soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. (Galatians
6:8).
God so
loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16).
This is
the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his
Son. He that hath the Son hath1 life; and he that hath not the Son of
God hath not life. (1 John 5:11-12).
Blessed
are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life
(Revelation 22:14).
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not
the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36).
He that
hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. (John 12:25).
He shall receive... in the world (Greek aion, age) to come eternal life. (Mark
10:30).
To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and
immortality (God will render: see verse 6) , eternal life ( Romans 2:7).
They
which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from
the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: Neither can they die any
more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being
the children of the resurrection. (Luke 20:35,36).
I give
unto them (my sheep) eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall
any man pluck them out of my hand. John 10:28).
As Thou
hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as
many as Thou hast given him. (John 17:2).
Blessed
is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the
crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. (James
1:12).
The world
passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth
for ever. (1 John 2:17).
For in
this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is
from heaven:.. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not
for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be
swallowed up of life. (2 Corinthians 5:1-4).
So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall
have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is
written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O
grave, where is thy victory? (1 Corinthians 15:54, 55).
God shall
wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither
sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things
are passed away. (Revelation 21:4).
He that
overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.... To him that overcometh
will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise
of God. (Revelation 2:11, 7).
1 In reference to this and similar
passages, in which the present tense is used in reference to the possession of
eternal life, it is necessary to observe that a mistake would be made if it
were supposed they taught the actual present attainment of it. This will be
evident from the facts and testimony already before the reader. The present
tense, in reference to future events, is a peculiarity of speech dictated by
inspiration. Paul, in Romans 4:17, defines this peculiarity as a "calling
of those things which be not as though they were." This is illustrated in
many parts of the Scripture. Mary, by the Holy Spirit, before Jesus was born,
declared that "The Lord hath shewed strength with His arm...He hath put
down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree; He hath
filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He hath sent empty away"
(Luke 1:51-53). So far were these things from being accomplished, during his
sojourn in the flesh in Judea, that when "he was opposed, and he was
afflicted, he opened not his mouth" (Isaiah 53:7). Not until he shall
appear a second time, as the Lion of Judah, will these things written of him
have their fulfilment (Psalm 2:8-9). Hundreds of years even before Mary spoke
these things Isaiah had written, by the Spirit's guidance, "For unto us a
child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his
shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God,
The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6). So with regard
to the statement, "hath eternal life." It points to the certainty of
future possession. Only those who believe the Gospel of the Kingdom and the
name of Jesus Christ, as the Life-Giver, have the promise of eternal life given
them (1 John 2:25; Titus 1:2). They lay hold of it by faith, and when Christ,
their life, shall appear (Col. 3:4), then they will receive the gift, and
"die no more" (Luke 20:36).
Second -
The immortality of the Bible, unlike the inherent immortality of the popular
belief which blooms at death, is to be manifested in connection with, and as
the result of the resurrection or change of the body. (The reason is evident:
immortality is life manifested through an undecaying body). This proposition is
established in many of the testimonies cited under the last heading; it obtains
further support from the following:
And many
of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting
life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. (Daniel 12:2).
(They)
shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of (resulting
in) life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of (resulting in)
damnation. (John 5:29).
Thou
shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be
recompensed at the resurrection of the just. (Luke 14:14).
This is
the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I
should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. (John 6:39-41).
Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at
the last day. (John 11:24).
For the
Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the
archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first
(1 Thessalonians 4:16).
Thy dead
men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye
that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall
cast out the dead. (Isaiah 26:19).
There shall
be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. (Acts 24:15).
So also
is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in
incorruption (1 Corinthians 15:42-44).
Behold, I
shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we (the awakened dead and those
who do not sleep) shall all be changed (after judgement)... for the trumpet
shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible1 and we shall be
changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must
put on immortality.
(1 Corinthians 15:51-53).
If there
be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not
risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. (1 Corinthians
15:13,14).
I know
that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the
earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall
I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not
another; though my reins be consumed within me. (Job 19:25-27).
What
advantageth it me (Paul), if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to
morrow we die. (1 Corinthians 15:32).
... I
(Paul) have suffered the loss of all things... If by any means I might attain
unto the resurrection of the dead. (Philippians 3:8-11).
Now that
the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord
the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. For he is not a
God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him. (Luke 20:37,38).
1 Tertullian (about AD 185), in
writing upon the resurrection, says, "He who raises the dead to life will
raise the body in its perfect integrity. This is part of the change which the
body will undergo at the resurrection; for though the dead will be raised in
the flesh, yet they who attain to the resurrection of happiness will pass into
the angelic state, and put on the vesture of immortality, according to the
declaration of the apostle Paul, that this corruptible must put on incorruption,
and this mortal must put on immortality, and again, that our vile bodies will
be changed, that they may be fashioned like unto the glorious body of
Christ." - Anastasis, page 39.
Third -
The immortality of the Bible, in addition to depending upon "the resurrection
of the body," is a thing to be manifested and enjoyed on the earth,
instead of something to which a man ascends in starry regions after death.
Behold,
the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the
sinner.( Proverbs 11:31).
Blessed
are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. (Matthew 5:5).
The earth
which he hath established for ever. (Psalm 78:69; Ecclesiastes 1:4).).
For
evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall
inherit the earth. (Psalm 37:9).
But the
meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of
peace.( Psalm 37:11).
For such
as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him
shall be cut off. (Psalm 37:22).
The righteous
shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever. (Psalm 37:29).
Wait on
the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when
the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it. (Psalm 37:34).
The
righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth.
(Proverbs 10:30).
For the
promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his
seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. (Romans 4:13).
By faith
Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place (the land of Canaan - Acts
7:4) which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed (Hebrews 11:8).
They sung
a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals
thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of
every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our
God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. (Revelation 5:9-10).
The
kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven,
shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is
an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. (Daniel
7:27).
27 - The Earth the Inheritance of the Saints
The Earth
the Inheritance of the Righteous - It follows that the earth, and not
"heaven above the skies," is the inheritance of the saints, and the
scene of God's work with the human race.
For thus
saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and
made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be
inhabited (Isaiah 45:18).
The
heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD'S: but the earth hath he given to the
children of men. (Psalm 115:16).
And no
man hath ascended up to heaven (John 3:13).
Men and
brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both
dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day... For David is not
ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord,
Sit thou on my right hand (Acts 2:29-34).
Little
children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said
unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you. (John 13:33).
In my
Father's house1 are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told
you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may
be also. (John 14:2,3).
The
Father's "house" constitutes the organized polity of the glorified
redeemed:
Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5).
Whose
house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm
unto the end. (Hebrews 3:6).
Ye
(Ephesian believers)... are built upon the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the
building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
(Ephesians 2:20,21).
The house
of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the
truth. (1 Timothy 3:15).
Christ
has ascended into heaven to appear before God as an advocate for believers on
earth:
Christ
has entered... into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
(Hebrews 9:24).
If any
man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: (1
John 2:1).
Christ
will return to bring to consummation the purpose of God initiated at his first
appearance:
Whom the
heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God
hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. (Acts
3:21).
If I
go... I will come again (John 14:3).
This same
Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as
ye have seen him go into heaven. (Acts 1:11).
The
redeemed will be with Christ when he sets up his reign on earth:
They
lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4).
When
Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in
glory. (Colossians 3:4).
1 This passage is generally quoted
in the opposition to the doctrine affirmed in Propositions 26 and 27; but the
comparison of textual terms below will show that it is but a parabolic
expression of the Truth, in perfect harmony with all we are seeking to
maintain. It will be seen from this that Christ was alluding to the symbolical
temple, or "house of many mansions" (composed of living believers),
to be manifested in full glory when his kingdom shall be established on the
earth.
28 - The Hell of the Bible
Hell: It
follows also, of necessity, that the popular theory of hell and "eternal
torments" is a fiction. The word "hell" occurs in the English
Bible, but a comparison of the texts quoted below will show that its
significance is totally different from that which ignorance and superstition
have come to attach to it; that, in fact, it, almost without exception, means
the grave.
O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave (sheol), that thou wouldest keep me
secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and
remember me! (Job 14:13).
And they
shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised, which are
gone down to hell (sheol, grave), with their weapons of war: and they have laid
their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall be upon their bones,
though they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living. (Ezekiel
32:27, compare with Ezekiel 31:14-17).
The
wicked shall be turned into hell (sheol, grave), and all the nations that
forget God. (Psalm 9:17).
Let the
wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave (sheol). (Psalm 31:17).
For Thou
wilt not leave my soul in hell (sheol, grave: See Peter's application of this
to the resurrection of Christ - Acts 2:27; 2:30-32) neither wilt Thou suffer
(allow) Thine Holy One to see corruption (Psalm 16:10).
The
sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell (sheol, grave) gat hold
upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. (Psalm 116:3).
Jonah
prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly, And said, I cried by
reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of
hell (margin, the grave), cried I, and thou heardest my voice. (Jonah 2:1-3).
And in
hell (hades)2 he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham
afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. (Luke 16:23).
For great
is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell
(sheol - see margin - grave) (Psalm 86:13).
But those
that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth
(grave). (Psalm 63:9).
Thou,
Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell3
(hades, grave): for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been
done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.( Matthew 11:23).
I say
also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church;
and the gates of hell1 (hades, grave) shall not prevail against it.
(Matthew 16:18).
He
(David) seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul
was not left in hell (hades, grave), neither his flesh did see corruption.
(Acts 2:31).
I am he
that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have
the keys of hell (hades, grave) and of death. (Revelation 1:18).
O death,
where is thy sting? O grave (hades), where is thy victory? (1 Corinthians
15:55; see Hosea 13:14).
And death
and hell (hades, grave) delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were
judged every man according to their works. And death and hell (hades, grave)
were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. (Revelation
20:13-14).
1 The original word for hell in
the Old Testament is the Hebrew word sheol. The following remarks from
"The Bible Verses Tradition," p. 188, will throw light on the
subject:
"The
Hebrew word for sheol is translated hell, properly, as a general thing, if
intended to mean the same as the old Saxon word hell, the covered receptacle of
all the dead, where the good and bad repose together in a state of
unconsciousness: but very improperly and very shamefully, if intended to be a
symbol of 'orthodox' and traditionary hell, as a place of conscious torment for
the wicked only. But we, without the slightest reservation, condemn the
translators: for they have evidently endeavoured to obscure the true sense of
the word sheol, and to uphold the traditionary meaning of hell at the expense
of truth and uniformity. Had sheol been uniformly translated pit, or grave, or
the state of the dead, or even the mansions of the dead, no such absurd idea as
that of a place of conscious torment could ever have been associated with
it."
As to the
word "hell" in the New Testament, we quote the following remarks on
the original term "hades," by Dr. Campbell, a Presbyterian
commentator (see On the Gospel, Diss, 6): "As to the word hades, in my
judgement it ought never to be rendered hell, at least in the sense wherein
that word is now universally understood by Christians. In the Old Testament,
the corresponding word is sheol, which signifies the state of the dead in
general, without regard to goodness or badness of the persons."
Dr Kitto,
in his Cyclopaedia of the Bible, says, "Hades means literally that which
is in darkness." Job in describing the state of man in death, calls it
"a land of darkness, as darkness itself" (Job 10:18-22). A careful
examination will lead to the conclusion that no sanction to an intermediate
state is afforded by these passages where hades correctly rendered hell, occurs
eleven times: see Matthew 11:23; 16:18; Luke 10:15; 16:23; Acts 2:27, 31: 1
Corinthians 15:55 (in the margin, hell); Revelation 2:18; 6:8; 20:13-14.
Gehenna, also incorrectly rendered hell, occurs twelve times: see Matthew 5:22,
29-30; 18:9; 23:15,33: Mark 9:43, 45, 47: Luke 12:5; James 3:6.
2 This passage, occurring in the
parable of the rich man and Lazarus, is invariably brought forward as proof of
the existence of the hell of popular theory. It can only afford such proof on
the supposition that it is a literal description and not a parable. But even
then it involves the orthodox believer in endless inconsistencies, for it
represents heaven and hell ad divided by a gulf over which the wicked and good
can exchange thoughts and hold conversations. It is generally admitted that the
account is a parable because Christ spoke to the rulers in parables: "That
seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand." (Luke
8:10). Josephus mentions a tradition current among the superstitious Jews,
which seems to correspond with the narrative given by Christ; in fact, Christ
appears to have founded his narrative on the tradition in question. Be that as
it may, it is evident that he intended to convey some important truth, as seen
in verses 29-31. "If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will
they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." In addressing the
Pharisees on another occasion the Lord said, "Search the scriptures; for
in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me...
for had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me."
(John 5:39-46). All rewards and punishments are reserved until Jesus Christ
shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom (2 Timothy
4:1). Christ plainly taught that the righteous will be "recompensed at the
resurrection of the just" (Luke 14:14). At the same time the wicked will
likewise receive the fruits of their folly (Romans 2:7-9, 16).
3 Adam Clark, commenting on this
passage, has the following remarks; "Perhaps not meaning here the place of
torment, but rather of desolation. The original word is hades, from a, not and
idein, to see - the invisible receptacle, or mansion of the dead, answering to
sheol in Hebrew. The word hell, used in the common translation, conveys now an
improper meaning of the original word, because hell is only used to signify the
place of the damned. But, as the word hell comes from the Anglo-Saxon helan, to
cover of hide, hence the tilling or slating of a house in some parts of England
(particularly Cornwall) heling, to this day; and the covers of books (in
Lancashire) by the same name; so the literal import of the original word hades
was formerly well expressed by it. Here it means a state of the utmost woe, and
ruin, and desolation, to which those impenitent cities should be reduced. This
prediction of our Lord was literally fulfilled: for in the wars between the
Romans and the Jews these cities were totally destroyed so that no traces are
now found of Bethsaida, Chorazin, or Capernaum." - Commentary
28A - Gehenna
Gehenna:
There is another class of texts in which the word "hell" occurs,
which have to be differently understood from those quoted in the foregoing
section: in this the original is Gehenna.1 A reference to the passages
and notes below will, however, show that they give as little countenance to the
hell of popular theology as those in which the word "hell" simply
means grave. They refer to the locality in the land of Israel, which was, in past
times, the scene of judicial inflictions, and which is again to become so on a
larger scale.
And if
thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life
maimed, than having two hands to go into hell2 (Gehenna, valley of
Hinnom), into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth
not, and the fire is not quenched. (Mark 9:43-44).
Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul (psuche,
life), but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul (psuche, life)
and body in hell3 (Gehenna). (Matthew 10:28).
As Sodom
and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over
to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example,
suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.4 (Jude 1:7).
It is the
day of the LORD'S vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of
Zion. And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof
into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch. It shall not
be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from
generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for
ever and ever. (Isaiah 34:8-10; see Jeremiah 7:17-20, 27; 2 Chronicles 34:25).
(His) fan
is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat
into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. (Matthew
3:12).
The
sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who
among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with
everlasting burnings? (Isaiah 33:14).
Our God
is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29).
Behold,
the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all
that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up,
saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But
unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in
his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall, and ye
shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your
feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts. Malachi 4:1-3).
The
fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers,
and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake
which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (Revelation
21:8).
(Those),
knowing the judgement of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of
death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. (Romans
1:32).
1 Parkhurst says, "Gehenna is
used by the Septuagint for the Hebrew word Gaihenna (Joshua 18:16). So Gehenna
in the New Testament is in like manner a corruption of the two Hebrew words
gai, a valley, and Hinnom, the name of a person who was once the possessor of
it. This valley of Hinnom lay near Jerusalem, and had been the place of those
abominable sacrifices in which the idolatrous Jews burned their children alive
to Molech, Baal, or the sun. A particular place in this valley was called
Tophet, and the valley itself the valley of Tophet, from the fiery stove in
which they burned their children to Molech (2 Kings 23:10; 2 Chronicles 28:3).
- Greek Lexicon.
In this
Gehenna Sennacherib's army was destroyed (2 Kings 19:35). It is written also of
this valley, termed also the valley of slaughter, "Behold, the days come,
saith the LORD, that this place shall no more be called Tophet, nor the Valley
of the Son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter. And I will make void the
counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place; and I will cause them to fall by
the sword before their enemies, and by the hands of them that seek their
lives" (Jeremiah 19:5-7; 7:30-34). In this valley of Hinnom (i.e. Gehenna)
judgement came upon the armies of Assyria for oppressing Israel (see Isaiah
30:31-33; 10:5, 24-25). And when the Lord shall be revealed from heaven, the
valley of Hinnom will become again the scene of judgements; first upon His unfaithful
servants (Matthew 25:32-41), and finally on those nations who came up against
Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:2-3; Joel 3:2, 12).
2 Parkhurst remarks on this verse,
"Our Lord seems to allude to the worms which continually preyed on the
dead carcasses that were cast into the valley of Hinnom (i.e. Gehenna) and to
the perpetual fire kept to consume them; a place of abominable filthiness and
pollution." - Greek Lexicon. Thus Gehenna came to be used as a synonym for
total destruction.
3 Matthew, who wrote in the Hebrew
idiom, used the term soul and body as comprehending the whole being, which only
God could kill so as never to be raised to life again. But Luke 12:4-5, who
wrote purer Greek, in relating the same discourse, omits the term soul. W.G.
Moncriff, Edinburgh, observes that "The only legitimate mode of
interpreting the text is, in our opinion, to understand it as affirming that
God only can destroy a soul, a life, a human being's existence for ever; and
that this will be the doom of all apostates, and of all the ungodly.
Persecutions may destroy a Christian's life now, and for a little, but, at the
'last day' he will be raised to glory, honour, and immortality." When God
destroys a man, a soul, a life, or a living being in Gehenna, he is quenched for
ever; the second death is to be followed by no resurrection. - Bible verses
Tradition.
4 Van der Palm, a learned and orthodox translator of the Bible, says, on
Jude, "As this, according to the Greek text, is said of the cities, we
must here take the words 'eternal fire' in the sense of a fire which cannot be
extinguished until it has consumed everything, and reduced it to ashes."
29 - The Destiny of the Wicked
The
Destiny of the Wicked. If the hell of popular belief is a mere figment of the
imagination it will be asked, what then is the destiny of the wicked according
to the Scriptures? The answer, justified by the foregoing and subjoined
testimonies is, that they will be put out of existence by divine judgement,
with attendant circumstances of shame and suffering.
The
wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs:
they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away. (Psalm 37:20).
The day
of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done
unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head. For as ye have drunk
upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they
shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had
not been. (Obadiah 1:15,16).
For yet a
little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider
his place, and it shall not be. (Psalm 37:10).
Wait on
the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when
the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it... But the transgressors shall be
destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. (Psalm 37:34,38).
(They)
shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord,
and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his
saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (2 Thessalonians 1:9,10).
The LORD
preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy. (Psalm
145:20).
Let the
sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. (Psalm
104:35).
The
wicked is reserved to the day of destruction: they shall be brought forth to
the day of wrath. (Job 21:30).
For we
are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that
perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the
savour of life unto life. (2 Corinthians 2:15,16).
Whoso
despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment
shall be rewarded. (Proverbs 13:13).
These
shall go away into everlasting punishment:1 but the righteous into life
eternal. (Matthew 25:46).
1 The literal rendering of the
passage is, "And these shall go (eis kolasin aionion) to the cutting off
age-lasting; but the righteous (eis zoen aionion) to life everlasting" (Matthew
25:46). The Hebrew word "olahm" corresponds to the Greek words
"aion," age, and "aionos," pertaining to the age. Parkhurst
says, "It (aion) denotes duration or continuance of time with great
variety." - Greek Lexicon. Liddell and Scott render the word aion thus:
"A space or period of time, especially a life time: also one's time of
life, age, generation, definite period, a long space of time, eternity,"
etc.: not once rendered "world" in their Greek Lexicon. In the Common
Version, "everlasting, eternal, evermore, and for ever," are usually
given as the equivalent of aion. While in most cases this translation is
practically correct, it has to be observed, even these words do not always
represent the idea of unlimited duration. Their scope is purely by the subject
with which they are connected. A few examples will suffice to show this:
1 -
Unlimited Duration:
The everlasting God (Romans 16:26).
The King eternal: the only wise God (1 Timothy 1:17).
Thou, Lord, art most high for evermore (Psalm 92:8).
The Lord shall endure for ever (Psalm 9:7)
2 -
Limited Duration:
For their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their
generations. Exodus 40:15;Numbers 25:13).
The priesthood being changed (Hebrews 7:12).
Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Jude 1:7).
Ye shall observe to do for evermore; and ye shall not fear other gods. (2 Kings
17:37).
His master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for
ever. (Exodus 21:6).
Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. (Daniel 6:21).
Perhaps he (Onesimus) therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest
receive him for ever (Philemon 1:15).
3 - With
Beginning, but without End:
And every one that hath forsaken houses... shall inherit everlasting life.
(Matthew 19:29).
And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. (1 John
2:25).
I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen
(Revelation 1:18).
In the
following texts, the phrase "end of the world" is literally "end
of the aion, i.e., age" (referring to the Jewish dispensation in most
cases). See Matthew 13:39; 24:3; 28:20; Hebrews 9:26; 1 Corinthians 10:11. Unto
Him be glory in the ecclesia by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world (aion)
without end (Ephesians 3:21). The earth which He hath established for ever
(Psalm 78:69).
30 - The irresponsible of mankind
The
irresponsible of mankind: is a class, forming by far the largest part of
mankind, who have never heard the gospel, and are in the darkness of complete
barbarism. What is to be done with them? Popular theology says (sometimes),
they go to hell; and at other times, they will be admitted to heaven. The first
assumption outrages justice; the second violates every divine principle. We
submit, on the strength of the following passages, that they are exempted from
responsibility, and will pass away in death, as though they had never existed.
They will never see the light of resurrection.
O LORD
our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us...They are dead,
they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise: therefore hast
thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish. (Isaiah
26:13,14).
In their
heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may
rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the LORD. (Jeremiah
51:39).
The man
that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation
of the dead. (Proverbs 21:16; Jeremiah 51:57).
By one
man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all
men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5:12).
That ye
henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having
the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the
ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: (Ephesians
4:17,18).
But if
our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: (2 Corinthians 4:3).
Man that
is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish. (Psalm
49:20).
There
shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust (at Christ's
coming) - (Acts 24:15).
The Lord
Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick (living) and the dead at his appearing
and his kingdom; (2 Timothy 4:1).
We must
all appear before the judgement seat of Christ; that every one may receive the
things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or
bad. (2 Corinthians 5:10).
We shall
all stand before the judgement seat of Christ... So then every one of us shall
give account of himself to God. (Romans 14:10-12).
31 - The Judgement Seat of Christ
The
Judgement Seat of Christ: That at the return of Jesus Christ from heaven, to
establish his kingdom on earth, he will, first of all, summon before him for
judgement, those who are responsible to his judgement, Those that are dead he
will cause to come forth from the dust, and assemble them with the living to
his presence. Faithful and unfaithful will be mustered together before his
judgement-seat, for the purpose of having it declared, after account rendered,
who is worthy of being invested with immortality and promoted to the kingdom,
and who is deserving of rejection, and re-consignment to corruption after punishment.
(This precludes, the idea created by a superficial reading of the apostolic
testimony, that there is no judgement for the saints, and that the resurrection
at the coming of Christ will be confined to the accepted, who, according to
this theory, awake to instantaneous incorruption and immortality).1
Every
idle (evil) word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the
day of judgement. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words
thou shalt be condemned. (Matthew 12:36,37).
All that
are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have
done good, unto the resurrection of (to receive) life; and they that have done
evil, unto the resurrection of (to receive) damnation. (John 5:28,29).
He that
soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap (after judgement) corruption; but
he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap (after judgement) life
everlasting. (Galatians 6:8).
Little
children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and
not be ashamed before him at his coming. (1 John 2:28).
Blessed
is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. (Matthew
24:46).
If that
evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming... The lord of
that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him... And shall cut
him asunder (Matthew 24:48-51).
Of him
also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father
with the holy angels. (Mark 8:38).
For the
Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he
shall reward every man according to his works. (Matthew 16:27).
The
kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered
of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and
gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. (Matthew 13:45-49).
He shall
set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King
say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the
kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world... Then shall he say
also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed... into everlasting
punishment: but the righteous into (shall have) life eternal. (Matthew
25:31-46).
It came
to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he
commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money,
that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. (Luke 19:15).
There
shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac,
and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves
thrust out. (Luke 13:25-30).
It is
appointed unto men once to die, but after this (that is, when the death state
ends in resurrection) the judgement (Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 22:11-12).
Who shall
give account to him that is ready to judge both the quick and the dead (1 Peter
4:5; 1:17; 1 Corinthians 3:13; Revelation 11:18; John 12:48).
That we
may have boldness in the day of judgement (1 John 4:17)
Therefore
judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to
light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the
heart (1 Corinthians 4:5).
1 It is sown in corruption; it is
raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is
sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body, and there
is a spiritual body... The dead shall be raised incorruptible. On this, Dr.
Thomas says in Anastasis, "This is not the form of sound words delivered
by Paul. He says, The dead ones (oi-nekroi) shall be rebuilt (egerthesontai)
incorruptible. This I believe and teach. He does not say oi nekroi anastesontai
- the dead ones shall stand up incorruptible: he does not teach such an
anastasis or standing up as this; for both the just and the unjust will stand
up; but they will not stand up incorruptible; it will only those of them who so
stand up that will become incorruptible when their rebuilding is completed in
their putting on incorruptibility and life, or in being clothed upon with their
house which is from heaven, when they are quickened by the spirit, because
their account rendered is well pleasing to the Judge."
32 - Baptism
Baptism
is an act of obedience required of all who believe the gospel. It is a bodily
immersion in, and not a face-sprinkling or head pouring, with water. Its
administration to infants, in any form, is unauthorized and useless;1 it
is only enjoined on those who have intelligence enough to believe the glad
tidings of the Kingdom of God and the things concerning the name of Jesus
Christ. To such it is a means of that present union with Christ which is
preparatory to perfect assimilation at the resurrection, It is, therefore,
necessary to salvation.
Go ye
into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth
and is baptized2 shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be
damned.(Mark 16:15-16).
Jesus
answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of
the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (John 3:5).
Peter
said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus
Christ...Then they that gladly received his word were baptized (Acts 2:38-41).
When they
believed (people of Samaria) Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom
of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
(Acts 8:12).
He
commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both
Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. (Acts 8:38).
Paul
(after his conversion) arose, and was baptized. (Acts 9:18).
Lydia was
baptized, and her household (Acts 16:15).
The
keeper of the prison (at Philippi)... was baptized, he and all his, straightway...believing
in God with all his house (Acts 16:27, 33-34).
When they
(twelve men at Ephesus) heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord
Jesus. (Acts 19:5).
The like
figure whereunto even BAPTISM DOTH ALSO NOW SAVE US (not the putting away of
the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the
resurrection of Jesus Christ: (1 Peter 3:21).
Know ye
not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into
his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as
Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also
should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the
likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
(Romans 6:3-5).
As many
of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither
Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor
female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye
Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:27-29).
1 The claims of children to a
religious standing irrespective of intelligence and faith are generally founded
on Matthew 19:14: Jesus says, "Suffer (allow) little children, and forbid
them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven." This
saying of Christ's. however, can mean nothing more than his other sayings:
"Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter
into the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3); "Verily I say unto you,
Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not
enter therein." (Mark 10:15). Paul expresses the same idea: "In
malice, be ye children" (1 Corinthians 14:20). If Christ's words in
Matthew 19 are to be construed literally, they would amount to this: that the
kingdom of God is to be made up of babies and children, and that, therefore,
men and women would find no place. His real meaning is that the kingdom is
reserved for those of childlike disposition. These, in the language of
Scripture, are "babes and children." Hence, Jesus, speaking of his
disciples, says, "I thank thee, O Father, that Thou hast hid these things
from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes" (Luke
10:21). Again speaking to them, he says, "Little children, yet for a
little while I am with you" (John 13:33).
2 Baptizo is used in both
Testaments in the sense of immersion, but never in the sense of sprinkling or
pouring. The word baptize is not an English word, but is really an English form
of the Greek word baptizo: which is not translated, but transferred into our
language by the word baptize. Had baptizo been translated, as it could and
should have been, there would at this time be no controversy on this subject -
Malcolm's Bible Dictionary.
Prof. Stewart says, baptizo means dip, plunge, or immerse in any liquid. It may
be added, "especially in the dyeing art, with a view to produce a change
of colour."
33 - How can so many be wrong?
How can
so many be wrong? It is usual to rely on numbers in deciding questions of
religious belief. This disposition takes the form of the question: "Can so
many hundreds of thousands of people, including clergymen and ministers, be in
the wrong?" As a general answer to this, attention is invited to the
following testimonies, which declare the fewness of those who receive the
Truth.
Enter ye
in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth
to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: (Matthew 7:13).
Strait is
the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that
find it. (Matthew 7:14).
For many
are called, but few are chosen. (Matthew 22:14).
Hearken,
my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith,
and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? (James
2:5).
For ye
see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not
many mighty, not many noble, are called (1 Corinthians 1:26,27).
For the
wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. (1 Corinthians 3:19).
God hath
chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath
chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And
base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea,
and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: (1 Corinthians
1:27,28).
I pray
for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast given me; for
they are Thine... Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall
believe on me through their word; (John 17:9,20).
As
concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against. (Acts
28:22).
Blessed
are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their
company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of
man's sake. (Luke 6:22).
If ye be
reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye...Yet if any man suffer as a
Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. (1
Peter 4:14-16).
I have
given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the
world, even as I am not of the world. (John 17:14).
34 - Popular Error and Divine Truth in tabulated
contrast
Popular
Error and Divine Truth in contrast: The true test to apply in the determination
of religious truth is one given by Isaiah (8:20): "To the law and to the
testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no
light in them." This principle is extensively applied in the
classification of scripture testimony contained in this pamphlet as a whole. To
bring the matter to a focus, the following tabularised contrast of popular
tradition with the Word of God is here presented:
|
Popular Tradition
|
The Word of God
|
|
"I
can imagine that when a man dies suddenly, one of the first things in the
next world will be a surprise.. He looks about him, 'Oh, that glory, how
resplendent beyond yon throne!' He listens to the harps of gold, and he can
scarce believe it is true. I, the chief of sinners, and yet in heaven; and
then, when he is conscious that he is really in heaven, 'Oh! What everlasting
joy'" C.H. Spurgeon, Sermon No. 349, p.311;
"I'll praise my Maker with my breath, And when my voice is lost in
death, Praise shall my nobler powers employ." - Dr. Watts
"The souls of believers at death do immediately pass into glory." -
Methodist & Presbyterian Catechism.
"With Thee we'll reign, With Thee we'll rise, And kingdoms gain, Beyond
the skies."
"Beyond the bounds of time and space,The saints' secure abode." -
Dr. Watts
A never-dying soul to save,And fit it for the sky." - Chas. Wesley
"Up to the courts where angels dwellIt mounts triumphant there;Or devils
plunge it down to hell,In infinite despair." - Dr. Watts
"When the poor soul shall find itself in the hands of angry fiends, it
shall seem in that first moment as though it had been a thousand years. What
will be his surprise. 'And am I,' he will say, 'really here? I was in the
streets of London but a moment ago; I was singing a song but an instant ago,
and here am I in hell'" - Chas. H Spurgeon.
Sermon No. 369, page 312."God is therefore Himself present in hell to
see the punishment of these rebels against His government, that it may be
adequate to the infinity of their guilt; His fiery indignation kindles, and
His incensed fury feeds the flame of their torment, while His powerful
presence and operation maintain their being, and render all their powers most
acutely sensible, thus setting the keenest edge upon their pain, and making
it cut most intolerably deep. He will exert all His divine attributes to make
them as wretched through eternity as the capacity of their nature will
admit." - Benson, the Methodist Commentator.
"O miserable state of the damned! In it they utter as many blasphemies
against God as the happy souls in heaven shout hallelujahs to His
praise" - American Tract. Society, No. 277.
|
- And
no man hath ascended up to heaven (John 3:13)
For David is not ascended into the heavens (Acts 2:34)
As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied,
when I awake, with thy likeness (Psalm 17:15)
For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything,
neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
Also their love and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither
have they anymore portion for ever in anything that is done under the sun
(Ecclesiastes 9:5-6).
His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his
thoughts perish (Psalm 146:4)
The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence (Psalm
115:17)
For in death there is no remembrance of thee; in the grave, who shall give
thee thanks? (Psalm 6:5)
God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave (Psalm 49:15)
And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath
given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day
(John 6:39; 11:24; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-16).
But go thou (Daniel) thy way till the end be, for thou shalt rest, and stand
in thy lot, at the end of the days (Daniel 12:13; Job 19:25)
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5)
Thou hast made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the
earth (Revelation 5:10)
And the kingdom and dominion and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole
heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High (Daniel
7:27)
The soul that sinneth, it shall die (Ezekiel 18:4, 20)
He casteth the wicked down to the ground (Psalm 147:6)
The wicked is reserved to the day of destruction; they shall be brought forth
to the day of wrath (Job 21:30)
As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire,
so let the wicked perish at the presence of God (Psalm 68:2)
But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat
of lambs; they shall consume; into smoke they shall consume away (Psalm
37:20)
For, behold the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud,
yea, all that do wickedly shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall
burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root
nor branch… and ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be as ashes
under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord
of Hosts (Malachi 4:1-3)
|
In vain
do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men (Matthew
15:9)
If any
man speak, let him speak the oracles of God (1 Peter 4:11)
35 - Departure from the Truth foretold
Departure
from the Truth foretold: The thoughtful man, on which the testimony cited in
the foregoing thirty-four sections may have made an impression, will enquire,
how comes the religious world, with the Bible circulated so freely, and
honoured so universally, to be so much astray? Without attempting in this
limited work to indicate the process by which the result has been arrived at,
we call attention to the fact apparent in the face of subjoined scriptural
quotations, that the truth of apostolic prophecy requires that the world at the
present time should be in a state of complete and universal apostasy.
There
shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying,
Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all
things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. (2 Peter 3:3,
4).
The time
will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts
shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall
turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (2
Timothy 4:3, 4).
When the
Son of man cometh, shall he find faith (ten pistin, the faith)1 on the
earth? (Luke 18:8).
The
Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the
faith (tes pistios), giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath
created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the
Truth. (1 Timothy 4:1-3).
I know
this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not
sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse
things, to draw away disciples after them. (Acts 20:29,30).
For this
cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: (2
Thessalonians 2:11).
The
mystery of iniquity doth already work: (in Paul's day) only he who now letteth
(that is hindereth) will let (or hinder), until he (paganism) be taken out of
the way. And then shall that Wicked (the papacy) be revealed, whom the Lord
shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the
brightness of his coming: (2 Thessalonians 2:7, 8).
And upon
her forehead (the forehead of the woman representing papal Rome - see
Revelation 17:18) was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT (papacy), THE
MOTHER OF HARLOTS (that is, of state religions), AND ABOMINATIONS (the
innumerable sects) OF THE EARTH. (Revelation 17:5).
For,
behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people
(Isaiah 60:2).
As the
days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the
days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and
giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, And knew not
until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the
Son of man be. (Matthew 24:37-39).
1 The literal translation of the
Greek words ten pistin is, the faith. When Christ comes he will find faith in
the abstract in great abundance (for there are many false faiths, religions,
and creeds in the world), but he suggests by his question, that he will
scarcely find the faith, viz., that to which the apostle alludes as the
"one faith" (Ephesians 4:5); "the faith once for all delivered
to the saints" (Jude 3); "the word of the truth of the gospel" (Colossians
1:5); "one hope of your calling" (Ephesians 4:4); "the hope of
Israel" (Acts 28:20); "the gospel of the kingdom" (Matthew
24:14; Daniel 7:27); in other words, the faith comprehended in the "things
concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ" (Acts 8:12:
19:8; 28:23, 31), and confidence in God to establish His purpose in the earth.
36 - Coming Deliverance
Coming
Deliverance: It is a common belief that the world's deliverance from the state
of things portrayed in the foregoing testimonies is to be effected by the
preaching of the gospel.1 The erroneousness of this view will be
apparent from the following testimonies, which teach that it is to result from
divine intervention:
Gentiles
shall come unto Thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our
fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no
profit...Therefore, behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause
them to know Mine hand and My might; and they shall know that My name is The
LORD. (Jeremiah 16:19-21).
For when
thy judgements are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn
righteousness. (Isaiah 26:9).
In this
mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things...
And He will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all
people, and the vail that is spread over all nations. (Isaiah 25:6,7).
Thus
saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men
shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of
the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard
that God is with you. Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek
the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD. (Zechariah 8:23,
22; Micah 5:2; Isaiah 2:3).
It shall
come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against
Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of
hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. (Zechariah 14:16).
For the
earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the
waters cover the sea. (Habakkuk 2:14).
1 This idea exists from a
misconception of the objects for which the preaching of the gospel was
instituted. The apostle James defines the object to be to "take out from
the Gentiles a people for His name" (Acts 15:14). Christ's language on the
subject is substantially identical: "This gospel of the kingdom shall be
preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the
end come." (Matthew 24:14). Chrysostom, writing in the third century, has
the following remark on this passage: "Attend with care to what is read.
He said not when it hath been believed by all men, but when it hath been
preached to all. For this cause he also said, for a witness to all nations, to
show that he doth not wait for men to believe, and then for him to come, since
that phrase, for a witness, hath this meaning - for accusation, for reproof,
for condemnation of those that have not believed..
In conclusion,
the time is near for the occurrence of the great events outlined in the
Scriptures of Truth, and set forth in this booklet. The reader is invited to
write to the address below for further literature upon Bible Truth, and for
evidence that we are now on the eye of the Lord's advent. May the reader be
induced to accept the Truth herein defined, and be found worthy of the
inheritance shortly to be manifested.
"Prove
all things: Hold fast that which is good" (I Thessalonians 5:21)
� END �
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Robert Roberts
