It may seem peculiar for Peter to have made this statement (Acts 10:34,35) as to the vast majority of reverent minds it goes without saying. But to Peter, brought up as he had been among Pharisees and Sad-ducees and other religionists of the Old Dispensation, whose central belief was that God was a respecter of persons, the discovery of the great truth that God cares for all alike, came as a great awakening. The Pharisee who loved the uppermost seats in the synagogues and greetings in the market-places; who deliberately shunned contact with a publican, a woman or a Gentile, represented that self-righteous and exclusive Judaism in which no one else counted, but in which he was a favorite of the Most High. This exclusive Judaism Peter annihilated with the one sentence of the text, and thereby established the belief in that great, universal Fatherhood which, while it is all to all, is especially kind to the lowly and the meek; which watches even a sparrow and numbers even the hair of our heads. And because of this universal Fatherhood, everyone in every nation "that feareth him and doeth righteousness" is acceptable to him. He makes no distinctions of creeds, of theologies, of usages and customs, of observances and differences of opinions.
When we use the customary phrase that God takes away any of our friends from this world, it is simply a familiar form of acknowledging submission to his will as the Disposer of all things. Life and death are in his hands. There is nothing irreverent about such an expression. All our blessings come from him and if trial and discipline also come we should accept them in the proper spirit. We should learn to bow to his will, even though it may sometimes try our hearts sorely to do so.
It is a wholesome warning that a probable contingency may arise when the seeker, who postpones his search, may lose his power or disposition to seek. There are many instances of men who have put off seeking until they have made a fortune, or done something else, and then the time they set, having arrived, discover that business habits and long-time associations absorb them. They are out of touch with God. Even in church their thoughts are running on worldly concerns. It is very rare for an old man who has been indifferent, or careless, or wicked, to turn to God. Not that God is unwilling to be found, but the man has become incapable of seeking him. None who really seek ever fail to find.
"As by the offense of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life" (Rom. 5:18). In this passage, Paul is comparing the influence of Adam and Christ His argument begins with verse 12: "By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin." (Dr. Denny says: "By Adam the race was launched upon a course of sin.") Paul goes on to state that sin was in the world before the written law was given, but declares that sin is not counted as sin where there is no law. God does not condemn a man for breaking a law of which he is ignorant. But even where sin was not imputed, death reigned, because death had come into the world as the result of Adam's sin, and became a universal experience, affecting even those who broke no specific and plainly stated command, as Adam did. But the grace that comes from Christ is even greater than the doom that came through Adam. One man sinned, and many were condemned; grace, through Christ, pardons many sins. Death reigned because of one man; now abundance of life and grace reign by one, Jesus Christ (verse 17). Verse 18 (quoted above) sums up what has gone before. Adam's disobedience made many men sinners; Christ's obedience shall make many righteous (verse 19). The law was given so that sin might be revealed. Sin was in the human heart, but men did not realize what it was till the law came. The law showed them that they were disobeying God. "But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound;" there was sin for everybody, there is grace for everybody--and more grace than sin. The reign of sin brings death; the reign of grace brings eternal life.
This passage in Acts 13:48 has been much discussed. Those Gentiles did not all become believers, but only those in whom the preaching of the apostles had awakened faith and who, being taken into the congregation, had striven earnestly to "make their calling and election sure." It forcibly reminds us that salvation is the gift of God and not in any sense something we can obtain by our own merit or acts; but at the same time, in order to attain this gift (which is divinely ordained to all those who comply with certain conditions), we must put ourselves in the attitude of faith and belief. Further, throughout the whole Scriptures, there is a pervading sense of the fact that many are specially called to be saints and to perform a certain work, who are obedient to the summons and yet who were not in such attitude before. The case of Paul is an illustration in point. He was called right out of the midst of his sinful life of persecution. Some commentators hold that in the case of these Gentiles, God had chosen for himself certain men to become witness-bearers and to be set apart for a special work. Still other translators make the passage read: "As many as disposed themselves to eternal life believed," referring to I Cor. 16:15. We may add, by way of further explanation, that while the call to salvation is a universal one, the call to special service is one that comes only to the few.
John's message, asking through his disciples whom he sent to Jesus, "Art thou he that should come, or look we for another?" (Matt. 11:3), was the result of impatience, almost of desperation. It must have seemed hard to him that his Master should let him lie so long in prison, after having been honored to announce and introduce him at the beginning of his mission. He tried to get Jesus to speak out his mind, or at least to set his own mind at rest. The conclusion of the incident, however, shows that his transient doubts were set at rest by the message he received.
The passage in Prov. 23:23 --- "buy the truth and sell it not" --- is not to be interpreted as meaning that both the buying and selling must be wrong. On the contrary, the meaning is that we should get the truth, whatever it may cost us, and that we should not part with it for any consideration, money, pleasure, fame, etc., for it is more precious than all of these. (See Prov. 4:5-7.) The inspired teacher urges us to get the principal thing, the truth, wisdom, understanding; the world's motto is: "Get riches and with all thy getting get more."
There is a large and true sense in which all mankind are children of God. Paul could say to the idolaters at Athens, "We are also his offspring." But there is a higher, closer, nearer sense in which regenerated men only are God's children. John says: "To as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God." Speaking pointedly to believers, he says, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God." So there is no discrepancy between Paul and John. The one is speaking of God's children in the large human sense, while the other speaks of them in the restricted, adopted sense. We have, in fact, to recognize four grades of sonship. In the lowest grade there is the whole human family. In the next higher grade we have the regenerated children, who are really children in the spirit. Then in the next grade, we have the angels, who in the Book of Job are specially designated the "Sons of God" (Job 38:7). Then, highest of all, in a sense absolute, unapproachable, divine, we have Jesus Christ, pre-eminently God's own Son. There is no need, therefore, to stumble at the doctrine of the Fatherhood of God; only we need to distinguish between what is implied in the more outward and the more inward relationship.
The thought of a sacrifice for sin underlies the whole message of the Bible. The fact that John 3:17; John 8:11,12 and other promises do not specifically refer to this does not violate in any way the broad, general principle. The Bible as a whole states the method by which God undertakes to save people from sin. The Old Testament, in law and ceremony and prophecy, looks forward to a great sacrifice that is to be made, of which the sacrifice of animals is but a type. The Epistles of the New Testament explain how the sacrifice of Christ may be applied by faith to the human soul. The Gospels tell the story of the life of the Saviour and give with great detail and fullness the account of his sacrificial death. He himself said distinctly of his death (Matt 26:28), "This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." Read with special care the 9th and 10th chapters of Hebrews, the 5th and 6th chapters of Romans; I John 1 and the many other passages which state clearly that salvation from sin is wrought by the sacrifice of Christ. The fact of the atonement underlies all the promises of Scripture. It seems idle, as well as dangerous, to speculate whether there may be or might have been some other way of salvation. This way fits in with our knowledge of nature and of life, and has been testified to by multitudes of redeemed souls. We know that through the blood of Christ salvation from sin can be found; we certainly do not know that it can be found in any other way.
Heb. 6:4-6 is interpreted to refer to those who having begun the spiritual life, instead of persevering toward perfection, allowed themselves to fall away or backslide. Such having already had knowledge of the word of truth and having experienced a measure of peace in the pardoning love of Christ and the bestowal of the gift of the Holy Spirit (though not in all foulness) were doubly to blame for falling away. Paul did not assert that the Hebrews themselves had yet so fallen, but he warned them that if they did not persevere in going on to perfection, they would retrograde and would need to be "renewed" over again. It is the deliberate apostate, however, who sins in the light of knowledge and crucifies Christ anew whom he holds up as an object of execration. The elect abide in Christ and do not fall away, and he who abides not is "cast forth as a withered branch." The marginal reading of verse 6 in the Revised Versions makes this passage harmonize with the whole spirit of the Bible. It is impossible to renew them to repentance "the while they crucify the Son of God afresh."
The passage in Heb. 12:1 means that we are to personally apply discipline, and with divine help to thrust from us all temptations to carnal and worldly indulgence, which would impede our progress in the spiritual race. These obstacles are of the character mentioned in Mark 9:42-48; Eph. 4:22; Col. 3:9,10. In practical terms, we should include undesirable and unprofitable amusements, doubtful associates, foolish pride, habitual ill-nature or worry, planning things far ahead, striving for social show for appearance's sake, deceitfulness, gossip, profanity, exaggeration or untruth--in a word, the "familiar sins," and especially the one which does "so easily beset us," whatever it may be. All of these act as chains and drags to hold us back.
The psalmist (Ps. 37:25) simply stated his own experience. He had never seen it. He did not say it never occurred. If it did not occur in his day, it does la ours. It ought not, and God never designed that it should. There is enough wealth in the world to provide food and clothing and shelter for all, but under our present system some get more than their share, and others suffer and some starve. If a good man, though he be the seed of the righteous, acts imprudently, or is wasteful, or speculates unwisely, God does not interfere to keep him from ruin.
Commentators interpret the phrase "righteous overmuch" (Ecc 7:16) as descriptive of religious presumption; of that self-made righteousness which would lay the greatest stress upon outward performances and would claim personal credit for results which the true believer recognizes as the gift of divine grace alone. Pharisaism, with its hypocritical assumption of superior virtue, its multitudinous observances and its devotion to form and ceremonial, forgetting the "things of the spirit," was the type of the over-righteous.
During the early days of the Christian Church, there was no authoritative use of the word "Saint" as a title. Wherever the word occurs in our New Testament, it simply means a "devout person," one who has been sanctified and specially consecrated. After the early Christian era, however, the martyrs and apostles were considered as having attained to the dignity of sainthood, although there was no formal canonization until the ninth century A. D., when the Church of Rome introduced formal canonization with special ceremonies. There is no definite rule in the Protestant Church on the use of the title "Saint" The modern Jews have their saints, as well as the Catholics, and the appellation they use is "Kadosh." Their most celebrated saint is Rabbi Judah Hak-kadosh ("Rabbi Judah the Holy"). Protestant writers are not as consistent as they ought to be in this matter, some applying the tide and others not at all. The observance of saints' days applies specially to the Roman and the Oriental Catholic Churches. In the Russo-Greek Church the observance of such days has been carried to extremes and they are so numerous as to interfere seriously with business. Under the influence of the Church of Rome in America, saints' days are becoming numerous among Catholics here also.
You are not to take all the words of Ecclesiastes 9:11 as true and inspired because, as the writer shows, he found out that what he said at one time was disproved later on. He is relating his experience. He was seeking happiness, with everything in favor of his succeeding. At first he believed he would find it in pleasure, afterward in learning, and later in other ways. And he tells how he found again and again that he had been mistaken. In this particular passage he means that the misfortunes of life are just as likely to happen to the wise and good as to the foolish. We know it is so. In a railroad accident, for instance, a clergyman or a philanthropist does not escape simply because of his life being beneficent.
The illustration in Ecclesiastes 11:1 is taken from the custom of sowing seed by casting it from the boats into the overflowing Nile, or in marshy ground. When the waters recede, the grain in the alluvial soil springs up. "Waters" expresses multitudes, whose seemingly hopeless character as recipients of charity may turn out better than we anticipate, so that our gift would prove at last not to have been thrown away. The day may be near when we ourselves may need the help of those whom we have bound to us by kindness.
"For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die" (Rom. 5:7). The apostle is illustrating the fact of the Atonement by the facts of everyday life. He says it is hard to find one man who will die for another, even if that other be righteous; but that for a man who is really good (a stronger, warmer word than righteous) some might be found who would be willing to die. Then follows the keen application: Though we were neither good nor righteous, yet Christ died for us.
"Vision" (Prov. 29:18) means communion with God and the revelation of his will. When communities or nations get out of touch with God and cease to know his will, they begin to perish. The Hebrew verb means to become "dissipated" and "unbridled" and so perish --in a word, to lose sight of moral and spiritual ideals, as a nation or community. Individual Christians and the organized church should be constantly seeking a clearer sight of God, closer communion with him, and a more perfect understanding both of his revealed will in the Scriptures and his providential will in present-day concerns.
This passage (Rom. 8:28) means that the events of life, including things that we call misfortunes, will be over-ruled to spiritual advantage. The Christian is not promised immunity from trouble, but that his troubles will tend to make him a better, man. He is not encouraged to seek discipline, or to act recklessly, with the idea that howsoever an enterprise turns out, it will benefit him. But if after he has sought divine guidance and if after he has carefully considered a matter, it turns out disastrously, he is not to be cast down, but to expect that in some way God will make the disaster a blessing to him.
This passage (Rom. 9:21,23) brings up the discussion of the whole subject of "election." The Jews seem to have gotten the idea, from their long habit of exclusiveness, that God had no right to offer salvation to the Gentiles. Paul is here trying to make them see that God has a right to offer salvation to any one. No one can dispute the fact that just as the potter has the right to form one vessel for high and honorable use and another for more humble service, so God has the right to create some souls for prominent and important and honorable service and others for more lowly tasks. However we may interpret the doctrine of election, we must not for an instant forget that God is just "He is not willing that any should perish." He desires that every soul should have salvation and that every soul shall be fitted for successful service.
As the apostle himself states explicitly it was that the offender might be saved (see I Cor. 5:5). The man, a member of the Corinthian Church, had fallen into grievous sin, and was living a vicious life. Paul, hearing of it, decides that he must be excluded from the church. He repented, as the event proved, for in his second epistle Paul directs that he shall be tenderly received, lest he be swallowed up by over-much sorrow (II Cor. 2:7). The exclusion was leaving the man without means of grace, and Paul tells the object of it, namely, that the flesh, that is, the lusts and passions of his nature, might be purged from him, so that his soul might be saved. The casting of him out of the Church meant, in Paul's mind, the giving him up to punishment and the will of the enemy, not for his eternal destruction, but for temporary chastisement. Some commentators have thought that Paul's sentence included the infliction of some malady, which he certainly did inflict in another case (Acts 13:11), but that is not directly stated. The words imply discipline that would render the man less under the influence of his fleshly appetites. The man is put out of the church, the fold of God, temporarily, on account of his wrongdoing. It was probably so persistent and inexcusable that the apostle despaired of Christian influences effecting a change. He must be made to feel how wicked he was, and by the church expelling him they practically gave him up for the time. This was probably regarded as delivering him to Satan. They ceased to bring Christian love to bear upon him. In at least one case, it is thought, the discipline had a good effect, if, as is probable, the offender is the one referred to in II Cor. 2:6-8.
This passage in I Cor. 11:26 has been variously discussed. Is it the Lord's presence, the coming to take away his followers by death, or his coming to judge the world that is here meant? The best expositors hold that the apostle clearly referred to the significance of the Lord's Supper as a perpetual memorial of the Lord's death, to be observed by the Church until the end of this dispensation, or in his own words, "till he come." It could not have had reference to the Lord's spiritual presence, or to the believer's death, as Paul implied that the "coming" would terminate the observance. It must have referred to the coming he describes in I Thess. 2:1-8 and other places, when Christ will appear to call his waiting people to himself, and afterward descend to destroy his enemies and set up his millennial kingdom on the earth.
Paul was familiar with the learning of his age, and was a "master" in literary expression. He sat as a pupil "at the feet of Gamaliel," who was celebrated in the Talmudist writings as one of the seven teachers to whom the title "rabbin" was given. In II Cor. 12 (which contains the passage in question) Paul speaks of his vision when he was "caught up to the third heaven." In the Jewish teaching of the time, the first heaven was that of the clouds or the air; the second that of the stars and the sky, and the third was the spiritual heaven, the seat of divine glory. The word "heavens" is used in the Bible in varying senses, which must be gathered from the context, the most familiar being the visible heavens, as distinguished from the earth and as a part of the whole creation. (See Gen. 1:1.) Paul's "third heaven" was thus higher than the aerial or stellar world, and cognizable not by the eye, but by the mind alone. The word "world" is generally used in Scripture in the purely material sense to refer to the habitable earth and its people. The passages in Heb. 4:3, 9:26, 10:5, 11:7, 11:38, etc., have thus material significance. In John 14:2, however, many interpreters recognize an implied recognition of other worlds, the whole universe being a "house of many mansions."
Grace is inactive without our will, hence the order as to "work." "Fear and trembling"(Phil. 2:12) simply mean the holy reverence which accompanies obedience (see Eph. 6:5; I Cor. 2:3; II Cor. 7:15); not slavish fear, like the terror of a mind in danger of condemnation, but anxiety to do what the Lord would have us do, and the realization that our own merits are insufficient and we must trust him to give strength for our weakness. The last clause of the sentence (verse 13) confirms this interpretation.
The Holy Spirit is received at conversion, but the baptism with the Holy Spirit is a further enduement, an experience which comes usually at some time after conversion. The disciples were regenerated men when Jesus told them to tarry in the city of Jerusalem until: they should be baptized with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-5). This was the experience to which he had previously referred as the coming of the Comforter (John 14, John 15, John 16). God's Spirit is constantly trying to get into a man's heart. He speaks to him in many ways, convicting of sin, urging to repentance, etc. The impressions leading to a wise and safe course of action, which a man may receive before he is converted, are really the messages of the Holy Spirit. God is very good, and tries to help us in every way. But it is not until one has become a child of God and received the fullness of the Spirit that he can expect to have the clear guidance of the Holy Spirit.
