Part 2, Chapter 03
CHAPTER III. THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT IN THE EXTERNAL CALL OF THE WORD.
While Jesus and His disciples alike teach, in accordance with the intimations of Old Testament prophecy, that the kingdom of God is to be established by the working of His Spirit in the hearts of men; they declare with equal emphasis that it is also needful that the kingdom be proclaimed, and men called to receive and enter it. The announcement, that the reign of God foretold by the prophets is at hand, is the gospel or glad tidings, that occupies so large and prominent a place in the New Testament; of which Jesus said, “ This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all the nations “ (Matthew 24:14); of which Paul says, “ How shall they believe in him whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14); and which Peter declares to be “ the Word of the Lord which abideth for ever” (1 Peter 1:25). This proclamation is accompanied with a call to believe and obey the reign of God, or, as it is often expressed, to repentance, that is, to a change of mind and heart, giving up sin as a rebellion against God, trusting in His mercy to forgive it, and returning to our allegiance to Him as our rightful and chosen King. The importance attached in Scripture to the gospel indicates the general principle, that while God turns us to Himself by the power of His Spirit, He deals with us in accordance with our nature, as creatures possessing reason and free-will. He does not move men to faith and obedience by the same kind of power by which He guides the planets in their courses, or bring back wandering prodigals by laws such as those that bring comets from the depths of space back to their central sun. Neither does He move them by any mere blind overpowering instinct, like those by which “ the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times, and the turtle and the swallow and the crane observe the time of their coming:” He addresses a call to their understanding, their conscience, their affections, and their will; and brings all these powers of the soul into action, when He creates them anew in Christ Jesus unto good works. This call of the gospel, however, derives its power, even as an external invitation, from its being the call of God Himself, and not merely of our fellow-men. It comes to us indeed through our fellow-men, and it is accompanied with their earnest advice and entreaty to comply with it; but if it is to warrant and encourage us to come to God as penitent sinners, trusting His mercy, we must have the assurance that it really expresses the mind and will of God Himself. Now that which gives us this assurance in connection with the gospel call, is that work of the Holy Spirit which is commonly called inspiration, the effect of which is, that we can regard the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the Word of God written, and our infallible rule of faith and life.
Moses and the prophets of Israel, who as we have seen were moved by the Spirit of God, spoke in His name, saying, “Thus saith the Lord,” and so their utterances were the Word of God. The earlier prophets wrought chiefly by speech and action, as Samuel, Nathan, Elijah, and Elisha, who have left no written records of their prophecies; but the history of Israel was written in the prophetic spirit in a series of books regarded by the Hebrews as divine, and called “the former prophets;” and these were followed by a collection of the works of the inspired men, who committed their discourses to writing, “ the later prophets.”
These, together with the five books of the Law, giving Israel’s divine legislation set in the history of the people from the beginning, and with a collection called Scriptures, or holy writings {Kcthubhim, Hagiographd), including the Psalms, the Solomonic writings, and others of later date, constituted the sacred books of Israel. Though some questions as to its precise limits were discussed by the Rabbis at and after our Lord’s time, in general the collection was recognised as the written Word of God from a much earlier date; and the Law and the Prophets were regularly read in the synagogues as divine. In moral and spiritual character these books show a very marked superiority to later Jewish religious writings, some of which were mixed with them in the Greek translation of the LXX, and having been used as Scripture by some of the early Christians, were put by the Council of Trent on a level with the books of Scripture. The actual words of Jesus, the incarnate Son of God, who spoke as one having authority, and not as the scribes, are doubtless in the most direct sense the Word of God. Even in these, as we have seen, the agency of the Spirit is to be recognised. But Jesus acknowledged the absolute authority of the Old Testament Scripture as divine, and on a perfect level with His own words; and on one occasion at least, when appealing to it as such, He indicated that it was the agency of the Spirit that gave it that character; when reasoning with the scribes as to the dignity of the expected Messiah, He asked, “How doth David in the Spirit (or in the Holy Spirit) call him Lord? “ (Matthew 22:43; Mark 12:36).
Jesus also intimated, that what He actually said with His own lips did not constitute the whole of what He had to teach His disciples; for He had many things to say to them, which they could not bear, even at the very end of His personal training of them (John 16:12); but He promised that the Spirit, being the Spirit of truth, would guide them into all the truth, for He should speak at Jesus’ command and unfold to them the things of Jesus, which include all that the Father hath. These words, as they indicate distinctly a completion by the Spirit of the teaching of Jesus, seem to denote not merely that gracious enlightenment of the Spirit which is common to all believers, and to which most of His sayings in this discourse refer, but a special divine influence, that would make what was said or written under it as truly the Word of God as the Law and the Prophets, and the discourses of Jesus Himself. Accordingly we find that there were in the early Church prophets (Acts 13:1; Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 12:14), whose gifts are ascribed to the Holy Spirit. The disciples from the day of Pentecost onwards were filled with the Holy Spirit, and spoke with authority in the name of God; and their words, like those of the Old Testament prophets, were often attested by miraculous signs to confirm their authority. Similar authority is claimed for what they wrote in the form of epistles for the instruction and confirmation of their converts. Paul, who was probably the first to adopt this plan, says: “ If any man think himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge, that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord’’ 5 (1 Corinthians 14:37); and in the other epistles of the New Testament there is a similar tone of authority. One book, the Apocalypse, is in form and substance prophetic, and records visions asserted to have been received in the Spirit (Revelation 1:10); and while the writers of the Gospels and Acts refer sometimes to their human means of knowledge, and make no express claim to divine inspiration, they give forth their records as possessing a certainty that may be the ground of saving faith (Luke 1:4; John 20:31). The collection of the New Testament as a whole has the same marks of moral and spiritual excellence, as compared with the immediately following Christian literature, as the Old Testament has in comparison with later Jewish religious writings.
Thus, through the agency of the Holy Spirit, there has been composed a volume which is entitled to be called the Word of God. The nature of the inspiration by which this has been effected is, like every operation of the Spirit of God, mysterious; and as this work in particular is not, like His converting and sanctifying agency, one of which all Christians have experience, it is on this account also impossible’of explanation. We can only know its results; and these are twofold. On the one hand, what is thus written possesses absolute authority as a message from God; for if Jesus was content to bow with implicit submission to the saying, “It is written,” how much rather should we? On the other hand, the teaching of the Spirit of God comes to us through men of like nature to ourselves, whose faculties have not been superseded, but used, by the inspiration of the Spirit. It is therefore intelligible to us; and its meaning can be correctly ascertained by the rules by which ordinary human writings are interpreted. The inspired writers use the language of their country and of their time with perfect freedom, fall into grammatical and rhetorical irregularities; do not display literary perfection of style; employ the customary liberty of disregarding minute accuracy of detail where that would be needless or out of place; and adopt popular views on matters of science and history. They have each his own character, not only in style, but in the views of truth which they present, and sometimes apparently contradict, while they really supplement each other. A complete view of revealed truth is only to be obtained by comparing and combining all their lights; but each portion of the Word, when read in the light of its connection, has some message from God to men. In virtue of this work of inspiration, the Holy Scripture is the Word of God, and more especially of the Holy Spirit; and passages from it are quoted by Jesus and His apostles as spoken by God (Matthew 19:4-5), or by the Holy Spirit (Acts 28:25; Hebrews 3:8; Hebrews 9:8; 1 Peter 1:11), and sometimes the Scripture is said to speak, when the meaning is that God speaks by the Scripture (John 19:37; Galatians 3:8). To Scripture therefore belongs supreme authority; and to it is due absolute deference, as the Word of God and infallible rule of faith and practice. God’s revelation of Himself in Jesus Christ for our salvation, having been thus committed to writing, enables each one of us to hear His voice speaking to ourselves, without being dependent on the intervention of any human priest or prophet. We may indeed be greatly helped by the knowledge, wisdom, and teaching of our brethren; but we are never in a position in which we absolutely need them to tell us what is the mind and will of God concerning us; we may through the Scriptures learn that from God Himself, and be sure that God is speaking to us, and that we hear His voice.
Indeed, as long as we know the truth, however fully and correctly, only from the teaching of others, we know nothing as we ought to know; if we would really hear and obey the Word of God, we must read the Bible for ourselves, to be convinced that it is the Word of God, and perceive its real meaning. That we may be able to do so, the Scripture possesses a self-evidencing and selfinterpreting power, which makes it independent of external testimony and explanation. Its self-evidencing power, or internal evidence, consists chiefly in its efficacy to enlighten the mind, awaken the conscience, and draw the heart towards God. This power belongs in substance to the matter of Scripture, the gospel embodied in it, and is felt also when that is faithfully presented in uninspired speech or writing; but it is found in a special degree as the gospel is received in the original form and with the direct authority which it has in Scripture. The self-interpreting power or perspicuity of Scripture arises from the fact that it is written by men like ourselves, the Holy Spirit using not only their lips and pens, but their minds, their imaginations, their feelings; so that by a natural unstrained interpretation, in accordance with the common rules of language, we reach the real meaning. Had Scripture been a series of oracles like those that human superstition has imagined, dictated by the Deity without the intervention of a human mind, its interpretation would have been arbitrary and ambiguous, and there would have been need of some authoritative interpreter to guide us to its real meaning; but since it is truly human as well as divine, its import can be clearly and certainly ascertained. Since indeed it was given at sundry times and in divers manners, some of its parts are not so easily intelligible as others; but a variety of form and style was necessary for a book intended for all men in all ages; and this very variety, as it presents the same truths in different points of view, affords, when carefully studied, the better means of making sure that we understand them aright. In regard to its contents, the Scripture, thus written by men inspired by the Holy Spirit, so as to convey to us the Word of God, is a unity, having for its one great subject the grace of God bringing salvation, which has appeared to all men in Jesus Christ.
He said Himself of the Scriptures which the Jews searched, “ These are they that testify of me” (John 5:39). Paul says, that the glad tidings of God concerning His Son, unto which he was separated, had been promised before by His prophets in the holy scriptures (Romans 1:2); and an angel declares in the Apocalyptic vision, “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10) Because this salvation is a historical salvation, accomplished under fit conditions of place, time, and preparation, the message about it is set in a history, and largely embodied in historical records: because it is a holy salvation, its announcement is accompanied with instructions and precepts of holiness; but the centre and sum of the Word of God is the joyful message of God’s mercy and grace to sinners through Jesus Christ, with the invitation and command to all men to accept it as freely offered to them. This is the external call by which God turns sinners to Himself: it is conveyed to us by the work of the Holy Spirit inspiring the writers of Scripture; and this outward call of the Word, not the inward work of the Spirit in our hearts, is the ground and warrant of our faith. It is our duty to believe and accept God’s grace in Christ, simply because He testifies and offers it to us in the gospel, whether or not we experience any working of His Spirit in our hearts. The external call is well fitted to form a ground of our faith, because of the qualities that belong to it.
It is gracious, proceeding from God’s free undeserved mercy and love to men, not due in justice or equity. We are told that God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 1:6); and that He taketh not hold of angels to save them (Hebrews 2:16); and in perfect justice He might have dealt so with men; but in His sovereign mercy He has “ so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” Both the salvation itself and the offer of it are therefore entirely of free grace; and the offer is unfettered by any condition, to be had simply for the taking, that is by faith, without money and without price.
Again, God’s call in the gospel is sincere: God is in earnest in making it; and it expresses His real and sincere desire that all men should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). He declares in the most solemn terms, condescending even to confirm it with an oath, that He has no pleasure at all in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked should turn from his wickedness and live (Ezekiel 33:11); He “ is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance “ (2 Peter 3:9). True, it is a firm principle of His kingdom, that except men repent they shall all perish; and He will execute judgment on all who obey not the gospel of His Son: but if any perish, it is not because God has any pleasure in that, or has made it necessary, but because they would not repent and believe the gospel. If any will not do so, God will certainly and justly punish them; but oh, how much rather would He have them believe and live!
Further, the gospel call is universal, addressed to men as such, and therefore to all men without exception and without distinction; not to any one nation or class, but to all; not to the civilized, or the moral, or the awakened, or the earnest, but to all alike, to the most degraded and worst of sinners, as truly as to the most enlightened and earnest seekers after God. True, it is not actually made known to all men in the world; but whose fault is that? Not God’s; for He has sent a Saviour for all, and given His disciples a commission to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations. Had they been faithful to their charge, and had men been as anxious to receive, and as ready to welcome the gospel as Christ was to send it, long ere now every human being would have heard it. But many to whom this gracious message came refused and rejected it, persecuted and slew its preachers; and the efforts of Christians were discouraged; and their faith and love grew cold; and they ceased to seek to evangelize the world. It is to these and similar causes, all arising from the unbelief and sin of man, that it is due, that the gospel has not been actually proclaimed to all men, not to anything that God has done.
Once more, the gospel call is powerful, because not only has the Scripture as inspired by the Holy Spirit an intrinsic might and efficacy, but the same Spirit also accompanies the Word with a direct work on the souls of those who hear it. The Spirit of God accompanies the outward call of the gospel with an inward call, by which the Word is brought home to the consciences and hearts of men; so that it is not only heard but understood, and in some measure felt, in its commanding authority and persuasive grace. Thus the gospel that is addressed to all men through the Word, which the Holy Spirit has inspired and accompanies with His convincing influence, is sufficient to render those who hear it inexcusable if they do not obey it. Being gracious, sincere, universal, and made intelligible and appreciable by all, it affords ample motive and warrant for faith; and if men were only willing to receive it, there is nothing whatever to prevent them. Since God has provided such a salvation, and made such an offer of it to sinners, if any who hear it are not saved, the blame of this cannot be laid on God, but must be ascribed entirely to themselves. God is willing and earnestly desirous that they should be saved through Christ; but they will not come to Christ that they may have life.