04. INTRODUCTORY

It must be the same with us if that "Word" and those "words" are to be the cause of our joy and rejoicing. And this is our object in writing now. We do not write for casual readers, or for those who read a daily portion of the Word merely as the performance of a duty and as a matter of form, but for those who "search the Scriptures," and who seek, in them, for Him of whom the Scriptures testify (John v. 39).

Such a one was the eunuch who went up to Jerusalem from Ethiopia in Acts viii. He sought the Saviour, but he did not find Him in Jerusalem. He found "religion" there, and plenty of it; but he did not find that Blessed One; for He had been rejected, "crucified, and slain." So the eunuch was returning, and was still seeking for the Living Word in the Written Word; "and, sitting in his chariot, read Isaiah the prophet."

Being directed by the Divine Angel-messenger, Philip "ran thither to him and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said

UNDERSTANDEST THOU WHAT THOU READEST?

And he said:

"How can I except some man should guide me?

"And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him" (Acts viii. 27-31).

Philip's question (v. 30) implies (in the Greek) a doubt on Philip's part as to whether the eunuch did really understand. And the eunuch's reply (v. 31) implies a negative answer. It begins with the word "for," which is not translated either in the A.V. or R.V. If we supply the ellipsis of the negative which is so clearly implied we can then translate the word γάρ (gar), for; thus;

"[No]: for how should I be able unless some one should guide me."

Of course, the Holy Spirit Himself is THE guide and teacher of His own Word. But sometimes, as in this case, He sends a messenger, and uses human instruments and agencies.

HOW TO ENJOY THE BIBLE

The word to guide is ὕδγνέω (hodōyeō), to lead or guide in the way.¹ It is this guidance which the ordinary reader stands in need of to-day; and never more than to-day, when so many would-be guides are "blind leaders of the blind." On all hands there are so many attractions to draw readers out of "the way" altogether; and so many "good" books and "helps" to lead them astray.

We cannot pretend to be a Philip, or to have his special commission. But, without assuming to teach others on such an important subject we may at least tell them what lines of study we have ourselves found helpful; and what principles we have found useful in our own searchings of God's Word.

But these will be useless unless we are first prepared to unlearn.

If any think they know all, or that they have exhausted the Divine Word; or that what they set out to learn is only to be in addition to what they already know, instead of sometimes in substitution for it, then we shall be of little service to them: and they need not follow us any further.

When we come to ask ourselves, and say, "Where did I learn this?" "How did I get this?" "Who taught me this?" it is astonishing to find how much we have imbibed from man, and from tradition; and not directly and for ourselves, from the Word of God.

All that we have learned from our youth up must be tested and proved by the Word of God. Where we find it is true we must learn it over again, from God. And where it will not stand the test of His Word we must be not only content, but thankful to give it up; and receive Divine revelation in the place of man's imagination.

With these introductory remarks we shall proceed to divide what we may call our essential and fundamental principles of Bible study into two parts:

First, those connected with THE "WORD" as a whole; and

Second: those connected with THE "WORDS" of which the Word is composed.

¹ From ὕδος (hodos), a way; and ἡγέωσι (hegeōma), to lead. It occurs only in Matt. xv. 14. Luke vi. 33. John xvi. 13. Acts viii. 31. and Rev. vii. 17. It is used both in its literal or proper sense (Exod. xiii. 17; xxxii. 34. Num. xxiv. 8; Deut. 1. 33); and in a Tropical sense (Ps. v. 8; xxiii. 3; xxv. 5. 9; lxxvii. 20, etc.).

PART I. THE "WORD."

I. THE ONE GREAT OBJECT OF THE WORD.

The first great and essential principle which must be ever present with us, when we study the Word of God, as a whole, is not to treat it as something which we have to interpret, but as being that which God has given in order to interpret Himself and His will to us.

i. This applies to Christ; as the Living Word.

When we speak of the "Word" we can never separate the Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ; and the written word, the Scriptures of Truth.

Each of these is called the "Word," because the Greek word Logos is used of both.

Logos means the spoken or written word, because it makes manifest, and reveals to us the invisible thoughts.

It is used of Christ, the Living Word, because He reveals the invisible God. "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, He being in the bosom of the Father, This one [hath] declared [Him]" (John i. 18).

It is not that we have to explain Christ, but that His mission is to explain God to us. He interprets the Father. And we have to believe Him.

The word "declare" in John i. 18 is important in this connection, and deeply interesting. It is from ἱκ (ek), out of, or forth, and ἡγέομαι (hēgeomai), to lead. Hence the whole compound verb means to lead forth, to make known, to guide, interpret, unfold, reveal, and expound (Luke xxiv. 35).¹ It is from this verb that we have the cognate noun Exegesis which means Exposition. Wycliffe renders it "He hath told out." The best meaning is to make known.

¹ The word occurs only in Luke xxiv. 35. John i. 18. Acts x. 8; xv. 12, 14; xxi. 19.

'L' THE WORD: ITS ONE GREAT OBJECT

This is why Christ is called "The Word of God," because He makes known, reveals, and explains the Father.

This is why the Scriptures are called "the Word of God," because they make known the Father and the Son, by the Holy Spirit, the author of the Word.

Christ is "the Way" to the Father (John xiv.). He makes God known to us in all His attributes, will, and words. "I have given them Thy Word." It is always "THY Word" (John xvii. 8, 14, 17).

ii. In like manner the Written Word, the Scripture, is given in order to interpret, and to testify of Christ; and this is why (as we shall see as our next essential principle) Christ is the one great subject of the Word.

This is why the Holy Spirit is the interpreter of both. His mission is to glorify Christ (John xvi. 14). He receives and shows the "things of Christ" (John xiv. 26). But He shows them in the Written Word (I Cor. ii. 9 14). And this is why it must be He and He alone who enables us to preach that Word.

Thus we have the Word in three manifestations:—

The Incarnate Word,

The Written Word,

The Preached Word.

There is no other. Christ reveals the Father. The Scripture reveals Christ. The Spirit reveals both in the written and in the preached Word (I Cor. xii. 7, 8).

How wonderfully does this magnify the preached Word; and show the solemnity of the charge in 2 Tim. iv. 2, "Preach the Word."

It shows how small and worthless are all the schemes, tricks and contrivances of present-day evangelists and mission preachers with their ever-new fashions and modern methods, when we see what a high and dignified place God has given to the Preached Word.

How careful should we be that nothing in our manner or matter should lower that dignity, or imply in the slightest degree that the Written Word has lost any of its power; or needs any handmaids or helpmeets.

i. THE LIVING AND THE WRITTEN WORD

"I HAVE GIVEN THEM THY WORD"

is the all-sufficient assurance of the Lord Jesus Christ, speaking to the Father. He did not say I have given them Aids to devotion. He did not say I have given them a Hymn-book, or I have given them thy Word AND something else.

He did not give anything instead of, or in addition to, that Word.

And that being so, we are assured that the Word which He gave is all-sufficient, in itself, to accomplish all the purposes of God.

The Word that is preached makes known the Written Word; the Word that is written makes known Christ the Living Word; and Christ makes known God our Father.

iii. Hence it is, that the same things are stated of both the Living and the Written Word, as it is well put by Joseph Hart:—

The Scriptures and the Word

Bear one tremendous name,

The Living and the Written Word

In all things are the same.

This may be seen by noting carefully, in our reading, how precisely the same things are predicated of both one and the other.

We give a few by way of example:—

SIMILAR PREDICATES OF "CHRIST" AND "THE SCRIPTURES."

"His name is called THE WORD OF GOD" . . . . . Rev. xix. 13.

They "pressed upon Him to hear THE WORD OF GOD" Luke v. 1.