64. "COME UNTO ME": MATT. XI. 28
is cast; and a Divine provision for all our needs. We have:
God's faithfulness toward us for our comfort (i. 12).
God's foundation beneath us for our security (ii. 19).
God's Word within us for our defence (iii. 16).
God's crown before us for our hope (iv. 8).
And thus we have:
Unfeigned faith for our Possession.
Divine security for our Position.
The God-breathed Word for our Protection, and
The crown of righteousness for our Prospect.
2.—Matt. xi. 28: "Come unto me, all ye that are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest."
How often are these words used, and interpreted, as being addressed to sinners, to come and be saved.
But what is the interpretation of them, when looked at in the light of the question as to where we find them?
If we go back in the chapter to verses 2, 3, we find John the Baptist wondering whether Christ were indeed He that should come.
In verses 16–18 the Lord upbraids the people respecting both John and Himself, and for saying that John was possessed by a demon, and that Himself was a glutton and a drunkard.
In verses 20–24 he upbraided the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, and said "Woe unto thee," "Woe unto thee."
Then, in verse 25, we read, "AT THAT TIME Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight."
In other words, at the moment when (humanly speaking, of course) His mission was ending in failure; when He and the kingdom were being alike rejected, and His testimony not believed, "at that time," and at such a time, the Lord Jesus found His REST in the Father's
¹ This passage might have been considered under Canon VIII. below—The Importance of Accuracy in noting Marks of Time.
x 2
VI. PLACE OF A SCRIPTURE ESSENTIAL will. Here was rest indeed, in not seeking or desiring to accomplish anything that was not in the Father's will.
Then, turning to His "weary and heavy-laden" servants and disciples, He speaks, in order that they may find their rest where He found His, and says:
"Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me: for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
He alludes not to their sins, but to their service: not to their guilt, but to their labour; not to their conscience, but to their heart; not to their repentance, but to their learning of Him; not to their finding forgiveness of their sin, but to their finding rest in His yoke.
This fact, again, speaks to us if we have ears to hear, and it says: "If you would find rest in your service, and be without care; be free from the heavy burden of responsibility as to the results of your testimony, and enjoy peace, the peace of God, in the midst of what man might call, and we might regard, as failure, then you will find your rest where Christ found His, in submission to the Father's will, and say: "Even so, Father, for so it seemeth good in Thy sight."
3.—1 Cor. xvi. 22: "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema. Maran-atha."
"Anathema" means accursed.
"Maran-atha" means the Lord cometh.
This verse, though it speaks of love, is not written in John's Epistles.
Though it speaks of a curse, it is not written in the Epistle to the Galatians.
Though it speaks of the Lord's Coming, we do not find it in the Epistle to the Thessalonians.
No! it occurs in this first Epistle to the Corinthians.
And, not at the beginning, or in the middle, but at the end. And right at the end, immediately before "The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ." In fact, the very last verse of the Epistle proper. What lesson does its position
1 See further, on this passage, under Canon VIII., below, "The Importance of Accuracy": marks of time.
ANATHEMA, MARAN-ATHA: 1 COR XVI. 22 here have for us? Surely the place where we find it gives the verse a fulness of meaning, both by interpretation and application, which it would not possess if it occurred in any other part of Scripture.
It owes its chief importance, and all the solemnity of its lesson, entirely to the fact that we find it here, and nowhere else.
It bids us, therefore, look at the Epistle as a whole; there we see, on the very surface, that the Epistle is full of reproof for practical errors in life and walk:
(1) There is reproof for their divisions, envyings, strifes, and contentions (1 Cor. i.-iii.), which are further particularized as including debates, envyings, wrath, strifes, backbitings, swellings, tumults (2 Cor. xii. 20).
(2) There are errors of life, and sins of uncleanness (1 Cor. v.), further particularized in 2 Cor. xii. 20, 21, as including fornication and lasciviousness.
(3) There is brother going to law with brother before the ungodly (1 Cor. vi.).
(4) There is the wounding of the weak brother's conscience (1 Cor. viii.).
(5) There is the questioning of Paul's apostleship (1 Cor. ix.).
(6) There are errors in ritual (1 Cor. xi.).
(7) There are errors in the use of gifts (1 Cor. xiv.).
(8) There are errors in doctrine (1 Cor. xv.).
But when it comes to the end of the Epistle, and all is viewed in the light of Maran-atha—the Lord cometh, not one of these things is mentioned.
It does not say, "If any man be not moral in his life," "If any man be not correct in his ritual," or "orthodox in his creed"; but, "if any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ."
This fact speaks to us and tells us that a man may be perfectly moral and yet have no love for Christ. He may be correct in ritual, and orthodox in creed, but he may have a heart as hard as a stone, and as cold as ice toward the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is not that these errors are made light of. God forbid! but, that if a man have no error, and yet have no love, he will be accursed when the Lord cometh.
¹ See further on this point, page 32s, below.
VI. PLACE OF A SCRIPTURE ESSENTIAL
In the light of that day, love will be the true test; loyalty will be the true token of acceptable service.
It was even so with the "Last words of David," when at the end of his reign he summed up and numbered his "mighty men" and set forth their service. In 2 Sam. xxiii, all is enumerated, wonderful deeds are recorded, marks of devotion are cited.
The boldness of one through whom "the LORD wrought a great victory" (v. 10), though "the men of Israel had fled" (v. 9).
And of another who defended David's rights when "the people fled from the Philistines" (cv. 11, 12).
But among the mighty men and servants of David there were those who were noted for military prowess, political wisdom, and diligent service, whose names are not enumerated in this list. Yes, their names are mentioned, but they themselves are not numbered.
JOAB'S name is there, three times: as the brother of Abishai (v. 18), as the brother of Asahel (v. 21); but he himself is not numbered, though "Nehari . . . armour-bearer to Joab" is (v. 37).
AHITHOPELE'S name is there; but he is not numbered: though we find "Eliam the son of Ahithophel" (v. 34).
ABIATHAR the high priest, David's friend (1 Sam. xxii, 23), is neither named nor numbered; though "Uriah the Hittite" is.
What does all this say to us but exactly what we have in 1 Cor. xvi. 22: "if any man love not."
It is not might, nor courage, nor wisdom that constitutes true service; but it is loyalty and love.
Ahithophel failed in his loyalty when Joab stood firm: for Joab and Abiathar remained loyal during Absalom's rebellion, but failed in the rising of Adonijah.
Thus was their service truly appraised, and their hearts tested. The test was not the skilfulness of the hand, or the wisdom of the head, but the loyalty of the heart (Jer. ix. 23, 24).
This is the great lesson which is impressed upon us by the place where we find the words: "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be anathema, Maranatha." These are "the last words" of that first Epistle to the Corinthians.
VII. NO ONE PASSAGE TO BE INTERPRETED IN A SENSE REPUGNANT TO OTHERS.
This Canon is laid down in the twentieth of "the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion" of the Church of England.
That article treats of "The Authority of the Church." It says: "The Church hath power to decree Rites or Ceremonies, and authority in Controversies of Faith: and yet it is not lawful for the Church to ordain any thing that is contrary to God's Word written, neither may it so expound one place of Scripture that it be repugnant to another . . ."
With the claim here made as to "The Authority of the Church" we are not now concerned; but we cannot deny that, in the latter clause quoted, we have a very important principle laid down: a principle which we shall do well over to bear in mind in our study of the "words which the Holy Ghost teacheth."
This principle is true: because, as no one text is repugnant to another, it is clear that to explain one as being so repugnant, is what cannot lawfully be done.
If one passage appears to be repugnant to others, then there is something amiss either in the translation of it, or in our understanding of it.
In either case it behoves us to examine it and see where the fault lies. The one, apparently more difficult passage, must be understood, explained, and interpreted by the others which are quite plain and clear.
If this method be not possible, then the difficult passage must be left unsolved for the present, with the prayer that God will, in His own time, bestow the needed grace and light. But in no case must we allow that one difficult passage to disturb all the others which are clear; nor must we give heed for a moment to any false teaching which Tradition may have founded upon its misunderstanding or perversion of that one passage, whether through ignorance or malice.
1. We may apply this Canon to the Scripture concerning "the Rich man and Lazarus."
VII. NO TWO SCRIPTURES REPUGNANT
Without entering at all into the question of the interpretation of this Scripture, we would merely call attention to many other passages of Scripture which are perfectly clear and plain as to Man and Death, and to the condition of man "after death." These do not at all agree with what this Scripture seems to teach.
What then is our duty as humble students of, and firm believers in, the truth of all and of every part of God's Word?
Are we to believe one and leave the others?
Are we to explain the one to our own satisfaction, and then explain the others away?
This is clearly impossible, though it is what the majority of Bible readers do!
If we cannot reconcile them, then let us wait for further light, and "with meekness, and all lowliness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love," "let each esteem other better than ourselves," and let us each suffer long with other fellow-believers, who think they see a way of interpreting all that is said on this subject in Scripture, in harmony with Scripture, and with satisfaction to their own consciences before God.
The same principle applies, of course, to other subjects.
2. We have an example in 1 Cor. viii. 11 and Rom. xiv. 15.
These two passages furnish us with a valuable example as to how our Canon No. VII. should be used.
1 Cor. viii. 11.—"Through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish for whom Christ died?"
Rom. xiv. 15.—"Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died."
It will be at once observed that these two passages appear to be repugnant to many other passages which speak of the eternal preservation of the saints, and which assure them that they can "never perish," and that nothing can separate them from the love of God (Rom. viii. 38, 39).
The many passages which speak on this wise are perfectly clear. The repugnance to them is contained in these two passages (Rom. xiv. 15 and 1 Cor. viii. 11).
1 See pamphlets on this subject, by the same author and publisher, entitled The Rich Man and Lasarus (price 6d.), and Shcol and Hades (price 1d.).
THE WEAK BROTHER OF 1 COR. VIII. ROM. XIV.
According to our present Canon we must not attempt to make the many yield to these two; but, if we can, we must find an explanation of them which shall put them in harmony with the many.
If we cannot do this, then we must wait till further light can be obtained; or until such discoveries are made which will enable us to harmonize the two with the many.
While we are thus waiting, we will say something which may tend to remove their apparent repugnance.
(1) The number of various readings in the Greek, and the many conflicting expositions of the commentators, show us that some difficulty has been experienced in the Text, with which transcribers, as well as translators, have had to cope. Their struggles are all too painfully evident. There is scarcely a word in 1 Cor. viii. 11 which is not the subject of a various reading in the Greek.
(2) We will first suggest what may prove a key; and then see whether the Structure of the two passages, and the Scope, will bear out and support it; or whether, on the other hand, they will condemn and overthrow it.
We suggest that the reading of the MS. known as "D" should be taken as having been the primitive reading. Notwithstanding the fact that the numerical weight of the MSS. is not in its favour, it is quite possible that the MS. "D" may represent a reading more ancient than MSS. which are themselves older.¹
(3) There are two verbs which are much alike, and which, in fact, differ only in having one "1" instead of two ("11"): ἀπολύω (apoluō), and ἀπολλύω (apolluō).
Apoluō (with one "1") means to put away; as in Matt. i. 19; v. 31, 32; xix. 3, 7, 8, 9. Mark x. 2, 4, 11, 12. Luke xvi. 18 (twice).
Apolluō (with two "11's") means to destroy.
The former verb is that which is written in the MS. known as "D(2)." It is called the Codex Claromontanus, and is now in the National Library at Paris (No. 107).² Tischendorf believes it to be of the sixth century, and
¹ On the whole subject of Various Readings, see Canon XII.
² See pp. 86, 110.
³ This MS. is to be distinguished from D(1) (see p. 410). D(1) contains the Gospels and Acts; while D(2) contains the Pauline Epistles and Hebrews.