We who are the children of God
can well remember the first days of our being brought to know Him through that
blessed One whose very Name filled our hearts with rapturous delight. How
relieving and how sweet to the soul to confess that Name before men; how
marvelous to realize that His blood was shed for me, that His sacrifice for me
was a sweet smelling savor to God, and because of it nothing could separate me
from "the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:39).
With fond remembrance we recall the sparkling freshness and joy of heart that
issued forth in adoration for our Lord when, like the leaves of the trees
stirred gently by the wind, our very being seemed alive with praise to Him.

But in so reflecting, not a few
of us have sorrowed as we see that those affections have grown cold with time;
the ardor of delight that once was there seems lost forever, and we wonder why,
despite our efforts, it cannot be regained. Here many stumble and are led
astray.

A Wrong Thought

Some have claimed that to answer
the question, it requires a wonderful and mysterious experience that they call
"sanctification." By this they profess to attain a higher level than
Christians who are not (as they say) "sanctified." However, the
honest inquirer into Scripture will find that we are not sanctified by an experience,
but by the truth, the Word of God (John l7:17). Moreover, when we look for,
and find, some experience that stirs us to excitement, we may be stimulated for
a time, but always drop back again into a still deeper dissatisfaction, the
same effect that is left through drinking too much wine.  In Scripture, joy is
typified by wine; it may exhilarate, but I do not, could not, feed on it:that
would leave me a total wreck

True Joy Found Only in the
Lord

Is the Christian, then, denied
joy? Indeed he is not, for true spiritual joy is of God, and is both
exceedingly precious and important. But let me ask, What gave you the joy at
conversion? Was it through thinking of that joy? "Certainly not," you
will answer, "it resulted from the knowledge of the Lord Jesus as my own
Saviour, and of His very near presence always with me. I was feeding on real
substantial food, and rejoiced in doing so."

Yet think, have you so greatly
treasured that joy as to lose sight of the need of feeding? Depending largely
on the joy, have you forgotten how dependent you are on the Lord? Surely this
is the true answer to the coldness and lack of growth in more than a few cases.
The eye is on self, and on what is going on within, instead of being fixed
steadily on the One who only can give real gladness of heart.

Christ, not Joy, Feeds the
Soul and Satisfies

I believe the condition of soul
that many of us have experienced is aptly described in Psa. 107:4,5:"They
wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in.
Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them." These were the children
of Israel, some time after singing the glorious song of deliverance from their
enemies by crossing over the Red Sea (Exodus 15). There was a longing not
satisfied, a desire not filled; the joy that had been theirs before could not
sustain them now. What then? "Then they cried unto the Lord in their
trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses. And He led them forth
by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. Oh that men would
praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children
of men! For He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with
goodness" (verses 6-9). Let this sink deeply, dear reader, into your heart
and mine; joy does not satisfy, does not feed the soul, but our Lord does. Nor
could it be otherwise, for has He not said, "I am the living bread which
came down from heaven" John 6:51)?

The Scripture the Only Source

Now, where did I first learn of
Christ? What gave me my first taste of the bread of sweetness? Only Scripture;
without that I would be in darkness still. How, then, can I neglect that
precious Book and expect my thoughts to be of Christ? Impossible! And yet how
many try to keep their joy while ignoring the only place from which true
spiritual joy can come.

“The Bible is difficult to
understand," someone is bound to say, "and I seem to get so little
from it." We well rejoice to know that the most profound students of
Scripture have marveled at its depths of wisdom and its beauty of perfection.
So, although our first impulse is to wish we knew it all, we are steadied by
the thought that there is food here for many years to come, and too much at
once will give indigestion. You would not think of refusing a meal simply
because you were denied a year’s supply of food at once! Take one meal at a
time from the Word of God and be sure you digest it well.

Little by Little … Steadily
Learning

Once a start has been made in
searching the Scriptures, Satan will employ many means of discouraging you.
Perhaps it will seem difficult and wearisome, and doubt arise as to whether
there will be any fruit from it at all. This is a "trial of faith,"
and faith is simply implicit trust in God. Then ask yourself this question:
"Is God not able to carry me through this test?" and go to God about
it. Then remember that faith acts! "The hand of the diligent maketh
rich." "He who gathereth by labor shall increase." ‘In all labor
there is profit." ‘It is the glory of God to conceal a thing; but honor of
kings is to search out a matter" (Prov. 10:4; 13:11; 14:23; 25:2).
"Let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we
faint not" (Gal. 6:9). With time and diligence, you will learn little by
little, and each lesson will be truly learned in the heart. Moreover, when the
heart has learned something for itself, a joy will result much calmer and
deeper than was known before. But guard against relying on that joy. Go on
steadily, learning more of Christ:only thus is the soul kept fresh and alive.

Read with Reverence, Seek to
Learn of Christ in Both the Old and New Testaments

If you have real joy in reading,
always remember never to open that precious Book except in a spirit of
reverence and lowliness. And then in every word you read, listen to the voice
of "The High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity" as speaking
directly to your soul.

Further, do not go to the
Scriptures with a selfish motive—not merely to get something for yourself—but
with Christ as the Object of your heart. This is the only key that will open them
to you. When walking with the two on the way to Emmaus, the Lord Jesus
"expounded unto them in a all the Scriptures the things concerning
Himself’ (Luke 24:27).How sweet their consequent testimony:"Did not our
heart burn within us while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to
us the Scriptures?" Nothing can preserve the beauty and freshness of the
Word to the soul like a mind alert to find something of Christ everywhere.

In the New Testament we may read
directly of His walk, His ways, and His teachings in the Gospels. And we find
in the Epistles doctrine concerning His Person, His work, His glory, or His
interests on earth in the gospel going to the unsaved, and in His body, which
is the Church.

The Old Testament we shall find
abounding with types of Christ in His various characteristics:as Son of God,
Son of Man, Prophet, Priest, King, Servant, Shepherd, the Lamb of God, and
others. Also types of His birth, spotless life, suffering on earth, rejection
by men, substitution for the sinner, bearing God’s judgment, voluntary
"obedience unto death," resurrection, exaltation, coming for His
saints, coming in judgment, and reigning over the earth are to be found. In the
Psalms and the Prophets He is supremely preeminent. Everywhere it is so. Let us
then be the more earnest in finding this precious "hid treasure,"
ever keeping in remembrance that if Christ is really the Object, the heart will
lack nothing. Then truly we may say, "His joys our deepest joys
afford," and with the Prophet Jeremiah, ‘Thy words were found, and I did
eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart"
(Jer. 15:16).

(Used by permission of the
author.)

FRAGMENT  "Rejoice in the
Lord always" (Phil. 4:4). Christians should not be a glum lot. When we groan
and complain about the weather, our health, the inflation rate, the lack of
jobs, the present government, and world conditions, the world is not impressed.
Unbelievers are looking for hope, not doom. Does not Christ’s presence with
you, God’s people around you, and eternal glory ahead of you, give you joy? The
Apostle Paul says, "Rejoice!"                                                                                                             D.L.
Norbie

FRAGMENT

Rejoice, rejoice, O soul, be glad

And sing the Master’s praise;

Let not your countenance be sad,

For pleasant are His ways.                                                                                                C.
Buck

With such need and opportunity as
presents itself to us on every hand, the following account is given to stir up
and encourage our hands and feet in the gospel. We may not see results at any
given time, but let us be sure that it is life-giving seed (which is the Word
of God) that we sow and some of it will fall on good ground.

An aged woman had come quite a
distance to attend a gospel meeting, the subject of which was the Lord’s
coming. She was nearly blind, but God was pleased to open her spiritual
eyesight, and two things were made known to her in the power of the Holy
Spirit. God gave her the certainty of eternal salvation, and also made known to
her the blessed hope of the coming again of the Lord to take His saints to
heaven to be with Him where He is.

These two things were entirely
new to her; she had never heard them before. She returned home filled with
"the peace of God which passes all understanding." She told her
husband the blessed news that she had learned. The Lord opened his heart also
to receive the glad tidings, and much of their time was spent in thanksgiving
and worship.

They had an elderly neighbor
about the same age as themselves. One day when they had knelt down, giving
thanks together that they were both cleansed in the blood of the Lamb from all
their sins, and were waiting and longing for the coming of the Lord in the air
to take them to Himself, this neighbor came in to see them, as he was
accustomed to doing. As both of them were rather deaf, and so entirely absorbed
in thanksgiving, they did not hear him come in.

He listened with amazement; such
joy he had never witnessed; such words he had never heard. It was not prayer,
but thanksgiving to Him who had saved them with an everlasting salvation—who
had made them fit for His holy presence in holiness and love. They were in
heaven in spirit, and they were talking to One they knew well, and they never
seemed tired of talking to Him. They talked to him about His coming to take
them to Himself. Their friend was fairly lost in amazement. At last the dear
aged couple rose from their knees. Their visitor said, "Whatever does all
this mean? I have been going to church these 70 years and saying my prayers,
but I cannot say that I am even saved, let alone saved forever, and saved
perfectly. No, I surely cannot. And you are speaking to God as if you knew Him.
And what can you mean about the coming of Christ to take you?"

Then the woman told the gospel
she had heard:how God loved; how He had sent His Son; how the Lord Jesus had
offered Himself the perfect sacrifice for sins; how God declared that all who
believed were justified from all things, and their sins and iniquities God
would remember no more; yes, and how that by one offering all who believed were
perfected forever; and that Jesus assured all who heard His words and believed
God who sent Him that they had eternal life and would never come into judgment
but were passed from death unto life; and that Jesus told them not to be
afraid; He was gone to prepare a place for them, and would come again to
receive them to Himself.

She spoke from the deep enjoyment
of Christ in her own soul. God blessed her words to their neighbor friend.
Though over 80 years of age, he too was brought into the enjoyment of peace
with God. As a little child did he receive the truth from this couple. Heavenly
indeed was the communion of these three aged pilgrims. Much of their time was
spent together in worship and communion, waiting for the Lord Jesus from
heaven. When the neighbor saw the smoke going up from the chimney of their
home, he was soon over there with them in thanksgiving and praise.

It became necessary, after a
while, for the old couple to be taken care of. A son took them to his home, not
far away, so this happy little band was separated. The plan had not been told
them, but the parents were taken as on a visit first, and then told that they
would remain. Morning after morning their former neighbor looked for the smoke
from the chimney. It never rose again, and after a few mornings, the Lord said
to that man, "Come up here." And, sweet as is fellowship here below,
it was now with him "far better."

So, dear brothers and sisters,
let us be stirred up. Little enough time is left us. What are we doing with it?
Let us balance our concern to hold fast to the truth with diligence in the
gospel.

"In the morning sow your
seed, and in the evening withhold not your hand:for you know not whether shall
prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good"
(Eccl. 11:6).

(Reprinted from Words of Truth,
Vol. 11; original editing by Joseph S. Butler.)

It is often perceived and
sometimes taught outright that a "bubbly personality" is equivalent
to having the joy of the Lord. Such a view has made some of us who infrequently
experience "bubbly" to feel guilty about our lack of spirituality.
The result is a concentrated self-effort to produce "joy" within.
This is destined to end in failure. Whatever is produced by this means can
certainly not be called the joy of the Lord.

The simple fact is that
personality has nothing to do with spirituality. They stem from two entirely
different sources. Personality is natural to both saved and unsaved and ebbs
and flows with the emotions. To base one’s spirituality on such can only lead
to frustration.

Spirituality, on the other hand,
comes from the Divine. Even the most "bubbly" among the unsaved know
nothing of true joy.

What, then, is the joy of the
Lord, and what would characterize one in whom it has residence? The joy of the
Lord is simply the enjoyment of Christ and His Word day by day. It is nothing
mystical or self-produced. Without fanfare or applause, the Spirit of God in
the quietness of our meditations produces a joy in Christ which nothing but
neglect can take away. Joy grows in our lives to the proportion of our enjoyment
of the knowledge of Christ.

Those whose hearts are thus
filled with the joy of the Lord are strong. "The joy of the Lord is your
strength" (Neh. 8:10). They are able to meet trials without faltering for
they are in touch with One seated far above the trials. They delight in the
Word and seek the truths in it both at home and at the meetings. They share
with others and encourage others with the precious things of Christ.

Joy and peace are both numbered
among the "fruit of the Spirit" given in Gal. 5:22,23. What are the
distinguishing features of these characteristics of the Spirit-filled
Christian?

Joy, first of all, is related in
the original Greek text of the New Testament to the words "grace" and
"thanksgiving." Grace—God’s un-merited favor shown to sinners— is the
foundation. Oh, what riches of His grace abound to us who were rebels and
sinners, for God has not only delivered us from eternal separation from
Himself, but has drawn us dose to Himself as His own dear children! The
response in our souls to the realization of such grace shown to us is joy. When
this joy cannot be contained in our souls it flows out in praise and
thanksgiving to God for His wonderful grace.

Because joy comes from a deep
sense of God’s infinite, continuous favor shown to us, it is what helps us to
pass calmly through trials, tribulations, and adverse circumstances. It is the
opposite of the unhappiness that many people experience when things don’t go
their way, when bad things happen to them. A believer in Christ who has a real
sense of God’s grace knows that bad things don’t and can’t happen to him or
her, but that "All things work together for good to those who love
God."

Peace has to do more with the
calmness we experience with respect to things in the future that may—or may
not—take place.  The soul that is justified by faith has peace with God, that
is, no fear whatever of the coming judgment of God, knowing that for the
believer, the judgment has already passed upon Christ.

Peace is the opposite of worry
and anxiety. "Be careful [or anxious] for nothing, but in every thing by
prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto
God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts
and minds through Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:6,7). Peace, too, is often
associated with, and flows from, God’s grace (Rom. l:7;2 Cor. l:2; Eph. l:2;
etc).

May our hearts be filled with joy
and peace as we grow in the knowledge and personal experience of God’s wonderful
grace.

With the new year opening upon
us, as we turn over a fresh leaf in the book of history, is it not well to
challenge our hearts and ask where this new date finds us, and what is really
before us?

The Lord Jesus Christ is not only
the Dayspring and Morning Star, but, blessed be His name, He is the Sun of the
one eternal day. The clearer and brighter He is before our hearts, the greater
the ease with which we retire from all down here. All that is eternal and
unfailing is on His side; all below and around us is in reality but sunset; the
brightness and beauty are gradually but surely fading. If our poor eyes are
turned there they are only on what is sinking below the horizon. But when they
are fixed, like those of the martyr Stephen, on Jesus in the glory of God, how
different it all is; then the outline, beautiful beyond all conception, of the
eternal realities, unfolds itself before us.

There is one great and blessed
fact which stands out to the eye of faith thus fixed on the nearing, heavenly
sunrise:it is the blessed establishment of communication between the heart and
its absent Object. This is effected by the Holy Spirit, the heavenly
messenger and glorifier of Jesus, who conveys to the soul the sense and comfort
of His love and His blessed thoughts about us. Thus are we really invigorated
and revived. We live, then, with Himself in all the calm and rest of that
blessed region of satisfied desire, and in the peace and power of it we are
carried through the raging storms around us.

May our hearts turn more than
ever to Christ and to the heavenly realm during this new year. May we be more
intently looking up to, as well as abiding in, Him who came and died and rose
again, and sits at God’s right hand for us. And may we be always looking
forward to that blessed moment when His shout shall be heard by all His own,
raised or changed, who shall follow Him into the Father’s house, and there
share His heavenly bliss and joys for ever and ever.

FRAGMENT

There with unwearied gaze,

Our eyes on Him we’ll rest,

And satisfy with endless praise

A heart supremely blest.                                                                                                J.N.
Darby

Meditations on Christ, the
Believer’s Example (Part VIII)

Christ’s Responses to Man’s
Sinful Behavior (Continued)

In Part VII of this series, we
discussed three of Christ’s responses to the sinful behavior of those about
Him:He rebuked those with wrong thoughts about Himself, He patiently
instructed those who were self-centered, and He showed anger toward hypocrites
and those who dishonored His Father. We conclude this section with one
additional response to sin.

He did not protest injustice.
Herod "sent and beheaded John in the prison. And his head was

brought in a charger and given to
the damsel; and she brought it to her mother. And his disciples came and took
up the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus. When Jesus heard of it, He
departed thence by ship into a desert place apart" (Matt. 14:10-13).

"When Pilate saw that he
could prevail nothing,… he … washed his hands before the multitude, saying,
I am innocent of the blood of this just Person…. And when he had scourged
Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified" (Matt. 27:24-26).

In these two passages we find two
cases of gross injustice perpetrated by the leaders of Israel— one against John the Baptist and the other against Christ Himself. In neither case does
Christ raise a word of protest or threaten to appeal to higher authorities. The
day is yet to come when Christ shall return in all power and glory to establish
His kingdom over all the earth. Everything will be made right in that day. His
will be a reign of righteousness (Isa. 32:1), of unwavering justice.

It should not surprise us if we,
or our fellow believers, experience suffering because we do what is right in
God’s eyes (Matt. 5:10) or simply because we are Christians (Matt. 5:11,12; 1
Pet. 4:16). Even though we may be treated unjustly and unfairly, may our
response be to "Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is [our] reward
in heaven" (Matt. 5:12) and to "glorify God on this behalf’ (1 Pet.
4:16). May our response be like the prayer of the early Christians when
beginning to face persecution:"And now, Lord, behold their threatenings,
and grant unto Thy servants that with all boldness they may speak Thy
Word" (Acts 4:29). And may our response be like the martyr Stephen’s as he
was being stoned:"Lord, lay not this sin to their charge" (Acts
7:60).

Christ has not left us an example
of fighting and protesting injustice but of patiently suffering it as we await
"the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour
Jesus Christ" (Tit. 2:13).

Christ’s Work and Ministry

He labored unceasingly. Let us
take a look at one day in the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus (Mark
1:21-34). It was the Sabbath day, and the first thing He did was to enter into
a synagogue in Capernaum and teach. While in the synagogue He cast an unclean
spirit out of a man. From the synagogue He went with James and John to the home
of Simon and Andrew, where He healed Simon’s mother-in-law of a fever. As the
sun was going down, people from the entire city began gathering at the door,
having heard of His healing powers. And "He healed many who were sick of
divers diseases, and cast out many devils" (verse 34).

Now after a day like that you
might think that He would have slept in the next morning. But no, "In the
morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out and departed into a
solitary place, and there prayed" (verse 35). Then He went on to the next
town, and preached in synagogues throughout Galilee, healing and casting out
demons.

On another occasion the Lord took
His disciples to a desert place to rest a while, since they hardly had
opportunity to eat because of the crowds of people demanding attention. But the
people quickly caught up with them, and what did Jesus do? He "was moved
with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd,
and He began to teach them many things." He spent the entire day in this
way, and then miraculously provided food for the whole multitude that evening
(Mark 6:30-44).

We tend to pamper ourselves,
don’t we? We like to take days off. We like to sleep in. We look forward to
retirement so we don’t have to work anymore but can relax and play. But Christ
is our example, isn’t He? While it is true that we do need times of rest and
relaxation, let us look always to the Lord for wisdom as to the use of our
leisure time. May the Lord help every one of us to develop creative ways of
using our leisure hours, our holidays, our vacation weeks, and our retirement
years to draw closer to Himself, to strengthen our marriage and family
relationships, to reach out with the gospel, and to help and encourage our
fellow Christians both locally and afar off.

He instructed His disciples. The
four Gospels are filled with Christ’s instruction of His disciples. What a vast
array of topics He covered! He taught them concerning Himself, His relationship
with His Father, His imminent return to His Father, and the sending of the Holy
Spirit. He taught them the way of salvation, eternal security, and eternal
life. He taught them about the end times, heaven and hell, the need to be
preparing and watching for His return, and being on guard against false
prophets. He taught them dependence upon God and how to respond to trials and
persecution.

He taught them how to be a
testimony of salt and light to the world. He taught them about self-judgment
and how to deal with others who sin. He taught them to live in obedience to God
and to display the same attitudes and behaviors (such as humility, meekness,
mercy, and forgiveness) as He did. He taught them to be heavenly-minded, rather
than covetous and materialistic. And He taught them also to seek the approval
of God rather than that of man.

We are not all gifted as
teachers, but all who are concerned about the spiritual welfare of the
believers around them—whether in the home, at work, or in the assembly—ought to
become "apt to teach" (1 Tim. 3:2; 2 Tim. 2:24) through diligent,
prayerful study of God’s Word. The Israelites were instructed:’These words
which I command you this day shall be in your heart; and you shall teach them
diligently unto your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your
house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise
up" (Deut. 6:6-9). Timothy’s mother Eunice and grandmother Lois taught Him
the holy Scriptures when he was a child (2 Tim. 1:5; 3:15). The Apostle Paul,
upon teaching Timothy, his son in the faith, urged him to pass along what he
had learned "to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also"
(2 Tim. 2:2). And the older women are exhorted to "teach the young women
to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children…"(Tit.
2:3-5).

He often spoke in parables. In
order to capture the attention of His audience and to get the people to think,
Jesus often spoke in parables, that is, used events from everyday life to
illustrate spiritual truths. He used illustrations from farming (sowing, harvesting,
and storing crops, planting vineyards, the leafing of fig trees), animal
husbandry (being a shepherd with a sheepfold, searching for a stray sheep),
fishing, domestic science (baking bread, fixing dinner, mending old clothes),
financial dealings (losing money, finding buried treasure, buying jewelry,
investing money, wasting one’s inheritance), and pleading a matter before a
judge.

Christ is our example. May the
Lord help us to develop and use appropriate parables, illustrations, and object
lessons as we minister God’s Word so as to enhance the hearers’ understanding
and memory of the Word.

He asked probing questions.
Besides parables, another approach Jesus used to get His listeners to think was
asking probing questions. Here are a few examples:"What was it that you
disputed among yourselves by the way?" (Mark 9:33). "Why do you call
Me good?" (Mark 10:18). "Who touched Me?" (Luke 8:45). "Is
it lawful on the Sabbath days to do good or to do evil? to save life or to destroy
it?" (Luke 6:9). "How can you believe, who receive honor one of
another, and seek not the honor that comes from God only?" John 5:44).
"Will you also go away?" (John 6:67).

In a similar vein, He got their
attention by making startling statements and challenging demands:"It is
not meet to take the children’s bread and to cast it to dogs" (Matt.
15:26). "One of you who eats with Me shall betray Me" (Mark 14:18).
"Go, call your husband" (John 4:16).

In like manner, may the Lord help
us, when trying to instruct others in the truth of God’s Word, not just to
rattle on and on, but to punctuate our teaching with probing questions to help
our listeners to pay attention and to think about what we are saying.

For example, when explaining the
gospel to an unsaved person, it may be helpful to ask questions such as,
"How would you describe your relationship with God?" "If you
were to be taken to the gate of heaven and the Lord Jesus were to ask you,
should I let you in?’ what answer would you give?" "What do you think
it means to be born again?"

He used the Scriptures
frequently. Even the Lord Jesus didn’t stand up and demand that the people
listen to Him. He very frequently referred to the holy Scriptures, with which
His Jewish listeners were well acquainted, and either explained the passages or
used them to convict the consciences of the hearers.

In each of the three temptations
in the wilderness, Jesus rebuffed Satan by quoting an appropriate scripture
(Matt. 4:4,7,10). When the disciples or the Pharisees asked Him questions, He
often answered them from the Scriptures (Matt. 19:4-6,18,19; Mark 2:25,26;
12:24-26; Luke 6:3,4; John 10:34). He used the Scriptures to describe and
condemn the sins of the people (Matt. 21:13). And He quoted prophetic
Scriptures that were being fulfilled at the moment or about to be fulfilled
(Matt. 21:16; 26:31; Luke 4:18; 7:27; 24:44-46).

Christ is our example. May we get
in the habit of referring frequently to the Word of God in our discussions with
others. There is power in the Word (Eph. 6:17; Heb. 4:12) that far excels any
thoughts, opinions, or reasonings that we may express.

He ministered personally by touch
and word to those whom He healed. Jesus was not an impersonal "miracle
machine." He entered personally into the lives of those whom He healed.
Jesus touched the leper (as risky and defiling as it may have been) and spoke
to him, ‘Be clean" (Matt. 8:3). He touched the hand of Peter’s mother-in-law
and "the fever left her" (Matt. 8:15). He spoke to several blind men
and touched their eyes (Matt. 9:27-30; 20:30-34; Mark 8:23; John 9:6,7). He put
His fingers into the ears and touched the tongue of the deaf man with a speech
impediment (Mark 7:32,33). He cast out an evil spirit from a man, then
"took him by the hand and lifted him up" (Mark 9:26,27). He laid His
hands on the woman who was bowed together, and spoke to her, "and
immediately she was made straight" (Luke 13:13).

A message of "I care for
you" is conveyed in a touch—be it a handshake, a hug, or a pat on the
shoulder—along with a personal greeting. As we minister to the sick, the
hurting, the prisoners, the social outcasts, let us make sure this message of
care and concern gets across.

He performed many of His miracles
in private without a stage. Unlike many so-called "faith healers"
today, Jesus did not announce healing services to be held in the local
synagogues or public gathering places. Often He healed people right where they
lived (Matt. 8:13,15; Luke 17:12-14; John 9:1-8), with no fanfare, sometimes
with little or no audience (Luke 5:14), and often urging the healed person not
to spread the word around (Matt. 9:30; Mark 7:36; 8:26; Luke 8:56).

Even though at times large crowds
of people came to Jesus for healing, the overall picture we have of Him is One
who shunned publicity and often sought to escape the crowds. Many of His
miracles seem to have been done simply as expressions of the deep compassion He
had for the people of Israel (Matt. 14:14; 15:32; 20:32; Mark 1:41; Luke 7:13).
No doubt He also performed miracles to support His claims to be the Son of God
come down from heaven, and to authenticate His teaching.

Christ is our example. When we
engage in Christian service, when we use our spiritual gift, do we seek thereby
to draw attention to ourselves, or to magnify and glorify God? Jesus instructed
His disciples not to perform their acts of charity, their prayers, and their
fasting so as to impress man. Those who do such things "that they may have
glory of men… have their reward." On the other hand, if we serve the
Lord in secret, our Father "who sees in, secret Himself shall reward [us]
openly" (Matt. 6:1-18).

His work was always the best.
Jesus never did anything by halfway measures. When He healed Peter’s
mother-in-law she didn’t have a long period of convalescence. Rather, "she
arose and ministered unto them" (Matt. 8:15). When He "rebuked the
winds and the sea…there was a great calm" (Matt. 8:26). When He
multiplied the five loaves and two fishes, all 5,000 men plus women and
children ate and were filled. And as evidence that everyone had their fill,
there were twelve baskets of food left over (Matt. 14:19-21).

And when He turned the water into
wine at the wedding feast, that wine was of higher quality than the wine that
had been provided originally (John 2:10).

Christ is our example. May we
always seek the Lord’s help to do the very best job possible in everything we
do. "Whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God…do it heartily, as to
the Lord" (1 Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:23).

Conclusion

May every blood-bought child of
God be so challenged and motivated by the remembrance of all that the Lord
Jesus Christ has suffered on our behalf at the cross, and of the place He has
won for us in the glory for all eternity, that we may dairy grow in our desire
to be like Him, to follow His example, to walk as He walked. Nothing could
bring our blessed Saviour greater joy than to see the members of His body and
His bride expressing His mind (Phil. 2:5) and conformed to His blessed image
(Rom. 8:29; 2 Cor. 3:18).

FRAGMENT  Oh, to be Christlike!
When you are the subject of unjust treatment, harsh criticism, or the Father’s
hand of discipline; when you stand to lose material gain or worldly applause
rightfully due to you—think of One who never clamored for His rights.
"When He was reviled, He reviled not again" (1 Pet. 2:23).                                                                                                                                          B.
Gunning

To the artist He is the
Altogether Lovely One (Cant. 5:16).

To the architect He is the Chief
Cornerstone (1 Pet. 2:6).

To the baker He is the Living
Bread (John 6:51).

To the believer He is the Author
and Finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:2).

To the biologist He is the Life
(John 14:6).

To the builder He is the Sure Foundation
(2 Tim. 2:19).

To the carpenter He is the Door
(John 10:9).

To the doctor He is the Great
Physician (Luke 8:43-48).

To the educator He is the Great
Teacher (John 3:2).

To the engineer He is the New and
Living Way (Heb. 10:20).

To the farmer He is the Sower and
the Lord of the Harvest (Matt. 13:37; 9:38).

To the florist He is the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valley (Cant. 2:1).

To
the geologist He is the Rock of Ages (and it is more important to know the Rock
of Ages than

the age of
rocks) (Matt. 16:18).

To the horticulturist He is the
True Vine (John 15:1).

To the judge He is the Righteous
Judge, the Judge of living and dead (2 Tim. 4:8; Acts 10:42).

To the juror He is the Faithful
and True Witness (Rev. 3:14).

To the lawyer He is the Counselor,
the Lawgiver, the Advocate (Isa. 9:6; Jas. 4:12; 1 John 2:1).

To the merchant He is the One who
paid a great price (1 Cor. 6:20).

To the newspaper man He is the
Good Tidings of Great Joy (Luke 2:10).

To the philanthropist He is the
Unspeakable Gift (2 Cor. 9:15).

To the philosopher He is the
Wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:24).

To the preacher He is the Word of
God (John 1:1).

To the sculptor He is the Living
Stone (1 Pet. 2:4).

To the servant He is the Good
Master (Mark 10:17).

To the statesman He is the Desire
of all Nations (Hag. 2:7).

To the student He is the
Incarnate Truth (John 1:14).

To the theologian He is God
Manifest in the Flesh (1 Tim. 3:16).

To the toiler He is the Giver of
Rest (Matt. 11:28).

To the travel agent He is the
One who went away and is coming again (John 14:1-3).

To the sinner He is the Lamb of
God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

To
the Christian He is the Son of the Living God, the Saviour, the Redeemer, and
Lord (Matt.

16:16; Luke
2:11; Job 19:25; John 6:68).

"But [Stephen], being full
of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of
God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God" (Acts 7:55).

It is impossible to read the
closing verses of Acts 7 and not see the powerful effect produced upon Stephen
by the object which filled the vision of his soul. He looked up into heaven and
saw Jesus. Earth was rejecting him, as it had already rejected his Lord; but
heaven was opened to him and, looking up, he caught some of the rays of glory shining
in the face of his risen Lord. He not only caught them, but reflected them back
upon the faces of his murderers. His countenance was radiant with the light of
that glory into which he was about to enter. We see in Stephen a man who
reflected the glory of Christ in a very positive, practical way.

We may talk largely about
heavenly glory while our practical ways are anything but heavenly. It was not
so with Stephen. He was a living mirror in which men could see the glory
reflected.

Is it so with us? Are we so
absorbed with our risen Lord that our fellow men can see His image reflected in
our character, our habits, our spirit, our life style? Alas! We cannot say much
on this score. But can we not at least say that it is our heart’s deep desire
to be so occupied with Christ that His lovely grace may shine out in us to the
praise of His name? May God, in His rich mercy, grant that our eye may be so
fixed on Jesus that we too may, in some degree, mirror His glory, and thus shed
some tiny ray of that glory upon the darkness around!

Once it was the blessing,

Now it is the Lord.

Once it was the feeling,

Now it is His Word.

Once His gifts I wanted,

Now Himself alone.

Once I sought for healing,

Now the Healer own.

Once ’twas painful trying,

Now ’tis blessed trust.

Once a half salvation,

Now the "uttermost."

Once ’twas ceaseless holding,

Now He holds me fast.

Once ’twas constant drifting,

Now my anchor’s cast.

Once ’twas busy planning,

Now ’tis trustful prayer.

Once ’twas anxious caring,

Now He takes the care.

Once ’twas what I wanted,

Now what Jesus says.

Once ’twas constant asking,

Now ’tis joyful praise.

Once it was my working,

His it hence shall be.

Once I tried to use Him,

Now He uses me.

Once the power I wanted,

Now the Mighty One.

Once I worked for glory,

Now His will alone.

Once I hoped in Jesus,

Now I know He’s mine.

Once my lamps were dying,

Now He makes them shine.

Once for death I waited,

Now His coming hail;

And my hopes are anchored

Safe within the veil.

From Help and Food, Vol.
30.)

A. THE FIRST MAN, ADAM

1. A Race Created in God’s
Image

Come together with me in
Scripture back to our roots. Let us trace the old, old story of Jesus and His
love. First turn to Gen. 1:26-31. This is the first account of the creation of
human beings. From verse 31 we see that what God did here was "very
good." Note that throughout Genesis 1, "God" is plural—three or
more— in the original Hebrew. God said, "Let Us" and "Our"
in verse 26.

The same verse (26) tells us that
human beings were:

a. made by God in God’s image and
after, or according to, God’s likeness;

b. made male and female
(connected with being God’s image);

c. blessed with fruitfulness to
multiply on the earth;

d. given dominion over the earth
and all in it; and

e. given vegetables and fruit of
the earth to eat. Here in these simple pronouncements are great and profound
truths. They relate to man’s origin, man’s purpose, and man’s destiny in the
created universe and beyond. Let us take a closer look at some of these truths
as they are unfolded by Scripture.

First, let us look at mankind as
the image and likeness of God. There are two words here. The word
"likeness" denotes a resemblance of appearance or behavior. In this
context it might refer to man having been created as a sinless being, morally
like God. The word "image" literally means "shadow," or a
shadowing forth of something or someone. It carries the thought of
representation. The image of Caesar on a coin (Matt. 22:20) represented the man
actually in power at that time in the Roman Empire. So man has been created to
represent God on the earth. As one example of this, God delegated to man
dominion and authority over the plant and animal kingdoms (Gen. 1:26-29). In
keeping with "image" referring to a shadowing forth, the first man
Adam shadows forth the second Man Christ who is coming to establish His kingdom
and dominion over the earth (1 Cor. 15:45,47; Dan. 7:13,14).

Another example of how man was
made in the image of God is given in Gen. 1:27:"So God created man in His
image; in the image of God created He him; male and female created He
them." This gender difference is cited by the Lord Jesus when discussing
the loose thinking about marriage and divorce (Matt. 19:4-12). Marriage is
uniting two very different, but equal, persons into one. This is a picture of
God, the Divine, three-Person Unity—the "Us" that created Man. God
put the marriage unity together from the beginning. To break up a marriage is
to destroy a two-dimensional image of the Trinity, the three-Person God who
created us.

God is a person, that is, He is a
rational being with intellect (He thinks, speaks, writes, chooses; Isa. 55:8;
Exod. 34:1,6; Eph. 1:4), sensibility or emotion (He loves, grieves, shows
anger; John 3:16; Psa. 78:40; 79:5), and will (Eph. 1:5,9,11). Man, made in the
image of God, likewise has personality with intellect, emotion, and will,
though all of these qualities are possessed in measure, compared to what God
Himself possesses. Man, as made in the image of God, has a God-consciousness
and the ability to know and communicate with God.

2. The Image Shattered

"In the day that God created
man, in the likeness of God made He him. Male and female created He them…and
called their name Adam…. And Adam…begat a son in his own likeness, after
his image, and called his name Seth" (Gen. 5:1-3).

Here we are reminded that man was
originally made in God’s likeness. Also, one aspect of man being in God’s
image—male and female joined together in one ("He…called their name
Adam") —is mentioned. But what about Adam’s offspring? Man’s moral
likeness to God had been lost due to his fall into sin. Seth is specifically
said to be in Adam’s own likeness and according to his image. Seth inherited
Adam’s fallen, sinful nature, so no longer could he be said to be in the
likeness of God.

How did the fall affect man being
in the image of God? It may be inferred from other scriptures (such as Gen.
9:6) that although that image has become greatly marred and corrupted by sin
and selfishness, yet man continues to manifest the image of God in his
personality, marriage relationship, and dominion over the earth. Thus, to the
extent that Adam retained the image of God after the fall, his son Seth, whom
he begat "after his image" carried that image.

It is ironic that man was not
content to be created in God’s image, but fell for the serpent’s temptation
that they should be "as God, knowing good and evil" (Gen. 3:5 JND).
How sad to lose sight of what God has done for us, and then to substitute our
own wisdom. We tend to do this today too. We ignore or neglect the spiritual
blessings that are already ours. In their place we try to substitute the
world’s religion, its culture and its entertainment.

3. A Second Start

Turn to Genesis 9. Here is a new
beginning, a second chance for the human race. Sin had gotten so bad that God
had to destroy the earth and all on it. Only Noah and seven of his family were
saved. After this God gave man the authority to govern himself. This was so
that sin would not run rampant as it had before the flood.

Verse 6 introduces capital
punishment:"Whoso sheds man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for
in the image of God made He man." The death penalty is required for the
case of murder of a human being. Man is to destroy from this earth anyone, or
any living thing (see Exod. 21:29), who dares to kill a human being. God still
cites the original creation as the reason for this, despite the corruption of
His image by sin. (Note that the death penalty is never said to be for a
deterrent, retribution, or vengeance. Its use is based upon mankind having been
created in the image of God.) There remains, despite sin, a dignity associated
with the original creation in which man represents God on the earth. That image
is to be respected and preserved by man. For a similar case, see Jas. 3:9,10:
"[With the tongue] bless we God, even the Father, and therewith curse we
men, who are made after the similitude of God." As the Lord pointed out in
Matt. 5:21,22, to curse a person is just as bad as murder. We must take care
here. There are some today who say that we have an intrinsic worth to God
because we have been made in His image. They teach that God sent His Son to die
for us because of our value to Him. They build up our self-image and thoughts
of self-worth this way. But such thoughts must be maintained in proper balance
according to the Scriptures. It was because of grace—unmerited or demerited
favor—that He died for us. We did not deserve mercy. He did not die for us
because of our intrinsic worth. We were lost, rebel sinners (Rom. 5:12). Man is
offered salvation "by grace… through faith" (Eph. 2:8,9).

Nevertheless, because man was
made in the image of God, he is to be respected. Human beings are to be respected
even if we are corrupt beyond recall (Rom. 3:9-25). An illustration of this
might be a photograph of me. The paper and dyes are worth little or nothing. If
someone spits on it or tears it up it is an insult to me. It is just as if they
had spit on me or injured me. This is not because of the cost or worth of the
picture, but because it represents me. It is my image. We are God’s image. That
is why murder is to be punished by death.

4. Fallen but Responsible

"A man indeed ought not to
cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God" (1 Cor.
11:7). Man’s sin has corrupted and distorted the image of God. The image is
crooked like a fun house mirror or, perhaps more like a shattered mirror. Yet
we are still responsible beings. We are responsible to represent God as His
image. Having disobeyed and

sinned and rebelled does not
excuse us from our created responsibility. We were created to glorify God. We
are still responsible to image Him faithfully to others. In the passage quoted
above, the males are instructed in one way to do this symbolically by not
having long hair and by removing any head covering when in prayer or
prophesying. Other ways we may show forth the image of our Creator are by (a)
seeking a closer, deeper unity with our marriage partner at all
levels—spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical— of our relationship; (b)
using our faculties of intellect, emotion, and will to bring glory and honor to
God and edification to others rather than to please self; and (c) seeking to
learn all we can about God through the Holy Scriptures and developing a more
consistent communion and communication with Him. Believers are now, in
this present life, privileged to show forth the image of their Creator. We do
this as a simple love offering to the One who gave Himself to restore us from
Adam’s awful fall.

5. Hope for a Change

"As we have borne the image
of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly" (1 Cor.
15:49). This verse reaffirms the message that we are all born in Adam’s image.
He was "the earthy." We are just like the first man. He was
originally made from dust. However, verse 49 does not stop there. It tells us
that we (believers) shall also bear the image of the Heavenly—Jesus Christ. Now
here is hope! Here is a promise for faith to lay hold upon. Human beings need
not bear for eternity that marred image of God which fallen Adam bore. There is
a new race, a heavenly mankind. It is headed by the heavenly Man, Jesus Christ.
We (believers) shall bear His image.

B. THE SECOND MAN

1. A New Race and a New Head

Turn now to Rom. 5:12-21 and 1
Cor. 15:22. Here we have two men. Each is the head of a race of men. Adam’s
race is fallen, corrupt, sinful, lost. Christ’s race is risen, newborn, holy,
saved eternally. Now stop and think about Jesus Christ. Is He really qualified
to head a new race of humans? To be so, He must be a real human being Himself.
Is He truly a man? Turn to 1 Tim. 2:5,6:"There is one God, and one Mediator
between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus; who gave Himself a ransom for
all." This Man, Jesus, is not only the chosen Mediator, He is the full
Ransom. God has chosen to deal with lost sinners through this Man, and
no one else. Rom. 5:15 accents this grace "by one Man, Jesus
Christ." He, the Son of God, came in the flesh (1 John 4:2). His life and
death was not a stunning theatrical performance by God in a man’s costume. He
is a real man. He "was made in the likeness of men" and "found
in fashion as a man" (Phil. 2:7,8). He came "in the likeness of
sinful flesh" (Rom. 8:3). Here the likeness to man refers to physical,
emotional, and intellectual likeness, but clearly not a moral likeness. Christ,
in contrast to every one in Adam’s race, did no sin (2 Pet. 2:22), knew no sin
(2 Cor. 5:21), and in Him is no sin (1 John 3:5). He took part in flesh and
blood (Heb. 2:14,15) so that He could die. By dying He annulled the devil who
had the power of death. Jesus is really a Man. He is a Mediator, a Ransom, and
a Deliverer. He is the worthy, sinless, godly head of a new race.

2. False Images and the True
Image

Man corrupted the image of God by
his first disobedience.  Then Adam’s descendants distorted it more and more as
they followed their downward path away from God. Turn to Rom. 1:20-23. Man
reversed things. He could see God’s invisible things, "His eternal power
and Godhead," from the creation. Nevertheless, he proudly used his
imagination to change "the glory of the incorruptible God into an image
made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and
creeping things." Man, who was created in the image of God, corrupted that
glory and brought it down to the level of corrupted man.

Mankind also became hypocritical,
always with a vain show, a false front. We are a "vain show" (or
literally, "an empty image") trying to look good (Psa. 39:6). We are,
by nature, self-centered, living in selfish covetousness, which is idolatry
(Col. 3:5).

As a result of the corrupted
image of God in their minds, men developed idolatry. History reveals that
Nimrod, earth’s first ruler, and his wife, set up idolatry. Abram’s father,
Terah, was an idolater (Josh. 24:2). Over 400 years later, God, through the law
of Moses, the ten commandments, finally prohibited idolatry. No images of any
kind were to be made (Exod. 20:4; Lev. 26:1). The nation of Israel promptly broke that commandment and Aaron made a golden calf (Exod. 32:4). From then on
idolatry plagued Israel until they were carried away captive. The nations of
the earth are now, or have been, by and large idolatrous. Similarly, modern
man’s scientific thinking has been corrupted, although with an exceptionally
deceptive sophistication.* Even Christendom has developed or adopted icons and
idols down through the years since the Apostle Paul was martyred.

(*Modern scientists have recently
proposed the so-called "Maia Theory" (maia is Greek for
"mother") suggesting that the earth itself may actually be a vast
living organism. The all-encompassing, subsisting unity and power of life
provided by Jesus Christ is evident to them, but they have been blinded by
unbelief, and do not recognize its true Source. Instead they prefer to imagine
a monstrous living planet as their "Mother Nature" and god. What
folly!)

Idolatry takes the form of image
worship, saint worship, or  leader worship in Christendom. These are an insult,
spitting as it were in the very face of Christ. He is the Head of the Church,
the true Image of God. He is the true, faithful, complete, visible image of the
invisible God. Many scriptures clearly state this. He became flesh and has
declared the invisible God (John 1:14,18). He says, "He who has seen Me
has seen the Father" (John 14:9). He is the "express image" of
the essence of God’s person; He is the "impress" or engraving (the
Greek word for "express image" is charakter) of the substance
or essential being of God (Heb. 1:1-3). He is "the image of the invisible
God" (Col. 1:15), and "in Him all the fullness of the Godhead was
pleased to dwell" bodily (1:19; 2:9). He was in the very form of God and
voluntarily took upon Him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of
men. Then being found in fashion as a man He humbled Himself and became
obedient unto death (Phil. 2:6-8).

O soul-inspiring story—

God’s majesty and grace

In lustrous strokes of glory

Deep-carved in Jesu’s face!

Hearts rapt in contemplation

Of Godhead’s Image bright,

Break forth in adoration,

In wonder and delight!

There Manhood, all perfection,

And Godhead-fullness shine;

God’s love and Man’s affection,

The human, the divine;

A life, a death, transcendent,

Revealing God as love:

Here, lowly Man, dependent—

God over all, above!

Unsullied blaze of glory!

O ever-radiant Face!

Thy rich, unfathomed story

Transfigures us in grace!

Made like Thee, soon, completely,

With love-lit eyes we’ll scan

God’s face unveiled sweetly

In Thine, Thou Son of man!

                                                                                                                                           F.
Allaben

Thou art the everlasting Word

The Father’s only Son,

God manifest, God seen and heard,

The Heaven’s beloved One!

In Thee most perfectly expressed,

The Father’s self doth shine,

Fullness of Godhead, too:the
Blest,

Eternally divine!

Image of th’ Infinite Unseen,

Whose being none can know,

Brightness of light no eye hath
seen—

God’s Love revealed below!

Worthy, O Lamb of God, art Thou

That every knee to Thee should
bow!                                                                            J.
Conder

3. Come to Christ

"He came unto His own and
His own received Him not" (John 1:11-13). This is declared prophetically
in Isa. 52:14 and 53:2,3:"He has no form nor comeliness;… there is no
beauty that we should desire Him." "His visage was so marred more
than any man." The face mirrors or images the heart and character of a
person. It also mirrors one’s joy or suffering. Here, His face was marred more
than any man by suffering in our place for our sins. May I plead with you?
Don’t you reject Him! Your sins (and mine) are responsible for His
suffering and death. You are responsible to display His image. You are corrupt,
lost, a living insult to Him who made you.

Your sinful nature is the image
of him who first sinned, the head of our race—Adam. Come to Jesus! Come just as
you are. It is impossible to change yourself back into God’s image. Israel tried for 1500 years to keep His holy law and failed. The door of grace and mercy is
open now. Come to Jesus Christ who says, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the
Life" John 14:6).

Just as I am, without one plea,

But that Thy blood was shed for
me,

And that Thou bidst me come to
Thee,

O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

Won’t you come just as you are,
let Him cleanse you from your sins, and then change you to be like Him?  (To be
continued.)

FRAGMENT  ‘The express image of
His Person" (Heb. 1:3). Christ is the very impress of God’s substance. Our
blessed Lord was an exhibition of the full character of God—His holiness,
wisdom, goodness, love, power. All that God is—not merely in His ways, but in
His being—is expressed absolutely by the Son.        S. Ridout

In this issue we shall begin to
consider some of the archaeological findings that correlate with various New
Testament persons, places, and events. Because the events of the New Testament
are more recent than those of the Old, and because increased use of papyrus
permitted more lengthy writings, as well as the copying of writings, there is a
goodly amount of documentation of biblical names and places in the writings of
contemporary Jewish and Roman historians.

But first, before we go to the
New Testament, let us mention an item "hot off the press."

King David

It was reported in the August 2,
1993 issue of The Baltimore Evening Sun that "an Israeli
archaeologist has discovered a fragment of a stone monument with inscriptions
bearing the first known reference outside the Bible to King David and the
ruling dynasty he founded, the House of David…. The broken monument, or
stele, was found in the ruins of a wall at Tel Dan, the site of an ancient city
in northern Israel near the Syrian border…."

The Aramaic text referred to a
"king of Israel" and a king of the "House of David." The
archaeologist surmises that this probably was a victory monument erected in the
first quarter of the ninth century B.C. by the Syrian King Ben-hadad after he
"smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-beth-maachah" (1 Ki. 15:20). If this
be the case, the "king of Israel" would be Baasha and the king of the
"House of David" would be Asa (1 Ki. 15:9-24).

The article adds that Dr. Abraham
Biran, the archaeologist, "said, There has never before been found a
reference to the House of David other than in the Bible.’ Other scholars agreed
and noted that no reference to David himself had ever appeared before in
non-biblical texts."

Now, let us turn to the New
Testament and begin with an event that involved some well-known descendants of
King David.

The Taxation Enrollment

"And it came to pass in
those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world
should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from
Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which
is called Bethlehem (because he was of the house and lineage of David), to be
taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child" (Luke 2:1-5).
Until the early part of the twentieth century, this passage was judged by many
biblical scholars to be in total conflict with the known history of the day.
There was no evidence in historical records of a general census of the Roman Empire at that time. However, as a result of archaeological findings by Sir William
Ramsay, it is now known that there were periodic censuses of this sort in the
Roman Empire at that time, and the evidence suggests that the practice indeed
began during the reign of Caesar Augustus (31 B.C.-14 A.D.).  (The preceding
was abstracted from M. F. Unger, Archaeology and the New Testament, and
from G. E. Wright, Biblical Archaeology.)

Jesus Christ

Was there really a man named
Jesus who was born in Bethlehem, raised in Galilee, and put to death by
crucifixion in Jerusalem about 2,000 years ago? Of course every Christian
accepts by faith the biblical record concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. But what
can we say to the skeptic who believes that the Bible is mostly a collection of
myths and that there never existed such a person? Is there evidence outside of
the Bible for the existence of Christ?

Yes, indeed there is! Pliny
(61-114 A.D.), governor of Bithynia in northern Turkey, wrote a letter
concerning Christianity to the Emperor Trajan in 112 A.D. He referred to the
social problems arising from the rapid growth of Christianity. Pagan temples
had to close down for lack of customers and the demand for sacrificial animals
had ceased. He described the Christians’ habit of meeting on a certain fixed
day (i.e., Sunday) before it was light and sang a hymn to Christ as God. He
stated, further, that their lives were exemplary:one could not find adultery,
theft, or dishonesty among them.

Tacitus, the renowned historian
of the Roman Empire, wrote early in the second century about the Christians:
"The name Christian comes to them from Christ, who was executed in the
reign of Tiberius by the Procurator Pontius Pilate."

The Jewish historian, Josephus,
wrote the following concerning Christ in the latter part of the first century:
"Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call
him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works—a teacher of such men as
receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and
many of the Gentiles. He was the Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of
the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those who loved him
at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third
day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and then thousand other
wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from
him, is not extinct at this day" (Antiquities of the Jews,
XVIII.iii.3).

Archaeological digs have yielded
the Christian symbols of the cross and the fish dating to the first century
(see accompanying article for further details). And in 1945, Israeli Professor
E.L. Sukenik discovered a sealed tomb outside Jerusalem containing five
caskets. The style of decoration of the caskets, plus a coin found in the tomb,
indicated a date of about 50 A.D. On two of the caskets the name of Jesus
appears; one reads in Greek, "Jesus, help"; the other, in Aramaic,
‘Jesus, let him arise." These inscriptions point to Jesus as "the
resurrection and the life," who can help even when a loved one has died,
and who can raise the Christian dead from their graves.  (The preceding was
abstracted from Michael Green, Runaway World.)

Herod and Pontius Pilate

"Then Herod, when he saw
that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and
slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof,
from two years old and under" (Matt. 2:16).

"There were present at that
season some that told Him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with
their sacrifices" (Luke 13:1).

From sources outside the Bible,
Herod the Great, ruler of Palestine, is known as a Jewish Nero who bathed his
own house and kingdom in blood. His jealousy of power and insane suspicion of
any supposed rivals led him to murder many members of his own family, including
his wife and one of his sons. The biblical account of his ruthless murder of
the infants of Bethlehem and its environs was totally consistent with his
general character.

Herod the Great died of a
loathsome disease in 4 B.C., shortly after the Bethlehem slaughter. Caesar
Augustus divided his kingdom between two of his sons, Archelaus (4 B.C.-6
A.D.), governor of Judea (Matt. 2:22), and Herod Antipas (4 B.C.-39 A.D.), tetrarch
of Galilee (Luke 3:1,19; 9:7-9; 13:31; 23:6-12).

Caesar Augustus was succeeded as
head of the Roman Empire by his son-in-law, Tiberius Caesar (Luke 3:l ) who
reigned from 14 to 37 A.D. During his reign Pontius Pilate was appointed
governor of Judea (26-36 A.D.), one of the successors of Archelaus.

The report in Luke 13:1 of
Pilate’s cruelty is supported by reports of a similar character by the
contemporary Jewish historians, Philo and Josephus. Listen to Josephus’ report
of one particular incident:"After this [Pilate] raised another
disturbance by expending that sacred treasure which is called Corban [referred
to in Mark 7:11] upon aqueducts, whereby he brought water from the distance of
four hundred furlongs. At this the multitude had great indignation; and when
Pilate was come to Jerusalem, they came about his tribunal, and made a clamor
at it. Now when he was apprised beforehand of this disturbance, he mixed his
own soldiers in the armor with the multitude, and ordered them to conceal
themselves under the habits of private men, and not indeed to use their swords,
but with staves to beat those that made the clamor. He then gave the signal
from his tribunal. Now the Jews were so sadly beaten, that many of them
perished by the stripes they received, and many of them perished as trodden to
death" (Wars of the Jews, II.ix.4).

Lysanlas, Tetrarch of Abilene

"Now in the fifteenth year
of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and
Herod being tetrarch of Galilee,… and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene…” (Luke 3:1).

An inscription has been found in
Abila, the capital of the region of Abilene northwest of Damascus, Syria, dating from the reign of Tiberius Caesar, that mentions Lysanias as tetrarch of the region at
the time.  (The preceding and portions of the previous section were abstracted
from M. F. Unger, Archaeology and the New Testament.)

The Pool of Bethesda

"Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market [or sheep gate, JND] a pool, which is called in the Hebrew
tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of
impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the
water:whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was
made whole of whatsoever disease he had" (John 5-2-4).

Near the magnificent temple in Jerusalem, rebuilt by Herod the Great, was a sanctuary for the sick. It was situated at the
Sheep Pools— two large pools filled with rainwater from the nearby slopes. The
temple priest used the water for ritual washing of the animals to be offered on
the temple altar. The Gospel account speaks of one pool (perhaps only one was
used by the sick people) with five porticos or covered colonnades in which the
sick people lay. Excavations in the 1960’s uncovered the architecture of the
pool area, revealing two rectangular pools, each with two porticos, separated
by a narrow central colonnaded causeway which formed the fifth portico.  (The
preceding was abstracted from John Romer, Testament.)

Crucifixion

Despite Jewish and Christian
references to crucifixion, we have not—until recently—had firsthand evidence of
that gruesome punishment. In 1968 discovery was made of a first century A.D.
tomb in Jerusalem that contained the bones of a crucified man. The two nails
used for the hands were actually driven through the wrists. (This is not
inconsistent with the biblical account of the crucifixion of Christ; the Greek
word, cheir, in Luke 24:39,40 and John 20:20,25,27, may refer to either
the hand or the arm, and thus includes the wrist.) One nail seems to have been
used to attach the two legs to the cross together through the heel bone, and
the legs were broken, in correspondence with John 20:31.  (The preceding was
abstracted from Raymond Brown, Recent Discoveries and the Biblical World.)

Grave-Robbing Ordinances

Archaeological excavation of the
ancient town of Nazareth has yielded an interesting inscription ascribed to
Claudius Caesar (41-54 A.D.). In it the emperor expresses his displeasure at
reports he has heard of the removal of the bodies of the dead from the tomb,
and he gives warning that any further tampering with graves will incur nothing
short of the death penalty. This may very well have been the official reaction
to reports of the crucifixion of Jesus and the empty tomb.  (The preceding was
abstracted from M. Green, Runaway World.)

(To be continued.)

The Old Testament Book of Job is
not easy to understand. First, because of the long orations expressed in poetry
it is sometimes difficult to understand what is going on among the various
persons in the book. Second, even after one grasps what each person is saying,
there are mysteries about God’s dealings with His people, the role of Satan in
those dealings, why good people suffer, and so on. Several Bible scholars,
wiser and more spiritually gifted than the present writer, have written
commentaries on the Book of Job and have grappled with the issues mentioned
above.

Many say that Job was a
self-righteous man, and that this was the reason for God allowing him to be
tried so severely. This may very well be true, but because of this assessment
of Job, we often overlook the very practical information given in the Book of
Job as to what constitutes a righteous man. Therefore, the focus of this
article is on lessons we can learn from the description of Job’s life before
all the calamities befell him.

The fact that our knowledge of
Job’s life comes primarily from his own description of it should not deter us.
While Job may have been guilty of self-righteousness, God Himself described Job
as "a blameless and upright man, fearing God, and turning away from
evil" (Job 1:8 NASB). Therefore, even if Job thought too much of his own
righteousness, we can assume that his own account of his deeds is accurate.

In chapter 29 Job describes his
actions as an elder sitting in the gates of the city. From other Old Testament
passages we know that these elders served as the law courts for their towns and
cities. Job’s judiciary decisions were righteous. He served as protector to
widows and orphans. He says, "I investigated the case which I did not
know" (verse 16 NASB). In our society the legal system is organized
differently, but in the assembly there is opportunity for encouraging and
helping in various ways widows and orphans, as well as other saints who are
hurting. And sometimes, sadly, there is wrong-doing to be dealt with. Let Job
be a model for the leaders of the assembly—for thoroughly investigating the
cases that come before them rather than relying on hearsay, and for dealing
with wrong-doers according to righteousness rather than according to personal
feelings or prejudice.

Chapter 29 describes Job’s public
life and chapter 31 his private life. We see that he was as upright in private
as in public. He did not demand more righteousness from others than he did from
himself. He not only did not commit adultery (31:9), he did not even look at
other women (verse 1). He did not ignore the complaints or grievances of his
servants (employees) (verse 13). He shared his material blessings with the poor
(verses 16-20). He did not mistreat anyone because that person was a social
outcast, because it would have made him popular with others, or because he
thought he could get away with it (verse 22).

Although Job was wealthy, he did
not gloat over his wealth or put his trust in it. He acknowledged that all his
blessings came from God.

Job did not rejoice or gloat when
evil befell one of his enemies, nor did he ask for any evil to come upon an
enemy of his (verses 29,30). He was hospitable and was known far and wide for
his generosity (verses 31,32). His life was an open book—he had nothing to hide
from anyone (verses 33,34).

We are told to hunger and thirst
after righteousness (Matt. 5:6). Job was a righteous man who happened to be
wealthy. His wealth was used for the benefit of others, not to gratify his own
lusts or pleasures. His lifestyle provides many lessons for us who would be
righteous as we live in a materialistic society.

There is one quality shown by Job
in these chapters that we must not emulate. That is his speaking a great deal
of himself. "Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a
stranger, and not your own lips" (Prov. 27:2). This is evidence of the
self-righteousness that the Lord was trying to get him to judge.

Let us hunger and thirst after
righteousness and ponder Job’s example of a righteous life. But at the same
time, let us not get carried away with looking inward and proclaiming our own
righteousness; rather let us focus upon the Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour, our
Redeemer, and our perfect Example.

Dear child of God, if you are
weary, sick, or downhearted, just remember that:

Jacob was sick, but not forsaken
(Gen. 48:1).

Elisha lay sick and frail indeed,
but not forsaken (2 Ki. 13:14).

Hezekiah fell sorely ill, prayed,
and was not forsaken (2 Ki. 20:1).

Daniel, the man of faith, fell
sick, but was not forsaken (Dan. 8:27).

Lazarus, whom Jesus loved, was
sick unto death, but not forsaken (John 11:2).

Dorcas was sick and died, but she
too was not forsaken (Acts 9:37).

Epaphroditus, the preacher,
nearly died, but was not forsaken (Phil. 2:26).

The list is endless of those who
suffered but were not forsaken (Heb. 11).

And we too may suffer for
Christ’s sake, but will never be forsaken (Matt. 5:11,12).

We may be troubled on every side
and persecuted, "but not forsaken" (2 Cor. 4:8,9).

Only the Lord Jesus, when
suffering and sorely smitten, was forsaken… (Mark 15:34).

… When He paid for our sins on
the cross that we might live forever (John 10:28).

Though our outward man perish,
the new life draws nearer still (2 Cor. 4:16).

Truly, the saint is never sick
unto death, but unto life eternal (John 11:25,26).

"For He is not the God of
the dead but of the living" (Luke 20:38).

Yes, dear one, He is able to
perform that which He has promised (Rom. 4:21).

"Thanks be to God who gives
us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" … (1 Cor. 15:57).

… For "He has said, I will
never leave thee nor forsake thee" (Heb. 13:5).

FRAGMENT

When in affliction’s valley I
tread the road of care,

My Saviour helps me carry the
cross so heavy to bear;

Though all around me is darkness
and earthly joys are flown,

My Saviour whispers His
promise—never to leave me alone.

"At the end of every seven
years you shall make a release. And this is the manner of the release:Every
creditor who lends anything unto his neighbor shall release it; he shall not
exact it of his neighbor, or of his brother; because it is called the Lord’s
release…. If there be among you a poor man of one of your brethren within any
of your gates in your land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not
harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother; but you shall
open your hand wide unto him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his
need, in that which he wants" (Deut. 15:1-10).

Here the deep springs of the poor
selfish heart are discovered and judged. There is nothing like grace for making
manifest the hidden roots of evil in human nature. Man must be renewed in the
very deepest springs of his moral being before he can be the vehicle of divine
love; and even those who are thus through grace renewed have to watch
continually against the hideous forms of selfishness in which our fallen nature
clothes itself. Nothing but grace can keep the heart open wide to every form of
human need. We must abide hard by the fountain of heavenly love if we would be
channels of blessing in the midst of a scene of misery and desolation like this
fallen world.

How lovely are those words,
"You shall open your hand wide"! They breathe the very air of heaven.
An open heart and a wide hand are like God. "The Lord loves a cheerful
giver" (2 Cor. 9:7), because that is precisely what He is Himself. He
"gives to all men liberally, and upbraids not" Jas. 1:5). And He
would grant unto us the rare and most exquisite privilege of being imitators of
Him. Marvelous grace! The very thought of it fills the heart with wonder, love,
and praise. We are not only saved by grace, but we stand in grace, live under
the blessed reign of grace, breathe the very atmosphere of grace, and are
called to be the living exponents of grace, not only to our brethren, but to
the whole human family. "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good
unto all men, especially unto those who are of the household of faith"
(Gal. 6:10).

Christian reader, let us
diligently apply our hearts to all this divine instruction. It is most
precious; but its real preciousness can only be tasted in the practical
carrying out of it. We are surrounded by ten thousand forms of human misery,
human sorrow, human need. There are broken hearts, crushed spirits, desolate
homes around us on every side. The widow, the orphan, and the stranger meet us
daily in our walks. How do we carry ourselves in reference to all these? Are we
hardening our hearts and closing our hands against them? or are we seeking to
act in the lovely spirit of "the Lord’s release"? We must bear in
mind that we are called to be reflectors of the divine nature and character—to
be direct channels of communication between our Father’s loving heart and every
form of human need. We are not to live for ourselves; to do so is a most
miserable denial of every feature and principle of that morally glorious
Christianity which we profess. It is our high and holy privilege, yes, it is
our special mission, to shed around us the blessed light of that heaven to
which we belong. Wherever we are—in the home, in the field, in the market, in
the office, in the school, in the factory, in the assembly, all who come in
contact with us should see the grace of Jesus shining out in our ways, our
words, our very looks. And then, if any object of need come before us, if we
can do nothing more, we should drop a soothing word into the ear, or shed a
tear, or heave a sigh of genuine, heart-felt sympathy.

Reader, is it thus with us? Are
we so living near the fountain of divine love, and so breathing the very air of
heaven, that the blessed fragrance of these things shall be diffused around us?
Or are we displaying the odious selfishness of nature, the unholy tempers and
dispositions of our fallen and corrupt humanity? What an unsightly object is a
selfish Christian! He is a standing contradiction, a living, moving lie. The
Christianity which he professes throws into dark and terrible relief the unholy
selfishness which governs his heart and comes out in his life.

The Lord grant that all who
profess and call themselves Christians may so carry themselves in daily life as
to be an unblotted epistle of Christ, known and read of all men. In this way,
unbelievers will be deprived of one of their weightiest arguments, their
gravest objections. Nothing affords a stronger plea to the infidel than the
inconsistent lives of professing Christians. Not that such a plea will stand
for a moment, or even be urged, before the judgment seat of Christ, inasmuch as
each one who has within his reach a copy of the holy Scriptures will be judged
by the light of those Scriptures, even though there were not a single
consistent Christian on the face of the earth.

Nevertheless, we Christians are
solemnly responsible to let our light so shine before men that they may see our
good works and glorify our Father who is in heaven (Matt. 5:16). We are
solemnly bound to exhibit and illustrate in daily life the heavenly principles unfolded
in the Word of God. We should leave the Christ-hater without a shred of a plea
or an argument; we are responsible so to do.

Christ’s Responses to Those
Who Opposed and Mistreated Him

He was patient "What
glory is it if, when you are buffeted for your faults, you shall take it
patiently? but if, when you do well, and suffer for it, you take it patiently,
this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were you called, because Christ
also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His
steps…. Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He
threatened not; but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously" (1
Pet. 2:20-23).

An acquaintance whom I first met
in my prison ministry called me one day and told me he had come home drunk
recently and finding that his key didn’t work, kicked the door in. Only then
did he realize he had gone to the wrong apartment. He couldn’t understand why
everyone was giving him such a hard time, including threatening to send him to
jail, for a little "mistake" like that.

Another acquaintance, at a prison
Bible study, was trying to tell me why he had become a drug dealer. He once had
a good job but his boss kept criticizing him for "no good reason" and
the fellow finally told his boss off in no uncertain terms. That was the end of
his job. I asked him why he felt he had to "mouth off" at his boss,
why he didn’t just do the best he could and quietly take the criticism.
"Because I am a man," was his response.

Jesus was a man, too, and in His
life on this earth He defines for us what real manhood is. A real man is
one who does not allow the offenses and hurts of others to cause him to swerve
from the path of perfect obedience to God.

Using the passage in 1 Peter as
our inspiration, let us consider the several steps to maturity with regard to
the matter of handling reproof and suffering:

Step 1. I sin, and when
reproved I fly into a rage; the result is more sin. The prophet Hanani reproved
King Asa for turning to the king of Syria for help instead of relying on
Jehovah. Asa responded with great rage and put Hanani in prison (2 Chron. 16:7-10).

Step 2. I sin, and when
reproved, confess and repent and take the reproof patiently; the result,
according to 1 Pet. 2:20, is that there is no particular glory in making right
our wrongdoings. The Prophet Nathan reproved King David for his sins of
adultery and murder. David responded with the humble confession, "I have
sinned against the Lord" (2 Sam. 12:7-13; Psa. 51).

Step 3. I do well, and
when I suffer for it I become angry at those who hurt me, or bitter toward God;
the result is that the well-doing degenerates into sin (Num. 20).

Step 4. I do well, and
when I suffer for it I take it patiently; the result is being "acceptable
with God" (1 Pet. 2:20)and reaping eternal blessing (Matt. 5:10-12). The
Apostle Paul wrote, "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my
infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take
pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in
distresses for Christ’s sake:for when I am weak, then am I strong" (2
Cor. 12:9,10).

Step 5. I do well, and
when I suffer for it I do something good to those who are against me; the
result is being "the children of [our] Father who is in heaven"
(Matt. 5:44,45). The Syrian army tried to capture the Prophet Elisha. But
Jehovah smote the enemy with blindness and Elisha led them to the king of Israel. But instead of destroying the enemy, Elisha "prepared great provision for
them, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away" (2 Ki.
6:8-23). And of course an even better example of loving our enemies and doing
good to those who hate us is provided by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself when He
died to provide salvation even for those who cruelly and unjustly crucified
Him.

Let us each carefully and
honestly before the Lord examine ourselves as to how far we have progressed up
the ladder to Christ-likeness in this regard.

In the passage in 1 Peter 2 we
read that "when He was reviled, reviled not again." Christ’s example
in this is essential for those who engage in the work of restoring a
backsliding soul to the Lord. "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault,
you who are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness" (Gal.
6:1). What this means is that the servant of the Lord may not find a ready audience
for his reproof. Rather, the one who is overtaken in a fault may retaliate with
charges and insults against the servant. For this reason, the servant must be
girded with Christ-like meekness so that if he is reviled, he reviles not
again.

"When He suffered, He
threatened not, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously"(l
Pet. 2:23). I remember, at least a couple of times, in the heat of battle with
another believer who had made some unjust charges against me, saying, "You
just wait till the judgment seat of Christ; then you will find out who is
right!" Perhaps this is so, but it is likely that I will learn that
neither was I right in my response.

He was calm and gentle and held
His peace. When the traitor Judas led the band to Jesus to take Him, what a
calm and peaceful— yet at the same time probing— response Jesus gave to him:
"Friend, why have you come?" (Matt. 2650; see also John 18:3-6). And
when Jesus stood on trial before first the high priest and then Pilate, He
"held His peace … He answered nothing… He answered him to never a
word, insomuch that the governor marveled greatly" (Matt. 26:63;
27:12-14). In this He fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, "He was oppressed,
and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He is brought as a lamb to
the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He opens not His
mouth" (53:7).

Following Christ’s example, we
have the privilege of remaining silent or saying, "I don’t care to talk
about it," when one is trying to "get our goat" by making false
charges against us or trying to provoke us into an argument.

He forgave His enemies. They
falsely accused Him, they charged Him with blasphemy, they spat in His face,
they punched and slapped Him, they plucked out the hair of His beard, they
scourged Him, they pounded a crown of thorns into His head, they bowed before
Him in mock worship, they stripped Him, they pounded nails into His hands and
feet, they subjected Him to a most shameful as well as painful kind of death,
they taunted and reviled Him as He suffered on the cross. And how did He
respond to all this? "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they
do" (Luke 23:34). What a heart-stirring, soul-searching response!

Can we be expected to respond in
such away toward our enemies?  Yes, we are commanded, "Love your enemies,
bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you/ and pray for those
who despitefully use you and persecute you" (Matt. 5:44).

Also, we have the example of
Stephen in this regard. In response to Stephen’s speech, the Jews "gnashed
on him with their teeth … cried out with a loud voice … and ran upon him
with one accord … and stoned him." And Stephen cried out, just before he
died, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge" (Acts 7:54-60).

He withdrew or hid Himself from
His enemies. When the Pharisees "held a council against Him, how they
might destroy Him.. .He withdrew Himself from there" (Matt. 12:14,15).
When "they took up stones to cast at Him … Jesus hid Himself" (John
8:59). When "they sought again to take Him… He escaped out of their
hand, and went away again beyond Jordan" (John 10:39,40).

The macho man may foolishly stand
up and try to defend himself against a much stronger opponent. But Jesus, who
had all of the power of omnipotent God available to Him, and could easily have
overcome His enemies had it been God’s will, did not do so because it did not
fit in with God’s purposes for the time. "The Son of Man is not come to
destroy men’s lives, but to save them" (Luke 9:56).

May we be wise like our Lord in
such situations. "A prudent man foresees the evil and hides himself; but
the simple pass on and are punished" (Prov. 22:3; 27:12).

He reasoned with His opponents.
When the Pharisees came to Him with questions, even if with the intention to
"accuse Him" (Matt. 12:10), Jesus usually took time to reason with
them from the Scriptures, often pointing out inconsistencies in their thinking
(Matt. 12:1-8,10-12; 15:1-6; 19:16,17; 22:23-33,41-46). "Love … hopes
all things" (1 Cor. 13:7); perhaps behind an antagonistic exterior there
is hiding an anxious and searching mind. A gentle, reasoned response will
attract the soul that is really seeking the truth. "The servant of the
Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in
meekness instructing those who oppose them" (2 Tim. 2:24).

In the next issue, Lord willing,
we shall consider Christ’s responses to man’s sinful behavior in general.

"At the end of every seven
years you shall make a release…. Every creditor who lends anything unto his
neighbor.. .shall not exact it of his neighbor, or of his brother; because it
is called the Lord’s release" (Deut. 15:1,2).

The increasing wealth of the
people of God as dwelling in the land and gathering in its fruits is
beautifully brought out in this chapter. There is a continually increasing
yield for God and for His people. From the first year there is a tithe for
service and for assembly enjoyment. From the third year there is a tithe for
the benefit of the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow.

There is ability to give
expression to what God is in grace to those who have need. Then "at the
end of seven years you shall make a release." All this is a blessed
picture of the formation of the divine nature in God’s people. The saints are
viewed as continuing to be nourished in the good of the land and as increasing
in spiritual wealth. God’s sons are becoming more like Him—more imbued with the
spirit of grace. They are getting freed from the spirit of demand. If I am
requiring and demanding from my brethren, even if what I require is due to me,
I have not lived long in the land. I have not been there "seven
years." I have not learned much of God’s ways of acting.

I may know that I have a
righteous claim on my brother for something that is due to me which has not
been rendered. In such a case I am in the position of a creditor. We may be in
that position sometimes, though I fear we are more often in the position of
debtors to our brethren. There are parts of Scripture that apply very
distinctly to debtors and to what is due on their part, and we must have full
regard to those scriptures. But this is not a chapter for debtors but
for wealthy persons, sons of God, heirs of all God’s wealth. It is a chapter
for creditors.

"Every creditor shall relax
his hand from the loan which he has lent unto his neighbor; he shall not demand
it of his neighbor, or of his brother; for a release to Jehovah has been
proclaimed (verse 2 JND). This indicates such maturity in the divine nature
that God’s people can act even as He has acted Himself. What an exalted
privilege is that! To sing truly, "Oh what a debt we owe" would
enable us to take up the creditor’s privilege in the year of
"release."

There are times when our brethren
come under obligation to us. A creditor is one who has a righteous claim on his
neighbor or his brother for something. It is well to consider whether we have
righteous claims that remain unsatisfied. Let us turn over our ledgers and see
if we have any entries standing against brother or sisters. Yes! Brother So and
So did not treat me with the respect that was due to me; he did not show me
Christian consideration or courtesy! And another brother took full advantage of
my kindness, but expressed no gratitude; he made no return for all the good I
have done to him! And a sister spoke unkindly of me; she even said what was not
true! And another promised to do a certain thing, but he never did it! All such
things as these put us in the place of creditors. Such debts as these go on
piling up year after year, and the creditors get soured by thinking so long
about the debts that have never been paid! God does not like to see His sons
maintaining demands on one another, so He steps in to confer a great privilege
on all creditors. The creditor here is the one who gains, for he shines in the
glory of correspondence with God. How could you enjoy your sabbatical year if
you were thinking all the time of undischarged debts due to you from your
brethren? Many local difficulties are the result of old standing accounts.
There is a rankling sourness in the heart on account of things said and done
years ago, and it is destructive of family affections and spiritual prosperity.
These things show that we have not been "seven years" in the land; we
have not yet acquired sufficient wealth to "make a release." If we
keep up personal grievances against our brethren we are missing the creditor’s
privilege in the year of release.

How often people say, "But I
want righteousness." They forget that righteousness now consists in acting
towards others in the same way that God has acted towards us (Matt. 18:21-35).
Certain things are due on the debtor’s part, and God’s work in him would lead
to the acknowledgment of this. But, as we have said before, this particular
scripture is not occupied with the debtor, or the relief that he gets; it is
the setting forth of the creditor’ s privilege, and of the gain which accrues
to him as he takes it up. It is not even spoken of here as a release to the
debtor; it is "a release to Jehovah." The creditor has an opportunity
of showing how he appreciates Jehovah’s gracious favor, and of reflecting it in
his conduct towards his poor brother. It is poverty in our brother that has
brought him into the place of a debtor. If he had been spiritually wealthy he
would never have incurred the debt; he would have undoubtedly discharged all
his righteous obligations. But his poverty may furnish me with an
opportunity to act as a wealthy son of God and to make a release.

Making "a release to
Jehovah" is not writing it off as a bad debt. It is really transferring
the undischarged debts to God’s account, who will certainly see that the
creditor loses nothing by reflecting His character and ways. There is no
question of the justice of the creditor’s claim, but he is wealthy enough
through divine favor to relax his hand and not demand it. He knows that God
will give him such wealth that he will be far better off by freeing his brother
from all demand than he would have been by insisting on having all that was
due. "For the Lord shall greatly bless you in the land which the Lord your
God gives you for an inheritance to possess it, only if you carefully
hearken unto the voice of the Lord your God, to observe to do all these
commandments which I command you this day" (Deut. 15:4,5). With an
attitude like this you will never yourself be a debtor; you will never be a
poor man in Israel. I have often seen people who insist on their rights and
demand what is due to them, but I have noticed that they are invariably poor in
spiritual wealth. When the spirit of demand has been in my own heart I have
found it spiritually impoverishing. The spirit of "release" comes out
in such scriptures as the following:"Forbearing one another and forgiving
one another, if any man have a quarrel against any:even as Christ forgave you,
so also do you" (Col. 3:13). "And be kind one to another,
tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has
forgiven you" (Eph. 4:32). The Lord taught His disciples to pray,
"And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive every one who is indebted to
us" (Luke 11:4). It assumes that those who thus pray have observed the
year of release; the Lord would have us to enjoy the privilege of doing so. On
the other hand, the consequences of not making a release are very serious.
"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also
forgive you; but if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your
Father forgive your trespasses" (Matt. 6:14,15).

The children of Israel went into captivity because they had apparently ceased to observe the sabbatical year about
the time of David. They had to go into captivity for 70 years to make up for 70
sabbatical years that had not been kept (2 Chron. 36:21). Governmentally, we
may lose all spiritual freedom and enjoyment if we do not "make a
release." If I find my heart indisposed to do it, I have to recognize that
I am small in the divine nature; it is 7 who am not acting as a son of God; I
am the debtor rather than my poor brother; I must judge myself rather
than him. The effect of making a release is that in my spirit I am in the
liberty of grace and love towards my debtor.

Then there is to be gracious
consideration for "a poor man" and "thy poor brother"
(verses 7-11). The word "bountifully" occurs three times in these
five verses (in JND; "open your hand wide" in KJV). This is a
perpetual obligation, "for the poor shall never cease out of the
land." God will see to it that there will always be opportunity for His
bountifulness to be expressed through His children.

I am not referring altogether to
temporal needs, though surely such a scripture has a definite bearing on them.
But I am thinking for the moment of those who are spiritually poor. How
many there are who never seem to know spiritual prosperity; they never acquire
resources of their own; they never contribute anything; they seem always to
need to be supported and kept up by the spiritual wealth of others! Well, they
furnish a fine opportunity for bountifulness on the part of those who are
spiritually richer than they are. I knew a brother who felt keenly how poor
spiritually the saints were among whom he lived and served. They never seemed
to get on, or to be capable of taking in spiritual thoughts. He got
discouraged, and asked the Lord to move him to some place where there would be
more interest and appreciation. He told me that the Lord seemed to say to him,
"Do you want to care for my saints?" And he answered, "Yes,
Lord, I do." "Well, there they are; go on caring for and feeding
them!" And he went on doing so until the Lord called him home.

There is a tendency with us to
look for some kind of return, and to shut up our hand if we see no prospect of
getting it. But as wealthy sons, it is our privilege to support, and to supply
the lack of, the spiritually poor without considering whether there will be any
return or not. The Lord’s own words were, "Do good and lend, hoping for
nothing again, and your reward shall be great, and you shall be the children of
the Highest" (Luke 6:35). If I am only prepared to dispense my spiritual
wealth on condition that i should be appreciated or honored or respected, it is
"a thing of Belial" in my heart. Paul was a wealthy son, and he said,
"I will very gladly spend and be spent for you, though the more abundantly
I love you, the less I be loved" (2 Cor. 12:15). He had drunk deeply into
the spirit of the scripture we are now considering. We like to be with those
who understand us and who can reciprocate our thoughts and feelings, but this
must not be allowed to diminish our bountiful-ness to those who have need. They
are to be valued and ministered to because of what they are to God.

A selfish desire for happiness is
as sinful as any other selfish desire. Its root is in the flesh which can never
have any standing before God. "The carnal mind is enmity against God; for
it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be" (Rom. 8:7).

People are coming more and more
to excuse every sort of wrongdoing on the grounds that they are "just
trying to secure a little happiness." Before she will give her con-sent to
marriage, the modern young lady may ask outright whether or not the man "can
make me happy," instead of wondering selflessly whether she can bring
happiness to her life partner. The lovelorn columns of the newspapers are wet
with the self-pitying tears of persons who write to inquire how they can
"preserve their happiness." The psychiatrists of the land are getting
fat off the increasing numbers who seek professional aid in their all-absorbing
search for happiness. It is not uncommon for crimes to be committed against
persons who do nothing worse than jeopardize someone’s happiness.

That is the hedonistic philosophy
of old Grecian days misunderstood and applied to everyday living in the
twentieth century. It destroys all nobility of character and makes milksops of
all who consciously or unconsciously adopt it; but it has become quite the
popular creed of the masses. That we are born to be happy is scarcely
questioned by anyone. No one bothers to prove that fallen men have any moral
right to happiness, or that they are in the long run any better off happy. The
only question before the house is how to get the most happiness out of life.
Almost all popular books and plays assume that personal happiness is the
legitimate end of the dramatic human struggle.

Now I submit that the whole
hectic scramble after happiness is as much an evil as is the scramble after
money or fame or success. It springs out of a vast misunderstanding of
ourselves and of our true moral state. The man who really knows himself can
never believe in his right to be happy. A little glimpse of his own heart will
disillusion him instantly so that he is more likely to turn on himself and own
that God’s sentence against him is truly just. The doctrine of man’s
inalienable right to happiness is anti-God and anti-Christ, and its wide
acceptance by society tells us a lot about that same society.

The effect of this modern
hedonism is felt also among the people of God. The gospel is too often
presented as a means toward happiness, peace of mind, or security. There are
even those who use the Bible to "relax" them, as if it were a drug.

How far wrong all this is will be
discovered easily by the simple act of reading the New Testament through once
with meditation. There the emphasis is not upon happiness but upon holiness.
God is more concerned with the state of people’s hearts than with the state of
their feelings. Undoubtedly the will of God brings final happiness to those who
obey, but the most important matter is not how happy we are but how holy. The
soldier does not seek to be happy in the field; he seeks rather to get the fighting
over with, to win the war, and get back home to his loved ones. There he may
enjoy himself to the full; but while the war is on his most pressing job is to
be a good soldier, to acquit himself like a man, regardless of how he feels.

The childish clamor after
happiness can become a real snare. One may easily deceive himself by
cultivating a religious joy without a correspondingly righteous life. No man
should desire to be happy who is not at the same time holy. He should spend his
efforts in seeking to know and do the will of God, leaving to Christ the matter
of how happy he shall be.

For those who take this whole
thing seriously, I have a suggestion:Go to God and have an understanding
between yourselves. Tell Him that it is your desire to be holy at any cost and
then ask Him never to give you more happiness than holiness. When your holiness
becomes tarnished, let your joy become dim. And ask Him to make you holy
whether you are happy or not. Be assured that in the end you will be as happy
as you are holy; but for the time being let your whole ambition be to serve God
and be Christlike.

If we dare to take a stand like
that we may expect to know a new degree of inward purification. And, God being
who He is, we are more than likely to know a new degree of happiness as well,
but a happiness that springs out of a more intimate fellowship with God, a
happiness that is elevated and unselfish and free from the pollutions of the
flesh.

(From The Evangelist, Vol. 51,
published by Evangelical Tract Distributors.)

FRAGMENT  "If you suffer for
righteousness’ sake, happy are you" (1 Pet. 3:14). "Rejoice, inasmuch
as you are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when His glory shall be
revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for
the name of Christ, happy are you" (1 Pet. 4:13,14).

FRAGMENT  The Lord can and will
have full sway in your heart and life when you give Him the preeminence. He
never will share the throne of your heart with any idol. All "idols..
.shall be moved at His presence" (Isa. 19:1). T. F. Mayer

In the last issue we considered
some of the archaeological findings that come late with various persons,
places, and events recorded in the Gospels. In this issue we shall review
archaeological findings that relate to the Acts and the Epistles.

Straight Street

"There was a certain
disciple at Damascus named Ananias…. And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and
go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas
for one called Saul of Tarsus" (Acts 9:10,11).

Damascus is considered to be the
oldest continuously occupied city in the world, dating back to around 2500 B.C.
Thus, archaeological digs are not necessary to confirm that the

"Straight Street" where
Saul of Tarsus once temporarily resided still today bisects the city from the
eastern to the western gate.

(The preceding was abstracted
from M. F. Unger, Archaeology and the New Testament.)

Rulers of Roman Provinces

Sergius Paulus is described as
the proconsul (“deputy" in KJV) of Cyprus (Acts 13:7). Gallic held the
same position in the region of Achaia in Greece (Acts 18:12). The rulers of Philippi before whom Paul and Silas were brought were called magistrates (Acts 16:20,22,
35,36). Some of the believers in Thessalonica who fellow-shipped with Paul and
Silas were brought before the politarchs ("rulers" in KJV) of the city.

In the past, Bible scholars and
historians have faulted Luke’s use of these different titles for rulers of
Roman provinces. However, archaeological findings more recently have provided
support for the words used in the Book of Acts.

At Soli, a city in the
northwestern part of the island of Cyprus, a Greek inscription was found which
contains the phrase, "under Paulus the proconsul."

The term "magistrates"
was not technically correct for the rulers of Philippi since the city normally
was governed by two "duumvirs." However, archaeological inscriptions
have revealed that the title of "magistrate" was employed as a
courtesy title for the chief rulers of a Roman colony.

The use of the title
"politarch" for the rulers of Thessalonica was once considered to be
erroneous. However, seventeen inscriptions have been discovered at Salonika
(modern name of Thessalonica in Greece) containing this term.

Finally, an inscription found at
Delphi, not far from Corinth in Greece, indicates that Gallic was proconsul of
Achaia in 51 or 52 A.D.

Iconium

"And it came to pass in
Iconium that [Paul and Barnabas] went both together into the synagogue of the
Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the
Greeks believed. … And when there was an assault made… to stone them, they
were aware of it and fled unto Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia" (Acts
14:1-6).

Romans writers such as Cicero had long ago indicated that Iconium was in Lycaonia; therefore, the implication in
Acts 14:6 that Iconium was not in the territory of Lycaonia caused scholars to
claim that the text of Acts was not trustworthy. However, a monument found in
1910 in Asia Minor by the prominent archaeologist, Sir William Ramsey, showed
that Iconium was considered to be a city of Phrygia, not Lycaonia. Further
discoveries corroborated this finding.

(The preceding was abstracted
from J. P. Free, Archaeology and Bible History.)

Lystra

"When the people [of Lystra]
saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of
Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. And they called
Barnabas, Jupiter [or Zeus], and Paul, Mercurius [or Hermes], because he was
the chief speaker. Then the priest of Jupiter… would have done sacrifice with
the people" (Acts 14:13).

The cultic devotion of the
citizens of Lystra to the gods Zeus and Hermes is corroborated by
archaeological findings. An inscription found near Lystra in 1909 lists the
names of several "priests of Zeus." Another inscription relates how
two persons devoted to the local cult crafted a statue of Hermes along with a
sun-dial, and dedicated it to Zeus.

Mars’ Hill

"Then Paul stood in the
midst of Mars’ Hill, and said, You men of Athens, I perceive that in all things
you are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I
found an altar with this inscription, To the Unknown God…. For in Him we
live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have
said, For we are also his offspring" (Acts 17:22-28).

Mars’ Hill, a 377-foot high hill
in Athens, can still today be climbed by steps hewn out of the rock. At the
summit of the hill are benches cut out of the rock, forming the meeting-place
of the ancient Athenian court.

No inscription, "To the
Unknown God," has yet been found in Athens by archaeologists, though such
an inscription has been found in the ruins of ancient Pergamos in Asia Minor. The second century A.D. geographer, Pausanias, wrote extensively of his visit
to Athens around 150 A.D. and declares in his Description of Greece that he saw
"altars of the gods named Unknown."

The Apostle Paul, in his Mars’
Hill sermon, quoted from one of the Athenians’ own poets. This is from a poem
by Aratus, a Stoic of the third century B.C.:

Zeus fills the streets, the
marts,

Zeus fills the seas, the shores,
the rivers!

Everywhere our need is Zeus!

We also are his offspring.

A similar line is found in the
writings of an earlier Greek poet, Cleanthes.

(The preceding two sections were
abstracted from M. F. Unger, Archaeology and the New Testament.)

Ephesus

"And when they heard these
sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the
Ephesians. And the whole city was filled with confusion; and having caught
Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul’s companions in travel, they rushed
with one accord into the theater. And when Paul would have entered in unto the
people, the disciples suffered him not. And certain of the chief of Asia [or Asiarchs], which were his friends, sent unto him…. All with one voice above the
space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. And.. .the town
clerk… appeased the people" (Acts 19:28 -35). The ancient city of Ephesus has been extensively excavated from 1863 into the twentieth century. The Temple of Diana, one of the so-called "Seven Wonders of the World," was 342 feet long
and 163 feet wide, with over 100 columns six feet in diameter and sixty feet
high supporting the roof. Numerous inscriptions have been found in Ephesus attesting to the popularity of the goddess Diana and to the ascription of Diana as
"Great."

The amphitheater that was the
scene of the riot can be clearly seen today on the slope of Mount Pion. It was about 495 feet in diameter and could accommodate about 25,000 spectators.

Inscriptions have been found in Ephesus referring to Asiarchs (Acts 19:31) as well as to persons holding the position of
town clerk (verse 35).

(The preceding was abstracted
from H. F. Vos, An Introduction to Biblical Archaeology and M.F Unger, Archaeology
and the New Testament.)

Erastus

"Erastus the chamberlain of
the city salutes you" (Rom. 16:23).

During the excavations of Corinth in 1929, a pavement dating back to the first century A.D. was found inscribed,
"Erastus, curator of public buildings, laid this pavement at his own
expense." It is quite likely that this is the same person the Apostle Paul
referred to in his Epistle to the Romans, written from Corinth. A chamberlain
was an important official and thus an exception to the apostle’s statement that
not many wise or mighty or noble men after the flesh are called (1 Cor. 1:26).

(The preceding was abstracted
from J. McDowell, Evidence that Demands a Verdict.)

The Church in a House

"They, continuing daily with
one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their
meat with gladness and singleness of heart" (Acts 2:46). "Aquila and
Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church [or assembly] that is in
their house" (1 Cor. 16:19; Rom. 16:3,5). "Salute the brethren who
are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house" (Col.
4:15). "Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto
Philemon.. .and to the church in your house" (Philem. 1,2).

We see from these passages that
the meeting-places of early Christians were in private houses for the most
part.

An example of one such house that
was used for gatherings of Christians in the third century A.D. was excavated
in 1931-32 at Dura-Europos in eastern Syria on the Euphrates River. The house, outwardly indistinguishable from the houses around it, consisted of a series
of rooms around a paved open courtyard. An inscription indicated that the house
was built in what would correspond to 232-33 A.D. One of the rooms had been
used as a chapel, which was later enlarged by the opening of two more rooms so
that the whole could seat about 100 people. There were paintings on the walls
of Christ as the Good Shepherd, David and Goliath, the Samaritan woman, Peter
attempting to walk on the water, and the healing of the paralytic.

(The preceding was abstracted
from G. E. Wright, Biblical Archaeology and G. Cornfeld and D. N.
Freedman, Archaeology of the Bible Book by Book.)

Philadelphia

"And to the angel of the
church in Philadelphia write…Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the
temple of My God, and he shall go no more out; and I will write upon him the
name of My God, and the name of the dry of My God, which is new Jerusalem, which
comes down out of heaven from My God; and I will write upon him My new
name" (Rev. 3:7,12).

Ruined temples and broken pillars
were a characteristic sight in this region that was often hit by earthquakes.
The physical instability of the city of Philadelphia provides a striking
background for the promise of eternal security ("a pillar in the temple of
My God") to the faithful believers in that city amid the insecurity of the
temporal scene.

The second part of the promise in
verse 12 is also meaningful in view of Emperor Tiberius Caesar’s rebuilding of
the city after a catastrophic earthquake in 17 A.D. The rebuilt city was given
a new name, Neokaisareia or "New Caesar" in honor of the Emperor’s
kindness. This was in effect the Emperor’s writing his name upon the city since
this action could be taken only by imperial authority. In the course of time,
the original name of the city, Philadelphia, was restored, totally replacing
Neokaisareia by 50 A.D. In Rev. 3:12, the church in Philadelphia is promised
that upon it will be inscribed the Name of the eternal God, not the name of a
temporal ruler.

(The preceding was abstracted
from M. F. Unger, Archaeology and the New Testament.)

"But we all, looking on the
glory of the Lord with unveiled face, are transformed according to the same
image from glory to glory, even as by the Lord the Spirit" (2 Cor. 3:18
JND).

The glory of the Lord as seen in
Moses’ face alarmed the people; they could not bear that glory. But we behold
that glory in Christ and yet are not in the least afraid; we find liberty,
comfort, and joy in looking at it. How does this immense difference come about?

I can steadfastly behold His
glory without becoming frightened because the glory of God is in the face of a
Man who has put away my sins, who has borne the wrath of God on account of my
sins, and who is in the glory in proof of it (Heb. 1:3).

When I see Him in that glory,
instead of seeing my sins, I see that they are gone. Where are my sins now?
Once they were found upon the head of that blessed One; but they are gone,
never more to be found. He who bore them all has been received up to the throne
of God, and no sin can be there.

By beholding His glory, we are
changed into His image. It is the Holy Spirit taking of the things of Christ
and revealing them to the soul that is the power of present practical
conformity to Christ. I delight in Christ, I feast upon Christ, I love Christ.
It is not simply the glory that attracts me. It is Christ Himself whom I love,
Christ whom I admire, Christ whom I care for, Christ whose flesh I eat and
whose blood I drink. Is it a wonder that I am like Christ? The Christian thus
becomes the epistle of Christ. He speaks for Christ, owns Christ, acts for
Christ. He does not want to be rich for he has unsearchable riches in Christ.

He does not want the pleasures of
the world for he has pleasures at God’s right hand for evermore.

It is not my looking at myself
but my looking at Christ that is God’s appointed means for my growing in the
likeness of Christ. We see it beautifully in the martyrdom of Stephen.
"He, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and
saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God" (Acts
7:55). And look at his attitude as he is being stoned to death; just like his
Master, he prays for his very murderers:"Lord, lay not this sin to their
charge" (7:60).

The soul at perfect liberty with
God looks peacefully and happily at the glory of God as seen in the face of
Jesus Christ. And because he sees that glory and knows what it means, he walks
before God in holy confidence. At ease in the presence of God, he becomes
"the epistle of Christ" (2 Cor. 3:3) to the world, showing out to all
that he has been there.

May we more and more make our
boast in Him in whose face all this glory is displayed—the Lamb who has died
for us and cleansed away our sins by His own most precious blood.

Meditations on Christ, the
Believer’s Example (Part VII)

Christ’s Responses to Man’s
Sinful Behavior

He rebuked those with wrong
thoughts about Himself. "From that time forth began Jesus to show unto His
disciples how that He must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the
elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the
third day. Then Peter took Him and began to rebuke Him, saying, Be it far from
Thee, Lord; this shall not be unto Thee. But He turned and said unto Peter, Get
thee behind me, Satan; you are an offense unto Me, for you savor not the things
that be of God, but those that be of men" (Matt. 16:21-23).

It is true that these words of
the Lord Jesus took Peter off guard. Peter may have thought that Jesus was just
feeling depressed over the mounting opposition to Him and was trying to cheer
Him up. But if Peter really regarded Jesus as "the Christ, the Son of the
living God" (verse 16) and as "Lord" (verse 22), he should have
been listening carefully and asking clarifying questions rather than rebuking
his Lord and Master.

Do we ever question God? Do we
ever get angry and resentful toward God because we don’t understand why He
allows certain things to happen in our lives or in the world at large? If so,
we need to reexamine our basic relationship with Christ:is He really our Lord
and Master, or is He just a convenient tool to satisfy those wants and needs
that we are unable to meet by ourselves?

The Lord Jesus, upon hearing
Peter’s rebuke, didn’t just shrug His shoulders and mutter that Peter would
learn some day. No, He spoke very strongly to Peter. He told Peter that he was
an offense to Him and that he was allowing himself to be a tool of Satan.

Another occasion when Jesus had
to rebuke His disciples was when they were rebuffed by the Samaritans and asked
the Lord for permission to "command fire to come down from heaven and
consume them." Jesus "rebuked them and said, You know not what manner
of spirit you are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives,
but to save them" (Luke 9:52-56). The grace of God is such an exceedingly
strange concept to the natural man that it often takes a long time even for
believers to appreciate this grace and act upon it in our relationships with
others.

The Lord faithfully rebuked His
disciples for not entering into His thoughts, for not appreciating His spirit
of grace toward sinners. Christ is our example. If one who professes to be a
Christian ex-presses a warped, unbalanced view of God and His attributes, or
questions His goodness or His fairness or His authority—His lordship— over him,
such a one may very well need to be rebuked. And the Holy Spirit may direct you
or me to administer such a rebuke.

Does one believer have authority
from God to rebuke another believer? Yes:"If your brother trespass
against you, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him" (Luke 173). The
Apostle Paul encouraged His son in the faith, Timothy, to "reprove,
rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine" (2 Tim. 4:2). Of
course, the administering of a rebuke should be done "in the spirit of
meekness, considering yourself, lest you also be tempted" (Gal. 6:1).

He patiently instructed those who
were self-centered. "Then there arose a reasoning among them which of them
should be greatest. And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a
child and set him by Him, and said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this
child in My Name receives Me…. He who is least among you all, the same shall
be great" (Luke 9:46-48).

Later on, just after eating the
"Last Supper” with their Lord, the twelve disciples expressed the same
selfish attitude:"And there was also a strife among them, which of them
should be accounted the greatest. And He said unto them,… He that is greatest
among you, let him be as the younger, and he that is chief, as he who
serves…. I am among you as He who serves" (Luke 22:24-27).

Do you see how Jesus responds to
the sin of selfishness and pride displayed by His own disciples? He doesn’t
take their heads off but rather gently instructs them as to the way to true
greatness—taking a lowly place, the place of a servant.

We don’t like to see self-centeredness
and pride in other people. But often, I believe, it is the pride lurking deep
in our own hearts, that we have been trying to sugar-coat with a
spiritually-correct exterior, that takes offense at other people’s
less-well-masked expressions of pride and selfishness. If we had a greater
self-awareness of the pride that so thoroughly infects our entire being, we
would first judge ourselves and then—as Christ did—gently instruct our fellow
believers when they manifest pride.

He showed anger toward hypocrites
and those who dishonored His Father. "The Jews’ passover was at hand, and
Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and found in the temple those who sold oxen and
sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting; and when He had made a
scourge of small cords, He drove them all out of the temple.. .and poured out
the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; and said unto those who sold
doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house a house of
merchandise" (John 2:13-16).

In the last issue, we noticed
that Christ consistently responded with patience, calmness, gentleness, and
forgiveness toward those who opposed and mistreated Him personally. He never
became angry because He was not being treated right or receiving the respect He
deserved. But in the passage just cited the Lord shows strong anger directed
toward those who were dishonoring His Father. They were enriching themselves by
selling sacrificial animals at exorbitant prices to people whose hearts were
still sensitive to the Old Testament law. The Lord also expressed strong
reaction to the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees:"You pay tithe of
mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law,
judgment, mercy, and faith; these you ought to have done, and not to leave the
other undone…. You are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear
beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all
uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within
you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity" (Matt. 23:23,27,28). One more
example of the Lord expressing anger was when the Pharisees were hoping to
catch Him healing on the Sabbath so "that they might accuse him"
(Mark 3:1-5). Here again was hypocrisy:they pretended to be guarding the
sanctity of the Sabbath day, that day of physical and spiritual renewal given
to Israel, but blindly and hardheartedly condemned One who came to bring far
greater renewal of body (through physical healing) and of soul and spirit (through
His redemptive work on the cross).

Jesus did not make a habit of
confronting and condemning out-and-out sinners—adulterers, murderers, thieves,
and the like. Rather (as was noted in Part III of this series), He lovingly
reached out to the publicans and sinners, the social outcasts, and gently drew
them to Himself and His Father. Those He did condemn, however, were those who
made a pretense of religiousness and spirituality while not having the love of
God in them (John 5:42).

Christ is our example. We find in
these illustrations from the life of Christ guidelines as to how we ought to
respond to the unbelievers around us. I see some Christians intent on getting
their neighbors to break off their adulterous relationships or to stop using
God’s name in vain. They seem to think that if they can get their neighbors to
"dean up their act" they are more likely to be saved. Christ did not
do this. He met people just where they were. In fact He took advantage of
people’s besetting sins to show them their need for salvation (John 4:18, for
example).

If Christ were living in America today, I suspect He would not be spending His time picketing abortion clinics or
trying to get pornographic TV shows off the air or getting taverns closed down.
Would He not, rather, be exposing the apostasy of so-called Christian leaders
who no longer teach the precious truths of the Word of God? And would He not
also, perhaps, be exposing some fundamentalist preachers and writers whose
private lives bear little or no resemblance to the Christ whom they preach? And
is it possible that He might even spend a bit of time uncovering your and my
own inconsistencies, insincerities, or even hypocrisies?

Knowing Christ’s hatred of
hypocrisy, let us stir up one another, as "members one of another"
(Rom. 12:5) as to this matter of being sincere. "Let us keep the
feast…with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" (1 Cor. 5:8).
"Our rejoicing is this.. .that in simplicity and godly sincerity… we
have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly toward you" (2
Cor. 1:12; 2:17). "I pray…that you maybe sincere and without offense
till the day of Christ" (Phil. 1:10).

The English word
"sincere" is derived from two Latin words, sine ("without")
and cera ("wax"). It was the custom of some pottery makers of old to
use a certain kind of wax to cover up hairline cracks and minor imperfections
in their creations. But if the piece were held up to the light, the cracks and
imperfections would be immediately obvious. So the best pottery was "sincere-ware"
which had no need for wax to cover the imperfections. The Greek word used in
the four passages mentioned above carries similar implications. It is
eilikrines or literally "sun-judged." If you and I were to be held up
before the all-penetrating rays of God’s light, would our insides match our
outsides? Would the "thoughts and intents of the heart" match our
words and deeds? Would the things we do in private condemn or shame us any more
than the things we do in public? God wants us so to grow and develop in our
Christian lives that we are totally sincere—without hypocrisy, without wax,
sun-judged.

In the next issue, Lord willing,
we shall complete this section on Christ’s responses to man’s sinful behavior,
and then go on to consider Christ’s work and ministry.

In 2 Cor. 3:18 we find true
Christian growth in grace. First, Christ has to be revealed to the soul, and
then as you go on day after day, as you are occupied with Christ, you become
like Him. You never have to advertise your holiness. This will not be necessary
if your heart is taken up with the Lord Jesus. If occupied with Him, other
people will soon realize that you are becoming more and more like Him as the
days go by.

You may have heard of Nathaniel
Hawthorne’s story of ‘The Great Stone Face." He tells of a lad who lived in
the village below the mountain, and there upon the mountain was that image of
the great stone face, looking down so solemnly, so seriously, upon the people.
There was a legend that some day someone was coming to that village who would
look just like the great stone face, and he would do some wonderful things for
the village and would be the means of great blessing. The story gripped this
lad, and he used to slip away and hour after hour would stand looking at that
great stone face and thinking of the story about the one who was coming.  Years
passed, and even through young adulthood and middle age he still went to sit
and contemplate the majesty, the beauty of that great stone face.  Then old age
came, and one day as he walked through the village someone looked at him and
exclaimed, “He has come, the one who is like the great stone face!”  He became
like that which he contemplated.  If you want to be like Christ, look at
Jesus.  If you want to grow in grace, contemplate Jesus.  You find Him revealed
in the Word, so read your Bible and meditate upon it.

We sing the song, “Take time to
be holy, Speak oft with thy Lord.”  One servant of the Lord always interrupted
when this hymn was given out and said, “Please let me change that first line;
let us sing it, ‘Take time to behold Him.’” As we behold Hm we will become
holy, for we will be transformed into the same image form glory to glory .

(From Addresses on the Second
Epistle to the Corinthians. Used by permission of Loizeaux Brothers, Inc., Neptune, New Jersey.)

There are a great many elements
that determine the soundness and value of a translation of the Holy Scriptures.
In the article on "Archaeology and the Bible" in this issue, there is
discussion of the very major task of comparing thousands of ancient manuscripts
of the Old and New Testament in an attempt to arrive as certainly as possible
at the original writings that God has given to His people.

But even if we had the exact
original Hebrew Old Testament and Greek New Testament texts, there could still
be rather wide variation among the translations from the Hebrew and the Greek
into English. Some existing translations have been designed to be
ultra-literal, even to the extent of following the exact word order of the
Hebrew and Greek, which, in general, is quite different from word order in
English sentences. At the other extreme, there are versions that are more like
paraphrases than true translations, devoted to making each passage
understandable, even at the expense of sometimes misrepresenting the original
text. What is needed, of course, is a translation that is accurate and faithful
to the original text without losing too much in the way of readability.

In this article I wish to focus
on one small area that has become a concern to me in my personal study of the
Scriptures. For the most part I use the King James Version (KJV) because I grew
up with it and am most familiar with it. However, one of the stated goals of
the King James translators was not to be bound to translate the same Greek or
Hebrew word by the same English word in a particular passage, even when the
sense of the word was precisely the same throughout the passage. This is how
many of us were taught to write in High School English class—try not to use the
same word twice in a paragraph. This principle may make for more beautiful
literature, but when used in translations of the Bible, it may hinder the
proper communication of God’s mind to His people.

Ironically, the KJV too often
fails in an opposite way as well, namely, translating two different Greek or
Hebrew words in the same passage with the same English word, thus blurring a
distinction intended by the Holy Spirit.

Let us consider a few
illustrations. In 1 Corinthians 13:8-11 we read in the KJV:"Charity never
fails; but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be
tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away….
When that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done
away…. When I became a man, I put away childish things." In this passage
we find four words or phrases—fail, vanish away, done away, and put away—which
are all translations of the same Greek word, katargeo, meaning"to become
unemployed, rendered of no effect, or reduced to no activity." Prophecy
(that is, speaking on behalf of God) will one day, when we are with the Lord in
heaven, give way to hearing the Lord speak to us directly. Similarly, the
receiving and imparting of knowledge on our parts will be superseded by our
learning at the feet of the Fountain of all knowledge. While we may feel that
we have attained a great measure of knowledge and wisdom and understanding of
God and His Word, verses 10 and 11 seem to be telling us that our knowledge and
understanding will suddenly explode and mature to such a degree in that future,
eternal day that what we have learned here on earth will pale in comparison.
It’s humbling, isn’t it! As another has put it, "We chatter about a
‘knowledge explosion’ in this century; it is raw stupidity compared with the
divine enlightenment that awaits us" (Wilbur E. Nelson in Believe and
Behave).

Another point in this passage
comes into clearer focus when we know the correct translation of katargeo. In
verse 8 it says, "Whether there be tongues, they shall cease," rather
than give way to something far better as in the case of prophecy and knowledge.
This is emphasized in verse 9:"We know in part, and we prophesy in
part"; note that it does not say, "We speak in tongues in part."
In other words, there is no indication that in heaven there will be a fuller,
richer, more complete, more ecstatic speaking in tongues. (Chapter 14 builds on
this.)

In verse 8 of this passage we
also have an example of the opposite problem:"Charity never fails (Greek,
ekpipto); but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail (katargeo)."
Here the KJV fails to distinguish between two different Greek words, both
translated "fail," but having somewhat different meanings.

How do other translations handle
this passage?  The New King James Version (NKJV) uses the same words as the KJV
in this passage. The New International Version (NIV) has "fail" for
ekpipto and "cease," "pass away," "disappear,"
and "put behind" for katargeo. Today’s English Version (TE V) has
"Love is eternal" in verse 8, and "temporary,"
"pass," "disappear," and "no more use" for
katargeo. However, both the J. N. Darby New Translation (JND) and the New
American Standard Bible (NASB) properly have "fail" for ekpipto and "done
away" or "did away" for the four occurrences of katargeo.

Turn now to John 21:15-17:
"So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas,
lovest thou Me more than these? He saith unto Him, Yea, Lord; Thou knowest that
I love Thee…. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas,
lovest thou Me? He saith unto Him, Yea, Lord; Thou knowest that I love Thee….

He saith unto Him the third time,
Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? Peter was grieved because He said unto him
the third time, Lovest thou Me? And he said unto Him, Lord Thou knowest all
things; Thou knowest that I love Thee" (KJV).

From the KJV one would never
guess that the Lord Jesus uses two different Greek words for "love"
in this passage. In His first question to Peter He asks, "Do you have
agape love for me more than the other disciples?" He obviously is
challenging Peter’s bold assertion, "Though all men shall be offended
because of Thee, yet will I never be offended" (Matt. 26:33). Peter,
acutely aware of his three-fold denial of Christ, dares not claim that he
manifested that self-sacrificing agape love; so he responds cautiously,
"You know that I have philia love (that is, the affection that is found
between friends) for You."

The second time, the Lord Jesus
simply asks Peter, "Do you have agape love for me?" In other words,
"Not just in comparison with the other disciples, but do you have any
agape love at all for Me, Peter?" Once again Peter affirms his philia love
for Christ.

The third time Jesus takes up the
word Peter used:"Do you have philia love for Me?" This is what
struck deep in Peter’s heart and conscience. Jesus seems to be asking,
"Given all of the affection I have shown to you, all of the ways I have
helped you and befriended you, have you shown yourself to be a friend to Me in
My hour of deepest need?" Peter responds humbly, "You know all
things; You know my heart; even though I failed You miserably, You know that I
have affection for You."

Do you see how the spiritual
beauty of this passage is tremendously enhanced when the two different Greek
words are distinguished in the text? Now how do the other translations handle
this passage? The NASB, NIV, NKJV, and TEV all follow the KJV in translating
both of the Greek words "love." JND, however, properly makes the
distinction, even though his translation is rather awkward:"Yea, Lord;
Thou knowest that I am attached to Thee."

Another example is found in John
16:19-30. Seven times in this passage (verses 19,23,23,24,24, 26,30) the word
"ask" is found in the KJV. However, once again there are two Greek
words involved. The word aiteo suggests the petition of one who is lesser in
position than the one petitioned (for example, men asking of God); the word
erotao suggests the case where the petitioner is on a footing of equality or
familiarity with the one petitioned). Where it is a matter of the disciples
petitioning the Lord with whom they had lived and walked for three years
(verses 19, 23—first occurrence, and 30), the word is erotao. Where it is the
disciples petitioning the Father (verses 23—second occurrence, 24—both
occurrences, and 26), the word is aiteo. The word erotao occurs yet once more
in this passage, with reference to God the Son petitioning His Father:"I
will pray the Father for you" (verse 26).

How do the other translations
handle this passage? The NIV and TEV have "ask" all eight times. The
NKJV follows the KJV except for the word "question" instead of
"ask" in verse 30. The NASB does quite well in making the
distinction, translating aiteo "ask" all four times and erotao
"question" three times and "request" once. The JND properly
makes the distinction by consistently having "ask" for aiteo and
"demand" for erotao.

Let us now consider an example in
1 Corinthians 12:8-10:’To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to
another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same
Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the
working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to
another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues"
(KJV). Eight times we find the word "another" in this passage, but
six times the Greek word is alks denoting "another of the same sort,"
and two times it is heteros denoting "another of a different sort."
Heteros is found in verse 9 ("to another faith") and verse 10
("to another divers kinds of tongues"). Thus, the Holy Spirit seems
to have divided these spiritual gifts into three classes:(1) word of wisdom
and word of knowledge; (2) faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, and discerning
of spirits; and (3) tongues and interpretation. (Perhaps the gifts of prophecy,
tongues, and knowledge referred to in 1 Corinthians 13:8 are intended as examples
from these three classes.)

So once again the KJV fails to
make a distinction that the Holy Spirit has made in the original Greek text Do
the other translations do better? The NASB, NIV, and NKJV follow the KJV in
using "another" all the way through. The TEV is a little different
but still fails to make the appropriate distinctions. Only the JND
appropriately reads "to a different one faith" and "to a
different one kinds of tongues."

In John 14:16 we read of the
Father giving us "another Comforter," and in 1 John 2:1 we have
"an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (KJV).
Among the translations we have been considering, only the JND tells us that
"Comforter" and "Advocate" are the same word (parakletos)
in the Greek. The JND translation is "Comforter" in John 14 and
"Patron" in 1 John 2, but there is a footnote in each place that
makes the connection between the two. This word parakletos literally refers to
a person who is called to one’s side to give aid, such as an attorney. The Lord
Jesus was such a Person to His disciples (and still is that to us with respect
to our relationship with God). When He was getting ready to go back to heaven.
He promised His disciples "another Comforter" or Helper, that is, the
Holy Spirit.

Even the inattentive reader can
see where this is heading. For one seeking a good study Bible that

accurately and faithfully
translates the original Hebrew and Greek texts into English, the JND
translation is to be recommended over the others that have been mentioned.
True, the JND is not generally as easy to read as the others, but for purposes
of in-depth study of the Scriptures, digging out the jewels that God has
provided for us in His Word, it is quite valuable.

The JND is not perfect by any
means. For example, this translation, along with the KJV and TEV, fails to make
the connection between the meaning of Barnabas’s name—"son of
consolation" (Acts 4:36)—and his ministry of exhortation (Acts 11:23). The
Greek word in both cases is related to parakletos, the word elsewhere
translated "Comforter" and "Advocate" as discussed above.
The NASB, NIV, and NKJV appropriately read "son of encouragement" in
Acts 4:36 and "Barnabas… encouraged them all" (Acts 11:22,23).

For those interested in serious,
in-depth study of the Scriptures, there is something even better than the JND
translation. I am referring to the Hebrew and Greek texts themselves. These are
available with interlineal (between-the-lines) English translation to help
those like myself who are not well versed in these languages. To our readers
who may be in college I would give the strongest encouragement to try to fit in
at least introductory courses in classical and New Testament Greek and Old
Testament Hebrew. It will be hard work, but most rewarding if you desire to be
a serious student of the Bible. If you have no plans for college or college is
long a thing of the past, you might consider taking correspondence courses in
these subjects. And for those of you who are home-schooling your children, I
was delighted to learn recently that at least one Christian home-schooling
course includes New Testament Greek as the foreign language. Good for them!

If you are not up to learning
Greek and Hebrew at this stage of life, you might consider a study Bible whose
words are keyed to concordances such as Strong’s or Wigram’s which are
organized by the Greek and Hebrew words as well as the English ones. Also, W.
E. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words is most useful.

May the Lord encourage each one
of us to study His Word more diligently.

The story is told of a barber,
newly saved, who desired to witness to his customers of His beloved Saviour. He
was full of zeal, but was lacking in experience and wisdom. One day, after
lathering the face of a customer, the barber terrified the man when, with his
razor poised to begin shaving him, he blurted out, "Are you prepared to
die?"

How about you? Are you prepared
to die? Do you have the assurance of going to heaven when you die? The Bible
tells us that we can have that assurance:’These things have I written
unto you who believe on the name of the Son of God, that you may know that
you have eternal life" (1 John 5:13). The reason we can be so certain is
that our salvation depends not on our own sporadic works of uneven quality but
on the perfect work of the Lord Jesus Christ performed for all mankind at the
cross of Calvary. Have you put your faith—your entire trust and dependence—on
the Lord Jesus Christ for your eternal salvation? Do you believe that when He
suffered and died on the cross, He died for you? (Isa. 53:5-12).

But now let me turn my attention
to you, my readers, who are true, born-again believers in Christ. To you I
would pose the same question:Are you prepared to die? Since the Bible teaches
that the Lord Jesus is returning to take the dead and living believers in
Christ home to be forever with Himself (1 Cor. 15:51,52; 1 Thess. 4:15-18), let
me rephrase the question a bit:Are you prepared to depart this present
world—either by death or by the return of Christ? And to this I would add a
related question, Are you prepared for the departure of your loved ones by
death?

In this series of articles we
shall consider various aspects of these two questions on how we as believers
can and should prepare for death—both our own and that of others.

Preparation for Heaven

In one sense, every true believer
in Christ is totally prepared for heaven. The work has been finished by Christ
(John 19:30), and the believer has eternal life (John 3:16) and is safe and
secure in the hands of both the Son and the Father (John 10:27-29). The
following hymn expresses it well:

Our names from the palms of His
hands

Eternity will not erase;

Impressed on His heart they
remain,

In marks of indelible grace;

And we to the end shall endure,

As sure as the earnest is given;

More happy, but not more secure,

The spirits departed to heaven.                                                                                A.M.
Toplady

Are there other ways in which we
ought to be preparing for heaven? When we go on a trip to another state or a
foreign country, do we just drive around aimlessly, or do we study travel
guides ahead of time to find out how to use our time most efficiently and to
make the trip as pleasurable, interesting, and instructive as possible? Just
so, all believers in Christ will soon be taking a trip to heaven. How much time
are we spending studying our Travel Guide to Heaven— the Bible? Do we read and
reread the passages in the Book of Revelation (4:1-5:14; 19:1-9; 21:1-22:5) and
elsewhere (Isa. 6:1-3; Ezek. 1; 2 Cor. 12:2-4) that give us pictures of heaven?

If you were invited to spend an
hour with a celebrity, would you not spend time trying to learn as much about
him or her as you could so that you could converse intelligently with that
person? If you had an opportunity to spend a few minutes with a brilliant
scientist, would you not prepare a list of questions ahead of time so that you
could learn as much as possible in the time available? Just so, are we now
preparing for our meeting with Christ in heaven? Do we read and reread the
passages that speak of the life, work, and teachings of Christ? Are we
interested enough in our Creator and our Redeemer to be looking forward to
seeing Him, hearing His voice, taking walks and field trips with Him, and
asking Him lots of questions concerning Himself, His sufferings on our behalf,
His creation, and things in the Scriptures we don’t understand?

The following is an analogy for
the young men to think about:Suppose you are engaged to the most attractive,
beautiful, charming, gentle, intelligent, loving, personable, and spiritual
young woman in the entire community. You are the envy of all the young men who
had their eye on her.  She is a prize—a gift from God. You have made plans to
get married twelve months from now. Now, can you imagine having the following
thought:"She has agreed to marry me; she’s mine. Since we are going to be
married for the next fifty years or so, during which time I will be committed
to her, I think I will spend the next twelve months getting to know and
enjoying the company of as many other young women as possible." What
foolishness! Why, you would be spending as much time as possible with this
wonderful girl and longing for the time when you are married and can get to
know her even better.

Every believer in Christ is
betrothed to Christ (2 Cor. 11:2). In heaven we will be united together with
Christ as bride with Bridegroom (Rev. 19:7-9). And this Bridegroom is the
strongest, most knowledgeable, most wise, most accessible, most faithful, most
holy, most loving, most gracious, most forgiving, most gentle, most humble, and
most wealthy Man in the entire universe. Why, then do we spend so much time and
focus so much attention on objects in this world other than— and even
diametrically opposed to—our heavenly Bridegroom? This is foolishness in the
extreme!

But some might ask, "Does it
really matter how we live our lives as far as our enjoyment of heaven is
concerned? Isn’t it true that every believer in heaven will be equally happy
and will all enter into the same knowledge?" There is some debate on these
questions. Scripture tells us that "In Thy presence is fulness of
joy" (Psa. 16:11) and "Then shall I know even as also I am
known" (1 Cor. 13:12). These verses suggest a common portion for all
believers. However, there are other scriptures that suggest that differences
will exist among the saints in heaven. Let us explore this a bit.

"Lay up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust corrupts, and where thieves do
not break through nor steal" (Matt. 6:20). What are these treasures that
we are to lay up for ourselves in heaven? I suggest that they represent all
that we say and do that will have effects that last throughout eternity. For
example, they are the results of the time, labor, and wealth that we have spent
preparing ourselves for heaven, giving the gospel to the unsaved about us,
encouraging our fellow believers, and helping to restore backsliders to Christ
so that they in turn might do works that will abide for eternity. When you—when
I—get to heaven at last, will we find any treasure laid up there? Of course,
Christ will be our Great Treasure there, but the Lord speaks of a treasure that
we are to lay up for ourselves. He seems to be telling His
disciples in Matthew 6 that the amount of treasure they will have in heaven is
related to their words and actions and decisions made on earth.

In the same vein, the Apostle
Paul instructs us, "Charge those who are rich in this world … that they
do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to
communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against
the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life" (1 Tim.
6:17-19).

Then, of course, Scripture
clearly indicates that there will be rewards in heaven for faithfulness on
earth. In the parable of the talents we read, "Well done, good and
faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you
ruler over many things" (Matt. 25:21,23; see also Luke 19:17,19). The
Apostle Paul writes of the responsibility of those who seek to build upon the
foundation which is Jesus Christ:"If any man’s work abide which he has
built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned,
he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved" (1 Cor. 3:9-15). The
Apostle also tells us that the reward of suffering is to reign with Christ (2
Tim. 2:12).

We also have several mentions of
crowns to be given out for living faithfully on earth:"I have fought a
good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there
is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge,
shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all those who love His
appearing" (2 Tim. 4:7,8). "Blessed is the man who endures
temptation, for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life which the
Lord has promised to those who love Him" (Jas. 1:12). "Feed the flock
of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof … being examples to
the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, you shall receive a crown
of glory that fades not away" (1 Pet. 5:2-4). "Be faithful unto
death, and I will give you a crown of life" (Rev. 2:10).

Now those who earn crowns are
definitely not going to let it "go to their heads." In our glorified,
sinless, and unselfish state, we will realize that anything that we did right
and that brought glory to God was only done according to the power provided by
the Holy Spirit working through our new natures. So we will not take any credit
but give it all to God. Therefore we read, ‘The four and twenty elders fall
down before Him who sat on the throne, and worship Him who lives for ever .and
ever, and cast their crowns before the throne" (Rev. 4:10).

Some may ask, "If we are
just going to give any crowns we may earn back to the Lord, what is the point
in trying to earn them in the first place?" Think about the following
parable:Suppose you are invited to a birthday party for your best friend, a
person you really love and admire. At first you keep thinking, "I must get
him a really nice gift to show how much I think of him." But you
procrastinate, and then forget about it in the press of other obligations. You
remember the party just in time to get yourself there, but how disappointed and
embarrassed you are that you have no gift to give to him.

Will there be disappointment and
embarrassment in heaven? Probably not, at least in the sense we think of those
terms. But I believe there will be a sense of loss (1 Cor. 3:15) in having had
plenty of opportunities for laying up treasures, building upon the foundation
with gold, silver, and precious stones, suffering for Christ’s sake, and
enduring temptation, but not capitalizing on those opportunities. As a result,
such a one may not have any crown to cast before the throne, and may not have
occasion to bask in those precious words, "Well done, good and faithful
servant" (Matt. 25:21).

Even though it would appear that
all who go to heaven will be perfectly happy and content there, the scriptures
we have been considering in the previous paragraphs suggest that our capacity
for enjoyment in heaven is dependent upon the degree of our faithfulness to
Christ, our enjoyment of Him, and our interest in heaven while still on earth.
I was rather shocked one day when a professed believer referred to Adam and
Eve’s life in the Garden of Eden as "humdrum," implying that the real
excitement began after they sinned. This person’s life, while showing some
fruits of salvation, was largely taken up with entertainment, excitement, and
competition. Is there not with many of us a desire to get as much as we can out
of this present world, sensing that our favorite pleasures will not be
available to us in heaven. How is it with you, dear brother or sister? How is
it with me?

In this connection, please bear
with yet another parable:An international culinary convention is soon to be
held in your city. The best chefs in the world will be engaging in a cooking
contest with several different categories of dishes. When the taste-testing and
judging is completed, a banquet will be held in which the remainder of the food
will be served to fifty winners of a drawing plus one guest each. And guess
what? You are one of the lucky winners! On the big night you and your companion
are on your way to the convention center where the banquet is to be held. You
are speculating about the kinds of exotic dishes that you might encounter. The
more the two of you think about it, the more you wonder if you will really
enjoy it. Just then what comes into view but … the golden arches! And you
decide to pull in and have hamburgers and french fries at McDonald’s rather
than risk the uncertainties and unknowns of the banquet.

That sounds pretty silly, doesn’t
it? But I wonder if we sometimes behave that way with regard to the things of
heaven. Are we willing to settle for the "Big Mac" quality of joy and
pleasure that this world has to offer when through walking moment by moment
with Christ, depending on Him, learning about Him, serving Him, obeying Him,
praying to Him, learning and doing His will, and becoming like Him, we could
begin to enjoy here on earth the banquet of blessing that will be ours in heaven
for eternity?

To maximize your happiness and
pleasure in heaven for eternity, as well as to maximize your peace and joy in
this present life, begin making preparations for heaven … right now!

In the next issue or issues, if
the Lord has not come yet, we shall discuss preparation for separation from our
loved ones due to death, preparation for the dying process, and dealing with
the death of a loved one.

We shall conclude this series of
articles with a consideration of the discovery of ancient manuscripts of parts
or the whole of the Old or New Testament.

Have you ever had, or seen, an
old Bible that has been used so often over 30, 40, or 50 years that the pages
are badly stained from perspiring fingers, frayed and worn around the edges,
torn and falling out? If so, you can imagine what the original manuscripts
(called "autographs") of the 66 books of the Bible must have looked
like after a few decades of use. Thus, it is not surprising that none of the
original autographs are in existence today. However, thanks to the diligence
and carefulness of Hebrew and Christian scribes who painstakingly copied the
Scriptures by hand, a great many ancient manuscripts of the Old and New
Testament exist today, forming the basis for the Holy Bible as we know it.

Manuscripts of the Hebrew Old
Testament

Prior to 1947 the oldest
available Hebrew manuscripts of the Old Testament dated back only to the tenth
century A.D. But while these manuscripts are not very old (relative to when the
books of the Old Testament were first written), they are considered to be of great
authority owing to the reverence of Jewish scribes for the Word of God and the
consequent carefulness of their transcription.

The scribes had a very intricate
system for transcribing scrolls of the Scriptures, including the following
regulations:(1) A scroll must be written on the skins of clean animals and
fastened together with strings taken from clean animals; (2) every skin must
contain a certain number of columns, equal throughout the entire manuscript;
(3) the length of each column must not extend over less than 48 or more than 60
lines and the breadth must consist of 30 letters; (4) the ink must be black and
be prepared according to a definite recipe; (5) the existing copy must be
authentic, from which there must not be the least deviation by the scribe; (6)
no word or letter, not even a yod or "jot" (Matt. 5:18; the smallest
letter in the Hebrew alphabet), must be written from memory, the scribe not
having looked at the manuscript before him; (7) between every consonant the
space of a hair or thread must intervene; and (8) upon completing the
transcription of a book many checks must be carried out (such as counting the
number of times each letter of the alphabet occurs in the book and finding the
middle letter and middle word of the book) as a safeguard against mistakes. The
scrolls in which these regulations were not observed were condemned to be
buried in the ground or burned, or they were banished to the schools to be used
as reading books.

Because of such carefulness, the
scribes were so convinced they had an exact duplicate that they would give the
new copy equal authority. And thus when an older manuscript became defaced or
damaged over the course of years, it was condemned as unfit for use. Attached
to each synagogue was a cupboard in which defective manuscripts were laid
aside, and from these receptacles have been recovered some of the oldest
manuscripts still in existence.

The Dead Sea Scrolls

In 1947 a Bedouin goatherd
accidentally discovered a number of parchment scrolls in a cave in the cliffs
at the northwestern edge of the Dead Sea. Subsequently, eleven caves in the
area have been found to contain tens of thousands of manuscripts and fragments.
Some of the scrolls revealed that the discoveries are the remains of the library
of the Essenes, a Jewish sect which occupied the area from the second century
B.C. until besieged by the Romans around 68 A.D.

Of monumental importance to
biblical scholars has been the discovery of a great many manuscripts and
fragments of Old Testament books among the Dead Sea Scrolls. Every Old
Testament book except Esther is represented. Among these is a complete copy of
the Book of Isaiah, dated at about 100 B.C. When this Isaiah scroll was
compared with the tenth century manuscripts—one thousand years apart—they were
found to be word for word identical in more than 95 percent of the text. The
five percent of variation consisted chiefly of obvious slips of the pen and
variations in spelling.

The Septuagint

Around 250 B.C. the Pentateuch
(first five books of the Old Testament) was translated into Greek in Alexandria, Egypt. The remainder of the Old Testament was translated into Greek in the
following century. According to tradition, there were 72 translators, six from
each of the twelve tribes of Israel, thus the name Septuagint, Latin for
"70." The earliest copies of the Septuagint in existence today date
back to the fourth and fifth centuries A.D. While the Septuagint was never
widely accepted as authoritative by Hebrew scholars, some of the Dead Sea
Scroll fragments of the Old Testament have been found to agree more closely
with the Septuagint translation than with the standard Hebrew text.

Manuscripts of the Greek New
Testament

New Testament documents fall into
three major categories:Manuscripts in the original Greek language, early
translations of the Greek New Testament into other languages, and quotations
from the New Testament in the voluminous writings of Christians in the second
to fourth centuries A.D.

New Testament manuscripts in the
original Greek language fall into two classes:(1) "uncials" which
were written in a capital letter script, dating from the second to the tenth
centuries and numbering about 240; and (2) "cursives" which were
written in lower case letters in a free-hand script with the letters joined
together, dating from the ninth to the fifteenth centuries and numbering
between 4,000 and 5,000.

The earliest New Testament
manuscripts are papyri mainly found preserved in fragments in the dry sands of Egypt. Nearly all of these discoveries or acquisitions have been made since 1930. The
oldest known fragment of the New Testament is a piece of papyrus found in the
1930’s containing John 18:31-33 and 37,38 and dated in the period 100-150 A.D.
This can be found in the John Ryland Library of Manchester, England. The Bodmer Papyri, dated 150-200 A.D., contain most of the Gospel of John, and the Chester
Beatty Papyri, dated around 200 A.D., include major portions of the New
Testament The oldest complete, or nearly complete, manuscripts in existence of
the Greek New Testament—Codex Sinaiticus, Codex Vaticanus, and Codex
Alexandrinus—are inscribed on parchment (from animal skins) and date back to
350-400 A.D. (Note:the term "codex" refers to the manuscript being
made up of pages in book form, as distinguished from a continuous scroll.)

No doubt many interesting
stories—like that of the Dead Sea Scrolls—could be told about the discovery of
the ancient manuscripts of the New Testament. Probably the best-publicized
account of such a discovery pertains to the so-called Codex Sinaiticus— the
fourth century manuscript of the entire-New Testamentplus half of the Septuagint
version of the Old Testament found at the foot of Mount Sinai. The following is
a brief overview of the story.

Dr. Konstantin von Tischendorf
(1815-1874) was a German scholar who devoted much of his lifetime to the
discovery and study of ancient manuscripts of the Bible. He traveled all over
the East, searching every old library he could get into for the purpose. While
visiting the library of St. Catherine’s Monastery (Eastern Orthodox) at the
foot of Mount Sinai in 1844 he noticed a basket full of old parchments. The
librarian told him that two heaps of similar old documents had already been
used for the fires. Those parchments turned out to be part of a copy of the
Septuagint Old Testament, the most ancient-looking manuscript that he had ever
seen. The convent authorities allowed him to takeaway about 40 sheets. Upon his
return to Germany, his precious sheets made a great sensation in the literary
world. Meanwhile, the monks of the convent learned the value of the parchments
and could not be persuaded to part with the rest of them at any price. To make
a long story short, Tischendorf returned to the convent in 1859 with a
commission from Czar Alexander n of Russia to try to obtain the rest of the
sheets. However, he found very little of any value and made arrangements to
leave. But the very evening before he was to leave he was walking in the
grounds with the steward of the convent, and as they returned the monk asked
him into his room. There he took down a bulky bundle wrapped in red cloth and
laid it on the table. Tischendorf, to his great surprise and joy, found not
only those parchments that he had seen fifteen years before, but also other
parts of the Old Testament and the complete New Testament. At length, through
the Czar’s influence, Tischendorf succeeded in obtaining the precious
manuscript for display and study in the Library of St. Petersburg. Subsequently
it was purchased by the British Government from the Soviet Union in 1933 for
100,000 pounds and is now located in the British Museum.

But the story isn’t over yet. In
1974, workmen doing repairs at the monastery accidentally penetrated a wall and
discovered behind it a trove of some 3,000 additional manuscripts, including
some missing parts of the Old Testament portion of the Codex Sinaiticus and
other ancient biblical manuscripts.

While the Codex Sinaiticus, dated
around 350 A.D., is considered to be the oldest complete manuscript of the
Greek New Testament, there is some question among Bible scholars (see, for
example, the Preface to the Second Edition of J. N. Darby’s New Translation of
the New Testament) as to whether it is as accurate as some of the later
manuscripts. (We shall return to this issue in the concluding section of this
article.)

Early Translations of the New Testament

During the first three or four
centuries A.D. the Greek New Testament was translated into Syriac, Egyptian,
Latin and a number of other languages. The Syriac New Testament was probably in
use about 50 years after the New Testament was completed, and represented very
nearly the language of the people among whom our Lord moved. There are about
350 copies of this translation, dating back to the fifth century, in existence
today. The New Testament was first translated into Coptic (or Egyptian) in the
third century and into the Gothic and Latin languages in the fourth century.
The most familiar Latin version is known as the Vulgate, translated by Eusebius
Hieronymus, or better known today as "St. Jerome." About 8,000
ancient manuscripts of the Latin Vulgate have been discovered.

Quotations by Christian
Writers

A great many quotations from the
Greek New Testament have been found in the writings of Christian teachers(the
so-called "church fathers") of the second to fourth centuries. Ignatius
of Antioch in Syria wrote seven letters prior to his martyrdom in Rome in 108 A.D. These letters contain quotations from fifteen of the New Testament books.
Cyprian, born in Carthage, North Africa, around 200 A.D., and martyred in 258,
quoted the New Testament some 1,030 times in his writings. Tertullian (160-220
A.D.), who also lived in Carthage, quoted from the four Gospels some 3,800
times and the rest of the New Testament another 3,000 times. Origen of
Alexandria (185-254 A.D.) quoted the New Testament over 18,000 times in his
many writings. At least 36,000 citations of the New Testament by second to
fourth century Christian writers are known today. J. H. Greenlee in
Introduction to New Testament Textual Criticism states that these quotations by
the early Christian writers "are so extensive that the New Testament could
virtually be reconstructed from them without the use of New Testament
manuscripts."

Putting It All Together

In summary, there exist in
libraries around the world some 5,000 copies of ancient manuscripts of the
Greek New Testament, 9,000 copies of early translations of the New Testament
into other languages, and over 30,000 quotations of the New Testament by the
early church fathers. The wealth of manuscript material for the New Testament
exceeds by a factor of twenty or more the amount of material available for any
other ancient literary text (such as Homer’s Iliad and Caesar’s Gallic War).
Also the copies of New Testament manuscripts available to us are much older,
that is, closer to the date of original composition, than is the case with the
writings of the classical Greek and Roman writers.

The value of having such a wealth
of manuscripts available lies in the ability, by comparison of manuscripts, to
identify copying errors and thus reconstruct the original autograph. This is
done by constructing a "family tree" of manuscripts. Clearly this is
a tremendous undertaking, and it appears to this editor that this work so far
has been limited to perhaps 50 uncial manuscripts, a handful of cursives, and a
few of the early translations (see the Introductory Notice to J. N. Darby’s New
Translation of the New Testament).

William Pickering in The Identity
of the New Testament Text (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1980) writes, "Not
only are we presently unable to specify the precise wording of the original
text, but it will require considerable time and effort before we can be in a
position to do so.. ..The lnstitut fur Neutestamentlich Textforschung in Munster, Germany has a collection of microfilms of some 4,500 of the extant Greek
manuscripts (around 80% of them) and scholars connected with the Institut are
collating selected ones…. It is the availability of sophisticated computers
and programs that seems to me to hold the key. It is now feasible to collate
the manuscripts in Munster and set up a computer program such that we can find
out anything we want to know about the interrelationships of the manuscripts.
In this way it should be possible to identify and trace the pure stream of
transmission of the text and to declare with confidence, based on objective
criteria, the precise wording of the original text! It will take dedicated,
competent persons and money—plenty of both—but will it not be worth it? May God
burden His servants!"

It is true that a number of
substantial variations exist among the multitude of existing manuscripts of the
New Testament. Three examples of these variations that are often discussed are
whether Mark 16:9-20 should be included or excluded, whether John 7:53-8:11
should be in or out, and whether John 1:18 should read "only-begotten
God" or "only-begotten Son." The New International Version,
based heavily on the oldest manuscripts such as Codex Sinaiticus and Codex
Vaticanus, differs from the King James Version with respect to all three of
these variations. Some scholars today are questioning whether
"oldest" is "best." The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1987
edition, states insightfully, "It is not always age that matters. Older
manuscripts may be corrupt, and a reading in a later manuscript may in reality
be ancient."

In conclusion, we can take
comfort in the following perspective provided by Frederic Kenyon, an authority
in the field of New Testament textual criticism:"No fundamental doctrine
of the Christian faith rests on a disputed reading. Constant references to mistakes
and divergences of reading … might give rise to the doubt whether the
substance, as well as the language, of the Bible is not open to question. It
cannot be too strongly asserted that in substance the text of the Bible is
certain."

(The material in this article was
abstracted from J. McDowell, Evidence that Demands a Verdict, H. F. Vos,
An Introduction to Bible Archaeology, J. P. Smyth, How We Got Our
Bible, R. K. Harrison, The Dead Sea Scrolls, and The New
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1987 edition, in addition to the works referenced
in the text.)

"All things are yours:
whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things
present, or things to come" (1 Cor. 3:21-23).

Death is here mentioned among the
"all things" which belong to those who are Christ’s. As the apostle
is evidently speaking of privilege and blessing, it follows that death must be
understood as coming as a blessing, if it comes at all, to those addressed in
these words.

It is a common thought in
Christendom that when death comes, even to the household of faith, it comes as
a penalty. But is this a true thought? Did not Christ bear the whole penalty of
sin on the cross? and are not believers divinely seen to be "dead with
Christ" (Rom. 6:8)? Therefore they are beyond death in the sense of a
penalty. And if death should come to such before the Lord comes, does it not
come as a servant, to take off the fetter which keeps them in absence from the
Lord?

It is worthy of remark that God
in His grace not only bestows actual blessings—that is, things which are
blessings in themselves.

But He also takes those things
which are not blessings, but which are the results of sin, and having put away
the sin through the cross, uses those results for blessing. In this way
"all things work together for good to those who love God" (Rom.
8:28). This blessed truth applies even to death. Grace has put a silver lining
into that dark cloud, has made a road of light through the dark valley.

What is meant by death being
ours? We note in pur verse that death is placed in company with persons—Paul,
Apollos, and Cephas, men who are "ministers by whom you believed" (1
Cor. 3:5; 4:1). Therefore, along with these three ministers, death is a servant
to those who are Christ’s. It would not be well for all the household of faith
to remain awake during the long, dreary night that is now centuries long for some.
So this dark servant is used to put them to sleep, one by one, until the day
dawn and the Lord come.

The next question that arises is,
How did death become ours? We owe this to the Lord Jesus and His death. He who
knew no sin gave His life in love as an atonement for sin, thereby dethroning
death and assigning it a new place, even that of serving those who accept God’s
salvation.

We read that "our Saviour
Jesus Christ…has abolished death, and has brought life and immortality
to light through the gospel" (2 Tim. 1:10). He has abolished it as a
king and detained it as a subject, abolished it as a master and
detained it as a servant. Precious truth for faith!

In Heb. 2:14 we read that God, in
the Person of His Son, partook of flesh and blood "that through death He
might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver
those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to
bondage." In what sense had the devil the power of death? He had not power
to take life—he could not kill people; but he managed to induce Adam, the
representative man, to sin, and of course the penalty previously and divinely
announced must follow. This was the nature of the devil’s power over
man—getting him to do that which according to God must bring in death.

How did God defeat him who had
thus the power of death? It was through the death of His divine Son as an
atonement for sin that He destroyed, or annulled, dethroned, or brought to
naught "him who had the power of death." How infuriating must it be
to the great adversary to see that which he meant for evil used in grace in the
service of those whom he sought to destroy! And how happily may the children of
God pass their days in this scene, instead of spending a lifetime—through fear
of death— subject to bondage!

Another testimony on the question
of how death became ours is given in 1 Corinthians 15. The apostle, after
stating that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again, exclaims in
the triumph of faith, "O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is
your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law;
but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus
Christ" (15:55-57). Yes, Christ went down into death to extract its sting,
bearing the full curse of the law (sin’s strength); and as a proof that He had
fully satisfied divine righteousness and holiness, that He had perfectly
glorified God in finishing the work which was given Him to do, God brought Him
out of death and set Him at His own right hand. In this way death became ours.
Its sting being gone, it cannot harm. As death visits, then, the
household of faith, it must do so in grace—it must do so in service.

Let us now dwell a little on the
blessedness of death being ours.

If death be ours—our servant—
then we need not pass our days here in fear of it. The fear of death is natural
to the natural mind. This is observable, both where the Bible is read and
known, and where it is not. A little while ago I talked with a missionary from India who said, "The Hindus have an intense fear of death." He narrated how they
dispose of their dead. They burn the body and carefully preserve the ashes;
then they take the ashes to their sacred river, the Ganges, and having put them
in a tiny boat with a little lamp, commit them to the river. The missionary
observing a Brahmin doing this to his dead, asked him why they put a lamp with
the ashes. The reply was, "It is to give a little light; death is so
dark!" Christianity as taught in the New Testament can alone take away the
fear of death and enable souls to pass their days in rest and peace, free from
dread and uncertainty.

If death be ours, then we shall
not see it or taste it should it come. Jesus said, "If a man
keep My saying, he shall never see death." Those who heard Him, in
repeating His statement, used the expression, "shall never taste of
death" (John 8:51,52). The blessed Lord Himself, taking our place, saw death
in its reality and He tasted it in all its bitterness. Hence, the reality
and bitterness of death is gone for those who have faith in Christ.

If death be ours, then, as Christ
could not employ a useless servant, we cannot pass through it without being the
gainers. The Lord said to the dying penitent at His side, "Verily I say
unto you, Today you shall be with Me in paradise" (Luke 23:43). The
Apostle Paul speaks of being "willing rather to be absent from the body
and to be present with the Lord" (2 Cor. 5:8). He says, "For to me to
live is Christ, and to die is gain…. For I am in a strait between two, having
a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better; nevertheless to
abide in the flesh is more needful for you" (Phil. 1:21-24).

If death be ours through the
cross and through being identified with the risen Christ, then it may be said
that we have title to a part with Him in the resurrection of life, of which He
was the first-fruits (1 Cor. 15:20,23). While those who have fallen asleep in
Christ are thus to be raised at His coming, those who are alive and remain will
not sleep, showing that death has no real claim on believers; otherwise they
would have even then to die to meet the claim (1 Cor. 15:51,52; 1 Thess.
4:16,17). As Christ may come at any moment for His saints, our proper attitude
is to be watching for Him.

"Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who … has begotten us again unto a living
hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance
incorruptible and undefiled and that fades not away, reserved in heaven for
you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be
revealed in the last time" (1 Pet. 1:3-5).

All this, and infinitely more
than a feeble mortal can utter or even conceive, is embraced in the truth that
death is ours. Our full blessedness in the heavenly kingdom, when the results
of sin are taken away forever, will be the outcome of the fact that while we
were in the midst of these results, they were our servants. Our being with the
Lord in glory will tell out forever that all things during our little day of
trial were jointly working for our real and abiding good.

Beloved, I would remind myself
and you that we are indebted to grace, and to what it has wrought in the Lord’s
death, for all this. It is not of ourselves, nor of works, that we have this
blessed portion and this bright prospect. The praise is all due to God and the
Lamb. If so, should not our hearts be won by a sight of such love? and ought
not our lives to be the outflow of hearts thus won? Oh, beloved, surely every
thought should be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. He died
that death might be ours, that we might not come into judgment, and that we
might be holy and without blame before God in love and favor forever. Let us
live to Him who thus died for us and rose again. It should be our joy to do
this.

(From Help and Food, Vol.
1.)

(Ed. note:In the preceding
article mention is made of Ignatius of Antioch, an early Christian martyr who
often quoted the New Testament in his writings. The story of his death is now
recounted.)

There is no fact in early church
history more sacredly preserved than the martyrdom of Ignatius of Antioch; and
there is no narrative more celebrated than his journey, as a prisoner in
chains, from Antioch to Rome.

According to the general opinion
of historians, the Emperor Trajan, when on his way to the Parthian War in the
year 107 A.D., visited Antioch. From what cause it is difficult to say, but it
appears that the Christians were threatened with persecution by his orders.
Ignatius, therefore, being concerned for the church in Antioch, desired to be
introduced to Trajan’s presence. His great object was to prevent, if possible,
the threatened persecution. With this end in view, he set forth to the Emperor
the true character and condition of the Christians, and offered himself to
suffer in their stead.

This resulted in the condemnation
of Ignatius. He was sentenced by the Emperor to be carried to Rome and thrown
to the wild beasts for the entertainment of the people. He welcomed the severe
sentence, and gladly submitted to be bound, believing it was for his faith in
Christ and as a sacrifice for the saints.

Ignatius was now committed to the
charge of ten soldiers, who appear to have disregarded his age and to have
treated him with great harshness. He had been a bishop of the church of Antioch for nearly forty years, and so must have been an old man. But they hurried
him over a long journey, both by sea and by land, in order to reach Rome before the games were ended. He arrived on the last day of the festival, and was
carried at once to the amphitheater where he suffered according to his sentence
in the sight of the assembled spectators. And thus the weary pilgrim found rest
from the fatigues of his long journey in the blessed repose of the paradise of
God.

It has been asked, Why was
Ignatius taken all the way from Antioch to Rome to suffer martyrdom? The answer
can only be conjecture.

It may have been with the
intention of striking fear into other Christians by the spectacle of one so
eminent and so well-known brought in chains to a dreadful and degrading death. 
But if this was the Emperor’s expectation, he was entirely disappointed. It had
just the opposite effect. The report of his sentence and of his intended route
spread far and wide, and deputations from the surrounding churches were sent to
meet him at convenient points. He was thus cheered and greeted with the warmest
congratulations of his brethren; and they, in return, were delighted to receive
his parting blessing. Many of the saints would thereby be encouraged to brave,
if not to desire, a martyr’s death and a martyr’s crown. Among the number who
met him by the way was Polycarp of Smyrna, who, like Ignatius, had been a
disciple of the Apostle John, and was destined to be a martyr for the gospel.
But besides these personal interviews, he wrote seven letters on this journey
which have been preserved in the providence of God and handed down to us. Great
interest has ever been, and still is, attached to these letters. (See the next
article for some extracts from these letters.)

(From Short Papers on Church
History.)

The Apostle Paul confessed to the
Philippians that he had "a desire to depart and to be with Christ"
(Phil. 1:23). But he went on to explain that as his work was not yet completed
he realized that his longings for home had to be restrained. In writing to the
Corinthians he had expressed this same yearning:"Willing rather to be
absent from the body and to be present with the Lord" (2 Cor. 5:8).

Does this sound morbid? Was it
wrong for Paul to long for his heavenly home? Paul was no mere mystic. He was a
worker if ever there was one. He organized famine relief, he gave much time and
thought to marriage guidance, and he was a man full of concern for the aged and
needy. Most of all, he was a tireless messenger of the gospel. He knew of God’s
longing to fill His home with redeemed sons and daughters and so he never tired
of inviting people to come out of the cold of this world’s dark night into the
warmth and light of the Father’s love.

"Sunday school
sentiment," say the scoffers. "Pie in the sky when you die,"
sneer the materialists. Let them mock and jeer. God says that the real fools
are those who are trying to find permanence and security in earthly possessions
(Luke 12:20,21). I would rather be called a fool by men than by God. The truth
is that we Christians are here on earth to do a job for God and have no wish to
give that up prematurely. However, when that job is finished, far from
struggling and pleading to go on existing here, we should look forward with
pleasure to the joys of going home to God.

Have you ever appreciated
Christ’s comforting words to the dying thief? His words revealed His total
confidence in being in paradise Himself first. "Verily," "in
paradise," "today"—these were His words. He was going home! The
thrill to us is that He also assured the penitent thief that when he reached
the garden home of God he would be welcomed there by Someone he knew, even by
the Lord Himself.

There is so much that we do not
know about the state of the blessed dead as they await—with us—the second
coming of Christ. However, the New Testament gives us every reason to think and
talk in terms of arrival at God’s home, to be welcomed there by the One whom we
already know as the Son over God’s house. "I will … receive you unto
Myself’ were the consoling words of Jesus to the disciples with troubled hearts
(John 14:1-3).

We live in a world where death is
regarded as the ultimate calamity; where every effort must be made and no
expense spared to keep alive just a little longer. That is quite understandable
for those who will be eternally homeless, but for us it should be very
different. We want to live out our lives. We want to finish whatever job God
has given us to do. But when He sees that our task is accomplished, then we
want Him to take us home to Himself. If we keep our thoughts on the Father’s
house of many mansions we shall be able to obey the command of the Lord Jesus:
"Let not your heart be troubled" (John 14:1,2). Not a few people have
been won for Christ by seeing how Christians face death.

(From Toward the Mark,
Vol. 6.)