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From: L-Soft list server at ASUACAD (1.8c) <LISTSERV@ASUVM.INRE.ASU.EDU> To: Stephen Kingston <spk@ABER.AC.UK> Subject: File: "BTR16 TXT" Date: Wednesday, October 22, 1997 2:47 PM

The Bible Truth Review

Issue No. 16 (September 10, 1991)

In This Issue

"Things Which Are Hidden #1" by B. Bagby in Bible Explorations, Dec. 1987, Vol. 1 No. 12. A series on the things God hides from some folks and reveals to others.

"The Limitations of Scripture" by Charles H. Welch in The Berean Expositor, circa 1913. An article on the limits of the revelation in Scripture and what these divine limits mean.

"Love. No. 3" by Charles H. Welch in The Berean Expositor circa 1915. This installment -- love envieth not.

"The Parables. No. 11. The Wicked Servant (Matt, xviii. 23-35)" by Charles H. Welch in The Berean Expositor circa 1914-15.

"Job and Abraham Were Both Patient" by Brian Kelson in Grace & Peace, Sept. 1990. An article encouraging us to patience in our Christian walk.

"The Sovereignty of God #10" by Oscar M. Baker in Truth For Today, Vol. 41 No. 2, August 1991.

"The Way of The Cross" in Spiritual Blessings, Vol. 4 No. 2, April 1990. A poem.

Subscription Information and Permission to Distribute by Leo Wierzbowski, editor of The Bible Truth Review.

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"Things Which Are Hidden #1" by B. Bagby in Bible Explorations, Dec. 1987, Vol. 1 No. 12.

"...and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty GOD, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." (Isa 9:6) For those who know the Lord Jesus Christ and treasure His Word, these words of Isaiah bring music to the ears. The title "Wonderful", given to our Lord is the Hebrew word 'pele' which means: secret, hidden, or too high to comprehend. This is surely a fact to the non-believer because, "the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (ICo 2:14) But this verse also applies to the believer who walks in the flesh (or natural man) and not in the new nature, for the old nature wants nothing to do with spiritual things.

In Matt 11:25-27 we read, "At that time Jesus answered and said, 'I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in Thy sight. All things are delivered unto Me of My Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him'." The Lord was speaking to those who would not receive the testimony of John the Baptist, the miracles that had been performed, or the Word that had been spoken concerning the kingdom of heaven. 'These things' had been hidden from them because of their unbelief. They were the 'wise and prudent', Israel's leaders who should have known the Scriptures. Instead the truth concerning Himself was revealed to 'babes', those who had open ears and a willing heart.

It was not only the unbelieving leaders of Israel from whom spiritual things were hidden. Even the disciples who had been chosen by the Lord, had seen His miracles and even had the ability to perform some themselves were not [able to see] the truth being hidden from them. In Mark 9:14-32 and Luke 9:37-45 we read the account of a child who had been delivered from an unclean spirit by the Lord. In verse 40 we note that the disciples were unable to perform this task. The Lord had chosen this occasion to make a point with His disciples. In vs 44,45 the Lord states, "Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men. But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not...". Could it be because of unbelief or lack of faith that they were not able to comprehend the Lord's words? When they asked Him why they were unable to perform the miracle themselves, the Lord replied, "This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting." (Mark 9:29) In the next few verses we see the old nature at work in the disciples as they disputed among themselves as to who was the greatest among them. At this time they were more concerned about themselves than the work of the kingdom. It was for this reason that the Lord hid the words concerning His death and resurrection from them (Mark 9:31).

We too must beware that we do not take the Lord's work lightly concerning His headship and the church which is His body. The truth of the mystery has been "hidden from the ages in God" (Eph 3:9). It has been revealed by the Spirit through the Apostle Paul to those who have a sincere desire to know Him in His fullness. May we heed the words of Eph 4:17,18 "This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart".

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"The Limitations of Scripture" by Charles H. Welch in The Berean Expositor, circa 1913

"For I am conscious of nothing in myself, nevertheless am I not justified ... So then do not judge anything before the time, until the Lord shall come ... Learn in us the lesson of not letting your thoughts go beyond the things that are written" (1 Cor. iv. 4-6).

We can imagine that some of our readers will read the title of this article with some misgivings, and we hasten to explain our meaning so as to avoid giving unnecessary pain or anxiety to those who love the Word of God. To say what we do not mean will help us to make clear what we do mean by the title. We do not mean to suggest the slightest distrust in the Word of God. We rejoice to be able out of a full heart to say that we believe "All Scripture is God-breathed." We believe that not only is Scripture inspired in its general outline, but that divine inspiration extends to the very language and choice of individual words and phrases.

What do we mean then by the limitations of Scripture? We mean that the Scriptures nowhere claim that they contain the record of all God's purposes and ways, but that such glimpses of those unfathomable depths and infinite heights are given us as our finite capabilities will allow. If I turn to the writings of men I find that many of them deal with subjects which go entirely beyond the inspired limits of Scripture. Revelation starts with God as Creator, "In (the) beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Gen. i. 1). Man's theology is not content with this, it must probe into that over which God has drawn a veil. Man's theology and philosophy come to us and say, "God never had a beginning." Within the limits of human experience and reason *that which never had a beginning does not exist*. In vain we attempt to conceive otherwise. The blessed fact we would point out is that God Himself has never burdened our minds with such a statement. He Who on earth could say, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now," has also, in the wider scope of the complete Scriptures, given us just so much as we are capable of understanding here.

Have we never felt when searching the Scriptures upon some theme the desire for some further explanation which God has been pleased to withhold? Is there no truth in the words of Zophar the Naamathite, "Canst thou by searching find out God?" Do we not need the rebuke of Job. xxxvi. 26, "Behold, God is great, and we know Him not, neither can the number of His years be searched out." Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? In the highest revelation given to us are there not "unsearchable riches"? Are we not endeavouring to get to know the love of Christ which *passeth* knowledge? Did not the apostle, when concluding the revelation of God's ways with Israel, rightly say:-

"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How *unsearchable* are His judgments, and His ways *past finding out*. For who hath known the mind of the Lord (knowledge)? or who hath been His counsellor (wisdom)? or who hath first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again (riches)?"

Is there no suggestion of mystery in the destiny of such an one as Pharaoh, or of Esau as recorded in Rom. ix.? Does not inspiration anticipate our natural desire to find out more than is revealed, and does it not meet it with the words, "Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?" There are many who speak as though the Bible deals with eternity; *it does no such thing*. It begins and ends with time. It is the inspired revelation of some of God's ways and purposes relative to and during the AGES. What took place before the age times began we know very little, and of what will take place when these ages have run their allotted course we know comparatively nothing. Is it not wiser, better, and more befitting us as those who have been saved by grace, to recognize the wisdom and the kindness which underlie this withholding of information?

Think of the errors which have clustered around the wrong translation of aion. Instead of honestly rendering the word "age," the translators assumed that it must refer to eternity, and so wherever possible they rendered it by words which indicate eternity, and that which is everlasting. Has not the book of Ecclesiastes been written in order that we may be led to see the utter impossibility of pushing beyond that which it has pleased God to reveal to us? "He hath set the world (olam, the age) in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh *from the beginning to the end*" (Eccles. iii. 11). Is there no word for us here? Are we quite sure that we, if taught by the Spirit of God, can hope to find out the work that God maketh *from the beginning to the end*? Some of God's children appear to think so. With all our heart we sympathize with them. Problems press hard upon us all. Believing implicitly in the full inspiration of Scripture, and believing, moreover, that outside its sacred pages there is found no light upon these matters, many have come to the conclusion that by prayerful painstaking study, by careful collocation, the whole range of God's purposes will at length be discovered. Indeed this is no longer a supposition. Many of our readers will have read already articles from the pens of earnest Bible students who believe that they have pieced the whole together, and who do not hesitate to teach us what is to take place after Satan, and those whose names are not found written in the Book of Life, are cast into the Lake of Fire. At this point exposition ceases, and inference enters. There is no written revelation given us as to anything happening to those who are thus consigned to the second death. True, passages of tremendous import are brought to bear upon the subject, but it is only by way of deduction. This immediately puts the whole subject beyond the limits of inspiration, and we distrust our own hearts too much to allow ourselves to be drawn beyond the divine limits.

When the reader opens the sacred volume he soon becomes aware that much must have taken place which is unrecorded. He can discover by what is written in Isa. xlv. 18 that the earth was not created "without form and void," but that it *became* so. He can further discover that "the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished" ( 2 Pet. iii. 5, 6), but he will not find recorded the many details which his natural mind would lead him to enquire into. In the third chapter of Genesis the Serpent, who is afterwards discovered to be Satan, is introduced without any explanation as to how he came to be in the condition of enmity against God that we find to be the case. The Scriptures reveal glimpses into the exalted rank, awful ambition, and fearful fall of Satan but *why* he was thus allowed to sin and all the many problems of the philosopher regarding the origin of evil remain unsolved.

Is it for us, when Scripture is silent, to attempt to force an answer by turning to the oracles of philosophy and human reason? If God has hidden, shall we not rather bow the knee in submission? Must we know all? Is there no room for faith? Are not the words of Job xlii. 1-6 a more fitting attitude of mind? Job was troubled by the problem of evil. His friends sought to administer comfort, but in vain. He never received an answer to the problem. All that we can learn is recorded by James, "that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy."

There are many expressions in Ecclesiastes which teach us that a calm rest in the Lord, whether we fully understand all His ways or not, is His will for us here. "God shall judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time THERE for every purpose and for every work" (Eccles. iii. 17). "Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad" (Eccles. vii. 7). Those who fail to see that God's purpose is over all must, when they contemplate the oppression on every hand, feel driven almost to desperation, but the consciousness that though HERE evil prospers, there is a time THERE for every purpose and for every work, this will keep us in the right attitude before God. The reason of the dissatisfaction of the writer of Ecclesiastes is recorded in vii. 25-29. It is written as an example and a warning. He did not abide by what was written; no, he would find out "the *reason* of things." What did he find? He found, by a bitter experience that wrecked his whole career, that which he could have known by what had been written for his guidance in the Proverbs. In those proverbs written for the guidance of the young Solomon we read again and again warnings about the flattering woman. Solomon had given to him, in Proverbs xxxi. 10-31, a description of the woman God would have him choose for his wife. Instead of this he wanted to know by experience the "wickedness of folly," and he says:-

"I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands, as bands" (Eccles. vii. 26).

"Behold this I have found, saith the preacher, counting one by one to find out the account, which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found" (Eccles. vii. 27, 28).

Poor Solomon! We see him with his "three score queens and four score concubines, and virgins without number" (Song of Sol. vi. 8) still unsatisfied (I Kings xi. 3 reveals the fact that Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines, making a thousand in all). What a pitiable object lesson! In the last chapter the preacher gives the "conclusion of the whole matter."

"Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole (duty) of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil" (Eccles. ii. 13, 14).

All the searching, reasoning and speculating led him no further into truth, but rather entangled him in confusion. Believers today, under an entirely different dispensation, and with the added advantage of a complete Bible, are equally frail and human, and the moment we leave what is written for deductions based upon our own limited and prejudiced observations, we too must inevitably make shipwreck. Solomon failed, even though he retained the wisdom which was given him by God. Are we wiser than Solomon when we venture beyond the written Word? We are so conscious of our limited knowledge in view of these tremendous themes, that we dare not assume finality in any one particular doctrine. Our only hope is to keep absolutely loyal to what *God has said*, and to remember that the moment we go beyond and supplement God's revelation by our deductions and theories, the moment we criticize His right to hide as well as to reveal, that moment we embark on a voyage chartless and rudderless, saved from shipwreck only by a miracle of grace.

Yet one more consideration. In Dan. x. 21 and xi. 2 there is a statement which is worthy of careful study.

"And I will shew thee that which is noted in the Scripture of truth."

"And now will I shew thee the truth."

The angel proceeds to give a most marvellously detailed account, first of the events which were about to take place within a comparatively short time of this announcement, and then of the yet future events of the time of the end, or as he says in Dan. x. 14, "Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days." The point to which we would direct the reader's attention is that what the angel came to tell Daniel was already "noted (writing, v. 24, 25; sign, vi. 8, 9) in the Scripture of truth." What Scripture? The events foretold in Dan. xi. are not found written in any of the Scriptures which had been given up to the time of Daniel. If this be so, the expression suggests the idea that there may be Scriptures of truth to which the angels have access, and that the Scriptures which we possess contain selections, given by God at different intervals, from that heavenly scroll which contains possibly ever so much more than we can as yet grasp. The angels do not know everything. Principalities and powers are learning now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God.

We certainly do not possess a complete account of all God's purposes. Dan. xi. shews us that He knew fully, and had recorded in the Scriptures to which the angel had access the doings of the kings of Persia and of Greece. We are sure that His knowledge was not limited in the least, and that He knew the complete course of the history of Greece and Persia, although the Scriptures we have received do not treat of their histories beyond the scope of the particular purpose for which they have been written. Our Bible centres around Israel and Jerusalem. Whenever a nation came into touch with Israel, they came within the scope of revelation. Is it not certain that the One who wrote the history of Israel from start to finish could write the history of England or France equally as well? Certainly, and for aught we know the Scriptures of truth from which the angel took the small portion given in Dan. xi. recorded the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, and the complete histories of all the nations of the earth.

At once we see how limited the Scriptures really are, and that by divine appointment. There are lines of truth which enter the sacred record in Genesis which commenced a long way back before the record of Genesis begins. When we read that Satan abode not in the truth, we have a statement which we believe, but we are all only too conscious that the revelation is also exceedingly limited. We do not know anything of Satan's sin or circumstances; if it had been necessary and right for us to have known, the Lord could have given us a most graphic and detailed account. Ezek. xxviii. 17 suggests that by pride he fell. The lesson is clear, but details which would minister to our curiosity are withheld. When the risen Lord spoke His wondrous words to the disciples, as recorded in Luke xxiv., we read that He began at Moses and the Prophets (verse 27). He could have begun much earlier. He could have told of the time when Satan fell, and even have given definite instructions regarding the many problems upon which the minds of men have speculated for all time. He could have settled in a few words the problem of the introduction, permission and purpose of evil. We are not told that He did any such thing, but "beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded (or interpreted) unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself."

>From our reading of the Word we have come to see that *eternity* is nowhere its theme. The Bible is entirely taken up with the purpose of the ages. Even then we have to see that the Bible largely passes over much that we would like to know within the limits even of the ages, and focuses our attention first upon the chosen people of Israel, and for a short space upon the church of the present dispensation. Its object is not so much to explain all to us, but to guide us during this our pilgrimage with the happy knowledge that in resurrection glory we shall have time and opportunity to become acquainted with the wider revelation of God's purposes and ways.

Let us not attempt to force back the roll beyond the appointed limits. Let us be content to say of some things that we do not know, because God has not told us. We shall be more pleasing to Him by so doing, than if we take the responsibility upon ourselves of completing the revelation which He has purposely left unfinished. Once more we would remark that in all that we have said we desire it to be understood that we are not questioning or doubting God's Holy Word, but rather bow before His sovereignty, acknowledging with grateful love the absolute inspiration of all that He *has* revealed, and acknowledging equally the sovereign wisdom that lies behind the withholding of much that we might have expected to be written.

Let us keep close to what is written. Let us be content with what God *has* said, and if some lines of truth *appear* to conflict, let us not attempt to reconcile them, for the very attempt savours of unbelief, but let us be assured that when we see the complete purpose unfolded, all will be perfect and harmonious, and transcend the highest flight of our present imaginations.

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"Love. No. 3" by Charles H. Welch in The Berean Expositor circa 1915

"Love envieth not."

The words are translated "envy" in the the A.V. Zelos has sometimes a good sense as in John ii. 17, and Rom. x. 2, as also zelo in I Cor. xii. 31, "covet earnestly," and xiv. 1, "desire"; sometimes, and in Scripture oftener, an evil sense, Acts v. 17, "indignation," Rom. xiii. 13, "envying," Gal. v. 20, "emulations." Phthonos on the other hand is not capable of a good signification (sec Trench's New Testament Synonyms).

Emulation and zeal can be noble and beautiful, but too often the human heart is unable to behold superior qualities in others without envying them their superiority. Thus, as in sound so in fact, "to be zealous" may soon become "to be jealous"; "to covet" in the right sense of I Cor. xii. 31 may descend to the coveting of a baser and forbidden variety. True zelos beholds the good qualities in another, and desires to raise itself up to that standard. Zelos degenerated to "envy" desires only that the "envied" may be levelled to its own inferior rank.

"Love envieth not." Love can behold the gifts and graces in our brethren, can praise God for their bestowal and manifestation, can earnestly desire to be thus minded, and thus enriched, but love never entertains a jealous feeling against the object recognised as superior. Thus in Phil. ii. 2-4 we read, "that ye be like minded, having the same love .... let nothing be done through strife and vainglory (a close relative of envy, see Phil. i. 15, 16), but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves." I Corinthians xiii. very pointedly calls this carnally minded church to the neglected spirit of love, without which all their boasted knowledge would but puff up, and their gifts but cause envy and strife.

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"The Parables. No. 11. The Wicked Servant (Matt, xviii. 23-35)" by Charles H. Welch in The Berean Expositor circa 1914-15

We have learned that the series of parables which we are about to consider are linked together by a common theme, the disclosure of the temper and spirit of Israel and the causes which led up to their rejection of the Lord Jesus, and the rejection in turn of themselves from their position as an elect nation before God. The parable was spoken in answer to Peter's question:-

"Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times?"

It seems that Peter felt the responsibility of the charge laid upon him. In Matt. xvi. 19 the Lord had said to him :-

"I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of the heavens ...... and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

The words are repeated in Matt. xviii. 18, the singular "thou" being changed to the plural "ye," and are there linked by the Lord to the question of forgiving an offending brother. Another link with the original commission to Peter as given in Matt. xvi. is the reference to the church. Matt. xvi. 18 and xviii. 17 are the only references to the church (or ekklesia) in the Gospel of Matthew, and in both passages the reference is linked with this power of binding and loosing, and with the kingdom of the heavens.

It seems that Peter was not merely asking the question for his own private information, but was urged to inquire by reason of the great responsibility he felt at having the keys of the kingdom committed to him, and the power in a special manner of binding and loosing connected therewith. How long should he exercise forbearance and forgiveness? The Rabbis taught from Amos. i. 3, &c., to forgive three times and no more. This seems to receive some colour from the words of the Lord in Matt. xviii. 15-17:-

(1). "Between thee and him alone," then (2). "If he will not hear, take with thee one or two more," then (3). "If he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican."

Peter seemed to realize something of the new spirit, and ventures to put a tentative reply to his own question by saying, "Till seven times?" If Peter had any hesitancy in advancing beyond the tether of Rabbinical teaching it was entirely dispelled by the glorious fulness given in the Lord's answer, "I say not unto thee, Until seven times, but, Until seventy times seven." These words seem to refer back to two passages of Old Testament Scripture, both written during the times of the Gentiles, the one uttered before the nation of Israel had been formed, the other after they had been taken captive to Babylon.

The first reference is Gen. iv. 24, "If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold." Lamech is often spoken of as arrogating to himself divine prerogatives; it may be, however, that he has been blamed by Commentators for that which he did not intend. Cain was protected by the Lord, a token was appointed for him in mercy (nearly every one speaks of the "brand of Cain" as though God set a mark upon him in wrath), the word "mark" in Gen. iv. 15 being the word "token", used of the "bow" in the clouds (Gen. ix. 12), and of the "blood" of the passover (Exod. xii. 13). Lamech seems to say to his wives, Be still, fear not, for if Cain who was a murderer was thus protected by a sevenfold avenging, surely I shall be avenged seven and seventyfold; for the words relative to the slaying and wounding in verse 23 may indicate a query rather than state a fact. There seems to be an emphasis, markedly so in the case of Cain, upon the great longsuffering and mercy of our gracious God.

The other reference to this seventy times seven is found in Dan. ix., and there in a light infinitely worse than that of Cain or of Lamech. The Lord intervenes and tells the anxious prophet that his prayers shall receive an abundant answer. Daniel had prayed for the forgiveness of his people (ix. 19), and in answer the angel Gabriel is sent to reveal the future of his people to him. "Seventy-sevens are severed off upon thy people and upon thy holy city." Seventy-sevens -- the period of time seems to convey also some lesson of the Lord's longsuffering and forbearance with His rebellious people. If ever a people could be expected to exercise forgiveness to others Israel surely should be the first, for have they not had extended to them untold forbearance from a longsuffering God? The Lord did not omit this from the kingdom prayer of Matt. vi. "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors" has a direct bearing upon the parable of the servant who, having been forgiven "all that debt," would not forgive his fellow-servant who was his debtor to a much less extent. How many of our readers could say, without reference, what one clause of the Lord's prayer is immediately expanded after the conclusion of the petition? It is not the reference to hallowing the Name, nor the coming kingdom, but just this very clause:-

"For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

These words are echoed in the closing verse of Matt. xviii. Here in this parable we have in all its hatefulness one of the factors of Israel's failure. They forgave not; they were not forgiven. Their measure of iniquity was filled up when in their implacable antagonism to the widening mercy of God they forbade the apostle to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, and so wrath came upon them to the uttermost (I Thess. ii. 16). This passage from I Thessalonians should be read with the parable before us, when the "wrath to the uttermost" echoed in the words, "His lord was wroth," and "till he should pay all that was due unto him." This last clause compels us to consider another passage in the Sermon on the Mount, that message calculated to reveal the failure of Israel's attempt at attaining a righteousness by law, and to bring them to repentance. In Matt. v. 22 the Lord says:-

"But I say unto you (in contradistinction to what had been taught them), that whosoever is angry with his brother shall be liable to the judgment."

The words "without a cause" must be omitted; anger is to be "put away," whether with or without a cause. Continuing the Lord said:-

"Therefore, if thou bring thy gift to the altar and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Agree quickly with thy prosecutor while thou art in the way with him .... and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence, *till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing*."

Verses 22-26 of Matt. v. must be considered together, the threefold punishment in verse 22, Judges, Sanhedrin, and Gehenna of Fire being balanced by the Judge, the Officer, and the Prison of verse 25. "The uttermost farthing" is parallel to the words of the parable, "all that was due." These words are entirely out of place, nay, they are absolutely untrue the moment they are taken out of their dispensational setting, and are interpreted of the present time. Israel will pay to the uttermost farthing. They did not forgive, and the word is being fulfilled -- they are not being forgiven. A day will come, however, when the prison shall be opened, when the Lord shall say that Israel has received double for all her sins (Isa. xl. 2). There are many who repeat the words, "forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors," who do not believe that the Lord intended to put this principle in operation. The parable of the unforgiving servant is also the parable of the unforgiven servant. The forgiveness granted is cancelled, and payment in full demanded. This is not evangelical doctrine, this is not the truth of the epistles of Paul, it is on an entirely different platform and under an entirely different economy.

We have considered the outlying context of the parable rather than the parable itself; its interpretation is simple if we see its connection with Israel and the kingdom. As we consider the other parables of the series, further illustration will be given of the factors which contributed to Israel's rejection. When the Lord Jesus was shamefully and cruelly crucified, even then He said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Forgiveness of "all that debt" was proclaimed in the Acts to the very people guilty of the blood of Christ, but Israel did not enter into blessing, the keys that unlocked the doors of the kingdom closed them again, the loosing was followed by binding, and Israel scattered and homeless, have been delivered unto the tormentors until the Lord's own good time shall come.

Thanks be to God that the forgiveness granted under the dispensation of the grace of God cannot be rescinded; we are not forgiven as we forgive others. The teaching is reversed; we forgive others because, whether we forgive or not, God in Christ has forgiven us (Eph. iv. 32). For the help of those who desire to take up the parable for detailed study the following outline may be of service:-

Structure of Matt, xviii. 21-35.

A | 21,22. Question regarding forgiveness of a brother.

A | 35. Application regarding forgiveness of a brother.

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"Job and Abraham Were Both Patient" by Brian Kelson in Grace & Peace, Sept. 1990

Abraham was called the Friend of God, he believed The Lord when promised a child of his own.

But Abraham had to wait a long time for The Lord to send this promised child. When Ishmael was born, Abraham was 86 years old, but his was not the child of promise, another 14 years were to pass before Isaac arrived.

How many years had passed from The Lord's promise, to the birth of Isaac? Sixteen, 20 years? No wonder in Hebrews 6:15 Paul writes:

"and so after he patiently endured, he obtained the promise."

We need to learn patience just like Abraham, because running our race takes time. There is no instant conversion instant glory, but learning more about Him increases our ability to walk worthily. See Col. 1:9-10.

In the world around us so much is "do it now, the quick fix, been there done that" mentality. Such an impatient approach to our Christian living is not what The Lord wants us to develop. Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:1-2:

"I .... beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering (patience), forbearing one another in love."

James writes to those in his care and encourages them to endure. He says:

"be patient therefore brethren unto the coming of the Lord, Behold the farmer waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and later rain. Be ye also patient, and stand firm."

Even in those days our Christian colleagues had to learn the lesson of waiting patiently. James goes on to say:

"Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord."

Now just think about Job for a moment. Remember he was a faithful man. Job 1:1. He had seven sons, three daughters, and plenty of corn and cattle, but Satan accused God of buying Job off, so The Lord permitted Satan to move in on Job's precious things.

Job lost his flocks and servants, then his children. This didn't work, for: "in all this Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly."

A great lesson for us. Following The Lord includes times of peace and trouble. Remember, The Lord lost all His friends when He needed them, but He patiently endured. It was a very lonely time for Him. Being alone is another difficult time to follow The Lord, but He is beside you. Don't seek relief from loneliness with non-christian company and activities, don't throw in the towel because things get rough. Endure hardness as a good soldier.

Satan then suggested that Job would fail if his life was threatened, but even with his body plagued with boils, it was written of him: "in all this did not Job sin with his lips."

No matter what our situation, in sickness and health, in the good times and the bad, let us consider Job who remained faithful and be like him. The Lord had a lesson for Job in all his tribulations, and we might look at that one day. So be patient no matter what, look to The Lord and be thankful. Phillippians 4:4.

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"The Sovereignty of God #10" by Oscar M. Baker in Truth For Today, Vol. 41 No. 2, August 1991

A lot of folks are worried sick. They fear that maybe God did create and place on the earth a being that could say NO to his Maker. They imagine that there is a race on between God and the devil. And they fear that the devil might get more people than God. There is nothing Scriptural about such a concept. And because they have imagined a vain thing, they then feel that they must put out the hand to steady the ark of God.

But what good would 98% of all people do Satan, even if he did get them? All such would be in Adam and therefore die. Satan cannot raise them, therefore they are just so much dust. Satan cannot compete with God.

But this concept is used in the reasoning of many who wish to by-pass God's plan of salvation by grace through faith. Like Cain, they want their own way. They have invented one, saying that surely God is going to save folks by some other way.

God's sovereignty is not a ruthless force that would save each and every man against his will. God's plan takes into account His righteousness and holiness. When He justifies the ungodly, He is still just. So His plan of salvation must come within the limits of His attributes, love, holiness, righteousness, and being just. How dare men accuse Him of being otherwise? Does Satan speak through them?

A few, who have been taken in and brainwashed by the universal-salvation concept, have awakened and wailed with Mary Magdalene, "They have taken away the Lord." And the reason is this; when they invent another way, then God's way is discarded, and that way is Christ. So eventually they deny His deity and His office in behalf of mankind. They make fun of the trinity (calling it a three-headed God, and other such blasphemies).

One branch of the Universalists does not believe that man had a fall, and therefore none is lost. They do not want to be called Christians.

But the universal salvation concept was first established on the idea that man was immortal, that God had made a being He could not destroy. Orthodoxy took its teaching from the heathen that the wicked would be tortured forever since they could not be destroyed. This was repugnant to others and they put forth the idea that eventually in some way God would save all of them. They just could not realize that man could return to dust from which he was made.

God has a plan and purpose for the ages. He is testing His creatures here in this life to see if they can be used in His program. God can use the willing heart, however ignorant and poor it may be. But those who willfully go their own way, go into the discard. God cannot use such material in the work He is doing.

A part of our ministry is to warn folks of the snare. Beware of the three- fold lie: (1) God's word is not true, (2) Man does not actually die, (3) Man can become as great as God through his own efforts.

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"The Way of The Cross" in Spiritual Blessings, Vol. 4 No. 2, April 1990

Some of us stay at the Cross, Some of us wait at the Tomb, Quickened, raised, seated together with Christ, Yet lingering still in its gloom.

Some of us bide at the Passover Feast With Ascension all unknown The triumphs of grace in the heavenly place That our Lord has made our own.

If the Christ who died had stopped at the Cross His work had been incomplete, If the Christ who was buried had stayed in the Tomb He had only known defeat.

But the Way of the Cross never stops at the Cross And the way of the Tomb leads on To victorious grace in the heavenly place Where the risen Lord has gone.

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