NO. 793: PATIENT ENDURANCE THE FINAL TEST

No. 793

“Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” (Jas. 1:3-4)

The Scriptures portray patience as an important element of character, and we can see that patience is needed in every phase of life. Justice under present conditions requires patience, because it would be unjust to be harsh and impatient with the unavoidable defects of others. The spirit of a sound mind demands that we be patient in dealing with fallen humanity, just as God has long exercised this quality of patience. The Church will need much patience in dealing with the world in the next age, and in our present environment we need it constantly in order to develop in character likeness to our Lord.

Patience is closely associated with love and mercy, for if God were unloving and unmerciful, He would be without patience. In man’s present imperfect fallen condition, patience is sadly lacking, although it is often outwardly displayed for the sake of appearances. Like all qualities of character inherent in God and in all perfect beings created in His likeness, the quality of patience has been largely obliterated in humanity by the fall.

There are two Greek words in the New Testament that are translated as “patience.” One of these words signifies forbearance or longsuffering, while the other carries the thought of cheerful or hopeful endurance. It is this latter word that is used in our opening text, and it has a much deeper significance than ordinarily attached to our use of the word “patience.” It signifies the constant endurance of evil in a cheerful, willing manner. It is an element of one’s character, a sign of heart and character development, and not merely a temporary restraining of one’s emotions or actions. It contentedly endures wrongs and afflictions, with no rebellion of will. It fully acquiesces to the requirements of divine wisdom and love, which permits present evils while promising in due time to overthrow them.

God’s Word assures us that our characters cannot be perfected without this element of Christian character. We need it in dealing not only with others, but also with ourselves and our own blemishes. As we look around, we see that the world is in a condition of sin and blight. This knowledge should cause us to have great sympathy toward and patience with humanity. All of our brethren in Christ, like ourselves, are by nature members of this fallen human race. Therefore we should have a great deal of patient endurance with the Lord’s people, just as we would have them exercise this grace toward us.

THE PATIENCE OF GOD

As the quality of justice will always exist, so will the quality of patience, though not in the sense of patient endurance of evil. God works out His glorious designs perfectly balancing justice and patience. At present this requires patient endurance of evil, sinful conditions, and in the ages of glory to come, we believe God will still work out His purposes in perfect patience, probably in other worlds yet uninhabited.

But wisdom must have a voice in the exercise of patience under present evil conditions. God has declared that the time will come when He will no longer tolerate the world in its present sinful, imperfect condition. That time has almost arrived, and the great cataclysm of trouble will sweep away the entire present order in preparation for the establishment of the Kingdom of God. God will then give mankind the full opportunity to come into harmony with Him and with righteousness.

The time is coming when there will be no more sin, because God will ultimately have a clean universe. He will first give every individual an opportunity to rise out of sin, but if they will not avail themselves of the opportunity, then God’s patience will cease to operate toward them. This does not mean that God will cease to have patience. It means instead that His patience will no longer be extended in their direction. God’s patience has arranged the thousand years of Messiah’s Reign for man’s blessing, and His wisdom has decided that those thousand years will be sufficient for the elimination of evil. Whoever will not learn to live righteously under those favorable conditions would never learn, and it would not be consistent with divine wisdom to any longer exercise patience toward them.

There is also a limit to the proper exercise of patience or longsuffering in our dealings with ourselves and others. We should not be patient with ourselves beyond a certain point. There are circumstances in which it would be proper to feel that we should have known better and should have done better than we did. If a child of God realizes that he has been derelict with himself, he should say, “I will not be patient with myself any further. I will take myself in hand and conquer this weakness which I have permitted to assert itself, damaging my own character and probably causing pain and discomfort to others. I cannot do this by my own strength alone, but by the grace of the Lord I am determined to overcome this weakness.”

Remembering our own weaknesses, we are to exercise patience toward others who are seeking to overcome their imperfections, even as we are seeking to overcome our own. We all need patience or forbearance to be exercised toward us.

OUR LORD’S LESSONS ON PATIENT ENDURANCE

Returning to the word “patience” as used in our text, let us consider our Lord’s Parable of the Sower, as recorded in Luke. There we read, “But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.” (Luke 8:15) Here patience signifies patient endurance, stead­fastness. To be of the fruit-bearing class, which the Lord will approve and accept in His Kingdom, means more than just joyfully receiving the Word of His Testimony. The stony-ground class also thus received it at first, and for a brief time seemed to give evidence of vigorous growth and fruitfulness, but when the hot sun of persecution arose, they withered away, because of lack of depth of soil.

In this parable the Lord showed that patient endurance and constancy is the final test of character. Patient endurance follows after the receiving and the sprouting of the seed; it follows after love, hope, joy and faith have caused the seed to spring forth and begin to bear fruit. It is necessary for the fruit to be developed and thoroughly ripened, that the grain may be made ready for the garner. How important we see this grace to be in the light of God’s Word! But remember: The endurance must be cheerful. We cannot suppose that He who judges the thoughts and intents of the heart would be pleased with His children, even when He saw them bearing much for His sake, if they endured it in a sullen, unhappy frame of mind.

Those who endure in that manner surely would not be copies of God’s dear Son, whose sentiment found expression in the words, “I delight to do thy will, O My God!” (Psa. 40:8) All of the Royal Priesthood were sacrificers, as was our great Chief Priest; and God who accepted their sacrifices through the merit of our dear Redeemer informs us that He loves a cheerful giver – one who performs his sacrifices gladly, with a willing heart. This does not mean that the body will never grow weary, but it means that the spirit will rejoice in the privilege of suffering weariness of the flesh in so noble and wonderful a service. If our Father should see best to lay us aside from active work for a time, when our hearts are longing to serve, this too will be an opportunity to cheerfully endure His will for us. This too may be a test of the submission of our wills to His.

Another instance of the Lord using the word “patience” in the sense of patient endurance is also recorded in Luke. He had just told His followers to expect tribulations as a result of being His disciples during the present time when Satan is the prince of this world. Although they must expect opposition from various quarters, He assured them that they would be fully under divine care and protection, even though persecutions would be permitted to reach and to affect them. His words were: “In your patience [patient endurance, cheerful constancy] possess ye your souls.” (Luke 21:19)

Our faith and trust in the Lord and His gracious promises should be strong and unwav­ering, more than counter­balancing the opposition of the world, of false brethren, and of Satan’s blinded servants. If we have implicit faith in our Father’s love and care, we will recognize and rejoice in these oppositions as agencies of His providence in chiseling and shaping us for His service. Viewing our trials from this standpoint, we can indeed rejoice and cheerfully endure, even amid tribulation. God’s promises for the future cannot be injured by anything that man can do to us, so long as we are faithful to the Lord, accepting every experience that He permits to come to us as a ministration of His providence for our ultimate good and His glory.

THE NECESSITY FOR PATIENT ENDURANCE

Let us consider why it is necessary for us to develop this grace of patient endurance. The development of this quality was required of our Lord Jesus and is one of the conditions God attached to the call to joint-heirship with our Lord in the Kingdom. Thus the development of patient endurance should be the goal of all consecrated believers. The wisdom of this is manifest when we consider the work in which we hope to be able to participate – the work of blessing all the families of the earth in God’s Millennial Kingdom.

That work will be a mighty one, and those accounted worthy to participate in it must go beyond just appreciating the Father’s goodness and His glorious character, beyond just preferring His service to sin and iniquity. They must also demonstrate their thorough loyalty to God’s will and to the principles of righteousness and be joyfully willing to suffer on behalf of those principles. The temporary endurance of a few brief trials would not be enough to prove an individual to have an established character for righteousness. Patient, cheerful endurance, even unto death, would be necessary to demonstrate such a character.

We might illustrate this principle with the diamond. We can make imitation diamonds out of synthetic material that have the brilliancy of real diamonds. They may be hard, but not as hard as genuine diamonds, and these imitation diamonds would not have the value of true diamonds. If they were subjected to severe pressure, they would be crushed. The same is true of a Christian. If one were possessed of every grace of character needed to be a child of God except the one of firmness and endurance, he would not be fit for the Lord’s service. Hence we see the necessity of the character quality of patient, cheerful endurance.

The importance of this quality in the Christian character was emphasized by the Apostle Paul in his Epistle to Titus. There he enumerated the qualities of an advanced Christian: “That the aged men [advanced Christians] be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.” (Titus 2:2) The final test of patient endurance must be passed before one can be accepted by God.

In his Epistle to Timothy, Paul reminded him: “But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.” (2 Tim. 3:10-11) We need this important grace of patient endurance more and more as we proceed along on our race course and near its end. We may grow weary and trials and tests may abound; therefore we need to “gird up the loins” of our minds and look to our great Exemplar for the needed inspiration and strength. As the Prophet said, we must set our faces “like a flint” for the home stretch. (Isa. 50:7)

TRIALS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL

Our ability and strength to patiently endure should increase as we progress spiritually. Paul gave this counsel to all the Lord’s people: “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” (Eph. 6:10) We cannot possibly develop this essential trait of character without trials – experiences intended to call for the exercise of cheerful endurance. So let us not think it strange if we are called upon to pass through protracted trials which make it necessary for us to strengthen ourselves to bear them.

Let us keep in mind that the virtue is not merely in the act of bearing, for the world also has much to bear. It is instead in the manner in which we endure. We must be sweet and submissive at heart, in full harmony with the Lord’s processes of development. This may be hard at times, but His grace will be sufficient if we constantly seek it. “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” (Eph. 6:13) We can see a new reason for the Lord’s arrangement that the Church, and all the Lord’s people, should have trials as our Master had – under evil circumstances – that they might not only have all the necessary qualities of Christian character, but that they might have them firmly grounded and established.

The Apostle James likewise pointed out the importance of this quality: “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” (Jas. 1:3) That is to say, if our faith stands the trial, it will work out in our character this patient endurance. On the other hand, if we do not attain this development, it will mean that our faith has not stood the test satisfactorily, and that we are not fit for the Kingdom. Thus we see clearly what a great mistake has been made among Christian people in general in supposing that religion is a thing to be gotten suddenly as an answer to prayer, or by going to the mourner’s bench, or by standing up for prayers, or in response to some divine or human appeal as one would find a dollar and put it in one’s pocket.

On the contrary, the step of repentance from sin and justification is only the beginning, and not the end, of the Christian way. The next step is consecration of ourselves and our all to God. But this also is far from the end. Not only must we go on and on, to the attainment of faith, fortitude, self-control, meekness and love, but having attained all these, we must patiently endure. We must “run with patience the race that is set before us.” Or to use another figure of speech, repentance and justi­fication merely mark our enrollment in the School of Christ as pupils, to be taught of the Lord.

“THE HOUR OF TEMPTATION”

The Lord made this promise to the Church of the Philadelphia period: “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” (Rev. 3:10) The Church of Laodicea – the Church of our Lord’s Parousia – was not kept from entering into the “hour of temptation” but we may be sure they were kept while in it if they were faithful and true. Our dear Lord’s special message to the Laodicean phase of the Church was this: “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” (Rev. 3:20-21)

Though not spared from this hour of temptation, the Church has had a counterbalancing blessing as a result of living in the time of our Lord’s Parousia. They have had His instruction – His dispensing of spiritual food as “meat in due season” – in a manner and to a degree never before enjoyed by His saints. As we might expect, this greatest favor has been offset by the subtle and severe trials of this special “hour of temptation.” If there was ever a time when patient endurance was needed by the Lord’s faithful, it has been during this period. There was never a time when this counsel was needed more: “In your patience possess ye your souls.” (Luke 21:19) The Apostle forewarned of the fiery ordeals of this time: “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.” (1 Cor. 3:13)

We find this quality of patient endurance lacking everywhere throughout Christendom today. Even among the majority of the professed followers of Christ, it is becoming increasingly scarce. Few wish to endure anything for righteousness’ sake, for Christ’s sake, or for anyone else’s sake, and if endurance of anything unpleasant is absolutely necessary, the trial is borne with much impatience and complaint. A spirit of intense bitterness, defiance, and rebellion against anything resembling self-denial or resignation is daily growing in the hearts of mankind.

This general tendency today toward impatience and rebellion has an unavoidable influence upon consecrated believers. Only by divine grace can this tendency be successfully resisted, and progress be made toward the development of a Christ-like character. This special grace, so needed today by the Lord’s children, will be withheld from those who are not walking close to the Lord, following in the footsteps of Jesus. It is because the professed followers of Christ are living so far from Him that we see the tendencies of impatience and rebellion developing among those who profess His name.

The prevalence of this spirit is at the bottom of the outbreaks against law and order which we hear of so frequently, and we may expect this spirit to continue to grow. There is a feeling among the masses that if they had taken matters into their own hands long ago, present conditions would be different. But those who have kept the Lord’s Word of patient endurance, seeking from Him the wisdom from above, have learned that He has a due time for the accomplishment of His purposes, and they are willing to wait patiently for His time, knowing that it is best.

ONE OF SATAN’S SPECIAL DECEPTIONS

All of the Lord’s people should heed the Apostle’s counsel to the Church. The besetments and trials of our time are many, and some of them are so subtle and deceptive that all who are not thoroughly rooted and grounded in the Truth will be carried away by the false arguments of those Satan has been permitted to use as his agents.

Among the subtle theories of the Adversary, none seems more deceptive than what is falsely called Christian Science, for it is neither Christian nor scientific. Backed by the power of the Evil One, it promises its dupes that if they will affirm an untruth, and stick to it, they will have relief and cure of certain ailments and bodily afflictions. Those who have not learned to endure patiently all that the Lord permits them to experience in the way of pain and sickness that cannot be relieved by reasonable methods will be ready to accept almost any relief the Adversary may bring to their attention. As they learn to deceive themselves with respect to pain and sickness, gradually perverting words from their real meaning, ignoring and denying facts, they become in time so confused in their minds that truth appears to them to be falsehood, and falsehood appears to be shining truth.

These deluded ones are led into this deception partly through curiosity. It seems curious to them to hear someone say that there is no death and all is life, there is no pain and all is health, there is no evil and all is good. They recognize that these statements are certainly very inconsistent, yet they are curious to know the reasoning and philosophy behind them, and this is just what the Adversary wants. He wishes to attract their attention so that step by step he may lead them from one falsehood to another, until their entire brains and consciences are subverted. They have accepted darkness for light and lies for truth. For this they are rewarded with perceived physical relief – small recompense!

This is their reward for being selfish, of being unwilling to suffer anything they could escape by any means. They prefer their own way, the way most attractive to the fallen flesh. They choose this rather than the Truth, which did not appeal to their flesh. They are ready to exchange the testimony of the Lord for the sake of physical ease and comfort, or to satisfy morbid curiosity. Thus they escape trouble and pain which, if endured patiently and joyfully, would work out for them blessing and strengthening of character.

A very few of those who have been thus enslaved by the great Adversary are now being freed by the power of the Truth, but the thorough accomplishment of this task is very difficult. In some cases the experiences necessary to break the bonds that so tightly bind them have been very painful, and have been accompanied by assaults from the Evil One and his servants, but it is well worth the struggle and the pain to be free from all such slavery.

PRESENT CONDITIONS PICTURED BY THE APOSTLE

Not everyone in Christendom will experience the “hour of temptation” in the same way because all are not on the same mental, moral, or physical level. However, the Apostle Paul enumerated certain general characteristics of it: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobe­dient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent [unrestrained], fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” (2 Tim. 3:1-5)

This is a graphic picture of present-day conditions in the so-called Christian world. Because they have not received the Truth in the love of it, God has permitted strong delusions to come upon them “that they should believe a lie” and be condemned thereby. (2 Thess. 2:10-12) This hour of temptation has not yet reached its greatest intensity, but we believe this stage will be reached in the relatively near future. Blessed are all they who have made the Lord their refuge, for they will not be moved. (Psa. 91:9) Yet many of God’s children will pass through severe trials and temptations, some because of their own imper­fections and frailties, some because of the imperfections of others, and still others because of earthly cares and burdens they seem unable to fully overcome or to cast upon the Lord.

LET US HAVE THE PROPER FEAR

We sympathize with those passing through such trials and counsel them to remember the Master’s words, “Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.” (Luke 6:21) Our heart is especially concerned for those who are in temptation but do not realize it, who are being swallowed up by ambition or business or other cares of this life and “the deceitfulness of riches.” (Mark 4:19) Their love for the Truth seems to grow cooler instead of hotter. They seem to be sleeping when they should be watching and praying. We fear this hour of trial is finding them unprepared. Let us take care for each other and for ourselves. If we love all the brethren and make their welfare our chief concern, this will further our own spiritual health. Yet we must not allow our love even for the brethren to hinder our full confidence in the Lord’s love and wisdom if siftings should take from us some whose fellowship we have cherished.

Let us do with our might what our hands find to do, remembering the Apostle’s exhortation: “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” (Heb. 10:36)

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Comment: This article is based on Reprint 5650 with some edits. Pastor Russell’s original article was written to and for the Saints. We recognize that the door to the High Calling is closed, but we believe that what he wrote for the Saints is helpful for those consecrating between the ages and certain edits to the text reflect that. Pastor Russell said in Reprint 5761, September 1, 1915: “It is our thought that with the closing of the ‘door’ of the Gospel Age there will be no more begetting of the Holy Spirit to the Spirit nature. Any afterward coming to God through consecration, before the inauguration of the Restitution work, will be accepted by Him, not to the Spirit plane of being, but to the earthly plane. Such would come in under the same condition as the Ancient Worthies who were accepted of God. The Ancient Worthies came in, no call being opened to them – the High Calling not being yet open, and the Restitution opportunities not open. But they freely gave themselves up to God without knowing what blessings their consecration would bring, except that they had the intimation that they would, in the future life, have a ‘better resurrection’ than would the remainder of the world.”

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QUESTION OF GENERAL INTEREST

QUESTION – Is there any Scripture which shows that the Feet-members of Christ will all be changed at one time?

ANSWER – We believe to the contrary – that instead of all the Feet-members being changed at one time, it will be a gradual work. One may be changed tonight, another tomorrow, etc.; and yet their change may be said to be all at one time in the sense that it is all in the Harvest time, all in the end of the Age. The change of some will be in the close of the Harvest period. As an individual matter, it will be one person after another. The Apostle says, “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed;” for “flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.” Our change will be “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.” It will not be a gradual change to the individual but an instantaneous change. Instead of sleeping as the saints of the past have done, when our time comes to die, ours will be an instantaneous change. The Psalmist prophetically says, “I have said, ye are gods, and all of you children of the Most High. But ye shall die like men;” and this Scripture we understand to refer to the dying process that comes to all of the Church, the same as to mankind in general. We are New Creatures and hence the expression that we shall “die like men.” As men die, so we will die. Men do not generally die in bunches; so we would think it strange if many of us should die at one time. The world will not discern any difference between our death and the death of other men. (From What Pastor Russell Said, page 122.)

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NO. 792: THE PARABLE OF THE WHEAT AND THE TARES

No. 792

“Let both grow together until the harvest.” (Matt. 13:30)

Our Lord followed the Parable of the Sower with the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares. (Matt. 13:24-30) The close connection between the two parables is readily observed, as the first prepares the way for the second. The majority of those who heard the Lord’s message were unwilling to hear it, opposing it directly or indirectly. The Parable of the Sower illustrates the four classes among those willing to hear it to any degree, and shows us that only one of the four classes – the “good ground” hearts – could possibly bring forth the good fruit. The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares focuses on that one group and shows us some of the obstacles faced by its members.

The first verse of the parable shows that it is a picture of the Kingdom of heaven: “Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field.” (Matt. 13:24) It does not portray the Kingdom in its complete and glorious Millennial reign, but rather shows it in the process of development – in the embryo condition. The embryo Kingdom is the Church in the flesh during the Gospel Age. Called to glory, honor and immortality, its members have had to first battle trials and difficulties in order to make their calling and election sure.

This Kingdom class began with Christ. There was no Kingdom seed, no Kingdom promises and hopes planted until Christ came, bringing life and immortality to light through the Gospel. (2 Tim. 1:10) It was the Son of man who sowed the good seed and the work was continued by the members of His body, the Apostles being the most prominent.

SATAN SOWED THE TARES

After the Apostles fell asleep, the enemy came: “But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.” (Matt. 13:25-26) When His disciples inquired of the meaning of this, our Lord clearly explained: “He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil.” (Matt. 13:37-39) Note that here, as elsewhere, the Lord unmistakably recognized the personhood of Satan.

The statement that this was done “while men slept” signified that while the Lord and the Apostles were living the enemy did not have the opportunity to introduce the tare element – it was not done until after their deaths, when they had “fallen asleep.” It is equally true that Satan continued this sowing of tares while the entire Church was asleep in the sense of not being wide awake to their duties and privileges. Such a state of drowsiness, slumber, and lack of alertness concerning the Truth prevailed among the Lord’s people for centuries. This period is known to the civilized world as the “Dark Ages.”

The same condition is still true today in large measure, and the Apostle’s admonition is still appropriate: “Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” (1 Thess. 5:6) Many of the Lord’s true followers have been dreaming about the conversion of the world, while the great enemy, Satan, has been liberally sowing tares in their very midst – or, as the Apostle Peter explained it: “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.” (2 Pet. 2:1)

There are various kinds of tares in the region of ancient Israel, but the most troublesome kind and the kind evidently referred to in the parable is known as “bearded darnel.” When it springs up among the wheat, the two look exactly alike and it is not until the heads mature that the difference is discernible. The wheat, weighted with golden grains, humbly bows its head, while the tares stand straight, the heads having little weight and the seeds being black. At this time the difference between the tares and the wheat becomes clearly apparent.

Considering the reality represented by the parable, we find the good seed, the gracious promises of the Kingdom, have produced the children of the Kingdom, the true Christians. They appreciate the Kingdom promises and have thankfully accepted the Lord’s invitation to become heirs with Him in the Kingdom. They have heartily embraced the terms of the invitation, accepting that they must suffer with Him if they are to reign with Him. (Rom. 8:17)

As these Christians have developed, they have brought forth much fruit, some thirty, some sixty and some a hundred grains, representing the fruits and graces of the Holy Spirit: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10) They have been begotten of the Spirit through the Word of Truth. In contrast, the darnel class are those not begotten of the Truth, but of error – they have been misled into forms of godliness without its real power. (2 Tim. 3:5)

IMITATION CHRISTIANS

The Scriptures show that Satan, the devil, planted the seeds of error which have developed the darnel class. But why would he want to plant or develop any teachings that would bring forth imitation Christians, those who are outwardly godly? Would he not rather plant seeds of depravity and immorality? Remember that “the field is the world” and Satan already has a large part of the field where he is cultivating ignorance, superstition, vice etc. As the Apostle declared, “But I say, that the things which the Gentiles [the unbelieving world] sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.” (1 Cor. 10:20)

This parable shows Satan’s intentions and purposes. He has not so much been anxious to develop the tare class as he has been to choke the wheat class. His purposes have been better accomplished by sowing tares than by sowing other types of seeds which would be obviously different as soon as they germinated and could be quickly exterminated. It is the fact that the darnel-tare exactly resembles the wheat for a considerable length of time that makes it more dangerous and more difficult to eradicate.

This is exactly the case with the tare class of Christendom. They are respectable, educated, and influential in outward morals and demeanor. Because they closely resemble the Lord’s consecrated ones, there is at first no means of discerning their different character.

GATHERING OUT THE TARES

The servants in the parable inquired whether or not they should pull up the tares, but their master answered, “Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.” (Matt. 13:27-29) It would have been normal for a certain amount of tares to spring up with the wheat, and they would normally have been pulled up as soon as they were noticed because the darnel seed is poisonous. But in this case, the tares were so abundant that it would be unwise, and in fact impossible to root them out without harming the wheat.

The same situation is true of the Church. Some imitation Christians would naturally spring up among the true Christians anyway, just as darnel was normally found among the wheat in that region. Our Lord, however, used the parable to show an abnormal condition – the tare seed was deliberately sown by the enemy for the very purpose of choking the wheat. This is in harmony with the Apostle’s statement, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Eph. 6:12)

Today it is not merely the natural fallen condition of the human heart that inclines it toward the appearance of godliness without its substance, but it is far worse than this. All throughout the Gospel Age, Satan and his associates, the fallen angels, have been plotting against the divine plan in an attempt to thwart it. As the master in this parable said, “An enemy hath done this.” (Matt. 13:28) This illustrates that God foreknew all of this and that it was a part of the divine plan to permit it. In permitting it, the Lord does not endorse it nor make Himself responsible for it, but He will eventually overthrow it, bringing out of the evil certain valuable lessons for all eternity.

One of the most difficult lessons for the Lord’s people to learn is that Christendom is composed mostly of tares. When they see that the wheat-field has been overrun with tares, they tend to think the tares must be the actual wheat, and the comparatively few stocks that are real wheat they are inclined to consider fanatical extremists. Only those who are themselves begotten of the Spirit through the Word of Truth – the “good seed” of the Kingdom – have been able to properly discriminate and see the difference in fruitage between the wheat and the tares. They have been able to look back at the Lord, the Apostles, and the early believers and draw comparisons between them and the true wheat of today. The entire parable fully attests this.

LET BOTH GROW TOGETHER

This parable pictures what we are to expect as the result of the entire work of grace throughout this Gospel Age: “Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.” (Matt. 13:30) The results will be a tremendous harvest of tares and a comparatively small gathering of wheat. It is the tares and not the wheat which is gathered and bound in bundles. The smaller quantity of precious wheat is taken directly to the barn unbundled.

This parable shows the spiteful enmity that has motivated the devil. The tares did not naturally spring up among the wheat, but were sown in the same systematic manner as the wheat to deliberately ruin the wheat-field. We can see that Satan’s strategy in the matter has been fully consistent with his entire course of action from the beginning of his rebellion against God. He deceived our first parents by malicious representations of the divine character and by falsehood. He told them that God had forbidden the eating of the fruit of the trees of knowledge of good and evil because he desired to keep them in ignorance. He told them that God feared they would become competitors with Him in knowledge, and assured them that the Almighty was unable to execute the death sentence against them – “Dying thou shalt die.”

Satan’s opposition has been evident throughout the history of the world. Among non-Christian peoples, he has planted the seeds of error and blasphemy against God, misrepresenting his character and plan, making them to appear sinister. He has planted these same seeds of error in the wheat-field of Christendom, scattering them so that they intermingle with the truths of the Lord’s Word. This evil seed is evident in the false doctrines of the Dark Ages.

Those influenced by the errors of Satan are the tares – they are begotten of fear and not of love. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18) Only in the wheat class can perfect love cast out fear and bring the fruitage and graces of the Holy Spirit in heart and character, in word and deed.

The tares are not begotten of the spirit of truth with which the Lord begets those who are truly His, the wheat class. The error brings forth outward forms of Sabbath keeping, church going, decency, and morality, but does not bring forth the fruitage of consecration, self-sacrifice, etc., which are the essential qualities of the wheat class which the Lord has been developing during the Gospel Age.

THE HARVEST IS THE END OF THE AGE

Neither in this parable nor elsewhere does the Lord suggest the indefinite continuation of the present order dominated by sin and error. On the contrary, the Scriptures everywhere teach that the present age had a definite beginning and that it will also have a definite ending. Note our Lord’s words from the Diaglott translation: “The harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are messengers.” (Matt. 13:39, Dia.) Unfortunately, many of the most prevalent English translations of the Bible use the word “world” here and in other places. A more proper translation would be “age” or “epoch” or “dispensation.”

Nothing could be further from the Scriptural teaching than the idea that the earth is to be destroyed during the harvest time when the wheat is gathered. On the contrary, the wheat class selected during the Gospel Age will be glorified and, will shine forth for the blessing of mankind, bringing order out of the present confusion, scattering the present darkness, ignorance, and superstition. Their shining forth will cause the knowledge of the glory of God to fill the whole earth, enlightening all who have ever come into the world. (Hab. 2:14; John 1:9) All will then know the love of God from the least to the greatest. (Jer. 31:34) They will know the abundant provision that God has made, which guarantees that none will die the Second Death except the willfully and intelligently disobedient. (Acts 3:23)

Our understanding is that this harvest time has already come, and this accounts for the wonderful commotion and changes which we see in the wheat-field of Christendom. The time of separation has come, and not a single tare has been gathered into the “barn” – the heavenly condition and glory beyond the vail. Not a head of ripened wheat, is left in the field or burned with the tares, but is safely garnered – gathered to the Lord.

The Lord uses human instruments as His servants, messengers or angels, and these “messengers” have been at work. The various human organizations, including churches, orders, and other institutions, are bundling more and more into combinations and federations. The harvest time is especially favorable to the ripening of the wheat, and the Lord’s true people everywhere have found assistance as never before in growing in grace and knowledge and the fruits of the Spirit. In the harvest time the Lord has provided messengers of truth and grace for their assistance and development.

CAST INTO A FURNACE OF FIRE

Given the false fears already instilled into many hearts, there is a predisposition to interpret literally the statement about the tares being cast into a furnace of fire (Matt. 13:42), thinking it to signify eternal torment. Notice, however, that the parable strictly limits this burning time to the harvest at the end of the age. There is no such furnace throughout the Gospel Age – the tares are only to be gathered and burned in a furnace in the end of the age. This is very contrary to the general idea that immediately at death many pass to an eternity of torture. Even if this statement did refer to a time of torture, either for eternity or for a shorter period, it certainly limits the time of its beginning to the harvest time, the end of this age.

If we look more closely, we will see more clearly what this feature of the parable signifies. The field is the world, and the wheat are the Lord’s people who rise up out of the world and bring forth fruit to His praise. They are the result of the good seed, the gracious promises and arrangements of the Kingdom which inspire them with hope, faith, and perseverance to the end. This is the only class the Lord seeks during this age. He is not dealing with the entire field, but merely with the corner of it that He has planted with the good seed. The other parts of the field, the world in general, are not represented in the parable at all.

When the farmer gathered his crop to the barn it was his custom to burn the tares, so that the seed might not propagate further and cause additional trouble. The tares were used in bake-ovens as we would use kindling wood, for heating the oven for the baking of bread. The figure of the burning of the tares signifies nothing approximating torment; it simply illustrates destruction. When the tares are burned they are reduced to dust and become again a part of the field, the world.

This is how we understand it will be in the end of this age. The Lord will permit various agencies to enkindle a great fire of trouble – “a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation.” (Dan. 12:1) The tare class will be terminated with this fire and so-called Christendom will be the great furnace. There will also be trouble in the “heathen” nations outside of Christendom, but the trouble will especially affect nominal Christendom or “Churchianity.” By the time the trouble has ended, imitation Christians will have disappeared; they will be no more. The true Church, the elect Kingdom class, will have been changed to heavenly conditions in the First Resurrection, and the remainder of mankind will all be of the “earth, earthy” and make no pretensions whatever to be called-out ones of the heavenly order.

There will surely be “wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 13:42) – great disappointment, sorrow, pain, trouble, and anguish – throughout Christendom in that “day of trouble.” Already, as our Master predicted, men’s hearts are failing them for fear and for looking after the things that are coming upon the earth. (Luke 21:25-28) But their fears and their anguish will not be eternal. The trouble will accomplish its work of mellowing society and preparing mankind for the blessings of the Millennial Kingdom. It will burn itself out and will be no more. Instead of trouble there will be blessings upon all, including those who were once tares, and upon all the families of the earth.

The blessings will come through the seed of Abraham, the glorified Christ, Head and body. “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matt. 13:43) Our Lord foresaw that few would be able to understand, appreciate, or receive this message. We should not look down upon those who cannot hear, however, but rather we should sympathize with them and be thankful to the Lord for the hearing ear which permits us to appreciate all the features of the divine plan.

A DIFFERENT LESSON

While the parable represents the Lord as the Sower, the Truth as the seed and His true followers as the result, the Apostle pointed out a totally different kind of sowing: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” (Gal. 6:7) This text points us to the fact that the seeds we sow today will eventually bring forth fruitage. They may be good seeds of kind words, gentleness, meekness, patience, helpfulness, or they may be evil seeds of malicious words, sinful conduct, backbiting, slandering and evil doing. Every act, every word, every look, and every thought is a seed that will bring results in our own minds, hearts, and conduct. They will determine whether or not we will bring forth an abundance of good fruit, no fruit whatever, or evil fruit, which the Lord declares He will utterly destroy in the time of reckoning in the end of this age.

All who are the Lord’s true people will profit by applying this lesson as well as the lesson of the Parable of the Wheat and Tares, but they must not mix the two lessons, or confusion will result.

(Based on Reprint 3769.)

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QUESTIONS OF GENERAL INTEREST

QUESTION – In John 9:4 we read: “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.” Does this verse apply to the Epiphany?

ANSWER – The Berean Comments on this verse say the “night” is the Time of Trouble; and the Time of Trouble and the Epiphany are one and the same, as That Servant taught. The phrase “when no man can work” is used by those who believe that they are still doing the work of reaping the Saints, but we believe that the “reaping” of the Saints is finished. Surely all Truth people can see that we are in the Time of Trouble. Even quite a few of the world tell us that we are in the Time of Trouble as given in Dan. 12:1 and Matt. 24:21. We know that a work is being done now, but it is not the “reaping” of the Saints.

Brother Russell says in Volume 3, page 211, bottom: “Observe that, when this night cometh, when the reapers must cease their labors; it will prove that this final work of the Gospel Age is accomplished; that the elect number of the Bride of Christ have all been ‘sealed,’ and ‘gathered’ into a condition of separateness from the worldly – into the barn condition (Matt. 13:30); for God will not permit anything to put an end to His work until it is finished. Then, all the true and faithful servants of God will have been sealed in their foreheads; and, the work of the Gospel Age being finished, no more can enter into that work or reap its rich reward, foretold in the ‘exceeding great and precious promises’ as the reward of the faithful who enter while the ‘door’ is open.” (2 Pet. 1:4)

Quite a few, with good reason, believe there is a work still to be done. Since the door to the High Calling closed, which no man can open, there is still a work going on: the world is summoned to repentance and the justified invited to consecrate. Brother Russell taught that this class of consecrators, who came in too late for the High Calling, if faithful, would be rewarded in honor and service with the Ancient Worthies, who were too early for the High Calling. (Heb. 11:39-40) In contrast we call them Youthful Worthies. That Servant gave quite a bit on this class. (See Reprint 5761, September 1, 1915)

The message to “repent and believe” is for all who get life on any plane, and it is a good idea for any of us to begin in this life, as soon as we have knowledge of sin and of right and wrong, to live life accordingly. When the individuals of the world learn righteousness (Isa. 26:9), it will be a glorious world: “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters that cover the sea.” (Isa. 11:9)

QUESTION – The Apostle Paul said: “For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.” (Acts 20:27) Please explain what he meant by “counsel.”

ANSWER – The Diaglott rendering of this text is: “For I kept not back from announcing all the will of God to you.” All Bible Students know that the Apostle Paul was given more of the “Plan of the Ages” (Eph. 3:11, Dia.) than the other Apostles because of the vision he had on his way to Damascus. (Acts 9:3‑5) He evidently had more abundant revelations than any other Apostle. Though he was not permitted to tell all that he saw in his vision (2 Cor. 12:4), nor particularize all he knew of the mysteries of God relating to the “ages to come” (Eph. 2:7), yet what he saw gave a force, shading and depth of meaning to his words which, in the light of subsequent facts, prophetic fulfillments and the Spirit’s guidance, we are able to appreciate more fully than could the early disciples. We believe that the Apostle Paul knew that a long period of time would elapse before the Kingdom would be inaugurated and this would have been disheartening to the brethren of his day. Also some of his statements were for the end of the age and not for that time.

For instance, the Apostle Paul, who wrote more than one‑half of the New Testament, said this: “But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.” (2 Tim. 2:20) Most Bible Students understand that gold and silver represent the Little Flock and Great Company, and that wood and earth represent the Ancient and Youthful Worthies.

That Servant followed the Apostle’s example in giving the “whole counsel.” He taught that the Youthful Worthies were an unbegotten class consecrating after the closing of the “door.” He gives this in Reprint 5761, September 1, 1915, under the heading “Those Consecrating Between the Ages.” He did not use the term Youthful Worthies, but he did speak of those who are meant by that term, who would be associated in honor and service with the Ancient Worthies and have a “better resurrection.”

QUESTION – Will the world be blessed under the New Covenant or the Abrahamic Covenant?

ANSWER – All of God’s blessings come under the Abrahamic Covenant, either directly or indirectly. The Abrahamic Covenant reads: “In thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” (Gen. 28:14) The first part of this blessing is realized by those coming into membership with Christ, as the Seed of Abraham – “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Gal. 3:29) The promise is that the seed of Abraham will bless all the families of the earth. The second part of this Abrahamic promise covers the Millennial Age as well as the special blessing to the Church in the Gospel Age. This Covenant does not conflict with the old one at all. The old one said merely, there would be a blessing, and that was a sufficient guarantee to our faith that it would be a good blessing, not merely a nominal blessing, but a blessing in reality. The New Covenant explains how this blessing of the Abrahamic Covenant will reach all mankind. It will be through the forgiveness of their sins through Christ as the great Prophet, Priest and King. He will establish His Kingdom, causing the knowledge of the Lord to fill the whole earth. Forgiveness and assistance out of degradation will go to every individual. The two covenants are not at all in conflict. (From What Pastor Russell Said, pages 165-166, with editing.)

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NO. 791: THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER

No. 791

“Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.” (Luke 8:11)

On the occasion of giving this parable, our Lord had returned to the Sea of Galilee, where He had given some of His earliest teachings. Great multitudes were drawn to hear Him because of the miracles He performed. He sat in the prow of a boat and taught the people on the shore by various parables, one of which is known as the Parable of the Sower, also sometimes described as the parable of the four kinds of soil, the soil representing the four kinds of human hearts. (Matt. 13:1-9; Mark 4:1-9; Luke 8:4-15)

The Prophet had foretold that our Lord would speak in parables: “I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old.” (Psa. 78:2) He did just that, as the Evangelists recorded: “All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them.” (Matt. 13:34-35) Because the Lord expounded the hidden truths of ancient prophecy through figures and obscure sayings, His words would not be understood today without the enlightenment He gave us through the Apostles.

In Mark’s account, the parable of the Sower is introduced by the word “Hearken,” signaling that an important lesson is contained in it. (Mark 4:3) Nevertheless, the world gives little notice to this parable or to any other of our Lord’s teachings. Even His professed followers rarely give the Master’s words the deep, attentive thought needed to appreciate them. Only those who genuinely seek will find the true meaning, the true lesson.

The parable itself is a very simple statement of a matter that was familiar to those listening: A farmer sowed good seed, a portion of which fell on a pathway (“the way side”) where it was readily seen and quickly devoured by the birds. Some of the seed fell on stony ground, where the soil was good enough, but shallow. That seed sprang up quickly, made a good showing at first, but soon withered under the heat of the sun. Other seed fell upon ground that was infested with the seed of thorns, and as the two grew together the thorns choked the good seed causing it to become unfruitful.

Some of the seed, however, fell on soil that was more favorable. That soil had been plowed to receive the seed, it was deep enough to properly root and nourish it, and it was not thorn-infested. The seed that fell on that good ground fulfilled the farmer’s intention and brought forth much fruit, some thirty, sixty, and a hundred-fold.

The picture presented by this parable would have been clear to the minds of those who heard Jesus. The fields of that region were not fenced and the travel pathways frequently crossed them. The ground of the region was stony and thorn infested and there was a heavy bird population. The terrain abounded with limestone which rendered the soil very rich, but also very hot if it was too shallow.

WHY TEACH IN PARABLES?

Our Lord concluded His parable with the words, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” (Mark 4:9) While the majority of the multitude heard His gracious words and thought Him a wonderful teacher sent by God, they took no deeper interest and departed. They did not have the “ears to hear.” They were not hungry for the Truth, and thus their hearts were not prepared. The twelve Apostles, along with a considerable number of disciples, remained with the Lord, and these then crowded around the Master to ask the interpretation of the parable. They not only had ears for the story, they also had ears for its meaning. They wanted to know the will of God in order that they might do it. They were consecrated to know and to do the Father’s will.

To those who inquired as to the meaning of the parable, our Lord answered, “Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without [not disciples], all these things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.” (Mark 4:11-12)

From the standpoint of ordinary Christian thought, the Master’s words here are utterly incomprehensible. The ordinary thought is that all the unconverted who are left in their sins are destined to an eternity of torture. But if that were true, how could our Savior have intentionally withheld the meaning of the parable, denying those who were not disciples the opportunity to be converted and saved? His words are intelligible only from the standpoint of the Plan of the Ages, which alone makes clear the divine Word as a whole or in part.

TWO PARTS OF THE DIVINE PLAN

When we understand our Lord’s mission among mankind in its true light, we see it has two parts. First, by His faithfulness to the Father’s plan, He paid our ransom price as our Redeemer, as the Scriptures make clear: “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” (Heb. 2:9) “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.” (1 Pet. 3:18)

After thus laying the foundation for blessing the whole world with the opportunity to escape from sin and death, our Lord then began a second feature of the divine plan, namely, the selection of a Kingdom class – the Church. This class would be associated with Him in the sufferings of the Gospel Age and in the glorious work of the future Millennial Age – the blessing of all the families of the earth. At the time of the giving of this parable, our Lord was not only in the process of laying down His life, dying daily and hourly, but He was also engaged in drawing to Himself an elect class who would be suitable to be His Bride, His joint-heirs in the Kingdom – His Church.

It was some of this Kingdom class that gathered around Him and asked the interpretation of the parable. He declared that it was His desire to make the matter very clear to them because they were in the condition of heart to profit by the knowledge. The knowledge thus imparted would be essential to their development and to their preparation for the Kingdom. Nearly all of our Lord’s parables related to the Kingdom, and all of them therefore are to be understood by the Kingdom class, the elect, the consecrated. All of this class should be earnestly desirous of an understanding of “every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matt. 4:4)

The earnestness of the disciples in desiring to understand the parable was part of the evidence that they belonged to this class, that it was proper for them to know. It was to their advantage that this understanding be hidden, so that in seeking and finding they would have a greater blessing than if the entire matter were readily seen by anyone.

Our faith in the Lord and in His wonderful plan is strengthened when we find how simple His plan is, how grand, how beautiful, and yet how hidden from the world – from all except those who have the guidance of the Holy Spirit and to whom it is given to know the “mysteries.” Some of these mysteries pertain to the present and some to the future, and the more clearly we seek the more we may find, and the more clearly we discern the stronger will be our faith and loyalty.

Some may wonder how it would have injured the multitude to have heard and understood a good parable, even if their hearts were not properly prepared to receive and act upon its message. Would they not have received some blessing through a partial understanding of the divine plan? Because we are not perfect in knowledge or wisdom, we must trust the Lord’s love, knowledge, and wisdom on this subject and conclude that the multitudes were really better off left in ignorance for the time.

Perhaps we can see to some extent how and why this was so. Even worldly wisdom recognizes that “a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.” Even if the multitudes had been drawn to the Lord to accept Him fully as a teacher and to believe His doctrines, they could not have been of the Kingdom class if their hearts were still in an unconsecrated attitude. They might have hindered certain features of the divine plan connected with our Lord’s sacrifice by protesting His death and endangering an insurrection, which would have forced Pilate to defend Him against the malice of the rulers.

All this is reasonable and intelligible when viewed from the standpoint of the Plan of the Ages. When we understand God’s plan, we see that the election of the Church does not signify damnation for the remainder of the world. On the contrary, the elect are to be God’s agents for the eventual blessing of the non-elect, bringing all to a clear knowledge of the Lord and to opportunities for everlasting life on the human plane. It is evident that only a very few have ears to hear and hearts to appreciate the invitation of the Gospel Age – the invitation to suffer with Christ in the narrow way in hope of the glory, honor and immortality of the future.

THE SEED IS THE WORD

When asked to explain the parable, Jesus replied, “Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?” (Mark 4:13) By this He indicated that it was important for them to understand the parable because it provided a valuable key to understanding all parables. He then proceeded to give a very detailed explanation of it.

The parable begins, “Behold, there went out a sower to sow." (Mark 4:3) Jesus later clearly explained, “The sower soweth the word.” (Mark 4:14) The Word of God is the entire revelation of God – the Bible. It is referred to elsewhere by the Lord as the “good seed.” The seed includes God’s direct messages in the past to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, etc., including the giving of the Law. It also includes the messages sent through the Prophets: “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Pet. 1:21)

The seed also includes the teachings of our Lord Jesus and His Apostles, whom He authorized to speak in His name. As it is written: “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.” (Heb. 1:1-2) And the Son declared to the Apostles: “He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.” (Matt. 10:40)

We emphasize that the Word is the only proper seed, because much confusion has resulted from the use of improper seed. We do not limit the seed to any particular translation of the Word of God, nor do we maintain that all religious writings quoting from this Word are invaluable and constitute “good seed.” We stress emphatically that such writings are good seed only to the extent they are thoroughly loyal to the divine Word. To whatever extent they present human philosophies instead of the divine plan and philosophy, to whatever extent they mix the human with the divine, to that extent they are not the good seed. The Lord’s people should be very careful then about which seed they receive into their own hearts and which seed they in turn seek to scatter in the good ground of other hearts.

Unfortunately, nearly all theology and theological works outside of the Bible are so adulterated as to be untrue and misleading, and thus they do not bring forth the intended harvest in the heart, in the life of the individual. As the Apostle warned, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” (Col. 2:8)

Because human traditions have taken the place of the Word of God, the good seed – the Gospel of the Kingdom – is a scarce commodity outside of the Bible. Even in the current translations of the Bible there are hindrances because of mistranslations and interpolations. These writings and the Studies in the Scriptures series endeavor to set forth the Word of God simply and without human traditions. They repeatedly and continually scatter that Word by liberal quotations from it, presenting it cleared of many misrepresentations and falsifications. By the Lord’s grace we trust that only the pure, unadulterated seed will ever be scattered by us in the Master’s name.

THE FIELD IS THE WORLD

Having explained that the seed is the Word, Jesus went on to explain that the different kinds of soil represent different kinds of hearts coming in contact with the Word. Our Lord elsewhere declared, “The field is the world.” (Matt. 13:38) Not all of the field or world is being planted at the present time. Vast areas of the world of mankind are already sown thickly with the seeds of various human philosophies and doctrines and are growing great crops in conformity with them.

The field that the Lord sowed first was a Jewish field that had been already prepared by divine instruction and discipline. The “middle wall of partition” has since been broken down, so that there is no longer a distinction made between Jews and Gentiles. (Eph. 2:14) Nevertheless, the portion of the Gentile field that has been sown is but a limited one, namely, the comparatively few among whom the Gospel of the Kingdom, the Word of God, has been spread. So we may say that Christendom is the wheat-field in which the Lord has sown His Word. The Word has never gone to the heathen world (the non-Jewish, non-Christian world), therefore, we are to look only at Christendom for the four kinds of soil and the resulting crops brought to our attention in the parable.

THE WAYSIDE HEARTS

The parable continues with the description of the first type of soil: “And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.” (Mark 4:4) Jesus explained this type of soil thus: “And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.” (Mark 4:15)

Some hearts in Christendom are like the wayside – paths trodden down hard by life’s experiences. Some have been hardened by too much prosperity and are therefore unappreciative of God’s message and are unprepared to receive it. If they hear the message, they take little interest in it. They may at first appreciate the harmony, beauty, and consistency of the Truth, but they never make it their own. Because the Word never enters into their hearts, before long the enemy comes. Satan, the adversary, steals from them every element of Truth they may have once recognized or appreciated. Although they may have been in the path of the sower and some grains of the Word may have fallen on them, the Truth is not for them.

Individuals with such hearts may be found in every community and in almost every home in Christendom. They are not really to be blamed, and we feel sorry for them because of their inability to receive the comfort and grace of the Word of God. While these hearts are not fit for the Kingdom in their present condition, what the Lord may do for them in the future is a different subject. He may plow them up and make them ready to receive the Truth through trials, sufferings, and disappoint­ments in the present life. Or He may use the disciplines meted out during the Millennial Age to prepare them to receive the Truth then and to make them fit for the Kingdom. The parable merely says that while in their present condition they are not suitable to be the Lord’s people.

THE STONY GROUND HEARTS

The parable then proceeds to describe the second type of soil: “And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.” (Mark 4:5-6) Jesus gave the explanation of this type of soil: “And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.” (Mark 4:16-17)

We have all come across this type of person in Christendom. Upon hearing of God’s plan, they see something of its beauty and receive it with joy. They give every evidence of bringing forth much fruit. We may believe that they are true Christians, but we cannot see as God sees – we cannot know the heart. The shallowness of their nature is disclosed when the hot sun of opposition blights and withers their growth. We are inclined to feel discouraged by this, especially if we helped plant the seeds and had expected great results, but in this parable the Lord cautions us not to be discouraged. He assures us that He knows in advance that much of the seed will fall on stony-ground hearts which provide little nourishment because they are backed by little character.

The sprouts of that seed will soon wither and will bear no fruit, but this does not mean that the case is hopeless. Under new conditions in the future, these hearts will have the opportunity to deepen their characters and we can hope that good results will follow. If their hearts do not respond to the opportunities of the future, they will be utterly discarded as useless ground.

If any of the Lord’s people who have received the Truth find themselves to have this shallowness of nature, this superficiality represented by the stony ground of the parable, he or she should at once appeal to the Lord for a deepening of the soil of their hearts so that they may bring forth fruit to His praise.

THE THORNY GROUND HEARTS

The parable then describes the third kind of soil: “And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.” Jesus explained: “And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.” (Mark 4:7, 18-19)

Some who hear the message of God respecting the Kingdom are like soil that brings forth an abundance of great thorns. It is rich soil and if it were devoted wholly to the production of wheat, it would bring forth large crops. Some who hear the Word of God are good, strong, deep characters. They would make noble Christians and bring forth much fruitage to the Master’s praise and to their own honor if they were fully devoted to the Lord. Unfortunately their talents, influence, means, and time are absorbed in another direction. They are devoted to earthly projects and ambitions whose interests conflict with the interests of the Kingdom.

The parable shows that where these “thorns” are permitted to remain, the Kingdom interests will suffer. This is another way of saying that those who have heard of the Lord and love Him are mistaken when they suppose they can love both the Lord and the world. As the Master phrased it, “No servant can serve two masters . . . Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” (Luke 16:13) We cannot bring forth both thorns and wheat. Our hearts must be single, wholly given to the Lord; we must love Him with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind, else we cannot bring forth the fruitage which He requires of disciples.

Sadly, of all who hear the Gospel of the Kingdom during this age, the thorny-ground hearers are the most disappointing. Not much could be expected from the hardened wayside heart or the shallow stony heart, but great possibilities are lost when the seeds of Truth are choked by thorns – the cares of this life and the deceitfulness of riches.

All of the Lord’s people who find these thorns mingling with the Truth in their hearts should learn from this parable that it is impossible to bring forth two crops. It is impossible to be prosperous, successful, and honored according to the standards of this world, while also growing prosperous in the spiritual standards of the Kingdom. We must love the Truth with all our hearts in order to bring forth the proper fruitage.

THE GOOD GROUND HEARTS

Lastly, the fourth kind of soil is described: “And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.” (Mark 4:8) Jesus explained this kind of soil this way: “And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.” (Mark 4:20)

Thank God that in His providence and grace some hearts have been plowed deeply by the plowshare of experience, trouble, and disappoint­ment in earthly affairs and conditions. Thank God also that the soil of some hearts is deep and able to receive and appreciate the seed of Truth, the Word of the Kingdom. We praise Him that some hearts have learned the necessity for the establishment of His Kingdom and are in an attitude to accept these things and are not distracted with the cares of worldly things. It is true that thorns and thistles may be found in the very best of fields. Our hope is that we receive the good seed of the Word in such abundant measure as to choke out the thorns, separating us fully from the world, its spirit, its ambitions, and its aims, and sanctifying us wholly to the love and service of Him who hath called us from darkness into His marvelous light.

Let us, dear brethren, not only be sure that our hearts are of the good ground sort, and be sure that we have received and are developing the good seed, the Word of the Kingdom, but let us seek also to bring forth much fruit. Seeing that some of these may bring forth thirty, some sixty, and some an hundred-fold to the Master’s praise, let us determine that by the grace of God, which we know is ours and will assist us, we will be of those who bring forth fruitage an hundred-fold – to our largest possible capacity and measure of service to our King.

How may we increase our faithfulness? We answer, by increasing honesty of heart, which prepares us for increased measure of the seed and which enables us to bring this forward to perfection. Let us be diligent, therefore, that the Master may find us bearing fruit to the very best of our abilities, surroundings and opportunities.

THE MESSAGE OF THE KINGDOM

The Lord called the seed “the word” in Mark’s account of this parable, the “word of God” in Luke’s account, and the “word of the kingdom” in Matthew’s account. (Mark 4:14; Luke 8:11; Matt. 13:19) Since the good seed is God’s Word or the message of the Kingdom, our Lord no doubt used all of these expressions. We may in fact say that the message of the Kingdom is the only communication God has yet given to mankind as a message of hope.

God intimated the Kingdom to Abraham in the oath-bound covenant: “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.” (Gen. 22:18) God’s promise was that the seed of Abraham would be granted Kingdom powers and would bless Israel and through Israel bless the world. Israel was hoping to attain this very promise at the time Jesus gave this parable.

All of the promises given through the Prophets pertain to the Kingdom. They prophesied the time for the Kingdom to be established, and the blessings to flow from it to all parts of the earth. They described how all will know the Lord, from the least to the greatest, and how righteousness will flourish throughout the world. (Jer. 31:34; Isa. 11:9) Then sin and sinners, as well as Satan himself, will be subjected to the powers of righteousness in the hands of the Messiah.

At the time of the giving of this parable, the seed, word or message of the Kingdom had taken on a special purpose – the selection of a Kingdom class. The invitation was made to some to become joint-heirs with the Messiah, the heir of the Kingdom.

Anyone who has never heard anything about the Kingdom has never heard anything about the Gospel, for it is the “Gospel of the Kingdom.” The preaching of eternal torment and other doctrines falsely proclaimed as the Gospel of the Kingdom are delusions which do not come from God’s Word. They are not the good seed that brings forth good fruit. They are instead false messages that have brought forth thorns and tares in abundance.

If this good seed of the Kingdom is rightly received into a good heart, it cannot be easily choked with earthly hopes or ambitions – for the Kingdom hope is above all grand, pre-eminent, and soul-satisfying. The Kingdom hope is as an anchor to the soul, and does not permit the cares of this life to seem large and to crush it out. On the contrary, to honest hearts which have received the good seed of the Kingdom, the cares of this life are merely incidental trials to be overcome, building character and bringing forth much fruit in the Lord’s service.

(Based on Reprints 3763 and 2627.)

Write to us at: epiphanybiblestudents@gmail.com

NO. 790: MAN ASKS AND GOD ANSWERS

No. 790

What the Scriptures Say about Spiritism and Occultism

“Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.” (Lev. 19:31)

Who practiced Spiritism and Occultism in Bible times?

(1) The worst of the heathen (non-Jews):

Exod. 7:11: “Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.”

2 Kings 9:22: “And he [Jehu] answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?”

Isa. 19:3: “And  . . . Egypt . . . shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards.”

Acts 8:9: “But there was a certain man, called Simon, which . . . used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria . . .”

(2) The worst of the Jews:

1 Sam. 28:7: “Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her.”

2 Chron. 33:6: “And he [Manasseh] . . . observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.”

Jer. 14:14: “Then the Lord said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name . . . they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.”

What Scriptures show that the dead cannot communicate with the living?

Job 14:21: “His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.”

Psa. 6:5: “For in death there is no remembrance of thee [the Lord]: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?”

Psa. 115:17: “The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence.”

Psa. 146:4: “His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.”

Eccl. 9:5-6, 10: “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun. . . . Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.”

Isa. 38:18-19: “For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day.”

Isa. 63:16: “Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not.”

Dan. 12:2: “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake . . .”

John 11:11, 14: “Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. . . . Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.”

What Scriptures show that evil spirits (the fallen angels) are personal beings?

Luke 4:41: “And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And He rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that He was Christ.”

Acts 19:15: “And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?”

Jas. 2:19: “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”

What are the principal strategies and methods of fallen angels for controlling humans?

(1) Lies, deceptions, and false doctrines:

John 8:44: “He [Satan] . . . abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

2 Cor. 4:4: “. . . the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not . . . .”

2 Thess. 2:9: “Whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.”

1 Tim. 4:1: “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.”

(2) Devil worship:

Lev. 17:7: “And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring.”

Deut. 32:16-17: “They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger. They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not . . .”

1 Cor. 10:20: “But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.”

(3) Spiritism (impersonating the dead and claiming communication with the dead) and Occultism (fortune telling, sorcery):

Deut. 18:10-11: “There shall not be found among you any one . . . that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.”

(4) Demoniac possession:

Matt. 8:28: “And . . . there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.”

Matt. 12:22: “Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him . . .”

Luke 8:2: “And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils.”

Do the Scriptures show an example of fallen angels imper­sonating the dead?

An example is King Saul’s “séance” with the witch of Endor after he lost fellowship with God:

1 Sam. 28:7, 11-16, 19-20: “Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit . . . And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.  . . . Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel. . . . And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth. And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived [concluded] that it was Samuel . . . And Samuel [his representation] said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed . . .  and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more . . . therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do. Then said [the representation of] Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy? . . . Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me . . . Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid . . .”

How do we know this incident was an impersonation?

(1) God and His servants (of whom Samuel had been one) would have nothing to do with Saul:

1 Sam. 28:6: “And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.”

(2) God had forbidden necromancy – the supposed communication with the dead. Hence His servants, including Samuel, shunned it and Saul himself had forbidden it:

Deut. 18:10-11: “There shall not be found among you any . . . consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.”

1 Sam. 28:3: “And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.”

(3) God punished Saul with death for consulting with the demons through the witch of Endor:

1 Chron. 10:13: “So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the Lord . . . and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to inquire of it.”

(4) God would not permit one under His death sentence, as was the witch of Endor, to disturb the death-sleep of His faithful servants, of whom Samuel was one:

Exod. 22:18: “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.”

How are we instructed to regard Spiritism and Occultism and their various methods such as séances, visions, trances, etc.?

(1) We are to regard them as the operations of devils, not of dead people:

Deut. 32:17: “They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.”

2 Kings 21:2-3, 6: “And he [Manasseh] did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel. . . .  he reared up altars for Baal . . . and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards.”

(2) We are to regard them as abominations:

Deut. 18:9-12: “When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one . . . that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and . . . the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee.”

(3) We are to regard them as polluting practices:

Lev. 19:31: “Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them.”

What will be the ultimate fate of those who follow Spiritism and Occultism?

(1) They will not be fit for the Kingdom:

Gal. 5:19-21: “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft      . . . and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

(2) If unrepentant, they will be annihilated along with others of the goat class:

Rev. 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whore­mongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

What should our attitude be toward Spiritism and Occultism and what are our tools for resisting them?

(1) We are to avoid and oppose them:

Isa. 8:19: “And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God?”

Eph. 6:12: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness [wicked spirits] in high places.”

Jas. 4:7: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

(2) We are to put on the armor of God and embrace His Word:

Eph. 6:13, 17: “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. . . . And take . . . the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

(3) We are to pray:

Matt. 6:13: “And lead us not [let us not be lead] into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

(Based on Epiphany Studies in the Scriptures, Volume 17, pages 460-466.)

 ________________________________________________________

UNTO THE PURE ALL THINGS ARE PURE

“Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate [worthless].”                      (Titus 1:15-16)

The Apostle is not here speaking of the worldly, but of those who have learned and appreciated the truth. He is speaking of those who have enjoyed at least the first step in heart purification – justification – but whose hearts have become defiled through a failure to maintain the law of love as their ruling principle. Instead of their hearts being filled with love, they have let selfishness and its defiling influences return as the ruling principle of their hearts. They not only have the spirit of the world, they sometimes exercise it in a much more destructive way than does the world.

The Apostle goes on to intimate that those in this condition seem especially prone to impugning the conduct and motives of others. Being selfish themselves, they attribute selfishness to everyone else. Being impure themselves, they attribute impurity to others. They have lost that spirit of love which “Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil.” (1 Cor. 13:5) Having lost the spirit of love, their hearts rapidly fill with selfish, envious, and unkind sentiments toward others.

Some even go to the extreme of impugning the motives of God and our Lord Jesus Christ. They are unable to think of love and benevolence as motivating factors for conduct, because in their own hearts they think merely of selfishness and personal aggrandizement as motives. They view the divine purposes from this standpoint, and conclude that God was moved by pride or vanity to recover man from sin and death, merely to show what He could do. They claim that our Lord Jesus was motivated to become our Redeemer because of a desire for self-gratification, honor, and power. This demon­strates that no one can bring a clean thought out of an unclean heart.

The Apostle suggests that not only have their minds become corrupted, but also their consciences. They act, speak, and think evil, and yet their consciences do not reprove them; they become blinded, self-deceived. What a terrible condition this is, and how careful all of the Lord’s people should be, not only to have pure hearts and minds, but also to keep their consciences in close accord with the Word of the Lord. This condition can only be maintained by judging ourselves, strictly and frequently, by the standard which God has given us: His law of Love. In the words of the hymn,

“I want the first approach to feel
Of pride or fond desire;
To catch the wandering of my will,
And quench the kindling fire.”

The Apostle points out that those whose minds become impure are likely to profess knowledge of God and His Word as loudly as ever, perhaps even boasting of it. Therefore, we cannot always judge on the basis of their professions who among them is of a pure mind and good conscience, and in full harmony with the Lord. Instead, we will know them by their works. As the Master said, “Ye shall know them by their fruits.” (Matt. 7:16) If any profess to know God, and yet by their works renounce Him, we are fully justified in questioning whether or not they are self-deceived, whether or not their consciences, as well as their minds, may not have become defiled.

Renouncing the Lord by our works does not necessarily mean resorting to murder, robbery, licentiousness, etc. It instead means that the previously clean heart or will, which previously produced noble and pure qualities, has been replaced with an unclean heart or will, producing impure qualities. No wonder the Apostle describes those with such hearts as abominable! All who have the spirit of the Lord must abhor the spirit of evil, however surprised and grieved they may be to find it coming from one who previously exhibited sweetness, love, kindness, and good works.

The Apostle James echoes the same thought: “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.” (Jas. 1:26) As our Lord said, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” (Luke 6:45)

The unbridled tongue speaking selfishly, enviously, bitterly, boastfully, slanderously, proves that the heart from whose fullness these things overflow is unsanctified, unholy, and grievously lacking the spirit of Christ. Whatever religion it may have attained is vain because that heart is not in a salvable condition. Only by disobedience to the law of Love could anyone’s heart and conscience be so defiled, after having been purified through faith in the precious blood, and consecrated to the Lord. One having thus lost the spirit of the truth, and having a poisoned or defiled mind and conscience, is surely “to every good work worthless.” (Titus 1:16, Dia.)

What course should be pursued by those who find themselves possessed of impure minds – minds inclined to surmise evil rather than good, envious minds, selfish, resentful, bitter, unforgiving, minds which love only those that love and flatter them? Is there any hope for those who find themselves possessed of such impure minds? Would God not utterly reject them?

God is very compassionate, and it was while all were sinners that He provided for our redemption. There is hope for all who see their defilement and who desire to be cleansed. But true repentance means both contrition and reformation, and for help in the latter we must go to the Great Physician who alone can cure such moral sickness. Of Him it is written, “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases.” (Psa. 103:3) All of His sanctified ones, it is safe to say, were at one time more or less diseased, and thus in some degree “worthless” for His service.

It is true that it is worse for those who were once cleansed but who like the sow return to “wallowing in the mire” of sin. (2 Pet. 2:22) But still there is hope, if they return to diligently taking the Good Physician’s medicine. The danger is that the conscience, having become defiled, will so pervert the judgment, causing bitterness to be esteemed as sweetness, and envy and malice as justice and duty, and the “mire” of sin to appear to be the beauty of holiness. It is only then that the case is practically a hopeless one.

THE GOOD PHYSICIAN’S ANTIDOTES

The Good Physician has antidotes for soul-poisoning, which if taken properly will sweeten the bitter heart. Instead of envy it will produce love; instead of malice, hatred, and strife it will produce love and harmony. Let us all take these medicines, for they are not only good for the violently sick, but for the well and the convalescing also. The following are some of the prescriptions:

(1) “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he [the Lord] is pure.” (1 John 3:3) As our minds and hearts expand with this hope and we begin to measure its lengths, breadths, heights, and depths, it surely sets before us in rainbow colors the love of the Heavenly Father and the Redeemer, and we love the Father and the Son more and more because they first loved us. The divine form of love becomes more and more our ideal and the cleansing and purifying of our hearts follows. Looking into the perfect law of liberty – Love – we become more and more ashamed of all the meanness and selfishness which the fall brought to us. Anger, malice, wrath, envy, and strife become more and more repulsive to us when seen in their true light as works of the flesh and the devil. We will flee from these evils of the soul as from deadly contagion. Our hearts (wills, intentions) will become pure and we will set a guard not only upon our lips but also upon our thoughts, that the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts may be acceptable to the Lord. (Psa. 19:14)

(2) “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” (Titus 2:14) We can correctly conclude how, when, and by whom we were redeemed, but this avails little if we forget why we were redeemed. The redemption was not merely a redemption from the power of the grave – it was chiefly a redemption “from all iniquity.” Furthermore, the Lord has not merely sought a “peculiar people,” but rather a people peculiarly cleansed and purified. This medicine will surely serve to purge us from iniquity if we seek to serve the Lord.

(3) “Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith [fidelity], charity [love], peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” (2 Tim. 2:22) Whatever it may cost, justice and righteousness must always be followed – we may not follow unrighteousness even for a moment. This is difficult for some because they do not know how to judge righteously. They are prone to judge according to rumor or appearances, or to accept the judgment of “scribes and Pharisees” as did the multitude which cried, “Crucify Him!” Had they followed righteousness they would have seen the Lord’s character in His works as well as in His words. They would have seen that He was “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners.” (Heb. 7:26) They would have seen that His accusers were moved by envy and hatred.

After righteousness, we are to pursue fidelity or faithfulness. The Lord has declared His own fidelity or faithfulness as our friend. In the words of the wise man, “A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” (Prov. 18:24) But notice that God’s Word puts righteousness first. Even the worldly recognize fidelity as a grace and often put it first, for many would commit theft or perjury because of fidelity to a friend.

Fidelity, love, and peace can only be exercised in harmony with righteousness, but unless unrighteousness has been proven against a brother or sister, our fidelity and love and peace toward them must continue. Indeed it must increase in proportion as envy and slander and all the fiery darts of the Wicked One assail them “without a cause.” This valuable prescription will help to keep our hearts free from the poison and bitterness with which the Adversary seeks to infect them. A pure heart is filled with love and is free from injustice, unrighteousness, and selfishness.

(4) “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit [the spirit of the truth] unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.” (1 Pet. 1:22) This medicine is for those who have used the other prescriptions and gotten clean. It points out that the purity came not merely through hearing the truth, nor through believing the truth, but through obeying it. It is also not merely a formal obedience in outward ceremony, custom, and polished manner, but thorough obedience to the spirit of the truth – its real significance.

All these steps bring us to the point where the love of the “brethren” of Christ is unfeigned and genuine. At first we may treat all with courtesy, or at least without impoliteness, but many of them we may not like, much less love. Maybe they are poor, or shabby, or ignorant, or peculiar, but by obeying the spirit of the truth we recognize that all who trust in the precious blood and are consecrated to the dear Redeemer and seek to follow His leadings are “brethren,” regardless of race, color, education, poverty or appearance. We reach the point where our hearts are so free from envy, pride, and selfishness, and so full of the spirit of the Master, that we can honestly say we love all the brethren with a love that is sincere and not at all feigned.

Having come this far along in the good way, the Lord through the Apostle tells us what is next in order that we may keep our hearts pure: “See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently [intensely].” It is important not to forget the pure heart, else it might be but a step from pure love into a snare of the Adversary, carnal love. Pure love is not to be cold and indifferent, however; it is to be so warm and strong that we would be willing to “lay down our lives for the brethren.” (1 John 3:16)

With a love such as this burning as incense to God upon the altar of our hearts, there will be no room there for any selfish, envious thoughts, words, or deeds. Oh how blessed would all the gatherings of the Lord’s people be, if such a spirit pervaded all of them! If such love dominated even a fraction of hearts, it would quickly exercise a gracious influence for righteousness, fidelity, love, and peace, and against envy, strife, malice, slander, and backbiting.

Let all the Lord’s people more and more take these medicines which tend to sanctify and prepare us for the Master’s service, here and hereafter.

(Based on Reprint 2516.)

Write to us at: epiphanybiblestudents@gmail.com

NO. 789: REJOICE IN TRIBULATION

No. 789

“For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.” (Psa. 33:21)

The first city in Europe to hear the Gospel message was Philippi, in the Roman province of Macedonia. There the Apostle Paul and Silas, along with other companions, sought out those who reverenced the Lord and who would therefore most likely have hearing ears for the Gospel. They found a little group who met by the riverside for worship. One of the group, Lydia, became prominent for her thorough acceptance and zeal for the Gospel message. She hosted the Apostle and his company in her home, and promoted the interests of the cause to the best of her ability.

The meetings were held outside the city, doubtless because Philippi had its own approved religious system and would not allow any outside of it to hold meetings. While passing from Lydia’s home to the place of worship outside the city gate, the group was met repeatedly by a young woman who was well known locally as a fortune-teller, and who brought a large income to the people who owned her as a slave. Each day when the evangelists passed, she called out after them, “These men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation.” (Acts 16:17) Although the statement was true, coming from such a source and possibly in a jesting voice, it might have been understood by those who heard it to be sarcasm or ridicule, and therefore it was a hindrance to the Lord’s work.

The Apostle Paul became more and more troubled by this occurrence. It hindered his mission, and he was probably also saddened to see a fellow human being thus used by the wicked spirits controlling her. In a similar occurrence, a man possessed of an evil spirit said to our Lord Jesus, “I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.” Jesus refused to recognize the testimony of the evil spirit, but had compassion for the one possessed of it and delivered him. (Mark 1:24-26; Luke 4:34-35)

Present-day critics dispute the existence of evil spirits, denying that human beings ever are or ever have been possessed by them. They suppose that the Lord and the Apostles mistook either deception or mental illness for possession in these cases. However, to those who have learned to respect the Word of God, there is no room for questioning the accounts. Our Lord commanded evil spirits to come out of possessed individuals and they obeyed Him. The Apostle Paul invoked the same divine power to heal the young woman, delivering her from the evil spirit that was using her as a channel of communication.

We can imagine the consternation of the people who owned her when they found that the large amount of money they had invested in this slave was lost, for such spirit-possessed ones had a high market value. Their future source of income was gone, and they became desperately angry and sought revenge upon those who had financially ruined them. They were evidently influential, and succeeded in quickly arousing a mob determined to have revenge against Paul and Silas.

PAUL AND SILAS IMPRISIONED

The Apostle’s general instruction to his followers was: “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” (Rom. 12:18) It is not the chief business of the Lord’s people to stir up the animosity of the world and to bring persecution upon themselves, but evidently Paul acted under special guidance of the Lord in this situation. As those who are engaged in a bad cause generally do, the owners of the slave raised spurious charges, saying that Paul and Silas were teaching a religion contrary to the laws of Rome, and thus were likely to incite sedition. This was a false charge, for they had followed the law and went outside the city gates for their worship; however, it was sufficient to bring upon them the severest penalties their judges could inflict. Their clothing was torn from them, they were beaten with rods, and they were imprisoned. This was one of three times that Paul was thus beaten. (2 Cor. 11:25) He referred to it in his letter to the Thessalonians, declaring that he was “shamefully” treated at Philippi. (1 Thess. 2:2)

They were thrown into the central dungeon of the prison reserved for the most vicious criminals. With their feet fastened in stocks and their backs bleeding and raw from the scourging, they were filled with the spirit of rejoicing, expressing their feelings in prayers and songs of thankfulness for the privilege of suffering in the Lord’s service, of enduring tribulation for righteousness’ sake. It must seem remarkable to the worldly that these men could thus rejoice in tribulation – rejoice that they were counted worthy to suffer afflictions for the cause of Christ.

How little the world knows of the peace of God. Our Lord said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27) These faithful servants of the Lord could rejoice in whatever experiences God permitted to come to them, and He is equally able and equally willing today to grant His favor to those who trust Him and seek to walk in His ways. It is our privilege as Christians to be always rejoicing – to rejoice evermore and in everything give thanks.

At midnight, as the other prisoners listened to the prayers and songs of Paul and Silas, an earthquake shook the prison. The doors were opened, and the chains of the prisoners were loosed. When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had all escaped and his reputation was ruined. Paul called to him to do himself no harm, assuring him that the prisoners were all there.

The jailer had likely heard something about these men who were so different from the ordinary criminals he encountered, and was impressed with their unresisting attitude and their Christ-like demeanor even under the severest circumstances. It seems he felt a hunger for the fellowship with his Creator that these discredited men appeared to enjoy. He had quite probably been able to read the Gospel of Christ in the features and conduct of his prisoners, receiving some preliminary instruction of his heart, for he quickly inquired: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” The Lord’s servants quickly replied: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” (Acts 16:30-31) By his belief he would be saved to the peace and joy shown by his prisoners, saved from sin’s degrading influence, and ultimately saved from the penalty of sin – death.

The jailer was encouraged to hope not only for his own personal salvation, but for that of his family as well. It is reasonable to suppose that this conversation about his salvation progressed while he ministered to the evangelists, tending to their wounds, and seeking to make them comfortable. We may presume that the Apostle relayed the simple story of the love of God manifested in the gift of His Son, and of the love of Christ manifested in His sacrifice on our behalf.

There is a lesson here for us: “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season.” (2 Tim. 4:2) The willingness of Paul and Silas to preach Christ to the jailer despite their own dire circumstances was in perfect accordance with the joy of the Lord which filled their hearts and caused them to sing. Dissatisfied Christians who are disposed to grumbling would neither be inclined to sing praises under such circumstances, nor to preach the Gospel on such an out-of-season occasion. We are to be willing to serve others at any time, however out-of-season to ourselves, if it be in season and opportune for them, but we are not to intrude even the Gospel itself at inopportune times, however convenient the occasion may be to us.

SECURING JUSTICE

The rulers ordered the release of Paul and Silas the next morning, but the Apostle sent word to them that the injustice they had endured must be publicly acknowledged. They were Roman citizens, and Roman law had been violated when they were publicly beaten without being legally condemned. Fearing repercussions from violating the rights of Roman citizens, the rulers came to the prison as the Apostle requested and released the prisoners, thus publicly conceding that an injustice had been done.

Some have been disposed to criticize the Apostle’s course in claiming Roman citizenship, but it was unquestionably proper for him to appeal to his Roman citizenship as a means to secure justice. We may properly appeal to any human law under which we are living that would protect our just rights, but we may not go beyond this and denounce the laws or violate them. Our Lord admonished submission to the ordinances or laws of men with respect to our earthly affairs, explaining, “And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.” (Matt. 5:40)

However, if anyone attempts to rob us of anything without due process of law, we are not obligated to yield unless it seems prudent in the circumstances. We have the right to call on the law to protect us from injury. This does not mean that we are citizens of this world. It merely means that as strangers and pilgrims we are required to pay taxes for the support of law and order, and that worldly authorities are to recognize our rights under the laws which they themselves frame.

It was mutually agreed that Paul and Silas would leave the city, and evidently this was wise. Their teachings would now have the opportunity to work among their new disciples, who might have a better chance for presenting the truth quietly in the absence of their leaders, against whom strong enmity had been aroused on account of the healing of the woman. Thus was the very small and humble beginning of the Church at Philippi, the first ecclesia to be established in Europe. From there the servants of the Lord went to Thessalonica, follow­ing the counsel of Jesus: “But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another.” (Matt. 10:23)

THE EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS

Years later, Paul wrote his epistle to the Philippians, one of the most loving of all the Church letters written by the Apostle. It contains no reproofs or chastisements such as appear in other epistles, but rather is full of commendation and special love, and apparently this little company of the Lord’s people loved the Apostle as fervently as he loved them. The afflictions he suffered on their behalf bound their hearts to him in lasting gratitude. They helped to sustain the Apostle on at least four occasions – once at Corinth (2 Cor. 11:9), twice at Thessalonica (Phil. 4:16), and once while he was a prisoner at Rome. On this latter occasion they sent their gifts and expressions of love by a special messenger, Epaphroditus, who arrived at Rome in the malarial season and took dangerously ill. Upon his recovery, Epaphroditus returned to Philippi with the Apostle’s epistle.

We find a special lesson contained in the fourth Chapter of the epistle. Although the Apostle found nothing in the condition of the Philippians to reprove, he wished to urge them not to retreat from the advanced steps of love and obedience already taken: “Therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.” (Phil. 4:1) In light of their coming change from degradation to glory, they must continue firm, not trusting in their own strength, but in the power and grace of the Lord.

Several of the sisters of this congregation appear to have been prominent helpers in the work, and two of these are mentioned by name. (Phil. 4:2) Paul exhorted them to be of the same mind in the Lord, implying that in some respects at least these two were at odds. Note the Apostle’s language to them very carefully, for there is wisdom in it. He does not exhort them to be of one mind in everything, because if they were of very different temperaments and dispositions, etc., this might be impossible. He instead urged them to be of the same mind in the Lord – preserving a unity of heart and head in all things relating to the Lord.

This is sound advice for all of the Lord’s people. They are not to attempt to harmonize all earthly things under present conditions. They are to accept that they may have differences of opinion on various other subjects, insisting only on oneness, fellowship, union, and harmony in the Lord, in the truth, and in the spirit of love toward all the members of the household of faith. Insistence on more than this – insisting that all have one view on social, financial, political, and other questions, has caused serious strife and estrangement between members of the household of faith. All such endeavors are contrary to the Lord’s instruction through the Apostle and contrary to the spirit of a sound mind.

The “yokefellow” of the next verse should apparently be written with a capital letter, as the proper name of a brother in the Philippian Church – not only a Yokefellow in name but a true yokefellow, ready to assist others, specifically Clement and the two sisters already referred to. (Phil. 4:3) The Apostle believed their differences had not yet injured them spiritually, as he still recognized them as fellow laborers. Brother Yokefellow could fulfill the true meaning of his name by helping them to preserve unity of spirit in the Lord. Let us all seek to be true yokefellows, assisting the dear brothers and sisters with their burdens, whether they be financial burdens, burdens of illness, or burdens of conflicting temperaments and dispositions.

REJOICE ALWAYS

The Apostle then exhorted, “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.” (Phil. 4:4) This represents the very essence of Christian living. Outward circumstances will not always seem favorable to rejoicing; those who would rejoice always in the Lord must have faith in the Lord – trusting, hoping, and loving. Without faith one cannot appropriate the gracious promises of the Word and be able to rejoice in tribulation and suffering when badly treated for the truth’s sake. Only those living very near to the Lord, feeling His protection and care, can rejoice always, knowing that His promise is sure, and that all things will work together for their highest welfare. This rejoicing is not necessarily boisterous, but instead implies serenity, happiness, and peace. Noisy demon­stration is not essential, as some may think.

The Apostle continued: “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.” (Phil. 4:5) The Greek word here rendered “moderation” implies the thought of reasonableness and of not exacting our rights too rigorously. Mercy and leniency are certainly qualities required of all who are members of the household of faith. As far as possible, we are to be faithful in the performance of all that justice requires of us and merciful in our requirements of justice from others, just as our Father in heaven is kind and merciful to the unthankful.

In stating that the Lord is at hand, the Apostle did not mean that the Lord’s Second Advent might then be expected momentarily, nor before his death. Elsewhere in his epistles he expressed his expectation that he would die and wait for the crown of righteousness laid up for him. He also elsewhere clearly intimated that the day of the Lord could not come until after the great falling away mentioned in the prophecies, and the manifestation of the Man of Sin, etc. (2 Tim. 3:7-8; 2 Thess. 2:2-10) Therefore, his only thought in this exhortation was that we are living in the close of the reign of evil, that the dawning of the day of the Lord is not far distant, and that to the eye of faith it is so near that its influence should affect even the smallest affairs of the present life.

The Apostle then counseled, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” (Phil. 4:6) Our English word “careful” has lost its original meaning, so there is danger of misunderstanding this statement. The word originally meant to be “full of care” – full of anxiety, trouble – and so the Apostle’s words correspond exactly to our Lord’s injunction to “Take no thought.” (Matt. 6:25-34)

Anxiety and burdens are unavoidable to those who depend on their own wisdom, strength and skill, but the Lord’s people are assured over and over again in the Word that if they remain faithful, all things will work together for their highest welfare. (Rom. 8:28) Christians who find them­selves anxious and fearful should go at once to the throne of heavenly grace in prayer and should feed upon the divine promises of the Word, so that their corroding cares may give place to faith, confidence, and peace of heart, whatever their outward circumstances. The thankful heart will conclude that He who favored us and redeemed us while we were yet sinners will much more favor and do for us now that we are His through Christ Jesus.

The Apostle then gave this assurance: “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Phil.4:7). It is not our own peace that is here referred to. We may be by nature restless, dissatisfied, discontented, fearful, foreboding or quarrelsome and therefore not disposed to peace. But if we follow the advice outlined above, we will learn to trust God in all of our affairs. It is the peace of God – the peace which comes from a realization of God’s power, goodness, and willingness to hold us by His right hand – that keeps us from worry and from anxiety. This peace will stand guard continually as a sentinel, challenging every worrying thought or fear. It will keep the mind and heart at peace with the Lord.

THE GRAND SUMMATION

Now we come to the Apostle’s grand summation of how the Christian is to grow in grace as well as in knowledge and love of God. Once our will has been consecrated to the Lord, once our faith has been exercised in rejoicing and thanksgiving for all His providences, and once the peace that comes from trusting in Him has been obtained, the further steps in the development of character will be through the guarding of our thoughts, words and actions: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” (Phil. 4:8)

After reaching the grand development outlined by the Apostle, the Christian’s thoughts should be toward things that are “true,” having no sympathy with anything that is false or even exaggerated. Whoever sympathizes with falsehood or exaggeration is more or less defiling himself. Anyone who cleanses his thoughts is purifying his mind and his entire character, coming more in touch with and in sympathy with the Lord.

But it is not sufficient that we feel something to be true. We are to test all things further to discern to what extent they are “honest.” That is, are they honorable and noble? Although the Lord has accepted us, unworthy and imperfect as we are, covering our defects of character with his own merit, nevertheless, we cannot be in sympathy with the dishonorable features of our fallen condition. We must desire true nobility, and the highest standards of honor in our hearts, in our thoughts, in all of our dealings with our God and with our fellow creatures. The test of honor is therefore to be applied after the test of truth. Something might be true, but is it honorable to think about it or speak about it? This is another question.

Next we are to apply to everything the test embodied in the Golden Rule. Is something “just?” We have no right to do anything toward others that we would not have them do toward us. We are to apply this test of justice to all of our own thoughts, words and actions, while viewing the conduct of others, as far as reason will permit, from the standpoint of mercy, forbearance, pity, and helpfulness. We cannot be too careful how we evaluate our every thought and plan, to ensure that we do not infringe upon justice.

We are then to esteem and cultivate that which is “pure” until that which is impure becomes painful and distressing to us. We must desire to banish anything impure from our thoughts and this can only be accomplished by continually thinking upon things that are pure.

We are to recognize and esteem things that are truly “lovely” until things that are impure, unjust, untrue, and dishonorable cannot appear lovely or desirable. We must lift our mental vision to as high a point as possible, discerning as clearly as we can the loveliness of the perfect characters of our God and of our Lord Jesus Christ, as well as the loveliness manifested in those who walk in the footsteps of Jesus. The mind so occupied is guarded against intrusions of unlovely and unholy things.

The Apostle concluded by referring to all things of “good report” – things of any virtue or value, things in any degree praiseworthy. We may safely meditate upon the words, deeds, or sentiments of anyone as long as they are noble.

In doing all of these things, we will become more and more transformed by the renewing of our minds, and approach nearer and nearer to the glorious likeness of our Lord and Master. The Apostle then said: “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.” (Phil. 4:9) This should be the standard of all Christians, because all are representatives of the Lord, ambassadors for Him. Hence, so far as they are capable, their conduct and words should be living epistles, to be read by their fellow brothers and sisters, as well as by the world. Those so doing will have the peace of God.

The Apostle added, “But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.” (Phil. 4:10) These words seem to imply that the earnestness of the Philippians in serving the Apostle had to some extent relaxed for a time and then subsequently revived. Likely fearing that his words might be understood as a rebuke, he noted that this may have been due to lack of opportunity.

This man of God was very careful to not unnecessarily wound the feelings of the brethren. We all should likewise be careful to let the love of God influence our words so as to not wound unnecessarily even the least among the Lord’s people.

The Apostle then hastened to point out that he was not complaining: “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” (Phil. 4:11) He had learned to put into practice himself the lesson he had just communicated to them. He had learned to cast aside anxious thoughts and to approach the Lord in prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving, and he possessed the resulting peace. In this condition of heart he was never in want, regardless of what necessities he might lack, for he was satisfied that the Father would provide the things he really needed.

This does not mean that we are to be content to live at the expense of others, or that we are to be content to allow the opportunities and talents and privileges which the Lord has given us to go unused. It means that we should seek through prayer and thanksgiving to use these talents and opportunities to the very best of our ability as would please the Lord, and we should be content with the result of such efforts.

We should conclude that our heavenly Father, who feeds the sparrows and clothes the fields with vegetation, is quite able to supply our needs in the manner and to the degree that would be for our highest welfare. After having done our part to the best of our ability, we are to be thoroughly content with the results – even if the results are the barest necessities of life. Being content with what we have does not imply ignoring our talents and opportunities, for these are part of the things which we have, the things which, as stewards, we are bound to use to the best of our judgment. We are not to be contented with the barest necessities unless they are the best results obtainable from a reasonable and judicious use of the opportunities and talents the Lord has given us, consistent with our consecration to His service.

The next verse shows that the Lord was surely fitting the Apostle for a grand place in the heavenly Kingdom: “I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” (Phil. 4:12) Just as the Lord Jesus was touched with the feeling of our infirmities, that He might be a faithful High-Priest for the Millennial Kingdom (as well as to us now), so the Apostle was evidently being fitted by his experiences and prepared for a very honorable and prominent place in the Royal Priesthood of the Kingdom.

If we find our experiences in life very checkered, we may conclude that the Lord sees that we need both the heights and depths of prosperity and adversity to properly instruct us and qualify us for whatever position He may design for us in the future. Let us then follow the Apostle’s example, not allowing the abundance of earthly good things swerve us from our consecration vows. Let us learn also how to be in need and yet not to want anything beyond what the Lord’s wisdom and providence sees best to give. Let us learn to be content.

The secret of the Apostle’s success is stated in the last verse of the lesson: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Phil. 4:13) The Apostle was strengthened by his close relationship to the Lord, his intimate union with Him, and his reliance upon Him. He was thus enabled to do all these things and to pass through all these experiences with gratitude, with thankfulness, with rejoicing. Let us all thus learn that lesson: “Rejoice in the Lord alway.”

(Based on Reprints 3122 and 3127.)

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