Truth Magazine

By David Glenn Price

In Acts 16, Paul and his companion Silas were confined to a dreary Philippian jail, made prisoners for preaching the gospel of freedom and for liberating a slave-girl from a “spirit of divination” (vv. 16-24). As we look in on them at midnight, we do not find them complaining and grumbling, nor do we find that they have forsaken God in despair over their situation. No, we find instead that these two great men of God were praying and singing his wonderful praise.

Suddenly, a mighty earthquake shook the very foundations of the prison house, freeing the prisoners from their chains and flinging open the doors to freedom. The jailer, fearing that his prisoners had seized the chance to escape, was ready to thrust his sword into his belly when a loud cry was heard: “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here!” It was Paul. This jailer’s life would never be the same.

As the jailer fell upon his knees before the two evangelists, only one thought was upon his heart. He asked the question with trembling lips: “What must I do to be saved?” Isn’t it incredible? This pagan soldier, who only moments earlier had been asleep and totally unaware of his soul’s great need, now yearned to know how he could make his life right with his Creator? Here is a man who has just faced death and eternity beyond.

Friend, do you realize that you and I are in the very same situation? Do you realize that we live perched on the edge of forever every day? James tells us that our lives are like vapors, here for just a little while, and then gone (Jas. 4:14). Realizing this, do you continue to live as though you are certain that you will still be alive tomorrow? You may not be (Heb. 9:27). Do you continue to conduct your life as though you will never have to stand before your God and answer for your deeds? You will (2 Cor. 5:10). Do you continue in rebellion to Almighty God as though he will overlook it? He won’t (Rev. 21:8).

How does Paul answer this most important of all questions, “What must I do to be saved?” Were he a student of many modern psychiatrists and psychologists, Paul would have told this jailer to “quit feeling guilty about himself and accept himself for what he was (after all, there really isn’t any such thing as “sin,” is there? Rom. 3:9-18).” Were he a student of many modern religionists, Paul would have told this jailer that it really didn’t matter what he did, because God’s grace would cover him (after all, a truly loving God couldn’t send anyone to hell, could he? Matt. 5:22; 23:33; Lk. 16:23).

But fortunately for the jailer (and for us!) Paul wasn’t a disciple of any of these quacks, but of Jesus Christ; he didn’t spout off a bunch of psychological or theological nonsense, but “spoke the word of the Lord to him” (v. 32). God’s word is able to take away guilt and remove the barrier of sin that separates between you and your God (Isa. 59:2; Rom. 1:16). No matter how enlightened man may get (in his own eyes) or how advanced may be our theories and thoughts, God still today makes foolish the wisdom of the world through the preaching of the cross (1 Cor. 1:18-21). The words of Jeremiah, the prophet of God, still ring true: “I know, O Lord, that a man’s way is not in himself, nor is it in man who walks to direct his steps” (Jer. 10:23). Whatever your problems, your weakness, your sin, God’s way works – take his Book and see how God can turn your life around!

What did the “word of the Lord” tell this jailer to do to be saved? In verse 31, Paul commands him to believe; without such belief, we can never please God (Heb. 11:6). But is that all? Does God require simple mental assent – mere belief in him – for our salvation? If so, prepare to spend eternity in heaven with a lot of demons, because James says that even they believe in God (Jas. 2:19-20)! Do not be deceived! “A man is justified by works and not byJaith alone” (Jas. 2:24, emph. mine DGP). If we read just two verses further in our Acts 16 text, we see that this man’s faith was not a dead, inactive faith, but a living, obeying, saving faith. He was baptized for the remission of his sins (v. 33; Acts 2:38), removing the burden of his guilt and receiving God’s gift of salvation (Eph. 2:8) – and that gift is available to you today!

But don’t wait! If your life is not right with your Lord, don’t hesitate to make it right! Whether you are already God’s child, and the allurements of the world have drawn you away from him; or if you have never put on Christ in baptism – follow the example of the jailer and restore your broken relationship with God this very hour! Verse 33: “He took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized” (emph. mine, DGP). What are you waiting for? Most of us, as brother J.R. Bronger says, would be good procrastinators . . . if we didn’t put it off so much! It’s one thing to put off taking out the trash at home, but don’t put off removing the trash from your life, because it starts to pile up – and pretty soon you just get used to the smell. Won’t you make your life right with God who loves you so (Jn. 3:16)?

Guardian of Truth XXXIV: 16, p. 486
August 16, 1990

By Jeff Asher

But I tell you the truth it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you no longer behold me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged (Jn. 16:7-11, NASB).

In this text Jesus tells his disciples that it is to their advantage that he go away. Now, this was true for two reasons. The first being, Christ could not complete his redemptive work for us on this earth. He could only do this in his role as our High Priest in heaven. Zechariah tells us the Christ is to be a High Priest on his throne, “Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: and he shall grow up out of his place; and he shall build the temple of Jehovah; even he shall build the temple of Jehovah; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon this throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both” (6:12,13). And the second reason, the Holy Spirit was to have a part in the redemptive plan. He could execute his part only if Christ went away to the Father and sent him to speak the things received of the Christ. The Holy Spirit was to have a part in man’s conversion. It is this aspect of the Holy Spirit’s work we propose to discuss. Jesus said the Holy Spirt would convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. It would appear that verse 7 plainly teachers the Holy Spirit’s activity in the conversion of sinners. Fortunately, this is not a matter for division among religious people. Everyone accepts this teaching of the Bible. However, there is division among believers over the manner in which the Holy Spirit changes men into saints. Let us, therefore, endeavor throughout the discussion to keep the question clear in our minds.

Two Concepts, Only One True

How then does the Holy Spirit operate in the conversion of the sinner? Does he do so by working directly upon the sinner’s heart or does he operate by the means of an instrument in his employ? Let me use these questions to introduce two differing concepts of the Spirit’s role in conversion. First there is the doctrine of the direct operation of the Holy Spirit in converting the sinner. This doctrine teaches that the Holy Spirit in some mysterious, unknown way has contact with the sinner’s heart and opens it to the reception of the Word of God. Ben Bogard, champion of this doctrine among the Missionary Baptists in the first half of this century, said in his debate with N.B. Hardeman, “What I shall affirm is that the Holy Spirit is actually present and uses his personal presence in influencing sinners to be saved.” The foundation for this doctrine is the assumption of inherited total depravity, or simply, that all men are born wholly and completely inclined to do evil, incapable of any good, even faith, without the so-called “enabling power” of the Holy Spirit. The second concept teaches the Holy Spirit performs his work in conversion through the instrumentality of the Scriptures which he revealed and confirmed. This is the concept in harmony with Bible principles.

Through the Word, Not Apart From

The operation of the Holy Spirit in the conversion of sinners through the instrumentality of the Word is substantiated by the fact that whatever works are said to be accomplished by the Holy Spirit in conversion are also attributed to the word. It might help to think in terms of a man chopping down a tree. We could correctly attribute the work to the man or to the axe, but not to the man apart from the axe. Likewise, it is incorrect to attribute conversion to the Holy Spirit apart from the word. The following Scriptures should prove the point. We all accept that for one to be converted he must undergo the “new birth.” In John 3:5 we read, “Verily, verily I say unto thee, except one be born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” There must be experienced by the believer a birth of the Spirit. The Apostle Peter when addressing the “elect of the Dispersion” said, “Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one another from the heart fervently, having been begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever” (1 Pet. 1:22-23). The NIV assists our understanding in this passage as we read, “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.” Luke helps us more when he identifies the seed of the Parable of the Soils sown in good and honest hearts as “the word of God” (Lk. 8:11). Therefore, the “new birth” is attributed to the Holy Spirit by John, but to the word of God by Peter.

All of us recognize that when one is converted he is saved. Now, Paul wrote Titus the following, “. . . according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (3:5). Here Paul attributes salvation to that renewing wrought by the Holy Spirit. Yet, James instructs us to “receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your soul.” The word which here is spoken of as planted is the gospel. The same gospel preached by Paul in Philippi, Galatia, and Corinth; the gospel which he said he planted and Apollos watered and to which God had given the increase (1 Cor. 3:6). Here again, we have the same action which results in conversion attributed to both the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

Finally, consider sanctification. Sanctification simply means “setting apart or consecrating for use.” This setting apart is said to be accomplished by the Holy Spirit. Paul in writing about those who would not enter the kingdom said of the Corinthians, “and such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of our Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:11). Our setting apart for useful service unto God is accomplished by the Holy Spirit. However, Jesus prayed that the disciples and those that believed on them through their word be set apart, “sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so didst I send them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also may be sanctified through the truth” (Jn. 17:17-18). Jesus said we are sanctified by the truth which is the word of God. Yet, Paul says we are sanctified by the Spirit of God. How do we reconcile this? Either the new birth, salvation, and sanctification are accomplished for some by the Holy Spirit and for others by the word, or they are accomplished for all in the same way, namely by the Spirit acting through the word as his instrument.

The Cases of Conversion Agree

The Holy Spirit’s activity in conversion is found in the cases of conversion as they are recorded in Acts. Let us quickly examine some of these. On the day of Pentecost those present in the audience said, “we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God” (2:11). Peter then stood and lifted up his voice. Following the sermon (2:37) the record states, “When they heard this they were pricked in their heart.” The conviction in heart of those Jews was not accomplished until they received the preaching. Their hearts were not pricked by the personal presence of the Holy Spirit on that occasion; they were pricked by the word heard.

Another example is that of Saul on the road to Damascus in Acts 9. We see that Jesus refused to tell Saul what to do aside from, “Go into the city and it shall be told thee what to do.” In no way and at no time does the conversion of Saul differ from any other. He prayed for three days and finally Jesus sent Ananias to tell him what to do, “Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (22:16). Saul did not undergo any experience in prayer, or receive forgiveness on the road to Damascus. Saul was saved when he washed away his sins in baptism, not before.

Finally, the conversion of Cornelius must be considered. He also prayed, but was told to send for Peter in Joppa in order that he might hear words whereby he and all of his house could be saved (10:6; 11:14). Peter came and preached (10:34-43). The Holy Spirit then fell on all them that heard the word (v. 44). An examination of the sermon reveals Peter had preached belief in Christ and remission of sins through him. Now, the coming of the Holy Spirit upon Cornelius and his house served a purpose which is expressed in Peter’s question, “Can any man forbid water, that these should be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we” (v. 47). This reception of the Holy Spirit served to convince those present that the uncircumcised Gentile could enter the Kingdom without first becoming a Jew and reassured Peter in the next action he would logically take, being the command of baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus (cf. Acts 15:7-9).

Conclusion

There are no conversions which do not come about without the Holy Spirit being involved. However, bear in mind that he does his work through his instrument, God’s Word, by which we are indicted as sinners and taught what we must do to be saved. If you are aware of what you must do I urge you to obey it.

Guardian of Truth XXXIV: 16, pp. 483-484
August 16, 1990

By Clinton D. Hamilton

Question: Explain, please, 1 Corinthians 13:7, believeth all things. ” Does this mean unlimited belief? If one thinks he can stop a tornado, is that what Paul meant to teach in this verse? If someone said so-and-so was a thief, was Paul teaching that a person should believe the statement without any investigation, etc.?

Reply: Certainly one is not to believe what his conscience will not permit (cf. Rom. 14:23). All things which can be believed consistent with truth, conscience, and the available evidence are to be accepted. One should exercise a disposition without suspicion of another. If the evidence is convincing that one is lying, he should not believe that individual. If there is no real evidence presented that one is a thief, then one should not believe that the person is.

In the context of 1 Corinthians 13, the emphasis is on the conduct which love produces. If one loves or has active goodwill toward another, one will accept the person, his word, and character without suspicion. However, if evidence that is convincing is presented demonstrating that the person is otherwise, then the person could not believe that he is morally upright.

Question: What is the meaning of Matthew 5:19, “break” (KJV), “annul” (NASB) and “he shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven ” in the light of such passages at Matthew 7:2-23; 2 Jn. 9; Jas 2:10; etc.?

Reply: Break in Matthew 5:19 means to loose, dismiss, or undo and is from luo. One who breaks a commandment does not bind himself by what is enjoined. Rather, he disregards it as if it did not exist. Jews circumcised a boy on the eighth day even if it was the sabbath in order not to break the commandment that enjoined the circumcision (Jn. 7:23). One who is of the disposition to break a commandment is one who views it as having no authority to which he should give heed. The spirit is a headlong one that goes about doing one’s own will and not heeding God’s will. To teach men thus to do – break the law – is to have a spirit completely alien to the kingdom of heaven.

One who is what God desires is one who properly respects and is kindly disposed toward the commandments of God, whether they be considered little or great. The spirit or disposition toward God’s law that would cause one to violate a little commandment likewise would cause one to violate great commandment.

To offend in one point is to be guilty of all (Jas. 2:10). If one pays no attention to one commandment, the same disposition would lead one to pay no attention to another. One’s will determines which command he breaks. But the spirit that causes one to break one command is the same spirit that would lead to breaking any other or all of them. At heart he is a lawbreaker.

It is obvious by the language of the passage in relation to verse 18 that God’s commandments, whether viewed as little or great, are binding and of the same force. It is not a question of whether one can set aside a little commandment. In fact, one should obey all of the commands of God. He should not neglect any part (Matt. 23:23).

In the kingdom of the Lord, that person is great who properly regards the commands of God and teaches others to regard them properly. No command of God is insignificant. The thrust of the text is toward having the right disposition toward the law of God and teaching man to have the right disposition. In the kingdom of heaven that person who is of this disposition is great. That one who would dare to break even a little command, as he might view it, is not great. He shall be least. The issue is not whether one may break a command. It is the issue about the disposition in the breaking of the command.

Guardian of Truth XXXIV: 16, p. 485
August 16, 1990

By Frank Jamerson

The word “hermeneutics” has been generally left to the classrooms by brethren. Many know what is it, but not by that name! During the Florida College lectures this year, one of the speakers kept talking about the “new hermeneutic, ” and a friend standing near me, leaned over and said, “What is that?” I explained that it is just principles of interpreting the Scripture. After the speaker had made a few more references to it, my friend handed me a pencil and piece of paper and said “write it down.

Those who are calling for “a new hermeneutic” are simply saying that they do not believe that the methods of interpretation we have used are correct. The appeal to commands, examples and necessary inferences should be discarded and we should look at the example of Jesus and do whatever we think he would do in a situation. It seems strange to me that brethren would claim to follow the example of Jesus in some areas, but not accept his example in how to establish authority. If we are to follow the examples of Jesus, surely that would include his methods of teaching, or establishing authority.

In every temptation, Jesus appealed to the word of God. When the devil said, “If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones become bread,” Jesus responded, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:3,4). When the tempter quoted Scripture, Jesus countered by saying, “Again, it is written. . . ” (v. 7). To the third temptation, Jesus said, “It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (v. 10). If I understand the examples of Jesus, he taught us to act only by the authority of God, to accept everything God said on a subject and that the practical application of Scripture is to show us how to worship and serve God. That does not sound like some subjective feeling of what God might want us to do in a certain situation.

Jesus used commands or statements of fact when he was asked about the Father’s will. When a lawyer asked him about what to do to inherit eternal life, Jesus said, “What is written in the law? how readest thou?” (Lk. 10:26) The lawyer quoted God’s words and Jesus said, “Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live” (v. 28). When the Pharisees asked him about divorce, he quoted Genesis 2:24 and concluded, “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matt. 19:6). The Pharisees objected to his application of that passage and tried to circumvent it by appealing to what Moses had permitted, but Jesus insisted that the statement and his conclusions applied to everyone who married. The eunuchs did not “receive it” because they would not be considered subjects of marriage, but it applied to everyone else.

Jesus appealed to examples in the Old Testament and also taught his disciples to follow his examples. Certain scribes and Pharisees asked Jesus for a sign, but he said, they had the sign (example) of Jonah, Nineveh and the queen of the South and those were sufficient to show them that they should listen to him. After his great display of humility, the washing of the disciples’ feet, Jesus said, “If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another’s feet” (Jn. 13:14). This is not only an example, but a command to follow it!

Jesus also established truth through necessary inference. The Sadducees thought they had Jesus in a dilemma because of the woman who had been married to seven brothers, but Jesus said: “Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. . . But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. And when the multitudes heard it, they were astonished at his teaching” (Matt. 22:29-33). The example in Exodus 3:6 had a necessary implication, which people could see. Again, in the latter part of the chapter, Jesus used a necessary inference, from a statement of fact, when he asked the Pharisees how he could be just the Son of David, if David had called him Lord (Matt. 22:41-46).

Yes, I agree that we should follow the example of Jesus, but that should include his example of respect for Scripture and the proper use of it. Jesus never told people to follow what they thought Moses might do under a certain situation; he quoted what Moses said! Those who tell people to do what they think Jesus would do are not following the example of Jesus.

Guardian of Truth XXXIV: 15, p. 462
August 2, 1990