How Readest Thou? by W. W. P.

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 25, 1902

How Readest Thou?

By W. W. P.

A CERTAIN lawyer asked Jesus, “Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied by asking him, “What is written in the law? how readest thou?” The second part of this question is no mere rhetorical phrase. It is not sufficient to inquire what is written, but it is also essential to know how we read what has been written. This is well illustrated by the following incident: It is related that an infidel, desiring to remind himself and others of his belief that there is no God, framed and hung upon the walls of his sleeping-room this motto: “GOD IS NOWHERE.” At a critical time in what proved to be his last illness, his little daughter came into his room, and seeing the motto, read it, “GOD IS NOW HERE.” The same letters were there in either case. It was simply a difference in the way of reading them, and the little maid read them as every enlightened heart would read them, interpreting her own experience through them. It is said that the Lord used the daughter’s reading of this motto to the hopeful conversion of her father.

There are many passages of the Scripture which are read in such a way as to harmonize them with an established opinion or a previous experience, rather than to let them express their real meaning, with the purpose of bringing our experience into harmony with their teaching.

The simple statement of the Scripture is that “all things work together for good to them that love God,” but most of us read “some” in the place of “all.” “How readest thou?”

The assurance of the Scripture is, “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus,” but the most of us put “wants” or “desires” in place of “need,” and then wonder that the promise is not fulfilled to us. “How readest thou?”

We are exhorted to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” but the most of us get the terms reversed, and act as though it read, “It is more blessed to receive than to give.” “How readest thou?”

The simple statements of the Scripture are, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,” or, expressing the same thing in another form, “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments;” but some of us have connected these two statements with “and” instead of “or,” and so we have read, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and keep the commandments, and thou shalt be saved.” “How readest thou?”

It is clearly taught in the Scriptures that the faith which saves is the faith “which worketh by love,” and that “faith without works is dead,” but some of us seem to have mixed the two texts together in our reading, and so make them teach that “the faith which . . . works is dead.” “How readest thou?” Thus some are trying to save themselves by works which they add to a nominal faith, while others are resting upon a faith which “is dead, being alone.”

And so we might continue indefinitely, but this is sufficient to call attention to the importance of the question of our Saviour. Those of us whose eyes have been enlightened can see that it will not answer to read, “The seventh part of time is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God,” instead of, “The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God;” but is it not just as important to carry this principle further, and read all the Scripture just as it is written? “What is written in the law? how readest thou?” W. W. P.