NOTES ON THE INTERNATIONAL LESSON.
By Alonzo Trevier Jones
Paul's Charge to Timothy.
"AND that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures." Timothy was certainly one to whom had been fulfilled the injunction of the Lord upon parents. "And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart; and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." Deut. 6: 6, 7. And thus he grew up with an unfeigned faith. But this was only the fruit of the same unfeigned faith that was in his mother Eunice, and also in his grandmother Lois. This faithful mother had made it her work to instruct her child, when a child, in the holy Scriptures. And so effectual was her work that when her child grew to manhood he was one who was "well reported of by the brethren," and was chosen of the Lord to bear his truth to the world. It would seem, too, that this was done by the mother alone, because "his father was a Greek [a Gentile]." Acts 16: 1-3. And as Timothy and his mother are spoken of as believers, and the father simply as a Gentile, it is evident that he did not accept the faith in Christ. This is simply an example of what a faithful mother can do, with the word of God, notwithstanding the adverse influence of an unbelieving husband. "THE holy Scriptures." What writing is meant by this term? Certainly what is now called the Old Testament. It is impossible that it should be anything else, because when Timothy was a child there was no part written of what is called the New Testament. And in no place in the New Testament are the writings of the New Testament spoken of as the Scripture, but in every instance where that term is used it has sole reference to the Old Testament. Christ, after reading a portion of Isaiah, said, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." Luke 4: 16-21. And on the day of his resurrection, on the way to Emmaus "he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself." It was out of the Scriptures that the apostles reasoned with the people concerning Jesus, and by which they proved that he is indeed Christ (Acts 2: 14-21, 25-35; 7: 13; 14-41; 17: 2, 10-12; 28: 23); and the Old Testament was the only Scripture they had. We do not say that the New Testament is not Scripture; we simply say that it was not then Scripture, because it was not then written. And even had it been written it could not have been to the apostles a source of appeal, because that would have been simply to appeal to their own words. It is the Old Testament, therefore, to which Paul here refers and which he calls "the holy Scriptures" and which he declares are able to make wise unto salvation. "ARE able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." Christ Jesus is the great central point of the Old Testament as well as of the New. Whoever studies the Old Testament without Christ in view, studies it in vain. He is the one great object of all faith, of the prophets as well as of apostles. As before referred to, he himself "expounded unto them in all the Scriptures" the things concerning himself. Peter, in Acts 3: 22-24, says that Moses, "and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days." And Paul in Rome "persuaded them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening." How then can it be that these holy Scriptures can be neglected and a full view of Christ obtained? How can preachers do justice to their calling and despise the Old Testament? "ALL Scripture is given by inspiration of God." It is still the Old Testament to which he refers. It is this that he declares is given "by inspiration of God." We are aware of the other reading that is given to this text to the effect that "all Scripture given by inspiration of God is profitable," &c., but the text is correct as it stands. Peter says of the prophets that "the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." 1 Pet. 1: 11. And Paul, in another place, says: "When ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God." 1 Thess. 2: 13. Notice that this was written to the Thessalonians, and it was with them that he reasoned "out of the Scriptures," and he declares that that was the word of God. So when Paul says that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God," that is what he means, and that is what we believe. And when he says that it is all "profitable," we believe that, and would slight none of it, but would reverently use it "for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." BECAUSE as it was given of God for this purpose, "that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works," no man can be perfect, no man can be furnished unto all good works, who neglects it. We repeat that we do not hold to these things of the Old Testament to the exclusion of the New. We accept the New as being as fully the word of God, and as fully given by inspiration of God, as is the Old. We would take neither to the exclusion of the other. All, Old and New, is the word of God; all is given by inspiration of God; all is profitable. They who accept the Old Testament and reject the New are wrong. They who accept the New and reject the Old are equally wrong. The New cannot be fully understood without the Old, neither can the Old be fully understood without the New. And there is the book of Revelation; that cannot be fully understood without all the rest of the Bible together. We have heard a good deal about keys to the book of Revelation, but the best of all keys is a thorough understanding of all the other parts of the Bible. "I CHARGE thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom. Preach the word." This solemn charge is to all men who enter upon the work to which Timothy was called, as well as to him. In another place he says to him, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." And in another place, "Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all." It is the duty, therefore, of the minister, to study the word of God, meditate upon it, give himself wholly to it, then preach it. BUT alas! how little the word of God is studied even by the majority of ministers at the present day. It is no unusual thing to hear prominent ministers quote as veritable Scripture that of which there is no hint in the Bible. But as little as it is studied, how much less it is preached! True, the text is taken from the Bible, it may be a verse, it may be only a part of a verse, or perhaps a single word. Then a learned essay is read, or a fine display of rhetoric is made, which is just as apt to be directly contrary to the word as otherwise. As has been well expressed by Moody, "They will find the text in the Bible, and then go all over Christendom for the sermon." And that is supposed to be preaching the word! But it is311nothing of the kind. He who puts the most of the word of God, properly delivered, into his sermon, does the best preaching. ABUNDANCE of directions are given in the Bible as to how to preach the word. We will transcribe some. "I do send thee unto them, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God. . . . And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear. . . . Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, all my words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears. And go, get thee unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord God; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear." Eze. 2:4, 7; 3:10, 11. "The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord. Is not my word like as a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?" Jer. 23:28, 29. "And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; . . . and Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people (for he was above all the people); and when he opened it, all the people stood up; and Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands; and they bowed their heads, and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading." Neh. 8:4-6, 8. Such as that is genuine preaching. What a happy thing it would be for the people if it were everywhere followed to-day. Paul did so; and Peter did so. Let us do so. Preach the word. "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine." Considerable objection is made in these days to the preaching of doctrine. And that is the very thing that is commanded to be preached. "Give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine." "Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine, continue in them; for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee." "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine." 1 Tim. 4:13, 16; 5:17. "Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers." Titus 1:9. "Exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine." 2 Tim. 4:2. "But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine." No man can obey the Scriptures and neglect doctrine. The minister must give attendance to doctrine; he must take heed to doctrine; he must labor in doctrine; he must speak doctrine; he must convince gainsayers by doctrine; and he must exhort by doctrine. And this too, at the time, and for the very reason, that they will not endure sound doctrine. When people despise the word, then is the very time when the word must be preached. Speak thou the things which become sound doctrine. "A CROWN of righteousness . . . at that day." This has reference solely to that one great day,—the day of Christ's appearing. Then it is that Paul, with all other righteous men, dead and living, will be rewarded. "Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Rev. 22:12. "Thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just." Luke 14:14. "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." Col. 3:4. "When the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away." 1 Pet. 5:4. Thus the apostles, the prophets, and all the faithful ones of old, looked to "that day" for the consummation of their hope. Thus they "obtained a good report through faith," but "received not the promise; God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect." Heb. 11:39, 40. Behold he comes quickly, his reward is with him, his work before him. Crowns of righteousness and of glory are his to give "in that day," to all those who love his appearing. Are you waiting for his glorious appearing? Will you "love his appearing"? To them that look for him, he appears unto salvation. Heb. 9:28.
A. T. J.