I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
On His last evening with the disciples before His suffering and departure, Jesus held back many wonderful truths about His death, resurrection, kingdom and redeeming work because they were not yet able to receive them. Their minds were dimmed by earthly expectations, inherited traditions and selfish ambition, so more light then would only have confused them and been lost. What He withheld He promised to give afterward through the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, who would bring His words to remembrance, guide into all truth and make the witness effective to convict the world. God still unfolds truth little by little as people can bear it, giving increased light to those who cherish and share what they have while withholding what would be despised or misunderstood until eternity completes the view. Therefore truth must be taught as hearers are able to receive it, with milk before meat, love first and then unfolding step by step in due season without needless alarm or deception.
Setting and Withheld Truths
The saying was given on the last evening with the disciples at the Passover supper in the upper room, standing in the shadow of the cross before trial, crucifixion and visible departure. It belongs to the special instruction of John 14-17 and especially John 15-17, given to encourage, strengthen and prepare them for hatred, trial and the work ahead. That instruction was meant to keep them from blindness, apostasy and discouragement, to remind them of love and purpose, and to be a light for each step when followed and practiced. When appreciated and obeyed it cures dissension and produces unity, love and strength against Satan, and without divine power joined to human effort the work ahead would fail. The words were words of encouragement and hope to strengthen them for the ordeal ahead, which they could not yet comprehend because it conflicted with their wishes and expectations, while selfish ambition and wounded pride kept them from hearing what was wanted for them until humble loving service kindled love to understand it.
The many things held back were the full wonderful truths about humiliation and death in detail, including Gethsemane, trial, sentence, scourging, condemnation, the choice of Barabbas, crucifixion and death. The plain fact held before them was that He had come from the Father into the world and was leaving the world to return to the Father, yet the fuller unfolding was withheld until after resurrection when they could understand and appreciate it. Beyond that were the meaning of the prophetic Scriptures testifying of Him, the prophetic delineations of His character and work, the mystery of incarnation and dual nature as divinity in humanity, and the knowledge dwelling in Him who ascended to complete the work begun on earth. There also remained the nature of His kingdom and mission, the deep mysteries of the plan of redemption, atoning sacrifice and mediatorial work, and the meaning of trials, discipline and sanctification through the truth, which He longed to reveal but withheld because earthly concerns eclipsed spiritual and eternal realities and further teaching would have crowded minds and confused understanding.
Those sayings would be understood and appreciated only after resurrection and ascension, when illuminated by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost memory was quickened and hearts burned as Scripture was opened. While with them He taught of God's kingdom and coming events, but they understood only dimly, grasped only part, and would forget much, and after crucifixion and ascension the Spirit would bring teaching to remembrance, open truth more fully, and make witness after humiliation and death accurate. Upper-room comfort and counsel would thus sustain them and then spread through them to all lands, with the Spirit at Pentecost revealing the Father and the Son through their witness. If minds had been ready He could have revealed truths to help face soon-coming trials and temptations, and if they had been able to bear more then they would have been better prepared to endure crucifixion and burial and would not have lost hope and faith.
The wonders of Calvary could have been received by faith even when overturning hopes for worldly honor, but desire for the highest places had darkened minds so fuller explanation was withheld. The wonders of redemption therefore call for deeper and more sustained teaching, since during humiliation there remained many things to teach that could not yet be borne.
Reasons They Could Not Bear
Their grasp was limited, earthly and dim, with closed hearts, weak sight, little faith, blindness and unbelief, so they took in only part of what was taught, understood faintly, forgot much, and seemed to lose many lessons. Jesus as fountainhead of knowledge and treasure-house of truth longed to open treasures of infinite value and the mysteries of the kingdom that they might open them to others, but they did not comprehend the value of the celestial truth set before them. Their limited comprehension restrained Him, so further unfolding then would have crowded minds, confused understanding, and been labor lost. They must grow as learners who need milk before strong food, maturing through practice and discernment, and must open the heart to receive the Holy Spirit before they could fully understand and bear what He desired to impart. They had looked on Him in humiliation as He walked a man among men with eyes holden, dimly comprehending the prophecies and slow to take in the great truths testifying of Christ, and His teaching revealed the moral character God requires and awakened awareness that they lacked power to attain it themselves so they could receive His grace to supply the need.
Earlier teaching had shaped their ideas so strongly that they would have misunderstood what He wanted to reveal, and further instruction at that time would have confused them and stirred questioning and unbelief hard to remove. Their minds were greatly influenced by the traditions and maxims of the Pharisees, scribes and priests who placed the commandments of God on a level with their own inventions and doctrines and whose sayings were received as the voice of God. Confusion arose from false teaching and repeated misinterpretation of Scripture, from esteem for fables and childish traditions of the Jewish teachers as wisdom, from mingling subjects of eternal interest with human traditions and fables, and from unsanctified imaginations, which imposed a restraint upon His teaching and determined the measure of divine communication. Expectation of a temporal kingdom and failure to advance with light already given in Levitical laws and sacrificial offerings dulled them to the spiritual nature of the kingdom though often explained, so they understood only dimly the teaching about God's kingdom and coming events and would forget much. Christ first drew their hearts through His love, then unfolded the great truths of the kingdom little by little as they could bear them, needing truth repeatedly explained with divine enlightenment to distinguish truth from error.
Their state of mind on that last evening meant they could not yet bear what He had much to tell them, for selfish ambition and wounded pride kept them from hearing what He wanted to teach. Desire for the highest places, jealousy, evil-surmising and accusation closed the heart against the full working of the Holy Spirit, and human prejudices, jealousy and tradition hindered understanding while they lacked wisdom to pass teaching on faithfully, so giving it then would have led to misunderstanding and bitter controversy. Their minds were so occupied with earthly and temporal concerns that spiritual and eternal realities were eclipsed and did not stand out clearly. They remained as babes in Christ when they should have been far advanced, with advancement not proportionate to privileges and opportunities, remaining carnal and not sanctified in soul, body and spirit, having forgotten cleansing from hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong while still cherishing carnal attributes, able to receive only milk and not the meat of higher truths. Humble, loving service would kindle love in their hearts and help them understand, and Christian instruction must therefore be given in due season according to what people are able to bear.
Promise of the Guiding Spirit
The withheld truth was to be given when the Comforter, the Spirit of truth sent after departure, would guide into all truth. He would speak what He hears, show things to come, and glorify Christ by receiving what belongs to Him and showing it to believers. He would quicken understanding to appreciate heavenly things, bring sayings to remembrance for accurate witness, and illuminate minds in full measure so the work could continue where Jesus left it. That teaching would come through people imbued with the Holy Spirit, including opening Scripture after the resurrection and unfolding atonement and kingdom more fully, while purifying trials fit believers to help others.
The same coming includes reproving and convicting the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment, not praising, flattering, or exalting. The Spirit alone can bring this conviction and connect humanity with divinity, enabling people to share in Christ's nature. He works through human capacities to bring light to the understanding, expose sin, and make truth not previously understood a living conviction and spiritual reality in the heart. He makes the preached Word effectual by convicting souls as to what is truth, for which those with faith should be asked to pray before speaking.
The Spirit of truth so promised means no deception, and He is Jesus the author of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it does not see or know Him, but whom believers know because He dwells with them and shall be in them. After ascension He would be sent to the church as the crowning gift, the Comforter to take Christ's place. This Comforter is the Holy Spirit, the soul of His life, the efficacy of His church, the light and life of the world, and with His Spirit Christ sends a reconciling influence and a power to take away sin. His office as Christ's representative is a theme of encouragement to keep before the people in every discourse, bringing all blessings and completeness in Christ when comprehended. The instruction in John 14-17 can be understood with new enlightenment when the mind is reshaped by the Spirit's influence, and eyes now blinded must be opened as upon the disciples at Pentecost, when the scales fall from them. It is received only as the heart is opened, for limited comprehension and closed hearts restrained further unfolding as labor lost, and they must receive the Holy Spirit before they could fully understand, with opening of the heart making bearable what could not then be borne. This calls for great carefulness not to resist His working, fearing the first presumptuous step in resistance, and for striving to understand His words, to appreciate the value of the wonderful gift, and to seek the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
Light Unfolding Gradually Ever
God discloses truth only as people are able to bear it, giving what is needed for progress toward heaven and withholding the rest according to capacity to understand. The great Teacher holds the entire map of truth yet reveals only what hearers can receive, leading step by step with other workers to follow from century to century. Huss and Jerome received great light exposing many errors of Rome, but not all the light to be given to the world, for God was leading the people out of the darkness of Romanism while many great obstacles remained. Like the full glory of the noontide sun to those long in darkness, full light presented at once would have caused them to turn away, so it was revealed to the leaders little by little as it could be received by the people. Reform must therefore remain progressive beyond Luther and the Wesleys, advancing when pride and desire for supremacy are laid aside and views are compared with Scripture.
To those who appreciate light and impart it to others increased light is given, including precious light and knowledge given to saints and prophets of former ages to be unfolded to the chosen in the last days when light will surely be given. Christ stands ever ready to supply the oil of grace so that light can shine amid moral darkness, yet that oil is not given to help others when they would not value and appreciate it. The words in John 16 hold a lesson to be studied and given to the people as Thus saith the Lord, with His works and words as sure evidence, and when willingly taken and given His abiding presence to the end of the world gives the Word converting power to bring converts. A messenger may be authorized to leave things deliberately unsaid because hearers are not able to receive them, and that inability belongs not only to one person but to others also and not only to the past but to the present, so some things that might be said may never be said.
Some matters are not yet fit to understand, so attempting to define what God has not revealed is unnecessary, with the promise that the Spirit of truth would later guide into all truth. God has not revealed everything because people could not bear a fuller revelation, but He has revealed what is necessary for salvation, which is to be received and lived by and not replaced with human suppositions. On high mysteries such as the nature of the Holy Spirit, which is not clearly revealed, defining what it is is not essential and gathering scriptures to construct an explanation gives no good, so silence is golden while what is essential is piety, devotion, and sanctification of soul, body, and spirit. Christ longed to open the truths of redemption — the life of Christ, the character of His mission, His incarnation, His atoning sacrifice and mediatorial work, the knowledge of God and of Christ, and the perfection and glory of Christ — but they lacked faith to seek, grasp, and appreciate them, leaving them vague, dwelt upon too lightly, though Scripture already puts every essential truth in possession and each fresh search gives more distinct light. What could not be grasped here even with fuller enlightenment will be learned in eternity, where the redeemed will understand those withheld truths and forever and forever see new and more distinct views of His perfection and glory.
The same gradual rule explains delayed light in history, for as He stood in the shadow of the cross He had many things He longed to tell but they were not then able to bear them. The correct time for the Sabbath's beginning was to be understood from Scripture but was not given until later, so before it came there was no guilt in not seeing it, while setting aside or rejecting light once come brought condemnation. Likewise warnings God has given have not been comprehended until the predicted evil came, and further things remain to be unfolded but cannot be borne yet.
Teaching As Hearers Bear
The verse lays down the law for teaching truth, that instruction must be fitted to the condition and readiness of the hearer. Hearts are first to be drawn by love, and then great truths are to be unfolded little by little, here a little and there a little, line upon line, step by step as they can be understood. This requires the tenderness and gentleness of Christ, with patience and kindness toward slow learners who need repeated, gradual instruction before they can discern holy lessons, advancing steadily and solidly in plain, clearly defined, simple language. Milk must come before meat, further understanding built from what is already known, presented in due season according to what can be valued and borne, with Christ and Him crucified kept at the center, leading minds up slowly so they can follow. For early education had left even those who had been with Jesus three years with mistaken ideas, and more instruction then would only have crowded minds, confused understanding, stirred questioning and unbelief hard to remove, and been labor lost, especially for those under the darkness of error taught by priests and ministers and educators, who must first see Christ formed within, the hope of glory.
Having all the truth does not authorize flashing it all at once, for truth flashed suddenly upon unprepared minds becomes darkness to them and shuts doors against further light. In prejudiced places and new fields this means not beginning with the Sabbath question or announcing the third angel's message from door to door, not forcing strong points or bringing on the final crisis before the time, and not needlessly arousing opposition by flaunting Sunday work, but refraining from lawful things where restraint advances the work. The work is to go forward quietly and cautiously by degrees, keeping close to the Word, preaching Christ and Him crucified, His sacrifice and sanctification first and then the Sabbath step by step, being wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Workers must guard against extremes and fanciful advancement and do nothing that closes minds, but let the Spirit awaken and remind until minds can bear more, withholding what would alarm or discourage, yet withholding is never permission to deceive.
Disclosures were withheld that would have absorbed attention, amazed, prompted misunderstanding and dispute, diverted from central instruction, created factions, and given occasion to those of little faith and piety to mystify and misrepresent. Human prejudice, jealousy, and tradition hindered understanding, and hearers lacked wisdom to pass teaching on faithfully, so giving it then would have led to bitter controversy, requiring wisdom to know when to speak and when to remain silent. He who is the source of all true science could have led minds into mysteries that would have absorbed thought and investigation for generations even to the close of time, until they felt no desire to eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son, for Satan constantly works to excite curiosity and busy men with conjecture in order to eclipse the grand and momentous truth ever to be prominent, that eternal life is to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent. Therefore revealed truth is to be treasured, studied, carefully preserved and kept in its proper place rather than pursued as unrevealed conjecture or twisted into error, kept from speculation so learners continue on the simple path to eternal life. What is untimely and would only foster differences of opinion is to be held subordinate and in the background, with unity upon the main pillars and essentials for this time, the Sabbath, the keeping of the commandments, and preparation in the great day of atonement by afflicting the soul, confessing sin and humbling the heart, without agitating speculative ideas not of vital importance.
The same wisdom governs the timing of personal testimony and plain facts, for true knowledge of a person's condition, with warning, reproof and counsel, is not always to be spoken at once when hearers in an unconsecrated state cannot bear it. Written personal testimony may be held back for a year when warned it would be rejected, then delivered later by discreet face-to-face labor lasting hours after conviction and dreams have prepared the hearer, turning certain rejection into acceptance, and a denominational message may likewise be delayed until the recipient is prepared. Those caring for the sick must keep back plain and decided facts about their true state when telling all would prejudice minds or drive them to hopelessness, and the whole counsel of warning and reproof must be deferred while hearers cannot bear it. Seeing and understanding truth does not create obligation to say all that is thought, so sanctified wisdom is needed to know what to withhold and when to speak or remain silent, while also recognizing when the time has come for a decisive message to be given in writing.
On His last evening with the disciples before His suffering and departure, Jesus held back many wonderful truths about His death, resurrection, kingdom and redeeming work because they were not yet able to receive them. Their minds were dimmed by earthly expectations, inherited traditions and selfish ambition, so more light then would only have confused them and been lost. What He withheld He promised to give afterward through the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, who would bring His words to remembrance, guide into all truth and make the witness effective to convict the world. God still unfolds truth little by little as people can bear it, giving increased light to those who cherish and share what they have while withholding what would be despised or misunderstood until eternity completes the view. Therefore truth must be taught as hearers are able to receive it, with milk before meat, love first and then unfolding step by step in due season without needless alarm or deception.
Setting and Withheld Truths
The saying was given on the last evening with the disciples at the Passover supper in the upper room, standing in the shadow of the cross before trial, crucifixion and visible departure. It belongs to the special instruction of John 14-17 and especially John 15-17, given to encourage, strengthen and prepare them for hatred, trial and the work ahead. That instruction was meant to keep them from blindness, apostasy and discouragement, to remind them of love and purpose, and to be a light for each step when followed and practiced. When appreciated and obeyed it cures dissension and produces unity, love and strength against Satan, and without divine power joined to human effort the work ahead would fail. The words were words of encouragement and hope to strengthen them for the ordeal ahead, which they could not yet comprehend because it conflicted with their wishes and expectations, while selfish ambition and wounded pride kept them from hearing what was wanted for them until humble loving service kindled love to understand it.
The many things held back were the full wonderful truths about humiliation and death in detail, including Gethsemane, trial, sentence, scourging, condemnation, the choice of Barabbas, crucifixion and death. The plain fact held before them was that He had come from the Father into the world and was leaving the world to return to the Father, yet the fuller unfolding was withheld until after resurrection when they could understand and appreciate it. Beyond that were the meaning of the prophetic Scriptures testifying of Him, the prophetic delineations of His character and work, the mystery of incarnation and dual nature as divinity in humanity, and the knowledge dwelling in Him who ascended to complete the work begun on earth. There also remained the nature of His kingdom and mission, the deep mysteries of the plan of redemption, atoning sacrifice and mediatorial work, and the meaning of trials, discipline and sanctification through the truth, which He longed to reveal but withheld because earthly concerns eclipsed spiritual and eternal realities and further teaching would have crowded minds and confused understanding.
Those sayings would be understood and appreciated only after resurrection and ascension, when illuminated by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost memory was quickened and hearts burned as Scripture was opened. While with them He taught of God's kingdom and coming events, but they understood only dimly, grasped only part, and would forget much, and after crucifixion and ascension the Spirit would bring teaching to remembrance, open truth more fully, and make witness after humiliation and death accurate. Upper-room comfort and counsel would thus sustain them and then spread through them to all lands, with the Spirit at Pentecost revealing the Father and the Son through their witness. If minds had been ready He could have revealed truths to help face soon-coming trials and temptations, and if they had been able to bear more then they would have been better prepared to endure crucifixion and burial and would not have lost hope and faith.
The wonders of Calvary could have been received by faith even when overturning hopes for worldly honor, but desire for the highest places had darkened minds so fuller explanation was withheld. The wonders of redemption therefore call for deeper and more sustained teaching, since during humiliation there remained many things to teach that could not yet be borne.
Reasons They Could Not Bear
Their grasp was limited, earthly and dim, with closed hearts, weak sight, little faith, blindness and unbelief, so they took in only part of what was taught, understood faintly, forgot much, and seemed to lose many lessons. Jesus as fountainhead of knowledge and treasure-house of truth longed to open treasures of infinite value and the mysteries of the kingdom that they might open them to others, but they did not comprehend the value of the celestial truth set before them. Their limited comprehension restrained Him, so further unfolding then would have crowded minds, confused understanding, and been labor lost. They must grow as learners who need milk before strong food, maturing through practice and discernment, and must open the heart to receive the Holy Spirit before they could fully understand and bear what He desired to impart. They had looked on Him in humiliation as He walked a man among men with eyes holden, dimly comprehending the prophecies and slow to take in the great truths testifying of Christ, and His teaching revealed the moral character God requires and awakened awareness that they lacked power to attain it themselves so they could receive His grace to supply the need.
Earlier teaching had shaped their ideas so strongly that they would have misunderstood what He wanted to reveal, and further instruction at that time would have confused them and stirred questioning and unbelief hard to remove. Their minds were greatly influenced by the traditions and maxims of the Pharisees, scribes and priests who placed the commandments of God on a level with their own inventions and doctrines and whose sayings were received as the voice of God. Confusion arose from false teaching and repeated misinterpretation of Scripture, from esteem for fables and childish traditions of the Jewish teachers as wisdom, from mingling subjects of eternal interest with human traditions and fables, and from unsanctified imaginations, which imposed a restraint upon His teaching and determined the measure of divine communication. Expectation of a temporal kingdom and failure to advance with light already given in Levitical laws and sacrificial offerings dulled them to the spiritual nature of the kingdom though often explained, so they understood only dimly the teaching about God's kingdom and coming events and would forget much. Christ first drew their hearts through His love, then unfolded the great truths of the kingdom little by little as they could bear them, needing truth repeatedly explained with divine enlightenment to distinguish truth from error.
Their state of mind on that last evening meant they could not yet bear what He had much to tell them, for selfish ambition and wounded pride kept them from hearing what He wanted to teach. Desire for the highest places, jealousy, evil-surmising and accusation closed the heart against the full working of the Holy Spirit, and human prejudices, jealousy and tradition hindered understanding while they lacked wisdom to pass teaching on faithfully, so giving it then would have led to misunderstanding and bitter controversy. Their minds were so occupied with earthly and temporal concerns that spiritual and eternal realities were eclipsed and did not stand out clearly. They remained as babes in Christ when they should have been far advanced, with advancement not proportionate to privileges and opportunities, remaining carnal and not sanctified in soul, body and spirit, having forgotten cleansing from hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong while still cherishing carnal attributes, able to receive only milk and not the meat of higher truths. Humble, loving service would kindle love in their hearts and help them understand, and Christian instruction must therefore be given in due season according to what people are able to bear.
Promise of the Guiding Spirit
The withheld truth was to be given when the Comforter, the Spirit of truth sent after departure, would guide into all truth. He would speak what He hears, show things to come, and glorify Christ by receiving what belongs to Him and showing it to believers. He would quicken understanding to appreciate heavenly things, bring sayings to remembrance for accurate witness, and illuminate minds in full measure so the work could continue where Jesus left it. That teaching would come through people imbued with the Holy Spirit, including opening Scripture after the resurrection and unfolding atonement and kingdom more fully, while purifying trials fit believers to help others.
The same coming includes reproving and convicting the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment, not praising, flattering, or exalting. The Spirit alone can bring this conviction and connect humanity with divinity, enabling people to share in Christ's nature. He works through human capacities to bring light to the understanding, expose sin, and make truth not previously understood a living conviction and spiritual reality in the heart. He makes the preached Word effectual by convicting souls as to what is truth, for which those with faith should be asked to pray before speaking.
The Spirit of truth so promised means no deception, and He is Jesus the author of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it does not see or know Him, but whom believers know because He dwells with them and shall be in them. After ascension He would be sent to the church as the crowning gift, the Comforter to take Christ's place. This Comforter is the Holy Spirit, the soul of His life, the efficacy of His church, the light and life of the world, and with His Spirit Christ sends a reconciling influence and a power to take away sin. His office as Christ's representative is a theme of encouragement to keep before the people in every discourse, bringing all blessings and completeness in Christ when comprehended. The instruction in John 14-17 can be understood with new enlightenment when the mind is reshaped by the Spirit's influence, and eyes now blinded must be opened as upon the disciples at Pentecost, when the scales fall from them. It is received only as the heart is opened, for limited comprehension and closed hearts restrained further unfolding as labor lost, and they must receive the Holy Spirit before they could fully understand, with opening of the heart making bearable what could not then be borne. This calls for great carefulness not to resist His working, fearing the first presumptuous step in resistance, and for striving to understand His words, to appreciate the value of the wonderful gift, and to seek the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
Light Unfolding Gradually Ever
God discloses truth only as people are able to bear it, giving what is needed for progress toward heaven and withholding the rest according to capacity to understand. The great Teacher holds the entire map of truth yet reveals only what hearers can receive, leading step by step with other workers to follow from century to century. Huss and Jerome received great light exposing many errors of Rome, but not all the light to be given to the world, for God was leading the people out of the darkness of Romanism while many great obstacles remained. Like the full glory of the noontide sun to those long in darkness, full light presented at once would have caused them to turn away, so it was revealed to the leaders little by little as it could be received by the people. Reform must therefore remain progressive beyond Luther and the Wesleys, advancing when pride and desire for supremacy are laid aside and views are compared with Scripture.
To those who appreciate light and impart it to others increased light is given, including precious light and knowledge given to saints and prophets of former ages to be unfolded to the chosen in the last days when light will surely be given. Christ stands ever ready to supply the oil of grace so that light can shine amid moral darkness, yet that oil is not given to help others when they would not value and appreciate it. The words in John 16 hold a lesson to be studied and given to the people as Thus saith the Lord, with His works and words as sure evidence, and when willingly taken and given His abiding presence to the end of the world gives the Word converting power to bring converts. A messenger may be authorized to leave things deliberately unsaid because hearers are not able to receive them, and that inability belongs not only to one person but to others also and not only to the past but to the present, so some things that might be said may never be said.
Some matters are not yet fit to understand, so attempting to define what God has not revealed is unnecessary, with the promise that the Spirit of truth would later guide into all truth. God has not revealed everything because people could not bear a fuller revelation, but He has revealed what is necessary for salvation, which is to be received and lived by and not replaced with human suppositions. On high mysteries such as the nature of the Holy Spirit, which is not clearly revealed, defining what it is is not essential and gathering scriptures to construct an explanation gives no good, so silence is golden while what is essential is piety, devotion, and sanctification of soul, body, and spirit. Christ longed to open the truths of redemption — the life of Christ, the character of His mission, His incarnation, His atoning sacrifice and mediatorial work, the knowledge of God and of Christ, and the perfection and glory of Christ — but they lacked faith to seek, grasp, and appreciate them, leaving them vague, dwelt upon too lightly, though Scripture already puts every essential truth in possession and each fresh search gives more distinct light. What could not be grasped here even with fuller enlightenment will be learned in eternity, where the redeemed will understand those withheld truths and forever and forever see new and more distinct views of His perfection and glory.
The same gradual rule explains delayed light in history, for as He stood in the shadow of the cross He had many things He longed to tell but they were not then able to bear them. The correct time for the Sabbath's beginning was to be understood from Scripture but was not given until later, so before it came there was no guilt in not seeing it, while setting aside or rejecting light once come brought condemnation. Likewise warnings God has given have not been comprehended until the predicted evil came, and further things remain to be unfolded but cannot be borne yet.
Teaching As Hearers Bear
The verse lays down the law for teaching truth, that instruction must be fitted to the condition and readiness of the hearer. Hearts are first to be drawn by love, and then great truths are to be unfolded little by little, here a little and there a little, line upon line, step by step as they can be understood. This requires the tenderness and gentleness of Christ, with patience and kindness toward slow learners who need repeated, gradual instruction before they can discern holy lessons, advancing steadily and solidly in plain, clearly defined, simple language. Milk must come before meat, further understanding built from what is already known, presented in due season according to what can be valued and borne, with Christ and Him crucified kept at the center, leading minds up slowly so they can follow. For early education had left even those who had been with Jesus three years with mistaken ideas, and more instruction then would only have crowded minds, confused understanding, stirred questioning and unbelief hard to remove, and been labor lost, especially for those under the darkness of error taught by priests and ministers and educators, who must first see Christ formed within, the hope of glory.
Having all the truth does not authorize flashing it all at once, for truth flashed suddenly upon unprepared minds becomes darkness to them and shuts doors against further light. In prejudiced places and new fields this means not beginning with the Sabbath question or announcing the third angel's message from door to door, not forcing strong points or bringing on the final crisis before the time, and not needlessly arousing opposition by flaunting Sunday work, but refraining from lawful things where restraint advances the work. The work is to go forward quietly and cautiously by degrees, keeping close to the Word, preaching Christ and Him crucified, His sacrifice and sanctification first and then the Sabbath step by step, being wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Workers must guard against extremes and fanciful advancement and do nothing that closes minds, but let the Spirit awaken and remind until minds can bear more, withholding what would alarm or discourage, yet withholding is never permission to deceive.
Disclosures were withheld that would have absorbed attention, amazed, prompted misunderstanding and dispute, diverted from central instruction, created factions, and given occasion to those of little faith and piety to mystify and misrepresent. Human prejudice, jealousy, and tradition hindered understanding, and hearers lacked wisdom to pass teaching on faithfully, so giving it then would have led to bitter controversy, requiring wisdom to know when to speak and when to remain silent. He who is the source of all true science could have led minds into mysteries that would have absorbed thought and investigation for generations even to the close of time, until they felt no desire to eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son, for Satan constantly works to excite curiosity and busy men with conjecture in order to eclipse the grand and momentous truth ever to be prominent, that eternal life is to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent. Therefore revealed truth is to be treasured, studied, carefully preserved and kept in its proper place rather than pursued as unrevealed conjecture or twisted into error, kept from speculation so learners continue on the simple path to eternal life. What is untimely and would only foster differences of opinion is to be held subordinate and in the background, with unity upon the main pillars and essentials for this time, the Sabbath, the keeping of the commandments, and preparation in the great day of atonement by afflicting the soul, confessing sin and humbling the heart, without agitating speculative ideas not of vital importance.
The same wisdom governs the timing of personal testimony and plain facts, for true knowledge of a person's condition, with warning, reproof and counsel, is not always to be spoken at once when hearers in an unconsecrated state cannot bear it. Written personal testimony may be held back for a year when warned it would be rejected, then delivered later by discreet face-to-face labor lasting hours after conviction and dreams have prepared the hearer, turning certain rejection into acceptance, and a denominational message may likewise be delayed until the recipient is prepared. Those caring for the sick must keep back plain and decided facts about their true state when telling all would prejudice minds or drive them to hopelessness, and the whole counsel of warning and reproof must be deferred while hearers cannot bear it. Seeing and understanding truth does not create obligation to say all that is thought, so sanctified wisdom is needed to know what to withhold and when to speak or remain silent, while also recognizing when the time has come for a decisive message to be given in writing.