For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.
In its setting the saying belongs to the teaching that light is not to be hidden away but to be brought forth and set on a candlestick where it can be seen by all who are in the house. Nothing secret or hidden stays concealed, but will be brought to light, made manifest, become known and come abroad. Even what has been misrepresented will eventually be made known. Those who honor God can therefore wait in patience and trust, confident that God will honor them before men and angels.
The house represents the world. The light must therefore reach everyone, and the work must take a broad view rather than keeping its light confined to a small sphere. For God's people this means going from house to house, watching for opportunities to sow the seeds of truth and working for the conversion of souls. It forbids standing aloof from one another and spending energy in faultfinding, criticism, anger over being misunderstood, words of doubt and unbelief that magnify difficulties, accusing the brethren, slander, tearing down a fellow being's reputation, and weakening another's hands, and calls instead to build up and not tear down.
In its setting the saying belongs to the teaching that light is not to be hidden away but to be brought forth and set on a candlestick where it can be seen by all who are in the house. Nothing secret or hidden stays concealed, but will be brought to light, made manifest, become known and come abroad. Even what has been misrepresented will eventually be made known. Those who honor God can therefore wait in patience and trust, confident that God will honor them before men and angels.
The house represents the world. The light must therefore reach everyone, and the work must take a broad view rather than keeping its light confined to a small sphere. For God's people this means going from house to house, watching for opportunities to sow the seeds of truth and working for the conversion of souls. It forbids standing aloof from one another and spending energy in faultfinding, criticism, anger over being misunderstood, words of doubt and unbelief that magnify difficulties, accusing the brethren, slander, tearing down a fellow being's reputation, and weakening another's hands, and calls instead to build up and not tear down.