"Abba" is the Hebrew word for "father," in the emphatic or definite state, as "thy father." Its use in referring to God was common among the Jews; but in order that it might not seem too familiar or irreverent, the New Testament writers gave it the twofold form, which has become a recognized phrase in Christian worship. It is as though they said: "Father, our Father."
Armageddon is the name given to the last great battle to be fought in the world's history, in which the whole human race is arrayed on one side or the other. It is to be the final struggle of Antichrist. When it will be fought no one can tell; but that there will be a great struggle we are assured. Before that day comes "many false prophets shall arise and lead many astray . . . iniquity shall be multiplied and the love of many shall wax cold." There are to be false Christs, false teachers doing signs and wonders, and leading astray "even the elect if such were possible." It is to be preceded by a period of apostasy, in which the authority of the wicked one will be fully demonstrated, with the assumption of divinity and the demand for universal worship as God. In the present stage of the conflict between good and evil, when mighty forces are arrayed on both sides, we can see the foreshadowing of the fierce struggle that is to come; but we may rest assured that righteousness will triumph in the end. (See the parallel passage in Joel 3:2-12.) Armageddon is "the mountain of Megiddo," west of the Jordan, a scene of early historic battles and the place that would naturally suggest itself to the mind of a Galilean writer to whom the place and its associations were familiar.
It refers to Satan (Eph. 2:2), the "prince of evil," who assails men on earth with trials and temptations. The word "power" is used here for the embodiment of that evil spirit which is the ruling principle of all unbelief, especially among the heathen. (See I Tim. 4:1; II Cor. 4:4; John 12:31.)
XXX159A. What Is to Be Understood by Being "Baptized for the Dead"? Beuzel translated the familiar passage in I Cor. 15:29 thus: "Over the dead," or "immediately upon the dead," meaning those who will be gathered to the dead immediately after baptism. Many in the ancient church put off baptism till near death. The passage probably referred to some symbolical rite of baptism or dedication of themselves to follow the dead even to death. Another view held by some expositors is that it was a custom to baptize certain persons with the names of the dead, in the hope that they might inherit their spirit and carry on their work.
It has been variously interpreted to mean: (1) the baptism of the Holy Spirit, (2) the fires of purgatory, and (3) the everlasting fires of hell. Modern theologians take the view that the baptism of fire and that of the Holy Ghost are the same, and that it may be rendered "baptized with the Holy Ghost through the outward symbol of fire," or "as with the cloven tongues of fire," referring to the Pentecostal baptism.
Nahum 2:4 has been quoted as referring to automobiles, but this appears to strain the meaning of the passage, which was written as a direct prophecy of the destruction of Nineveh. The verse describes the mad rush of those in chariots to escape the enemy. Isa. 60:8 has been thought by some to be a reference to the coming use of airships, but here again the direct meaning is obvious, that in the time of Judea's prosperity ships shall flock to her shores as doves to the windows of their dovecotes. Hab. 1:8 might be thought to presage manflight, but the figure is used to express the terrific haste with which the Chaldeans shall come against Judea.
The Seer of Revelation appears to have had his visions in the form of a series of scenes, as in a panorama. Almost at the close (Rev. 14:9) he saw the beast you refer to. It is evidently identical with the beast described by Daniel (Dan. 7:7). It is representative of the power which is said to have throughout the world's history opposed God. It appears in John's narrative in a series of forms, and is sometimes identified with a persecuting church, and sometimes is the civil power. At the culmination of its career, John saw it as the great Antichrist, who is yet to arise, who would attain to such power in the world that he would exclude any many from office and from even engaging in trade, who did not acknowledge him. Only those who bear the mark of the beast can buy or sell in that time. This mark may be a badge to be worn on forehead or hand, or as some scholars think, merely the coins to be used in business, which will bear Antichrist's title symbolized by the number 666.
"As the serpent was lifted up in the wilderness, so must the son of man be lifted up." These were the Saviour's words. Jesus' death on the cross was an uplifting, and in this sense it is compared to the uplifting of the brazen serpent. In both cases the remedy is divinely provided and there is another striking similarity: As death came to the Israelites in the wilderness by the serpent's sting and life came by the uplifting of a serpent, so, in redemption, by man came death, and by the death of the God-man in the likeness of sinful flesh comes life eternal. In the first instance the cure was effected by directing the eye to the uplifted serpent; in the other, it takes place when the eye of faith is fixed upon the uplifted Christ
This has been answered by a notable authority as follows: "Gen. 6:1-4 forms the introduction to the story of the Flood. All races have preserved the tradition of a flood; whether it was universal or local is a moot point The Jewish Scriptures leave the investigation of natural phenomena to human research. The Bible is not a scientific treatise. Its sole concern is religious and moral. Its aim is to justify the ways of God to man, and to show that natural phenomena, being controlled by God, are in harmony with divine justice. Hence, before relating the story of the Flood, Holy Writ sets forth the universal corruption which justified the destruction of the human race, with the exception of one family. Chapter 6:1-7 describes the violence and immorality prevalent in the antediluvian period. Mankind had, in course of time, fallen into two divisions--the classes and the masses. The masses were the common multitude of toilers, the ordinary 'sons of men.' The classes were the 'supermen,' 'the sons of God,' 'the mighty heroes.' The latter formed the aristocracy; they were the ruling class, the children of judges and princes. Small in number, they were physically strong and mentally vigorous, and had, moreover, appropriated a large portion of the wealth of the then known world. They should have used their power and position for the benefit of their kind, and set an example in chastity, temperance, self-restraint, justice and kindliness. Instead, they gave way to unbridled lust, to indulge which they resorted to violence. "They saw that the daughters of men (i.e., the common folk) were fair, and they took (i.e., by force) whomsoever they chose." This abuse of power was punished by the destruction of the race. The Eternal said: "My spirit shall not abide in man forever." The Hebrew word may mean 'abide as a sword in a sheath'; or it may mean 'contend with man'--the higher with the lower nature--the spirit of heaven with the body formed of dust and its instincts, of the earth, earthy; or it may mean 'My spirit shall not rule in man.' The struggle is too severe. 'Since he is but flesh, his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.' On account of the moral infirmity incident to human nature, time will be given for repentance. If the opportunity is not taken, destruction will follow the respite. Nephilim literally means 'the fallen.' On the principle of Incus a non lucendo, the term refers to the men of gigantic stature who existed in ancient times. They were the mighty men who yielded to licentious passions. The children of these illegitimate unions were also, for some generations, Nephilim of gigantic stature, famed for their physical and mental development, but morally degenerate. They were the renowned heroes of old--the mighty warriors, like the berserkers of the northern sagas."
Another view is that "the sons of God" were the Semites, who had maintained in some measure the filial relationship to God, and who now intermarried with the Cainites, who had been spiritually disowned on account of their godlessness and unbelief. All the evidence leads to the conclusion that the whole arraignment of wickedness upon the earth related to beings of flesh and blood (see Gen. 6:3) and not to supernatural beings, who, we are elsewhere told distinctly, have no distinction of sex and never marry (see Luke 20:35,36). In this view, which seems to be the correct one, the appellation "sons of God" refers to men's moral and in no sense to their physical state. There are many passages elsewhere that bear out this belief. (See Acts 17:28; Ex. 4:22,23; Deut. 14:1; Hosea 11:1, etc.)
The question has been the subject of dispute for many generations. The plain meaning of the narrative, however, seems to us to be that Satan had gained absolute possession and control of the afflicted persons and that Christ evicted him by his superior power. It seems to us impossible on any other assumption to satisfactorily explain the words of exorcism Christ used, the words uttered by the afflicted persons and the effects which followed. The symptoms described very closely resemble those of some forms of epilepsy and insanity of our time. Science, however, does not now ascribe the affliction to demoniacal possession. Nevertheless some of the patients do occasionally display a degree of malignity and cunning which could scarcely be exceeded if they were really possessed by the devil.
There are several senses in which the word "kingdom" is used. It may be taken in general terms as the kingdom which is set up in the heart (as Christ told the Pharisees, Luke 17:21, "The kingdom of God is within you") and the kingdom which is set up in the world (see Daniel 2:44) and the kingdom Christ will establish at his second coming (II Timothy 4:1), and there is the kingdom in heaven where God reigns. In the first of these senses we enter the kingdom at conversion when we give our allegiance to Christ
The passage in Rom. 6:3,4,5 implies that those who have gone through this experience have formally surrendered the whole state and life of sin, as being dead in Christ. Verse 4 is more accurately interpreted "by the same baptism which makes us sharers in his death we are made partakers of his burial also," thus severing our last link of connection with the sinful condition and life which Christ brought to an end in his death. Possibly immersion was alluded to in this verse as symbolical of burial and resurrection. Verse 5 is self-explanatory.
The reference is exclusively to the relation of the believer to the risen Lord, and expresses a peculiar spiritual connection. Rev. David Smith, the distinguished theologian, defines it as a spiritual way of four connecting links, viz.: (1) Christ for us (see II Cor. 5:21), which is substitution; (2) We in Christ (II Cor. 5:7; Rom. 6:11), which is justification; (3) Christ in us (Rom. 8:11; II Cor. 13:5; Gal. 2:20), which is sanctification, and (4) We for Christ (II Cor. 5:10), which is consecration. This is the condition of Christ's tree disciple. He stands in the world as representa tive and witness-bearer for Christ It is not merely a question of his own salvation; he must be a shining light to guide others, and must live the Christ-life, under whatever circumstances he may be placed. One who lives the Christ-life and all of whose thoughts, acts, influences and hopes are centered on carrying on the work of Christ, and who is guided by his will, can be said to be truly "in Christ."
Paul had described himself as having been crucified with Christ (Gal. 2:20). He was dead to the world through the death of Christ, dead to sin, to worldly ambition, and to all the worldly principles and motives. But he might have been asked, "Was he really dead?*' and, in Col. 3:1, he answers that, like Christ, he had received a new life, having been raised with him, as he had been crucified with him. This was the resurrection life by which he had become transformed, and was a new creature in Christ Jesus. It was this that Augustine meant when he was greeted by a dissolute companion of his youth, whom he had passed on the street without recognition. "August, it is I, do you not know me?" He replied: "I am August no longer." Having become a Christian (risen with Christ) he had abandoned all his old life with its companions and associations.
A Christian is (1) one who believes in Jesus Christ the divine Son of God, and that through his life and atonement we have everlasting life; (2) the Christian through his fellowship with Christ receives the adoption of a child of God (see I John 3:2 and 5:1); (3) he enters into fellowship and communion with God. See Heb. 2:11,16; I John 1:3; Prov. 18:24. (4) He is sanctified and separated. See Rom. 1:7; I Pet. 1:14,15; I Thess. 5:23. (5) He is a soldier. I Tim. 6:12; II Tim. 2:3,4. (6) He is an heir of glory. Rom. 8:17; Gal. 3:29; Gal. 4:7; Titus 3:7; I Pet 1:3,4.
See Acts 11:26; 26:28 and I Peter 4:16 which make the earliest mention of the term "Christian" being used to distinguish this from other religious sects. Thus, though the three Magi or Eastern princes, who came, led by the star, to worship the infant Christ (see Matt. 2:1-5), and the shepherds who also worshiped (see Luke 2:15,16,17) and the aged Simeon and Anna (same chapter) doubtless believed, they were not Christians in name; nor does it appear that either the divine nature of the Master or his mission were clearly comprehended until John the Baptist proclaimed him as Messiah. His disciples were literally the first Christians, being both believers and followers. The first Christians known as such by name, were those of the church founded by Paul and Barnabas at Antioch about A.D. 34. The term "Christian" is said to have been first used in the Episcopate of Evodius at Antioch, who was appointed by the Apostle Peter as his own successor.
The word "church" is first applied by Luke the evangelist to the company of original disciples at Jeru salem at Pentecost (Acts 2:47), and is afterwards applied in Acts, Epistles and Revelation to the whole Christian body or society, as well as the sanctified of God (Eph. 5:27), and to those who profess Christian faith under pastors (I Cor. 12:28). It was also applied to early societies of Christians in cities and provinces (Acts 8:1), to Christian assemblies (Rom. 16:5), and to small gatherings of friends and neighbors in private houses (I Cor. 11:18 and 14:19,28). In those early days and for a long time afterward, there was no distinctive body and certainly no denomination; the church was simply an appellation describing groups of believers anywhere. Later, these groups were organized into congregations and districts and parishes were defined. Then they were called "Christians," the first use of this appellation being at Antioch. The Romanist claim to priority is an old one, but it does not stand the test of history. The title "Catholic Church" (meaning the "church universal") was originally given to the Christian Church on account of its not being confined to Jews but embracing other nationalities. The earliest use of this title was about 166 A.D., whereas the Roman Catholic Church as such did not come into existence until several centuries afterward, when the original church divided in consequence of the rivalry between the bishops of Rome and Constantinople.
There does not seem to have been any special observance of the nativity until the celebration in the Eastern Church (or Greek Christian Church) in A.D. 220 The Western (or Latin) Church began to cele brate it about a century later. Both adopted the uniform date about A.D. 380. There are some writers, however, who affirm that it was solemnly celebrated among the early Christians in the second century. Chronologists disagree as to the exact year of the nativity, but the majority believe it was B.C. 5. The celebration was at first held on January 6, but toward the end of the fourth century it was changed to December 25. The Christmas tree, it is said, was first used in Europe in the eighth or ninth century, and was introduced by a German or Hungarian princess.
"Creation" means, in the orthodox sense, that God of his own free will and by his absolute power, called the whole universe into being, evoking into existence that which before was nonexistent. See Rom. 4:17; Ps. 33:6,9; Heb. 3:4; Acts 17:24; Acts 14:15; Ps. 102:5; Jer. 10:12; John 1:3; Rev. 4:11. It is needless to speculate on these matters. If we concede the absolute power of God, we must accept his power both to create and annihilate, as stated in the Scriptures. There are many problems which the finite mind cannot wholly grasp and which must be accepted by faith or left alone.
Whether or not there are evil spirits and the fact of demon possession has often proved baffling to believers. Ephesians 6:12, for instance, is a recognition of the existence and power of evil spirits. It is intimated that there are kingdoms of evil, ruled by wicked beings, which are fighting the powers of good. Against these forces the Christian, protected by the armor of God, is called to fight. The expression "in high places," or as translated in the margin, "heavenly places," may mean in the "upper air," as some interpret it, or as others hold, that even in the highest Christian experiences we are subject to temptation (which is, of course, the case), and that we must contend with the evil spirits for the possession of these high places in the spiritual world. Although many rationalistic teachers have held that the Biblical cases of demon possession were nothing more than forms of epilepsy, violent hysteria, lunacy and other kinds of permanent or temporary mental derangement known at the present day, nothing has been actually proven which discredits the Scripture accounts and statements. Specialists today recognize the existence of recurrent mania, which sometimes assumes a destructive character. The Bible recognizes a form of lunacy different from demon possession. See Matt. 4:24. We know there are evil persons who, while alive in the flesh, do harm to others. Some have the definite experience of feeling themselves impelled to do wrong by an influence outside their own minds or bodies. Some present-day cases of insanity are really cases in which there are features that furnish a close parallel to demon possession. It is only fair to state, however, that present-day theological opinion is divided on the subject. It is certain that the belief in demon possession was held in early Christian times, and for long ages thereafter, and included at one time almost every form of mental disorder. On the other hand, it is urged that it is just as rational to believe in devils as to believe in angels. Angels are a race of personal holy beings; demons a race of personal vicious beings, both existing in a form other than human and corporeal.
Man's likeness to God, referred to in Gen. 1:26, is the great fact which distinguishes him from the rest of creation. He is a "person" with power to think, feel and will, and with the capacity for moral life and growth. Still further, at the beginning, man had not only the capacity for moral life, but his moral disposition was such that he loved God, loved the right, and hated the wrong. The tragedy of the fall reversed this. Man was still a person and still had the capacity for righteousness, but his spirit was so changed that he feared and distrusted God, and, to a greater or less extent, loved the evil and disliked the good. Jesus came to undo this calamity and to restore us to a moral likeness to God.
"Elect" is a term variously applied. It sometimes meant the ancient church, and the whole body of baptized Christians; again, it was those elected to baptism; and still again, it was the newly baptized who had just been admitted to full Christian privileges. Further it is applied to those especially chosen for the Lord's work, like his prophets and evangelists, and to those who had undergone tribulation and even martyrdom. It has been applied to the whole Jewish people as chosen of God. Finally, it is applied to individuals who, not of their own merit, but through God's grace, through Jesus Christ, are chosen not only to salvation, but to sanctification of the spirit and who are holy and blameless before the Lord. They are individuals specially chosen out of the world to be heirs of salvation and witnesses for God before men. This is not of works, but of free grace. In a general way, the "elect" are the sanctified--those chosen to salvation through sanctification of the spirit, as explained in I Peter 1:2 and similar passages. They are the special vessels of the Spirit chosen in God's good pleasure to carry out his purposes. This election is of grace and not of works (see Rom. 9:18,22,23). In all ages such men have been evidently chosen by the Lord as his witnesses. This choice is at once an expression of his sovereignty and his grace. Paul himself was so chosen. On the other hand, it should not be forgotten that salvation is by grace. The whole subject of election has been one of acute controversy for ages and has given rise to many differences of opinion. The attitude of Christians with regard to the Second Coming should be one of prayer, expectancy and constant preparation.
The apostle in I Cor. 3:15 speaks of mistaken teachings and concludes that the man whose work was not of genuine character, who had been seeking worldly gain and popularity and not trying to win and build up souls, would lose the reward which would be given to the preacher who built on the foundation of Christ, "gold, silver, and precious stones." The unprofitable worker's work he likens to wood and stubble which would not stand the day of judgment. Even though his soul should be saved, he would miss the reward promised to the faithful worker, while his own work, being false, will not escape the destruction.
The "strange fire" mentioned in Lev. 10:1,2 is understood to mean that Nadab and Abihu, instead of taking fire into their censers from the brazen altar, took common fire which had not been consecrated, and thus were guilty of sacrilege. They had witnessed the descent of the miraculous fire from the cloud (see chapter 9:24), and they were under solemn obligation to use that fire which was specially appropriated to the altar service. But instead of doing so, they became careless, showing want of faith and lamentable irreverence, and their example, had it been permitted to pass unpunished, would have established an evil precedent The fire that slew them issued from the most holy place, which is the accepted interpretation of the words, "from the Lord." Besides, the two young priests had already been commanded (or warned) not to do the thing they did (verse 2). They had undertaken to perform acts which belonged to the high priest alone, and even to intrude into the innermost sanctuary. See the warnings in Ex. 19:22 and Lev. 8:35.
There have been many interpretations of the Fall, and the books on the subject would fill a small library. The majority of the early Christian fathers held the Mosaic account to be historical, and interpreted it literally, believing that an actual fruit of some kind, not definitely known, was eaten by our first parents. A few early writers, Philo among them, regarded the story of the Fall as symbolical and mystical, shadowing forth allegorical truths, and that the serpent was the symbol of pleasure, and the offense was forbidden sensuous indulgence. Whatever the "fruit" may have been, its use was plainly the violation of a divine prohibition, the indulgence of an unlawful appetite, the sinful aspiration after forbidden knowledge. Professor Banks, several years ago, while traveling in the region of the Tigris and Euphrates, found in a little known district a place which the natives declared to be the traditional site of Eden and a tree (name and species unknown) which they believed to be the successor of the original tree of knowledge, and it was venerated greatly. It bore no fruit.
For an enumeration of the spiritual gifts see Acts 11:17; I Cor. 12 and 13; I Peter 4:10. The gift of healing is held by some denominations as having belonged exclusively to apostolic times, while others claim that it is granted even now to those who have sufficient faith.
"Generation" is used in a variety of senses in the Scriptures. In some cases, it means a period of limitless duration; in others it means the past (Isa. 51:8), and still others the future (Ps. 100:5) > again, it means both the past and future (Ps. 102:24). In Gen. 6:9 it means all men living at any given time. In Prov. 30:11,14 it refers to a class of men with some special characteristics, and in Ps. 49:19 it may be interpreted to mean the "dwelling-place." A generation, in modern phraseology, means thirty to thirty-five years, but there is no instance of the word being used in this particular sense in the Bible. Thus, "the book of the generation of Jesus Christ" is a genealogical record extending back to Abraham. In I Peter 2:9 it means an elect race.
It is understood to have been not only the power of speaking various languages which the speaker had not previously studied or acquired, but also the power to speak a spiritual language unknown to man, uttered in ecstasy and understood only by those enlightened by the Holy Spirit. Paul, in I Cor. 12:10, is writing not to depreciate this gift, but to warn the Corinthians not to be led away by unprofitable or doubtful manifestations of it. Even in those early days of the Church, the leaders had difficulty in controlling the tendency to fanaticism among its adherents. The gift of tongues at Pentecost was given because of a great and urgent need. It is supposed by some authorities to have been speaking so that under the direction of the Holy Spirit it sounded to the ear of every auditor as though it were his own mother-tongue. There were many nationalities represented in the throng, but no confusion or misunderstandings. The gift of tongues on this particular occasion was the miraculous method employed to bring into the Gospel fold the strangers from other lands. The lesson is that God is not the author of confusion, and he never gives a message to his children that is unin telligible. Any "gift" or message that is incapable of being understood is not of God. We should try the spirits by this simple but decisive test.
In discussing spiritual things, to be right, no one can go beyond the word of Scripture. The Bible tells us that God gave to man a living soul. In this sense he was in the image of his Maker in his dispositions, temperament and desires, and in his obedience to the divine will; but this condition was forfeited through sin. It could only be said thereafter of those who walked uprightly before God and were inspired of him, that they were "his offspring." (Matt. 13:38; Mark 7:10. See John 12:36; Acts 13:10; Col. 3:6.) Jesus himself drew the distinction when he told the wicked scribes and Pharisees that they were the children of the evil one, and this is the actual condition of every one living in sin, unrepentant and unforgiven. Thus while in his perfect condition man was like his Maker, in a condition of sin he is no longer so, nor has he any of the spiritual attributes and qualities that belong to the perfect condition, or even of the pardoned sinner, who has the hope through Christ of reconciliation and restoration. The Bible nowhere declares that man is of himself and inherently immortal. "The soul that sin-neth, it shall die." When sin entered, then came physical decay and death; man's first condition was lost and with the continuance of sin, and unrepentant and unforgiven, he also forfeited spiritual immortality. Eternal life is the gift of God. Paul declares that Jesus, through his Gospel, brought life and immortality to light for fallen man and showed the path to restoration through repentance, forgiveness and acceptance.
It is held by the best authorities and by the Jews themselves that the name is derived from Heber, or Eber (which means "from the other side," or a sojourner, or immigrant). Heber was the son of Salah and the father of Peleg (see Gen. 10:24, 11:14, and I Chron. 1:25). Abram was the first to be called a Hebrew (Gen. 14:13), presumably in the immigrant sense. The name is seldom used of the Israelites in the Old Testament, except when the speaker is a foreigner, or when the Israelites speak of themselves to one of another nation. Some writers have held that Hebrew is derived from Abraham (Abrai), but this explanation is not generally adopted.
The Greek word translated "heresies" in Gal. 5:20 means either an opinion or a party. As used in the New Testament it stands for an opinion "varying from the true exposition of the Christian faith" (as in II Peter 2:11), or a body of men following mistaken or blameworthy ideas, or, as a combination of these two meanings, "dissensions." This latter definition "dissensions" is the rendering given by Thayer in this passage. The American revision translates the word "parties," leaving, however, the expression "heresies" as the marginal reading. The three last words of the verse, "strife," "seditions," "heresies," are, in the American revision, "factions, divisions, parties."
An "indulgence" is a spiritual bill of health or official act of pardon granted by the Church of Rome. It has no warrant in Scripture. There are indulgences to ease the way of souls out of purgatory, indulgences for the living, permitting them to eat meat on holy days; indulgences for the forgiveness of past sins, and, in Spain at least, and probably in other countries, indulgences for those who have committed crimes, by which they are relieved of the responsibility of their acts. Indulgences are usually purchased with a fee, although in some cases they are granted in consideration of undergoing some form of penance. A recent illustration is the distribution of indulgences during the Eucharistic Congress in Vienna, where they seem to have been granted free to many people as a reward for their loyalty and devotion to the Catholic Church on that occasion.
These words (in Rev. 2:4.) were addressed to the Christian believers at Ephesus. The "first love" does not refer to any person or influence other than Christ, but simply means that the Ephesians had lost the intensity of their affection and zeal for Christ. The Ephesian Church had had special opportunities and blessing. Under Paul's ministrations its members had received the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:1-6); the apostle had resided with them for three years (Acts 20:31); he had later written to them what is perhaps his most spiritually exalted epistle. Their experience of love for Christ had been warm and keen. In his message sent them through John the Master is reproving them for having allowed their love for him to grow weak and cold.
There have been at different times various interpretations of the famous passage in Isa. 14:12 : "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!" "Lucifer" means "light-bringer," and has also been translated "son of the morning," "morning star," "brilliant," "splendid," "illustrious." Tertullian and Gregory the Great interpreted the passage in Isaiah as referring to the fall of Satan, and, since their time, the name "Lucifer" has been almost universally held by the Christian Church to be an appellation of Satan before the fall. Dr. Henderson, a famous commentator, simply interprets it "illustrious son of the morning," and holds that it has no reference to the fall of the apostate angels. Some later authorities claim that the passage has a prophetic reference to the fall from power of the great and illustrious King of Babylon, who surpassed all other monarchs of his time in splendor.
It was a practice to brand slaves with their owners' initials. A slave by showing the brand proved to whom his service was due and that no one else had a claim upon him. The marks of the Lord Jesus which Paul bore (Gal. 6:17) were the scars received in his service --the marks of the rods with which he was beaten and the wounds he received in fighting with wild beasts. He showed them as evidence that he belonged to the Lord Jesus.
These wise men were from either Arabia, Mesopotamia, Egypt, or somewhere else in the East. "East" is not to be understood in our wide, modern sense, but referred to those countries that lie to the east as well as north of Palestine. Thus, Persia is referred to as the "East" (Isa. 46:11). While it is true that the Gospel account does not state the number of wise men, but simply says they were from the East, many ancient traditions have been preserved from the early days of the Christian Church, among them one which states that there were three Magian princes, and gives their names as Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar, who came with a large retinue of servants and camels. Magism is supposed to have originated in Chaldea and thence spread to the adjacent countries. The Magians are believed to have been originally Semitic. Among the Greeks and Romans they were known as Chaldeans. Daniel sympathized with the order during his exile, and probably became one of their number. They believed in God, hated idolatry and looked for a Messiah. The latter fact alone would almost be regarded as conclusive evidence of their Semitic descent. There are no absolute data, however, for asserting it positively. For many generations the Magi has looked for the ful ailment of the prophecy contained in Numbers 24:17 ". . . there shall come a star out of Jacob . . ." and when the light as guiding star indicated the direction of Judea they knew the prophecy had been fulfilled. "His star" can be interpreted as "his sign." Whatever form it assumed, it was sufficiently marked as an astronomical phenomenon to claim attention. Some writers have contended that it was visible to the Magi alone; others hold that it was a heavenly light, standing as a beacon of glory over the manger; still others, that it was the luminous figure of an angel. Tradition asserts that "the star" guided the Magi both by day and by night. The infant Saviour was probably over two months old when the visit of the Magi took place. They had seen the phenomenon of the star long before their arrival in Jerusalem, two months after Jesus had been presented in the temple, and it was some time after this that the Magi arrived in Jerusalem and went thence to Bethlehem to worship him and offer gifts. It must have taken them many months to accomplish the journey from their own country to Palestine. The Magi brought the first material Christmas gifts when they presented their love offerings.
Paul evidently believed that immediately before the second coming of Christ there would be fierce temptation and persecution (II Thess. 2:3). Christ referred to the same event (see Matt. 24:20-25). The man of sin is the Antichrist or Pseudo-Christ, who is to deceive many. He is described in Rev. 13:11-18.
The New Testament indicates that the Jewish Christians held both days holy. Paul evidently preached in the synagogues on the Sabbath, but it was on the first day of the week that the Gentile Christians met to break bread (Acts 20:7). This second sacred day was called the Lord's Day to distinguish it from the Sabbath, and was probably the only one observed by the Gentile converts. There is a hint of their being called to account for observing that day only, in Col. 2:16, where Paul bids them pay no heed to their critics. The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, written certainly before the year 100 A. D., speaks of the Lord's Day and refers to it as a day of holy meeting and the breaking of bread (chapter 14). The primitive Christians everywhere kept it so solemnly. Pliny, the historian, refers to this fact in his letter to Trajan about A.D. 100. Justin Martyr (A.D. 140) describes the religious worship of the early Christians, their sacramental observances, etc., on the "First Day." Other early writers who make clear and unmistakable reference to the Lord's Day are Dionysius of Corinth, Irenaeus of Lyons (who asserted that the Sabbath was abolished), Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Origen, Cyprian, Commodian, Victorious, and lastly Peter of Alexandria (A.D. 300), who says: "We keep the Lord's Day as a day of joy because of him who rose thereon." These evidences cover the first two centuries after our Lord's death and indicate that the Lord's Day is an institution of apostolic sanction and custom. All grounds of doubt are swept away by the fact that Constantine in an edict issued in A.D. 321 honored that day by recognizing it as one sacred to the Christians, and ordered that business should be intermitted thereon. Finally, the Council of Nicsea (A.D. 325) in its official proceedings gave directions concerning the forms of Christian worship on that day, and the Council of Laodicea (A.D. 364) enjoined rest on the Lord's Day. Thus by apostolic) usage, by law and custom, by imperial edict and by the highest councils of the early Christian Church the change has been accepted and approved.
The word "Sabbath" is derived from the Hebrew "Shabua," meaning "seven," or a heptad of seven days. It was employed to designate the seventh day of the Jewish week (from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday). Under the Christian dispensation the day of rest is changed from the seventh to the first day of the week, in memory of Christ's resurrection, and its true designation therefore is neither Sabbath (which is the ancient Jewish term) nor Sunday (which is the heathen appellation, i. e., "the day of the sun"), but "the Lord's day." It is not with us, as with the Jews, a day of rest and absolute abstention from all employment, but a day of spiritual recuperation and religious activities in a thousand different directions, and a period of withdrawal from secular pursuits. Under the Mosaic law, one might not walk beyond a certain distance, nor light a fire, nor even carry a handkerchief. With us it is rather a day of celebration and glad Christian work, wholly unham pered by the ancient restrictions and obligations which were designed to apply to a different age and dispensation. The use of any one of the three terms-- Sunday, Sabbath or Lord's Day--is, however, with most people, rather a matter of habit than of principle, as the historical facts are thoroughly well established.
The "secret place" (see Ps. 91:l) is interpreted as meaning "the covert" of his tabernacle--"the beatitude of the inner circle, or secret shrine, to which that select company of the faithful have access, and where they may taste the hidden wisdom." One commentator writes that this passage applies "to those who are more at home with God than other Christians, and who are also more alone with God. In this inner circle the childlike spirit is made one with the will and the love of the almighty Father. It is a security and a refuge against whatsoever may await us in this world or elsewhere, and those who belong to it bear on their countenances the seal that they are free from fear of evil and that they have gained the victory over terror and dismay." In brief, it is only those who live closely to God who find those divine attributes which to others are majestic and overpowering, transformed into a sure shelter and a joy that lifts all care forever from the soul.
The "sleeping saints" (see I Thes. 4:14 and Matt. 27:52,53) are held to be Old Testament believers who, having served the Lord faithfully according to their lights, and who looked forward to the promise of the Messiah's coming, were quickened at the moment of Jesus' death, although they did not come out of their graves until his resurrection. The opening of the graves was symbolic proclamation that death was "swallowed up in victory"; and the rising of the saints after Jesus' resurrection fittingly showed that the Saviour of the world was to be the "first" that should rise from the dead. (See Acts 26:23; Col. 1:18; Rev. 1:5.)
The passage in I Peter 3:19,20 is one which has been much discussed. It is generally interpreted as meaning that the preaching to the spirits "in prison" implies not the preaching of the Gospel, but the announcement of Christ's finished work. Nor does it imply a second day of grace. The spirits were clearly those of the Antediluvians. The passage, however, is mysterious and has puzzled Bible students in all times. Peter is the only Bible writer who mentions the occurrence, whatever it may have been, so that there are no other passages to shed light upon it. The apostle was speaking in the context of the operation of the Holy Spirit and it has been generally thought by Augustine among the Fathers and by Dr. Adam Clarke and other modern commentators that he referred to the Antediluvians as having, like others who lived before Christ, been under the Spirit's influence, though they repelled it. In that case his meaning would be that Christ had from the beginning been preaching through, or by, the Spirit, to men in all ages, as he preaches to men now by his Spirit through his ministers. Other theologians, Dean Al-ford among them, contend that somewhere in the universe these Spirits were imprisoned and that Christ preached to them in the interval between his death and resurrection, though that view is surrounded by other difficulties which are obvious. The reference is incidental and does not practically concern us so much as does the lesson Peter is enforcing, that through the Holy Spirit we are enabled to live to the spirit and not to the flesh.
The word is one which Christians ought to guard zealously in religious phraseology. There is a recent tendency to use the word in a loose sense, giving it merely its philosophical or scientific meaning rather than its real Bible and theological significance. In secular phraseology the word means: relating to spirit, rather than to matter. Many varying shades of meaning grow out of this basic idea: one poet may be more spiritual than another; one artist than another; one musician than another. In this sense the word implies a relation to thoughts, emotions, impulses, connected with the soul of a man rather than his body. But the Christian use of the word is distinctive. It is given as the third definition of the word in the Standard Dictionary: "Of or relating to the soul as acted on by the Holy Spirit." An apt quotation from Henry Drummond is given: "The spiritual life is the gift of the living Spirit The spiritual man is no mere development of the natural man. He is a new creation, born from above." In Christian phrase ology, then, a man is spiritual as he is possessed, filled and dominated by the Holy Spirit
The tree of knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:8) was designed as a test of obedience by which our first parents were to be tried, whether they would be good or evil; whether they would chose to obey God or break his commandments, and the eating of the fruit of the tree revealed to them their new condition as sinners under divine displeasure.
Gen. 2:9 and 3:22,24 tells practically all that we know of the "tree of life," although a vast amount of speculative literature has appeared on the subject. Various references to the "tree of life" elsewhere in Scripture show that it was regarded as the means provided by divine wisdom as an antidote against disease and bodily decay. Access to it was conditioned upon our first parents obeying the injunction against eating the forbidden fruit of the "tree of knowledge," which was the test of obedience. Certain Hebrew writers have called the two trees "the trees of the lives," holding that the wondrous property of one in perpetuating physical life and conferring perennial health was in direct contrast with the other, the "tree of knowledge," which was sure to occasion bodily suffering and death. "The tree of life was, in short, a sacramental tree," writes one commentator, "by the eating of which man, in his state of innocence, kept himself in covenant with God."
The passage in II Cor. 6:14 may have a wide interpretation. "Unequally yoked" may mean bound together with one who is alien in spirit, although it might also mean that the disparity in culture or possessions, the difference in race, or in religious belief, are to be regarded as insurmountable barriers. In early Israelitish times, marriages with heathen were forbidden; so in Christian times, unions of believers and infidels, or unbelievers in any form, were to be avoided. Righteousness and wickedness cannot pull in the same harness, and as our first duty is to God, we should put away from us all avoidable contact that would hinder its performance. Paul in the passage in question clearly had in mind the union of believers with unbelievers.
They are probably the worthies referred to in Heb. 11 chapter, whose triumph through faith are recalled. The word "witnesses" (Heb. 12:1) has two meanings and it is not certain which of the two the writer of the epistle had in his mind. A witness may be a spectator, or he may be one who testifies as in a court of justice. If the word in this passage is used in the former sense, it implies that departed and glorified saints are observing the trials and victories of the Christian on earth. If the word refers to a testifier, it means that the Christian has good reason for making the effort mentioned in the passage, because of the testimony of the Old Testament saints cited in the previous chapter.
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