July 18, 1895

“Eternal Depth of God’s Word” The Signs of the Times 21, 26, p. 7.

BY A. T. JONES

God’s purpose in making known to us his will is an “eternal purpose.” Ephesians 3:11. And the Scripture is the expression of God’s thoughts on that purpose, in carrying out and setting forth and making known that purpose. How deep then are his thoughts?—Just as deep as is his purpose. How far-reaching is that purpose?—Eternal. How deep then are the thoughts expressed in the Scriptures?—Of eternal depth. In how many expressions in the Scriptures is the thought of eternal depth? In how many passages?—Every one. Has it required all the Scriptures that are written, for the Lord to express to us what he wants to tell us of his eternal purpose?—It has. Then how deep is the thought in each passage of Scripture and the words that are used to tell it?—Eternal. Then just as soon as any man catches one of these thoughts and thinks, “I know it now, and have got it in that passage; I have the truth; I have all there is of that thought,” he has shut up his own mind from the wisdom of the knowledge of God. He has put himself and his own mind in the place of God and his thoughts. The man that does that cannot learn any more. Do you not see that at that instant he shuts himself out forever from learning? And the man who does that, of course can learn nothing beyond himself, and of course will never have the knowledge of God.SITI July 18, 1895, page 7.1

The expressions of thought conveyed in the statement of the Scriptures are as eternal depths. Then what limit can we set to ourselves in the study of these?—No limit at all. Then does not that present the splendid picture, and the grand prospect, that the eternal, the whole, mind of God is wide open before us for us to study them?SITI July 18, 1895, page 7.2

And until all the depths and eternities are past we shall never get to the place where we will have the right to think we know that thing and are through learning from its eternal depths.SITI July 18, 1895, page 7.3

I am glad to know that we have such a subject as that to study upon, and such a length of time as that (eternity) in which to study it.SITI July 18, 1895, page 7.4