THE WORD OF GOD — NO. 4

W. W. PRESCOTT

(Continued from page 320)

WE cannot take the time to enter into any lengthy study of this mystery of iniquity; but it is evident from studying these scriptures that it would be an exaltation of self, and a putting of man in the place of God; and from that time to this, there has been a contest all the time as to which should prevail, — God’s word or man’s word, God’s idea or man’s idea. This contest has gone on with every important teaching of the Scriptures as to whether God’s idea should prevail or man’s idea should prevail; and now we will follow the contrast between the two ideas with reference to the Bible, and the question of interpreting and understanding the Bible. It is perfectly evident that while the word of God is infallible, there must be some way by which the meaning of the word shall be brought to us. Now what is God’s idea, and his plan by which we may understand his word?GCB February 25, 1895, page 325.1

When Christ was on earth, the Scripture says of him (Mark 12:37): “And the common people heard him gladly.” Why? — Because they could understand what he said. The teachers of the day, the scribes and the Pharisees, put themselves into their teachings to that extent that they shut out the Lord entirely; and they gave the precepts and doctrines of men, and they freely stated that those interpretations of their’s were of much more importance than the word itself; and so their books, as the Mishna and the Gemara, buried up the word. And when Christ came, the word of God was buried up with man’s ideas, man-made interpretations, man-made meanings, man-made additions of the most burdensome character; and Jesus Christ came to sweep those things away, and bring to the people the word of God instead of the word of man. And the common people could understand what he said, and they heard him gladly, and he himself said; “I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes,” — those who are willing to be taught. How we are to receive an understanding of the Scripture is stated in 2 Timothy 2:7: “Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.” The Revised Version reads: “For the Lord shall give thee understanding in all things.” This idea is suggested by the inspired prayer in Ephesians 1:15 and onward.GCB February 25, 1895, page 325.2

Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.GCB February 25, 1895, page 325.3

The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.GCB February 25, 1895, page 325.4

That inspired prayer was that there might be a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him, and the promise is, “The Lord shall give thee understanding.”GCB February 25, 1895, page 325.5

The record in Luke 24 is very instructive on this point. It is the experience of the two disciples on their way to Emmaus. Twenty-fifth verse:—GCB February 25, 1895, page 325.6

Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. [The Revised Version says: “He interpreted unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”]GCB February 25, 1895, page 325.7

When they came to speak of their experience (thirty-second verse), “they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the Scriptures?” Then read what is said of his meeting with the whole company, as the two disciples were relating their experience, forty fourth and forty-fifth verses:—GCB February 25, 1895, page 325.8

And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures.GCB February 25, 1895, page 326.1

Jesus Christ gave the word. When he was here upon the earth, he, himself, was the Word; and when those to whom the word had come did not understand it, he, himself, interpreted the word to them, and their hearts burned within them while he opened to them the Scriptures, and opened their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures. If Jesus had remained visibly upon the earth, not one would have questioned that it was his place to interpret his own words; but Jesus Christ is upon the earth. His promise is, “Lo, I am with you alway.” And he is here, and it is his work, and his place now, just as it was when he was visibly with his disciples, to interpret in the Scriptures all the things concerning himself. And it is his place now to open our understanding, that we may understand the Scriptures; and as the word was the infallible word of the infallible God, given through the infallible Son Jesus Christ, and as God cannot lie, the interpretation that Jesus Christ himself gives to his own infallible word is the infallible interpretation of that infallible word.GCB February 25, 1895, page 326.2

And there is where infallibility lies, and it is a true doctrine that infallibility belongs in the true church of Jesus Christ. The only question is, Where is that infallibility found? Those who have put Jesus Christ out of his place as head of the church, and have put a man in his place as head of the church, say that infallibility belongs in the man whom they have put in the place of Jesus Christ; and that is logical enough if he is the head of the church. But those who still believe in Jesus Christ as the head of the church, and do not think that he has abdicated his place, and do not think that he has assigned the duty of representing him in the earth to any living being, but that he, himself, is still the visible head of the church, do not believe that infallibility is in any human being. They believe that infallibility belongs in Jesus Christ himself, the infallible head of the church, and that when Jesus Christ speaks, no matter when, (“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, to-day, and forever”) that is the infallible word.GCB February 25, 1895, page 326.3

But how does he speak? “And he said, hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.” Numbers 12:6. And the record of the Scriptures shows how God did speak in visions and dreams, and all those visions and dreams were regarded as the word of God which he had spoken. Isaiah 1:1: “The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.” Through all that time, during the reign of those kings, this is the vision that he saw. Ezekiel 1:1: “Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.” Matthew 1:20: “But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying” — Acts 10 gives the vision that Peter saw, Verse 10:—GCB February 25, 1895, page 326.4

While they made ready, he fell into a trance, and saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time. What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven. Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon’s house, and stood before the gate and called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter were lodged there. While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.GCB February 25, 1895, page 326.5

These are simply selections as instances both in the Old and the New Testament of the fact that God did speak to his servants in visions and in dreams. But the thought that I want to rest in the mind is that when Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, into whose hands God has committed all things, speaks he is the infallible head of the church, and what he says is infallible truth, and that that is where infallibility lies.GCB February 25, 1895, page 326.6

Infallibility belongs in the church of Jesus Christ and it is not the proper way to meet the statement that there should be an infallible head of the church by denying it; and we should be very careful in the study of the principles underlying this question, or in our injudicious efforts to answer some one on the infallibility question, lest we cut the ground out from under our own feet, — the ground that we must stand on; and we must know why we stand on it, too, and we must stand there firmly.GCB February 25, 1895, page 326.7

The characteristic of the last church is: “Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus,” or the testimony of Jesus. But the testimony of Jesus Christ is the spirit of prophecy and the spirit of prophecy is the spirit which gave the prophecy; the spirit of prophecy is the Spirit of Christ in the prophets, who testified beforehand of the sufferings of Christ; and it does not make any difference in or through whom or how Jesus Christ speaks, — when he speaks, that is the spirit of prophecy by which he speaks, — that same spirit of prophecy by which the prophecies of the Scriptures were given; and it is the spirit of prophecy that is to be in the church, and that spirit of prophecy is the same spirit through which Jesus Christ has spoken from the very first. And Jesus Christ himself being the infallible head of his own church, when he speaks, what he says is infallibly true. When Jesus Christ speaks, what he says is infallible, that is infallibility in the church; but Jesus Christ has never delegated that infallibility to any human being; never. And therefore no human being is infallible. But Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day and forever, is infallible; and when Jesus Christ speaks, wherever it be in early times, or in later times, or now, what Jesus Christ says is infallible, and that is the true doctrine of infallibility.GCB February 25, 1895, page 326.8