Post by Lee on Feb 21, 2014 2:57:22 GMT
“For the spirit searcheth all things: yea. the deep things of God.”
The meaning of this is illustrated thus: “For what man knoweth the things of man, save the spirit of man, which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the spirit of God.”
To see the point of this, we must take the illustration in the connection in which Paul gives it, instead of applying it to the totally different circumstances of our day. He says the natural man, without the inspiration of the spirit of God, knows nothing of the things of God. We could have known nothing of eternal truth, if God had not revealed it, The contrast is—as applicable to our day—between the natural man without the Bible versus the natural man with the Bible; whereas the teachers of the present day construe Paul’s words into a comparison between the natural man with the Bible in his hands, and the spiritual man with the Bible in his hands. This is not Paul’s comparison at all. His point is that man, by his own knowledge, cannot know the things of God; he can only know his own things. Nations, without revelation, are everywhere the proof of this. The Spirit of God alone knows the things that are of God, and only by that spirit can we be made acquainted with them. That spirit came upon men in ancient times and revealed these things. Through them we can get to know them; but, as natural men, we never could have known them, had we not read them in the holy oracles. We see what a perverse and mischievous use is made of this part of God’s word. That use is a use of destruction. Under the idea that it is no use to seek to understand God’s word, they put it under the table. Instead of looking into the Bible, they look into their own empty hearts. They look to the spirit of the flesh which dwells within them, instead of coming reverentially into the presence of the spirit of God, as embodied in the scriptures. We must be on our guard. The devil as an angel of light, makes assault against this beacon of life, and we must resist him. The whole chapter is very intelligible from Paul’s point of view, but bring into it orthodox thoughts, and use it with regard to orthodox circumstances, and it becomes utterly unintelligible and pernicious. May we be wise enough to know the precious treasure we have in God’s word, and to use it bountifully in the enlightenment of ourselves and others.
1868 Christadelphian: p 249–250
The meaning of this is illustrated thus: “For what man knoweth the things of man, save the spirit of man, which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the spirit of God.”
To see the point of this, we must take the illustration in the connection in which Paul gives it, instead of applying it to the totally different circumstances of our day. He says the natural man, without the inspiration of the spirit of God, knows nothing of the things of God. We could have known nothing of eternal truth, if God had not revealed it, The contrast is—as applicable to our day—between the natural man without the Bible versus the natural man with the Bible; whereas the teachers of the present day construe Paul’s words into a comparison between the natural man with the Bible in his hands, and the spiritual man with the Bible in his hands. This is not Paul’s comparison at all. His point is that man, by his own knowledge, cannot know the things of God; he can only know his own things. Nations, without revelation, are everywhere the proof of this. The Spirit of God alone knows the things that are of God, and only by that spirit can we be made acquainted with them. That spirit came upon men in ancient times and revealed these things. Through them we can get to know them; but, as natural men, we never could have known them, had we not read them in the holy oracles. We see what a perverse and mischievous use is made of this part of God’s word. That use is a use of destruction. Under the idea that it is no use to seek to understand God’s word, they put it under the table. Instead of looking into the Bible, they look into their own empty hearts. They look to the spirit of the flesh which dwells within them, instead of coming reverentially into the presence of the spirit of God, as embodied in the scriptures. We must be on our guard. The devil as an angel of light, makes assault against this beacon of life, and we must resist him. The whole chapter is very intelligible from Paul’s point of view, but bring into it orthodox thoughts, and use it with regard to orthodox circumstances, and it becomes utterly unintelligible and pernicious. May we be wise enough to know the precious treasure we have in God’s word, and to use it bountifully in the enlightenment of ourselves and others.
1868 Christadelphian: p 249–250