Many assume that Jesus and His parents lived in poverty, and they point to a few Scriptures which allegedly back up their belief. But what does the Bible really say about this question? And does it matter?
Norbert Link
What Does 2 Corinthians 6:2 Mean? Is today the Only Day of Salvation?
Many assume that mankind has to be saved “today”–in this day and age–and if they do not accept Christ “now,” they will be lost forever. But imagine what this would mean. Many have no understanding about Jesus Christ, and most do not even profess to be “Christians.” Are they all “condemned” and confined to “eternal hell fire”?
The Bible clearly rejects this view in its entirety. It teaches that only VERY FEW are called today for salvation, and that the overwhelming majority will be called at a much later time. Most will be given their opportunity to accept God’s way of life and Jesus Christ as their personal Savor in, what is called, the Second Resurrection or the Great White Throne Judgment. Then their eyes will be opened to the truth… not before then. You might want to read our free booklet, “The Mystery of the Book of Revelation,” which explains this misunderstood truth in great detail.
What then is meant in 2 Corinthians 6:2, where we read in the New King James Bible: “For He says, ‘In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.’ Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation'”?
Please note that Paul quotes from the Old Testament passage of Isaiah 49:8. In the New King James Bible, the passage in Isaiah reads exactly as quoted in 2 Corinthians 6:2, but when reviewing the rendition in the Authorized Version, we read the following regarding Isaiah 49:8: “Thus says the LORD: In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee…”
This distinction between “a” day of salvation and “the” day of salvation is significant, but why is there such disagreement as to how to translate Isaiah 49:8? In fact, as we will show now, there is also disagreement as to how to translate the entire passage in 2 Corinthians 6:2.
For instance, please note the following, mostly ancient, translations of 2 Corinthians 6:2:
The Wyclif’s Bible of 1395 reads: “For he seith, In tyme wel plesinge Y haue herd thee, and in the dai of heelthe Y haue helpid thee. Lo! now a tyme acceptable, lo! now a dai of heelthe.”
The Calvin Bible of 1858 reads: “for he says, In an acceptable time I heard you, and in a day of salvation I helped you; behold, now is an acceptable time, behold, now is a day of salvation.”
A Bible with the name, “A Conservative Version,” states: “(for he says, At an acceptable time I heard thee, and in a day of salvation I helped thee. Behold, now is an acceptable time. Behold, now is a day of salvation).”
The Emphasized Bible reads: “For he saith – In an approved season, have I hearkened unto thee, and, in a day of salvation, have succoured thee; – Lo! now, a well-approved season, Lo! now, a day of salvation.”
The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary points out that the rendering of “the day of salvation” should be, “a day of salvation.”
The following was stated in an article from the Internet:
“Many people read into this verse more than is actually stated and also, many English translations add more than is actually in the original Greek. The first part of that verse is a quote from the first part of Isaiah 49:8 which reads in the KJV [Authorized Version]: ‘Thus saith the LORD, In AN acceptable time have I heard thee, and in A day of salvation have I helped thee’… the phrase in 2 Cor. 6:2 is: ‘behold, now [is the] accepted time; behold, now [is the] day of salvation.’
“Notice that brackets have been put around two words ( [is the] ) above. These words are not in the original Greek. Some of our English translations such as the KJV and NASB, put some words in italics that are not in the original, but they also fail to do so in some instances. The KJV does put the ‘is’ in italics but fails to also put the ‘the’ in italics to show that it is not a word in the original Greek. This can be misleading… below is the way 2 Cor. 6:2 is translated in Young’s Literal Translation and by Darby’s translation…: ‘for He saith, “In an acceptable time I did hear thee, and in a day of salvation I did help thee, lo, now [is] a well-accepted time; lo, now, a day of salvation”‘ — ‘(for he says, I have listened to thee in an accepted time, and I have helped thee in a day of salvation: behold, now [is the] well-accepted time; behold, now [the] day of salvation…”‘
“So, the thought given in this verse agrees with the Isaiah verse from which it is a quote that [it is] ‘an accepted time’ and ‘a day of salvation’, NOT ‘the accepted time’ and NOT ‘the day of salvation’. This means that now is an accepted time and now is a day of salvation but it IS NOT the ONLY accepted time and NOT the ONLY day of salvation…”
This has also been the explanation of the former Worldwide Church of God (a/k/a Radio Church of God) under its late human leader, Herbert W. Armstrong. The late Dr. C. Paul Meredith, evangelist in the Church and former director of the Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course (from 1953 to 1968), wrote the following article which appeared in The Plain Truth in 1958:
“… some have been confused by II Corinthians 6:2, which seems to say that now is the ONLY day of salvation. But the word ‘the’ in the King James Version is actually misleading, because it is absent in both the Hebrew and the Greek. Actually, II Corinthians 6:2 was quoted by Paul from the Old Testament. Paul is quoting Isaiah 49:8. But the Hebrew text of Isaiah 49:8 does not have a definite article. Neither does the Greek text of II Corinthians 6:2. The first part of the verse is more correctly tendered as follows: ‘I have answered thy prayer, he says, in a [not the only one] time of pardon, I have brought thee help in a [not the only one] day of salvation’ (Knox translation).”
To reiterate, in the Greek text of 2 Corinthians 6:2, the literal translation is as follows:
“… for he says, In a time accepted I listened to thee, and in a day of salvation I helped thee; lo, now [the] time well-accepted; behold, now [the] day of salvation…”
We ask again: Why is there so much confusion as to the correct translation, and why do many Bibles render 2 Corinthians 6:2 as “now is THE accepted time… Now is THE day of salvation.”?
The answer lies in a peculiar phenomenon in the Hebrew and Greek languages, and the existence and non-existence of “definite” and “indefinite” articles in both languages.
The term definite article refers to the word “the”. In English we also have an indefinite article, “a” (or “an” before words beginning with vowels). There is a definite article in the Hebrew (“the”), but no indefinite article. We either say, THE day or Day.
The same is true in Greek, which knows a definite, but not an indefinite article. You will have to allow the context to tell you whether or not to supply an indefinite article in your English translation.
It is pretty much agreed among scholars that in both the Hebrew text of Isaiah 49:8 and in the Greek text of 2 Corinthians 6:2, NO DEFINITE articles are used in reference to “acceptable time” and “day of salvation.”
The complication arises that even when the definite article is not used in the Greek, that does not mean that therefore an indefinite article must be used in English. For instance, John 1:1 contains an example of a time without an article in Greek, which is needed in English. It says, “en arche ‘en o logos…”; that is (literally), “In beginning was the Word.” Notice that there is no definite article before “arche” (“beginning”). But to leave out the definite article would cause confusion in English. To translate, “In a beginning was the Word…” would imply that there were multiple beginnings to the universe, but that is not what the Bible teaches.
Another critical example, which requires that the English translation must not use an indefinite article, even though the Greek does not use a definite article, is found in John 1:1, in regard to Jesus Christ. Commonly, that particular clause in John 1:1 is (correctly) translated as “… and the Word [Jesus Christ, the Logos or Spokesman, compare John 1:14] was God.” In the Greek, no definite article is used for “God,” but it is clear from the context of the Bible and from many other biblical passages that the translation, “the Word was a god,” is wrong (even though that is how the Jehovah’s Witnesses translate this verse incorrectly, thereby trying to deny that Jesus Christ was and is God–the second member of the GOD FAMILY.)
In returning to the passage in 2 Corinthians 6:2, we can understand why some translations added the word “the” in “day of salvation,” while others did not and chose to use the indefinite article, “a.” It is a matter of interpretation. But even when using the definite article (“THE day of salvation”), this would not mean that today is the only day of salvation for everybody.
In the above-mentioned article by Dr. C. Paul Meredith, the following was added:
“Certainly, this is the day of salvation for those who have been called and whose minds have been opened to the truth by God. Now is their chance — their opportunity to qualify for His Kingdom. This is the day of salvation for them. But it is not the day of salvation for the vast majority. They will receive their chance — their first and only chance — at a later time. It is a day of salvation, but not the only day of salvation.”
For those who ARE called today to God’s truth, this is in fact THEIR only day of salvation; and we should note that in 2 Corinthians 6:2, Paul is addressing Church members in Corinth. Paul stresses this important truth in other passages as well. He says in Hebrews 3:7, 13, again addressing Church members: “… ‘Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion… but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin…”
We should take the admonition in Isaiah 55:6 very seriously, which reads: “Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; and to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.”
To conclude, while today is NOT the only day of salvation for the world—in fact, it is not even “a” day of salvation for the world, as their calling occurs later—it IS THE ONLY day of salvation for those who have been called by God in this day and age. Those who have received God’s Holy Spirit will not be given a second chance when they fall away (Hebrews 10:26-29; 6:4-8); their TIME to inherit salvation is now.
Lead Writer: Norbert Link
Why Italy Will NOT Leave the EU!
The “Eurozone crisis” is back in the news. After “Brexit,” a new expression was coined, namely “Itexit.” In fact, others refer to “Grexit” and “Spexit.” They mean thereby that countries such as Italy, Greece or Spain might exit the Eurozone or even the EU.
Now, economic “experts” seem to be convinced that “Itexit” (Italy’s exit from the Eurozone) is a strong possibility.
The Financial Times wrote on November 20:
“After Brexit and Donald Trump, prepare for the return of the Eurozone crisis. If Matteo Renzi, Italian prime minister, loses his constitutional referendum on December 4, I would expect a sequence of events that would raise questions of Italy’s participation in the Eurozone.”
The Telegraph wrote on November 27:
“Italy needs reform and a euro exit is inevitable.”
But how probable is it that Italy will leave the Eurozone and replace the euro with its former national currency, the lira? Der Spiegel wrote on November 27 that an exit from the Eurozone would lead to a dramatic crisis situation in Italy, as inflation would increase; nobody would come to Italy’s rescue (the European Central Bank would be prohibited from helping Italy); and Italy’s astronomical national debt (which is calculated in euros) would still have to be repaid.
There have been voices in the past prognosticating all kinds of fanciful results. They declared forcefully that the euro would fail; that the Eurozone would disintegrate; that the member states would return to their former national currencies; and that the European project was dead. On the other hand, many felt that there would be no Brexit.
As it turned out, they have all been wrong. While current and future political and economic developments might have been miscalculated or misunderstood, the reason why all these speculations have failed is that biblical prophecy had been ignored.
With the same bold certainty with which we proclaimed that the euro will NOT fail; that the Eurozone will NOT disintegrate; that the European project is NOT over; but that there WOULD BE a Brexit; we are stating with the same conviction that Italy will NOT exit the Eurozone, let alone the EU.
The Bible makes it VERY clear that Italy will remain as one of the LEADING nations in the European project—not necessarily from a political or economic standpoint, but surely from an historical and RELIGIOUS standpoint. In fact, the whole European unification project is founded on the Treaty of Rome. The Bible shows that ten nations or groups of nations will emerge in Europe (and to be more precise, from the Eurozone), and Germany and Italy will certainly be among those nations. They will give their power to a charismatic political and military leader who will work hand in hand with a religious leader. The Bible speaks of modern Babylon—a European political, economic and military union under Roman Catholic rule. It identifies Babylon as the city built on seven hills, which reigns over the kings of the earth.
At this point, the Eurozone consists of 19 members. This will change. Politico wrote on October 6: “Nobel-prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz believes Italy and several other countries could leave the Eurozone within years… ‘There will still be a Eurozone in 10 years, but the question is, what will it look like? It’s very unlikely that it will still have 19 members. It’s difficult to say who will still belong,’ Stiglitz said in an interview with German newspaper Die Welt.”
While Mr. Stiglitz—as so many other “experts”—is clearly wrong insofar as Italy is concerned, he IS correct that the Eurozone will decrease in numbers, and even though we do not know for sure “who will still belong,” we DO know that Italy “WILL still belong.”
Our free booklet, “The Ten European Revivals of the Ancient Roman Empire” tells you why.
Pope Francis–Hell Is No Torture Chamber
Recently, Pope Francis declared that hell–or eternal damnation–is not a torture chamber, and he went on to say that the lake of fire in Revelation 20 describes the second death. However, he then gave an unbiblical explanation of the “second death” and of “the fire.” Do YOU know the truth of the Bible?
Download AudioDoes John 16:26-27 Contradict What You State in Your Booklet, “Teach Us to Pray!”?
The passage in John 16:26-27 states the following:
“In that day you will ask in My name, and I DO NOT SAY TO YOU THAT I SHALL PRAY THE FATHER FOR YOU; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God…”
In our booklet, “Teach Us to Pray!”, we wrote this in the chapter, titled, “In the Name of Christ” (pages 82 – 86):
“Christ tells us that we are to pray to the Father in ‘Christ’s name’ (compare, for instance, John 16:23: ‘… whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.’). What, exactly, does it mean to pray to God the Father in Christ’s name?…
“John 14:13-14 says that whatever we ask in Christ’s name, Christ will do it… When we pray to the Father in Christ’s name… we acknowledge Christ’s role and function while we pray, expecting Christ to do something while we pray. In general, when we pray to God in the name of Christ, we are praying through Christ—expecting Christ to back us up, support us, and do something in regard to what we say. The Commentary on the Whole Bible, by Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, explains that Christ is the living Conductor of the prayer upward, and the answer downward…
“When we pray or say something in the name of Christ, we say it, not only with or by His authority, but we actually speak through Christ… Christ lives in us, and when we pray in the name of Christ, it is actually Christ who gives us the mind to say the right things, and it is He who even communicates to the Father what we might have wanted to say—but we could not find the right way to express them. We read that the Spirit makes intercession for us, when we pray (Compare Romans 8:26-27). Verse 34 clarifies that it is actually Christ, through His Spirit, who makes intercession for us or pleads our cause. He is a life-giving Spirit (1 Corinthians 15:45)…”
In the booklet, we also ask the very question raised in this Q&A, by referring to John 16:26-27, stating: “Doesn’t this passage say that Christ will NOT pray for us to the Father?” We should realize that if that were the case, then literally dozens of Scriptures would be annulled. We read that Christ is our Intercessor, interceding for us. We point out in our booklet:
“The Commentary on the Whole Bible, by Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, explains: ‘Christ does pray the Father for His people, but not for the purpose of inclining an unwilling ear… It is not that the Father were not of Himself disposed to aid you.’
“…Christ was saying, in effect: It is not that the Father does not love you. He does love you, because you have loved Me. At the same time, Christ IS our Mediator, and it is His role, as the One who HAD BEEN MAN, and can therefore sympathize with our weaknesses, to speak to the Father on our behalf… Christ lives in us (2 Corinthians 13:5). Christ lived in Paul, and Paul lived by the faith of Christ (Galatians 2:20, Authorized Version), even when he spoke to people and when he prayed to God. Notice 2 Corinthians 13:3: ‘… since you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me.’ As Christ lived in Paul, He was speaking through and for Paul.
“So again, when we pray to the Father in the name of Christ… we ask Christ to communicate our prayers, in their intended way, to the Father… Hebrews 9:24 tells us that Christ appears in the presence of God the Father for us, NOW, every time we pray in His name…”
This conclusion has been questioned by some. In pointing at John 16:26-27, it was stated that Christ only intercedes for us when we have sinned and pray to God for forgiveness; or, that Christ does not intercede for us at all in an active way; but when we use the words “in Christ’s name,” God the Father remembers thereby Christ’s Supreme Sacrifice, and that is all which is necessary, without any active role of Christ and without any literal intervention or intercession.
These concepts are erroneous. As we have seen, Christ’s role in interceding for us is VERY active, direct and immediate.
Let us therefore review some more statements from commentaries, trying to explain the meaning of John 16:26-27.
Barnes’ Notes on the Bible says:
“In John 14:16, Jesus says that he would pray the Father, and that he would send the Comforter. In John 17 he offered a memorable prayer for them. In Hebrews 7:25, it is said that Jesus ever liveth to make intercession for us; and it is constantly represented in the New Testament that it is by his intercession in heaven now that we obtain the blessings of pardon, peace, strength, and salvation. Compare Hebrews 9:24. This declaration of Jesus, then, does not mean that he would not intercede for them, but that there was no need then of his mentioning it to them again. They knew that; and, in addition to that, he told them that God was ready and willing to confer on them all needful blessings.”
The Adam Clarke Commentary agrees, stating:
“I need not tell you that I will continue your intercessor: I have given you already so many proofs of my love that ye cannot possibly doubt this: besides, the Father himself… loves you, and is graciously disposed to save you to the uttermost, because ye have loved me and believed in me as coming from God, for the salvation of the world.”
The Expositor’s Greek Testament makes it even clearer:
“The intention of the statement is to convey fuller assurance that their prayers will be answered. The Father’s love needs no prompting. Yet the intercession of Christ, so emphatically presented in the Epistle to the Hebrews and in Romans 8:34, is not ignored. Jesus says: ‘I do not base the expectation of answer solely on my intercession, but on the Father’s love… I do not bring this forward as the sole reason why you may expect to be heard’…”
Similarly Calvin’s Commentary on the Bible:
“John calls [Christ] our Advocate, (1 John 2:1.) Paul also testifies that Christ now intercedes for us (Romans 8:34); and the same thing is confirmed by the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, who declares that Christ always liveth to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25)… Christ does not absolutely say, in this passage, that he will not be Intercessor, but he only means, that the Father will be so favorably disposed towards the disciples, that, without any difficulty, he will give freely whatever they shall ask…”
A very insightful comment can also be found in Coffman’s Commentaries on the Bible:
“This is a further exhortation for the apostles to pray directly to God in Jesus’ name, on the grounds that the love of God for Christ is extended to Jesus’ disciples. This love of God was the result not merely of their belief in Christ… but was also based upon their love of Christ…. because… such love means keeping Jesus’ words and obeying his commands (John 14:15).”
The Wycliffe Bible Commentary elaborates:
“In the future, prayer would indeed be in the name of Christ, but not in the sense that the Son would be the means of overcoming some sort of hesitancy or resistance in the Father which otherwise believers would encounter. On the contrary, the Father loveth them, and is ready to receive them because of their attitude toward his beloved Son.”
The Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament state:
“When Christ says, I do not say that I will pray the Father for you, the meaning is not that he will lay aside his office as intercessor for believers, but that they had not only his intercession, but the Father’s love, upon which to ground their hope of audience… the Christian’s prayers, put up in Christ’s name, cannot fail of audience and acceptance for the sake of the Mediator’s intercession and the Father’s love… in our prayers we ought so to eye and look up to Christ’s intercession, as not to overlook and forget the Father’s love, but ground our hopes of audience upon both.”
Justin Edwards’ Family Bible New Testament writes:
“The Saviour does not mean to deny that he will intercede with the Father for his disciples; but rather to lead their minds beyond this truth, which he had frequently stated, to another: that the Father is one with him in loving them, so that his intercession for them must prevail.”
We can see from the Bible, as the above-quoted commentators also recognize, that Christ continues to intercede for us quite actively, and when we pray to the Father in Christ’s name, we emphasize the fact that we are aware of Christ’s very personal and individual intercession on our behalf. At the same time, we must also realize the great love that the Father has for us, so that the Father’s and Christ’s love for us, who are “one” in mind and purpose (John 10:30), will guarantee that our prayers will be heard, when we do our part (1 John 3:22), and that we will receive what we ask in accordance with God’s Will (1 John 5:14).
The Catholic concept is preposterous that people must pray to the “Virgin Mary” who, as Christ’s mother, has allegedly more love for us than the Father. Equally preposterous is the idea that when praying to the “Virgin Mary,” she will intercede for us in speaking to Christ; and He will listen to His mother and then intercede for us in pleading with the Father who is portrayed as the cruel and harsh Old Testament God.
First of all, there is only ONE Mediator between God and Man–Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5). He is the ONLY one who was resurrected to eternal life; those who died in Christ will be resurrected to eternal life at the time of His Second coming… not before then (1 Corinthians 15:20-23). The “Virgin Mary” is no intercessor… she is not in heaven, nor even alive; she is dead in her grave, waiting for the resurrection from the dead.
In addition, the false idea that the Father is the harsh God of the Old Testament, while Christ is the loving God of the New Testament, is also quite blasphemous, because it was Jesus Christ who, as the God of the Old Testament, dealt and acted directly with the Israelites (1 Corinthians 10:4)–but He was by no means harsh and cruel; as the second member of the God Family, He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He came to reveal the Father who was unknown to most people (Matthew 11:27; John 1:18; 5:37). (For more information, please read our free booklets: “Jesus Christ–a Great Mystery“; “Do You Know the Jesus of the Bible?” and “God Is a Family.”)
Therefore, Christ emphasizes in John 16:26-28 that the Father, as God, IS love (1 John 4:8), and that He loves us (1 John 4:9-10). His intercession is not for the purpose of awakening or stirring up God’s love; it is however, at times, for the purpose of re-emphasizing the fact that we are flesh and blood human beings who are weak and feeble; and that Jesus lived as a man and experienced how it is to be tempted in the flesh in all things, while overcoming sin in the flesh and staying sinless (Romans 8:3; Hebrews 4:15).
It is also for this very reason that Jesus is the Judge of all men, because He is the Son of MAN (John 5:22, 27)… having lived as a human being (John 1:1, 14; Philippians 2:5-8) and experienced the weakness of the flesh (Matthew 27:41). We read that God loves the Son, and because of His Son, He also loves us with the SAME love (John 17:23), if we are willing to manifest His love (1 John 5:2-3), which “has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit [which] was given to us” (Romans 5:5).
Lead Writer: Norbert Link
Europe Reacts to Trump Election
Why is the Trump election prophetic in accordance with the Bible? In light of comments made by Donald Trump regarding NATO and his relationship with Vladimir Putin, Europe feels compelled to create an EU army. Germany is about to replace Joachim Gauck as the German President with “anti-Trump” Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, partly in response to the Trump election. Leading Jewish rabbis have asked Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin to get involved with the building of the Third Temple in Jerusalem–a move which would cause Europe to intervene militarily.
Download AudioGod’s Control of the Weather
This sermon shows the difference between today’s weather conditions, which are oftentimes catastrophic, and the weather conditions in the future, when God rules on earth. Bad weather conditions can be the direct result of God’s punishment for sin, while good weather can be the direct consequence of God’s blessing for right conduct. We will also address the political situation around the world, following Mr. Trump’s election as President; his “no-win”- position; and “Europe’s perfect storm,” leading to unparalleled terrible world conditions, as a result of sin.
Please Explain Matthew 7:12, Stating that Our Christian Conduct Towards Others “Is the Law and the Prophets.”
To see the context, let us read first the entire passage in Matthew 7:1-12:
“(Verse 1) Judge not [or condemn not, see margin in New King James Bible], that you be not judged. (Verse 2) For with what judgment [or condemnation] you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. (Verse 3) And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? (Verse 4) Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ and look, a plank is in your own eye? (Verse 5) Hypocrite! First remove the speck from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Verse 6) Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.
“(Verse 7) Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (Verse 8) For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. (Verse 9) Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? (Verse 10) Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? (Verse 11) If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! (Verse 12) Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”
Also note the parallel Scripture in Luke 6:31:
“And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.”
The clause “the Law and the Prophets” in Matthew 7:12 is oftentimes used as a summary term for the entire Old Testament; sometimes the word “psalms” or “writings” is added as well. (Notice Luke 24:44, 26-27; 18:31.)
For instance, Christ stated in Matthew 5:17 that He had NOT come to destroy the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill—to magnify the Law, to exalt it and to make it more honorable (Isaiah 42:21), to fill it up with its intended meaning, to show how to keep it perfectly in the flesh. The Greek word for “fulfill” is “pleroo.” It literally means “to fill” or “to make full” (Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible). In Matthew 3:15 it is used in this context: “…it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”
In addition, the word “Law” is also used many times as a summary term for the Ten Commandments, by dividing our duty towards God (which duty was written on the first tablet of the two tablets, containing the first four commandments of the Ten Commandments) with our duty towards neighbor (which duty was written on the second tablet in the form of the last six commandments). The Law of the Ten Commandments tells us how to love God and neighbor. The first four commandments describe our love towards God, and the last six commandments describe our love towards neighbor.
We discussed the concept of the “Law,” being a summary term for the Ten Commandments, in a Q&A on Romans 13:8. Limiting our quotes to Paul’s statement that we must fulfill our debt of loving one another (“… owe no one anything except to love one another,”), we stated this:
“When we love our neighbor, we fulfill the law of the last six of the Ten Commandments, which deal with our relationship with our neighbor. The last six of the Ten Commandments define for us HOW to love our neighbor, and how NOT to do him any harm… when we love our neighbor by keeping the last six of the Ten Commandments, then we fulfill or DO the law. And when we break just one of these commandments, as the apostle James says, then we have broken them all (James 2:8-11).”
We also stated this:
“Regarding our general duties toward one another, we read in Proverbs 3:27-28: ‘Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in your power of your hand to do so. Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it,” When you have it with you.’ Compare Galatians 6:10 and James 2:15-16.
“In light of this, true servants of God should have the attitude, that loving conduct towards others is their duty, obligation and debt. Christ said in Luke 17:9-10: ‘Does he [the master] thank the servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, “We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.”’
“… we are always indebted to others to love them and show our love to them. We do this by keeping God’s law from the heart. It is His Law which defines for us what is and what is not true godly love…”
In our free booklet, “Paul’s Letter to the Galatians”: we wrote about Galatians 5:14:
“‘(Verse 14) For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.’
“Having introduced in the previous verse ‘love,’ which IS the keeping of God’s commandments (1 John 5:3), Paul continues to summarize the law as love toward neighbor. He speaks of ‘all the law,’ as it relates to our relationship with man… The last six of the Ten Commandments show us how to love our neighbor. In Romans 13:8–10, Paul writes: ‘Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.’
“Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible states regarding Romans 13:8: ‘Love is a debt… it is a sin not only to devise evil against thy neighbour, but to withhold good from those to whom it is due; both are forbidden together… This proves that love is the fulfilling of the law… Love is a living active principle of OBEDIENCE to the whole law.’
“The New Bible Commentary: Revised, agrees, stating: ‘This conclusion does not invalidate the Ten Commandments in the interest of a nebulous, existential “Love, and do as you please”… Love… is the spirit in which we are to keep the law; but we need the law’s particulars and prescriptions to give body and definition…’
“John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible writes: ‘… he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law… of the decalogue; that part of it particularly which relates to the neighbour; the second table of the law… for fulfilling the law means DOING it, or acting according to it; and so far as a man loves, so far he fulfils, that is, DOES it…’”
In this light, we will proceed to explain what Christ meant when He said that it “is the Law and the Prophets” to DO to others whatever we want them to do to us. Christ talked about helping others (in Matthew 7:11), making the point that when even carnal people help their children when they ask them, how much more should we ask God to give us “good things” and especially His Holy Spirit (compare Luke 11:13), bestowing on us His love (Romans 5:5) which, in the context of Matthew 7, enables us to love our neighbor even more perfectly. Also, Christ had just addressed the fact that we must not have a spirit of condemnation (Matthew 7:1-2), admonishing us to look at ourselves first before we try to “help” others (verses 3-5). He also cautioned us against “helping” those (in physical or spiritual ways) who would reject that help (verse 6).
All of this shows how to love our neighbor, as this is how we would want to be treated by our neighbor. We would not want to be condemned by him for our faults, while he is committing great sins; nor would we want to be left destitute when we are in need of help.
Barnes’ Notes on the Bible writes about Matthew 7:12: “This is the law and the prophets – That is, this is the sum or substance of the Old Testament. It is nowhere found in so many words, but it is a summary expression of [what] the law required.”
The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary adds: “… for this is the law and the prophets—‘This is the substance of all relative duty; all Scripture in a nutshell.’ Incomparable summary! How well called ‘the royal law!’ (Jas 2:8; compare Ro 13:9)…”
The Matthew Poole’s Commentary writes: “This precept containeth in it the substance of all that is to be found in the books of the law and the prophets which concerneth us in reference to others, the sum of the second table, which requireth… justice and charity. Christ doth not say, this is all the law and the prophets, but this is the law and the prophets…”
The Pulpit Commentary explains:
“… Verse 12. ‘Therefore.’ Summing up the lesson of vers. 1-11… ‘For this is the law and the prophets.’ For this. This principle of action and mode of life is, in fact, the sum of all Bible teaching (cf. Leviticus 19:18)… with its necessary limitation to the second table, in Matthew 22:40 (cf. Romans 13:10).”
As mentioned before, Isaiah 42:21 tells us that Christ came to exalt the Law and make it more honorable, explaining the spirit and intent of the Law, and showing by His example that we can keep it from the heart and in its ultimate and perfect sense, as God’s Holy Spirit of love has been poured out into our hearts. Our new free booklet, “God’s Law… or God’s Grace” explains this misunderstood topic in great detail.
The concepts of loving neighbor, as mentioned in Matthew 7:12 and Luke 6:31, are of course mentioned throughout the Law (the five books of Moses) and the Prophets (the former prophets such as Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings and the latter prophets, such as Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel and the twelve minor prophets). [For the correct breakdown of the Old Testament Scriptures, see our free booklet, “The Authority of the Bible,” chapter 14, page 79]. But Jesus points out in His brief statement and with a few examples the ESSENTIAL teaching of the Law and the Prophets (and by extension, the Psalms or the “writings”), in respect to loving our neighbor: “DO to them as you would have them do to you.”
That says it all. If you don’t want to be killed, then don’t kill. If you want to be saved by others, then save them, if you can, when they are in need. If you don’t want your neighbor to lie to you, but tell you the truth, then don’t lie to him, but tell him the truth (cp. Ephesians 4:25). If you don’t want to be robbed, but rather receive help, then don’t rob and steal from your neighbor, but rather, give him if he has need (Ephesians 4:28). If you are a parent and want your children to treat you with respect, then treat your parents with respect. If you are married and don’t want your neighbor to commit adultery with your wife, then don’t commit adultery with your neighbor’s wife, but do the right thing by avoiding evil situations which could tempt you to sin. And if you don’t want your neighbor to be envious of your possessions and desire them (and show by his conduct HOW MUCH he desires them), then don’t be envious of your neighbor’s possessions and don’t desire what he has; but rather, enjoy that your neighbor has been blessed with possessions and show him your joy.
Focusing again on the examples in Matthew 7:1-12, if you want to be helped in time of need, then help others in their time of need. And if you don’t want to be condemned for your sins which you commit (and sin is the transgression of the law, 1 John 3:4), then do not condemn others for their sins, but rather, show them mercy and help them in the right way and with a humble heart to find again the right path of overcoming and to “restore” them in the faith (Galatians 6:1-5). Because THIS is the teaching of the Law and the Prophets.
Lead Writer: Norbert Link
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