Vol. 87 No. 1,025 March 2017 TESTIMONY For the study and defence of the holy Scripture

89 Reflecting on the Lord’s sufferings

Also in this issue: A literal serpent—how to decide 84 A prickly defence mechanism 101 Review: the Holy Spirit and the believer today 104 The importance of little words 114

Contents TESTIMONY

Publishing Editor: JEREMY THOMAS. 22 Kingswood Close, Kings Norton, Birmingham, B30 3NX. Tel. 0121 444 6810; email: [email protected] Contents Section Editors:

DAVID BURGES. 7 Whitehead Publishing Editor’s column An unbiblical review Drive, Wellesbourne, Warwick, 81 CV35 9PW. Tel. 01789 842692; Holiness (Review) email: [email protected] 7. Shapen in iniquity Jeremy Thomas 104 Science; Archaeology Joe Harding 82 The work of God on men’s EDWARD CARR. 46 New Street, hearts Eve, temptation and the Donisthorpe, DE12 7PG. 1. Introduction serpent Tel. 01530 271522; Stephen Green 108 email: [email protected] Colin Byrnes 84 Exhortation The letters of John Thomas Iron sharpens iron (3) 88 SHAUN MAHER. 5 Birch Court, to Alexander Campbell (5) Doune, FK16 6JD. For the joy set before him Reg Carr 109 Eric Marshall Tel. 01786 842996; 89 Pertinent pronouns (1) email: [email protected] Watchman Ehud: the handicapped Geoff Henstock 114 warrior? The time of Jacob’s ERIC MARSHALL. The Pines, Jonathan Cope Ling Common Road, Castle 93 sojourning Rising, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, Evidence, reason and faith Mary Benson 116 PE31 6AE. Tel. 01553 631279; 9. The New Testament email: [email protected] Seventy Gentile nations approach to faith (2) Exposition Geoff Henstock 117 Kel Hammond 95 JOHN NICHOLLS. 17 ­Upper The words of the wise Trinity Road, ­Halstead, Essex, CO9 Science update 2. Eat thou honey 1EE. Tel. 01787 473089; email: Recent news from the Mark Vincent 119 [email protected] world of science Reviews David Burges Jewish scenes 99 3. Turkey: ‘beehive’ houses, JEREMY THOMAS (see above) Principles, preaching and ­problems World watchman Haran Shaun Maher 102 Jeremy Thomas VI GEOFF HENSTOCK. 13 ­Alpha Crescent, ­Panorama 5041, Testimony books S. Australia. Tel. 8277-0730; email: [email protected] Australia Editor; Prophecy Articles for publication Articles to be considered for publication are welcome and should be Testimony website: forwarded to the Publishing Editor (in Australia, the local editor) in the http://testimonymagazine.com first instance.

Publication of articles in the Testimony does not presume editorial endorsement except on matters of fundamental doctrine, as defined in the Birmingham Amended Statement of Faith. V “What woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!’ In the same way, TESTIMONY I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Lk. 15:8-10, NASB).

Cover picture: “The Lost Coin,” Parables series, Emily Honey Publishing Editor’s column ARLY FEEDBACK on the alternative plan https://www.dropbox.com/s/jnh7xncr0s9vne0/ for the daily reading of the Scriptures, Bible%20reading%20plan.pdf?dl=0 if it’s re- Ewhich was published with the December quired. I’m grateful for the mistake being pointed 2016 magazine, has been interesting. I’ve been out. “Open rebuke is better than secret love” pleasantly surprised by the number of readers (Prov. 27:5), and the discovery of a fault creates who have been in touch, via email or face-to-face, the opportunity to acknowledge and correct it. to let me know that they’re following the plan this year. The comments received so far have Letter-writing been positive. One correspondent put it like this: The feedback I’ve mentioned enables me to say “I have long felt that, whilst the Bible Com- something about letter-writing more generally. panion ensures reading the Bible through at As time permits, I like to look through back least once a year, it does so at the expense of issues of the magazine, including those from the continuity which is needed when reading many years ago. Long train journeys are good for some of the more ‘difficult’ books—for exam- this! One noticeable change in the content of the ple, Ezekiel and Revelation . . . The alternative magazine is the shortage of correspondence that plan does overcome the problem and thus comes my way. The Testimony used to have a very may lead to a better personal understanding lively ‘Your Letters’ section, and it was often the o f S c r i p t u r e .” case that more letters were received than it was That was certainly the hope when the reading possible to publish. Letters and emails received plan was offered, so it’s encouraging if readers these days are relatively few. I think it would be are finding this to be the case. If enough written good for the magazine generally, and of benefit to feedback is received, it may be possible to publish readers, if this declining trend could be reversed. a selection later in the year, if the Lord will— I’ve mentioned this issue (and the submission I’ll try and issue a reminder in a few months’ of articles for publication) from time to time, time. Alternative views on the plan are equally but few have ‘taken the bait.’ So I take the op- welcome. portunity to renew the invitation. Contentious In the event, the production of the plan didn’t correspondence is much less likely to benefit go entirely to plan. One eagle-eyed reader has readers, of course, and editorial policy requires kindly pointed out that the version issued in De- doctrinal compliance with the Birmingham cember failed to include Romans 8! I apologise for Amended Statement of Faith. But the scope for this. Those following the plan will, of course, be correspondence is vast. Letters could take the able to insert the missing chapter easily enough, form of questions for readers to offer answers to, but an amended version can be downloaded at comments on issues affecting the Brotherhood, Testimony, March 2017 Contents 81 observations gleaned from our daily reading ­willing. Other material currently to hand for of the Bible, feedback on articles appearing in eventual publication includes articles on the the magazine—the list goes on and on. Even cherubim, the judges of Israel, Lamentations (a an adverse opinion on an article that has been neglected book), and a short series entitled “How published can be put to good use if it’s offered we got our Bible.” All these should reach the ‘front constructively, in the spirit of Christ, and accepted of the queue’ in due course. with the attitude of teachableness which ought to Readers may wonder why it sometimes takes characterise genuine seekers after truth. a long time for articles submitted to make it into Please will readers give this some thought? It print. There are many factors that influence the would be a tremendous blessing if ‘Your Letters’ make-up of the magazine each month, which again became a lively and productive section of includes the material available (obviously), the the Testimony. need to try and produce a balance of material, and my own wish not to have too many series * * * * * running at the same time. At the moment, the In other developments concerning the magazine, need is for one-off articles. Readers are encour- it’s good that Brother Mark Vincent has been able aged to contribute. to put finger to keyboard again, this time via his Finally, I’m conscious that it’s been quite some new ten-part series on Proverbs, “The words of time since I expressed the hope of being able the wise,” which commenced last month. Looking to commence a series of articles on ‘reasons for ahead to later in the year, a good deal of work believing.’ The delay has been due simply to the has already been done in preparation for the pressure of commitments. I would like to try 2017 Testimony Special Issue, and this remains and get this project started in earnest before on schedule for publication in May/June, God much longer. Contents

Exhortation Holiness 7. Shapen in iniquity Joe Harding

T POINTS in our spiritual progression it childbirth and human intimacy. This notion sits hits us. We are born bad: “they that are in strangely with a Creator who made us this way. Athe flesh cannot please God” (Rom. 8:8). Allowing for the positive health benefits of per- Nothing we can do ourselves will change this sonal hygiene (“none of these diseases,” Ex. 15:26), natural state. Salvation is a gift of God. For David, it is still a fair question: what is God trying to such a thunderclap of realisation came after his teach us by such strictures? sin with Bathsheba: From the above verse it would seem that the “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin very act of conception renders the man and did my mother conceive me” (Ps. 51:5). woman unclean. The delivery of the child renders Perhaps the following gives a useful clue: the woman unclean for different time periods, “The woman also with whom man shall lie depending on the gender of her offspring. We with seed of copulation, they shall both bathe came into the world as the result of a ‘defiling’ act, themselves in water, and be unclean until the and from this it is not a great leap of definition to even” (Lev. 15:18). see what David was driving at: we fail to achieve The temptation is to treat verses like this as evi- holiness because we are by nature unclean. dence that God is somehow squeamish about as- Just as this uncleanness is defilement of the pects of human sexuality. Time and again the link flesh, so sin is defilement of the soul. We cannot is made between uncleanness and ­menstruation, achieve lasting cleanness, no matter how often Testimony, March 2017 82 Contents we wash, what caution we exercise in what we • restore to him the joy of salvation eat, or what we shun touching. No sooner are • deliver him from bloodguiltiness we cleansed than we become defiled again, just • open his lips as we started out life defiled. This point is made • not cast him from His presence or take His ironically by the narrative in 2 Samuel; Bathsheba Holy Spirit from him. went from King David “purified from her un- In other words, the burden of work to deliver cleanness” (11:4)—but of what greater a pollution David is with the Lord. And this psalm is a pivotal were they guilty! point in David’s understanding of God. He has On two other occasions the first steps of sanc- seen that, in order to draw near to the Lord, a tification are accompanied by sexual abstinence state of ‘moral hygiene’ is essential, a state which (Ex. 19:15; 1 Sam. 21:5). Such laws, then, teach is beyond David to attain of himself, and which us of our hopeless state of ingrained sinfulness. must be done for him: Appropriately the Saviour was conceived in a “Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and unique fashion: bow myself before the high God? shall I come “And the angel answered and said unto her, before Him with burnt offerings, with calves The Holy [Spirit] shall come upon thee, and of a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with the power of the Highest shall overshadow thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of thee” (Lk. 1:35). rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my The Spirit that brought Christ into being in Mary’s transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin womb was “not of blood, nor of the will of the of my soul? He hath shewed thee, O man, what flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (Jno. 1:13). is good; and what doth the LORD require of We are conceived in uncleanness; Christ, al- thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and though sharing that natural uncleanness, was in to walk humbly with thy God?” (Mic. 6:6-8). another sense conceived “holy”: “therefore also Micah was elaborating on a concept David had that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall earlier penned: be called the Son of God” (Lk. 1:35). With this “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a in mind, see how the notion of uncleanness has broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt occupied David’s mind when he is made aware not despise” (Ps. 51:17). that his sin is found out: These are the responses of the saved believer; “Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and these are the free-will gifts by which we honour cleanse me from my sin . . . Purge me with the Almighty. We lay our lives gladly on the altar, hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I breaking the unholy heart and crushing the rebel- shall be whiter than snow . . . Create in me a lious spirit, and submitting to the new heart and clean heart, O God . . .” (Ps. 51:2,7,10). right spirit provided by God. And by this contact It is instructive to note the language that David with the most holy ‘altar,’ in the place reserved employs as he begs God to take remedial action. for the sanctified servants of Yahweh, where the He acknowledges that he is a transgressor, shapen defiled and profane cannot enter, we become, by in iniquity, conceived in sin, and that God is just, contact with the holy things, ourselves holy. We yet merciful. So he earnestly desires God to draw nearer to God. We retrace the path to Eden. • have mercy upon him But does it stop there? • blot out his transgressions • wash him from his iniquity and cleanse him (To be continued) from his sin • purge him with hyssop Editor’s note • make him to hear joy and gladness This series will recommence in the July issue, • hide His face from his sins God willing.—J.D.T. The apostles’ speeches in Acts “It is remarkable that, alike at Lystra and Athens, there is nothing (with the possible exception of ‘the man whom He hath ordained’) that several Greek philosophers might not have said. That is certainly not accidental; the author of Acts must have been con- scious of it; and it is a strong proof of their genuineness: no one would invent a speech for Paul which was not markedly Christian.” W. M. Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen

Testimony, March 2017 Contents 83 Exposition Eve, temptation and the serpent Colin Byrnes

How can we assess whether the serpent in Genesis was bears the responsibility for sin, and its consequent mortality, entering the literal? Scripture itself provides principles and guidance world. This is the straightforward and for us to reach conclusions that are doctrinally sound. unmistakable meaning of Romans 5.1

AMES 1:13,14 contains one of the most criti- A moral dilemma? cal doctrinal statements in the Bible. Among Many see in this truth a serious moral dilemma. Jother things, it tells us that there is only one Having read that “God cannot be tempted with source of temptation that can lead us to sin: hu- evil, neither tempteth He any man” (Jas. 1:13), man “lust.” James entertains no other possible some then read in Genesis 3 of the serpent who source. What of the notion that God could tempt is created by God, endowed with reason and us with evil? James quickly dismisses this by speech by God, and permitted by God to enter the saying that it is impossible for God to be tempted garden and talk to Eve, and conclude that there with evil; nor is it possible for Him to tempt any is an unresolvable conflict between the words of man with evil. God, by His very nature, cannot be James and the fact that Eve was tempted. Was not tempted to sin. But mankind, by its very nature, God ultimately the tempter? It is therefore argued can very easily be tempted to sin. that, since God tempts no man, the teaching that The instincts in our nature are called in Scrip- the serpent was a real creature which spoke an ture “the affections and lusts” (Gal. 5:24), “the lusts enticing lie to Eve brings dishonour to God. of our flesh” (Eph. 2:3), “the deceitful lusts” (Eph. To resolve this alleged moral dilemma and 4:22), “the motions of sins” (Rom. 7:5) and “sin” (by so keep our heavenly Father from dishonour, metonymy, vv. 8,11). These archaic descriptions several approaches have been taken. Here are may today seem to some almost comical, and even two examples. The serpent’s existence is denied be made fun of by the biblically ignorant. Nev- altogether, and it is claimed that the exchange ertheless, the reality is that Scripture recognises between Eve and the serpent is figurative or that we have basic instincts for self-promotion symbolic language which reveals a state of con- and self-preservation that are often in conflict flict in Eve’s mind. According to this view, the with the will of God. On the stormy seas of trial, words of the serpent are in fact the thoughts of all too often we are instinctively drawn away of Eve. A second view acknowledges the existence our own lusts and cross the line into sin. That of the serpent but claims that the serpent did is why James begins the first section of his letter not actually speak to Eve—all it did was to eat (vv. 2-13) discussing trial. Then he points out in from the forbidden tree. When Eve observes that verses 13 and 14 what causes us to cave in under the serpent suffers no ill effects from doing so, trial: our own nature. she rationalises the circumstances in the garden This being the case, we ask the question, Did and is tempted by her own mind. Again, as with God, in the beginning, create Adam and Eve with the first suggestion, the words of the serpent in the nature that we now have? Paul addresses that Genesis 3:1-5 are actually the thoughts of Eve. question: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered Both these ideas have one objective in common: into the world, and death by sin; and so death to ‘save’ our heavenly Father from appearing passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” to be the one who, ultimately, tempted Eve and (Rom. 5:12). This passage does not say that sin therefore acted dishonourably. entered the world ‘by God,’ or ‘by Satan,’ or ‘by the serpent,’ or even ‘by one woman’; it is Adam who 1. Rom. 5:15-19; cf. 1 Cor. 15:21,22. Testimony, March 2017 84 Contents Yet there is nothing in the Genesis record to created by God or just a figure for Eve’s errone- intimate that, had the serpent not challenged ous thoughts. We can then determine whether Eve’s belief in God’s Word, she would have con- God, in allowing the serpent to tempt Eve, was templated eating from the forbidden tree. The just and consistent with what He reveals about serpent appears to have his place in the Genesis Himself in James 1 and elsewhere in Scripture. account specifically to act as a potential ‘catalyst,’ suggesting that Eve in her innocence would not Literal or figurative? have eaten of her own volition. ‘Sin-proneness,’ Let us work our way backwards from the curses, as humans now experience it, came as a result beginning with the curse on Adam. Why was of sin and condemnation to death—it did not he cursed? Because he had sinned in eating precede them. from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil To argue that Eve was already in a state where (Gen. 3:17). Why had he decided, even if he had temptation arose from her own unprompted not contemplated it previously, to do what God thoughts is to argue that she had a sin-prone had commanded him not to do? Because he had mind before the fall. It may also lead to the sug- listened to his wife (vv. 6,17). Why had his wife gestion that there was no fundamental change in persuaded him to eat (vv. 6,12)? Because she was the condition of Adam and Eve’s nature arising “in the transgression” (v. 6; 1 Tim. 2:14). What had from their sin. caused her, even if she had not contemplated do- ing so beforehand, to transgress by eating from Telling God how to run the universe? the forbidden tree? Because, in her own words, All wrong views of God’s plan of reconciliation the serpent beguiled her (Gen. 3:13, cf. 2 Cor. 11:3). have their basis in a faulty understanding of the How had the serpent beguiled her? By suggesting fall of man in Genesis. The two views above are that she would not die and that she could become really no different. Once a shaky foundation is equal with ‘Elohim’ (Gen. 3:4,5; contrast Phil. 2:5- laid, everything that the rest of Scripture builds 7). What was the serpent? A beast of the field with on it will also be shaky. These ideas founder powers of reason and speech (Gen. 3:1-5). Where specifically on an incorrect identification of who had it come from? It was a beast of the field that or what the serpent was and a faulty assessment the Lord God had made as part of His “very good” of its role in Eve’s temptation. creation (vv. 1,14; see also 2:19,20; 1:31). The justice and righteousness of God are often If Adam sinned because he listened to his challenged by the views of mere mortals who, all wife, who had already sinned, then there is no too often, think we know best how God’s spiritual exegetical reason to doubt that Eve sinned because universe should be run. At times, even prophets she listened to the serpent. We cannot take liter- challenged God’s justice: ally that Adam listened to his wife and not take • Habakkuk complained bitterly to God that literally that Eve listened to the serpent. If we the wicked, such as the Babylonians, seem to say that the conversation between Eve and the prosper at the expense of those who are more serpent is figurative of her own self-generated righteous than they (1:12,13). thoughts, then why should we take literally • Jonah could not accept that God would want that Adam listened to his wife? Moreover, if a to save the godless Ninevites, who were his- conversation between Eve and the serpent did torically Israel’s enemies. not occur (because the serpent did not exist), • Job acknowledged that he was a sinner, yet are we not then entitled to say that the conver- in effect claimed that the horrific level of his sation between Adam and Eve did not occur suffering was a punishment that did not fit either? the crime. There were three curses handed down: the Similarly, we too can easily find ourselves ques- first on the serpent (3:14,15), the second on Eve (v. tioning the justice of God in some way. 16), and the third on Adam (vv. 17-19). Are we to Before we can arrive at sound scriptural believe that the latter two are literal but the first doctrine, the facts of the case have to be estab- is a curse on the machinations of Eve’s mind? lished. From these we move to our conclusions. When the Lord God spoke to the serpent the We cannot draw our conclusions first and then words of what we call the ‘promise to Eve’ (v. 15), reinterpret the facts of Scripture to justify them. to whom was he speaking—to the ruminations In this case, to work our way to the truth we need of Eve’s mind? When the serpent was cursed to to determine whether the serpent was an animal go on its belly, are we to read into this that Eve’s Testimony, March 2017 Contents 85 thinking was to go on its belly? When Eve was from the account not only the serpent, but also asked why she had eaten of the fruit, and she the Lord God, the created animals, and Adam stated that the serpent had beguiled her, are we and Eve. to believe that Eve used the term ‘serpent’ to refer to her own thought processes? Why would the So was God unjust? word ‘serpent’ even enter her head if there was, We come to the question of whether God was just as some believe, no such creature? Was she so to create an animal with the characteristics of the sophisticated in her use of figurative or spiritual serpent and allow it to make its own assessment language that she could use the term ‘serpent’ of the situation in the garden and then to test Eve to symbolise her own erroneous thoughts? If so, by presenting its logic to her. then when God asked the same question of Adam, Once again, let us work our way back through and he replied that it was the woman who gave the events in the garden. We all have our faith the fruit to him (v. 12), are we not entitled to say tested by those who challenge it; this is our com- that “the woman” was a figurative reference to mon experience, time and time again. Knowing Adam’s thought processes? And what did Adam that there is every possibility that we will fail and Eve understand by this supposed curse on such a test, would we ask whether it is unjust of Eve’s thinking anyway? God to allow such people to come into contact with us? Why does God allow this to happen? The serpent We know the answer: to see whether we will It is true that the word ‘serpent’ is used later in obey His commands, whether we believe what Scripture figuratively and symbolically to de- He has promised, and, most importantly, whether scribe people who think like the serpent, or to we love Him for what He is and for what He has describe ‘serpentine’ thinking itself. But context done for us. The process is designed to develop must determine, in each case, the sense in which in us a godly character. such language is used.2 Its use in a literal sense, It is a foundation principle of Scripture that in the context of Genesis 3, is in complete har- there can be no exaltation without prior proba- mony with its use in comparable passages in the tion. We all have to experience this. Even God’s Hebrew, and also in the Greek of the Septuagint beloved Son, “the last Adam” (1 Cor. 15:45), was Old Testament and that of the New Testament. tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin In Genesis, the word ‘serpent’ is used in a (Heb. 4:15). He learned obedience from the things primary and literal sense and also in a secondary that he suffered (5:7-9). He was obedient unto and figurative sense. Spiritual applications are death, even the death of the cross (Phil. 2:8-11). generally derived from the literal. The promise He was the author and finisher of our faith (Heb. to Eve illustrates this.3 Serpents and mankind are 12:2). That is why he was exalted and given the literal enemies—witness the serpents biting the name that is above every other name. Israelites in the wilderness. Likewise the spiritual If it had been wrong for God to create the ser- descendants of the serpent and the woman are pent, and if God had no intention of testing Adam enemies—witness John the Baptist calling the and Eve, then surely He could have circumvented Pharisees and others “vipers” (Mt. 3:7,8), and the all the events which led to the fall by not placing Lord as the antitype of the bronze serpent “lifted the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the up” in the wilderness.4 garden in the first place, and by not instituting We cannot look at the range of applications a law against eating from it (Gen. 2:9,16,17). Yet of the word translated ‘serpent’ and choose the our heavenly Father evidently saw the need to one that best suits a theory that we may wish to test the faith of the first Adam and his wife Eve. develop. Context must always be the determiner. The serpent was an ‘amoral’ creature 5 whose Applying this principle, the events of Genesis are literal. Where figures of speech are used in Gen- 2. Ex. 4:3; 7:15; Num. 21:6-9; Deut. 8:15; 2 Kgs. 18:4; Ps. esis, they conform to common-sense rules—for 58:4; 140:3; Prov. 23:32; 30:19; Eccl. 10:8,11; Amos 5:19; example, the earth ‘opening its mouth’ to receive Mic. 7:17; Mt. 7:10; 10:16; Mk. 16:18; Lk. 10:19; 11:11; Jno. Abel’s blood and Abel’s blood ‘crying out’ (Gen. 3:14; 1 Cor. 10:9; 2 Cor. 11:3. 3. Compare Paul’s allusion to God’s words to Eve when 4:10,11). If the exchange between Eve and the he warns of false brethren in Romans 16:17-20. serpent is only figurative or symbolic, then why 4. Num. 21:7-9; Jno. 3:14-16. should we not conclude that the whole story 5. Note that the serpent was not required to explain its is figurative or symbolic? This would exclude actions (Gen. 3:14). Testimony, March 2017 86 Contents perception of the situation in Eden comprised a to themselves, those instincts inevitably lead us test of their obedience, faith and love. Eve was in the opposite direction to the one God requires. beguiled; Adam knowingly followed his wife We may avoid committing specific sins every day; into the transgression (1 Tim. 2:14). The natural yet, despite our best efforts, like Paul, all too often desires with which they had been created were we fail. Therefore the basis upon which God will used in ways which were not permitted, and sin judge us has to be our faith; it cannot be our own resulted. Sin led to mortality and all that goes capacity to be sinless (Gal. 3:14; Eph. 2:8,9). Any with it: disease and a proneness to sin. truly spiritual achievements in our lives come What, then, do we make of James’s statement despite our nature and not because of it. Paul that “God cannot be tempted with evil, neither says that in our flesh dwells no [spiritually] good tempteth He any man”? God does not take control thing (Rom. 7:18). The true source of temptation of our mental faculties, introduce evil thoughts, and sin is in our nature, not in the various evils and thus force us to make decisions either way. He in our social environment, or merely in accumu- has given us free will. Even when God hardened lated bad habits. Pharaoh’s heart (Ex. 7:13,14; 8:15; Rom. 9:17), He God is just, a declaration which comes from did not take over Pharaoh’s mind. As the ensuing what James explicitly tells us (1:17): He is the plagues demonstrated, Pharaoh obeyed when the Father of light and He does not change like the pressure was on and then reneged when it was shifting shadows. And unlike sin, which is pro- removed. The circumstances in which he was duced when lust conceives and gives birth to sin, placed made his proud heart choose his destiny: God chose to conceive us and bring us to birth “every man is tempted, when he is drawn away through the Word of truth, that we might be a of his own lust, and enticed” (Jas. 1:14). kind of firstfruits of all He created (v. 18). Even when Balaam was moved by the Spirit of God to bless and not to curse Israel, he retained Conclusion control of his own mind and was able to explain God tries us, but He does not tempt us in the sense to Balak what had happened (Num. 23:5-13). If of overriding our free will by injecting unspiri- Solomon’s wives caused him to sin, why was tual thoughts into our minds. It is folly to ignore Solomon condemned? Surely because Solomon what He has plainly told us in His Word and to exercised his free will (see 1 Kgs. 11:1-11) and was rationalise it to fit our inadequate, finite view of “drawn away of his own lust.” truth and justice. Even when we see things in life It goes without saying that our heavenly Father that seem unjust, or things we question because is just in all His ways. If we conclude that God we do not understand them, we can still rely on would have been dishonoured by allowing a the justice and consistency of our heavenly Father serpent to tempt Eve, inevitably an unscriptural as a firm foundation in life. We have to take God and ‘unChristadelphian’6 view of God’s plan of at His word, and not find ourselves like lumps of reconciliation will be the outcome. In Eden, Eve clay saying to the great Potter, “Why hast Thou knew and observed God’s law until the serpent made me thus?” (Rom. 9:20). beguiled her. To argue that Eve’s own mind, un- When studying Scripture, we need first to prompted, generated the lie which Genesis and understand the facts as presented, and then move other Scripture attribute to the serpent implies from there to our conclusions. We cannot look at that the condition of her nature before the fall the facts, say that we do not like the obvious con- was the same as after the fall. clusion to be drawn from them, and manipulate Scripture against rules of sound exegesis to make Temptation it agree with our view of how God should, or We tread on thin ice if we suggest that the nature should not, have acted. The words of Jude verses we now have is in any sense spiritually ‘good,’ and 24 and 25 remind us of what our God has done deny the overwhelming evidence of Scripture and human history to the contrary.7 The simple truth 6. See Christadelphian Unity in Australia—The Accepted Ba- is that we have inherited the nature we have now sis, reprinted by the Association of Australian Christa- as a result of the fall. Adam and Eve, prior to the delphian Ecclesias 2010, specifically the Cooper-Carter Addendum regarding Clauses 5 and 12 of the BASF. fall, did not experience what we experience now. 7. Gen. 4:8; 6:1-7; Eccl. 7:29; Jer. 17:9,10; Mk. 7:20-23; Rom. It is true that our inbuilt instincts are necessary 7:18-25; 8:12,13; 1 Cor. 1:18-25; Gal. 5:16-21, 24; Eph. 2:1-3; to preserve us in natural life; it is also true that 4:22; Phil. 3:20,21; Col. 3:5,6; Heb. 2:14-18; 4:15; 1 Tim. all human beings produce good things. But, left 1:9,10; Jas. 4:1; 1 Jno. 2:15,16. Testimony, March 2017 Contents 87 for us, and they rightly honour His name: “Now of sins] before the presence of His glory with unto Him that is able to keep you from falling exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, [into apostasy, as the context demonstrates], and be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both to present you faultless [through the forgiveness now and ever. Amen.” Contents

Iron sharpens iron (3) Letters between Brother John Carter and Brother Fred Chambers

Woodside 38 times with the adjective aiōnios—zoē May 4. 1913 aiōnios, ‘aeonian life’:– Dear Fred, Mt. 19:16; 19:29; 25:46; Mk. 10:17; 10:30; Lk. I append a copy of the list which is given by E. 10:25; 18:18; 18:30; Jno. 3:15; 3:16; 3:36; 4:14; Hawkins, in her “Life of Christ,” where the words 4:36; 5:24; 5:39; 6:27; 6:40; 6:47; 6:54; 6:68; zoē & psuchē recur. It may be of service sometime. 10:28; 12:25; 12:50; 17:2; Acts 13:48; Rom. 2:7; The terms are both translated ‘Life’ in the English 5:21; 6:22; 6:23; Gal. 6:8; 1 Tim. 1:16; version. This, however, very inadequately, as you Tit. 1:2; 3:7; 1 Jno. 3:15; 5:11; 5:13; 5:20; know, expresses the idea of the Greek word. I have Jude v. 21 some other magazines in which a correspondence on these matters is published. When I have read Aiōnios is the word rendered ‘everlasting’ them all I shall make some notes & forward same. & ‘eternal’ & is a ‘qualitative’ rather than Might it not be suitable for an essay? I think so. a ‘quantitative’ time, & as qualifying ‘life’ indicates the character rather than the “In the best Greek texts zoē occurs 135 times duration of the life. as follows: 43 times without article or other qualifying 1 preceded by aiōnios which is emphatic by word:– position. Aiōnios aiōnios, 1 Tim. 6:12 Jno. 1:4; 3:36; 5:26; 5:29; 5:40; 6:33; 6:63; 10:10; 20:31; Acts 2:28; 11:18; 17:25; Rom. 5:17; 5:18; 2 preceded by both article & adjective hē 6:4; 7:10; 8:6; 8:10; 8:38; 11:15; 1 Cor. 3:22; aiōnios zoē, ‘the aeonian life,’ Jno. 17:3; Acts 2 Cor. 2:16; 2:16; Phil. 1:20; 2:16; 4:3; 1 Tim. 13:46 4:8; 2 Tim. 1:1,10; Heb. 7:3; 7:16; 1 Pet. 3:7; 3:10; 2 Pet. 1:3; 1 Jno. 5:16; Rev. 7:17; 11:11; 2 with the article & aiōnios with the 16:3; 22:1; 22:2; 22:17 repeated article hē zoē hē aiōnios—the life, the aeonian, 1 Jno. 1:2; 2:25 48 times preceded by the definite article hē zoē—‘the Life’:– 1 with the article & the adverb ontōs, hē ontōs Mt. 7:14; 18:8; 18:9; 19:17; Mk. 9:43; 9:45; zoē, ‘that which is really life,’ 1 Tim. 6:19 Lk. 12:15; 16:25; Jno. 1:4; 5:24; 6:35; 6:48; 6:51; 8:12; 11:25; 14:6; Acts 3:15; 5:20; 8:33; In the best Greek Texts psuchē occurs 103 Rom. 5:10; 8:2; 1 Cor. 15:19; 2 Cor. 4:10; 4:11; times: 4:12; 5:4; Eph. 4:18; Col. 3:3; 3:4; Jas. 1:12; 4:14; 40 times rendered ‘life’:– 1 Jno. 1:1; 1:2; 3:14; 5:11; 5:12; 5:12; Rev. 2:7; Mt. 2:20; 6:25; 6:25; 10:39; 10:39; 16:25; 16:25; 2:10; 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12; 20:15; 21:6; 22:14; 20:28; Mk. 3:4; 8:35; 10:45; Lk. 6:9; 9:24; 9:24; 22:19 9:56; 12:22; 12:23; 14:26; 17:33; Jno. 10:11; 10:11; Testimony, March 2017 88 Contents 10:15; 10:17; 12:25; 12:25; 13:37; 13:38; 15:13; I turned up ‘life’ & found the same definitions Acts 15:26; 20:10; 20:24; 27:10; 27:22; Rom. of zoē, psuchē & bios that you sent me, exactly 11:3; 16:4; Phil. 2:30; 1 Jno. 3:16; 3:16; Rev. 8:9; word for word. 12:11 “It is not by doing the things that come eas- ily & naturally that men at first succeed. It is by 58 times rendered ‘soul’—wherever the doing those things that are trying, shaming & word ‘soul’ recurs in N.T. the original word unwelcome. This applies to the whole world of is psuchē labour & to every province of it. It is the law for Psuchē is rendered ‘heart’ Eph. 6:6; ‘mind’ learning, for business & for life” Claudius Clear.2 Acts 14:2; Phil. 1:27; Heb. 12:3 Yours etc. ‘heartily’ Col. 3:23—preceded by ek, out of; John ‘you,’ 2 Cor. 12:15; ‘as,’ Jno. 10:24

The word ‘life’ occurs in 15 other places being translated from 8 other Greek words.” 1. “John Wesley Hanson (1823–1901) was an American Universalist minister and a notable Universalist his- torian advancing the claim that Universalism was the The best way, it seems to me, to get the best out belief of early Christianity”—Wikipedia entry, “John of the preceding matter, is to mark every pas- Wesley Hanson,” accessed 26 Oct. 2016. The work re- sage where it occurs, with the Greek word in ferred to may be either The Greek Word Aiōn—Aiōnios, the margin of our Bible. The marking them in Translated Everlasting—Eternal, in the Holy Bible Shown the first place will bring all the passages to our to Denote Limited Duration (1875) or Aiōn-Aiōnios: an notice, & whenever we are reading any of them excursus on the Greek word rendered everlasting, eternal, etc., in the Holy Bible (1880). we shall at once perceive the force with which it 2. “Correspondence of Claudius Clear” was a feature in was written, that being lost otherwise in the AV. The British Weekly, founded by Sir William Robertson I was looking in Hanson’s 1 one evening this Nicholl and referred to in “Iron sharpens iron (1),” week & perceiving a Greek Lexicon by Bullinger, Testimony, vol. 86, no. 1,021, Nov. 2016, p. 417.

Contents

Exhortation For the joy set before him Eric Marshall

The memorial meeting gives opportunity to reflect on the plucked off the hair: I hid not my face life of Jesus and particularly the circumstances of his trial, from shame and spitting” (Isa. 50:5,6). death and resurrection. What was it that enabled Jesus He was ridiculed by the leaders of the people (Lk. 23:35-37) and by the to cope with the bitter opposition and hatred that was malefactor alongside him on the cross vented on him throughout his ministry and finally in his (v. 39). Crucifixion itself was brutal crucifixion? torture.

HERE IS NO DOUBT that Jesus suffered. A failed mission? The Gospel records, although unsensa- Jesus also had to cope with the rejection of his Ttional, make this clear. He was tortured mission by his own countrymen. Isaiah propheti- during his trial and prior to his crucifixion, as cally describes this: the prophets had said. For example: “The Lord “Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not re- people, from far; The LORD hath called me bellious, neither turned away back. I gave my from the womb; from the bowels of my mother back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that hath He made mention of my name. And He Testimony, March 2017 Contents 89 hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in around the cross. He did this by seeing it for what the shadow of His hand hath He hid me, and it was: contemptible; so he despised it. Crucifixion made me a polished shaft; in His quiver hath was designed to break both the body and the He hid me; and said unto me, Thou art My mind. servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified. The instruction to “consider him” tells us that Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have Jesus teaches us by his behaviour how to cope spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet with trial and so avoid being “wearied and faint surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my in [our] minds”—especially as our trials are less work with my God” (49:1-4). severe than those Jesus experienced. The difficul- John records this same sense of apparent failure, ties and challenges all believers will experience when he says of the end of Jesus’ public ministry, are overseen by God as necessary for our devel- “But though he had done so many miracles before opment in the process of conforming us to the them, yet they believed not on him” (12:37). image of His Son. For the perfect Father this is We are moved to stand in awe of our Lord “for our profit, that we might be partakers of His for his endurance despite the hatred and abuse holiness” (v. 10). The writer rightly says: “Now directed at him. What restraint he showed in no chastening for the present seemeth to be joy- allowing such evil without protest! What trust ous, but grievous,” but “afterward it yieldeth the he showed in his Father when, in Gethsemane, peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which he said, “not my will, but Thine, be done” (Lk. are exercised thereby” (v. 11). Perhaps we are not 22:42)! What faith in his final words on the cross, always sufficiently exercised in seeking what we “Into Thine hand I commit my spirit” (Ps. 31:5; Lk. should learn from our trials. 23:46), clearly believing that he would rise to say, “Thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth”! What was the joy set before Jesus? What was it about Jesus’ motivation that ena- The writer by implication tells us the answer bled him to triumph in these dire circumstances? to this question when he says that Jesus “is set And what help can this give believers now as we down at the right hand of the throne of God” (v. meditate upon him? 2). However, he seems to be quoting from Psalm 16, which is a Messianic psalm—identified as Jesus—the example to believers such by Peter in Acts 2. The latter half of this The writer to the Hebrews presents Jesus as the psalm describes Jesus’ attitude of faith in God’s ultimate example of the faithful listed in chapter provision and promises: 11. He says: “I will bless the LORD, who hath given me “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let seasons. I have set the LORD always before us lay aside every weight, and the sin which me: because He is at my right hand, I shall doth so easily beset us, and let us run with not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, patience the race that is set before us, look- and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall ing unto Jesus the author and finisher of our rest in hope. For Thou wilt not leave my soul faith; who for the joy that was set before him in hell; neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy endured the cross, despising the shame, and One to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me is set down at the right hand of the throne the path of life: in Thy presence is fulness of of God. For consider him that endured such joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye evermore” (vv. 7-11). be wearied and faint in your minds” (12:1-3). Each of the phrases in these verses shows how The writer identifies “the joy . . . set before him” Jesus prepared himself for a faithful life. “I will as the key to Jesus’ triumph. This enabled him to bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my endure the cross and despise the shame. These reins also instruct me in the night seasons” in- are two features that address different aspects dicates the closeness of Jesus to his Father, and of Jesus’ suffering. He overcame the pain and that the Father instructed him. This feature was physical agony of crucifixion by endurance—he also noted by Isaiah, when he wrote, put up with it! He also overcame the mental tor- “The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of ments that would be caused by the shame of being the learned, that I should know how to speak displayed naked, taunted by the soldiers, those a word in season to him that is weary: He crucified with him and his enemies standing wakeneth morning by morning, He wakeneth Testimony, March 2017 90 Contents mine ear to hear as the learned. The Lord his feet. For in that He put all in subjection GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not under him, He left nothing that is not put rebellious, neither turned away back” (50:4,5). under him. But now we see not yet all things That this happened is confirmed by Jesus more put under him. But we see Jesus, who was than once in John’s Gospel. For example: “Jesus made a little lower than the angels for the answered them, and said, My doctrine is not suffering of death, crowned with glory and mine, but His that sent me” (7:16); “Then said Jesus honour; that he by the grace of God should unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of taste death for every man” (2:6-9). man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I The true destiny for man was not realised in do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught Adam, but it will be realised in the last Adam, me, I speak these things. And He that sent me is Jesus. with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I He is the seed of Abraham, who is “the heir do always those things that please Him” (8:28,29). of the world” (Rom. 4:13). Jesus confirmed that Jesus’ statement that “the Father hath not left this was his destiny in his warnings following me alone” is consistent with the psalm’s “because Peter’s declaration that Jesus was the Christ, for he He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved” (Ps. said, 16:8). We might also conclude that the darkness “If any man will come after me, let him deny from the sixth hour to the ninth hour at the cru- himself, and take up his cross daily, and fol- cifixion was an occasion when the Father was at low me. For whosoever will save his life shall His Son’s right hand. lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my The hope set before Jesus, which made his sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man heart glad, was that his soul would not be left advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and in hell, neither would his flesh see corruption. lose himself, or be cast away? For whosoever He would be delivered from his mortal nature. shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of This would happen because he was on the path him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when of life and was totally convinced of the certainty he shall come in his own glory, and in his of the fulfilment of his Father’s promises. But Father’s, and of the holy angels” (Lk. 9:23-26). further, the prospect of meeting his Father, once Since Jesus was the only one who could have risen, was the ultimate joy set before him: “in ‘gained the world,’ we have here a helpful insight Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand into Jesus’ recognition of the temptations that he there are pleasures for evermore” (v. 11). Peter in faced and how he dealt with them. He would be Acts 2 renders this, “Thou hast made known to lost if he did not go the way of the cross! We do me the ways of life; Thou shalt make me full of well to follow Jesus’ example in weighing the joy with Thy countenance” (v. 28). consequences of attractive but wrong thoughts So we note from Psalm 16 the elements of the and resolving to go the right way, even at great joy set before Jesus: personal cost. • fellowship with the Father • exaltation to His right hand The Saviour and King • rescue from his human nature. Mary was told by the angel Gabriel that her son would sit on “the throne of his father David” The man to be given dominion (Lk. 1:32). This was the expected destiny for the There are other features of the promises about Messiah. Certainly Jesus’ disciples knew this and Messiah which Jesus would know and which discussed the consequences for themselves, to the would provide an incentive for him. The writer point of arguing over which of them would be to the Hebrews expounds Psalm 8 to show that the greatest (see, for example, Matthew 20:20-24; the man designed by God to have dominion was Luke 22:24). Jesus had to remind them that, in this to be realised in Jesus. He says: order, service was the essential quality. However, “But one in a certain place testified, saying, he does also promise them rulership when he is What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? or king: “Ye are they which have continued with the son of man, that Thou visitest him? Thou me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you madest him a little lower than the angels; Thou a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto crownedst him with glory and honour, and me; that ye may eat and drink at my table in my didst set him over the works of Thy hands: kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve Thou hast put all things in subjection under tribes of Israel” (vv. 28-30). Testimony, March 2017 Contents 91 Interestingly, in the Parable of the Talents Jesus would this be enough to ensure that he did not talks about the prospect for those who are faith- fail? There is a crucial factor that enabled Jesus ful servants. For both of the servants who gained to succeed: His love for his Father. more talents by their activities the commendation When asked about the great commandment is the same: “Well done, thou good and faithful Jesus replied: servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy I will make thee ruler over many things: enter heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy thou into the joy of thy lord” (Mt. 25:21,23). The mind. This is the first and great command- ‘joy of their lord’ involved rulership, of which ment. And the second is like unto it, Thou each had a part. This rulership is to achieve God’s shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these intention with His creation: “as truly as I live, two commandments hang all the law and the all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the prophets” (Mt. 22:37-40). LORD” (Num. 14:21). There can be no doubt that Jesus, who came to But the route to rulership was the way of the fulfil the Law, kept these principles enshrined cross for Jesus and for all who follow him. Jesus in the Law. knew this well. He also knew from the Hebrew In His covenant with David, God had said of prophets that he would look back with satisfac- David’s seed, “I will be his father, and he shall be tion at his sacrifice, which ensured the salvation My son” (2 Sam. 7:14). We might think that this is of mankind: simply stating the obvious, but the writer to the “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; He Hebrews cites it thus: “I will be to him a Father, hath put him to grief: when Thou shalt make and he shall be to Me a Son” (1:5)—that is, Jesus his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his was the Son of his Father by being in His image seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleas- and likeness, by replicating the Father’s think- ure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. ing and ways so completely that he could say to He shall see of the travail of his soul, and Philip, “he that hath seen me hath seen the Father” shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall My (Jno. 14:9). Jesus himself declared the mutual love righteous servant justify many; for he shall between him and his Father: “He that sent me is bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do him a portion with the great, and he shall always those things that please Him” (8:29); “But divide the spoil with the strong; because he that the world may know that I love the Father; hath poured out his soul unto death: and he and as the Father gave me commandment, even was numbered with the transgressors; and he so I do” (14:31). bare the sin of many, and made intercession So too for us, love is an essential ingredient in for the transgressors” (Isa. 53:10-12). discipleship. Jesus asked that this would be the experience of his disciples, for he prayed, Glory with the Father “Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast In his prayer for his disciples recorded in John given me, be with me where I am; that they 17 Jesus says, “I have glorified Thee on the earth: may behold my glory, which Thou hast given I have finished the work which Thou gavest me me: for Thou lovedst me before the foundation to do. And now, O Father, glorify Thou me with of the world. O righteous Father, the world Thine own self with the glory which I had with hath not known Thee: but I have known Thee, Thee before the world was” (vv. 4,5). This, also, and these have known that Thou hast sent me. is part of the joy which was set before him, and And I have declared unto them Thy name, which would come to fulfilment at his resurrec- and will declare it: that the love wherewith tion; for, as the psalmist records prophetically of Thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in all the faithful, but especially of him: “As for me, them” (17:24-26). I will behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall John in his First Epistle takes up the same theme be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness” when he writes, (Ps. 17:15). “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only Love—the essential ingredient begotten Son into the world, that we might It is clear that Jesus’ successful life was founded live through him. Herein is love, not that we upon clear objectives, total commitment, and a loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His deep desire to receive the joy set before him. But Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, Testimony, March 2017 92 Contents if God so loved us, we ought also to love one These things have value for us, for the writer to another” (4:9-11). the Hebrews exhorts us to “consider him” (12:3). Following his example we too need: The joy set before us • full commitment The Scriptures have helped us to identify the • love for God “joy . . . set before” Jesus that enabled him to • love for Jesus endure the cross and despise the shame, and to • desire for a change of nature rise to sit at the right hand of God. For him the • practice of ‘kingdom values.’ motivating factors were: And the ultimate motivator in Jesus’ example is • glory at the right hand of the Father his sacrifice lived out in our lives: “I am cruci- • receiving the promised inheritance as the man fied with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but to be given dominion Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live • the satisfaction of saving mankind—justifying in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, many who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Gal. • the mutual love of the Father and the Son. 2:20). Contents

Exhortation Ehud: the handicapped warrior? Jonathan Cope

The Book of Judges describes an astonishing variety of Israel’s enemies, yet only one place is circumstances in the experience of the nation of Israel. identified as being captured: “the city We read of times of great strength and of great weakness, of palm trees” (v. 13). This speaks of Jericho (see Deut. 34:3), which was the times of prosperity and of acute poverty, times when God’s first city to be taken when the nation people seemed faithful and obedient and times when they entered the land (Josh. 2, 6). Israel had could hardly have been more wayward. Yet throughout this lost their ‘first city,’ for they had lost period a remnant was being preserved, that the plan and their “first love,” like the Ephesians in purpose of the Father might be brought to fruition. Revelation 2:4, neglecting the Father in their lives and suffering as a result. HERE IS A PATTERN in the Book of Judges Yet salvation was at hand, and Ehud was which appears again and again. Sin is fol- the chosen deliverer. His name means ‘united’ Tlowed by suffering, then the provision of a (Strong’s Concordance), and he was to unite Israel saviour. The one provided delivers God’s people, as they rose up to cast off the rule of Eglon. who enjoy freedom from oppression, but then a return to sinfulness follows. Chapter 3 describes God’s strength made perfect in weakness just such a series of events. Israel were suffering We see also that he was a Benjamite (Judg. 3:15). terribly as a result of their idolatry, and one faith- Benjamin means ‘son of the right hand,’ yet the ful man was raised up by God to bring about Authorised Version describes Ehud as being their salvation: Ehud of the tribe of Benjamin. “lefthanded.” Similar things are recorded in The enemies of Israel were led by a man called 20:16, where we read of 700 men of Benjamin Eglon, the king of the Moabites (v. 12). Moab who possessed the ability to sling stones “at an was allied with Ammon and Amalek (v. 13), and hair breadth, and not miss”; these men are also these nations afflicted God’s people for eighteen termed “lefthanded.” Sons of the right hand—who years. Doubtless many towns and cities fell to were more proficient with their left! Yet there is Testimony, March 2017 Contents 93 a further lesson behind this phrase “lefthanded” a putting away of the sinfulness that existed used of Ehud. The deliverers raised up by the within Israel. Lord in the days of the Judges were, in human Having turned away initially, Ehud reached terms, rather unlikely heroes: the quarries (or, more accurately, the graven or • Jephthah was a man who was despised by carved images) in Gilgal before turning back to others confront Eglon once again (Judg. 3:19). Gilgal is • Deborah was a woman who motivated an an important biblical location. The name means entire army ‘wheel,’ as it was the place where the men of the • Gideon was initially a humble man, unsure second generation were circumcised, after their of his own ability parents had died in the wilderness: “And the • Samson achieved his greatest victory when LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled at his very weakest. away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Where- What is the lesson here? Surely the Father was fore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto teaching Israel that His strength is made manifest this day” (Josh. 5:9). through weak men and women serving Him, as A number of key events occurred at Gilgal. It the Lord Jesus declared to the Apostle Paul: “my was a place of judgement, sacrifice and salvation. strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. Ehud was stirred into action by the evil that he 12:9). This principle is seen time and again in saw in the midst of the land, as the reproach of the days of the Judges: weak, uncertain, blinded, the Gentile nations was ‘rolled’ from Israel once despised, unlikely men and women rose to lead more. the nation, glorifying God in the process. This And so Ehud stood in the presence of the king is very much the case for Ehud, as he appears to once again. He had a “secret errand” to deliver have been physically handicapped. (Judg. 3:19), and all Eglon’s men were dismissed. Yet why would Eglon leave himself in such a Shut of his right hand vulnerable position? As we have seen already, The phrase “lefthanded” means literally “shut of Ehud was a man with a handicap, so perhaps his right hand,” as the AV margin has it. Rother- the king and his men viewed him as no threat. ham’s Literal Translation of the Bible has in the margin, “lamed/bound in his right hand.” In the A summer parlour original Hebrew this is made up of two words, Where did these things take place? The Author- one meaning ‘right’ and the other ‘impeded’ or ised Version tells us Eglon was in “a summer ‘bound.’ Possibly Ehud’s thumb had been cut off parlour” (v. 20); the Revised Version margin by the enemy (we know from Judges 1:6 that this suggests “upper chamber of cooling,” which sort of thing happened), or more likely he was seems nearer to the original. The same Hebrew born with this handicap, like the man with the word is elsewhere translated ‘chamber,’ ‘upper withered hand in Luke 6:6. chamber’ or ‘loft.’ Strong has “something lofty/a What a remarkable anomaly is presented to second-storey room.” us in Judges 3, therefore: Ehud the Benjamite, the Eglon was sitting on a seat when Ehud ap- handicapped warrior! Perhaps in such incidents proached him: in fact, he was on a throne. “Seat” we are being reminded of the greatest deliverer, (v. 20) means something covered or canopied, our beloved Lord and Master, who was “despised hence ‘a throne’ (Strong). The same word is nor- and rejected of men” (Isa. 53:3), yet who in his mally translated ‘throne’ in the Old Testament time of greatest weakness achieved the ultimate (as in 2 Sam. 7:13). victory and salvation for his people. So Ehud went up to the place where ‘king sin’ reigned, and slew him there. Surely here we have Eglon a very fat man a powerful type of our Master, who was “lifted What then of Eglon? We learn of his physique in up from the earth” (Jno. 12:32), and “very high” Judges 3:17: “Eglon was a very fat man.” In Scrip- (Isa. 52:13), achieving deliverance for his people ture fatness is often associated with prosperity. in the process. It can, however, sometimes be connected with What courage Ehud demonstrated here! If he overindulgence and sin (1 Sam. 2:29; Isa. 6:10). In had failed in his attempt to kill Eglon—if his this instance we see a man who was a physical sword were discovered—he would certainly have embodiment of sin, who would be slain through lost his life. Yet having slain the one who spoke of the actions of God’s faithful servant, signifying sin, he departed from the place of rulership, and Testimony, March 2017 94 Contents then called Israel unto him, so that others would Be not conformed to this world share in his triumph (Judg. 3:23-27). Once more Ehud and his men took the fords of Jordan (Judg. we see types of our Master, who was laid in the 3:28), cutting off the escape route for Eglon’s grave, having triumphed over sin, and came forth servants. There ten thousand men were killed, to newness of life, accomplishing deliverance for all described as “lusty” (v. 29); the AV margin all God’s children in the process. has “fat” as an alternative, and this is indeed the meaning of the Hebrew word. So Eglon’s men Follow me were just like their lord—they were in his image! In verse 28 we have a further unmistakable The words of the Apostle Paul are particularly type of Christ. Ehud’s call to Israel was, “Follow appropriate here: “And be not conformed to this after me.” There are only three other examples world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of anyone in Scripture saying “follow me” or of your mind” (Rom. 12:2). In whose image are “follow after me”: we? Whose example do we follow? The men of • Elisha in 2 Kings 6:19, guiding the Syrian army Moab, like their king, spent their time gratifying towards Samaria the flesh. We are called to emulate the example of • the angel in Acts 12:8, sent to free Peter from our king, the one who gave his life that we might prison. live, and who crucified his natural desires day • every other use of the phrase “follow me” is by day, eventually succumbing to that terrible by Jesus Christ (see Mt. 4:19; 8:22; 9:9; 16:24; death on the cross. 19:21; Jno. 1:43; 21:19). What wonderful lessons are contained for us Men were called to follow by the Lord—and that in the life and work of Ehud, the chosen deliverer same call still sounds forth to his disciples today. from Benjamin! The call for us all is to follow As his sheep we must heed the call, seeking to his example of bravery and faith, casting off the emulate his perfect example, as we attempt to works of darkness, and looking to the day when keep ourselves separate from the world in which the greater judge will be in the earth again, when, we live. by grace, “all Israel shall be saved” (11:26). Contents Principles, preaching and problems Evidence, reason and faith 9. The New Testament approach to faith (2) Kel Hammond We continue to consider the role of the apostles in what makes their testimony reasonable and the New Testament has to tell us about evidence and faith. believable? As we noted earlier, it is both 3. Assessing the reasonableness of the reasonable and acceptable to evaluate all types apostles’ teaching today of evidence, including indirect evidence, and BOUT 2,000 YEARS have passed since the to allow its cumulative force to direct us to an days of the apostles. We cannot observe assured outcome. We can use this investigative Athe miracles and signs they performed; we technique to examine the evidence concerning the cannot speak with them first hand to quiz them resurrection of Christ and thereby the validity of about their experiences. We only have the record the apostles’ teachings. of their words, works and testimony recorded in We should not underestimate the importance the New Testament documents. How then can of this approach. The early disciples were consid- we evaluate their message, and what evidence ered part of the household of God, having been Testimony, March 2017 Contents 95 “built upon the foundation of the apostles and Pliny the Younger, Suetonius and Lucian. These prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief testify to the early emergence of New Testament corner stone” (Eph. 2:20). For this reason the early Christianity. This was necessary to establish the disciples are also said to have “continued sted- ‘chain of custody’ that ensured the accuracy and fastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship” survival of the New Testament writings. (Acts 2:42). Discipleship and faith are therefore There are four facts about Jesus that are gener- based on believing the apostles’ teachings, which ally accepted by both friends and foes: in practical terms involves believing the things 1 Jesus died on the cross and was buried that they believed. Hearing the apostles was the 2 Jesus’ tomb was empty and no-one ever pro- same as hearing Christ (Lk. 10:16), for they were duced his body Christ’s ambassadors, sent with his message. 3 Jesus’ disciples believed that they saw Jesus Paul goes further than this and presents the raised from the dead negative side of this proposition when he says, 4 Jesus’ disciples were transformed following “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach their alleged meeting with the resurrected any other gospel unto you than that which we Jesus. have preached unto you, let him be accursed” None of these ‘minimal evidences’ necessitates (Gal. 1:8). that Jesus rose from the dead. Some suggest that any number of explanations might account The historicity of Christ for the alleged facts. Let us list the main options The following quotation is worthy of note: concerning the apostles’ testimony: “The standards of evidence do not require 1 the apostles were wrong about Jesus dying that the case for something is irrefutable. Such 2 the apostles were lying about Jesus’ resurrec- 100 percent certainty is only possible in the tion rarest of circumstances. Rather, the standard 3 the apostles were delusional or hallucinating requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt about Jesus’ resurrection in criminal cases and proof that makes the 4 the apostles were fooled by an imposter pre- truth of an accusation more probable than tending to be the resurrected Jesus not in civil cases. If this is not understood, 5 the apostles’ original testimony was distorted our criteria for proof may be unrealistic. Ap- later on plying this to the facts about Jesus, scholar 6 the apostles told the truth and their record is Graham Twelftree observes that ‘A position accurate. is demonstrated, when the reasons for accept- When evaluating these options and comparing ing it “significantly” outweigh the reasons for them with the written New Testament records, not accepting it . . . A finding of historicity is it is difficult to accept that the first four of them essentially a default position, meaning that would pass the requirement for reasonableness. we have no other reasonable way to account First, each account records the death of Jesus in for the presence of a story in the text’. . . If considerable detail. Secondly, the apostles had there are no reasonable opposing theories, a been with Jesus for more than three years and finding of historicity is the default position.”1 knew him. They would not be fooled easily. The When we consider the evidence for Christ’s multiple appearances of Jesus over the forty days resurrection, therefore, we need to consider a following his resurrection would have removed number of possible explanations for his death all doubts. To suggest that the disciples were and rising again, since it is on this declared fact lying is difficult to rationalise, as it would have that everything else in the New Testament relies. involved a massive conspiracy. On one occasion, In general, historians accept that Jesus of there were over 500 witnesses to his resurrection, Nazareth was a real person and that the history the majority of whom were still alive when Paul recorded in the book of Acts is accurate. Many wrote his First Letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor. first-century and early-second-century unfriendly 15:6). Roman sources (Thallus, Tacitus, Mara Bar-Sera- pion and Phlegon) and Jewish sources (Josephus 1. Gary R. Habermas and Michael R. Licona, The Case and the Babylonian Talmud) confirm that Jesus for the Resurrection of Jesus. 2 was crucified and died. There are other contem- 2. For a list of non-Christian writings about Jesus, see porary second-century records about the early the Blue Letter Bible link at https://www.blueletterbible. Christian community found in the writings of org/faq/don_stewart/don_stewart_185.cfm Testimony, March 2017 96 Contents A process of elimination alternative to this approach is permitted—even This still leaves the option that the record was though the evidence is better explained by the later tampered with. Internally, we can establish very thing they reject. This approach lacks ob- that much of the New Testament record was writ- jectivity. ten within a few decades of Jesus’ death, which Jesus and his apostles used and thereby en- means that those who witnessed the events first dorsed the truthfulness of many of the Old Testa- hand were still alive when the records were com- ment writings. This approach provides us with piled. This is Paul’s argument in 1 Corinthians a useful methodology that we can imitate. From 15:1-8 and the basis of the factual account that their example we can learn how to interpret the Luke testifies he compiled in Luke 1:1-4. Moreover, Scriptures and rely on the Old Testament writ- historians know that the background information ings. This also provides believers with a valuable supplied in the New Testament, and particularly insight into how to understand the Bible, includ- the book of Acts, is very accurate. ing allowing the New Testament to interpret the The most reasonable conclusion is that the Old Testament. record is true, and the things it records are a true account. This means that Jesus really did die on The Acts of the Apostles as history the cross and really did rise again on the third In the New Testament we are told that the early day. In addition to this, he really did endow his disciples “devoted themselves to the apostles’ apostles with the responsibility of preaching the teaching and to fellowship” (Acts 2:42, NIV). The gospel, and he really did give them the Holy Spirit apostles were the agents, chosen by Christ, to bear gifts to assist them in discharging this responsi- witness and to communicate his message to all bility. In the light of all the available information, nations after his resurrection (1:8). By establish- this is the most reasonable conclusion and one ing the truth of their witness we can thereby that is designed to persuade us to believe the establish the truth of the things that they trusted apostles’ testimony. and believed in. The main objection to this conclusion is that it As for Luke’s authorship of the Gospel account requires a belief in the supernatural, for no man which bears his name, the Papyrus Bodmer XIV, can be brought back to life three days after he which is the oldest known manuscript containing dies. As we have seen, however, the conclusion the ending of Luke’s Gospel (dating to around that Jesus was raised can be inferred from the AD 200),3 has the subscription, “The Gospel ac- available evidence. The resurrection is a reason- cording to Luke.” Nearly all ancient sources share able explanation that results from looking at all this theory of authorship. the evidence and considering all the options. This Luke’s Gospel record is later referred to in is why we need to check our naturalistic presup- Acts 1:1-3, which then proceeds to show what positions, and consider the whole record within happened after the resurrection of Jesus. Using the overarching framework of divine revelation. the internal evidence in Acts, we can roughly All the pieces fit together, which is a primary date when it was written. This then allows us to requirement when assembling all the various date Luke’s Gospel, as it was written before Acts. types of evidence. From internal evidence we know that parts of Acts were written as a first-hand, eyewitness 4. The New Testament as history account. We can see this by the way the personal Historians now generally accept the historicity pronoun ‘they’ changes to ‘we’ about half way of the New Testament Gospels, and particularly through the record. In Acts 16, compare ‘they’ the book of Acts, yet they reject the miracles that in verses 4,6-8 with ‘we’ in verses 10-13 and ‘us’ are recorded alongside the events that scholars in verses 15-17. See also 20:5-15; 21:1-18; 27:1–28:1. accept as historical. Why? Because they have a This feature of the text indicates the times when presuppositional bias against the supernatural. Luke joined Paul, probably caring for his needs They reject the idea that any historical evidence as his helper and personal physician. We are told could demonstrate a miracle, because this invokes elsewhere that Luke stayed close to Paul, even to something outside our natural experiences. This the very end (Col. 4:14; Philem. v. 24; 2 Tim. 4:11). rationale is also used by some scholars who reject the essential Christian doctrine of the resur- rection of Jesus. Yet this rejection is based on a 3. “Early Christian Writings—the Gospel of Luke,” avail- reliance on naturalistic presuppositions, and no able at http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/luke.html Testimony, March 2017 Contents 97 The final verses in Acts cover Paul’s impris- works. They had seen his brutal death and were onment in Rome, with no comment about the witnesses to the fact that he had been raised from outcome of any subsequent trial. From this the dead. They had spoken with the risen Christ, we can assume that Acts was completed after they had touched him, and they were with him Paul was arrested but before he was martyred for forty days after his resurrection. In this they (c. AD 64–67), and extrapolate back to an even were absolutely certain. earlier date for the Gospel of Luke (who wrote The apostles’ words are not presented as Acts as a sequel). To strengthen this point, Acts subjective opinions, but as objective and truth- mentions neither the fall of Jerusalem (AD 70) ful testimony verified by multiple witnesses nor the horrific persecutions under Nero which who were alive decades after the events. The began in AD 64, even though other persecutions records clearly bear witness to the truth of their are mentioned. Based on this and other internal message. Furthermore, the fact that these wit- evidence, the record of Acts is generally thought nesses received no reward for their testimony, to have been completed around AD 62. but rather their witness was often at the cost of great hardship and often of their own lives, is a 5. Summary—the New Testament approach seal of their authenticity. to faith Even though we cannot now hear with our We have looked at the basic evidential structure own ears or see with our own eyes what the of the New Testament Scriptures. We have access apostles heard and saw, we can consider their to a large body of historical information that testimony and weigh its reasonableness. There is allows us to understand New Testament times. no reason to suspect that they were deceived or From these we can verify the basic historicity of lying, or that their testimony was later changed. these writings. Importantly, what we have seen There is sufficient evidence to believe that their is that New Testament faith was primarily based testimony is trustworthy, and that the New on the teachings of the apostles. They had been Testament account is a factual record of actual with Jesus during his ministry and were therefore events. This being so, we recall again the com- uniquely qualified as eyewitnesses to testify to ment of the Christian author C. S. Lewis, who all that they had seen and heard. Their teachings said, “Christianity is a statement which, if false, were based on what he had taught and revealed is of no importance, and if true, is of infinite to them. They were also given the gift of the Holy importance. The one thing it cannot be is mod- Spirit to assist them and to bring to remembrance erately important.”4 The New Testament message all that he had taught them (Jno. 14:26). is designed to move us to believe. In the New Testament records we have the written testimony of those who witnessed the (To be continued) things recorded. They often testified to the truth- fulness of their accounts. They had been with 4. C. S. Lewis, essay “Christian apologetics,” from God Jesus. They had heard his words and seen his in the Dock.

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Testimony, March 2017 98 Contents Science Science update Recent news from the world of science David Burges

the location of the retina behind More evidence for the bundle of nerve fibres which design of the eye are gathered into the optic nerve connecting it to the brain. This HARLES DARWIN fa- results in the blind spot where mously remarked: “To the optic nerve passes through Csuppose that the eye with the retina, which could be a all its inimitable contrivances . . . disadvantage—except that the could have been formed by brain conveniently compensates SheLovesGhosts (CC BY-SA 3.0)/Wikimedia natural selection, seems, I freely for it and we are seldom aware Commons confess, absurd in the highest of this ‘defect.’2 In fact this ar- as ‘Muller glia’ were thought to degree.”1 Although the state- rangement has been shown to play a supporting role, clear- ment is rhetorical, Darwin did go be necessary to allow the retina ing debris and storing energy on to claim that “by numerous, to be in close contact with the for the light-sensitive ‘rod and successive, slight modifications” choroid layer behind, with its cone’ cells behind them which the eye has been formed in this rich blood supply continuously turn light into electrical signals way, and most scientists today providing oxygen and nutrients for the brain. They are now be- concur. Correspondingly it has to the retina and removing waste lieved to act like optical fibres, become fashionable for evolu- products. funnelling red and green light tionists to argue that, if God de- New research has now also to the cone cells responsible for signed the eye, He did not make shown that a layer of pipe- colour vision, and allowing blue a very good job of it. One of the shaped cells in front of the retina light to spill over and activate features of the eye claimed to plays a major role in colour vi- the rod cells involved in night demonstrate deficient design is sion.3 The long, thin cells known vision.

1. On the Origin of Species, ch. 6. 2. The blind spot can be ‘observed’ by extending both arms to the front, with the thumbs up; with just one eye open and focused on the opposite thumb, the other thumb, when moved away to right or left about six inches (15 cm), will dis- appear from the peripheral vision. With both eyes open no effect is seen since one eye compensates for the other. 3. Jonathan Webb, “Shape of eye’s ‘light pipes’ is key to colour sorting”, BBC News, Science and Environ- ment, 7 Mar. 2015, reporting re- Diagram of the search presented at an American human eye. Physical Society meeting by Dr Public domain via Erez Ribak of Technion, the Israel Wikimedia Commons Institute of Technology. Testimony, March 2017 Contents 99 Three-dimensional scans are distributed among the cells passing a legacy to its associ- have revealed that the forest of the whole organism. ated fungi and trees. of Muller cells is just the right One scientist describes an Plants also demonstrate a height, about 0.25 mm, and that experiment in which a single form of memory, storing details their tubes have exactly the right support was placed between two of an event in order to react diameter for this colour-sorting climbing bean plants so that they accordingly at a later time. For role, selectively sending the red had to compete for it.7 The losing example, the Venus flytrap does and green wavelengths to the plant immediately sensed that its not react to just one touch, but cone cells and causing about rival had reached the pole, and if it senses another within thirty eighty-five per cent of the blue started to seek an alternative. seconds it will snap shut. The light to reach the nearby rod cells It is not clear how plants are sensitive plant, Mimosa pudica, which are most sensitive to blue able to sense the behaviour of will close its leaves if shaken, but wavelengths. This then adds a other plants in this way, but it is after four to six repeats will stop second powerful design function known that they are aware of reacting, as though aware that which requires the eye to have its their environment and are much the shaking poses no danger. nerve fibres connected in front more sensitive than animals: the But it will still close its leaves if of the retina. The layer of Muller root cap, which protects the tip of touched, since that normally sig- cells must also be at the front the root as it navigates through nals the danger of being eaten. of the retina; and the choroid the soil, can detect up to twenty In spite of all these amazing layer, providing a rich supply of different physical properties, abilities being integrated into the light-sensitive molecules, must such as light, gravity, magnetic growth and development of trees be behind the light-sensitive field, temperature and moisture. and plants, so that they react to cells.4 Behind the root cap is a zone many different environmental All of this reveals that the which is electrically active and factors in specific ways, some different parts of the retina work contains growth hormones. scientists are still very reluctant together, giving us vibrant day- This seems to be where the to speak of plants ‘thinking’ or time colour vision but also deliv- information gathered by the cap ‘taking decisions.’ Nevertheless ering better sensitivity with less is translated into commands for the remarkable abilities of plants colour in the dark. So, far from the growth regions of the root, now being revealed indicate a being ‘bad design,’ the features analogous to the function of the degree of complexity far greater of the eye actually demonstrate brain in animals.8 than previously imagined, and on that the all-wise Creator chose Studies in Canadian forests a par with that of many animals. an optimal design solution after have revealed that in a forest all. “O LORD, how manifold are every tree is linked underground Your works! In wisdom You have to every other tree by pathways 4. Ibid. The article quotes Mark made them all” (Ps. 104:24).5 formed by root fungi, which en- Hankins, Professor of Visual Neu- able them to send and react to roscience at Oxford University, as saying that there are several Plant intelligence signals concerning such things reasons why the light receptors as availability of nutrients, or of the retina are better off at the E have written before in attacks by invading organ- back (i.e., behind the nerve con- Wthis column of the remark- isms.9 A Douglas fir planted nections). So much for the ‘bad able and unexpected abilities by the researchers was able to design’ argument! of plants to sense and react distinguish between its own rela- 5. Bible quotations are from the NKJV. tives and neighbouring trees of to their environment and to 6. “The amazing senses of plants,” communicate with other plants another strain. They also grew Testimony, vol. 83, no. 982, Apr. 6 around them. So complex and a Douglas fir and a Ponderosa 2013, p. 139ff. advanced are some of the abili- pine together and then injured 7. “Do we underestimate the power ties now being discovered that the fir by pulling its needles off of plants and trees?”, BBC Online some researchers have even and attacking it with western News, Science and Environment, begun to describe plants as spruce bud worm. The Douglas 20 Nov. 2015. 8. Anil Anathaswamy, “Roots of con- ‘intelligent.’ But whereas animals fir responded by releasing lots of sciousness,” New Scientist—The have their cognitive capabilities carbon via its network into the Collection, vol. 3, issue 4, 2016. located in the brain, the cor- neighbouring pine, as though 9. “Do we underestimate the power responding functions in plants aware it was dying and was of plants and trees?”, op. cit. Testimony, March 2017 100 Contents Scientists naturally attribute these complex interactions to millions of years of evolution, as though, given enough time, anything is possible, whereas it is eminently more reasonable to conclude that the thinking and decision-making abilities of plants have been programmed in advance by their Creator. Truly “The trees of the LORD are full of sap, the cedars of Lebanon which He planted, where the birds make their nests” (Ps. 104:16,17).

North American porcupine. A ‘highly-engineered’ Manfred Werner-Tsui (CC BY-SA 3.0)/Wikimedia Commons defence system a second function: they actu- ­researchers believe that it may ORTH American porcupines, ally reduce the force required be possible to use this principle Nalso known as quill pigs, are to penetrate the tissue of the to design improved medical well known for their fearsomely predator by sixty to seventy needles that would cause less sharp quills, mingled with the fur per cent. They act in much the injury (though biodegradable covering much of their bodies. same way that a serrated knife barbs would be required!) and They are slow-moving, noctur- localises the penetration force adhesive patches that could nal creatures, and the 30,000 at the tip of the teeth rather than replace staples in holding cuts ten-centimetre quills on their along the length of the blade. For in tissue together. But to use backs, which detach easily and instance, in slicing a tomato a the words ‘highly engineered’ of penetrate tissue, form their pri- serrated blade makes it easier to the quill barbs surely implies the mary defence against predators. cut and with less damage. So the involvement of a skilled engineer. Now microscopic examina- porcupine quills easily penetrate To attribute ingenious, purpose- tion of the quills by researchers predator tissue and produce far ful design of this order to the in the USA has revealed that, less damage on insertion than gradual accumulation of random once inserted into tissue, they the artificial ones. mutations is wishful thinking. are difficult to extract because One of the scientists com- The porcupine has the great the tips are equipped with mented: “To our knowledge this Creator to thank for its prickly minute, backward-facing barbs is the first demonstration of a defence mechanism. which increase the resistance highly engineered system that to removal.10 So far, so painful, achieves polar-opposite dual for the unfortunate attacker. But functionality.” In other words, the 10. Ella Davies, “Porcupine’s prickly defence mystery solved”, BBC unexpectedly, by comparing same complex design feature Nature News, 10 Dec. 2012, citing porcupine quills with artificial achieves two opposite effects, work published in the Proceedings replica quills without barbs, they making penetration easier and of the National Academy of Sci- found that the barbs also have removal more difficult. The ences. “One never knows the meaning of what he may be doing for the time. It may be a lane into a larger road that may lead you to a harbour that may take you out into the ocean; or it may be a lane ending in a waste heap . . . Whether waste heap or the ocean, you must take the step before you. If God be your guide, you may go ahead without fear: but He will not guide if you don’t go . . . In modesty commit your way to Him, exercis- ing your best judgment in the steps you pick in the labyrinth; and if you don’t get to the ocean, you will at all events get to some wholesome highway where life will be tolerable during the present evil.” Robert Roberts, An Autobiography, pp. 78–9.

Testimony, March 2017 Contents 101 World Watchman Shaun Maher

HEN WORLD LEADERS first began administration falters they seem to be turn- to wrestle with the problem of how to ing, perhaps reluctantly, to Russia for help. In contain Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, recent weeks Russia has made no secret of its W 2 including her annexation of Crimea, there would connections with General Haftar, who controls have been little apparent connection between the east of Libya and most of its oil fields. The this problem, the conflict in Syria and the civil United Nations-backed Tripoli government in war in Libya. Three years on, a new geopolitical the west of the country appears to be weak and landscape is emerging with an expanding arc losing control against an emboldened General of Russian influence stretching from Ukraine in Haftar backed by Russia and the EU. This means the west down through Syria in the Middle East that there is likely to be more fighting between and around to Libya in North Africa—a terri- the rival militias in an apparently intractable tory reminiscent of the eastern leg of the Roman conflict. Empire at its zenith. There is another factor affecting this political As Russia intermittently stokes the conflict minefield, namely the steady flow of migrants in eastern Ukraine, and the fragile ceasefire through Libya to the Mediterranean and on holds in Syria, it would appear that Mr Putin into Europe (usually via Italy). General Haftar is now turning his attention to the Libyan civil has refused to acknowledge the EU deal to stem war.1 European Union leaders are in a difficult migrant flow, and so the EU has engaged help position. As their relationship with the Trump from Russia to facilitate progress. So we see Mr Putin in the driving seat, once more out-manoeuvring other world leaders and domi- nating regional politics. Growing Russian involve- ment in Libya will come as no surprise to those familiar with the Scriptures. If the traditional understanding of the nations mentioned in Ezekiel 38 is cor- rect, then we can expect to see Russia growing in power and influence, forming closer ties with the other nations named. Russian political connections with Iran are well established, and we have now seen even closer military cooperation between the two nations in the Syrian civil war. Buoyed

1. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ joseph-v-micallef/is-libya-putins- next-targ_b_14705620.html 2. http://www.janes.com/article/67 643/russian-support-for-haftar- likely-to-shift-governance-east wards-and-hasten-collapse-of- Eastern Roman Empire AD 460. libya-s-un-backed-government Testimony, March 2017 102 Contents by the relative success of their Syrian campaign, peoples spoken of, in a number of cases, have Russian leaders are turning their attention to migrated from their original lands and now in- Libya. habit other regions. Whichever view we prefer, it is wise to keep something of an open mind as Nations aligning in accordance with we prayerfully watch events unfold. prophecy The alliance which Ezekiel describes descending Turkey lurches further towards on the mountains of Israel (38:2-6) is comprised authoritarianism of nations traditionally understood to be Russia Most students of prophecy agree that Turkey (Rosh, Meshech and Tubal), Iran (Persia), Sudan will form part of the latter-day confederacy, (Cush), Libya (Put), a number of European nations, and with this in mind it is interesting to note possibly including France and Germany (Gomer recent developments in that country. The grow- and Magog), and Turkey (Beth-Togarmah). There ing authoritarianism of President Recep Tayyip are other interpretations of this passage that ex- Erdoğan has been a prominent feature of recent clude Russia and the Western European nations political life in Turkey,5 where a referendum is from consideration, suggesting that this alliance due to take place in April to decide whether the is solely an Islamic grouping comprising Turkey, executive powers of the president should be in- the southern Muslim states of the former Soviet creased further and the post of prime minister Union, Iran, Libya and Sudan. There is a case to abolished. This would keep Mr Erdoğan in power be made for each view. until 2029 and give him sweeping powers over Some of the names mentioned by Ezekiel are Turkey’s judiciary and legislature.6 familiar from the list of tribes descended from Recent tensions over the conflict in Syria, Noah’s sons (Gen. 10). Gomer, Magog, Tubal between Turkey on one side, backing the anti- Meshech and Togarmah are all descendants of Assad forces, and Iran with Russia on the other Japheth, collectively described as the forebears side, backing Assad and the Syrian army, seem to of the “coastland peoples” (v. 5, ESV). Cush and have abated for now. But whether or not Russia Put are sons of Ham (v. 6), whose most notorious is part of the Ezekiel 38 coalition, something has descendant was Nimrod, arch-enemy of God’s to happen to unite arch-rivals Turkey and Iran in people and forefather of the Assyrian nation their plan to invade Israel. At the moment such an (vv. 9-12). alliance seems at best unlikely, and most might These ancient tribes might be identified today say impossible, but we can be assured that at by the modern countries located in the same some point something will cause it to happen— places. Alternatively, we could take account of whether, as some suggest, Russia moves south where the ancient tribes themselves may have and invades Turkey, or, as others think, Islam’s finally settled and become nation states in more shared hatred of Israel proves enough for them recent centuries. For example, according to one to overlook their own intra-regional rivalry in a view, Gomer, Togarmah, Magog, Meshech and common endeavour. Tubal are all descriptions of regions of what we Exactly what impact recent events in Syria and know today as Turkey. Josephus identifies Gomer the forthcoming Turkish referendum will have on with the Galatians who inhabited central Turkey, the political affairs of the region we shall have to familiar to us from the first-century ecclesias wait and see, but that Turkey has a key role to play located in this area. Other historians identify in the final phase of God’s plan appears certain. Gomer with the Cimmerians 3 who inhabited With regard to Russia’s role, whether she the Eurasian Steppes, a tract of land which to- proves to be in the lead or in the background day encompasses parts of Romania, Hungary, Ukraine, the Caucasus, Kazakhstan and southern 3. “Cimmerian (people)”, Encyclopædia Britannica. Re- areas of Russia.4 trieved 8 Sept. 2012. In essence the contention boils down to wheth- 4. Grousset, René, The Empire of the Steppes: a History of er Russia and a number of European nations are Central Asia, Naomi Walford (tr.), New Brunswick, NJ: included in this latter-day invading force. On the Rutgers University Press, 1970. 5. one hand we need to be aware of the temptation http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/tur key-increase-executive-powers-president-recep-tayyip- to fit our twenty-first-century world into words erdogan-authoritarian-rule-government-a7501666.html written more than 2,500 years ago. At the same 6. http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-turkey-politics-consti time we need to bear in mind that the tribes and tution-idUKKBN15T1K9 Testimony, March 2017 Contents 103 as the last days of man’s kingdom unfold, the All these things are worthy of consideration evidence of her current involvement with a as we prepare for the return of our Lord Jesus. number of these nations is clear. Not least is the fact that she has now taken up residence in Syria, the final seat of the Seleucid “king of the north” 7. “Seleucia”, Encyclopædia Britannica, 9th ed., Vol. XXI, (Dan. 11:40).7 New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1886, p. 632. Contents Review An unbiblical review Jeremy Thomas

A Biblical Review of the of those observations add little to the BASF’s Birmingham Amended clauses themselves, they are at least innocuous. Statement of Faith. The same cannot be said of many of the remain- Brother William (Bill) ing comments, which show insufficiently careful Davison. reading (both of Scripture and of the BASF), and which, more seriously, advocate views which are November 2016. doctrinally unsound. This is particularly the case 51 pages. Price: £6 in the author’s understanding of the present-day including postage. work of the Holy Spirit. Available from the author at 26 Winster A document of its time Avenue, Ravenshead, As any statement of faith would be, the BASF is Nottingham, NG15 9DD, to an extent a document of its time, worded so as UK. to provide a summary of the saving truth of the Bible for believers of all ages, yet with particular ROTHER BILL DAVISON’S association emphasis on its teachings on issues which were with the Testimony goes back many years. to the fore at the time the BASF was written. This He was involved in the work of promoting is why the BASF contains so many clauses cover- B ing the sacrificial work of the Lord Jesus Christ the magazine for some time, and he contributed a number of constructive articles as far back as (often referred to, for the sake of convenience, 1965. Far less constructive, in the opinion of the as ‘the Atonement’). Some of the doctrines to be reviewer at the time, were his booklets The Role rejected are nineteenth-century issues, unlikely of Women in the Church 1 and The Holy Spirit and ever to arise in the ecclesias again; today we may the Believer Today.2 Each of these was found to be even have to research what some of them mean at odds with the teaching of Scripture and other to be able to reject them! Heresies which would Christadelphian writings on these topics when trouble the Household of Faith in later generations they were reviewed in the Testimony. It is unfor- could not have been foreseen, and are therefore tunate that Brother Bill’s latest booklet merits not mentioned. similar criticism on the same grounds. On an individual level, brethren and sisters After a short Introduction this booklet is may also feel, with the benefit of a century-and- divided into two roughly equal parts, dealing half’s hindsight, that a few of the clauses of the respectively with the thirty-one positive clauses BASF appear imperfectly worded. Even the best of the Birmingham Amended Statement of Faith (BASF) and its thirty-five ‘Doctrines to be rejected’ 1. John Nicholls, “Two short reviews,” Testimony, vol. 75, (DTBRs). Finally there is a collection of five short no. 894, June 2005, p. 188. appendices. For the majority of both the positive 2. John Nicholls, “Opposing erroneous teaching about and negative clauses Brother Bill’s review con- the work of the Spirit today,” Testimony, vol. 76, no. sists simply of a brief observation. Whilst most 905, May 2006, p. 167. Testimony, March 2017 104 Contents human attempt to epitomise the Bible’s teaching another example, concerning DTBR no. 34—“That remains a human venture, lacking the inspired marriage with an unbeliever is lawful”—Brother authority of the Scriptures which it attempts to Bill appears to interpret the passage quoted, summarise. No-one could disagree with (for in- 1 Corinthians 7:39, as follows: stance) Brother Bill’s observation that the word “Note, in its Corinthian setting, Paul is ex- “idiots” in DTBR no. 22 has changed its mean- horting believers not to fellowship those who ing and is now used, more often than not, in a worshipped in the temple of Apollo, and who pejorative sense. engaged in sexual and obscene practices as Neither of these points, however, takes away part of the ritual . . .” from the fact that the BASF has done a remark- On the contrary, chapter 7 concerns principles ably good job in helping to preserve the unity of Christian marriage. The question of eating of the Christadelphian community. Its relative food which had been offered to idols is the next timelessness is testimony both to the superb ap- of the “things” about which the Corinthians had preciation of Bible teaching which its compilers written to Paul (see v. 1; 8:1) and is not addressed had, and to their wisdom in being able to discern until chapter 8. between what we call “the first principles” (see There is a similar lack of care in reading some Heb. 5:12)—the beliefs we are entitled to expect of the clauses of the BASF. In relation to the Foun- of our fellow-believers—and non-fundamental dation Clause, Brother Bill states that “scripture issues that can be left to the personal under- is not ‘the only source of knowledge concerning standing and conscience of individual disciples. God’,” citing in support Romans 1:20, which refers Given its title, it is surprising that the booklet to the things which God has created. But this is to under review takes no opportunity to consider misquote the Foundation Clause, which goes on the need for, and the benefits of, a statement of to say: “. . . concerning God and His purposes.” faith. There are biblical precedents which could The heavens do “declare the glory of God” (Ps. helpfully have been commented on in this regard. 19:1), and even “His righteousness” (97:6); but they do not teach us about “His purposes,” A poor start which are learned only by divine revelation in The booklet’s Introduction does not get off to an the Scriptures. encouraging start, since it begins with two claims Similarly, DTBR no. 22 does not state, as is which appear to be factually incorrect: claimed, that certain individuals will not be “The Birmingham Amended Statement of saved; it only rejects the belief that they will be Faith is traditionally considered to be inviolate saved (that is, without belief in Christ and his in our community. Any attempt to appraise gospel). These misreadings at least have the our faith by examining the clauses puts the unintended benefit of deflecting some of the writer in danger of being disfellowshipped.” author’s criticisms of the BASF, but they do not The first of these claims overlooks the fact that instil confidence in his approach to the task he other accepted statements of faith exist within has set himself. On occasions, Bible verses prof- the Brotherhood, and that fellowship between fered in response to clauses of the BASF simply ecclesias continues to be acknowledged provided do not say what they are purported to say. On these statements of faith are considered compat- page 13 Brother Bill counters clause 14—“That ible with the BASF. The second claim certainly [Christ] does not intercede for the world, or for does not reflect the practice of ecclesias I have professors who are abandoned to disobedience”— been acquainted with during my own member- with 1 Timothy 2:1: “I urge, then, first of all, that ship of the Brotherhood. requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone” (NIV). But this verse is Inaccuracies simply not talking about the same issue. Factual inaccuracies also occur, more regrettably, The allegation that the BASF has too little in the handling of Scripture. Clause 8 of the BASF, to say about our life in Christ overlooks the which describes human nature as “condemned,” Commandments of Christ, usually published is not quoting from Romans 8:3,4 as Brother alongside the positive and negative clauses of the Bill states (p. 8)—this passage says that “God BASF and considered to be an integral part of it.3 . . . condemned sin in the flesh” by “sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh.” This mis- 3. Available online at http://www.christadelphia.org/com reading of the text is not an isolated incident. In mand.htm Testimony, March 2017 Contents 105 The document under review does not seem to be Particular criticism getting a fair hearing. Two further aspects of the booklet cause par- ticular disquiet. The first of these is the doubt Personal observations that will be raised in the mind of readers over Throughout the booklet there are a number of exactly where Brother Bill stands on a number comments which have no obvious place in what of issues. Far too much of the booklet leaves one claims to be a biblical review of the Brotherhood’s wondering what he believes. On DTBR no. 2, principal doctrinal statement, being more in the concerning the Trinity, the author refers to the way of personal observations. There is an ele- beliefs of Messianic Jews. To them, the question ment of ‘tilting at windmills’ amongst these. For of whether Jesus is Son of God or God the Son is instance, how representative of the Brotherhood, “. . . a matter of secondary importance which really, is the allegation that some consider the Jesus will resolve on his return as King; and AV “the only true version” of the Bible (p. 47), or despite what we call ‘wrong doctrine’ they that “Up to a decade ago it was . . . considered see themselves as the faithful remnant of ‘wrong’ to preach to the Jews” (p. 17)? Christ and Israel” (p. 25). the apostles were doing the latter 2,000 years ago. One could easily read this section of the booklet Amongst these observations there is a degree and conclude that Brother Bill is sympathetic of good, common-sense advice. This includes to this ambivalence regarding the Trinity. We Brother Bill’s comments on the following: the know from page 40 that he does not believe in indiscriminate use amongst us of New Testament the Trinity, so why raise doubts? Should we not passages around which there is genuine textual look for Jews to whom we preach to accept the uncertainty; the use of obsolete language from teaching of the apostles concerning “Jesus of our platforms, which is a real obstacle to some; Nazareth, a man approved of God” (Acts 2:22)? a right emphasis on love, not some legal require- Or may we tolerate the hearers keeping an open ment, as the principal motive in the sacrifice of mind on this doctrine on account of how they Christ; the relevance of our preaching in the light see themselves? Such an approach is certainly of current-day problems; the need for dynamic not biblical, and it does not follow the example speakers on our platforms; and the need for our of the finest ‘Messianic Jews’ of all—the inspired understanding of ‘the Truth’ to be reflected fully apostles of the Lord. in the way we live. In the same category one could put the remarks These points are outweighed, however, by on page 39 in which the author refers to a 1952 other, unwise recommendations: that modern conversation with another brother. The brother fashions should set the standard of dress in our suggested the following: meetings; that our children and young people “. . . if you have a figurative devil in the gos- should participate in our public reading of Scrip- pels, to be consistent, you need a figurative ture; and that Christadelphian sisters should be serpent in Genesis; conversely, if you have a “co-workers in preaching the Gospel, proclaim- literal serpent in Genesis, you need a literal ing the Good News, exactly as brothers do” (p. 42). devil in the gospels.” The latter would be a flat contradiction of Bible This is, of course, nonsense. Yet Brother Bill teaching on the distinct roles of the sexes, and remarks: would deny apostolic precedent. The author’s “At the time I did not accept his reasoning, suggestion that an ecclesia voting for sisters to but I can now see where he was coming from.” share in public speaking would be “equivalent” Does the author, then, believe in a literal devil? to the Holy Spirit appointing prophetesses in the One could hope that this section were simply first century is baffling. badly written, but there is more on this topic on Despite the reassurance on page 39 that Chris- page 27 regarding DTBR no. 11, “That the devil tadelphian teaching is considered sound in many is a supernatural personal being”: of its basics, many readers will be dismayed by “Dr. [John] Thomas was a fundamentalist, the seemingly contradictory claim that “We need that Scripture should be read literally 4. . . But to re-think our interpretation of Scripture” (p. 41). If this refers to any of our key doctrines, then it 4. Countless instances could, of course, be cited to dem- is surely the last thing we should do, and to read onstrate that Brother John Thomas appreciated fully this suggestion from the pen of a Christadelphian the symbolic character of many passages of Scripture. writer would be alarming. The suggestion here is untrue. Testimony, March 2017 106 Contents when it came to ‘the Devil’ he treated it as a interchangeable. The examples cited, and others metaphor, that the Devil is the personification like them, suggest the belief that, by means of the of sin . . . This renders superfluous some of the Holy Spirit, God works directly on the heart or plain teaching of Jesus, namely, ‘The enemy the mind of a believer to help him or her live a that sows them (the weeds) is the devil’ (Mt. Christlike life. This belief has serious implications 13:39); ‘You (Pharisees) are of your father the for our understanding of the role of Scripture.6 devil’ (Jno. 8:44).” It is true, as the author says on page 41, that the Lord opened Lydia’s heart (Acts 16:14); but he The Holy Spirit did so by her listening to what the apostles were The second aspect of deep concern surrounds teaching—a detail of the verse which is unfor- Brother Bill’s beliefs on the Holy Spirit. These tunately disregarded. Brother Bill’s claim is also were criticised in the Testimony nearly twenty- diametrically opposed to the experience of the five years ago,5 and it is regrettable that there Lord, for whom the possession of the Holy Spirit appears to have been no change in his position exposed him to temptation, rather than equipping in the intervening period. Part of the problem him to overcome sin, while in the wilderness. here is the frequent use of vague language, in Recounting a personal experience (pp. 40–41), which the author does not define his terms with Brother Bill appears to testify to the alleged in- sufficient clarity for readers to be able to decide fluence of the Holy Spirit in his own life when whether they agree with what is being said. One he spoke to others of the return of Jesus as King might feel able to go along with certain state- and his fulfilment of God’s promises to Abraham, ments taken in isolation. For instance: “Salvation Isaac and Jacob. The New Testament’s testimony, is depicted as having two essentials—‘holiness’ however, is that when the first-century apostles through the work of the Spirit combined with of the Lord preached the gospel, they did so belief in the ‘apostolic’ doctrine” (p. 12); “We are “not . . . in word only, but also in power, and in baptised ‘in the name of the Father and of the the Holy [Spirit]” (1 Thess. 1:5). Essentially the Son and of the Holy Spirit’ (Mt. 28:19). This tells operation of Holy Spirit in New Testament times us of . . . the sanctification of the Holy Spirit” (p. was demonstrable either in miraculous events or 14). The difficulty lies in being unable to be sure in revelation being communicated to the speak- what the author actually means. ers.7 Where in Brother Bill’s experience was this When we read the following, however, it ap- unambiguous demonstration of the “power” of pears that a doctrinal line has been crossed (the Holy Spirit experienced by the apostles, or what emphasis in the following quotations is original): new revelation was spoken which could not al- • “Disciples have been experiencing the presence ready have been gleaned from a straightforward of Jesus in their lives by the Spirit for nearly reading of the text of the Bible, intelligently un- 2,000 years” (p. 15). derstood and believed? • “Following [Jesus’] ascension and glorifica- tion, he came to [his disciples] in the power of An unsuccessful review the Holy Spirit, initially attested by outward This booklet fails, firstly, because it does not do signs and wonders . . . an essential part of his what its title suggests that it will do—to review promise was that he would ‘indwell’ them the BASF biblically. To that extent, it appears to through the Spirit—equally applicable to us be an unnecessary document. A far better biblical today” (p. 16). review of the BASF could be undertaken simply • “Paul is saying that by the indwelling of . . . by comparing its clauses with the Bible refer- the Holy Spirit . . . believers’ lives are trans- ences that are routinely printed alongside, or by a formed; that now, by the grace of God, we can live pure lives in a world of sin” (p. 16). • “In the epistle to the Romans (8:9), there is a 5. “Weighing up the truth,” Testimony, vol. 62, no. 738, note of caution for those who deny the leading June 1992, p. 206. of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life today” (p. 6. For Brother John Thomas’s understanding of this topic 16). see the article on p. 109 of this issue. 7. A good summary of this can be found in the thirty- The treatment of Romans 8:9 indicates a failure to two-page booklet Bible Teaching about the Holy Spirit by appreciate the difference between the phrases ‘the John Allfree and Geoff & Ray Walker, Bible Student Holy Spirit’ and ‘the spirit of Christ.’ Contrary to Press, no date, a few copies of which are available from the author’s claim, these phrases are not always Sister Mary Benson, [email protected]. Testimony, March 2017 Contents 107 methodical study of the teaching of the inspired and it would be to the author’s credit if it were apostles as recorded in Acts and the Epistles. withdrawn from circulation. It is ironic that a Readers might also like to consult the ongoing booklet claiming to be biblical would, if endorsed, series in the Christadelphian Tidings magazine, take the Brotherhood in the same direction as the which began in June 2015. very ‘Christian’ churches from which the BASF Ultimately, however, its greatest weaknesses lie was designed, in part, to distinguish us. in the doubts which it will raise in the mind of The circulation of this booklet within the readers concerning the author’s own beliefs, and Brotherhood creates an opportunity for the Tes- in his views concerning the present-day work of timony to reprint Brother Stephen Green’s series the Holy Spirit. Whilst Bible teaching on the latter “The work of God on men’s hearts” (see below), is defined in the BASF only negatively,8 the views first published inThe Bible Student in 1985 but out expressed in the booklet are not considered com- of print for some years. patible with Scripture teaching. This booklet can only lead to disharmony amongst the ecclesias, 8. See DTBR no. 25. Contents

Encounter The work of God on men’s hearts1 1. Introduction Stephen Green

HE WORK OF GOD on men’s hearts and and vice versa. We see this in the almost universal minds cannot be penetrated by us in any Christian belief in Christ’s personal and living Tcomplete or absolute sense. Yet by studying existence before his birth to Mary, partly based the Scriptures we can gain an understanding of on a large number of seemingly explicit passages. the broad sweep of His actions as well as the Another example is in the understanding of pas- obvious end result. And it is important that we sages that mention ‘devil’ or ‘Satan.’ should have such an understanding. This problem must not lead us to conclude that Using an analogy in a related sphere, we may interpretation is unimportant. If that were true, not have a detailed knowledge of the exact pro- there would be little need for God to provide cesses of creation. However, we need a general Scripture. The choice of language is made with understanding of creation revealed in Genesis, a purpose. Sometimes God’s teaching is delib- sufficient to recognise our dependence upon God erately obscured by indirect language in order and upon aspects of His character and nature. to separate different types of men and women Our understanding will lead to a denial of the according to their personal attitudes toward Him false theories of evolution. In a similar way, the and what He says. This principle is expressed in Scriptures tell us much about the work of God on Matthew 13:10-17: the heart, which at the level presented we can un- “Why speakest thou unto them in parables? derstand, and which precludes alternative human He answered and said unto them, Because it ideas of the interaction between God and man. is given unto you to know the mysteries of Language used in Scripture is often misun- the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not derstood because its statements are assumed to given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be be speaking at the wrong level of detail, or are assumed to be literal where metaphor is intended, 1. Series first published in the Bible Student in 1985. Testimony, March 2017 108 Contents given, and he shall have more abundance: but God grows strongly; in another there is merely whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken incipient growth or none at all. If God willed in away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to an absolute sense to change all men and women them in parables: because they seeing see not; into believers, then parables are not the means to and hearing they hear not . . . their eyes they do it. The reasons for God’s choice of working in have closed . . . But blessed are your eyes, this way may not be explained; but the fact is that for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For it is God’s will that He should do so. verily I say unto you, That many prophets The principle outlined is fundamental to all and righteous men have desired to see . . . God’s work with men. God does not change the and to hear . . .” qualities of the human material beyond recogni- If men do not wish to understand and convert, tion, but rather uses them. The Bible shows many they are not forced. Only those who ‘desire’ to examples of God working with men. Sometimes see and hear are among the blessed. these examples have been taken to imply more The use of parables is an example of the way in about the detail of how God works than is ex- which God works upon men’s hearts. The initial plicitly stated, while the tools that God employs effect is not so much to change men but to bring are given less attention. In the study now begun into the open what they already are. Just as a seed we look at examples of God’s work on individual or culture grows to reveal the quality of the nutri- men and women, concentrating on those exam- ent in which it is placed, so by a person’s reaction ples that are especially striking or are sometimes to such parables is revealed the quality of his or misunderstood. her mind toward God. In one case the man of (To be continued) Contents

History The letters of John Thomas to Alexander Campbell (5) Edited and annotated by Reg Carr

Letter 5: written from Richmond, Virginia, known to the world under a new character, even on 10 October 1835 and addressed to that of Christian; and that this manifestation was Alexander Campbell in Bethany, Virginia. effected by an indiscriminate immersion of every believer into Jesus Christ. This was the sole and DEAR BROTHER CAMPBELL, only possible way in which Jews and Gentiles In my former epistle,1 I glanced at the state of the could become Christians at the period under Jews and Gentiles, at the several periods when consideration. An immersed believer of the “repentance and the remission of sins,” or salva- testimony which God had given of His Son was tion by Jesus Christ, was proclaimed to each of the only truly reformed character in those days them by the Apostles—the chosen witnesses of of apostolic purity and simplicity. He alone was his resurrection. I showed that “the circumci- truly repentant; his sins, or actual transgressions, sion” evinced their repentance towards God were alone remitted; he alone was sanctified, or by transferring their obedience from the law of made holy; he alone was reconciled to God; he Moses and the law of human tradition to the “law alone was adopted into the family of God; he of faith”; that “the uncircumcision” proved theirs alone had received the salvation of his soul. Such by renouncing the vanities of paganism for the characters the Apostles addressed as “qualified realities of the truth; and that both these classes of men were manifested as “living stones,” “a holy 1. That is, the letter dated 19 September 1835; see “The and royal priesthood,” an “elect race,” “a holy na- letters of John Thomas to Alexander Campbell (4),” tion,” “a purchased people”: in short, were made Testimony, vol. 86, no. 1,022, Dec. 2016, p. 473. Testimony, March 2017 Contents 109 for a portion of the inheritance of the saints in the Holy Spirit. The GIFTS of the SPIRIT, however, the light”; as “delivered from the power of dark- are to be distinguished from the FRUITS of the ness, and translated into the kingdom of God’s SPIRIT. The gifts were “the word of wisdom,” “the beloved Son”; as “having redemption, even the word of knowledge,” “faith” to remove moun- remission of sins”; as “formerly alienated in mind, tains, “gifts of healing,” “operations of powers,” and enemies by wicked works, but now, indeed, “prophecy,” “discerning of spirits,” “kinds of reconciled by the body of Christ’s flesh through foreign languages,” &c., &c.—the fruits, “love, joy, death”; as characters “to whom it has pleased God peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, fidel- to make known what is the riches of the glory of ity, meekness, temperance.” The former are the this secret among the Gentiles, which is Christ result of inspiration; the latter flow from the truth in you (by faith) the hope of glory”; as “circum- believed and obeyed. These fruits are the signs cised with the circumcision made without hands, by which true Christians may be discovered and in the putting off the body of the flesh, by the discriminated from hypocrites—by hypocrites, circumcision of Christ, having been buried with I mean those who profess to know God but in him in immersion, by which also you have been works deny Him. raised with him, through the belief of the strong The practices of these reformed characters working of God, who raised him from the dead, were required to be such as would “adorn the for you who were dead on account of trespasses, doctrine of God their Saviour in all things.” Jesus and by the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has is the true image of God—the perfect model of made alive together with him, having forgiven the new man. He was perfection personified; and you all trespasses”; as “having put off the old man, his true and only portrait is to be found in the with his practices and having put on the new, who sayings and doings recorded of him in the Holy is renewed by knowledge, after the image of Him Oracles. “He suffered for us, leaving us a pattern, who created him”; as “heirs of God, and joint that we should follow his footsteps.” Was Jesus heirs with Christ,” in whom the glory hereafter holy? So must his followers be. Was he sinless, to be revealed transcends all human conception. guileless, patient, wise, humble, and harmless? Such, then, was the state of a Christian, and such So must his followers be. Was he unconformed too was the only way in which a Jew or Gentile to the principles and practices of the world? His could enter therein. No one out of Christ had any followers must be so too. Did he bear arms for right to these privileges, and in the Apostles’ the destruction of men? Did he mingle as a po- days there was but one way of getting into Christ, litical agitator in the paltry questions of human and that was by being immersed in water into policy? Although he ate with sinners, did he his name. make the swearer, the fornicator, the debauchee, I would here beg leave to observe that, when the companions of his solitude? Did he degrade once reformed, it was the practice of these Chris- the image of God by such conduct as this, by cor- tians to conduct themselves holily, unblameably, rupt communications, by unholy deeds? Neither and unreproveably, in the sight of God. There must the Christian, if he would be an acceptable were exceptions. It is not of these I speak. I refer to “imitator of the Good One.” those who walked worthy of their high calling. To Such, brother Campbell, appears to me to be some of these worthies—of whom the world was the outline of “reformation” and of the Christian not worthy—were distributed the gifts of the Holy character in the days of ancient times. It is, I Spirit. Those of them who received these gifts believe, the outline sketched by the inspired art- were called “spiritual men.” These endowments ists. The light and shade might easily be thrown were bestowed for the qualification of certain of in by a few more touches; but this must suffice the Christians for the service and edification of at present. The facts and doctrine of “reforma- the body of Christ—the Christian community, tion,” “remission of sins,” and “eternal life,” are and ceased when that body attained to “the unity all comprehended and condensed in the phrase of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of “glad tidings,” or the term “gospel.” Every other God”—which it did when the knowledge and doctrine, message, tidings, word or proclama- matter of faith, distributed among the spiritual tion in the world that does not correspond, in all men, were united and rendered permanent in its parts, to THE GOSPEL, delineated upon the the writings of the Holy Scriptures. Since the page of the New Testament, the outline of which days of the Apostle John, we have no credible I have transferred to these letters, is “another testimony of the bestowment of a single gift of gospel,” concerning which Paul writes as follows: Testimony, March 2017 110 Contents “I wonder that you (Galatian Christians) are so 1. “The Holy Spirit accompanies the truth in the soon removed from him (Paul) who called you conversion of the sinner.” This dogma is con- into the favor of Christ, to another gospel; which firmed by an appeal to his “own experience.” is not another; but there are some who trouble 2. Conversion is a change of heart, and a conse- you, and wish to pervert the gospel of Christ. But quent change of life. if even we (the Apostles) or a messenger from heaven, 3. The sanctification and cleansing of the body declare a gospel to you, different from what we (the of Christ with the washing of water by the Apostles) have declared to you, let him be accursed. word does not refer to baptism, but means As we said before, so now I say again, if anyone “the cleansing influences of the Holy Spirit, declare a gospel to you, different from what you comparable to water, who uses the truth as have received, let him be accursed.” the instrument.” Now I would ask every candid—every honest 4. “That as a sword is in the hands of a man, so and well-informed—man: Are the proclamations, the word of God is in the hands of the Spirit.” made from week to week, by the several clergy 5. John 3:5, Titus 3:5, 1 Cor. 6:11, refer to the regen- of the “four great denominations of Christians,” erating, sanctifying, and cleansing influences as they are called, one and the same with the of the Holy Spirit on the heart. proclamation made by the Apostles on the day 6. “A man is justified, pardoned, adopted, and of Pentecost, and afterwards throughout the Ro- saved prior to baptism. And when a man man Empire? This is certain, that the Apostles all believes in the Saviour, and sincerely loves proclaimed one and the same thing; and this is the Lord, though he may not be baptized, yet he equally sure, that the Episcopalian, Presbyterian, is now in a state of salvation, and an heir of Methodist, and Baptist apostles all declare dif- the kingdom of heaven.” ferent things. If, then, they do not agree among 7. “Baptism is emblematical of the burial and res- themselves, how can they be said to agree with urrection of Christ, and is thus emblematical the Apostles of Christ, who knew nothing of of our salvation, purchased by him,” “Repent any such sects as these? Seeing then that these and be baptized for the remission of sins,” and denominational gospels do not agree with that “arise and be baptized and wash away thy recorded in the New Testament, and seeing that sins” signify that in baptism we openly avow things different cannot be the same, it follows Christ, that we submit to an ordinance which that they are “other gospels,” or perversions of is emblematical of our salvation through him, the gospel of Christ; and therefore both the clergy that our faith is led to Christ as our Saviour, who preach them and the gospels themselves are and [that] we have a livelier view of that “accursed” in the sight of God. glorious salvation through the Redeemer’s Take the following example of an accursed gos- mediation. pel. It is from the pen of a writer, named Warren These seven items constitute an important part of Woodson,2 under the patronage of that weekly the gospel of the Baptist sect, as taught in their bundle of fables, the Religious Herald.3 I would schools. The sixth is notoriously the burden of just inform you that the writer had imbibed a smattering of your opinions, and thus became a 2. This particular Warren Woodson (there were several) “Campbellite.” For anything I know to the con- appears to have been a Baptist minister attached to the trary, he is a well-disposed youth; but, I suspect, Carmel Church in Caroline County, Virginia, during somewhat spoiled in the Virginia Factory of the 1830s, but who was influenced by Campbellism. Priests,4 near this city. Our “Reverend” friend, 3. The Religious Herald was a well-established Baptist as we have said, became a “Campbellite”; but magazine published in Richmond, Virginia, and which ran from 1828 to 2014. his mental soil being rather thin, and the loss 4. Brother Thomas no doubt had in mind the Virginia of popularity a trial too severe to be endured, Baptist Seminary (later Richmond College), founded in he soon wanted both energy and inclination to 1832 and located at Spring Farm, a rural site four miles discover the truth, and consequently, as requiring north of Richmond. The College’s first superintendent the least effort, offered a penitential oblation to was the Rev. Robert Ryland, with whom Brother his former patrons through the columns of the Thomas corresponded in May 1836 in Ryland’s other capacity as Chaplain to the University of Virginia. Herald , and thus relapsed into the traditions of 5. It transpired in fact that, far from returning to the 5 Baptistism. Baptists, Woodson subsequently ‘went west’ with Well, then, to his gospel. I shall put down its his family to Missouri and preached the Campbellite parts in the form of items. gospel there. Testimony, March 2017 Contents 111 their proclamation to the world. Although Paul Stoic Philosophers with their speculations, and says that we enter Christ by being baptized into their priests with their mysteries, we also have him, yet these speculators maintain and teach ours with their abominations—“every name and that a man is saved although he shall not have denomination” of them embodied in the order of put him on! Do you not discover the chicanery THE CLERGY. of this dishonest tradition? It enables the Baptist The Jewish is the type of the Antichristian to fraternize with the other sects, and to provide clergy. The former were the enemies of all true a way to heaven for their new-hatched acquaint- righteousness—the righteousness of God—while ances as well as for themselves. Thus they have they compassed sea and land to establish their immolated the truth of God upon the altars of own. They perverted the right way of the Lord popularity, hypocrisy, and pseudo-charity. Can as set forth in the Prophets and the Law, and you imagine anything, [other] than the interests of while those “bodies of divinity”17—the Talmud party, to prevent the coalition of the Baptist with and Mishna18—pretended to unveil the Mosaic the other denominations? If they can pray with them, preach with them, sing with them, nay, but 6. Brother Thomas was, of course, consistent in regard- unite with them in every religious exercise upon ing the established Christian churches as part of the Antichrist, as he explained in the next paragraph. earth, and expect to meet them in heaven, what, 7. It is not obvious why the Doctor would choose to use by all the rules of reason and common sense, the French form of the name of Confucius (551–479 prevents them breaking bread together? And if BC), although ‘Confutzee’ is, in fact, phonologically they agree to do this, is not their coalescence with closer to the form Kong Fuzi (meaning ‘Grand Master Antichrist 6 complete? Kong’), which was the great Chinese philosopher’s Now, brother Campbell, what redeeming honorific name. qualities do you see in these four great and 8. ‘Lord’ Brahma is the four-faced creator god wor- shipped by the Hindus. leading sects of “Protestantism,” when viewed 9. The familiar name of King Henry VIII was no doubt by the New Testament? Protestantism, in whole included here because he took upon himself the head- or in part, is not the religion of Jesus Christ. It ship of the English Catholic Church. is nothing else but modified Popery. It is one of 10. John Calvin (or, more properly, Jean Calvin, since he the horns of the beast, which John saw, ascend- was born a Frenchman) was a leading figure in the ing out of the earth, lamblike in its appearance, sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation, and his but of dragon-speech (Rev. 13:11). It is a system of stricter form of Protestantism still has many adherents. 11. Jacobus Arminius is the Latinized form of the name deception; and constitutes in the aggregate a part of the Dutch Protestant Reformer Jakob Hermanszoon of that “strong delusion” which Paul predicted (1560–1609), whose views on grace, predestination and God would send upon men, “that they might free will brought him into conflict with most of the believe a lie; in order that all may be condemned, other Protestant theologians. who have not believed the truth, but have taken 12. John Wesley (1703–91), the founder of Methodism, was pleasure in iniquity” (2 Thess. 2:11,12). Take the perhaps the most prominent champion of the theology whole world, and what do you behold? Precisely of Arminius. 13. John Knox (1513–72) was a Scottish theologian who is the same state of things as obtained in the days of considered the founder of the Scottish Presbyterians. John the Baptizer—the whole population of the globe 14. Thomas Fuller (1608–61) was an English churchman (a very small fraction excepted) in abject subjection and historian whose writings were widely read, even to HUMAN TRADITION. Varieties will be found in the nineteenth century. between the traditions of the first and nineteenth 15. John Gill (1697–1771) was an English Baptist theologian centuries; still they are traditions—human tradi- of a firmly Calvinistic persuasion. tions. Turn we to China, to Hindostan, to Turkey, 16. This list of religious leaders gives us a little insight into how well read Brother Thomas was at a time to Italy, to England, or to America; and, in each when he had only just reached the age of thirty. of these countries, we shall find the traditions 17. The expression “bodies of divinity,” used ironically of a Confutzee,7 a Brahma,8 a Mohammed, a here, may have been derived from the well-known Pope, a King Harry,9 a Calvin,10 an Arminius,11 work of Archbishop James Ussher, A Body of Divinity: a Wesley,12 a Knox,13 a Fuller,14 a Gill,15 &c. &c. or, The sum and substance of Christian religion (London, &c.—all severally and collectively making of 1645). 18. The Talmud is a pre-Christian Jewish collection of the none effect 16 “ the word of God by their traditions.” teachings and opinions of thousands of rabbis. The If the Jews had their Scribes, Pharisees, Saddu- Mishna(h) is the written form of the Jewish oral law, cees, and Lawyers with their commandments, preserved following the destruction of the temple in and the Gentiles their Platonic, Epicurean, and Jerusalem in AD 70 and completed around 200. Testimony, March 2017 112 Contents mysteries, they only served to make darkness I expected to have closed our correspond- visible. It was the Jewish clergy, the Scribes, ence with this letter, at least for the present; Pharisees, and Lawyers—the blind guides of but, I perceive, I must still tax your patience for Israel—“who used long prayers for a disguise,” another month. This epistle then may suffice to that taught the people to err, and urged them have shown that the body politic of our world is to the betrayal and murder of the Just One. The still laboring under the same moral or spiritual ignorance of the people was attributable to them, disease as in the days of Tiberius Cæsar: that “for they carried off the key of knowledge: not this disease is obedience to human tradition. entering themselves, and those who were enter- We have seen that the remedy prescribed at that ing, they hindered.” “Yes,” says Peter, “there were day was a proclamation of “reformation and the also false prophets among the people (Israel), even remission of sins.” In my next I shall consider the as there will be false teachers among you (Chris- propriety of prescribing the same system of spir- tians) who will privately introduce destructive itual theurapeutics.19 The insertion of this in your sects, denying even the Lord who bought them, paper will further oblige your fellow-traveller to bringing on themselves swift destruction. And the realms of light.20 many will follow their lewd practices, on account John Thomas of whom, THE WAY OF TRUTH will be EVIL SPO- KEN OF. And through covetousness, they will 19. The spelling ‘theurapeutics’ seems to have been an make merchandize of you, by FICTITIOUS TALES acceptable variant of ‘therapeutics’ (i.e., ‘treatment’) (spurious and accursed gospels).” “These, indeed,” in the nineteenth century. says Paul, “are they who go into houses and lead 20. Brother Thomas published the text of this letter in captive silly women laden with sins.” And “such his own Apostolic Advocate for November 1835 (vol. 2, are false apostles, deceitful workmen, transform- no. 7, pp. 163–8), while Campbell was not prepared ing themselves into Apostles of Christ. And no to publish the letter in his own magazine because the subject of rebaptism was one on which he disagreed wonder; for Satan himself transforms himself with the Doctor. Instead, Campbell wrote the fol- into a messenger of light. Therefore, it is no great lowing editorial note in his Millennial Harbinger for wonder if his ministers also transform themselves December 1835 (p. 619): “This subject [rebaptism] has as ministers of righteousness.” “These are wells for some months occupied a prominent place in the without water, clouds driven by a tempest, for Apostolic Advocate. I regret to see the matter agitated at whom the blackness of darkness is reserved this time, and on a view of all Christendom so revolt- forever . . . They promise their disciples liberty, ing to our feelings. Closing our volume for 1835, and for other reasons, we have not as yet complied with while they themselves are slaves of corruption.” the request of brother Thomas as to the republishing Such are the descriptions given by the Apostles [of] his pieces on that question. Indeed, I do not desire of those who have arisen since their day as “suc- a discussion of such a matter at this crisis. I should cessors of the Apostles,” “called and sent of God” have to accompany those pieces with strictures which to proclaim that sins are pardoned, and sinners might operate in a direction and to an issue wholly adopted into his family, without being baptized unsuspected by our too sanguine friends. Let it be for into Jesus Christ!!! These are the “accursed” false the time being attributed to my cowardice, or to any other cause as probable which the brethren please; but, preachers of “another gospel,” who are the blind in my judgment, this is not the time nor the place for guides of the Gentiles, making merchandize of such a discussion, nor is this the work to which we are them, by fictitious tales; and “on account of whom at present called. It does not at all concern us; let us the way of truth is now evil spoken of.” Brother seek to convert sinners to the Lord, to edify the saints, Campbell, do you candidly believe that anything and leave the weak and vacillating on this question good and acceptable to God can come out of the to act as seemeth good to them, without calling upon the whole community to discuss the subject, or to take denominational Babylons over which such a a vote upon the question.” These critical remarks by fraternity presides, unless it be purified with a Campbell suggest that the die had been cast on what bath of water in conjunction with the word? No, became, before much longer, an open breach between God hates the garment spotted by the flesh. him and the Doctor. Late dispatch of February magazine The Testimony is blessed to have an excellent working relationship with its printers. The Febru- ary issue of the magazine was printed on schedule, but unfortunately dispatch was delayed due to staff illness. We appreciate readers’ patience when unforeseen events occur. Thankfully, such delays are rare.—Jeremy Thomas

Testimony, March 2017 Contents 113 Exposition Pertinent pronouns (1) Geoff Henstock

RONOUNS ARE little words that can be Bible study, but endorsed the Authorised Version very important. H. W. Fowler in Modern for general use.3 PEnglish Usage notes that “pronouns and During the twentieth century new translations pronominal adjectives are tricky rather than dif- of the Bible proliferated. Some were quite idi- ficult.” He goes on to say that “those who go wrong osyncratic (for example, Dr James Moffatt’s A New over them do so from heedlessness.” Although Translation of the Bible) and others were extremely Fowler’s comments relate in the first instance to liberal in their approach to translating the text the use of pronouns in writing, they are no less (Eugene Peterson’s The Message). A number (J. B. relevant to readers of English. Phillips’ The New Testament in Modern English and Fowler draws attention to the importance of the Living Bible) were paraphrases rather than sentence structure, and of paying attention to translations of the text. Such translations and whether the subject of a sentence is plural or paraphrases may have value for students, but singular, in ensuring that pronouns are correctly they need to be used with considerable caution. used and understood. The challenges readers Even more caution needs to be exercised when face when dealing with pronouns in their own handling translations produced to support an language are compounded when dealing with ideological position. One example of this is the pronouns in a text which has been translated from New World Translation published by the Jehovah’s another language. This is the case for Bible read- Witnesses. A more extreme example is The New ers and students, who are reliant not just on their Testament and Psalms: An Inclusive Version, pub- own skill as readers, but also on the competence lished in 1995. In its introduction the editors and approach of the translators. Close attention speak of their to sentence structure and the subject of the pro- “. . . effort to replace or rephrase all gender nouns, in particular whether they are plural or specific language not referring to particular singular, can be vital to a correct understanding of the passage under consideration. 1. For example, Weymouth’s The New Testament in Modern Speech (third edition) was the subject of a review in Bible translations the Christadelphian, Dec. 1916 (vol. 53), pp. 548–551, Until the late twentieth century, most English- 555. John Carter later commended the third edition of Weymouth while criticising the fourth edition for speaking Christadelphians used the Authorised being more modern (see his The Letter to the Hebrews, Version as their standard Bible for reading, p. 100). C. C. Walker reprinted in the Christadelphian, while many Bible students took advantage of Jul. 1930 (vol. 67), p. 326, an American newspaper’s the Interlinear Bible, which combines the text of review of James Moffatt’s translation of the Old the Authorised and Revised Versions. A review Testament. John Carter also commented on Moffatt’s of Christadelphian magazines shows that keen translation in The Oracles of God, pp. 83–5. In 1961 the Christadelphian interest was shown in modern translations as published a five-part series in which A. D. Norris critically reviewed the New English Bible. they became available, with many the subject That translation also was the subject of a review in of detailed reviews soon after they were first the Testimony, Dec. 1975 (vol. 45), pp. 503–5. published.1 The value to Bible study of compar- 2. The Testimony published a compilation of articles on ing different translations has always been well new translations under the title Which Translation? recognised in our community, but that did not in 2000. A conservative collection of articles by non- stop most readers preferring the Authorised Ver- Christadelphian authors supporting the Authorised 2 Version over modern translations is Which Bible? sion for daily use, at least until fairly recently. In edited by Otis Fuller, Grand Rapids International his 1965 book Exploring the Bible, Harry Whittaker Publications, Grand Rapids, fifth edition, 1975. reviewed the strengths and weaknesses of several 3. Harry Whittaker, Exploring the Bible, ch. 15, The Chris- modern translations and commended their use in tadelphian, 1965. Testimony, March 2017 114 Contents historical individuals, all pejorative references his characteristically­ direct style, A. D. Norris to race, colour, or religion, and all identifica- draws attention to the inadequacy of modern tion of persons by their physical disability English properly to reflect the meaning of the alone, by means of paraphrase, alternative text when discussing John 1:51: “And he saith renderings, and other acceptable means of unto him [Nathanael], Verily, verily, I say unto conforming the language of the work to an you [plural—i.e., presumably now including both inclusive idea.”4 Nathanael and Philip], Hereafter ye [plural—i.e., Putting to one side the more ‘exotic’ translations, all the disciples then present] shall see heaven there are several more-or-less sound translations open, and the angels of God ascending and de- which have attracted a measure of support within scending upon the Son of man”: the Christadelphian community: these include “This is only one of the places where the the Revised Standard Version (1952), the New wretchedly impoverished English language International Version (1978, but subsequently of today, which would have used ‘you’ in revised) 5 and the New King James Version6 (1982, both places, puts obstacles in the way of our which, because of its affinity with the Authorised understanding the niceties of Jesus’ words.”10 Version, has enjoyed strong support in some Later, when discussing the Lord’s prayer for quarters).7 More recently the English Standard Simon in Luke 22:31,32, A. D. Norris observes that Version (2001) has been embraced by many, espe- “The actual prayer for Simon suffers in mod- cially among younger readers. No doubt, should ern English by the fact that we have, wantonly our Lord remain away, further new translations and needlessly, abandoned the difference of the Bible and further revisions of existing between ‘thou’ and ‘ye,’ ‘thee’ and ‘you.’11 translations will be published. We may consider these passages from the life of Peter in more detail later in the series, but A. D. Archaic and modern pronouns Norris’s comments highlight the fact that a correct The purpose of this series of articles is not to appreciation of the pronouns used in the text is examine the textual foundations of various modern translations or their scholarly merit. Those matters are discussed to some degree in 4. The New Testament and Psalms: An Inclusive Version, the articles and books to which reference has Oxford University Press, New York, 1995, pp. viii,ix. already been made. 5. The New International Version has been updated several times. In 2005 an edition known as Today’s New Inter- Since the Authorised Version was translated, national Version was published in the United States. the use of pronouns in English has evolved. In A feature of this revision is the use of gender-neutral the seventeenth century distinctive plural and language. It followed publication in the UK in 1995 singular pronouns were employed, but these of a gender-neutral edition of the New International have dropped out of use in modern English. In Version. many parts of our community the use of archaic 6. Originally published in the UK under the title Revised pronouns has lingered to a degree in formal Authorised Version. 7. Derrick Banyard briefly reviews these and several prayers, especially when delivered by older broth- other modern translations in chapters 13 and 14 of ers, but they are not used in everyday speech. It God’s Living Word, The Christadelphian, 1993. is not my purpose to debate the pronouns used 8. Harry Whittaker comments on pronouns used in in prayer,8 nor to argue for the exclusive use of public prayer in Reformation, Biblia, 1985, p. 105. A the Authorised Version, but rather to review a secular commentator on modern English made this number of passages to draw attention to how a observation about pronouns in prayer: “what did correct appreciation of pronouns enhances the they imagine would be gained by addressing God in the same way we address a parking officer—as You interpretation and understanding of the text of instead of Thou?” Don Watson, Death Sentence (the Scripture. Decay of Public Language), Random House Australia, The merit of sound modern translations is that 2003, p. 177. they present the Biblical text in contemporary 9. Geoffrey Hunt explains the rationale of the translators language accessible to modern readers. The fact of the New English Bible with regard to the translation that modern English fails to distinguish between of second person singular pronouns in About the New English Bible, Oxford University Press and Cambridge plural and singular when using pronouns, University Press, 1970, pp. 50–53. however, can mean that nuances are glossed 10. A. D. Norris, Peter: Fisher of Men, The Christadelphian, over or distorted in the text of some modern 1972, p. 15. versions.9 This can lead to a loss of meaning. In 11. Ibid., p. 89. Testimony, March 2017 Contents 115 often important to our understanding of the point that readers are less alert to subtle points indi- being made by the inspired author. cated by the choice of pronoun even when this is evident to an attentive reader in the translation Play close attention to the text they are reading. In this series we will review a Deficiencies in modern translations are not the range of passages with a view to enhancing the only challenge Bible readers face with regard to awareness of readers of the power of pronouns pronouns. The fact that modern English is less when they encounter them in their Bible reading precise with regard to pronouns can also mean and study. Contents (To be continued) The time of Jacob’s sojourning Mary Benson

A consideration of some of the problems surrounding the first is the case, however, Benjamin is chronology of Jacob and his family. Was Benjamin old old enough to have the ten children attributed to him in 46:21—especially enough to have ten sons when the family went into Egypt? if he has more than one wife. Was twenty years long enough for Jacob’s first eleven sons More problematic is the time that to be born in Padan-aram? Jacob spent in Padan-aram. If he was there for only twenty years, as a face- ACOB WAS IN Laban’s house for twenty value reading of 31:38-41 suggests, it would seem years, serving fourteen years for his daugh- that there is insufficient time for him to have Jters and six years for his flock (Gen. 31:41). eleven sons and one daughter. He does not marry The final six years appear to be what Jacob is until seven years after his arrival (29:20), and referring to in 30:31,32 when he makes an agree- Joseph is born before the final six years (30:22-31), ment with Laban. so all the children are born in the middle seven This agreement is presented in the record as years of the twenty. Leah bears four children (or taking place after the birth of Joseph (vv. 22-26). more likely five, including Dinah) in succession, Joseph is therefore at least six years old when then stops bearing. Once she has not conceived Jacob leaves Padan-aram. This makes Benjamin, for long enough to realise this (six months?), she who is not yet born at this point, at least six years gives to Jacob her handmaid, who bears him two younger than Joseph—and perhaps seven or eight children. Leah then falls pregnant again and has years younger, if we to allow time for Jacob to two more children. Then at last Rachel becomes stop at Succoth and Shechem (33:17,18) before pregnant and bears Joseph. None of these children he finally reaches Bethel and Benjamin is born seem to be twins, so it is hard to fit all these births (35:16-20). Joseph is seventeen or slightly older into the middle seven years. when he goes down into Egypt (37:2), which I therefore suggest that there must have been would make Benjamin too young to have children a period after the first fourteen years in Laban’s by this stage. service when Jacob did not serve Laban, but Joseph is thirty years old when he enters Phar- instead set up his own family camp in the neigh- aoh’s service (41:46). There are then seven years bourhood to support his growing family. When of plenty (v. 29) and two years of famine (45:6). he decides that it is time to move on (vv. 25,26), By the time that the whole family migrates to Laban persuades him with an attractive offer to Egypt, therefore, Joseph is thirty-nine, which is work for him once more. up to twenty-two years since he was taken away. There is another fact we can slot in to support By this time Benjamin is perhaps thirty-one or the suggestion that Jacob’s time in Padan-aram thirty-two. was longer than twenty years. If none of his sons In the count of the seventy who go down was born till after his first seven years with Laban, to Egypt (v. 26), it may not be certain whether then when Jacob finally leaves Padan-aram none all Jacob’s grandsons were born beforehand or of them is older than about twelve or thirteen. Yet whether some were born in Egypt. Even if the in chapter 34, when Jacob is dwelling at Shechem, Testimony, March 2017 116 Contents Simeon and Levi go out with their swords and children, and the fact that Benjamin needs to be kill all the males at Shechem. So either Jacob stays old enough to have ten children by the time the for several years at Shechem, till his sons are old family migrates into Egypt, I would suggest this enough to be involved in such an incident, or he indicates that he may have lived quite a few years has been in Padan-aram longer than twenty years. in Padan-aram separately from Laban and not Coupled with the problem concerning the part of Laban’s house, before his final six years length of time needed for the birth of all Jacob’s of service for Laban’s flock. Contents

Israel Seventy Gentile nations Geoff Henstock

N 15 JANUARY 2017, France—always “These are the families of the sons of Noah, after a destabilising influence in the Middle their generations, in their nations: and by these OEast, especially in terms of facilitating were the nations divided in the earth after the the involvement of the nations in Armageddon flood” (v. 32). These seventy families were the (Rev. 16:12-16)—convened a conference in Paris to origins of the seventy Gentile nations. discuss the Middle East peace process. That con- When Jacob’s family went down into Egypt, the ference reiterated support for the so-called Two- total of “the house of Jacob” was seventy men, State Solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. women and children (46:27; Deut. 10:22). Later, Inexplicably, given the subject of the conference, when Moses appointed elders to assist him in there were no representatives of either the Israeli the administration of the nation, he appointed government or the Palestinian administration. It seventy men (Num. 11:24). Moses drew atten- was rather like holding a wedding but failing to tion to the significance of the coincidence in the invite either the bride or the groom! number of Jacob’s descendants (and the number of This conference about the future of God’s elders of Israel) and the number of the nations in people and God’s land was attended by repre- words delivered to Israel near the end of his life: sentatives of exactly seventy nations, a significant “When the Most High divided to the nations number in the light of what Moses recorded about their inheritance, when He separated the sons the nations and Israel. More than 200 nations are of Adam, He set the bounds of the people recognised in the world today, many of which according to the number of the children of have come into being as independent states since Israel” (Deut. 32:8). the Second World War, but in Scripture seventy appears to be a representative number for both The Jew first, and also the Gentile Israel and the Gentile nations. Evidently it was always God’s intention that there Genesis 10 lists the families by which the earth should be symmetry in the relationship between was repopulated after Noah’s Flood. The families the children of Israel and the Gentile nations. listed total seventy. The last verse of the chapter Jacob’s descendants flourished in the land of tells us why this information has been recorded: Goshen, so much so that “the land was filled with Public domain

Testimony, March 2017 Contents 117 them” (Ex. 1:7) and the Egyptians felt compelled “I will gather all the nations and bring them to oppress them lest they turn against their cap- down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I tors (v. 10). Following the Passover, when Israel will enter into judgement with them there, on left Egypt, the first resting place to which they behalf of My people and My heritage Israel, came was Elim, “where were twelve wells of because they have scattered them among the water, and threescore and ten palm trees” (15:27). nations and have divided up My land” (3:2, ESV). Both twelve and seventy are symbolic num- Joel is prophesying of the conflict that engulfs bers, twelve relating primarily to Israel and Israel at the time of the end, when Gog and his seventy connecting Israel with the nations. Jesus allies invade and overpower the Jewish state chose twelve disciples whom he sent to the na- only to find themselves in turn overthrown by tion of Israel (Lk. 9:1,2). Afterwards, he appointed divine intervention. The prophecy says that “all another seventy disciples to go forth and preach the nations” will be involved in this judgement. the gospel (10:1). Surely this two-stage campaign Zechariah also speaks of “all the nations” being was in keeping with God’s intention that the gos- gathered to Israel for this judgment, and draws pel would be preached to the Jews first and then attention to the fact that Jerusalem will be central also to the Gentiles (Acts 13:46; Rom. 1:16; 2:9,10). to the conflict: “On that day I will make Jerusalem While in the wilderness, instruction in the Law a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it of Moses was given to Israel. One of the feasts will surely hurt themselves. And all the nations under the Law was the Feast of Tabernacles, a of the earth will gather against it” (12:3, ESV). ritual to be kept after all the produce of the land Joel 3:2 speaks of “all the nations” incurring had been harvested and after the Day of Atone- the wrath of God because they ment had been observed. This festival prefigures 1 scattered the Jews among the nations (this has the final ingathering of all nations when Christ been fulfilled in the nearly 2,000 years that returns to establish God’s Kingdom on earth. have passed since the Romans destroyed the As part of the ritual associated with the Feast Jewish commonwealth in AD 70), and of Tabernacles there was an abundance of sac- 2 have divided up His land. This is a more rifices; these included the daily offering of two modern phenomenon, and may be regarded as rams and fourteen lambs, twice the daily quota having commenced in 1947 when the United offered at Passover, and, over the course of the Nations voted for the partition of Palestine week-long festival, a total of seventy bullocks into two states, one for the Jews and one for (Num. 29:13-34). The doubling of the Passover the Arabs. As the January 2017 conference in week offerings and the number of the bullocks Paris demonstrates, the process of dividing is certainly suggestive of the extension of the the land is ongoing. promise of salvation to the Gentiles. In 1947 the Jews accepted the partition plan for Palestine and went on to establish the independ- Dividing the land ent State of Israel in 1948. The Arabs did not sup- Deuteronomy 32 makes it clear that it is God who port the partition plan and launched a bitter war, divides the earth amongst the nations, whatever hoping to destroy the Jewish state at its birth. They the leaders of the nations might propose in their failed in that War of Independence in 1948 and deluded pretensions. Throughout history, nations 1949, as well as in several wars since. Sixty-nine have held conferences and redrawn borders, only years later, the nations of the world in general to experience God’s developing purpose override continue to support the partition of the Holy Land their efforts to divide the earth in accordance into separate states for Jews and Arabs. Even the with their imaginings. This recent conference Israeli government officially endorses this view. was no different, and it will prove to be just as The nations may be expected to “imagine a ineffective as the agreements of nations in the past vain thing,” both in relation to Israel and ulti- which sought to impose borders in the Middle mately in relation to Israel’s Messiah, but God is East without recognising God’s plan and purpose. in control of the nations and their movements. By Despite the fact that the seventy nations which meeting in Paris in January to discuss Middle East met in Paris are ignorant of the purpose of God as peace, these seventy nations have unwittingly revealed in the Bible, the conference and its final confirmed that what God caused to be recorded communiqué are consistent with the words of Joel in the books of Moses and the prophets remains about all the nations being judged by God because as true and relevant today as it was in the day of their determination to divide God’s land: when it was written. Testimony, March 2017 118 Contents The words of the wise 2. Eat thou honey Mark Vincent HERE IS SOMETHING unique about the It is implicitly an either/or (you’ll find it, or you intense sweetness of honey. Even the tip won’t; you’ll live, or you’ll die). Unlike Saul, who Tof a spoon dipped and tasted without the threatened death for eating honey, the honey of distraction of other foods is enough to make the God’s wisdom unlocks life and reveals the future; point—go and try it if you have forgotten! There is without it there is no hope and we will be cut nothing else that packs such pure, unadulterated, off, like a person starved of the energy-giving unencumbered sweetness. So, then, to the thirty power of food. Wisdom not only tastes good; it Words of the Wise, number 26 (Prov. 24:13,14): is also our future—so we had better seek it out “My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and taste it again. and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste: There are other Words of the Wise which so shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: focus on wisdom and its benefits, for instance when thou hast found it, then there shall be a sayings 11, 20 and 21 (23:12; 24:3,4; 24:5,6). Just as reward, the honey saying encourages us to find wisdom, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.” so saying 11 exhorts us to apply our heart and The saying has five lines, the first two about honey ears to learning it. God’s wisdom will not float (honey/honeycomb, eat/taste, good/sweet), the gently to our side while we relax by the pool sip- last two about the future and its possible out- ping cocktails; we have to go out and make the comes (find/expectation, reward/cut off), while effort. Saying 21, on the other hand, points out the middle line supplies the fulcrum of the saying. that there is strength in wisdom and that wisdom The first line—even the first two lines—is so can supplement the physical strength we have. In simple, both in structure and content, as to seem this case it is not just about wisdom direct from redundant: ‘Honey is sweet . . . yes, and . . . ?’ But God; those around us can help us too. None of it is the simplicity which delivers the impact and us has a monopoly on wisdom and knowing the surprise. The bare, stripped-down nature of the right thing to do, so we should seek advice and lines forces us to re-experience that intoxicating counsel from others—particularly from those sweetness; there are no other details to distract who have proved themselves to be wise. The us. But of course the point is not merely a dietary setting of the saying is a military one (“by wise or sensory one; the point is that this is just what guidance you can wage your war,” ESV), but the wisdom is like for our inner being—if only we can application extends far beyond this context. There transform our perception to perceive it (hence the are different ways of approaching a problem, ESV: “Know that wisdom is such to your soul”). so it makes sense to consult widely and to take It is rich, good, and sweet beyond compare. advice from multiple perspectives before taking Though the honey word imagery is also famil- a decision and constructing a strategy. iar from the Psalms, it remains very powerful if We’ll conclude with saying 20 (24:3,4), which we just stop to taste it again. The Scriptures and takes us into familiar Proverbs territory of build- the wisdom they contain can become dry and ing a house with wisdom as our guide: dusty volumes—the very opposite of honey; they “Through wisdom is an house builded; can become too familiar, too mundane. But we and by understanding it is established: must recall their enlightening power, rediscover and by knowledge shall the chambers be filled their enlivening taste. There is no other writing with all precious and pleasant riches.” and no other system of thought tasting like this. Wisdom isn’t just a construction tool to build a Still the saying is not done. The last two lines house; this saying extends that metaphor into focus on the future. We are not born with the furnishing and interior design. The house which honeypot and the spoon, so to speak; we have to wisdom builds is no ordinary house—it is a go and discover it for ourselves. The ESV captures house with chambers, filled with precious and this well: “if you find it, there will be a future, pleasant riches. It has inner excellence as well and your hope will not be cut off.” as outward form. Testimony, March 2017 Contents 119 SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS for 2017 Subscriptions Secretary: SOUTH AFRICA Mrs Sarah Marshall, 2 Longridge Road, Please apply for rates and method of Woodthorpe, Nottingham, NG5 4LX. payment to the Subscriptions Secretary Tel. +44 (0)115 859 9297 (see left). email: [email protected] Remittances payable to THE TESTIMONY (CHRISTADELPHIAN) Subscriptions are obtainable from our website, http://testimonymagazine.com, through the USA agents listed below, or from the Subscriptions Surface mail subscription or e-magazine Secretary, to whom all correspondence US $47 (Student rate $24; Airmail $95). relating to the issue of the magazine (including Mrs Celia Coleman, 22450 Schoenborn change of address) should be addressed. Street, West Hills, CA 91304-3318. Tel. (818) 596 0905 Prices and Agents email: [email protected] UNITED KINGDOM Remittances payable to CELIA COLEMAN £28 for a regular annual subscription or EUROPE AND ALL OTHER COUN- e-magazine. 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BACK COPIES Mrs Linda Fairhurst, Box 204, Rolling Hills, Back copies are available for nearly all Alberta, T0J 2S0. Tel. (403) 964-2900; email: months over the last sixty years. Please [email protected] apply to the Subscriptions Secretary. Remittances payable to MRS L. FAIRHURST NEW ZEALAND BINDERS Surface mail subscription or e-magazine These hold two years’ magazines, and cost NZ $59 (Student rate $30; Airmail $116). £4.25 + postage. Apply to Peter and Norma Philip Walker, “Christadelphians”, Forbes (see back cover). PO Box 458, Palmerston North 4440. Tel. (6) 354 0396; Fax (6) 354 0395 OTHER PUBLICATIONS email: [email protected] For a list of previous years’ Special Issues Remittances payable to available, please apply to the Subscriptions TESTIMONY MAGAZINE Secretary, to whom all orders should be sent. Published on behalf of The Testimony Committee (Christadelphian) by Jeremy Thomas, 22 Kingswood Close, Kings Norton, Birmingham, B30 3NX, UK • Printed by Reflex Litho Ltd., Thetford, Norfolk. Registered Charity No. 225908. Testimony, March 2017 120 Contents Jewish scenes 3. Turkey: 'beehive' houses, Haran

Ancient Haran was, like Ur, a centre of worship of the Mesopotamian moon-god—Nabonidus’s mother served as his high priestess. It has been conjectured that this is why Abram’s father Terah, who was an idol-worshipper (Josh. 24:2), “settled” here for some time (Gen. 11:31, NASB) as he and his family journeyed gradually towards Ca- naan. Only after Terah died here (v. 32) did Abram bring his household south into Canaan itself with “all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran” (12:5, NASB).

Haran’s most famous buildings are these ‘beehive’ houses, the last surviving example of a way of life that is believed to stretch back several millennia, possibly even to UST TEN MILES from Turkey’s border with the time of Abram. These timberless buildings are its southern neighbour Syria lies the village constructed of the one free building material that Jof Harran, long identified as biblical Haran. lies around in abundance—mud. The absence Lying so close to the troubled border, Harran of windows and the dome-shaped roofs help to is now largely off-limits to visitors. Its scant ar- reduce the heat of summer, which can reach 40°C. chaeological remains are but a faint shadow of Outside one of the houses is hung an animal-skin its earlier greatness. vessel, a reminder of the “skin of water” with which Abraham supplied Hagar when he sent her First attested in the Ebla tablets (c. 2300 BC), the and her son Ishmael away from his household city of Haran lay on an important trade route that at Sarah’s behest (21:8-19).—Jeremy Thomas ran between Antioch and Nineveh, controlling a junction with the road which led to Damascus. It was therefore well placed to benefit from pass- ing traffic, and over time acquired considerable wealth. By the time of the Assyrian and Babylo- nian Empires it had grown to great prominence. Haran was the birthplace of Nabonidus, Babylo- nia’s last true king and the father of Belshazzar, who ruled as regent in the city of Babylon until its fall to Medo-Persia (Dan. 5). During the Roman era the city was known as Carrhae, and at the nearby battle of Carrhae in 53 BC Rome suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Parthians. The Roman Emperor Caracalla, who granted Roman citizenship to all free men of the Empire, was murdered at Haran in AD 217.

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