1 PARABLE MIRACLE & SIGN C. H. WELCH Matthew & John considered dispensationally THE BEREAN PUBLISHING TRUST 52a Wilson Street, London EC2A 2ER England 2 Parable Miracle and Sign of Matthew and John considered dispensationally By CHARLES H. WELCH THE BEREAN PUBLISHING TRUST 52A WILSON STREET, LONDON, EC2A 2ER ENGLAND ã The Berean Publishing Trust ISBN 0 85156 170 5 First published as a book 1949 Reset and reprinted 1996 THE PARABLES 3 Preface to first Edition Fellowship on the part of generous friends of the Witness has made the publication of this Volume a possibility. The papers dealing with ‘Parable, Miracle, and Sign’ are collected from The Berean Expositor and here reprinted. Those who join with the one writing this introductory note in thankful acknowledgement of indebtedness to the grace and the gifts which continue to mark the devoted ministry of the author, will rejoice that opportunity is extended to a wider circle of readers that they in turn may gain some acquaintance with the treasures lodged in the past files of the expository Magazine named. Of the qualities which endear Mr. Welch to the student, two at least, will immediately be recognized: (1) a resolute and indefeasible note of loyalty to our Lord and His Word, in all aspects of teaching; and (2) the disposition, in exegesis, to a patient and sustained research rather than to risk the smallest impairment of the complete detachment required by the ‘structure’ of the passage examined. We are encouraged to believe that among those who have been under the harrow of War some are turning expectantly to enquire of the ‘Scriptures of Truth’. To such we would warmly and whole-heartedly commend this Book from the pen of a faithful Teacher. PHILIP DIVE. 4 FOREWORD The main purpose of the following pages is to place before the reader the Parables, Miracles, and Signs both of the Gospel of Matthew and also of John, so that their dispensational significance may be both demonstrated and appreciated - with the hope that such a recognition may prove to be a stepping stone to the Mystery entrusted to the apostle Paul, and made known in the epistle to the Ephesians. In order that every reader may understand what is intended by the term ‘dispensational significance’ we adopt the following extract from chapter 2 of the book entitled Dispensational Truth.* THE WORD ‘DISPENSATION’. The Greek word translated ‘dispensation’ is oikonomia, and signifies the act of administering. Oikonomia is a compound made up of oikos (a house), and nemo (to dispense, to deal out as a steward or housekeeper). The Greek word is preserved in our English tongue in the words ‘economy’ and ‘economics’. Let us consider the occurrences of this word. In Luke 16:2-4 it is rendered ‘stewardship’. In 1 Corinthians 9:17; Ephesians 1:10; 3:2,9 (R.V.); Colossians 1:25, and 1 Timothy 1:4 (R.V.), it is rendered ‘dispensation’. These are all the passages in which the word oikonomia occurs, nine in all, and those who are acquainted with the significance of numbers will recognize that nine, the number of finality of judgment both in relation to God and man, is in part explanatory of the goal of the various dispensations of God. By dispensational truth we mean that particular revelation of God’s will to man during some particular administration or economy, and specially appertaining thereto. When we speak of some teaching or practice as being undispensational, we mean that owing to the introduction of a new administration, certain things that obtained under a previous regime have become obsolete. By the term undispensational teaching, therefore, we mean that the teaching peculiar to one dispensation has been imported into another and differing dispensation, where the conditions of divine dealing render the practical application of such teaching quite inadmissible. If the above definition is accepted, it follows that should the parables, miracles and signs of the Gospels prove to be associated with ‘that particular revelation of God’s will’ which pertains to the kingdom of Israel or to a company other than the Church of the One Body, then the hope and the calling of the Church must be sought elsewhere. What that calling is, where it is revealed, what is its sphere of blessing, and wherein does it differ from that revealed in the Gospels, is not our present study; all we can say here is that it is the exclusive privilege of Paul as ‘The prisoner of the Lord’ for us Gentiles to make this new dispensation known, and that it lies quite outside of the revelation of God’s purposes that fill the Gospels with their blessed message. Seeing that the parables form an integral part of the Gospel that records them, and knowing what mischief attends the attempt to expound Scripture apart from its context, and moreover being certain that if our point of view is the true one, then it will stand the severest examination, we preface our study of the parables with a survey of the salient features of the Gospel according to Matthew, in order that the two sets of parables may be seen in their relation to the twofold scope of that Gospel. Similarly, before we examine the Eight Signs of the Gospel according to John, we again examine that Gospel in order to understand its dispensational place in the divine purpose. Neither parable, miracle, nor sign are found in the epistles of the Mystery (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and 2 Timothy) but a clear understanding of the true import of these wondrous words and deeds has many times proved the portal to the attainment of a fuller knowledge as to ‘What is the hope of His calling’ today. We accordingly, with this hope in mind, commend the following pages to the reader, praying that above all things that such may manifest that true nobility of mind that earned the commendation of the Lord by the ‘Bereans’ of old, in that they ‘searched’ the Scriptures ‘to see’ that these things were ‘so’. Do not use this file for printing out the book. Use only the Indexes at the end. 25/11/95 Use PMS001.doc to PMS006.doc for the book. * Dispensational Truth, or the place of Israel and the Church in the purpose of the ages, by the same author and publisher. THE PARABLES 5 CONTENTS Page The tares Preface 3 Foreword 4 Chapter 1 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW (1) MATTHEW TWOFOLD IN SCOPE 8 (2) THE SON OF DAVID 9 (3) THE THREE GREAT DISCOURSES 11 (4) THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT What is its place and purpose 12 Reward and entry 13 ‘Entry’ into the kingdom, a distinctive feature in the remainder of Matthew’s Gospel 14 The law for the perfect 16 The theme of chapter 6 - ‘Seek ye first’ 17 Parallels with Philippians 18 2 THE PARABLES (1) THE WORD; ITS MEANING AND DISPENSATIONAL SETTING 20 The eight parables of Matthew 13 22 (2) THE SOWER 25 (3) THE WHEAT AND THE TARES 31 (4) THE MUSTARD TREE 34 (5) THE HIDDEN LEAVEN AND THE HIDDEN TREASURE 37 The sower 39 39 The mustard tree 39 The leaven 39 The treasure 40 (6) THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE 41 (7) THE DRAG NET 42 (8) THE SCRIBE (OR HOUSEHOLDER) 45 (9) THINGS WHICH DEFILE A MAN 46 (10) THE FIVE PARABLES OF MATTHEW 16 TO 22 51 (11) THE UNFORGIVING SERVANT 52 (12) THE HOUSEHOLDER AND THE VINEYARD - THE CALL OF THE LABOURERS 55 (13) THE TWO SONS AND THE VINEYARD 57 (14) THE MARRIAGE OF THE KING’S SON 59 (15) THE BARREN FIG TREE 63 (16) THE DAYS OF NOAH 66 (17) THE FAITHFUL AND THE EVIL SERVANTS 68 (18) THE TEN VIRGINS 70 (19) THE TALENTS 73 Chapter Page 6 3 THE PROPHECY ON THE MOUNTAIN The sunteleia. The times of refreshing. The presence of the Lord 75 The threefold question 75 The feasts of the Lord 76 The Lord’s threefold answer as to ’When’ and ‘What’ 77 The sign of the coming 78 The Second Coming ‘dated’ 79 4 THE MIRACLES (1) INTRODUCTION 81 (2) THE LEPER, THE CENTURION’S SERVANT, AND PETER’S WIFE’S MOTHER 83 (3) THE TWELVE MIRACLES THAT PRECEDE REJECTION 85 (4) THE CULMINATION OF ISRAEL’S REJECTION 88 (5) THE MIRACLES OF THE REJECTION 90 (6) TWO MIRACLES OF DISPENSATIONAL IMPORTANCE 92 5 THE DISPENSATIONAL PLACE OF JOHN’S GOSPEL Foreword 94 (1) ARE BELIEVERS TODAY ENJOYING THE BLESSINGS OF THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT? 95 (2) ARE BELIEVERS TODAY ENJOYING THE BLESSINGS OF PENTECOST AND THE CONDITIONS AND STATUS OF 1 CORINTHIANS 12? 95 (3) ARE BELIEVERS TODAY BLESSED UNDER THE TERMS OF THE NEW COVENANT? 96 (4) ARE BELIEVERS IN CHRIST WHO DO NOT BELIEVE THE REVELATION OF THE MYSTERY, NECESSARILY ‘CHRISTENDOM’? 96 (5) ARE ALL BELIEVERS TODAY MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH WHICH IS HIS BODY, WHETHER THEY KNOW IT OR NOT? 97 THE MINISTRY FOR THE MANY. AN EIGHTFOL (1) The World 97 (2) Not written for Jews 98 (3) The Rejection 98 (4) The Lord’s Supper 99 (5) The ascended Lord 99 (6) ’The image of the invisible God ... the Creator’ 99 (7) The prayer that the world may know 100 (8) Discontinuance of the word ‘miracle’ 200D PROOF 100 Chapter Page 6 THE EIGHT SIGNS OF JOHN’S GOSPEL: (1) THE PURPOSE OF THEIR SELECTION 100 (2) THE MARRIAGE IN CANA 103 (3) THE NOBLEMAN’S SON 104 (4) THE IMPOTENT MAN 105 (5) THE FEEDING OF THE FIVE THOUSAND, AND JESUS WALKING ON THE SEA 107 (6) THE MAN BORN BLIND 108 (7) THE RAISING OF LAZARUS 110 (8) THE MIRACULOUS DRAUGHT OF FISHES 112 THE PARABLES 7 POSTSCRIPT 113 INDEX OF STRUCTURES 115 INDEX OF GREEK WORDS 116 INDEX OF HEBREW WORDS 117 8 CHAPTER 1 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW (1) Matthew Twofold in Scope In order that the dispensational teaching of the Parables of the Kingdom (Matt.