MATTHEW 12
TEHILLIM 12
1 At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.
2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.
"The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath," - Mk 2: 27
The Sabbath was ordained for rest and refreshment -- not for penance and oppression.
As expounders of the law, they ought to have understood this, and not to have substituted a censorious legal exactness for the spirit of benevolent common sense in which the commandment originated.
The disciples were "guiltless" -- for so he pronounced them -- though they ate corn in the fields on the Sabbath day: and the guilty ones were the Pharisees who condemned them -- ostensibly in a spirit of zeal for the divine law, but in reality in a spirit of hostility to him who was, by pre-eminence, the Servant of Righteousness, who had mortally hurt their dignity by championising its claims against their traditions.
Nazareth Revisited Ch 25
3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;
4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?
5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?
The priests, notwithstanding the command to do no work on the Sabbath day, were to offer up special sacrifices on that day, or to circumcise children whose eighth day might fall on the Sabbath, that God's will on other points might be done. In doing this, they were blameless, though technically guilty.
The Pharisees were aware of this -- that the temple law suspended the Sabbath law where the law otherwise required it, without involving unrighteousness. Yet they were condemning disciples of Jesus for doing on the Sabbath day what the Sabbath law required -- viz.: the eating of food to supply nature's wants; and that, too, under the sanction of one present who was
"greater than the temple!"
It was a poor and paltry quibble,as the sanctimonious carpings of enmity generally are.
Nazareth Revisited Ch 25
6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.
7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
"So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also to you if ye from your hearts -- FROM YOUR HEARTS -- forgive not every one his brother their trespasses."
The greatest of personal sacrifice is repulsive to God if it is in self-glory and harshness, and not in the spirit of humbleness and mercy and tenderness and an expanding love toward all mankind.
Bro Growcott - I Will Return To My First Husband
8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
9 And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue:
10 And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.
"Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days?" — This was the constant temptations that the leaders of Jewry challenged the Master. In doing so they rejected the true meaning of the sabbath as the Lord had previously pointed out to them (vv. 1-8). Notice the word 'days' in the plural which was an indication that many of the Lord's miracles were performed on the sabbath day (cp. Mk. 3:2, 4; Lk. 13:10-17; Jn. 5:9; 9:4).
"that they might accuse him" — In doing so, the scribes and Pharisees fulfilled the prophetic Word (Psa. 37:32; 38:12; Jer. 20:10).
11 And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?
Verse 11
"And he said unto them" — In his reply, he repeated the answers given to the Satan in the wilderness of Judea, at the beginning of hIs ministry (ch. 4:1-11).
"What man shall there be among you" — The man was standing in the midst of the congregation (v. 10; Mk. 3:3), as the verbal interchange continued, and they would obviously listen with awe and amazement, awaiting the outcome.
"that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day" — The scribes and Pharisees had established that it was lawful to help a poor, dumb animal on the sabbath, if it was in trouble and pain.
"will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?" — It must have challenged his opponents as the Lord continued his argument. It must have been difficult to refute the clear logic of his statement. Almost all work (except the work of the Levites) under the Law was prohibited yet even the Spirit of the Law taught that acts of mercy when necessity required it would in fact override the Sabbath Law leaving it unscathed.
12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.
Verse 12
"How much then is a man better than a sheep?" — The comparison was a deliberate endeavour to bring their minds to the work of divine redemption. There were five (grace) different animals (the sheep included) used in the burnt offering (Lev. 1; with the exception of a female lamb for a sin offering and a trespass offering, Lev. 4:32; 5:6). The burnt offering spoke of total dedication and the
Away from the presence of the people, doubtless, answer would not have failed them; they would have quibbled and confused the issue with all the loquacious agility and finesse which distinguishes Jew and Gentile to the present day, when confronted with a dilemma they will not, or cannot, face.
But the Pharisees desired, above all things, to keep their reputation with the people for common sense, and, therefore, their tongues were tied -- they could not utter a word. They could not appear to contend that it was wrong for a man to save imperilled property on the Sabbath day.
Nazareth Revisited Ch 25
13 Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.
man healed spoke of the capability of becoming totally dedicated to Yahweh.
"Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days" — A positive declaration, laying the basis for the Lord's action that follows. He emphasizes action, rather than refraining therefrom (Isa. 58:13; Jn. 5:17).
Verse 13
"Then saith he to the man" — The Master wasted no more time, but turned to the man to provide him with his healing power.
"Stretch forth thine hand" — Demonstrating that the sabbath was a proper occasion for doing the work of God.
"And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other" — The miracle was completed with a wonderful result: a wholeness of body, and a fulness of redemption from mortality to divine nature (2Pet. 1:4).
A Partial Circuit of the Sea
of Galilee — vv. 14-21
[Mk. 3:7-12].
Facing the antagonism of the leaders, the Lord departs from the synagogue, and leads his disciples around the area of Galilee.
14 Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.
What a perfectly melancholy picture; a conclave of shallow egotisms -- (egotisms are necessarily shallow, for with any depth, self-consciousness becomes a merely steadying power, as intended) -- a league of pious mediocrities, whose piety consisted of long-faced and holy-toned superstition; a band of petty respectabilities, whose respectability consisted of carefully doing nothing that would hurt a human sensibility or shock human propriety; and most carefully and industriously doing, or appearing to do, what everybody was agreed to consider the right and the meritorious thing; a company of ornamental, self-satisfied parasites and monopolists, trading in the name of Moses while outraging his wisdom and righteousness, professing to serve God while most skilfully and decisively serving the craft only; simulating mercy and righteousness, while systematically practicing the vilest oppression and wickedness in secret.
Such a set of human contemptibles sitting in solemn judgment on the Son of God -- the glorious Son of God, who, with power to hurl them all to destruction in a moment, patiently accommodated himself to a worthless population, while exhibiting in their midst the grandeur of God's character in his own compassion, and wisdom and dignity; and His power in the undeserved healing of all their diseases -- such a picture is the saddest the sun ever looked down upon.
Its sadness is unutterable if we look at it by itself. But enlightenment cannot look at it by itself. It must be looked at in connection with the whole work of which it forms but a momentary phase. The completion of that work will show Christ enthroned in the scene of his humiliation, under circumstances that will owe their principal satisfaction to the bitter humiliations of the day of probation in which Christ preceded all his brethren.
Nazareth Revisited Ch 25
15 But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;
Verse 15
"But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence" —
This became his practice when difficulties were evident (Lk. 4:28- 30; Jn. 7:1; 6:15), for as Matthew observes in quoting from the Prophecy of Isaiah, the time when he should reveal himself in power had not yet arrived. Both the Pharisees and Herodians opposed him (Mk. 3:6). He incurred the hatred of the former in seeking for people an emancipation from spiritual thraldom, and from the latter, who feared that the evident popularity of his mission should interfere with their political policies. The Herodians were firmly attached to Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great, tetrarch of Galilee. All the friends of the family of Herod were opposed to the Master, and ever ready to join any plot against his life.
"and great multitudes followed him" — He withdrew from a quarter where violence threatened, to the relative calmness of the seashore where multitudes could gather, with
less influence from the leaders of Jewry (Mk. 3:6).
"and he healed them all" — In the course of this preaching effort, he probably surveyed the multitude of disciples, in order to select apostles to accompany him for the rest of his ministry. Gentiles were attracted to his teachings (Mk. 3:8), giving an initial fulfilment of Isaiah 42:1-4.
16 And charged them that they should not make him known:
Verse 16
"And charged them that they should not make him known" — Publicity as such would only hinder his work. This came from those with no, or little, spiritual affinity (Jn. 7:3-5).
17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias [42: 1-3] the prophet, saying,
18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.
God was pleased with the character of Jesus: but it was not the character, as an abstraction, that was the Son of God. "Character" is but expressive of his mental attributes; but those attributes would not have existed in him had he been born of the will of the flesh. They were the result of the Spirit's operation. We require not to ask "how" the Spirit wrought those results in the seed of David. He did work them, and that is sufficient.
The Christadelphian, Dec 1873
Verse 18
"Behold" — An arresting introduction (see notes v. 10); used to draw attention to what follows.
"My servant" — Yahshua was called to serve and to redeem mankind from sin and death (Php. 2:7). Thus he was required to completely submit himself to the divine Will in obedient service (Heb. 10:8-9).
"whom I have chosen" — The Hebrew in Isa. 42:1, translated "uphold" is tamak, signifying, to sustain, to lay hold of; to help. The word indicates what one does for himself; to accomplish; thus "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself" (2Cor. 5:19).
"My Beloved" — Gr. agapetos, much loved; precious. In Isa. 42:1 the Hebrew bachiyr, is translated "mine elect"; thus the chosen one. This title is given because Yahshua manifested such obedience, as to please and honour the Father.
"in whom My soul is well pleased" — Declared by the Deity at the baptism of the Master (Mat. 3:17), and again at the Transfiguration of Glory (Mat. 17:5).
"I will put My Spirit upon him" — Constituting him as Christ, the anointed Saviour (Acts 2:36) and in order that Yahshua might be strengthened to overcome the diabolos (Heb. 2:14), and to provide the One Great Offering (Eph 5:2; Heb. 10:14).
"and he shall shew" — Gr. apaggello, to declare, announce, proclaim. The Lord's ministry set forth the divine righteousness and judgment against sin, and his followers repeat this at the Memorial Table (1Cor. 11:26).
"judgment" — Gr. krisis, a tribunal; by implication divine
law. Thus the discernment and condemnation of sin in every aspect (Psa. 94:15; 1Cor. 2:15). The word includes the whole system of truth, and the law of God in general.
"to the Gentiles" — The Lord ministered to Gentile multitudes who sought him from Idumea and beyond Jordan, from Tyre and Sidon (Mk. 3:7-8). His work was continued by the apostles following his ascension to heaven (Acts 2:17, 43; 4:33; 5:12; 13:46; 26:20).
19 He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.
Verse 19
"He shall not strive" — To shout as a warrior in battle (v. 16). The Master was no political agitator (Isa. 53:7; 1Pet. 2:23), but was meek and peaceful, shunning publicity and popularity.
"nor cry" — Gr. kraugazo, to clamor, to cry out, such as might encourage the spirit of rebellion, or to seek for personal protection.
"neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets" — He refused to be a rabble-rouser or revolutionist, who might endeavour to foment disrespect in the community.
20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.
Verse 20
"A bruised reed shall he not break" — Figurative of feebleness, and an emblem of the poor and oppressed. The Lord patiently bore with the weakness and failings of his disciples. He would not oppress the feeble and humble, as victorious warriors and conquerers did. He would not break the spirit of the lowly (Mat. 5:3-4).
The Christadelphian Expositor
22 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.
23 And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?
àHe gave their enthusiasm no encouragement. He knew it was of the superficial and transient character of the feelings of any crowd in the immediate receipt of some benefaction. He further knew that his rejection and death were at hand, and that popular feeling in his favour would only be an embarrassment.
"He charged them that they should not make him known."
Matthew says (xii. 17), that thus was fulfilled what had been written in Isaiah xlii. I:
"He shall not strive nor cry,..."
The fulfilment of this will be seen in all its force if we compare the attitude of Christ during his ministry with the course usually observed by aspirants to popular fame and leadership.
He did not get up a political agitation. He did not head a party, or get up a sedition. He made no suggestion of revolt against the authorities. He made no appeal to the suffrages of the people on his own behalf. He delivered no harangues intended to inflame them against their rulers, and to draw them away from their allegiance and gather them around himself.
He quietly went about from place to place doing good in the healing of disease without partiality, announcing the purpose of God, and explaining what was acceptable to God and what was not, comforting the poor, and encouraging the lovers of righteousness.
He counselled no resort to violence; on the contrary, he preached submission. He resorted to none of the artifices of strife; on the contrary, he retired before personal opposition. His occasional ardours and polemical thrusts were all employed in the enforcement of truth, and never in the promotion of personal or political aims.
He never strove nor cried in the public sense of those terms. He abstained so entirely from coercive, or constraining measures, that he could not be said to break even a bruised reed, though that required no force; or to extinguish a smoking flax, though that was easy of accomplishment. The time will come when
"he will bring forth judgment unto victory,"
but till that time should arrive, his part was (and his part is continued in all his disciples) to observe a passive attitude with regard to the institutions and movements of the present evil world. Knowing this, he forbade the healed and gratified people to make him known.
Nazareth Revisited ch 25
V
àDo you think Christ's enemies, who crucified him, would not have been glad to seize upon so fatal an objection to his claims, if they could have done so? In his own day, it was the general repute that he was the son of David, both among the common people and amongst those who had an opportunity of being critically certain. First, as to the common belief, I quote the following passages:
Matt. 9:27: "And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us."
Matt. 12:23: "All the people were amazed and said, Is not this the son of David?"
Matt. 15:22: "And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy upon me, 0 Lord, thou son of David."
Matt. 20:30: "And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, 0 Lord, thou son of David."
Matt. 21:9-11: "And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth, of Galilee."
And at the fifteenth verse it says, "When the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David, they were sore displeased."
This proves two things, first that the popular impression was that he was the son of David, and second, that the popular impression was brought under the cognition of the scribes and pharisees; and they never challenged it, although they had the power of disproving it, if Jesus were not the son of David. ..
... Zachariah was of "the course of Abia." In that position of access to the public archives then, we find him saying "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He hath visited and redeemed His people, and hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David, as He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets which have been since the world began."
Remember these are the words of a priest in the temple, having a distinct and intimate relation to the records of genealogy, which either confirmed or destroyed the impression concerning the origin or extraction of Jesus.
Bro Roberts - Was Jesus of Nazareth The Messiah? (debate)
24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
à... it is a sin against God to attribute to man the work that is His own by the Spirit. It was a sin so heinous in another form, that Jesus declared there was no forgiveness for it—when men ascribed his miracles to the diabolical art.
We may not fellowship blasphemy. A man receiving the truth has a claim to fellowship if it be not nullified by his attitude in some other relation.
A drunkard, to wit, or an extortioner, or a fornicator, was ineligible for apostolic fellowship, though "a man called a brother"—that is, a man "receiving the truth." So, if a man receiving the truth, do at the same time blaspheme the Scriptures, or lend himself to those who do, he raises an obstacle which no amount of "receiving the truth" can remove.
Secondly, the divine inspiration of the Scriptures is part of the truth: and any man denying this, denies a part of the truth, and therefore cannot be described as in the absolute sense "receiving the truth."
Thirdly, if the Scriptures are partly human and erring, there is no foundation on which the truth can, with certainty, be received. The foundation of all truth in our day, when God hides His face, is the divine authority and infallibility of the Scriptures of Moses, the prophets and the apostles.
If men do not assent to this authority, their receiving of what truth they have is a mere exercise of opinion; and it is not opinion but faith that is the basis of fellowship.
The Christadelphian, Nov 1886.
25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
Verse 26
"And if Satan cast out Satan" — Lit. "Adversary." The Master uses parabolic language, describing the unenlightened thinking of the flesh (Rom. 8:7) which "scattereth abroad" (Mat. 12:30). The Pharisees scattered the things of Deity (the miracles and teachings) abroad, by their traditions, and the words of the Master they esteemed only fit to be trodden underfoot. By their own fleshly reasoning, they were blindly weakening the very foundation upon which they boasted to be standing. Thus in essence by their own admission they would bring swift judgment on themselves, being trodden underfoot and scattered abroad by the awful calamities of ad70! In contrast, the Truth unites in harmony and strength (Jn. 17:23).
"he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?" — See Dan. 2:44. A prophecy that will yet be revealed in a divided world, leading to Armageddon. The "kingdom of this world" will fall becoming
àThe kingdom of sin is among the living upon the earth; and it is called the kingdom of Satan because "all the power of the enemy," or adversary, of God and His people, is concentrated and incarnated in it.
It is a kingdom teeming with religion, or rather, forms of superstition, all of which have sprung from the thinking of sinful flesh.
This is the reason why men hate, or neglect, or disparage the Bible. If the leaders of the people were to speak honestly they would confess that they did not understand it. Their systems of divinity are the untoward thinkings of sinful flesh; and they know that they cannot interpret the Bible intelligibly according to their principles. At all events they have not yet accomplished it.
Hence, one class have forbidden their people the use of the Scriptures at all, and have placed it among prohibited books. Another class advocates them, not because it walks by the light of them, but because they hate the tryanny of Rome.
These, in their public exhibitions, substitute their sermonizings for "reasoning out of the Scriptures," and , "expounding out of the law of Moses and the Prophets" (Acts 28:23-31). Thus they neglect the Bible, or use it only as a book of maxims and mottoes for their sermons, which for the most part have as much to do with the subject treated in the text, as with the science of gymnastics, or perpetual motion.
Elpis Israel 1.3.
27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.
Verse 27
"And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out?" — The Lord presents an unassailable argument! He was using a hyperbole as a hypothesis to establish a great truth without condoning or sanctioning something false, as in this case Beelzebub which in reality had no real existence whatsoever. By this ingenious method Yahshua was exposing their fraud and foolish reasonings to the world while at the same time concealing a prophecy of their own ultimate doom. From Mark 9:38 and Acts 19:13, it is obvious that there were exorcists among the Jews, who were apparently highly respected by the people. Thus: "if those who cast out demons reveal themselves to be in league with Beelzebub, then the disciples of the Pharisees who openly proclaimed that they did so, were also in league with him"! Moreover, the Lord did not use magic, but healed "by a word" — by the same Word that created all things!
"therefore they shall be your judges" — He leaves it in the hands of his listeners to make a final judgment on the matter.
28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.
30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
The Lord outlines a further
unanswerable argument, as he did
earlier in verse 27. His miracles
indicated that God was with him
(see v. 28), therefore to oppose
him would be opposing God as
well (Mat. 10:40; Jn. 13:20), in the
interests of Satan (Mat. 12:26)!
In their attempt to arrest the
Lord, the goal was to "scatter
abroad" the disciples, to destroy the
Lord's credibility and his teachings,
which they temporarily succeeded
during his arrest (Mk. 14:50) and
the Apostolic Ministry (Acts 8:4)
but the more the disciples were
scattered by persecution, the more
the Word grew and multiplied (Acts
12:24; cp. 6:7; 19:20). Thus their
vain attempts had the opposite
affect altogether (see also Exo.
1:12).
31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the holy spirit shall not be forgiven unto men.
à'To consider lightly the word of the Holy Spirit as recorded by the prophets and apostles is sin against the Holy Spirit, and a heinous one too, though not the sin; and one of which the sectaries and a great many reformers are guilty.'
The Christadelphian, Jan and Aug 1873
àThe holy oracles are the words of the Holy Spirit, and anyone speaking against them, speaks against their author. Nevertheless, this is not that sin against the Holy Spirit which Jesus says will never be forgiven. That sin was the one committed by the Scribes and Pharisees, which it is not in our power to commit.
The Holy Spirit was present in their midst, speaking by the mouth of Jesus the words of eternal truth, and doing works of power which only the power of the Eternal could work. This living speaking agency, whose works bore witness of the Father's operation therein, the Pharisees blasphemed in saying the works done were the works of Baalzebub, the god of the Philistines, and that the worker, therefore, was not the Holy Spirit, but a mythical pretended spirit, and unclean, as the supposed spirit of Baalzebub was supposed to be.
Jesus declares this offence unpardonable. The evidence adduced was such as ought to have convinced them of the divinity of Christ, and would have convinced them had they been other than hypocritical self-seekers and timeservers. Jesus makes this evidence the ground of their responsibility:
"If I had not come among them and done works which none other man did, they had not had sin, but now they have no cloak for their sin. Now have they both seen and hated me and my Father."—(John 15:21.)
A man disregarding the voice of the Holy Spirit through ignorance, is not in the position of the Pharisees. Though he sins against the Holy Spirit (in treating lightly and disobeying its voice) he is not guilty of the offence which Jesus says is unpardonable, but, like Paul, may find mercy, because he did it ignorantly in unbelief.—(1 Tim. 1:13.)
The Christadelphian, Aug 1873
Unforgivable Sin — vv.
31-32. Mark 3:28-30.
The Lord continues by showing
the folly of the Pharisees, and sets
before all mankind the desperate
condition of false doctrine and
teaching.
The expression of authority in
which the Lord states the danger
of error on the matter of the Holy
Spirit power of the Deity.
"All manner" — Thus his
comments embrace every instance
of wickedness and evil in mankind,
resulting from the transgression
in the beginning (Gen. 3:6), and
described as "all that is in the
world, the lust of the flesh, and the
lust of the eyes, and the pride of
life, is not of the Father, but is of the
world" (1Jn. 2:16).
"of sin" — Gr. hamartia, every
action of offence and transgression.
"and blasphemy" — Gr.
blasphemia, every criticism and
abuse, especially against God,
and translated as "blasphemy, evil
speaking, railing." This includes
the mental opposition to divine
righteousness and holiness, as
well as literal acts of wickedness,
whether a person recognises their
actions as evil or not. Also by
putting one's character in ill-repute
by falsehood, fabrication, and lies.
The tradition of the elders gave the
lie to Deity while they themselves
claimed to speak the truth (cp.
Isaiah 5:20-21).
"shall be forgiven unto men"
— Only upon the basis of a fulsome
acknowledgement of evil, of a
recognition of our fallen physical
condition and a sincere repentance
or evil committed (cp. 1Jn. 1:8-10;
see also Jer. 3:13; 14:20).
"but the blasphemy against
the Holy Spirit" — By denying the
power of the Deity in the redemption
of His people, first revealed in
His only beloved Son, and then in
the salvation of those "in him."
They attributed the Lord's power
to a source other than Yahweh,
that did not exist. Thus they were
challenging Deity as the only true
power and unwittingly denied the
Scriptures that declared it (Deu.
3:24; 4:39; 32:39)!
"shall not be forgiven unto
men" — This is a standing rebuke
against the evil of discounting the
power of the Holy Spirit, whether in
action or in belief. The Holy Spirit
is the exclusive power of the Deity,
expended to redeem mankind. It
was manifested in the conception
of His Son, for the record states:
"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was
on this wise: When as his mother
Mary was espoused to Joseph,
before they came together, she was
found with child of the Holy Spirit"
(Mat. 1:18; see also vv. 20-23).
It was necessary that he be thus
conceived, in order that he might
be strengthened to fully overcome
sin in his one great offering —
impossible in mankind naturally
conceived by sinning parents —
and provide redemption for those
who should be considered as "in
him." (Eph. 1:4; 1Jn. 2:28; 4:13). So
long as men retain the knowledge
of other false deities, attributing
such supernatural powers to a force
other than the Creator, they cannot
be forgiven until their minds are
opened to the realities of the Truth.
For it is only by acknowledging
the Truth are we able to reject the error and thereby confessing that the Creator is the only true source without beginning or end (1Timothy 6:16)!
àThe Pharisees committed an unpardonable sin in attributing the miracles of Christ to Beelzebub, the imaginary prince of demons; but such an offence would be impossible now. There is no miracle-working now, nor are there any who have tasted of the powers of the world to come in the same sense as did the apostles of the first century. In short, it is perfectly evident that the whole of the New Testament teaching is in harmony with the words of John,
"There is a sin unto death, and there is a sin not unto death."
Those who do their best to follow Christ, and keep pressing onward will be forgiven the remissnesses which they have manifested.
It was thus in Old Testament times. Unless those under the law were in a much more privileged position than those under grace, forgiveness of sin would be no more possible then than it is now; yet, after entering covenant relationship the subsequent sacrifices offered were an indication that sin might still be covered. The Israelites did sin without exception, and yet it is clearly stated that many of them will have eternal life.
TC March 1896.
32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this [ Mosaic] world [ aion], neither in the world to come [or in the future].
àThe former, to which Jesus referred by the pronoun "this," was the Mosaic, then in existence; the latter, the Messianic aion, yet to come.
In chap. 3:29, Mark makes no record of the phrase "this aion," but simply refers to the future one; saying, "has no redemption in the aion, but is a subject of aionian judgment."
A BIBLE DICTIONARY - Bro THOMAS
The Christadelphian, Aug 1872
The Jews were offended at his humble life and his claim to be the Messiah, and reproached him on account of him being a Nazarene, and of Galilee, a place from which they claimed no prophet derived (Jn. 7:52). Reproaches of this kind could be pardoned if sincere repentance was manifested. Indeed, the apostle Peter later spoke derogatively at the trial of the Lord, and denied his Master (Mat. 26:74), but was forgiven and redeemed (Lk. 22:32). He freely forgave those who opposed him in ignorance (Lk. 23:34; Acts 3:17; 1Cor. 2:8; 1Tim. 1:13). But there was no forgiveness for those who wantonly rejected the Spirit-attested Word (1The. 2:15-16), and instead attributed his divine power to demons (Mk. 3:22). They were the incorrigible who stubbornly refused to acknowledge the Truth.
"but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Spirit" — By expressing a wanton and blasphemous attack on the divine power and character of Yahshua, which reflects on the mighty power of the Father. For this reason care must be exercised in the matter of the Lord's temptations in the wilderness (Mat. 4:1-11). To allege that he was his own tempter, as some suggest, is to doubt his divine parentage in his conception by the Holy Spirit on the virgin Mary, his mother, and therefore reflects against the Father (see further notes in our book, The Temptation of Christ in the Wilderness and in the Garden).
"it shall not be forgiven him" — The Pharisees and leaders of Jewry pronounced blasphemy because they wilfully and openly repudiated the divine evidence, knowing that their sarcastic explanation of Christ's miracles was a lie. They charged him with being in league with Beelzebub (v. 24), and knowing that he came from God (Jn. 3:2), and therefore put themselves beyond salvation.
"neither in this world, neither in the world to come" — The Gr. word translated "world" is aion, which relates to an unspecified period of time. The "age" to come includes the Judgment Seat, at which time those rejecting the standing of Yahshua will be in danger of condemnation. To die in one's sins is to die in an unforgivable state and if so, there can be no forgiveness at the Judgment Seat (see Pro. 1:24-31). Reparation by then will have been too late. Now is the day of salvation!
33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.
34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God - 2 cor 12: 5.
àevery one gathered to that grand assize will be called upon to give an account of himself. Of this there can be no doubt, for Paul says again,
"everyone of us (saints) shall give account of himself to the Deity."
This relation of experiences will consume time; and one would conclude no little time. Some will doubtless be very brief, having little to say, while others will be even "speechless;" but some will have a longer account to give, as in the case of Paul and others like him.
Then there will be the verdicts with all their attendant circumstances; for after the accounts given, come the personal recompenses; for they appear at the tribunal that they may
"receive in body the things according to that they have done whether good or bad."
For what a man sows in body he must reap in body --
"he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."
Saints who have sown to the flesh, and there have been many such, will, in this "time of the dead," be left in the body recently created from the dust; and of that body they will reap corruption that will utterly and finally destroy it.
"This is the Second Death."
Eureka 11.4.1.
à...but the unbelieving, who love and invent lies, when their attention is directed to these words, reject them; and say they "don't believe a word of it". They say, that there is no judgment for the saints when they have come forth from the graves; and that the only judgment day for them is the time of their existence between immersion and death.
In this time, they would have the simple believe, they are standing before the tribunal of Christ and giving an account of themselves; and that at death the account closes: so that in their coming forth from the charnel-house of corruption, sentence is executed; and they will know their acceptance before they even see Christ! Such is the latest invention in the department of lies, which the inventors, with good words and fair speeches, seek to impose upon the hearts of the simple.
But to these unbelieving lovers of lies, though they may say Lord, Lord, and prophesy in his name, Jesus says,
"he that receiveth not my words, hath that which judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day".
To receive his words is to "believe on him". They do not believe on him who receive not his words; but of them who do, he saith, "I will raise him up at the last day". This shows that judgment by the Word is to be in the day of resurrection: concerning which Paul saith, in Rom. 2:12,
"as many as have sinned without law shall perish without law; and as many as have sinned under law shall be judged through law in the day when the Deity shall judge the secret things of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel".
Eureka 20.3.
37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
àI proceed now to remark, that the second proposition of our opponents is as foundationless as their first.
They say that the " righteous are not to be brought to judgment." By this they mean that the elect are not to stand at the bar of Christ's tribunal, and there to tell the story of their lives, as developed in connection with the profession of the faith.
Their theory of being conceived, quickened and born of the spirit in an instant of time, will
not allow of giving account. They are satisfied with nothing short of an instantaneous and sudden bound from the dust, somewhat after the manner of a rocket skyward through the air !
They do not seem to have any respect for figures, or analogies ; and, I am sorry to say, some of them manifest as little deference for the plain and direct testimony of the Word.
Moses and Paul both testify that " Yahweh shall judge His people " (Deut. xxxii. 36 ; Heb. x. 30). And Solomon says, " The Elohim shall judge the righteous and the Wicked " (Eccl. iii. 17). This Elohistic Judge is the Father and the Son in flesh-manifestation, justified by spirit (1 Tim. iii. 16). "The Father hath committed all judgment to the Son, and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of Man " (Jno. v. 22, 27). " As I hear," adds Jesus, " I judge; and my judgment is just." " The word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day " (Jno. xii. 48). " The Lord will not condemn the righteous when he is judged " (Ps. xxxvii. 33). " He shall bring every work into
judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil" (Eccl. xii. 14). " Every injurious word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in a day of judgment " (not merely when they confess in prayer) : " for by thy words," saith Jesus, " thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned " (Matt. xii. 36-37).
Paul teaches that "men treasure up for themselves wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of Deity : who will render to every man according to his deeds : to them who by patient continuance in well doing SEEK FOR glory and honour and incorruptibility, eternal life ; but unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first and also of the Gentile ; but glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile ; for there is no respect of persons with Deity. For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law ; and as many as have sinned in the law, shall be judged by law, in the day when Deity shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel" (Rom. ii. 5-12,16).
No teaching can be plainer than this. There is a day styled " the last day," which is " a day of judgment " ; specified by John as " the time of the dead that they should be judged " (Rev. xi. 18). In that day, " a great white throne " is set; and " the dead, small and great, stand before Deity " sitting thereon : certain books are then opened;" and the dead are judged out of those things which are written in the book, according to their works " (Rev. xx. 11-15).
Anastasis
38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
Verse 38
"Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying" — Evidently some of the leaders were impressed with the teaching and actions of the Lord, and refrained from the outright condemnation of their fellows. Refusing to join in the blasphemy of their companions, yet they were still too cautious to completely accept Yahshua. These were a better class of Pharisee, and possibly included such as Joseph of Arimathaea (Jn. 19:38) and Nicodemus (Jn. 19:39).
"Master, we would see a sign from thee" — This was the constant enquiry of the cautious Pharisees (Mk. 8:11; Lk.11:16; Jn. 2:18; 1Cor.1:22). They demanded these signs in spite of his teachings and miracles. Luke's record adds "tempting him" (Lk. 11:16) in an endeavour to test his ability to provide a satisfactory answer. By tempting him for another 'sign', they were only disclosing their unsatiated desire for the spectacular which only revealed the true nature of their obstinacy and faithlessness!
39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
ADULTERY: used in a two-fold sense: first natural (Matt. 5:28–32); second, spiritual—for idolatry (Jer. 3:9); and for receiving doctrine which seduces from the truth (Rev. 2:20–22); a generation so misled is styled "adulterous."—(Matt. 12:39.)
TC 05/1872
Verse 39
"But he answered and said unto them" — His answer was, in fact, a rebuke, for they already had ample witnesses to his power, if they were prepared to honestly accept them (see Jn. 5:31-47). Similarly today, we must make the full use of that which we have, before we will be favoured with further guidance.
"An evil" — Gr. poneros, sig. that which is calamitous; also (passively) ill, diseased, derelict, vicious, or facinorous. The leaders and people were evil being unfaithful to the covenant of Yahweh. Thus the Master describes them as apostate and corrupt.
"and adulterous generation" — As true religion was a reflection of the marriage with Yahweh, established in Eden (Gen. 2:23- 24), so an apostate generation was astray from Him. Thus they denied the marriage covenant, in seeking association with the spirit of the surrounding Gentile nations. They were adulterous in that they denied the Law by accepting the tradition of the elders that undermined Yahweh's Law and by such they were spiritual adulterers.
"seeketh after a sign" — This was the idle interest in the
Master, without a genuine enquiry concerning his teaching. They were like the Proverb says "never satisfied" (Pro. 30:15-16; cp. Pro. 27:20; Ecc. 1:8). It was mere idle curiosity for self-gratification.
"and there shall no sign be given to it" — This was a remarkable statement, to introduce the solitary 'sign' that would be given to them: that of the testimony of Jonah. However, many Jews rejected Jonah as an anthoritative prophet of God, for he was sent to redeem the Ninevites, the enemy of Israel. However, the name Jonah signifies The Dove, which was revealed as the Spirit descended on the Lord at his baptism in the River Jordan (Lk. 3:22). The Pharisees and Sadducees were present at the Lord's baptism (Mat. 3:7) and so no doubt saw the 'sign' of the dove and heard the voice (Mat. 3:16- 17) which only added to the truth of the Lord's divine origin. The miracles that followed were added 'signs' confirming the original two signs (the dove and the voice) at his baptism. Thus by demanding further signs was not only evil, but also faithless and a grave perversion of the first two signs!
"but the sign of the prophet Jonas" — The 'sign' was the miraculous deliverance of Jonah from the fish, typical of the baptism of Yahshua in rising from the waters of the Jordan, and completed in his resurrection from death and from the grave (Mat. 28:6). This was the 'sign' of the Ninevites, that Jonah had been delivered by
the Deity as testified by the men in the ship who had witnessed it first-hand. Thus, the only 'sign' the Lord gave his generation was that of his resurrection for which Jonah's deliverance was but a type. Unlike the Ninevites who repented at the preaching of Jonah, the Lord's contemporaries repented not, and so their condemnation would be greater (cp. Mat. 12:41; 23:36)! It came forty years later after a period of apostolic probation, when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman invasion in the battle of ad70.
Verse 40
"For as Jonas
40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
When Was Christ Buried?
Brother Chadwick, of Ashton-under-Lyne, writes on this subject, as follows:
"I think it is not generally accepted amongst us that Christ was buried just before sunset on Wednesday, and rose just before sunset on Saturday. This seems to be a fact, however, and in view of the words of Christ himself, as recorded by Matthew 12:40, it is bound to be so. The same writer tells us that in the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, when Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to the sepulchre, Christ was risen. Reckoning backward from here, three days of 24 hours each, brings us to the end of Wednesday.
Now Christ was crucified and buried on a day which is styled by all the evangelists the preparation day, the day preceding the Sabbath, and John says expressly that this Sabbath was an high day and, therefore, not the ordinary seventh-day Sabbath. Consequently, it must have been the Passover Sabbath, which, in fact, it was of necessity, for the Passover-lamb was to be killed and eaten on the evening (the commencement) of the fourteenth day of the month, and we read in Numbers 28:17–18,
"And in the fifteenth day of the month is the feast; seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten. In the first day shall be an holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of servile work therein."
Then Christ was crucified and buried on the day preceding the Passover Sabbath, upon which Sabbath no manner of servile work was to be performed. This latter being the case, it would be necessary to perform the service of burial before the Sabbath commenced.
We gather from Mark that when the Sabbath was past, certain women bought spices with which to anoint Jesus. Now Luke tells us that certain women prepared spices and ointment, and rested the seventh day according to the commandment. That the spices and ointment bought and prepared by the women were neither procured or prepared on a Sabbath day we are sure, and therefore a day must have intervened between the two Sabbaths to allow of this being done.
Clearly, then, Christ was buried just before sunset on the Wednesday, as it began to dawn towards Thursday, the Passover Sabbath. He was in the grave the whole of Thursday, the whole of Friday, upon which day the spices were bought and prepared; and until just before sunset on Saturday, the seventh day Sabbath. If this is true, Christ's predictions were exactly fulfilled, namely, that he should be in the grave three nights and three days, and he must have meant what he said.
That Christ did not rise on the first day of the week, as generally supposed, I think there is clear proof."
The Christadelphian, Oct 1889
Verse 40
"For as Jonas was three days and three nights" — Indicative of the three and a half years of the Lord"s ministry, and of the actual period of his burial (Jn. 2:19; 1Cor. 15:4; cp. Lk. 13:32-33).
"in the whale's belly" — Gr. ketos, designating a large fish, without specifying the kind. The Diaglott and Darby translate: "great fish." The Amplified Bible and Rotherham have "sea monster." The Lord related his baptism in the Jordan, to his death on the stake and resurrection to life (Luke 12:50).
"so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" — His burial would fulfil the types in the O.T. Scriptures which relate to this period (see 1Cor. 15:4). The three days of Isaac's journey to the altar
on Mt. Moriah (Gen. 22); the three days of the spies hidden in the hills of Jericho (Josh. 2:16); that of Hezekiah's sickness (2Kgs. 20:8), etc.
Verse 41
"The men
41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
Verse 41
"The men of Nineveh" — Nineveh was the capital of the great Assyrian empire, founded on the banks of the River Tigris, to the north-east of Gr. eis, "into." Thus the warning of the prophet Jonah profoundly affected the inhabitants of Nineveh to the extent that they became associated personally with the message of salvation he provided (Jon. 3:5).
"the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here" — Messiah's message offered life and immortality (Rom. 2:7; 2Tim. 1:10), far greater than the temporal message of Jonah.
àFrom what Jesus says about Moses and the prophets, it is evident that the class of mind that cannot be convinced by the evidence contained in the Scriptures, and the confirmation which it receives in various ways from the history and condition of mankind, is too far below the elementary endowments of intelligence to possess the faith that pleases God, and without which it is testified "it is impossible, to please Him" (Heb. xi. 6). How much more must this have been true of those who, like the Scribes and Pharisees, could listen to Christ's wonderful teaching and behold his wonderful works without perceiving, with Nicodemus, that he was "a teacher come from God."
We may therefore understand why he proceeded to give his contemporary generation a poor place in comparison with some of the ancients:
...The Ninevites showed some susceptibility to the claims of righteousness at the mouth of an erring prophet. The Queen of Sheba showed some reverent appreciation of excellence coming to her merely as a matter of report. But here was a generation who could set up their opposition to him to whom all the prophets gave witness, and who could cry down the impersonation of all wisdom and worth though exhibited in their very midst.
Nazareth Revisited - In collision with the Pharisees
42 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
Verse 42
"The queen of the south" — Known as the Queen of Sheba, who visited Solomon to learn from him "concerning the name of Yahweh…to prove him with hard questions" (1Kgs. 10). Thus she sought answers to the religious character of his reign, and to enquire regarding his famed wisdom and to witness the glory of his Kingdom in great detail (v. 5). Her testimony concerning his worship of Yahweh (vv. 9-10), is significant in view of the relation of the English-speaking nations at the imminent return of the Master to this earth. It is anticipated that the Anglo powers will submit to the authority of the Great King of the Coming Age (Psa. 72:10-11).
"shall rise up" — Gr. egeiro, to awake, as from the sleep of death.
"in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it" — For she came from "a great distance" to hear the wisdom of Solomon, but the Jews of his generation rejected the wisdom of their Messiah.
"for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth" — From the most distant parts of the known habitable. Sheba was probably a city of Arabia, to the south of Judea.
"to hear the wisdom of Solomon" — The Queen was noted for her curiosity, and acceptance of the wisdom of Solomon.
"and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here" — As Solomon reigned over the united kingdom of Israel, so his greater antitype, the Lord Yahshua, will control all nations of the earth, ruling from "the throne of his father David" (Luke 1:32).
Verse 43
"When the
43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.
Verse 43
"When the unclean spirit" — The Lord had just cured a demoniac (Mat. 12:23), and now proceeded to teach an important lesson, based upon his healing powers. Having been given the ability of sight and speech, it is necessary for a person to use these attributes to glorify and obey the Almighty, and to avoid using them for evil purposes. The "unclean spirit" speaks of the wickedness of the generation personified. It also speaks of the influence that the leaders of Israel had upon the mind of the people by their evil traditions, but through the preaching of the Baptist, many had turned away from the scribes and Pharisees. The word "unclean" refers to the false teachings of the leaders of Israel; whereas "spirit" describes the mental state of the Lord's contemporaries.
That "wicked generation" listened for a while to "the voice crying in the wilderness."
"All Jerusalem and Judea went out to be baptized of him in the Jordan, confessing their sins."
Then when Jesus appeared
"all men resorted to him"—"The common people heard him gladly."
The unclean spirit had gone out of the nation, and the nation in that state went through the dry places of its political desert—seeking rest—wanting to take him by force and make him king—and finding none; for Jesus did not reciprocate these advances in a political form, but said,
"Who hath made me a ruler and a divider among you?"
The time had not come. Disappointed at last, they returned to the original position of things, and found it empty, swept, and garnished, John being beheaded and Jesus given over to the will of his enemies, and the nation in no sense saved. Then allied they to themselves all the sects and parties to be found in the realm, including even bands of robbers, in a frenzy of opposition to all divine things, thus described by Paul—
"They have both killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets and have persecuted us: and they please not God and are contrary to all men, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway; for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost."—(1 Thess. 2:15).
This is the state of things illustrated in the saying of Christ about the unclean spirit having gone out of a man. Hence, in our reading of the saying, we must find its parallel, thus:—
When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he (the man) unaccustomed to civilized ways, walketh through dry places, seeking rest and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return to my house whence I came out, and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished (as a house belonging to a hopeless and absent madman would be likely to become at the hands of rude neighbours.)
Then goeth he forth, discouraged at the absence of prospects, and taketh to himself seven other spirits (demoniacs) more wicked than himself and they enter in (to the reclaimed but now relapsed madman's house) and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first (for in the company of seven fellow-lunatics, he has given himself up to an abandonment of madness which is worse and more hopeless than the state from which he was originally released by cure.)
This reading of Christ's words supplies a parallel to the career of the "wicked generation" which he sought to illustrate. If instead, it be contended that it was the disembodied unclean spirit that walked through dry places and finally returned to the man with seven other diabolical entities, the parallel is entirely wanting.
The Christadelphian, Jan 1872
44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
à...a parable illustrative of the moral condition of the generation of Judah contemporary with Jesus and the apostles. The wickedness of the generation is personified, even as Paul personifies "sin" in Rom. 7:13, as καθ῾ υπερβολην αμαρτωλος kath huperbolen hamartolos, "an exceedingly great sinner."
Wickedness is "an unclean spirit;" and "seven other spirits more wicked than itself," is the superlative of wickedness. "The man" and "my house" are expressive of the generation. By the preaching of John, Jesus, and the apostles, before the crucifixion, wickedness in the positive degree was greatly restrained in Judah; for
"Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, were baptized of John in Jordan, confessing their sins;" and "great multitudes of the people followed Jesus:"
but, after seven years from the beginning of John's preaching, reaction set in, and the generation became superlatively wicked, filling up the measure of their fathers in killing Jesus, persecuting his disciples, and rejecting the Gospel of the Kingdom in his name.
Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come, February, 1855
46 While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.
àAn ominous reaction is visible in Sardinia, where an active persecution is going on, not only against the liberal journals, but against the freedom of religious thought. The member of a Catholic congregation has just been condemned to six months imprisonment for doubting the Immaculate Conception. He affirmed what is unquestionably true, that the mother of Jesus had other children after him.
"While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood without, desiring to speak with him." And again: "Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And his brothers, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us?"—Matt. 12:46; 13:55. Hence Matthew's testimony is, that Jesus was not the only son of his mother. It is easy to perceive, then, where Matthew would be if he lived and wrote under Victor Emanuel.
The dogma of the Immaculate Conception proves that the Roman Virgin Mary, like the Roman Jesus, her reputed son, are not the Mary and Jesus of the New Testament.
The Roman Goddess is declared by her worshippers to have had only one son, and he of an immaculate flesh like her's; the Bible contradicts this of the true Mary and Jesus; and teaches that she had many sons and daughters; and that consequently the flesh common to her and her son Jesus was identical with that of all the descendants of Abraham. The Roman goddess is a demon of priestcraft, having no real existence, past or present, in the universe of God.
Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come, June 1856
47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.
48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
àA prepared people are Christ's brethren (Christadelphians), and rejoice in this exclusive relationship, and none are entitled to this high position but those who do the will of the Father who is in heaven.
"The conscription has made it necessary for us here to designate ourselves by some name, and not only so, but I have been anxious that our brethren should have a name which would defend them from that of 'Thomasites.' I do not want to hear of such a people as the people I have referred to being called by my name.
If they believed and rejoiced in theories and traditions invented by me, it would then be well to call them by my name, but as far as developed truly, they believe the truth which makes them Christ's brethren, and CHRISTADELPHIAN expresses that fact.
To be called by this name is a great honour if we believe it. It is an unappropriated name by any sect, and, therefore, distinguishes us from all. Christian has lost its original signification in the mouth of a Gentile; hence the Pope, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Mormon High Priest of Utah, are all Christians so-called and brethren, but not Christadelphians."
Bro Thomas
My days and my ways Ch 29
àA brother of Christ (or Christadelphian) is one who does the will of the Father. This is Christ's own declaration (Matt. xii. 50). Consequently, you may disregard the suggestion that a man is not a Christadelphian who, being otherwise a doer of the Father's will, was uninstructed at the time of his baptism on some abstruse question of priesthood. We have to grow in knowledge.
Bro Roberts.