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We return now to II Tim. 2: 26: "Taken captive by him at his will." It is beyond our
power to decide whether the words "at his will" refer to Satan or to God. The Companion
Bible takes the view that they refer to God; commentators are about evenly divided.
While we must still seek the truth of the passage, the ultimate interpretation of this clause
leaves untouched the practical instruction already considered.
What is clear, and important to us, is the great fact that error enslaves and truth sets
free, and that the Devil's chief instrument of bondage to-day is that of undispensational
truth. As we grow in grace and knowledge, we step out into fuller freedom; as we
entertain error, we become entangled in bondage. Let us once again state the wonderful
words of the Lord: "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
#3.
"The truth of the gospel" (Gal. 2: 5 and 14).
pp. 153 - 157
In the two preceding articles the close association of the truth with liberty, and of error
with bondage is too evident to need further elaboration. However, the importance of the
theme is such that it finds a further exposition in the epistle to the Galatians--that epistle
of liberty. That Galatians is pre-eminently an epistle of liberty the following references
will sufficiently show, and if this is so, we shall readily perceive that other doctrines
enumerated in the epistle will necessarily constitute factors in all that goes towards
effecting that blessed liberty. Of these doctrines, the truth of the gospel will have a place
as we have already seen.
We give below every passage in Galatians in which the words indicative of bondage
and liberty appear (doulos, douleia, douleuo, douloo, katadouloo, eleutheria, eleutheros
and eleutheroo). While, for the present article, such a list is in the nature of a
supplement, the theme is by no means of secondary interest, and should be studied for its
own sake.
Bondage and liberty in Galatians.
"If I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ" (1: 10).
"False brethren . . . . . who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in
Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage" (2: 4).
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male
nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus" (3: 28).
"Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant,
though he be lord of all" (4: 1).
"Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the
world" (4: 3).