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Such ever bring Thee where they come,
And going, take Thee to their home.*
[* - This hymn is included in Hymns of Praise,
compiled for the use of meetings where dispensational truth is discerned.]
What are we to understand by "true" worshippers? What are we to understand by
worship that is "in spirit and in truth"?
Alethes is used when truth as opposed to falsehood is in view. Thus in John 4: 18
where it is translated "truly". Alethinos is truth when opposed not so much to a lie, but as
substance is opposed to shadow. So we have such expressions as "the true tabernacle"
(Heb. 8: 2); "the figure of the true" (Heb. 9: 24) obviously in contrast with the typical
tabernacle and its furniture. So in John's gospel we read of "the true light", "the true
bread" and "the true vine" as fulfillments and contrasts with their respective types. So
"true" worshippers are not placed in contrast with idolators, worshippers of false gods,
but they are constrasted with Old Covenant worshippers whose worship was typical and
shadowy "which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings and carnal
ordinances, imposed until the time of reformation" (Heb. 9: 10).
The expression "in spirit and in truth" without the preposition "in" repeated, should be
taken as a figure of speech, known as hendiadys, where one thing is meant, but two
statements are made--hence hen = one, dia = by means of, dys = two, the "One-by means
of two" figure. "Truly i.e. antitypically in Spirit". Two reasons are given for thus
worshipping the Father:
(1) He seeks such worship. This is a unique passage. No other passage of scripture
uses the word "seek" in this way. It is a common thing for worshippers to be bidden "to
seek" the Lord, but here, it is the Father that seeks! If He thus seeks, shall He not find?
If He thus finds shall He not be pleased? If He thus finds, must not blessing be the
result? Is not therefore true worship near the heart of all true acceptable and fruitful
service? (2) The second reason resides in the very nature of the God we would worship.
"God is Spirit." Pneuma ho theos. It is no more necessary to insert the indefinite
article here and read "God is a spirit" than it would be to translate the similarly
constructed passage of John 1: 1 and read "The Word was a God". To this Samaritan
woman a statement concerning the essential Being of God is made that transcends every
other revelation found in the Scriptures! All titles under which God is pleased to make
Himself known in the O.T. scripture are really gracious accommodations to our finite
capacity to understand. The God Who is spirit is beyond our powers of experience. We
do not know the mode of being of One who is not conditioned by time and space, who is
invisible, inaudible and intangible (John 1: 18; 5: 37). Now if our Saviour had intended
to teach this woman the essential nature and being of God, our comments would
constitute a criticism of His words, and we should stand condemned. He was teaching
this woman, and all who will learn, not the nature of the absolute and unconditioned, but
what the nature of that worship must be that is offered to, and is acceptable to, a being of
such a nature. To obtain but a glimpse of the Divine nature, is to forego for ever all the