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No.9.
Conclusion.
pp. 104 - 109
At the beginning the question was asked: "Is there some way of interpreting the Word
of God, so that human opinion is ruled out, and Divine understanding given? We believe
that the practical application of the guiding principles previously indicated will do this as
far as it is humanly possible; moreover, these principles are a basis upon which all
evangelicals who honour the Bible as the inspired Word of God should be able to agree.
Only when treated in this way can the Holy Scriptures speak with authority and say:
"Thus saith the Lord."
Not only this, but such a method of interpreting the Word is a great bulwark against
error. The various false cults which surround us today could not have come into
existence had they kept to historico-grammatical principles, and every one of them
violates these in some way or another. The whole set-up of Christendom with its sects
and divisions could not have developed as it has done had Christians from century one
onwards handled the Scriptures along these lines; likewise the differences among
evangelicals, especially on prophecy, could largely have been avoided by adherence to
these rules of interpretation. There can only be one true interpretation of any passage of
Scripture, although after this has been settled, applications may be made as long as they
are consistent with the truth governing this age of grace in which we live. The result of
such interpretation will be to distinguish in Scriptural truth (1) that which is
permanently true for all time and (2) that which is true only for a limited period. In (1)
we should class sin and the Divine remedy for it, salvation in Christ and its attendant
doctrines of redemption, atonement and sanctification. In (2) we should put, among other
things, the law given through Moses with its ceremonial, and the constitution of the
people of Israel. There was a time when the rite of circumcision was truth; so much so,
that of any who disobeyed it, God said: ". . . . . that soul shall be cut off from his people;
he hath broken My covenant" (Gen. 17: 14). This was a Divine command and could not
be broken with impunity. Yet when we come to the epistle to the Galatians we read:
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not
entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be
circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing" (Gal. 5: 1-2).
No believer today brings an animal sacrifice to God when he has been overtaken in a
fault, but there was a time when failure to do this would have been disobedience, which
would have been directly punished by God. It was truth in Old Testament times, but it is
not true today.
Clause (1) may be termed basic or fundamental truth, and clause (2) dispensational
truth. Some need to be reminded that the word dispensation oikonomia is a Scriptural
word which occurs eight times in the New Testament. It is not a human invention. It is
often confused with the word "age" and treated as though it is a period of time. Some