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The knowledge of God through Christ and the Scriptures illuminated by the Holy
Spirit embraced by the believer and acknowledged by the believer in his life, establishes
the unity with the Godhead which is the whole eternal purpose of God. The worship of
God in singing psalms and hymns; making intercessions for and serving others have their
place, but only by the knowledge of Him and His righteousness can true unity and power
and wisdom to serve be found. It is for this reason Paul's closing letter to Timothy
pleaded for the defence and spread of this precious gospel.
No.3.
Holding the Truth against all comers.
"To whom we gave place by subjection,
no, not for an hour" (Gal. 2: 5).
pp. 150 - 153
The foreshadowed apostasy that we have considered, and which is set out in some
measure of detail in I Tim. 4: and II Tim. 3: & 4:, is not included in Holy Scripture to
cause us to slacken our witness or to conclude that nothing we can do is of any use. That
attitude will but hasten the departure. The self-same epistles that foretell the apostasy
encourage the believer to stand. "Give attendance to the reading." "Preach the Word."
Accordingly we have reviewed the exhortations found in Paul's later epistles "to keep";
"to hold"; "to stand" and "to watch". In our last article we gave our attention to Paul's
admonition to Timothy to "Hold fast the form of sound words". In Philippians,
Colossians and the Pastoral Epistles there are exhortations that sound like the challenging
of error by the Champions of truth, and to these we now give our attention.
"Holding forth the word of life" (Phil. 2: 16).
"Holding fast the Head" (Col. 2: 19 R.V.).
"Holding faith and a good conscience" (I Tim. 1: 19).
"Holding the mystery of faith in a pure conscience" (I Tim. 3: 9).
"Holding fast the faithful Word" (Titus 1: 9).
Different words are employed in the original to give the idea of "holding forth",
"holding fast", etc., which may be examined as the passages come before us. It will be
observed that in some cases the exhortation looks to public manifestation of the truth, in
others to a private hold upon the truth. In one case it is the Word of Life, in others Life
itself. In most cases it is the Word, but in two it is either the Head, Christ Himself, or the
mystery of the faith which reveals His present glory. In two instances the holding of the
truth is linked with a pure or a good conscience.
"Holding forth the word of life" (Phil. 2: 16).
The Philippians were exhorted to avoid murmurings and disputings, that they might be
blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke. No abstention from murmuring
or disputing will make a believer a "son of God" but a believer can become a son of God