1 D a i l y D e v o t i o n a l S tud i e s in tke ¡§1 N e w T e s t amen t m By R. A. TORREY
HI
one of another” (cf. vs. 11-16). To lie to another is then to lie to the body of which I am a part and of which Christ is the head. What an absurd thing to do. To withhold truth from another is to withhold truth from the body of which I am a part and of which Christ is the head. It is to injure myself, for if one member suffereth the whole body suffereth with him (1 Cor. 12:26). FRIDAY, August 2. Eph. 4:26-28 The next thing that Paul attacks as belonging tb the old man is selfish anger. The only anger permissible in a member of the body of Christ is the anger that has no taint of selfishness or sin in it. Such anger is very rare. Even our “ righteous indignation” has usually a tinge of personal selfish resent ment (which is sin) in it. Bishop Moule states the case well: “ Anger, as the mere expression of wounded per sonality, is sinful, for it means that self is in command. Anger, as the pure expression of repugnance to wrong in loyalty to God, is sinless, where there is true occasion for it.-,’ But we should be on our guard for the personal ele ment is always seeking to creep in. Anger is a very dangerous thing, and we do well to let the words of the Holy Spirit, given in verse 26, sink deep into our hearts: “ Be ye angry, and sin not.” In these words Paul is quoting verbatim from the Septuagint version of Psalm 4:4. When there is occasion for anger the sun should not be allowed to go down upon our “ provocation.” Both the- Authorized and Revised Versions render the word which we have rendered pro vocation, “ wrath,” but in the margin of the Revised Version we are given the exact rendering of the Greek word used, which is as we have given it above, provocation. Any matter that would naturally lead to “ provocation” should be straightened out before sunset (cf. Matt. 5:23, 24). Cherishing anger is giving a place for the devil in our hearts (v. 27; 1 John 3:15, 12). The devil is always seeking a door of entrance into our hearts. Anger opens the door and he comes in. Another thing that belongs to the “ old man” and has no place in the new-life is stealing. So Paul says,
THURSDAY, August 1, Eph. 4:25. Paul continues to draw practical con clusions from the great doctrines that he has proclaimed. These practical con clusions as to our daily duty now be come more specific. The “ wherefore” of verse 25 refers primarily to what he has just said about putting away the old man and putting on the new man. “ Lying” belongs to the old unregener ate life; it has no place in the new crea tion, which 'is a creation in holiness of truth” (v. 24; cf. Col. 3:9, 10), the words with which the immediately pre ceding verse Closes, so there is the most intimate connection between the close of verse 24 and the opening of verse 25. As lying has no place in the new creation, which is a creation “ in holi ness of truth,” “ therefore” (“ where fore” ) the one who has been born again, who has put away the old man, should also have put away all lying. The authorized Version says, “ putting away lying.” The Revised Version says, “ put ting away falsehood.” There is no rea son in the Greek text for toning “ lying” down to “ falsehood.” Exactly what Paul said was this, “ Wherefore, putting away the lie.” Christian ethics are absolutely uncompromising on the subject of false hood. A lie is never justifiable. “ Noth ing untruthful can possibly be holy.” Jesus is “ the truth” (John 14:6), and as we are in Him no false statement should ever pass our lips. What men ' call a “ pious fraud” is really an impious blasphemy. The Bible is in a sense an oriental book and the orientals are pro verbial for their laxity in regard j to truth, and yet this oriental book never gives any uncertain sound on this ques tion. Why? Because the Bible is after all not an oriental book, but a heavenly book; it came from God. It is not enough to “ put away the lie,” that is merely negative; we must be positive, must not merely keep silence, but speak: we must “ speak truth each one with his neighbor.” It is not enough to be able to say, “ I am not speaking false hood.” . Are you speaking truth? The reason given for not speaking false hood but for speaking truth rises right out of the doctrine of the book and is deeply significant, “ for we are members
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