THE K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S
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The Seal of Jesus Christ to the Old Testament Scriptures Edward Bickersteth A Clergyman of the Church of England 1786-1850
Nor is there any distinction drawn betwixt one part and another, as if one were more or less inspired than another; but, as Zacharias, when himself filled with the Holy Ghost, says, “The Lord God of Israel . . . spake by the mouth of his holy prophets which have been since the world began.” And so the apostle Paul, writing to Timothy, says, “From a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” “All Scripture (or “«very Scripture,” i. e., every portion) is inspired by God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thor oughly furnished unto all good works.” And to this agree the words of St. Peter: No prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation” or rather “becomes a matter of self-interpretation.” The words are often mysterious. The events foretold are often couched in symbol. Even the prophets themselves searched diligently into the meaning of their own predictions. No prophecy of the Scripture, therefore, is a thing of its own solution. Scripture must be compared with Scripture, signs and symbols with cor responding events, and prophecy with unfolding Providence under the teaching of the same Spirit. “For prophecy was never borne ( “wafted,” i. e., into the soul of the prophet) by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were borne along by the Holy Ghost.” Men spake, and thus the words retain all the individual characteris tics of those who uttered them; but the inspiring breath was that of the Holy Ghost, and thus their utterances are nothing less than the oracles of the living God. Manner of Inspiration This inspiration was “in sundry portions and divers man ners;” but it was so full and entire that the result was “GOD SPAKE in time past unto the fathers by the proph ets.” Sometimes, as in the historical books, the sacred historian may have been moved by God's Spirit to make diligent inquiry into human chronicles, and even to embody certain portions of them, as the genealogies, in his holy writing. Sometimes the inspired author may have earn estly desired to select the most appropriate language. Sometimes the inspiration came by dreams, when the out ward senses' were steeped in sleep. Sometimes it was by a waking vision, when the prophet was conscious to him self that his eyes were open on other material objects. Very often it was by an audible voice, as we read, “The word of the Lord came to me, saying.” Perhaps most frequently it was the secret prompting of the Spirit of God in or upon the spirit of man. But in every case that which the sacred writer was moved to record, whether the chronicle of facts, or the narration of a dream from memory, or the description of a vision at the time of its occurrence, or the taking down of words as spoken by a heavenly messenger, seen or unseen, or the expression in writing of that which the Holy Spirit impressed on the hearts—in every case the original Scripture was under the direct superintendence and governance of the Holy Spirit. God was responsible— if I may .use the phrase with deep reverence— God was responsible for every word. So that the Bible, in the language of the great Locke, “has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter.“ (Continued on Page 55)
UR risen Lord Himself bears the most conclusive testimony to the integrity of the canon of the Old Testament as received by the Jews. H e•said to His apostles, after His resurrection, “These are the words which X spake unto you while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms concerning me.” This threefold division was the ordinary Jewish classification of their sacred writings, the scribes reckoning under—• (1) The law, the five books of Moses. (2) The prophets, the historical books, and the proph ets, except Daniel. (3) The Psalms (the Hagiographa), the book of Psalms, Daniel, and all the other cannonical books, just as we receive them. Here, then, our Lord appeals to the books of the Old Testament under those names which embraced the whole canon. And the inspired evangelist immediately adds, “Then opened he their understanding that they might un derstand THE SCRIPTURES”— thus designating the three divisions just named by the one holy name,— the Scriptures. We are thus for ever assured that in receiving the Jewish Scriptures we are receiving the lively oracles of God. Here is the Divine seal set upon them. And further, our Lord immediately proceeds to confirm His own word by adding, “THUS IT IS WRITTEN.” It is difficult to over-estimate the value of this short argument for those who are unable to search more fully into the vast mass of historical evi dence which confirms the canon. Here is the Imprimatur of Christ. Now this collection of writings, thus defined, our Lord and His apostles distinctly affirm to be the Word of God, and to have been given by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. Thus, when quoting Ex. 3:6, Christ says, “Have ye never read that which was spoken unto you by God?” Hereby affirming that Moses truly recorded the very words of God at the bush, which form the introduction to his great mis sion to Israel. Again, in the 43d verse of that same chap ter we read, “He saith unto them, How then doth David IN SPIRIT call him Lord?” Or, as related by St. Mark, “David himself said BY THE HOLY GHOST;” or by St. Luke, “David himself saith in the book of Psalms.” Thus words, which in the last reference are spoken of as the words of David, are said to be “by the Holy Ghost,” or “in Spirit.” So likewise the way in which other psalms are quoted in the New Testament, without attempting to ex plain the method of inspiration, assert the fact in the most emphatic language. Let me instance, “This Scripture must needs have been fulfilled WHICH THE HOLY GHOST BY THE MOUTH OF DAVID SPAKE before concerning Judas.” And again, “Lord, thou art God. . . WHO BY THE MOUTH OF THY SERVANT DAVID HAST SAID.” And again, “Wherefore, AS THE HOLY GHOST SAITH, Today, if ye will hear his voice.” What is this but the echo of the last words of David, “The Spirit of Jehovah spake by me, and his word was in my tongue, the God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me?” The words of the sweet Psalmist of Israel were the words of the Spirit of Jehovah. So, comparing Is. 6:9 with Acts 28:25, we learn that that which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet was spoken by the Holy Ghost.
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