Cast The Bad Away.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: which when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world, the angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from the just; and shall cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”—Matthew 13:47–50.
This parable is found in connection with a series of parables in which Jesus represents the nature of his heavenly kingdom, the preciousness of his system of religion, the different classes of individuals who listened to his divine instructions, and the legitimate consequences which would follow a reception and rejection of his truth. Although the different illustrations which the Savior employed, are so varied as to be adapted to the comprehension of the people addressed, yet they all have a general application and similar meaning. The people were dull of apprehension, and, therefore, a variety of similitudes is introduced.
The kingdom of heaven, which is here spoken of, and which is frequently alluded to in the context, has reference to the economy of grace, or dispensation of truth, or system of religion, which Christ came to establish in the earth. By this kingdom being compared to a net, cast into the sea, which gathered of every kind, we understand Christ to represent the different classes of individuals who would make a profession of his heavenly truths, would accept his religion, and thus be gathered into his heavenly kingdom. These different classes are referred to in the parable of the Sower. Some joyfully accepted the truth, but through various influences, they fell away from it, and abandoned it. Riches choked the word with some, and others could not endure persecution; while others still remained true and faithful under every trial, even unto the end, and were saved from the terrible calamities which came upon those who abandoned the truth.
A separation is represented as taking place at the end of the world, or the end of the eón, age, and not at the end of the kósmos [κόσμος], the material universe. Many mistake the meaning of the Savior, by erroneously supposing that he referred to the material world, or universe. In the original language, there are two words which are translated world, which we find in the immediate connection, viz.: kósmos and eón.
“The field is the world,” verse 38, (kósmos.) But when it says: “The harvest is the end of the world,” verse 39; and “So shall it be in the end this world,” verse 40–49, we find that Jesus used a different word, viz.: eón, which clearly shows that he did not refer to the end of the material universe, for had he done so, he would have employed the word kósmos. Eón means age or time; an indefinite period of time. Donnegan, a lexicographer, defines eón thus: “Time; a space of time; life-time and life,” etc. The end of the eón, or the end of that age, referred to the time when severe national judgments would come upon the Jewish people for their sins, and all those who abandoned the truth, or the kingdom, on account of persecution or through whatever other influences, would experience the just desert of their sins by suffering in the judgments which came upon that ungodly nation. Then a separation took place between the wicked and the just, so that not a single disciple perished, not a righteous man was overwhelmed in the destruction which came upon the Jews, as Eusebius, the historian, informs us.
Dr. Adam Clarke, the Methodist commentator, says the same thing, thus:
“It is very remarkable that not a single Christian perished in the destruction of Jerusalem, though there were many there when Cestius Gallus invested the city; and had he persevered in the siege, he would have rendered himself master of it; but when he, unexpectedly and unaccountably, raised the siege, the Christians took that opportunity to escape.”
Eateth Damnation To Himself.
“For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself.”—1 Corinthians 11:29.
The word rendered damnation in this passage, is kríma, and is translated judgment and condemnation. It occurs in Matthew 7:2, and is rendered judgment; “For with what judgment ye judge,” etc. It occurs in Luke 23:40, and is rendered there condemnation: “Thou art in the same condemnation.” In Luke 24:20, it is applied to Christ, and is rendered condemned: “Deliver him to be condemned to death.” Jesus, when on earth, made use of the same word, and applied it to himself, in John 9:39: “For judgment I am come into this world.” Kríma, which is rendered damnation in the passage before us, is here translated judgment. The doctrine of endless punishment finds no support in this passage. The word damnation is too harsh a rendering of kríma; it means temporal punishment, which was designed for the good of the offender. The succeeding verse shows what this kríma was, or in what the punishment consisted, viz.—weakness and sickness: “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.” This was the punishment they brought upon themselves in eating and drinking unworthily. Those referred to, indulged in irregularities and excesses, so that they did not discern the Lord’s body.
The most intelligent orthodox commentators take this view of the subject, as the following quotations will show:
Whitby.— “Damnation: the word imports temporal judgments; and when St. Peter saith, the time is come, árxasthe to kríma, that judgment must begin at the house of God, (1 Peter 4:17,) not damnation, surely. And this is certainly the import of the word here, (1,) because the Corinthians did thus eat unworthily, and yet the judgments inflicted on them for so doing were only temporal, viz.: weakness, sickness and death; (verse 30.) (2,) Because the reason assigned for those judgments is, that they might not be condemned in the other world, or that they might not be obnoxious to damnation.”
Clarke.— “Kríma: judgment, punishment; and yet this is not unto damnation; for the judgment, or punishment, inflicted upon the disorderly and profane, was intended for their emendation; for in verse 32, it is said, when we are judged krinómeni [κρινόμενοι], we are chastened, pedhevómetha [παιδευόμεθα], corrected as a father does his children, that we should not be condemned with the world.”
And We Are Not Saved.
“The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.”—Jeremiah 8:20.
This passage has no reference to the salvation of man after death. It is connected with events which have exclusive reference to this world. It has allusion to those temporal calamities which came upon the Jewish people when they were overpowered by the invading hosts of Nebuchadnezzar. He came upon them in an unexpected moment, and cut off all hope of escape, at a season when they could not retreat, and they had made no preparation for flight. While yet they felt secure, they were suddenly overwhelmed, the harvest was past, the enemy was upon them, and they had made no preparation for a siege. Instead of being saved, they were in the hands of their conquerors.
The face of the country in Palestine is much diversified, which gives great variety to the climate; so that when it is excessively warm on the plains, it is extremely cold on the mountains. It is very cold as winter approaches, and it becomes difficult and dangerous to travel the mountainous regions of the country. Hence, when Jesus foretold the national calamities which were to come upon Jerusalem, he told the disciples to pray that their flight be not in the winter, clearly indicating the danger of traveling at that time. So in the passage before us. The prophet alludes to the approaching invasion of Nebuchadnezzar, and the utter impossibility of escape. They had been resting in false security, and made no preparation for such an invasion, when, in an unlooked-for moment, the king of Babylon approached with his army. While even some had cried peace, peace, there was no danger of war, even then the enemy was upon them, there was no escape. They were powerless; no provision had been made for defense during the summer, which then was past; the harvest had then gone, the summer ended, the winter was at hand, the roads impassable, and there was no escape—they were not saved. They could neither prevent the invasion, nor escape from the enemy. They might as well be taken captive as to perish in the mountains in attempting to escape. This is evidently the meaning of the passage before us. Dr. Adam Clarke, the Methodist commentator, has the following upon this passage:
“The harvest is past. The siege of Jerusalem lasted two years; for Nebuchadnezzar came against it in the ninth year of Zedekiah, and the city was taken in the eleventh. (See 2 Kings 25:1–3.) This seems to have been a proverb: We expected deliverance the first year—none came; we hoped for it the second year—we were disappointed; we are not saved—no deliverance is come.”
God Angry Every Day.
“ God is angry with the wicked every day.”—Psalms 7:11.
A misapprehension of the original meaning of these words, in connection with a false religious education, has led many to give to them an interpretation directly the reverse from what was intended by the writer.
Dr. Adam Clarke, the learned Methodist divine and commentator, has taken great pains to give us the different translations of this passage, some of which we here present, to show the different renderings:
The Vulgate.— “God is a judge, righteous, strong and patient. Will He be angry every day?”
The Septuagint.— “God is a righteous judge, strong and long suffering; not bringing forth his anger every day.”
The Arabic is the same as the Septuagint.
The Genevan version, printed by Barker, the king’s printer, 1615, translates thus: “God judgeth the righteous, and him that contemneth God every day.” On which there is this marginal note: “He doth continually call the wicked to repentance by some signs of his judgments.”
Dr. Clarke then presents his own views in the following language:
“I have judged it of consequence to trace this verse through all the ancient versions, in order to be able to ascertain what is the true reading where the evidence on one side amounts to a positive affirmation, ‘God is angry every day,’ and on the other side, to as positive a negation, ‘He is not angry every day.’ The mass of evidence supports the latter reading. The Chaldee first corrupted the text by making the addition, with the wicked, which our translators have followed, though they have put the words into italics, as not being in the Hebrew text. Several of the versions have read it in this way: ‘God judgeth the righteous, and is not angry every day.’”
The meaning of the passage is, that God judgeth the righteous justly and continually, though He is not angry with them. Righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne; still his punishments are disciplinary, and his administration benevolent. His government is equitable, but He is not angry day by day with his children. According to the Septuagint version; “God is a righteous judge, not bringing forth his anger every day.” If He were an angry, passionate being, then He would not judge in righteousness. The meaning is, that, day by day, He is a righteous judge, and, therefore, not an angry God. The text originally taught an entirely different sentiment from what the translators make it teach. It taught that God was not angry every day, as were heathen deities, but was a just, good and righteous God.
Hidden To The Lost.
“But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost.”—2 Corinthians 4:3.
A brief allusion to the context will exhibit the apostle’s meaning. In the preceding chapter, he had been speaking of the two dispensations, contrasting the old and new covenants, and exhibiting the superiority of the Gospel over the Law. There was, indeed, some glory in the Law, but so great was the glory of the Gospel, that the Law appeared to have no glory, by reason of the glory that excelleth! Moses was obliged to veil his face, because of the splendor of his countenance, which the Israelites could not look upon steadfastly. So there was a veil upon the hearts of the people; or, in other words, their minds were blinded, darkness rested upon their souls, which could only be removed by the light of the glorious gospel; hence it was said, that this veil was done away in Christ.
Now that the gospel was preached, nothing was concealed. Nothing was now hidden; all types and shadows were done away, and the gospel was proclaimed in all its fullness. And if its divine truths were not now perceived, it was because the people were willfully blind. If the gospel be hid, or veiled, so that the people did not discover its divine excellency, they were lost; not endlessly lost, but lost in sin; their hearts were veiled by the errors to which they clung; their minds were blinded by darkness and unbelief, and they were in a state of sin and degradation. Their state of sin was their lost state. Dr. Adam Clarke, the Methodist commentator, says, that “the word does not necessarily imply those that will perish eternally, but it is a common epithet to point out a man without God in the world.”
“If our gospel be hid,” or if its divine excellencies are not perceived, its heavenly truths seen and appreciated, it is because people willfully close up the avenues to their souls, and shut out its light from their hearts, and obstinately remain blind and lost. They were in darkness and unbelief. The gospel was plainly preached; and if it were obscure to any, it was because they closed their hearts against the light of truth, and preferring darkness to light, remained in a lost condition. And this was the moral state of the Jews. They were lost in sin, chose darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. Their minds were blinded, and they would not come unto Christ, that they might have life. The passage under consideration has no reference to the future world, but to the lost condition into which sin and error bring man in this life.
Agree With Thine Adversary.
“Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily, I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.”—Matthew 5:25, 26.
The meaning of this passage has been so entirely misapprehended, that some have erroneously supposed that Almighty God, who has created us for his pleasure, is our adversary. He is represented as our enemy, and unless we do something quickly to appease his wrath, and secure his favor, He will cut us off and throw us into the prison of hell, where we must remain eternally.
The language, however, clearly implies deliverance from prison, under certain circumstances, which shows conclusively that the punishment cannot be endless in duration. “Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou has paid the uttermost farthing;” teaching clearly a release when the uttermost farthing was paid.
This proves nothing, therefore, in regard to endless punishment. Besides, God is not the adversary of man, but the Father of the world’s great family, and a God of infinite love. He was prompted by the benevolence of his own nature to awaken man into existence, and has crowned that existence with tender mercies and loving kindness. “For his pleasure all things are and were created:” He has opened his bountiful hand and scattered blessings along the pathway of humanity. In all our wanderings, He has never forgotten us, but has pitied us in our frailties, and loved us while dead in trespasses and sins. He is good unto all, and his tender mercies are over all his works. And He is that God who will have compassion according to the multitude of his tender mercies. In a word, He is our Father, possessing all the moral qualities and perfections that belong to a good Father.
The adversary alluded to in the passage under consideration, was a legal adversary, or an opponent at law. Reference was made to human tribunals and jurisprudence, and the penalty which follows negligence in the settlement of difficulties. It is better to come at once to some agreement with an adversary, and settle all disputes and difficulties immediately, rather than by delay and procrastination, provoke the adversary to deliver thee to the officers of the law, and be cast into prison. We are admonished to avoid all such litigations. The subject has no reference to the future world, but to things pertaining to this life.
Hope of The Hypocrite.
“And the hypocrite’s hope shall perish.”—Job 8:13.
Although these words are often brought forward to prove the doctrine of endless punishment, yet they do not teach so much as a future state of existence. Not the slightest allusion is made to the immortal world in this passage. All this has reference to this world. It does not say that the hypocrite shall perish, nor be cut off in the future state of existence, only that his hope shall perish. He shall not realize his expectations; he shall be thwarted in his purposes, and defeated in his plans. The meaning is, “The expectation of the wicked shall perish.” Prov. 10:28.
This is the first place where the word “hypocrite” occurs in the Bible, and does not fully express the meaning of the original, as Dr. Adam Clarke says. “Hypocrite,” he says, “is a very improper translation of the Hebrew.” It means, that the hope or expectation of the wicked shall perish, or shall not be realized. Such hope to remain concealed in their wickedness, and to carry out successfully their machinations, and execute their evil plans; but they shall be caught in their own evil ways, and snared in the work of their own hands. (Psalms 9:16.) “Your sin shall find you out.” Numb. 20:26. Being thus defeated, the hope of the hypocrite, or wicked man, perishes. He is not successful in his wickedness. The wicked man hopes to sin with impunity; but this hope shall perish, his expectation shall be cut off. He shall be punished for his iniquity. He cannot escape merited retribution. God will by no means clear the guilty. Every wicked man hopes to succeed in his evil plans, to avoid detection and escape punishment; but as God has otherwise ordered, it may properly be said in this respect, that his hope, or expectation, shall perish. Calamity shall come upon him suddenly. In an unexpected moment, he shall be overwhelmed with confusion and sorrow. While apparently in a prosperous condition, he will meet with sudden destruction. As the flag in its greenness soon withereth, so are the paths of all that forget God. Their triumph is short, their prosperity is of brief duration; hence, it was said that their hope shall perish.
“Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider’s web. He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure.” Verse 14, 15. This language was designed to exhibit the sudden and unexpected judgment of God upon the sinful in this life. No reference was made to the immortal world.
Furnace of Fire.
“And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”—Matthew 13:42.
It was a custom of the sacred writers to represent any place of affliction and suffering as a furnace. We must bear this in mind, if we would understand the Scriptures correctly. Egypt was spoken of as a furnace, because the Jews suffered great tribulation and persecution there. “For the Lord hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt.” Deut. 4:20. See also 1 Kings 8:51; Isa. 48:10; Jer. 11:4.
The most severe calamity came upon the Jews in Jerusalem, and they are spoken of as suffering great tribulation, such as had not been since the beginning of the world, nor ever should be again; hence, that city is spoken of as a furnace of fire. “But if ye will not hearken unto me, to hallow the Sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, …. and it shall not be quenched.” Jer. 17:27. This places the subject beyond a doubt, that fire was employed as a metaphor, to set forth the divine judgments which came upon the Jewish nation. Jerusalem is called a furnace of fire. “The Lord’s fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.” Isa. 31:9. There is another passage very explicit and direct on this point.
“And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of silver. Therefore, thus saith the Lord God, because ye are all become dross, behold, therefore, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem, as they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it, so will I gather you in mine anger, and in my fury, and I will leave you there and melt you. Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you in the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof. As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I, the Lord, have poured out my fury upon you.” Ezek. 22:17–22.
This passage shows most conclusively that the furnace of fire was not in eternity, but in Jerusalem, where the divine judgments were poured out upon the house of Israel for their sins. There the sinful people were gathered and melted as in a furnace of fire. There was weeping and gnashing of teeth. There they lifted up their eyes, being in torment, being burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat. All this represented an adequate retribution for sin, the judgments of God in the earth.
Going Before To Judgment.
“Some men’s sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment: and some men they follow after.”—1 Timothy 5:24.
The context indicates clearly the meaning of this passage. Paul was giving Timothy a word of caution in regard to the affairs of the church, and the necessity of guarding most carefully against imposition, and placing unworthy individuals in responsible positions in the church. In establishing churches and appointing elders to their office, he cautions Timothy against acting hastily, lest he should bring unworthy men into those responsible positions, who would be a reproach to the cause of Christ, and dishonor the church of God. Hence, the exhortation to lay hands suddenly on no man; that is, do not act hastily in the matter, but form an intimate acquaintance with the men to be appointed to sacred offices in the church. And do nothing by partiality, lest you become a partaker of other men’s sins; show no favoritism by introducing unworthy men into the office.
Some would profess Christianity from unworthy motives, to gain, perhaps, some influence and position in the church, who had not really and truly reformed. Paul would therefore have Timothy enter upon a careful and rigid investigation of the character of the individuals to be appointed to these sacred offices in the church. There were genuine converts whom he had long known, true and faithful disciples of Christ, and some whose lives were only partially reformed, and whose sins were open and apparent to all. They go before to judgment, or their sins are apparent before you enter upon any investigation of them. And some men they follow after; that is, they might be hypocritical, and so succeed in concealing their sins that they might not become known till after the investigation, and they had been inducted into the sacred office. This is evidently the meaning of the apostle.
Macknight comments as follows on this passage:
“In judging of those who desire sacred offices, consider, that of some men, the sins are very manifest, leading before inquiry, to condemnation. Such reject. But in others, especially, their sins are so concealed that the knowledge of them follows after inquiry. For which reason no one ought to be appointed to sacred offices hastily.”
Sin Unto Death.
“If a man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.”—1 John 5:16, 17.
This passage has been sadly misinterpreted, not only by many honest and sincere Christians, but its meaning has not always been apparent to some learned theologians. Some have supposed that it referred to what is called the “unpardonable sin,” for the forgiveness of which we should not pray. But some of the most eminent commentators admit that the apostle here made no reference to the sin against the Holy Ghost. “I do not think,” says Dr. Adam Clarke, “the passage has anything to do with what is termed the sin against the Holy Ghost, which I have proved that no man can now commit.” The evident design of the apostle was to cultivate a heavenly disposition and temper in his brethren, and a tender spirit toward the erring. Under the Jewish law some sins were punishable with death, and those who committed offences, the penalty of which was death, were said to commit a sin unto death, or a sin worthy of death. They were not to pray for the deliverance of such an offender from the penalty of violated law. There were many offences which the law did not punish with death; and the sin not being unto death, the apostles were to labor for the restoration of such offenders, and seek to restore them to the paths of virtue and peace, that they might become again useful members of society.
Bishop Horne, we think, gives the true meaning of this passage. He says:
“The Talmudical writers have distinguished the capital punishments of the Jews into lesser deaths, and such as were more grievous; but there is no warrant in the Scriptures for these distinctions, neither are these writers agreed among themselves what particular punishments are to be referred to these two heads. A capital crime was termed a sin of death, (Deut. 17:6,) or a sin worthy of death, (Deut. 21:22); which mode of expression is adopted, or rather imitated, by the apostle John, who distinguishes between a sin unto death, and a sin not unto death. (1 John 5:16.) Criminals, or those who were deemed worthy of capital punishment, were called sons or men of death, (1 Samuel 20:32; 31:16; 2 Samuel 19:28, marginal reading,) just as he who had incurred the punishment of scourging was designated a son of stripes, (Deut. 25:16; 1 Kings 14:6.) A similar phraseology was adopted by Jesus Christ, when he said to the Jews: “Ye shall die in your sins. (John 8:21–24.) Eleven different sorts of capital punishments are mentioned in the sacred writings.”
Draw Back To Perdition.
“But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.”—Hebrews 10:39.
Many have erroneously supposed that this language refers to the immortal world, and the drawing back to perdition, means the misery of the soul in hell! It is supposed that the saving of the soul, refers to the deliverance of man from endless punishment. This view of the subject is supported by human creeds, but not by divine revelation. The passage has no reference to the immortal world.
Those who abandoned the truth, became unfaithful, and turned back to the beggarly elements of Judaism, and suffered in the judgments which came upon the disobedient and sinful, were said to draw back to perdition, or to destruction, as the original is sometimes rendered. But Paul would have his brethren found faithful, and persevere unto the end, even to the saving of their lives.
We here present the opinions of several orthodox commentators upon this passage, as quoted by Paige:
Lightfoot.— “As Christ’s pouring down his vengeance, in the destruction of that city and people, is called his ‘coming in his glory,’ and his ‘coming in judgment;’ and as the destruction of that city and nation characterized, in Scripture, as the destruction of the whole world, so there are several passages that speak of the nearness of that destruction, that are suited according to such characters. Such is that in 1 Corinthians 10:11, ‘Upon whom the ends of the world are come;’ 1 Peter 4:7, ‘The end of all things is at hand;’ Hebrews 10:37, ‘Yet a little while, and he that shall come, will come, and will not tarry.’“—Sermon on James v. 9.
Wakefield.— “But we are not they who withdraw unto destruction, but who faithfully persevere, to the deliverance of our lives.” Clarke.— “We are not cowards who slink away, and, notwithstanding, meet destruction; but we are faithful, and have our souls saved alive. The words peripíisis psyché signify the preservation of life. See the note Ephesians 1:14. He intimates, that, notwithstanding the persecution was hot, yet they should escape with their lives.”