Therefore, since we
have such hope,
we use great boldness
of speech -- unlike Moses,
who put a veil over
his face so that the children
of Israel could not
look steadily at the end
of what was passing
away.
But their minds were
blinded. For until this day
the same veil remains
unlifted in the reading
of the Old Testament,
because of veil
is taken away in
Christ. But even to this day,
when Moses is read, a
veil lies on their heart.
Nevertheless when one
turns to the Lord,
the veil is taken
away.
2 Corinthians 3: 12
-- 16
When we
undertake the project of a Bible study, whether it be with a group, or
individually, we depend upon the interpretation of Scripture and this requires,
discovery, and eascertaining of the meaning, and to be successful in this effort
we must depend upon God's aid. We must
discover the meaning and to do this we must turn our attention to both to
things and to signs. This is important
and necessary to know what things we ought to teach Christian people, and also
the signs of these things, that is, when the knowledge of these things is to be
sought. To do this of course and I have attempted to accomplish this, and that is to talk about the historical times in
which the Bible was written. Who was
the Caesars or rulers of Rome who was the power influence of the world. The world in which the Jewish people and Christians live, and other events that was occurring and the necessity
for the reason why it a writer of the Bible would be inspired by the Holy
Spirit to write those words as they did.
Two things are most important on which all interpretation of Scripture
depends: the mode of ascertaining the proper meaning, and this is by looking at
history, and doing word studies, and understanding the difference between
things and signs, their use and how they are to be applied. Also the mode of making known the meaning
when it is ascertained. This is where
many Christians have gone astray for they have attempted to make things to be
signs when they are not, and to make signs to be as though they were
things. When we are to instruct, our
instruction is either about things or about signs; but things are learned by
means of signs. Paul speaks of the veil
of Moses, a thing, a thing that had use; first to shadow over the glowing glory
that Moses had from being in association with God when the 10 Commandments were
written. The Israelites then required
the veil worn by those who were reading from the Old Testament. What is meant by the words that the
Israelites could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away? The
thing, the veil, was also a sign, and by placing the thing, and requiring it
worn, by the readers of the Old Testament they were saying that this thing was
a sign that they were the people of God and the law of God that they help to
would last forever. They could not see
that the words of God that said something new was to occur and that the old
would pass away and be placed by that which was new for they had placed a sign
in a higher priority of understanding than the actual words of God: "For the LORD has poured out on you
the spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes namely, the prophets; and He
has covered your heads, namely, the seers" (Isaiah 29: 10). This because they were not using the
proper mode of ascertaining what God had actually said and required, therefore,
they were then making this thing a sign and teaching from their understanding
through improper mode of ascertaining.
So what was Paul talking about, and how could this have some sort of
meaning? It seems as though within the
Jewish synagogues that this requirement to wear a veil still existed for they
had latched on to this sign, or thing and required that this law that they
developed would not pass away. Paul is
teaching that it is passing away and in fact had passed away for it was taken away
when Jesus Christ died upon the cross.
We as Christians live under God's dispensation through Jesus Christ and
His death upon the cross whereby the old law, not the 10 Commandments, but the
old law established by the Jewish leaders had been removed, taken away so that
when a person now turns to the Lord that veil that is covering the heart that
does not believe or know God, or improperly knows God, they can turn to the Lord: "Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where
the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
But we all come with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory
of the Lord, are being transformed into the same to glory, just as by the
Spirit of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3: 17 -- 18). It is the duty of all Christians, especially
as ministers of the Gospel to use great plainness, meaning is to be clear in your
speech. The things of God that are
revealed to us in the New Testament are revealed and not in types in shadows,
and that requires that we set the Gospel truth and the grace of the Gospel in
the clearest of light. The law was veiled under types in shadows, but the Gospel is veiled and not held to many ceremonies
except that which is baptism and the Lord's supper. We are all called to
believe, to love, to obey, the great precepts of the Bible, and they are to be delivered as clearly as possible. The whole doctrine of Jesus Christ
crucified, which is the doctrine of the Bible, is made, to us, plain as any
human language can make it. There are
those who would make signs were signs don't exist for those signs do not have
any thing on which those signs are established.
The desire is to enjoy the signs and if we set ourselves to enjoy those
which we ought to use, that is things, then we are hindered in our course, and
ofttimes led away from it; so that, getting entangled in the love of
gratifications, we've been altogether turned back from, the persuit of the
real and proper object of enjoyment. By
placing signs in high priority there is the loss of liberty through Jesus
Christ.
Depart! Depart! Go out from there,
touch no
unclean thing;
go out from the midst of her,
Be clean,
you who bear the vessels all the LORD.
Isaiah 53: 11
Consider the word of the Lord
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