Sermon Series: Five Words You Must Understand
1 Corinthians 14:19
Yet in the church I had rather speak
five words with
my understanding,
that by my voice I might teach others also,
than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.
Part Twenty-one: John 8:11
“Go, and sin no more.”
Introduction:
On the old Daniels
and Webster program on ROCK107 we often heard from one Walter Nepasky. He would begin his commentary with either,
“I'm Walter Nepasky and today I wanna talk
about three things.”, or “Hi. My name is Walter Nepasky.
How you doin'? Today I want to talk to you about
tree tings.”
What if we had a modern Christian radio station —The Rock of Ages 316 — with a program
that began, “Hi, I’m Paul of Tarsus, and today I want to talk about five words.”
The Apostle Paul wrote: Yet in the church I had rather
speak five words with my understanding,
that by my voice I might teach others also,
than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.[1]
Paul follows up his introduction on The Rock of Ages 316 with his personal example — an extreme
preference framed as a mathematical proportion: 5 versus 10,000. This is Paul’s
“druthers”! This is when 5 is better
than 10,000!
If Paul were here, and you could pin him down to a
literal selection of five words, what do you think he would choose? “Gimme Five Paul!”
Before we get to a selected list of five word Scripture
passages that might be in Paul’s “in box” we should also consider how Charles
Haddon Spurgeon went even beyond Paul, perhaps due to “spiritual inflation” in
the intervening centuries!
“But the seed, though very small, was a living
thing. There is a great difference between a mustard seed and a piece of
wax of the same size. Life slumbers in that seed. What life is we cannot tell.
Even if you take a microscope you cannot spy it out. It is a mystery, but it is
essential to a seed. The Gospel has a something in it not readily discoverable
by the philosophical inquirer, if, indeed, he can perceive it at all. Take a
maxim of Socrates or of Plato, and inquire whether a nation or a tribe has ever
been transformed by it from barbarism to culture. A maxim of a philosopher may
have measurably influenced a person in some right direction, but who has ever
heard of a someone's whole character being transformed by any observation of
Confucius or Socrates? I confess I never have. Human teachings are barren. But
within the Gospel, with all its triteness and simplicity, there is a divine
life and that life makes all the difference. The human can never rival the
divine, for it lacks the life-fire. It is better to preach five words of God's Word than five million words
of human wisdom. Human words may seem to be the wiser and the more
attractive, but there is no heavenly life in them. Within God's Word, however
simple it may be, there dwells an omnipotence like that of God from whose lips
it came.”[2]
Now for some possibilities
from Paul’s “in box.”
Note: The five word
statements from Scripture selected may not actually be five word statements
in either the Hebrew or Greek originals,
nor are they necessarily complete sentences or verses in English language
translations from the Hebrew and Greek, including the King James Version which is the source translation for the
statements. Nevertheless, they were
selected for the fundamental truths and span of doctrine that they
present. The current list of 36 examples
is not intended to be comprehensive, and may easily be expanded or
consolidated.
The 36 selections are categorized under
the following four headings:
The Person of Christ — The Redeemer
The Work of Christ (as Prophet, Priest and King) —
Redemption Accomplished
The Salvation of Christ — Redemption Applied
The Return of Christ — Redemption Revealed
The five word
statement to be considered on this occasion, “Go, and sin no more,” falls under
the third of these four headings, The Salvation of Christ — Redemption
Applied.
Administrative
matters —
1. There is a textual
issue with this narrative, the Johannine
Pericope, otherwise known as the Pericope
Adulterae. The statement is found as part of a narrative whose
textual pedigree is the source of sharp division. Mention must be made of the textual issue, that it is recognized, and
has been considered. If anyone has issues with the fact that this will be
preached as Scripture, as the Word of God, we can discuss that afterwards.
2. There is also
a textual issue with these words that shows up in translations reading “from
now on” (NASB, ESV, HCSB, NET), or “from henceforth” (ASV).
3. There are theological
issue with these words.
Outline:
I. The Contradiction of the Claim of the Gospel
II. The Rending of the Reality of the Gospel
III. The Dilution of the Demand of the Gospel
Transition:
One of the quotes of the day that I collected during my
unit’s deployment to Iraq ten years ago is,
“Go do great things!”
— Captain Robert Beaudry, the Battalion Maintenance
Officer (BMO) at the end of each Maintenance meeting for Task Force Saber in
Ramadi, Iraq during OIF 2005-2006.
Let us pick up where we left off last Lord’s Day with the
woman standing before Christ after her accusers had put distance between them
and the Lord. She had answered his two questions with a simple statement. The
next thing she heard from him was the five word statement we considered last
time, “Neither do I condemn thee.”
She must have felt rooted to that spot where she was
standing.
What was she thinking? What would you be thinking at this
point?
What was she expecting? Would she be numb, frozen,
paralyzed with fear and emotion?
Would she be wondering, “Now what? What next? What do I do
now? Where do I go from here?”
We don’t know the answers to these questions, but the
Scriptures confront us with this historical reality, with this tremendous human
drama, and so we must enter into it.
Perhaps we can agree that whatever she was feeling in the
turmoil of emotions over what had just happened to her, she probably did not
anticipate either the previous five word statement from Christ, or this one.
What she now hears from Christ are five more words
following hard on the heels of “Neither do I condemn thee.” She hears the Lord
add, “Go, and sin no more.”
In these five words are two commands, one positive and
one negative.
The indicative in the previous five words is followed by these
two imperatives.
That indicative affirming justification calls for faith. These
commands of sanctification call for repentance.
Romans 5 related to the word of justification that she
had just heard from Christ.
Now she hears a word of sanctification that relates
directly to the Apostle Paul’s teaching in Romans 6.
Romans 8:1 related directly to the word of justification
and non-condemnation.
Now Romans 8:2 lines right up with the word of
sanctification here.
It may good for us to consider the following questions at
this point:
What would the aftermath look like?
What will her testimony be?
What was she to do?
I mentioned
during the introduction that there is a textual issue with these words that
shows up in translations reading “from now on” (NASB, ESV, HCSB, NET), or “from
henceforth” (ASV). In a moment in time everything has changed for her. From
this moment on nothing can ever be the same again. From now on she will have
the words of Christ ringing in her ears, echoing in her mind, written on her
heart, causing her to tremble in awe, and to weep in gratitude. From now on she
must serve the Master who has commanded her. The answer to the three questions
just asked must take this into consideration.
I also mentioned
that there are theological issues with these words. These issues involve common
errors encountered regarding the doctrine of sanctification that would color
how some understand this five word statement. These errors must be avoided in
any consideration of the answers to the three questions asked previously.
I. The Contradiction of the Claim of the Gospel
She was told by Christ: “Go, and sin no more.”
She did not got to an Adulterers Anonymous meeting, and
stand up and say, “Hi, my name is Sarah, and I am an adulteress!”
That she cannot be. Neither should any child of God buy
into speaking of themselves in such a way. To do so contradicts the assessment
of those who are Christ’s in the Word of God.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 — 9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not
inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters,
nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor
drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are
washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord
Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
“The proper response to mercy received on account of past
sins is purity in the future.”[3]
What would be the impact of these five words?
What do these words mean?
“Go, and sin no
more.”
John Murray, “Definitive
Sanctification,” in Select Lectures in
Systematic Theology, Vol. 2 of Collected
Writings of John Murray, 4 vols. (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust,
1977), pp. 277-293.[4]
On this see also:
Sinclair B. Ferguson,
“The Reformed View,” in Christian
Spirituality: Five Views of Sanctification, ed. Donald L Alexander (Downers
Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), pp. 47-60.
Anthony A Hoekema, “The
Reformed Perspective,” in Five Views on
Sanctification, by Melvin E. Dieter, Anthony A. Hoekema, Stanley M. Horton,
J. Robertson McQuilkin, and John F. Walvoord (Grand Rapids: Academie Books,
1987), pp. 72-75.
Benjamin B. Warfield, “A Review of Lewis Sperry Chafer's
“He That Is Spiritual”,” Princeton Theological Review 17 (April, 1919), pp.
322-327; on Monergism at http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/sdg/warfield/warfield_chaferreview.html
[accessed 30 DEC 2013].
II. The Rending of the Reality of the Gospel
This is what she heard: “Go, and sin no more.”
Some would come away with the teaching of sinless
perfectionism. Would they be wrong?
What is she went away and sinned again?
1 John 1:5-2:2 — 5 This
then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God
is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with
him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if
we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with
another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we
deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we
make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 1 My
little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man
sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he
is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
Perhaps the best publications available to counter such an
error are the following:
Harry A. Ironside, Holiness
the False and the True (New York: Loizeaux Brothers, 1912); available as
free dowloadable PDF on Wholesome Words
at http://www.wholesomewords.org/etexts/ironside/holiness.pdf
[accessed 4 JUL 2015]; and on Internet
Archive at https://archive.org/details/HarryIronsideBooks
[accessed 14 FEB 2014].
J. C. Ryle, Holiness:
Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots (London: James Clarke &
Co., n.d.; 1952 reprint of 1879 ed. of 1877 orig.); on Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) at http://www.ccel.org/ccel/ryle/holiness.html
[accessed 4 JUL 2015].
Benjamin B. Warfield, Studies
in Perfectionism (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1958); also included in The Works of Benjamin B. Warfield, 10
vols. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1932; 2003 reprint), Vol. VIII: Perfectionism, Volume II.
On this work by Warfield see especially the following:
Fred G.
Zaspel, The Theology of B. B.
Warfield: A Systematic Summary (Wheaton: Crossway, 2010), pp. 456-505, s.v. “Perfectionism and the Doctrine of Sanctification.”
Jim Elliff, “Review of Studies in Perfectionism by Benjamin
Warfield” (2013), on Christian
Communicators Worldwide at http://www.ccwtoday.org/article/review-of-studies-in-perfectionism-by-benjamin-warfield/
[accessed 4 JUL 2015].
III. The Dilution of the Demand of the Gospel
“Go, and sin no more.”
Others would water them down, or dilute them to fit their
perception of reality.
“Go, and try not to sin anymore.”
“Go, and do your best not to sin anymore.”
“Go, and give holy living your best shot.”
“Go, and start reducing the amount of sin in your life.”
“Go, and stop committing adultery. I know that you will
still sin, but you have to put that one sin pattern behind you.”
This is precisely what the Lord Jesus Christ cannot say. This
is part of the problem with the NIV’s interpretive paraphrase or dynamic
equivalent: “Go now and leave your life of sin.”[5]
This is exactly what He did not say to this woman or to
us. Nor is it what he said to the man he healed on the Sabbath by the pool of
Bethesda in John 5.
John 5:1-14 — 1 After
this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda,
having five porches. 3 In these lay a great multitude of
impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. 4 For an
angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water:
whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole
of whatsoever disease he had. 5 And a certain man was there, which had
an infirmity thirty and eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that
he had been now a long time in that case,
he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? 7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I
have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I
am coming, another steppeth down before me. 8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy
bed, and walk. 9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed,
and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath. 10 The
Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not
lawful for thee to carry thy bed. 11 He
answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed,
and walk. 12 Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee,
Take up thy bed, and walk? 13 And he that was healed wist not who it
was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place. 14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the
temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a
worse thing come unto thee.
What does this mean for us?
What are we to do?
What if we sin?
Romans 6 — 1 What
shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any
longer therein? 3 Know ye not, that so
many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore
we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up
from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in
newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his
death, we shall be also in the likeness
of his resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be
destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he
that is dead is freed from sin. 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we
believe that we shall also live with him: 9 Knowing that Christ being raised from
the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10 For in
that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11 Likewise
reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God
through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your
mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13 Neither
yield ye your members as instruments
of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are
alive from the dead, and your members as
instruments of righteousness unto God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion
over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 15 What then? shall we sin, because we are
not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield
yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of
sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 17 But God be thanked, that ye were the
servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which
was delivered you. 18 Being
then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. 19 I speak after the manner of men because
of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to
uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members
servants to righteousness unto holiness. 20 For
when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. 21 What fruit had ye then in those things
whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. 22 But
now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit
unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our
Lord.
Conclusion:
Psalm 85 — 1 To the
chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah. LORD, thou hast been favourable
unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. 2 Thou
hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin.
Selah. 3 Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine
anger. 4 Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger
toward us to cease. 5 Wilt thou be angry with us for ever?
wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? 6 Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy
people may rejoice in thee? 7 Shew
us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation. 8 I will hear what God the LORD will
speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them
not turn again to folly. 9 Surely
his salvation is nigh them that fear
him; that glory may dwell in our land. 10 Mercy
and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
11 Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall
look down from heaven. 12 Yea,
the LORD shall give that which is
good; and our land shall yield her increase. 13 Righteousness shall go before him; and
shall set us in the way of his steps.
Isaiah 55:6-7 — 6 Seek
ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his
thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him;
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
[Sermon preached 5 JUL 2015 by Pastor John T. “Jack”
Jeffery at Wayside Gospel Chapel, Greentown, PA.]
End Notes:
[1] 1 Corinthians 14:19.
[2] Charles H. Spurgeon,
“The Mustard Seed: A Sermon for the Sabbath-School Teacher” (Lk.
13:18-19), Sermon No. 2110, delivered 20
OCT 1889, at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington, U.K.; in Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Vol. 35
(1889), pp. 565ff.; in Charles H. Spurgeon, The Parables of Our Lord (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 2003), pg. 707; and
on The Spurgeon Archive at http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/2110.htm [accessed 23 DEC 2014].
[3] D. A. Carson, The Gospel according to John, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991), pg. 337.
[4] Previously published in Calvin Theological Journal 2:1 (APR
1967). On The Highway at http://www.the-highway.com/definitive-sanctification_Murray.html
[accessed 19 FEB 2014].
[5] Another issue with this translation is addressed by
Carson: “niv’s leave your life of sin establishes the point directly, even if the
expression almost paints the woman as an habitual whore (though the Greek bears
no such overtones).” Carson, op. cit., pg. 337.
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