The Direct Statement Principle
a. Definition. That principle under which God says what He meant, and means what He says <
- This is an important principle, and we enunciate this because of the attempts of many people to spiritualize the Word of God and to make it a mystical book. To many people, God’s Word is not to be taken literally at all. A tooth, an eye, or an ear, must mean something else, to a person of this type.
- There are certain things to be considered, however.
a. A word that meant one thing 300 years ago (when the Bible was translated into English) may have a changed meaning today.
Luke 1:63—A writing table does not mean a rolltop desk, but rather a writing tablet
Luke 3:23. “Began to be about thirty years of age.” This means He began His ministry at the age of about thirty years.
Acts 21:15; I Sam. 17:22—Took up their carriage This meant that which was carried, or baggage. “Wist,” “wit,” “I do you to wit,” are not used today, Rom. 1:13; II Thess. 2:7—”Let” did not mean to permit, but rather to hinder, hold back, or restrain.
I Thess. 4:15—”Prevent” meant come before, precede (See R.V.).
Phil. 3:20—Conversation refers to life and action. In the revised version it hes been changed to citizenship.
b. Mistakes are also made by the transistors and printers. - A publishing company had the public aid them in proof-reading the bible they were putting out, and which they wanted to be perfect. After all their efforts, the BMe came out with, “Holy Bible” on the inside front page.
- The “Place makers” Bible instead of “peacemakers Mutt 5.9.
- The “Adulterous” Bible. The word NOT was left out in the commandments, “Thou shalt not commit adultery”—Ex. 20.
- The idle Bible—in Zech. 11:17 “idle”is printed instead of “idol.”
- The “murderers” Bible—the murmurers in Jude 16 were called murderers
- The “Printers” Bible—Psa. 119:161, the word “princes,” changed to “printers.”
- The “Wife-haters” Bible Luke 14:26 word “life,” changed to “wife.”
- The “Vinegar Bible”—Luke 20, the word “vinegar” instead of “vineyard.”
These mistakes are made by man, not by God; and we must recognize that only the first parchments were inspired by God. - How people spiritualize the Scriptures.
a. God made man in His own image. A white man declared that God then m wt be white. Others say that the first man was red. Adam means red man of the earth. Therefore He mot have been red.
b. The four rivers in Eden are supposed to mean prudence, self-control, courage, end justice.
c. The parable of the sowing of the wheat. Jerome says that the thirty-fold pertains to marriage, sixty-fold to widows, and one hundred-fold to virginity.
d. When you study the Bible don’t try to make it a kind of wonder book, or spiritual museum. - Shakespeare. In 1611 when the Bible was translated, Shakespeare was forty-six years old. Some wise person turned to the forty sixth Psalm, and found that the forty-sixth word from the beginning was shake, and the forty-sixth word from the end was spear This was supposed to mean something or other.
- Armistice. Signed on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month A wive person turned to the eleventh book, the eleventh chapter, the eleventh verse which was I King: 11:11. The kingdom was rent from Solomon, so it must be rent from W helm. But the next verse says it will be rent from Solomon’s son. Supposed to be a prophecy to that effect
a. Zion is not heaven. and Jerusalem is not heaven. And the New Jerusalem is not to be in heaven, but a literal city. All these are mixed up. Zion is a hill on which Jerusalem is built.
b. People say that the throne of David is in your heart. How many throne did David have? The
throne of David is the literal throne to be set up in a literal city, Jerusalem
c. Augustine says that the disciples were fishing and caught 153 fish The sum of all the numbers to
17 is 153, so 153 means 17. 10 is the number of the commandments and 7 is the Spiritual number.
Together they make 17. Therefore the 153 fish stand for the commandments and the Holy Spirit.