Sunday, January 11, 2015 Grace Life School of Theology Grace History Project Lesson 157 Sonship Edification: Precursors to Sonship, Part 3

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1 1 Sunday, January 11, 2015 Grace Life Schl f Thelgy Grace Histry Prject Lessn 157 Snship Edificatin: Precursrs t Snship, Part 3 Intrductin A few weeks back, in Lessn 156 we cntinued ur investigatin int the precursrs f Snship Edificatin (SE) by lking at the writings f Charles H. Welch n Rmans 8:17. In additin, we began cnsidering G.H. Lang s 1936 publicatin Firstbrn Sns: Their Rights and Risks. It was bserved that Lang s wrk is ripe with SE cncepts and themes particularly in the fllwing areas: 1) the necessity f qualifying ne s self t serve in the gvernment f Gd as an additinal issue t justificatin, and 2) cnnecting ne s level f sanctificatin with their prtin f future glry. Finally, we bserved multiple statements that sund like they came straight frm the SE lexicn. In this lessn, I wuld like t cntinue ur evaluatin f G.H. Lang s Firstbrn Sns as a precursr t SE by cnsidering his cmments n the fllwing subjects: 1) indwelling f the Hly Spirit, 2) translatin f Rmans 8:17, and 3) meaning f the expressin if s be in Rmans 8:17 Precursrs t Snship Cntinued G.H. Lang Cntinued Please recall frm Lessn 156 that Lang was a Brethren writer frm Great Britain. Lang was fully aware that his teachings were different frm the great teachers f the early Brethren perid: the great teachers f that perid restred the prper emphasis t the truth that Gd is calling the saved f this age t a place in the heavens as the bride f His Sn. But they attached t this privilege that certainty f pssessin which the Wrd attaches t the pssessin f eternal life nly. (Lang, 215) In shrt, Darby and ther early Plymuth Brethren teachers erred by ascribing t every justified believer a psitin in the heavenly places, accrding t Lang. In cntrast, Lang mentins N.A. Grves, R.C. Chapman, and Lady Pwerscurt amng the first generatin f Brethren wh viewed the first resurrectin and its accmpanying privileges as smething that culd be missed. (Lang, 215) Lang n the subject f the Spirit Dwelling Lang appears t share in cmmn with SE the ntin that all regenerated believers are nt necessarily indwelt by Gd the Hly Spirit. That initial wrk f the Spirit which suffices fr the regenerating f a sinner, s that he receives eternal life, is nt all that is required t incrprate him int the bdy f Christ; else believers befre Pentecst, and thse f the next age, equally with thse f this dispensatin, wuld be members f the bdy, which the Wrd f Gd des nt suggest, but rather negates. The apstles were nt t Christ as a bdy until His Spirit indwelt them all at nce, uniting them thus t Him and t ne anther. Is it the Pastr Bryan Rss

2 2 fact that every believer has thus received the Spirit? r is it nt rather t be feared that sme have been simply regenerated, and knw nthing mre f His wrking and nthing at all f His indwelling and infilling? If we discard precnceived theries and candidly face facts, it wuld seem that there can be but ne answer... But Pentecst stands nt fr the first quickening by the Spirit, but fr the regenerated man receiving pwer fr effective witness t Christ (Acts 1:8), by the Spirit entering int and s dwelling in him that He pervades the heart, filling it with divine wisdm, knwledge, lve, and bldness; and cntrlling the bdy, using it in speech and ther service; and empwer fr suffering... His statements in bth cases are in definite histric (arist) tenses: We were all baptized... ye were sealed with the Hly Spirit (I Cr. 12:13; Eph. 1:13); and s apply nly t the persns addressed. They are nt general assertins cncerning all believers, such as are fund in cnnectin with eternal life; the ne believing has eternal life (Jhn 3:36). The baptism is nt anywhere stated t be an inevitable accmpaniment f saving faith, but rather the cntrary is shwn, as in the tw places in Acts just mentined. Alas, that wide later experience cnfirms this. Many believers seem t be living in a pre-pentecstal state, and it is at least pen t questin whether such are regarded by Gd as, r if in fact they are, members f the bdy f Christ, seeing that His Spirit des nt appear t dwell in them, fr He neither energizes, nr cntrls, nr uses them. (Lang, ) While this argument is nt identical with SE s psitin n the matter, it is similar in that ne can be a regenerated believer but nt have the Hly Spirit dwelling in them. Lang ges s far as t questin whether r nt believers wh demnstrate n evidence f the Spirit dwelling in them have been baptized int the bdy f Christ (I Crinthians 12:13) r have been sealed with the Hly Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). Hw Lang can maintain his belief in the eternal security f the believer while hlding these views regarding the Hly Spirit is beynd ur ability t cmprehend. Lang n the Translatin f Rmans 8:17 In seeking t establish a distinctin between thse wh are heirs f Gd (all believers) and thse wh are jint-heirs with Christ cnditined upn suffering with him, multiple times Lang seeks t retranslate Rmans 8:17. Specifically, Lang renders the Greek participle de as but instead f and in frnt f the expressin jint-heirs with Christ. If we are Gd s children, we are therefre, His heirs; heirs indeed (men) f Gd, but (de) jint heirs with Christ, if s be that we suffer with Him that we may be als glrified with Him (Rm. 8:17). (Lang, 65) Rmans 8:16-17 The Spirit himself beareth witness with ur spirit, that we are children f Gd: and if children, then heirs, heirs f Gd, and jint-heirs with Christ; if s be that we suffer with him, that we may be als glried with him. The latter verse (v. 17) shuld read, heirs indeed (men) f Gd, but (de) jint heirs with Christ; if s be that we suffer with Him, etc. (Lang, 120) Pastr Bryan Rss

3 3 It is nt hard t see why smene wanting t argue fr a difference between heirs and jintheirs wuld advcate fr the fllwing rendering f Rmans 8:17: And if children, then heirs; heirs f Gd, BUT jint-heirs with Christ; if s be that we suffer with him, that we may be als glrified tgether. Changing the and t a but makes arguing that the if s be in the secnd half f the verse is placing a cnditin upn being a jint-heir with Christ in the first easier. This is evident frm Lang s cmments at the head f the paragraph fllwing the abve qute frm page 120, Hw clearly this (his retranslatin f Rm. 8:17) establishes a cnditin fr being glried with Christ... (Lang, 120) In my paper Ifs, Ands, and Buts: The Tw Inheritance Cntrversy f Rmans 8:17, I addressed a similar argument in Appendix B (see pages 29-34) being put frth by the supprters f the jintheir view f Rmans 8:17. While the supprters f the jint-heir view d nt fllw Lang in arguing that the Greek wrd de is MISTRANSLATED in the King James Bible and shuld read but, they d argue that EVERYTIME the Greek wrds men and de ccur tgether in the same verse, in the bk f Rmans, that de serves the functin f CONTRASTING tw different things. On September 10, 2013, Brther Matt Stutzman, authr f Heirs f Gd r Jint-Heirs with Christ? asked me the fllwing questin n the Jint-Heir Grup Facebk page regarding the Greek participles men and de: Bryan Rss... I brught up the Greek participles men and de that are used in Rmans 8:17 back when yu were challenging this issue n the basis f the nw debunked punctuatin argument. I m nt sure if yu didn t understand what I had said in that message, r if yu dn t agree with it, r if yu are simply ignring it. In any case, I ll restate what I had said there and ask yu t give it sme thught: Thse tw participles men and de (G3303, and G1161) are cmbined tgether in 13 ttal verses in the bk f Rmans. In every case (withut exceptin) the use f these wrds tgether in Rmans are ALWAYS used t cntrast tw different things. They are NEVER CONJUCTIVE. Again here are a few examples f this which I believe deserve yur hnest cnsideratin s lng as this discussin is being cntested frm a basis f Greek: Qutes Rmans 2:25; 5:16; 6:11; 7:25; 8:10; 8:17... Given that ALL 13 examples in Rmans clearly use these participles tgether t cntrast tw different things, it wuld certainly be illgical fr a persn t argue Pastr Bryan Rss

4 4 that Rmans 8:17 is smehw the lne exceptin that deviates frm the established pattern and precedent. Wuldn t yu agree? Mre recently in studying fr these lessns n the precursrs f SE, I was handed The Reign f the Servant Kings by Jseph C. Dillw (1992). In reading Dillw s view n Rmans 8:17, I ran acrss the fllwing Greek Participle Argument: That tw cntrasting heirships are being discussed seems t be suggested by Paul s use f the Greek particles men... de. Nt readily translatable in English, the sense is smething like this, On the ne hand (men...) heirs f Gd, and ther the ther (de) jint-heirs with Christ. These particles, when cupling tw phrases tgether, are nrmally disjunctive and imply a cntrast between the items cmpared, nt an equality. In fact, in every usage f these particles in this way in Rmans, they are always cntrastive and never cnjunctive... In ther wrds, we are all heirs f Gd, and we will be jint-heirs with Christ if we suffer with Him. (Dillw, 376) The bscure and similar nature f this type f categrical argument (ALWAYS vs. NEVER) are s clearly linked that it is difficult t cnclude the Brther Stutzman had nt read r was unfamiliar with Dillw s argumentatin. This cnclusin appears even mre likely when ne cnsiders Brther Stutzman s strng aversin t even cnsidering the underlying Greek text supprting the King James Bible when cnducting Bible study (see Stutzman s c-authred Wrngly Deriding Jint-Heirs with Christ). Either Brther Stutzman parted ways with his wn stated rganic methdlgy f Bible study and cnsidered the underlying Greek text r he was aware f this line f argumentatin frm anther surce. De (1161) is a CONJUNCTION (primary participle) in terms f the part f speech. The Greek wrd is fund 2,870 times in the Greek text supprting the King James Bible. As a CONJUNCTION it can be either ADVERSATIVE (that is expressing cntrariety, ppsitin, r antithesis: fr example but is an adversative cnjunctin) r CONTINUATIVE. It is imprtant t nte that when de (1161) is rendered and in English it is MOST OFTEN representative f the CONTINUATIVE use f the Greek wrd. This is evident by nting the definitin f the English CONJUNCTION and And (cnj.) And is a cnjunctin, cnnective r cnjining wrd. It signifies that a wrd r part f a sentence is t be added t what precedes. (Webster s 1828 Dictinary) This is evidenced by the multiple ways it has been translated int English: But 1,237 times And 934 times Nw 166 times Then 132 times Als 18 times Yet 16 times Yea 13 times Mrever 13 times Pastr Bryan Rss

5 5 Nevertheless 11 times Fr 4 times Even 4 times There are 112 verses in the New Testament that cntain the Greek wrds men (3303) and de (1161) in the same verse. Hw the wrd de (1161) is rendered in English is determined by each individual ccurrence, nt by an arbitrary rule. In ther wrds, the determinative factr in whether de (1161) is ADVERSATIVE ( but in English) r CONTINUATIVE ( and in English) is the sentence structure f each verse. This is clear when ne cnsiders hw de (1161) is rendered in English in these 112 verses: But 69 times And 47 times Other 19 times There are seven examples where the cnjunctin de is translated in bth the adversative ( but ) and cntinuative sense ( and ) within the same verse. The translatrs f the King James Bible knew the difference between the tw uses f the Greek wrd and thus rendered it accrdingly in English given the sentence and thught structure f each verse: Acts 14:4; 22:9; 27:41 Rmans 8:10 I Crinthians 9:25 II Timthy 1:10; 2:20 My pint in Appendix B f Ifs, Ands, and Buts, was nt t argue that the English wrd and can NEVER be used t cntrast tw different things but that the cmbined usage f the Greek wrds men and de in the same verse DOES NOT MANDATE that de is being used t cntrast tw different things in the bk f Rmans r anywhere else in the New Testament. The Greek wrd de when rendered and in English can be used t CONTRAST tw different things; it was NEVER ur assertin that it COULD NOT. The usage f the wrd and can be either ADVERSATIVE (i.e., establishing a cntrast) r CONTINUATIVE (i.e., cnnecting things tgether in a sequence) depending upn the cntext in which it is used. The meaning and usage f and needs t be determined by an investigatin f each individual ccurrence nt an unfunded verarching rule. Rmans 9:21 The textual FACTS in Rmans 8:17 are that the Greek wrd de ccurs tw times within the verse and is rendered and bth times in the King James Bible. And (de) if children, then heirs; heirs f Gd, and (de) jint-heirs with Christ; if s be that we suffer with him, that we may be als glrified tgether. Pastr Bryan Rss

6 6 Why wuld ne argue that the secnd ccurrence f de shuld be rendered and/r read as ADVERSATIVE (cntrasting tw things) while the first ccurrence is allwed t stand with a rendering and/r reading this is CONTINUATIVE? In shrt, if such a rule exists (the existence f which has nt been prven) why is it nt applied t the first ccurrence f de at the beginning f verse 17 as well as the secnd? The answer is simple, rending/reading the secnd ccurrences f de as a CONTRAST makes it easier t argue fr the cnditinal nature f jint-heirship and reigning with Christ, i.e., it fits the paradigm being asserted. If the purpsed rule where cnsistently applied t the first ccurrence f de it wuld be establishing a cntrast between thse the children f Gd in verse 16 and thse wh are heirs f Gd in verse 17, thereby negating the assertin that all believers are heirs f Gd. Rather than seeking t establish arbitrary and unfunded rules shuld nt ne s interpretatin f a passage be subject t the TEXTUAL FACTS and nt the ther way arund? Lang n the meaning f the expressin if s be in Rmans 8:17 Lang appeals t multiple reference wrks including Alfrd, Dean, Rbinsn, as well as Bible translatins by the likes f Darby t supprt his ntin that if s be places a cnditin upn jint-heirship and a believer s future glrificatin with Christ. Alfrd thus translates and cmments: IF AT LEAST (see abve n verse 9, eiper, prvide that, nt since, which wuld be epeiper) we are suffering with Him, that we may als be glrified with Him: i.e., if (prvided that) we are fund in that curse f participatin in Christ s sufferings, whse aim and end, as that f His sufferings, is t be glried as He was, and with Him. But the eiper des nt regard the subjective aim, q.d. if at least ur aim in suffering is t be glried, but the fact f ur being partakers f that curse f suffering with Him, whse aim is, wherever it is fund t be fund, t be glrified with Him (Alfrd s italics). The reader will nte the italicized wrds wherever it is fund, implying that there may be thse wh are nt fund suffering with Him. The learned Dean adds, The cnnectin f suffering with Christ, and being glrified with Him is elsewhere insisted n, see II Tim. 2:11; I Pet. 4:13, 5:1. Jamiesn, Faussett, and Brwn implicitly reject the rendering since by translating prvided we be suffering with Him. S als Darby (New Translatin) renders if indeed we suffer. Mule explicitly cndemns it (Cambridge Bible fr Schls), and s des Blmfield, wh qutes Crellius as fllws: it was but just that they wh wished t be partakers with Christ in his glry, shuld als be partakers f his sufferings. Rbinsn (Lexicn) accepts the sense since, but even s it is nt fair t qute him thus as has been dne: The Greek wrd rendered, if s be, implies an acknwledged and recgnized fact, r as Rbinsn says, assumes the suppsitin t be true. Fr what Rbinsn says is that eiper assumes the suppsitin t be true, whether justly r nt (Lang s italics). Fr the sake f argument r illustratin a suppsitin may be assumed t be true, but where eiper is used it is pen t questin whether the assumed fact is fact r nly an assumptin. (Lang, ) Pastr Bryan Rss

7 7 Lang appears t be sifting these cmpetent schlars fr an explanatin f if s be that will fit his precnceived ntin f the verses meaning. The Greek wrd eiper appears six times in the Textus Receptus, the Greek text supprting the King James Bible. Of these six ccurrences f eiper in the New Testament it is variusly translated as fllws: if s be that 3times (Rmans 8:9, 17; I Crinthians 15:15), if s be 1 time (I Peter 2:3), thugh 1 time (I Crinthians 8:5), and seeing 1 time (II Thessalnians 1:6). Given the FACT that the King James translatrs variusly rendered eiper with the English wrds thugh and seeing prves the ntin that eiper carries the sense r frce f since, as suggested by Rbinsn. Cnsider the fllwing definitin f the English wrd seeing: Seeing This participle appears t be used indefinitely, r withut direct reference t a persn r persns. Wherefre cme ye t me, seeing ye hate me?" Genesis 26. That is, since, r the fact being that r thus; because that. (Webster s 1828 Dictinary) Rbinsn s definitin f eiper as quted by Lang assumes the suppsitin t be true, whether justly r nt is cnsistent with the ntin f a first class cnditin in bth English and Greek. The FACT is, eiper r if s be in English is a cnditin, the questin is what TYPE f cnditin is it. In Rmans 8:17 the Greek wrd eiper is fllwed by a verb in the indicative md (the indicative md is used t make factual statements r pse questins), i.e., suffer with. This is true in bth Greek and English. Even the Oxfrd English Dictinary acknwledges a variety f different TYPES f cnditins expressed by the English wrd if. When if is fllwed by the indicative md the speaker expresses n adverse pinin as t the truth f the statement in the clause; it is cnsistent with his acceptance f it accrding t the Oxfrd English Dictinary. In cntrast, the subjunctive after if implies that the speaker guards himself frm endrsing the truth r realizatin f the statement; it is cnsistent with his dubt f it. (The subjective md is the md used t shw a wish, dubt, r anything else cntrary t fact.) In Rmans 8:17, Paul is nt saying maybe the Rmans are jint-heirs and maybe they are nt, we have t wait and see hw it turns ut, in a subjunctive sense. Rather, he is stating the FACT that the Rmans suffer with him n accunt f the previusly established FACT f having been made jint-heirs with Christ. Bth if and if s be in Rmans 8:17 are first class cnditins and serve the functin f taking the truth and certainty f the afrementined thing and applying it t what is abut t be said. In ther wrds, if this first thing (which we bth knw and agree abut) is true, then this secnd thing is just as true. In shrt, ne cannt suffer with Christ unless and until they have been jined t him. In ther wrds, being jined t Christ is a prerequisite t suffering with him nt the ther way arund. Pastr Bryan Rss

8 8 Wrks Cited Dillw, Jseph. The Reign f the Servant Kings.Schettle Publishing C: Miami Springs, FL, Lang, G.H. Firstbrn Sns: Their Rights and Risks. Samuel Rberts Publishers: Lndn, England, Pastr Bryan Rss