Not Corrupting the Word
by J. C. Ryle, 1858
"Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for
profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like
men sent from God." 2 Corinthians 2:17
It is no light matter to speak to any assembly of
immortal souls about the things of God. But the most serious of all
responsibilities is, to speak to a gathering of ministers, such as that
which I now see before me. The awful feeling will come across my mind, that
one single word said wrong, sinking into some heart, and bearing fruit at
some future time, in some pulpit, may lead to harm, of which we cannot know
the extent. But there are occasions when true humility is to be seen, not so
much in loud professions of our weakness, as in forgetting ourselves
altogether. I desire to forget self at this time, in turning my
attention to this portion of Scripture. If I say little about my own sense
of insufficiency, do me the justice to believe, that it is not because I am
not well aware of it.
The Greek expression, which we have translated, "peddle,"
either means a tradesman who does his business dishonestly, or a wine maker,
who adulterates the wine which he offers for sale. Tyndale renders it, "We
are not of those who chop and change the Word of God." Another version of
the Bible says, "We are not as many, who adulterate the Word of God." In our
margin we read, "We are not as many, who deal deceitfully with the Word of
God."
In the construction of the sentence, the Holy Spirit has
inspired Paul to use both the negative and the positive way of stating the
truth. This mode of construction adds clearness and unmistakableness to the
meaning of the words, and intensity and strength to the assertion, which
they contain. It will be found, therefore, that there are contained in the
text both negative and positive lessons for the instruction of the ministers
of Christ. Some things we ought to avoid. Others we ought to
follow.
The first of the negative lessons is, a plain warning
against corrupting or dealing deceitfully with the Word of God.
The Apostle says, "Unlike so many" who do it, pointing out to us that
even in his time there were those who did not deal faithfully and honestly
with God's truth. Here is a complete answer to those who assert that the
early Church was one of unmixed purity. The mystery of iniquity had already
begun to work. The lesson which we are taught is—to beware of all dishonest
statements of that Word of God, which we are commissioned to preach. We are
to add nothing to it. We are to take nothing away.
When can it be said of us, that we corrupt the Word of
God in the present day? What are the rocks and reefs which we ought to
avoid, if we would not be of the "many" who deal deceitfully with God's
truth? A few suggestions on this would be useful.
1. We corrupt the Word of God most dangerously, when we
throw any doubt on the absolute inspiration of any part of Holy Scripture.
This is not merely corrupting the cup—but the whole fountain!
This is not merely corrupting the bucket of living water, which we
profess to present to our people, but poisoning the whole well. Once
wrong on this point, the whole substance of our religion is in danger. It is
a flaw in the foundation. It is a worm at the root of our theology. Once we
allow this worm to gnaw the root, then we will not be surprised if the
branches, the leaves, and the fruit, decay little by little. The whole
subject of the inspiration of Scripture, I am well aware, is
surrounded with difficulty. All I would say is, that, in my humble judgment,
notwithstanding some difficulties which we may not be able now to solve, the
only safe and tenable ground to maintain is this—that every chapter, and
every verse, and every word in the Bible has been "given by the inspiration
of God."
We should never desert a great principle in theology, any
more than in science, because of apparent difficulties which we are
not able at present to remove.
Permit me to mention an illustration of this important
axiom. Those conversant with astronomy know, that before the discovery of
the planet Neptune there were difficulties, which greatly troubled the most
scientific astronomers, respecting certain aberrations of the planet Uranus.
These aberrations puzzled the minds of astronomers, and some of them
suggested that they might possibly prove the whole Newtonian system to be
untrue. But at that time a well-known French astronomer, named Leverrier,
read before the Academy of Science a paper, in which he laid down this great
axiom—that it was wrong for a scientist to give up a principle, because
of difficulties which could not be explained. He said in effect, "We
cannot explain the aberrations of Uranus now; but we may be sure that the
Newtonian system will be proved to be right, sooner or later. Something may
be discovered one day, which will prove that these aberrations may be
accounted for, and the Newtonian system will remain true and unshaken." A
few years later, the anxious eyes of astronomers discovered the last great
planet, Neptune. The planet was shown to be the true cause of all the
aberrations of Uranus; and what the French astronomer had laid down as a
principle in science, was proved to be wise and true.
The application of the story is obvious. Let us beware of
giving up any first principle in theology. Let us not give up the great
principle of absolute inspiration because of difficulties. The day may come
when they will all be solved. In the mean time, we may rest assured that the
difficulties which beset any other theory of inspiration, are ten times
greater than any which beset our own.
2. Secondly, we corrupt the Word of God when we make
defective statements of doctrine.
We do so when we add to the
Bible—the opinions of the Church, or of the Church Fathers, as if they were
of equal authority. We do so when we take away from the Bible, for the sake
of pleasing men. We do so when from a feeling of false liberality, keep back
any statement which seems narrow, and harsh, or hard. We do so when we try
to soften down anything that is taught about eternal punishment, or the
reality of hell. We do so when we bring forward doctrines in their wrong
proportions. We all have our favorite doctrines, and our minds are so
constituted that it is hard to see one truth very clearly without forgetting
that there are other truths equally important. We must not forget the
exhortation of Paul, to minister "according to the proportion of
faith."
We do so when we exhibit an excessive concern to fence,
and guard, and qualify such doctrines as justification by faith without the
deeds of the law, for fear of the charge of antinomianism; or when we flinch
from strong statements about holiness, for fear of being thought legal. We
also do this when we shrink back from the use of Bible language in giving an
account of doctrines. We are apt to keep back such expressions as "born
again," "election," "adoption," "conversion," "assurance," and to use a
roundabout phraseology, as if we were ashamed of plain Bible words. I cannot
expand these statements because we are short of time. I am content with
mentioning them and leave them to your private thought.
3. In the third place, we corrupt the Word of God when we
make a defective practical application of it.
We do so when we do
not discriminate between classes in our congregations—when we address
everyone as being possessed of grace, because of their baptism or
church-membership, and do not draw the line between those who have the
Spirit and those who have not. Are we not apt to keep back clear, direct
appeals to the unconverted? When we have eighteen hundred or two thousand
persons before our pulpits, a vast proportion of whom we must know are
unconverted, are we not apt to say, "Now if there is any one of you
who does not know the things that are necessary for eternal peace" — when we
ought rather to say, "If there are any of you who has not received the grace
of God?"
Are we not in danger of defective handling of the Word in
our practical exhortations, by not bringing home the statements of the Bible
to the various classes in our congregations? We speak plainly to the poor;
but do we also speak plainly to the rich? Do we speak plainly in our
dealings with the upper classes? This is a point on which, I fear, we need
to search our consciences.
I now turn to the POSITIVE lessons which the text
contains.
"In Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men
sent from God." A few words on each point must suffice.
1. We should aim to speak "with sincerity."
Sincerity of aim, heart, and motive; to speak as those who are thoroughly
convinced of the truth of what they speak; as those who have a deep feeling
and tender love for those whom we address.
2. We should aim to speak "like men sent from God."
We ought to strive to feel like men commissioned to speak for God,
and on His behalf. In our dread of running into Roman Catholicism, we too
often forget the language of the Apostle, "I make much of my ministry." We
forget how great is the responsibility of the New Testament minister, and
how awful the sin of those who when a real messenger of Christ addresses
them, refuse to receive his message, and harden their hearts against it.
3. We should aim to speak "before God."
We are
to ask ourselves, not, What did the people think of me? but, What was I in
the sight of God? O that this may be the spirit in which we may always
express from our pulpits—not caring whether men are pleased or
displeased—not caring whether men say we were eloquent or feeble; but going
away with the witness of our conscience—I have spoken as standing before
God's sight.
4. Finally, we should aim to
speak "as in Christ." The meaning of this phrase is doubtful.
Grotius says, "We are to speak as in His name, as ambassadors." Beza says,
"We are to speak about Christ, concerning Christ." This is good doctrine,
but hardly the full meaning of the words. Others say, We are to speak as
ourselves joined to Christ, as those who have received mercy from Christ,
and whose only title to address others is from Christ alone. Others say, We
should speak as through Christ, in the strength of Christ. No meaning,
perhaps, is better than this. The expression in the Greek exactly answers to
Philippians 4:13, "I can do everything through him who gives me strength."
Whatever sense we ascribe to these words, one thing is clear: we should
speak in Christ, as those who have themselves received mercy; as those who
desire to exalt, not themselves, but the Savior; and as those who care
nothing what men think of them, so long as Christ is magnified in their
ministry.
In conclusion, we should all ask, Do we ever handle the
Word of God deceitfully? Do we realize what it is to speak as of God, as in
the sight of God, and in Christ?
Let me put to everyone one searching question—Is there
any text in God's Word which we shrink from expounding? Is there any
statement in the Bible which we avoid speaking about to our people, not
because we do not understand it, but because it contradicts some pet notion
of ours as to what is truth? If this is true, let us ask our consciences
whether this is very much like handling the Word of God deceitfully. Is
there anything in the Bible we keep back for fear of seeming harsh, and of
giving offense to some of our hearers? Is there any statement, either
doctrinal or practical, which we mangle, mutilate or dismember? If so, are
we dealing honestly with God's Word? Let us pray to be kept from corrupting
God's Word. Let neither fear nor the favor of man induce us to keep back, or
avoid, or change, or mutilate, or qualify any text in the Bible. Surely we
ought to have holy boldness when we speak as ambassadors of God. We have no
reason to be ashamed of any statement we make in our pulpits, so long as it
is Scriptural.
I have often thought that one great secret of the
marvelous honor which God has put on a man who is not in our denomination (I
allude to Mr. Charles Spurgeon) is, the extraordinary boldness and
confidence with which he stands up in the pulpit to speak to people about
their sins and their souls. It cannot be said he does it from fear of any,
or to please any. He seems to give every class of hearers its portion—to the
rich and the poor, the high and the low, the king and the peasant, the
learned and the illiterate. He gives to every one the plain message,
according to God's Word. I believe that very boldness has much to do with
the success which God is pleased to give to his ministry. Let us not be
ashamed to learn a lesson from him in this respect. Let us go and do
likewise.