Refusing Him who speaks from Heaven

Iconoclast · Nov 16, 2010

William Gouge in his commentary on Hebrews warns of how a careless handling of the scripture can actually lead to a refusing to "hear" Him who speaks...
What do you think of this list?

1. This may inform us of the many ways of refusing Christ's speaking, as,

(1.) They that lived in Christ's time, and would not hear him. Nicodemus coming by night, John iii. 2, shews that many were afraid or ashamed to come unto him.

(2.) They that came to hear, but believed not what they heard, John xii. 37, 38.

(3.) They that took offence at what he spake, Mat. xv. 12.

(4.) They who perverted his words, John vi. 52.

(5.) They who for a while heard him, but afterwards left him, John vi. 66.

(6.) They who desired him to depart from them, Mark v. 17.

(7.) They who cunningly sought to ensnare him, Luke xx. 20.

(8.) They who openly spake against that he uttered and preached, John vii. 12.

(9.) They who blasphemed his word and works, Mark iii 30.

(10.) They who persecuted him for his doctrine, John viii . 40.

Now that Christ is taken from us, he is refused by such as,

(1.) Bead not what he hath caused to be written, as 1 Tim. iv. 13.

(2.) Come not to the church, Mat. xxiii. 37.

(3.) Believe nothing that they hear, Acts xxviii. 24.

(4.) Come to catch, as Jer. xx. 10.

(5.) Come to mock, as Acts xvii. 32.

(6.) Seek to silence the preachers of the gospel, as Acts iv. 18, 1 Thes. ii . 16.

(7.) Persecute them, as 1 Thes. ii . 15.

2. How doth this aggravate that light esteem which many have of the'gospel of Jesus Christ! The occasions thereof are these :

(1.) Some on mere ignorance, not knowing the need and worth of the gospel, as the cock in the fable refused the pearl on the dunghill . See Jer. v. 3, 4.

(2.) Or self-conceit, thinking that they have enough of themselves, and that they need not the gospel . Christ styles such whole, righteous, Mat. ix. 12, 13. Such a one was the angel of the church of Laodicea, Rev. iii. 17.

(3.) Misconceit of the over-strictness of the gospel, terming it cords, bonds, as Ps. ii . 3 ; or misinterpreting or misapplying it, as John vi. 60, 66.

(4.) Or a too high esteem of the world, and the things thereof, as Mark v. 17, Luke xiv. 18, &c., 2 Tim. iv. 10.

(5.) Or fear of danger and damage for the profession thereof, John xii. 42, 2 Tim. iv. 16.

(6.) Or a prepossessed mind with other doctrines contrary to the gospel, Gal. i . 6, and iii. 1. Or a mind infected with idolatry and superstition, as Jer. xliv. 16, 17. Such are papists.

(7.) Or an impious profane mind, caring for no religion, but wholly given to satisfy their carnal appetite. These are the swine intended, Mat. vii. 6.

(8.) Or hatred of the ministers of the word, 1 Kings xxii. 8, John xv. 18, 19.

(9.) Or hatred of God himself, because they know he will judge them, John xv. 18, Luke xix. 14.

(10.) Or a malicious spite against the Spirit of grace, Heb. x. 29, Acts vii. 51. This is the highest pitch of impiety that can be; this is that unpardonable sin, Mark iii. 29, 30.

3. To admonish us to take heed of all means and occasions that may any way alienate our hearts from the gospel, and bring us to refuse the same.

(1.) Take heed of winking, or any way closing our eyes against the gospel; thence will the devil take occasion to blind our minds. Note 2 Cor. iv. 4.

(2.) Be not over-conceited of thine own sufficiency and fulness ; this provokes God to send men empty away, Luke i. 53. Rather acquaint thyself with thine own emptiness and insufficiency. Note 1 Cor. iv. 7, and 2 Cor. iii. 5.

(3.) Be well informed in the liberty of the gospel. Never any word nor profession brought men to more sweet and comfortable liberty, than the gospel of Jesus Christ, Luke iv. 18. The apostle styles it ' the glorious liberty of the sons of God,' Rom. viii. 21. Note John viii. 3G. They that know and believe this will not count the gospel a bond.

(4.) Take off thine heart from the world, and all the vanities thereof; it is of a bewitching nature. It intoxicated Judas and Demas, and so it doth many thousands. Note Mat. xiii. 22. Such a contrariety there is betwixt the gospel and the world, as James iv. 4.

(5.) Purge all base, slavish fear out of thine heart. Fear not men, nor anything that man can do, Mat . x. 26, 28, 31. Place thy fear upon a more excellent and powerful object, even God himself. Note Luke xii. 4, 5.

Withal cast off the cloak of shame ; be not ashamed of Christ, or of his gospel. Note Rom. i . 16, Heb. xii. 2.

Fear and shame turn many from a holy, zealous profession of the gospel .

(6.) Be well instructed in the mysteries of the gospel, and thoroughly informed and persuaded of the orthodox truth thereof, Col . ii. 7, Heb. xiii. 9. Thus shalt thou be kept from all false doctrines; yea, from heresy, idolatry, superstition, and all error.

(7.) Cast off the old man, which is corrupt through deceivable lusts, Eph. iv. 22; and mortify all the members of the flesh, Col. iii. 5. So long as they bear sway in us they will make us incapable of receiving benefit by the word. Noisome weeds must be weeded out of a field, or else the seed sown therein can bring forth no good crop.

(8.) Know God's ministers, such as are set over you, 1 Thes. v. 12, 13. If they ' labour in the word, count them worthy of double honour,' 1 Tim. v. 17. Due esteem of the ministers of the gospel is a means to have the gospel itself in higher account.

(9.) Acquaint thyself with God's love to man, as in giving his Son, so in affording his gospel, whereby the evidences of his love in Christ are clearly and distinctly made known. This will raise up thine heart aloft, to work in thee a high esteem of him and of his gospel.

(10.) Entertain every good motion of the divine

Spirit, especially when it is wrought in thee, at and by the ministry of the word, as Acts ii. 37. Be so far from resisting and spiting the Spirit of grace, as no way to grieve him, Eph. iv. 30.

Sec. 126. Of Christ's speaking from heaven.

Hitherto of the duty; the motive follows, which is set down under a comparison of unequals, urged from the less to the greater, in these words : For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven.

The causal particle, yaj, for, sheweth that this is added as a motive to keep them from refusing to hear Christ . The motive is drawn from the danger and damage which is like to ensue upon such refusal.

Which danger is set down negatively, they shall not escape; i.e., they shall assuredly pay for it.

This is ratified by God's former dealing with such as refused Moses's law : tliey escaped not.

The argument is enforced by the less to the greater. If they who refused him who spake on earth escaped not, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him tliat speaketh from heaven.

This phrase, rhi M rij; yij; ^i^arl^ovra, him that spake on earth, is meant of Moses, who is said, yvii-u.aW£i/i, to speak by divine inspiration, or to declare what is revealed by God. So did Moses, as Heb. viii. 5. In this sense the word is used several times, as Mat. ii. 12, 22, Luke ii. 26, Acts x. 22,«Heb. viii. 5, xi. 7, and xii. 25.

This, therefore, commends the ministry of Moses; yet hereof it is here said he was, iir! rn; yh;, on earth. Moses himself, as all other mere men, coming of the first Adam, was, as 1 Cor. xv. 47, 'of the earth earthy.'
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psalms109:31 · Nov 16, 2010

You know who had the hardest time with the message of Christ and had to come to him hidding in the night . It wasn't sinners, it was the religious leaders at that time.

Iconoclast · Nov 17, 2010

psalms109:31 said: ↑

You know who had the hardest time with the message of Christ and had to come to him hidding in the night . It wasn't sinners, it was the religious leaders at that time.
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Yes psa109,
Religion makes people assert all kinds of humanistic ideas,ignoring the very word of God itself.....like this

8This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

9But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
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We must examine some of our thoughts concerning theology.
Do we have star trek theology? ie, boldly going where no man has gone before?
If no one in the history of the church has suggested anything that sounds like this new insight.....it is probably a false idea.

psalms109:31 · Nov 17, 2010

Taught

Jesus boldly went where no one has gone before. Our for-fathers teaching needs to improved and continue to mature through the words of God. Their teaching is in-complete the word of God is the only complete teaching. The day it stops growing they day it dies. No matter how old we are and mature we think we are we are still a child and in-mature to God and still need to be taught. Some still need milk and are not ready for solid food. We are not to deny milk, but go on. We shouldn't no longer be taught basics but be and example of and teaching it to babes.

Iconoclast · Nov 17, 2010

psalms109:31 said: ↑

Jesus boldly went where no one has gone before. Our for-fathers teaching needs to improved and continue to mature through the words of God. Their teaching is in-complete the word of God is the only complete teaching. The day it stops growing they day it dies. No matter how old we are and mature we think we are we are still a child and in-mature to God and still need to be taught. Some still need milk and are not ready for solid food. We are not to deny milk, but go on. We shouldn't no longer be taught basics but be and example of and teaching it to babes.
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Jesus is the only one who could as He alone could correct all human error.
Yes I also agree,we all need to learn and the best of men are men at best.
Yet God has chosen to use men as gifts to His church.
The men I quote are proven teachers[not infallable popes].
Psa 109.....did you find this long list I posted useful? I learn both from the list and verses offered....but even from how this pastor approached the text in hebrews 12;24-29 and offered these other verses and teaching to help open up the passage.
I look down that list and see many today that commit the same sins and thereby refuse to hear Jesus in His word.
One concern I have is when many despise gifted pastors teachers ,or theologians,.....and just shoot from the hip and discuss verses as if this was a discussion of a poem in high school english class. They assign strange meanings to texts that have never been held as orthodox....and they seem to not care that we have been given a wealth of teaching to help us stay under the safety of the word. Do you agree???

psalms109:31 · Nov 17, 2010

Long List

I liked the long list is was very well put together.

God has placed many people down the road He placed before me to teach me, even people against what He has taught me to teach me to put His microscope to test all the info from them to make sure it is His.

Jesus is removing the scales from my eyes if it wasn't for Him I will still be blind. He isn't finished with me yet.

Iconoclast · Nov 17, 2010

psalms109:31 said: ↑

I liked the long list is was very well put together.

God has placed many people down the road He placed before me to teach me, even people against what He has taught me to teach me to put His microscope to test all the info from them to make sure it is His.

Jesus is removing the scales from my eyes if it wasn't for Him I will still be blind. He isn't finished with me yet.
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We are all learning with a view to serve God.We are responsible to build up each other in the faith.:1_grouphug:

David Lamb · Nov 19, 2010

psalms109:31 said: ↑

You know who had the hardest time with the message of Christ and had to come to him hidding in the night . It wasn't sinners, it was the religious leaders at that time.
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I know what you mean, but weren't the "religious leaders at that time" sinners too? I know they liked to pretend that they were not. We have only to think of the way they accused Jesus of "eating with tax collectors and sinners."

psalms109:31 · Nov 19, 2010

Sinners

Luke 18:
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

David Lamb · Nov 19, 2010

Yes, Psalms109:31, I think you and I are in agreement. The Pharisee in the parable was a hypocrite; he was keen to tell Godd how good he was, but his very boastfulness was a sin.

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