“Whom ye shall fear”

“Whom ye shall fear”

Whom to fear. Of confessing Christ.

(The Gospel History, Section 98)

But I will warn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings? and not one of them is forgotten in the sight of God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not: ye are of more value than many sparrows. And I say unto you, Every one who shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: but he that denieth me in the presence of men shall be denied in the presence of the angels of God. And every one who shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Spirit it shall not be forgiven. And when they bring you before the synagogues, and the rulers, and the authorities, be not anxious how or what ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: for the Holy Spirit shall teach you in that very hour what ye ought to say.

Commentary by J. R. Dummelow

Lk 12:10 > Mt. 12:31. The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost (Mk 3:28–30). What this sin was is not really doubtful. St. Matthew intimates that the Pharisees had come very near to committing it. St. Mark states exactly what their sin was. It lay in their malignant slander that Jesus was possessed by an unclean spirit. They regarded the spirit of holiness, which showed itself in the acts and miracles of Jesus, as diabolical. They called good evil and evil good, having become like Satan himself, dead to every impression of true holiness, and unable to recognise it when they saw it. The sin is not a sin against the Holy Spirit considered as a divine person, but against the Spirit, as manifested in the perfect life of Christ, whose acts so evidently reflected God’s own benevolence and holiness, that to ascribe them to the devil, was a sin of the most deadly character. This, and not blasphemy against Christ in general, or denial of His claims, or active opposition to Him, or even putting Him to death, is the unpardonable sin.

It is a significant fact that even the most exacting modern critics of Christ repudiate the Pharisaic position. Men like Renan and Strauss, who reject His divine claims, and find many faults with His career, yet recognise Him as one in whom the Spirit of God dwelt, and as one of the greatest religious heroes of mankind. And those who think thus are not far from the kingdom of God; see further on Heb 6:4 10:26 1 Jn 5:16.

Lk 12:11 > Mt 10:19. the Holy Spirit shall teach you] cp. the courage of Peter and John (Ac 4:13) before the Sanhedrin.

“Whom ye shall fear”

(The Saviour of the World, Vol VI Book IV Poem XLIV

The multitude heard and trembled at the word
Christ spake to His disciples. Woe to them,
Were the Rabbi thus severe! A hundred thefts,
All little matters, scarce to be discerned,
Arose in each man’s heart; a hundred lies;
If He condemned the righteous Pharisees,
What hope for common people? Awful fear
Sat heavy on their soul; what if were known
The things they’d done and said, brought in a sum—
Scarce then their lives were from the Rulers safe!

The Lord perceived the thoughts that wrought in these;—
They knew the Judge was there, the Judgment Day
At hand this very hour, and feared the Lord;
He turned Him round to them; “I say, My friends,”
(E’er tender to these men of small repute!)

“Fear not the rulers who have power to slay,—
What, then, if ye be killed, cast into gaol,
The while ye have God for your friend? Fear Him
Whose is that self in you that dieth not,
Your soul,—alive when body is destroyed,
Alive for evermore in weal or woe;
Blissful, if God look on him; if He turn
Away, the poor soul perisheth for lack
Of the life and light of God. Fear God, My friends!

“Say you, ‘We would fear God, but how get bread
In honest ways nor ever lie at all?’
Still say I unto you, Fear God, My friends!
Feedeth He not the sparrows on the roof?
Five buy you for a farthing, and not one’s
Forgotten before God; how think ye then
He should forget when sore bestead are ye,
Worth more than many sparrows? Which of you
Hath child so precious he could tell you straight
The number, not of teeth, but of those hairs
His mother combs upon the little head?
But you, your Father numbers every hair!
Fear not, for ye are dear.”

“What shall we do?”

Cried the multitude, urged by the love of God:—
And Christ made answer: “God hath sent His Son
For man’s salvation: see that ye believe;
The man who shall confess Me before men
Him shall the Son of Man, I say to you,
Confess before the angels; before God,
Shall say, ‘This man’s My friend who loveth Me.’
But if, for fear of Rulers, one deny,
Say, bold, ‘I do not know Him,’ to that man,
Atremble in God’s presence, Christ shall say,
‘I know thee not; thou art no friend of Mine.’

He who denies the truth blasphemeth Him,
The Spirit of all truth, the Holy Ghost;
Speak ill of Christ, and ye shall be forgiven;
But who blasphemes against the Holy Ghost,
Calls truth he knows a lie, the good, calls ill,
For him is no forgiveness.

Ye foresee

A day at hand when who confesses Christ
Shall, lonely, be cast out of synagogue,
With never friend or neighbour, next of kin,
Who dare say friendly word, or take his part
’Gainst tyrants that oppress you? Fear ye not;
Nor care what ye shall answer when they ask;
The true shall have the Spirit of all truth
For advocate to answer in your name,
And give you words to utter.”

St. Luke xii. 5–12.

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