Why is it that the community of people which professes a belief that the Bible is the word of God, and accepts the Bible as their sole authority for faith and conduct, persist in expressing themselves in unscriptural terminology?
How frequently we hear brethren express the thoughts –
“if the Lord tarry”
“If the Lord delays His Coming”
and yet Scripture explicity says He will not tarry.
“For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry” (Heb. 10:37), and the one who says “My Lord delayeth his coming” is referred to as “an evil servant”. (Matt. 24:48).
Scripture teaches that God has a definite and determined purpose with men and with this earth.
“God . . . hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed”. (Acts 17:2427).
Some of these times appointed have been fulfilled
(a) “When the fulness of the time came, God sent forth his Son” (Gal. 4:4).
“In due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom. 5:6).
(b) “Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2Cor. 6:2).
Some of these times appointed are still to come, their fulfilment lies in the future:
(c) “Is there not an appointed time to men upon earth?” (Job 7:1).
(d) “Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled”. (Luke 21:24).
(e) “God . . . hath appointed a day in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom He hath ordained”. (Acts 17:31).
(f) “So Christ also, having been once offered to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time, apart from sin, to them that wait for him, unto salvation”. (Heb. 9: 28).
(g) “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,- who according to his great mercy begat us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time”. (1 Pet 1:3-5): “The testimony of the Lord is sure”. (Psa. 19:7). There will be no tarrying, and no delay. God is running to time.
(i) Is the use of unscriptural terminology just carelessness or laziness?
(ii) Is it an impatient and presumptuous attempt to force God’s hand?
(iii) Is it merely an unintelligent repetition of phrases because they were used by someone 100 years ago and have become part of the Christadelphian jargon?
Or, is this a symptom of something more serious — a basic unbelief in the word of God?
We frequently offer, to the interested outsider, a booklet entitled “Back to the Bible”. Perhaps we should put our own house in order and get back to the Bible ourselves. Bible Reading Year 1977 would be a good time to begin.
Believers are exhorted to —
(a) “Lay up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life”. (1 Tim. 6:19).
(b) “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time”. (Col. 4:5).
(c) “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord”. (Jas. 5:7).
Reflections on the Potter and the Clay