Yearly Archives: 2017
A Pauline Doxology – 1 Timothy 1:17-18
Summary:
Speaking of how he was the “chief” of sinners and how Christ came to save sinners (1:15,16) causes Paul to break into a doxology, an ejaculation of praise to God. Since he’s been talking about Christ, “the king” must be the Lord Jesus. Some grace believers think He is only Israel’s king since He was born “King of the Jews” (Mt.2:2). They reason that Israel was a kingdom (ISam.24:20) and kingdoms need kings, but we’re the body of Christ, and bodies need a head (Col.1:18).
It’s true there are some dispensational differences. A kingdom has to be governed by laws so God gave Israel a law that said to feed the hungry (Deut.15:8). But your head feeds your stomach because bodies are governed by love and you love your stomach (Eph.5:29). Kingdoms have laws that say don’t steal or kill so God gave Israel a law that said that, but we don’t steal or kill one another because we love one another (Ro.13:9,10; Gal.5:13). But if the mayor of the kingdom of Chicago announced there’d be no more laws, that everyone should just love one another, it wouldn’t work, it only works in bodies.
But we are part of the overall kingdom of the saved of all ages (Col.1:13). Christ sits on the throne of His holiness (Ps.47:8) till the 2nd coming (ITim.6:14,15). Meantime, if He’s your King, think maybe you should obey Him?
Like God the Father, God the Son is also “eternal” (1:17 cf. Micah 5:2; Heb.1:8-12). Christ is also “immortal,” (1:17), incapable of dying. We’ll put on immortality at the Rapture (ICor.15:53). That means we won’t be able to sin any more, for the wages of sin is death (Rom.6:23), something that must be deduced since no verses say this.
Christ was clearly visible when He was here on earth, but is now “invisible,” and not just because He’s gone. He dwells in the light of glory so bright He can’t be seen (ITim.6:16). That doesn’t mean we won’t be able to see Him in heaven. It’s just like Exodus 33:20 says no one can see God and live. You can see the glorified Christ, but you’d have to die — but we’ll be made immortal once we get to heaven!
Christ is “only wise” (1:17cf.Jude1:25) but not compared to the Father (Rom.16:27), only compared to false gods and men. In offering Christ “honour and glory” he is coming full circle back to what prompted this doxology, for He is worthy of honor and glory because He was slain (Rev.5:12), and Paul began this doxology based on this.
The “charge” (1:18) Paul speaks of is the one he gave Timothy in verses 3,4 to “charge” some to teach no other doctrine than Pauline doctrine. Since he gave him this charge according to some “prophecies” (v.18) we know the gift of prophecy hadn’t faded yet as God said it would when the Bible was complete (ICor.13:8-10). Prophecies like when Jacob predicted Judah would beat his enemies in the last days (Gen.49:1-16). Similarly, prophets predicted Timothy would be a leader of men, so Paul charged him to be one “according” to those prophecies (1:18). This suggests God saw something in that mamma’s boy that others didn’t, just as He saw in David. Even David’s father didn’t think he had it in him to be king (ISam.16:1-13). But God did, and saw something in Timothy and prophesied of it, to get Paul to charge him, and to get Timothy to respond as one of the sons of Judah did knowing what was prophesied of him (IISam.22:41). Timothy perhaps didn’t see anything in himself, but hearing these prophecies at his ordination, he manned up again and agreed with them (ITim.6:12).
We’re living in the time of the mystery and there are no prophecies of us, but we can draw courage from the “confidence” Paul had in even the Corinthians to war a good warfare (IICor.7:16; 10:3-5). Paul is confident that we’ll do more than he says (cf. Philemon 1:21). Just remember, we’re not at war with the unsaved who need the gospel, or with our brethren who teach error, we’re at war with the spirits behind them (Eph.6:11,12). How do we “war a good warfare” (ITim.1:18)? By remembering our weapons are not “carnal” (IICor.10:4), like belittling and ridiculing others. You war a good warfare by “speaking the truth in love” (Eph.4:15).
The Rapture and the Prophetic Saints
“There seems to be some confusion over the future resurrections these days. C. I. Scofield, for example, taught that at the Rapture, ‘Not Church saints only, but all bodies of the saved, of whatever dispensation, are included in the first resurrection.’ What are your thoughts on this statement?”
We hold the Scofield Reference Bible in high regard, but Dr. Scofield often failed to rightly divide the Word of God consistently, which is somewhat understandable, seeing that the truth of Paul’s gospel was still being recovered. With that said, the order of the future resurrections is as follows:
- Secret Resurrection of the Body of Christ: This glorious event will take place at the Rapture of the Church. It will only include those who are “in Christ,” from the Apostle Paul to the sound of the trump (I Cor. 15:51-53; I Thes. 4:13-18).
- First Resurrection of the prophetic saints: After the seven year Tribulation Period runs its course, it will be followed by the Second Coming of Christ to the earth. At that time, Christ will raise the believing prophetic saints of time past, along with the martyrs of the Tribulation, and usher them into the Millennial Kingdom (John 5:28,29; I Cor. 15:23; Rev. 17:6; 20:6).
- Resurrection of Damnation: This particular event occurs immediately following the 1,000-year reign of Christ. In that day, the unsaved of all ages will be resurrected from the dead and appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, where they will be found in their sins and judged accordingly (John 5:29; Rom. 2:4-6; I Cor. 15:24-26; Rev. 20:5,11-15; 21:8).
Thankfully, those who have trusted Christ as their personal Savior have been delivered from the wrath of God at the Great White Throne (Rom. 5:9). But what about that unsaved loved one or friend today? Don’t put it off another moment. Tell them about Christ before they slip away into a Christless eternity where all hope is lost.
To the Reader:
Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:
"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."
To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.
Did Christ Offer Animal Sacrifices?
“Did Christ offer animal sacrifices?”
You wouldn’t think He did, since sacrifices were brought “for atonement” (Ex. 29:36), and He had no sins for which to atone. However, He also had no sins of which He needed to repent to receive remission of them, and yet He submitted to John’s “baptism of repentance for the remission of sins” (Mark 1:4). Of course, we know that He was baptized “to fulfill all righteousness” (Matt. 3:15). That is, in order for us to be numbered with the righteous, He had to be “numbered with the transgressors” so He could die for them (Isa. 53:12). So He was numbered with the transgressors in His baptism, and also when He died between two transgressors (Mark 15:28). But if He identified with sinners at the beginning of His ministry with His baptism, and at the end of His ministry with His death, perhaps He identified with sinners in between those events as well, with animal sacrifices.
But here we have to be careful how we say the Lord offered such sacrifices. As a Jew under the Law (Gal. 4:4) He had to keep the Law, for to transgress it would be sin (I John 3:4). Well, the Law required men to keep the seven feasts of Leviticus 23, each of which involved an animal sacrifice, and we know the Lord kept Israel’s feasts (Luke 22:15; John 7:2,10). These sacrifices were offered for the people of Israel as a whole, and He was one of the people, and so in this way He identified with them with animal sacrifices. But the One who “knew no sin” (II Cor. 5:21) never brought a sacrifice for any personal transgression.
To the Reader:
Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:
"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."
To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.
Intelligent Christianity
A Faithful Saying – 1 Timothy 1:15-16
Summary:
The word “faithful” (v.15) in this context means depend-able, as it does in I Corinthians 1:9. You can depend on God to do what He says, and sinners can depend on the fact that Christ came into the world to save them. This was the Lord’s message even when He was here on earth ministering to the Jews (Mt.9:13; Mt.15:24)
If you’re not a sinner, you’re in trouble, for this means Christ didn’t come to save you. But you are one (Rom.3: 23). If you’re willing to admit this, but think that overall you’re pretty godly, even if that’s true you’re still in trouble, for “Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom.5:6). If you’re willing to admit you’re ungodly but still think you’re on pretty good terms with God, you’re still in trouble, for you can’t be reconciled to God by His Son’s death unless you are willing to admit you’re an enemy of God’s (Rom.5:10).
Of course, before Paul was made an apostle, it was only known that Christ came to save Jewish sinners (Mt.1:21).
What’s Paul mean that this saying is “worthy of all acceptation” (ITim.1:15)? Well, when he later said masters were “worthy of all honour” (6:1), he meant they were worthy of all the honor a servant could give. In the same way, this saying is worthy of all the acceptance a sinner can give it, for every part is true. The Jews in Paul’s day denied Christ came into the world (IJo.4:1-3) as Jews still do. In addition, some Gentiles deny He came into the world, saying He never existed, that Bible stories about Him are legends and myths. Others believe He came, but that He didn’t come to save us, He came to teach us or be our example.
But here we must add He came to save sinners by dying for them, as seen by the myrrh the kings gave Him when He came into the world (Mt.2:11). There are two kinds of myrrh in the Bible, but the only other time this Greek word for myrrh is used is John 19:39 where it was used for embalming. He was a prophet who was born to die! (Acts 7:52)
Before he was saved, Paul was a pretty moral man (Phil.3:6) so why would he call himself “the chief of sinners” (v.15)? He certainly felt like the worst sinner (ICor.15:9 cf. Eph.3:8), but even when he was killing God’s people he was doing it “ignorantly” (v.13). No, the word “chief” means most prominent, as when the Bible speaks of “chief priests” and “chief rulers” and “chief singers.” The word also has the idea of leadership. The chief man on the island where Paul was shipwrecked (Acts 28:7) was probably the leader of those natives, and Satan was certainly the leader of all devils (Lu.11:15). Thus as the leader of the world’s rebellion against God, Saul was certainly the most prominent sinner.
So why’d God save him? To show His longsuffering in him (v.16). Notice he didn’t say he “was” the chief of sinners, he was still the most prominent sinner in the world, albeit now saved by grace. But as the most prominent sinner saved by grace he was an example of God’s longsuffering.
But if Saul began persecuting in Acts 7 and got saved shortly after in Acts 9, how did he show God’s longsuffering? Ah, God showed His longsuffering with mankind in saving Saul. He showed some longsuffering in Noah’s day (IPe.3:20) when he spared Noah and raised up the Gentile nations from his sons. Then when they rebelled at Babel He showed longsuffering to His favored nation 1500 more years. When they crucified His Son and stoned His prophet, God was supposed to give us the worst judgment ever (Mt.24:21) but showed “all longsuffering” instead.
God showed this longsuffering “for a pattern” to those who would believe on Him after Saul (Tit.3:3,4). But Paul is more than our pattern in salvation. There is a pattern of three more “faithful saying”s that show the fullness of how Paul is our pattern. He is our pattern in being godly (ITim. 4:8,9) because we are saved, not in order to get saved, as the pattern God gave thru Moses in the Law. He is our pattern in suffering for Christ and reigning with Him (IITim.2:11,12) and maintaining good works (Tit.3:8). How well should we maintain good works? Paul is our pattern, but he’s not here, so we should be a pattern (Ti.2:7)
No Mas!
Back in 1980, boxer Sugar Ray Leonard squared off with opponent Roberto Duran in what has become known as the No Mas fight. Late in the eighth round of this epic battle, Duran turned away from Leonard and said to the referee, “No mas!” which is Spanish for “No more!” Sugar Ray was declared the winner by technical knockout, and surely experienced an indescribable feeling of elation that no doubt eclipsed the sting of his earlier defeat to Duran a few months before.
As inexpressible as his joy was that day, however, it pales in comparison to the joy the Ephesians experienced when the Apostle Paul used those same “no more” words in his epistle to them:
“Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God” (Eph. 2:19).
These dispensationally revolutionary words no doubt eclipsed the sting of the apostle’s earlier description of their position before God as Gentiles in time past:
“Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles…that at that time ye were… strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world” (Eph. 2:11,12).
Imagine the jubilation those dear Ephesian believers experienced upon learning that they had gone from being “strangers from the covenants of promise” to being “no more strangers”! Sugar Ray never had it so sweet!
But here we need to point out that the Gentiles were not just strangers from God in time past, they were strangers from “the covenants of promise” that God made with Israel. These covenants of promise differed from the conditional “if-then” type covenant that God made with Israel in the Law in that they involved unconditional promises that God made to His people with no strings attached.
The Abrahamic covenant, for instance, was an unconditional covenant that God made with Abraham wherein He promised to give him the promised land “for an everlasting possession” (Gen. 17:8). Inherent in that promise of the land is the promise of eternal life, for Abraham could not possess the land forever without living forever. It is this covenant of “promise” (Rom. 4:16) that Paul says extends “to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all.” In this covenant of promise, God promised Abraham eternal life in exchange for nothing more than believing the gospel that was preached to him, just as God graciously does for us (Rom. 4:3-5). Thus it is that we partake of the spiritual blessing of eternal life that was promised to Abraham without partaking of the physical blessing of the land that was promised to him.
The New Covenant was another unconditional covenant that God made with Israel (Jer. 31:31-34), a covenant to which we were once strangers but now are “no more strangers” to the “spiritual things” of this wonderful covenant of promise (Rom. 15:27) which we receive by grace. We partake of the spiritual blessings of the new covenant without the physical blessings of this covenant which belong to Israel, just as we partake of the spiritual blessing of eternal life that God promised Abraham without partaking of the physical blessing of the land that God promised him.
We know that there are some in the grace movement who hold that we are still strangers to the New Covenant, but when Paul says that we were “strangers from the covenants of promise” in time past, but now “are no more strangers,” we have to assume that he is saying that we are no more strangers to the thing he mentioned we were strangers to just a few verses before, the covenants of promise. The Greek word and English word for “strangers” is the same.
Boxer Manny Pacquiao recently lost the “fight of the century” after Floyd Mayweather landed 148 of his punches to his 81, with 348 of Manny’s punches connecting with nothing but air. But armed with eternal life, and equipped with the spiritual things that once pertained only to Israel (Rom. 9:4,5), and furnished with “all spiritual blessings in heavenly places” (Eph. 1:3), you are now ready to step into the ring and “fight…not as one that beateth the air” (I Cor. 9:26). If you’re not familiar with all of these blessings that God has to offer people freely by His grace, why not get in the Book that you “might know the things that are freely given to us of God” (I Cor. 2:12). Then, “freely ye have received, freely give” (Matt. 10:8), and be ready to fight anyone who tries to put the saints under the conditional promises of the Law!
To the Reader:
Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:
"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."
To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.
Are You a Man After God’s Own Heart?
Did you ever wonder how God could call David “a man after His own heart” (I Sam. 13:14)? True, He called him that before his horrific infractions of adultery and murder. But even after his death, God said of him that he did “keep My statutes and My commandments” (I Kings 3:14). How can this be?
Well, to begin with, compare how Balaam was able to say of God that “He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath He seen perverseness in Israel” (Num. 23:21). This, of course, was because the Jews could say that “as far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us” (Psa. 103:12), and Isaiah could pray with confidence, “Thou hast cast all my sins behind Thy back” (Isa. 38:17). Similarly, God was able to turn a blind eye to David’s sins, knowing that Christ would one day pay for them.
But there has to be more to it for God to be able to call David a man after His own heart, and I believe there is. You see, when God said of David that his heart was “perfect with the Lord his God,” He said that in contrast to Solomon, whose wives “turned away his heart after other gods” (I Kings 11:4). Despite his great sins, David never fell into idolatry. He always had a heart for the Lord, and a burning desire to serve Him.
As a pastor, Christians often ask me how I can think so highly of them when, in many cases, I have counseled them through their times of sin and failure, and so I know their deepest shame. I always explain that it is their heart for the Lord that God looks at, and so I always try to do the same. I don’t mean to say that those who strive to serve the Lord can do no wrong in my eyes, but this is very close to being so.
So it is that while we should always strive to live our lives as perfectly as God sees us in Christ (Phil. 3:10-14), if you are beating yourself up about your past sins and failures, stop it. Remember that “man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (I Sam. 16:7), and if God doesn’t behold your iniquity, neither should you.
Finally, if you are a judgmental Christian, why not learn to look upon others the way God looks at you, and “receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God” (Rom. 15:7).
To the Reader:
Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:
"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."
To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.
The Apostle Paul’s Call to the Ministry – 1 Timothy 1:12-14
Summary:
Why would Paul tell us to thank God the Father for “all things” (Eph.5:20) while he himself thanked the Son for one particular thing (ITim.1:12)? I believe it is because when the Lord saved Paul He did something for him that he doesn’t do for us, especially when it comes to being called to the ministry. God calls all men to be pastors, and those who “desire” to respond can consider themselves called (ITim.3:1). God calls them by showing them in His Word that sinners need to hear the gospel and saints need to be edified in the faith.
But that’s not how Paul got saved! God chose him (Acts 9:15, probably before he was born, like Jeremiah (Jer.1:4,5). God didn’t choose Jeremiah to be saved, he chose him to be a prophet. He himself had to choose to be saved. Jeremiah and Paul did, Balaam didn’t. But being chosen individually to be an apostle makes Paul’s call to the ministry different than all others, which may explain why Paul thanked God differently than all others.
The Lord “enabled” him (ITim.1:12) by making him an “able minister” of the new covenant (IICor.3:6). He didn’t do that in any supernatural way, but by giving him a great message, New Covenant grace, the world’s best product at the world’s best price — free! Pastors today have been given the same ability, as have all Christians who wish to minister God’s grace to others.
Since “for that” (ITim.1:12) means because (IChron.15:13; Pr.1:28,29), Paul is saying the reason the Lord enabled him and put him in the ministry was because he counted him faithful. To “count” means to judge, as our translators translated the Greek word for “count” in Hebrews 11:11. But we like to know a man years before counting him faithful enough to make him a minister, how did the Lord count Paul faithful? After all, He put him in the ministry the day He saved him (Acts 26:16,17).
Well, Paul counted Lydia faithful enough to stay with her the day she got saved (Acts 16:13-15) because she “attended” to Paul’s words. That word means to pay attention to and respond (Ps.66:19). So when Lydia responded to Paul’s words he was able to judge her faithful, and when Paul said, “What wilt thou have me to do?” (Acts 9:5,6), when he agreed to do a complete 180 and go from being a persecutor to being persecuted, the Lord was able to judge him faithful on the basis of this response.
Since Paul was a “blasphemer” (v.13) he couldn’t have been saved under the kingdom program (Mt.12:31,32). He never blasphemed the Father, he kept the Father’s Law, and he doesn’t appear in the four gospels so didn’t blaspheme the Son. It wasn’t till the apostles were filled with the Spirit that he blasphemed. Since he couldn’t be saved in the Lord’s world or “the world to come”, we know God introduced a whole new world, a world the Lord knew nothing of because it was a mystery (Eph.3:1-3). The “world to come” He spoke of comes after this dispensation, a world the disciples tasted at Pentecost (Heb.6:4,5).
More proof that the Lord introduced a new world with Paul comes when he says he was a “persecutor,” for you couldn’t be a persecutor in the Lord’s world and be saved, you had to be a follower (Mt.18:18-22;Mt.19:27-29; Jo.10: 27,28), and in the world to come as well (Rev.14:4). Paul wasn’t a follower, he persecuted followers. You couldn’t be “injurious” in the Lord’s world either (Mt.18:6,10) or in the world to come (Rev.16:5,6), but Saul was (Acts 9:1,2).
When Paul claimed he killed the saints “ignorantly” (v.13), that’s the loophole Peter gave Israel when he charged them with the manslaughter of Christ (Deut.19:3,4 cf. Acts 3:17) and not His murder (Num.35:16), something he did with the Lord’s permission (Lu.23:34). But Peter could use it for the Jews who blasphemed the Son; Paul couldn’t use it since he blasphemed the Spirit. His only hope was grace, which God gave him in “exceeding abundant” measure (v.14). He gave it with “faith” (v.14), the faith of Christ (Gal.2:16), who is faithful to give it to whosoever believes on Him. He gives it faithfully because of His “love” (v.14)
The Violent Take It By Force
“Can you explain Matthew 11:12, especially ‘the violent take it by force’?”
“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.”
The “violence” that the Lord said the kingdom had suffered since John’s day was the violent resistance that the unbelieving leaders in Israel waged against the proclamation of the kingdom gospel. These violent rulers made several attempts on the Lord’s life as He preached the kingdom of heaven (Luke 4:29; John 5:18; John 7:1,19,25; 8:37,40; 10:31). As the Lord went on to explain, these violent attempts on His life were attempts to take possession of the kingdom by force.
The Lord illustrated all this with the parable of the “householder” who represented God (Matt. 21:33), “which planted a vineyard” that represented Israel in the Old Testament (Matt. 21:33 cf. Isa. 5:1,2,7). God “hedged” or “fenced” Israel (Matt. 21:33 cf. Isa. 5:2) with an invisible wall of protection from her enemies, but also “digged a winepress” (Isa. 5:2 cf. Matt. 21:33), which indicated He expected to reap a harvest of grapes from his vineyard to press into wine in return for His efforts. But the “servants” that God sent Israel to gather these fruits, the Old Testament prophets, were violently persecuted (Matt. 21:35,36). Last of all, He sent them His Son (Heb. 1:1,2), but when Israel’s leaders “saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill Him; and let us seize on His inheritance” (Matt. 21:38), His inheritance being Israel (Isa. 19:25).
To the Reader:
Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:
"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."
To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.
