Figures of Speech Seminar - Lesson 1
Pages: 14
Victor Paul Wierwille was a Bible scholar and teacher for over four decades.
By means of Dr. Wierwille's dynamic teaching of the accuracy and integrity of God's Word, foundational class and advanced class graduates of Power for Abundant Living have learned that the one great requirement for every student of the Bible is to rightly divide the Word of Truth. Thus, his presentation of the Word of God was designed for students who desire the in-depth-accuracy of God’s Word.
In his many years of research, Dr. Wierwille studied with such men as Karl Barth, E. Stanley Jones, Glenn Clark, Bishop K.C. Pillai, and George M. Lamsa. His formal training included Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Theology degrees from Mission House (Lakeland) College and Seminary. He studied at the University of Chicago and at Princeton Theological Seminary from which he received a Master of Theology degree in Practical Theology. Later he completed his work for the Doctor of Theology degree.
Dr. Wierwille taught the first class on Power for Abundant Living in 1953.
Books by Dr. Wierwille include: Are the Dead Alive Now? published in 1971; Receiving the Holy Spirit Today published in 1972; five volumes of Studies in Abundant Living— The Bible Tells Me So (1971), The New, Dynamic Church (1971), The Word's Way (1971), God's Magnified Word (1977), Order My Steps in Thy Word (1985); Jesus Christ Is Not God (1975); Jesus Christ Our Passover (1980); and Jesus Christ Our Promised Seed (1982).
Dr. Wierwille researched God's Word, taught, wrote, and traveled worldwide, holding forth the accuracy of God's "wonderful, matchless" Word.
Figures of Speech Seminar
Lesson 1
In 2 Timothy chapter 3, verse 16 is one of the great foundational scriptures for the ministry that God has set within our midst. Where it says,
2 Timothy 3:16:
All scripture [God breathed]… given by inspiration of God,…
You will remember are those Greek words, theopneustos. Meaning, God breathed.
2 Timothy 3:16:
All scripture [God breathed]…, and… profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
The entire Word of God is given for this purpose. That is profitable for right believing, teaching us where we're believing wrongly, how to get back on the ball. And this whole thing is the instruction in righteousness.
You will also recall that on Page 6 of our foundational class syllabus, there is a section in there dealing with figures of speech. And the figures of speech are the Holy Spirit’s marking from Genesis 1:1: to Revelation 20:21, as to that which is important in the Word of God. Whenever something needs to be emphasized in the Word of God, it is marked by a figure of speech. This takes all the guesswork out.
And I'm sure that most people have asked themselves at various times, well, what is important in the Bible? Well, this takes it out of the category of private interpretation; of what do you think, or what do I think, or what does Johnny Jump-up think, or somebody else? Because we’ll see again that the Word means what it says and says what it means.
The Word of God is to be accepted literally. This is also in your syllabus. The Word of God is to be accepted literally whenever and wherever possible. When he said to Naaman go dip in the Jordan seven times, that was a literal presentation. No figure whatsoever. Simply meant what He said and said what He meant, and it is to be taken literally.
Matthew 11:28:
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Is literal
Romans 10:9:
… confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, … believe… God… raised him from the dead,…
Is literal.
Now, the Word of God must be accepted literally wherever and whenever possible. But when one single word or words… And when I say this and I'll be saying this a hundred times this week, maybe. When a word or words… And when I use the plural ‘words’, I'm thinking sentences. I'm thinking two words, three words, sometimes six, seven, eight, 10 words. That which composes what people refer to in the academic realm as sentences.
When a word or words fail to be true to fact, they are always figures of speech. And, as such, as figures of speech, they have a godly design purpose which must be known if we're going to rightly divide the word of truth.
I told you in the foundational class that, if in the latter part of August or in September sometimes it becomes… the season and becomes very dry, and if it hadn’t rained for three or four weeks, then you could say that the ground is dry. But if you would say the ground is thirsty, then you have employed a figure. The truth of the figure, class, the truth of the figure is always literal. The truth is literal. Only the words that are employed are figurative.
Now, I want to also tonight express my indebtedness to Dr. E.W. Bullinger for the inspiration and for getting me started in thinking through and working in the figures of speech category .
Those of you who have Bullinger bibles have in appendix number six, a listing of the more and most important figures that are used in the Bible. Of the 212 or 15 figures that are used, they're not all of equal importance in usage. But the most important ones are listed in appendix number six of Bullinger's Companion Bible.
I'm indebted to Bullinger tonight, and I pay my greatest respect and admiration to that man for having shown to me some of the things that I felt had to be in the Word because the Word just couldn't be guesswork. But it was he who impressed upon my mind so indelibly the truth, that the figures of speech are God's markings in the Word of God as to that which God considers important. And, man, that's the statement. They are God’s markings in the Word of God as to that which God considers important.
Now, all language, all language is ruled by laws. But, to convey special emphasis amplitude of a word or group of words, these general laws of language, of languages, are purposefully departed from, and other laws of language are invoked, which give the single word or the words, the group of words, a new form.
It was the Greeks who categorized these new forms into a science. They were in utilization before, but never had they been categorized, cataloged. The Greeks did this. The Romans increased the perfection thereof. Then we got into the Dark Ages and all this vast knowledge was lost, basically speaking. After the Dark Ages, historically, we went into a period known as the Renaissance – the re-learning period. But the things that we re-learned dealt primarily with art. Like painting, music, and so forth. But never have they recaptured, to our days, the greatness of the figures of speech which were in extent before the nations of the world went into the Dark Ages.
The Greek word for figures is the word schema. S-C-H-E-M-A. It is translated... It is translated in your Bible, in the King James, ‘fashion’. F-A-S-H-I-O-N. This which I am wearing is a fashion. That's the word schema. That's what it means. A fashion. The Latin translated this Greek word schema, they translated it ‘figure’. F-I-G-U-R-E. And this word comes from the Latin verb fingere. F-I-N-G-E-R-E. And this Latin word simply means ‘to form’. T-O F-O-R-M.
When applied to words, when the form applies to words, a figure denotes some form of that word or a form of a combination of the word. Taking them out of their ordinary general form, and giving them a new look. And it is that new look that shocks us, that calls it to our attention and makes us stand and really take a look at the depths of it.
For the most part, when you talk about figures of speech or figurative language today, the academic world looks disparagingly upon it. Because the education of our time has been that, if something is not quite clear or if they don't quite understand it, or if you present it in a way that they can't swallow, they'll say, well, you're just using a figurative language to sort of degrade it.
Take the word schema – the Greek word, the basic Greek word of its original meaning. The word schema was a high and lofty word. What does it mean today in our usage? A person who is tricky, who is scheming, who is sly, who just doesn't quite reach what we like? The same way with the truth of it being just negative.
Now a figure, biblically, is always used to add force to the truth as it's presented in the Word. It emphasizes the word or the words. It gives a depth of meaning to the word or the words which are employed. The basic root of any translation, if it's going to have any great accuracy to it, will have to be in the light of their knowledge of figures of speech. Because this is the key to rightly dividing the word of truth If you're going to have a true interpretation of the Word, you must get to the root of the translation by being knowledgeable in the category of figures of speech.
The only thing, until the collation that Dr. Bullinger made, that had ever been done that we know of since the Dark Ages – and it was done in a book which to this day, as far as I know, has not been translated – it's a work in Latin by a man by the name of Salomo Glassius. G-L-A-S-S-I-U-S. The title of the book is “Philologia Sacra”. I have written, tried to get a hold of it – you know, the used copies – but nobody's ever heard of it. And I suppose if they did they'd want a fortune for it. But it's in Latin and it has done the foundational spadework on the figures of speech that are used in the Bible.
In 1752, however, following Glassius’ work, another man wrote a commentary on I forget if it's Hebrews or something. But in that commentary… His name is Johann Albrecht Bengel. B-E-N-G-E-L. Did an admirable piece of work on collating definite figures of speech and showing some of their usage in the Word of God. That's all that's ever been done as far as we know, as far as we found.
I hope, someday, God will not only give us the men with the brains and the dedication in their hearts, but that the Lord will open the way whereby we can do some research, some disciplined research where men have money to work with. So instead of putting a man on the moon, at least we can go back and work some of the figures. And you'd have to spend, I don't know, I'd say three years. One man who really disciplined his life would have about three years of work. And I think we could find a lot of this stuff and work a lot of the things which have never been done. But if we're going to do it, it's like my brother Harry prayed this morning, the Lord's got to open the doors. We're willing to go through if the Lord will open them.
And I got to thinking, well, the Lord would be glad to open them if he could get to some people to listen to him once in a while, would be no problem about the Lord opening the door. It's like people say, well, if it's God's will I'll be in the class. I can already tell them it's God's will to be in the class, they just got to make up their mind. For, where would you want to be but where the Word is if you've God’s child, right? So, there's no problem on that, we just use it sometimes as an excuse.
Category is figures of syntax or grammar. This is a departure from the ordinary meaning. And the third category is figures of rhetoric. And this is a departure from their ordinary application. Those are the three categories, and all figures of speech fall into one or the other of those three.
Etymologically when you're dealing with the ordinary spelling, it's very interesting but not very… Well, we're not going to be dealing with it at all this week when we meet. By the way, the class meets at 7:30 at night. I don’t know if Peter told you that. But anyway, we're not going to be dealing because it doesn't particularly relate itself to the basic depth of figures of speech. It’s just one little segment.
There are only 18 figures, by the way, under the etymological figure deal that I'm talking about for the moment where it's a departure from the ordinary spelling. But most of them, most of them appear in three categories – and I'll just give you this tonight, because tomorrow night I'm not going to be dealing with it at all because we are going to be in something else.
Where they are departures from ordinary spelling, they have what you call a front cut or a middle cut or an end cut.
Take the word ‘before’, B-E-F-O-R-E. You see it in writing as F-O-R-E. The B-E is dropped. That's the fore cut.
There’s one in the Bible. A fellow by the name of Jeconiah. J-E-C-O-N-I-A-H is his name in one in one section of the Word. Then in another section of the Word, he has a different name. These students haven't been able to figure it out. They thought they were two different fellows, and they said there was a contradiction. No contradiction. It was just it was just a front cut. And when you read about it in the second location that I'm thinking of, his name is spelled C-O-N-I-A-H. They dropped the J-E. This is a front cut. And it's real interesting because you just Jeconiah was one of God And when he started walking the other way, they just God off at the front, J-E. Just dropped God because he had walked away from Him. This is the front cut.
The middle cut, the middle cut is in a word like over, O-V-E-R, where you drop the V and you put apostrophe O’-E-R, o’er. Got it? That's the middle cut.
Then the end cut. Like, you have two words, ‘it is’, and drop… you spell it I-T’-S. Or
Or the word for ‘yonder’, Y-O-N-D-E-R. You drop the D-E-R and you say, “out in the wild blue yon”, or something. Y-O-N.
Now, this first division of the figures of etymology have technically no bearing on the study that I want to engage with you students in this week. But we want to be dealing with the figures of syntax and rhetoric this entire week. Under these figures of syntax and rhetoric, they’ll fall into three categories, all of them.
A figure, when it's a departure from an ordinary usage, is called omission. The figures that deal with omission. When something is omitted from the Word by divine design to call your attention to it and make you sit up and take notice, that is the figure; omission. Another figure category is where the figure departs from the ordinary usage of words by addition. Where the Word adds words just to get you alive, get your attention. To just knock your eyeballs out? That's why the words are there. And the third category is where the figure departs from the ordinary usage of words by change, by changing what it really… What you think sense knowledge wise it really says it doesn't say, because He changes it to show you the impact of it.
Now figures are not a mistake in grammar, but figures are a legitimate variation for special purposes and particular objectives. This is why figures can be named, figures can be analyzed, and figures can be seen and you can just work them like a mathematical formula. We talk about figures like geometrical figures and figure in arithmetic. And if you can work that, then you can work figures. Because a figure of speech can be described, it can be named, it can be analyzed so that there is no way, once you have set the basis of the figure and you understand its meaning, that anybody can pull anybody's leg. It takes basically all the guesswork out of it.
This is why the figures of speech reminds me of the parable of the man who was searching for the pearl of great price, wasn’t it? He dug up everything and looking and looking and looking. Figures of speech are a real in-depth quest. I'm not going to spend my time this week holding your hand, I guarantee. And I'm not going to spend my time patting your fannies to keep you happy. You're going to gather with me to do research. I'm not going to answer any stupid questions, and I'm not going to be dealing with any of those things that ordinarily you take care of in a foundational class. We are here in an in-depth study. We're going to dig the Word beyond anything that perhaps any of you have ever seen it done in its depth.
Now, a person is a farmer, for instance, you can live off the top of the soil. We get our grain off of it. But have you ever stopped to think that some of the greatest wealth you have to dig for you have to get down under the ground? There's some of the rich oil, some of the great mines, some of the great veins, some of the great diamonds. The Word of God is like this. A man can take a look at the Word of God and get a lot of wonderful food. But, boy, when he starts getting into the in-depths of it, that's where the diamonds are. And sometimes what looks to a human being like a very insignificant little statement, when you really dig it, man, it just sits there and glows like a diamond. It's just like a pearl of great price because of the depth of God's wonderful matchless Word.
Now, tonight, I want to handle just two figures of speech on this opening session. And the reason I want to handle these is because they’re the first ones in the Bible – and, naturally, that would be of great interest to me as it will to you.
These two figures of speech must always be handled together. You cannot handle the one without the other and really learn what God has in mind in the figure. The one figure is called asyndeton, spelled A-S-Y-N-D-E-T-O-N. Asyndeton. A-S-Y-N-D-E-T-O-N. The other one is spelled polysyndeton, with a P-O-L-Y in front of it.
The root meaning of the word asyndeton is, without conjunction. Asyndeton means without conjunction, while polysyndeton means with conjunction.
Now, breaking it down one more step. Without conjunction, the word asyndeton always means no, N-O, and, A-N-D-S. And the word poly means many, so polysyndeton means with many ands. Now, when we use an ‘and’, many times we use it without any preplanning. We just use it. But in the Word of God, they are used with godly design, godly purposes.
Now, if there are no ands in this particular figure, if there are ands this is what the Word is trying to tell you; that the items that are listed are just to be quickly run over, just like this. You go over right like this. And you're not to stop and consider each item in detail at all, but you just get going so that you can arrive at the climax where God wants you to go. In other words, He start you out here and then you go like a flag and you hit it up here. That's the reason there are no ands. It is to get you over the items in between to the importance back in here. So He emphasizes the beginning by avoiding the ‘no-ands’ to get to the end. The emphasis is on the word at the end.
Now, the opposite of what I've just said is true under the polysyndeton figure. There the items are not to be run over. Every time you hit the item, you take a week off. You take a breath, you take a look. Every time. And the end is not the important thing at all, it's every item in it.
Now, when you read the Word of God, when you read it or when you think it, the emphasis in the reading and the thinking has to be placed where God places it by the figure.
In Genesis chapter 1, the first figure is the figure of polysyndeton in verse 2. It is the word ‘and’. In the 34 verses that follow verse 2, it begins every individual act of God with the word ‘and’. There are 102 separate acts of God in that first chapter, and all of them begin with and. Therefore, the only thing you read is verse 1. Watch it.
Genesis 1:1:
… God created…
Genesis 1:1:
In the beginning… the heaven and the earth.
Then you go to chapter 2, verse 4.
Genesis 2:4:
These are the generations of the heavens and… the earth…
That is how it says. Now, in between that first verse and the one verse 4 of chapter 2 is this tremendous figure which begins the 102 different separate acts of God, and every one of them you stop on.
It starts with the importance in verse one of chapter one, God created in the beginning the heavens and the earth, and it wraps it up in the phrase, “These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.” In between that, like a diamond, set the polysyndeton figure,
Genesis 1:2:
And the earth was without form, and… darkness was… And the Spirit of God moved…
Every time a phrase is given, you have to digest it. What does it mean now? Now, if you are reading this in public, you would read, “God created in the beginning the heavens and the earth. And the Earth became without form and void. And darkness upon the faces of the deep. And the spirit of God brooded upon the faces of the water. And…” That's how you have read it.
Every one of them has to be read like that, and they have to be thought that way. That’s the figure polysyndeton.
In Luke chapter 14, and verse something here… Just a minute. Luke 14. I can't read my own notes. I’ll find it for you, though. Okay, I got it. In verse 13 of Luke 14, I'll show you the asyndeton. No ‘and’. See, no ‘and’. That’s what the letter A in front of the word asyndeton stands for; no. N-O. I’ll show you no ‘and’.
Luke 14:13:
But when thou makest a feast, call the [what?] poor, [and] the maimed,…
No. It didn’t put ‘and’. Dropped it.
Luke 14:13-14:
… call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:
And thou shalt be blessed;…
Now, this is a deliberate omission of the conjunction ‘and’. Look at the verse 13.
Luke 14:13:
… when thou makest a feast,…
Now, the first phrase, 14,
Luke 14:14:
… thou shalt be [what?] blessed;
That's the point He wants to make. In between time, you just quickly pass over calling the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. Because what He's trying to say is, when you make up a feast and you share it with people, you get the what? Blessing. The emphasis is on the blessing that comes to you because you share the feast.
Now, the opposite polysyndeton is right in verse 21 of this same chapter. Do you have it?
Luke 14:21-22:
… Then the master of the house being angry said to [what? Said to] his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the [what?] {blind}.
And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded,…
See the two figures? Talking almost about the same thing, the poor, the main, the lame, the blind. In 13 and 14, it's asyndeton – wanting to get over them quickly. But in verses 21 and 22, He wants us to stomp on each one.
Luke 14:21-22:
… the master of the house… said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.
And the servant said, Lord, it is done…
Go out quickly into the streets. Lord, it is what? Done.
But in between you have to stop every time and invite the poor, the maimed, the halt. In just that one chapter, you have both figures just very closely put together.
I think I will go to the no ‘and’ for a while with you in your Word, and show you a whole bunch of them. And then we'll flip over to the polysyndeton and you'll be able to systematize it in your notes, perhaps, better.
In 1 Corinthians chapter 3. I tried to pick some scriptures that would be very familiar to you from the foundational class in many respects. 1 Corinthians chapter three, verse 12.
1 Corinthians 3:12-13:
Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, [no ‘and’ now] silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
Every man's work shall be made [what?] manifest:…
You see, you bypass the ‘and’ to get over them, to get to, every man's work shall be manifest.
1 Corinthians 3:12-13:
… if any man build upon this foundation…
Every man's work shall be… manifest:…
The emphasis is to be placed on the truth, the literal truth that every man's work will be manifested, because if he builds on the foundation of gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, all those, it will come to naught.
In 1 Corinthians chapter 12, verse 28.
1 Corinthians 12:28-30:
And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
No ‘and’ at all.
1 Corinthians 12:31-:
But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
You start with, God has said some in the church,
1 Corinthians 12:31-:
… covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
And He deletes the ‘and’ to get you over them quickly, to show you that you ought to earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet, He said, He’ll show you a more excellent way than that, and immediately He goes into 1 Corinthians 13.
Also, this same figure of asyndeton, no ‘ands’, is in chapter 13, verse 13 with a very familiar verse,
1 Corinthians 13:13:
And now abideth [what?] faith, hope, charity,…
Now, they could have put ‘and’ there. They would have put ‘and’ there had they not had revelation by word of knowledge to delete it. It simply is the figure.
1 Corinthians 13:13:
And now abideth faith, hope, [love]… the greatest of these is [the love of God in the renewed mind] charity.
In Galatians chapter 5. Galatians chapter 5, verse 22.
Galatians 5:22-23:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no [what?] {law.}
So you want to get from the fruit of the spirit because the fruit of the spirit has no law. Against the fruit of the spirit there is no what? Law. That's why it's the asyndeton figure. No ‘and’.
Just to go through it quickly,
Galatians 5:22-23:
… the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,…[et cetera]
… against such there is no law.
In Ephesians chapter 4, verse 32, .
Ephesians 4:32:
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as… Christ's sake hath [what?] forgiven you.
You see, no ‘ands’.
Ephesians 4:32:
… be ye kind one to another, … as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
The other words are just set in there to call your attention to them, but not to stay put on them. Not just as an item that you really consider, you just run over. That doesn't make them unimportant, it just sets them the way God wants you to read them and understand them and where He wants you to put the emphasis.
In 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. This morning, we were reading some of these sections, and I saw this stuff there but I wasn't particularly concerned about this morning I am tonight. Verse 14.
1 Thessalonians 5:14-18:
Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all…
See that none render evil for evil unto any…; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all…
Rejoice evermore.
Pray without [what?] {ceasing.}
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
It starts out with first part of verse 14,
1 Thessalonians 5:14:
Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly,…
1 Thessalonians 5:18:
In every thing give thanks:…
And, “In everything give thanks:” is part of the figure yet. Here is the tail end of it,
1 Thessalonians 5:18:
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Warn them that our unruly, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
To get you to that position.
In 2 Timothy chapter 3. Here's the long one. You have to watch it very carefully. It begins with verse 1 and terminates in verse 5, this figure.
2 Timothy 3:1-5:
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof:…
Men… Go back to verse 2.
2 Timothy 3:2:
… men shall be lovers of their own selves,…
2 Timothy 3:5
… Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof:…
That's how it’s put together. And in between that great figure of asyndeton, no ‘and’, just to get you through to show you the whole mess they do. But don't waste your time on their mess because it says they have a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof. Tremendous figure, isn’t it?
Most people could read the Bible a lifetime, you never see that stuff, because nobody calls it to our attention. And we can't go beyond what we're taught. We can only believe as far as what we're taught.
Now, in chapter 3 also is that tremendous scripture that I started with tonight, and that’s the no ‘and’.
2 Timothy 3:16:
All scripture [3:16. God breathed. All of it’s God breathed.]…
And verse 17 gives you the answer. Look.
2 Timothy 3:17:
That the man of God may be [what?] perfect,…
In between is sandwiched,
2 Timothy 3:16:
… profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:…
No ‘and’. To quickly get over it, to show you that all scripture God breathed for the purpose that the man of God may be perfect through and through, and truly perfected unto all good work. Wasting no time on the items of right believing, reproof, correction, which is instruction in righteousness.
In Luke chapter 1, we go back to the polysyndeton side now. Isn't this fabulous? The negative side where there are no ‘ands’? Now, you keep looking for these things, class. You're reading along in the Bible and you see a statement, then you see some items listed – no ‘and’ – then you see a conclusion. Got it? Now, if that first line and that concluding line completes the whole sense, then you've got that figured. You can’t miss it. It's always like that.
On the other hand, now is the many ‘ands’. And I sometimes think the many ‘ands’ confuse me a little more. They really don't if I have time to really sit and think and work the thing, but sometimes I'm reading along and I'm looking… Like, when I teach the foundational class, I spend a lot of time on,
2 Timothy 3:16:
… profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,… [which is] instruction in righteousness.
And I'm just not reading you the Word, I'm teaching it to you. So I have to spend the time. But in God’s Word, He didn't want us to spend the time on that all scripture is God breathed, profitable for doctrine. But He wants us to spend the time to see that all scripture God breathed is to give the man of God perfection now, not when he dies. Because then you won't have any problem with it, because He's going to give it to you then. Now, you've got to believe to manifest that perfection in your life.
Well, in Luke chapter 1 is a nice one. You'll love this. It just blesses my heart. Chapter 1, verse 32. Well, we start back in 31.
Luke 1:31:
And, behold, [the angel said to Mary] thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a [what?] son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
It starts,
Luke 1:31-32:
… behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, [now the figure] and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
He [verse then] shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
Isn’t that's wonderful?
Luke 1:31-32:
… behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb,… and shalt call his name JESUS.
He shall be great,… Son of the Highest:… the throne of his father David:
And in between each one of those items, you have to stop and check.
Luke 1:31-32:
[Shall]… bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
… and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
In Luke 7, you have the figure used 20 times, I think, here in these few verses. It's just something. The way to see some of these beautifully is write the truth out, you know. Take the scripture and just write it out. And then write this… Write the words right underneath it, and then do your concluding line. Then you can just see how perfectly they're set.
In Luke chapter 7, verse 11,
Luke 7:11-18:
And it came to pass the day after, that he [Jesus] went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people.
Now [verse 12] when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.
And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.
And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.
And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.
And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people.
And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about.
And [verse 18] the disciples of John shewed him of all these things.
That’s the end. Boy, that’s a breath-full, isn’t it? Mouthful.
Now, if you’ll carry that through, ‘the disciples of John showed him of all these things’, you see in one of the other records – I think it's Matthew someplace, you've got to read the record – that is the scripture build-up like I teach in the foundational class. Put that together with this scripture here, then you will see why it's polysyndeton. Why you have to stop at every one of these places and see the greatness of it, because this was what John's disciples came over to ask Jesus about.
Acts chapter 1. Now, the only way you get to spot figures is just read the Word. Just like we're doing tonight. Just take one figure at a time and you just look and look and look, and you keep working it. Pretty soon it's like an arm. You exercise it, it becomes stronger. And before you know it, you spot them as you keep reading. And as you work the Word all along you see them.
Acts chapter 1, verse 8.
Acts 1:8:
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
As witnesses, you have to stop on every item in that scripture.
Acts 1:9:
And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
Acts 1:8:
But ye shall… [lambano] power, after that the Holy Ghost is come…
Acts 1:9:
And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up;…
All the rest of that is sandwiched in between those phrases, and the word ‘and’ tells you exactly that it's going to be witnessed in Judea, in Jerusalem, in Samaria, and unto what? The uttermost part of the earth.
Does that take us down here to New Knoxville tonight, and into your community? Everywhere.
Now, 1 Corinthians 1:30.
1 Corinthians 1:30-31:
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and [what?]{redemption}:
That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 1:30-31:
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom,…
That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
In between sets every item which must be observed and understood and emphasized in detail.
In Ephesians chapter 4. I should say to you also about this figure, you do the same thing. Sometimes you're writing a letter and you just hurriedly go over something. Next time you're writing a letter, you use some of the same words that you used, and this time you put real emphasis on it. The Word of God's like this. Sometimes it’ll hit words like love, joy, peace - put no emphasis on it. Then it'll turn right around the next time and you it’ll say, ‘and love and joy and peace’.
This is the writer’s prerogative. God is the author. He knew what He was doing. And, as He gave revelation, the writer then put them in as God gave him revelation. In our senses realm, it's your prerogative. Well, it's God's prerogative how He wants the thing written. Right? That's what's so interesting about it.
Ephesians 4, verse 31.
Ephesians 4:31-32:
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: [Isn't that wonderful?]
And be ye kind one to another,…
Remember that a little while ago? The two are right together. The polysyndeton is first, and the asyndeton, no ‘and’, is in verse 32.
Ephesians 4:31:
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you,…
In other words, let all bitterness be put away from you, because you're sealed unto the day of redemption. Verse 32.
Ephesians 4:32:
[Now then]… be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
In Philippians chapter 3, verse 3.
Philipians 3:3:
For we are the circumcision, which [or who] worship God in… spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the [what?] {flesh.}
Isn’t that's something?
Philippians 3:3:
… we are the circumcision,… [we] worship God [by way of ] the spirit, and [this is our] rejoice… [rejoicing] in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
Isn't that a tremendous truth? And you see why the ands are there? You just got to stop and think through each item.
In Hebrews chapter 3 is one that you all know. I thought I knew it. Jesus Christ, the same. Where is it? Pardon? {Thirteen}. Thirteen. Yeah.
Hebrews 13:8:
Jesus Christ the same yesterday,… [then you’ll hear people say , today] and for ever.
They left one ‘and’ out. You gotta put the ‘and’ in.
Hebrews 13:8:
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and [how long?] {for ever.}
Isn't that wonderful. Just wouldn't be good if it said, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday and forever.” What are we going to do about today? That's why the ‘and’ is in there, to tell us that Jesus Christ was the reality of the power of God, he is today the reality of the power of God, and he will be the reality of the power of God forever. So every time you read that, you know that it’s,
Hebrews 13:8:
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever [more].
Well, those are the figures. That's all I'm going to teach you on them tonight.
Remember that a figure is not a mistake in grammar, but these are legitimate variations for special purposes and particular objectives, and that every figure that we're going to be covering this week you can name, you can analyze, you can just describe in detail so that we get rid of the guesswork in the Word.
And the most important thing to remember is that it takes the private interpretation out, because God marks the Word from Genesis to Revelation. I didn't say mark King James. Remember? I said he marked what? {The Word.} The Word. All right.
Dr. Wade, what are we closing with tonight?
[end: 00:58:52]