SNT 1207 The Word of Truth
The Word of Truth
January 1, 1984
SNT 1207
Format: audio
Publication Date: 01-01-1984
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.
Opening
Because He Lives - Ted Ferrell & David Bailey
Lighthouse of our Lives - Ted Ferrell
Hearts Knit Together - David Baily
Prayer
Until Then - Walter Cummins
(Joh 3:16) [John 3:16]
1Jo 3:1, 2 [1 John 3:1-2]
Rom 8:33 [Romans 8:33]
Jam 1:22 [James 1:22]
(2Ti 2:15 [2 Timothy 2:15])
Psa 12:6 [Psalm 12:6]
(Gen 2:2, 3 [Genesis 2:2-3])
Psa 12:6 [Psalm 12:6]
(Pro 23:7Proverbs 23:7])
Phi 4:8 [Philippians 4:8]
(1Jo 3:2 [I John 3:2])
_______________________________
(Teaching for manuscript starts at 15:20)
The Word of Truth
SNT 1207 Manuscript
Dr. Victor Paul Wierwille
Tonight, I'd like to teach on the word of truth.
You know, the Book of Acts, the church and the pastoral epistles, are God's masterwork of genius in writing to us His divine mercy and grace. We are sons of God's eternal love. Almost everybody knows from memory John 3:16, at least, if you've been a religious person. You may not know too many verses in scripture, but about everybody knows John 3:16.
John 3:16:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
In 1 John, the epistle of 1 John, in chapter 3, verse 1.
1 John 3:1-2:
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
We are sons of God's love. God in Christ did a perfect work for us, fulfilling all of God's claims of justice. And He has done a perfect work in us, for we are a new race of men and women. And the Lord Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father and he is making intersession for us.
In Romans chapter 8, listen to this verse. Romans 8, verse 33.
Romans 8:33:
Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
This ‘who shall lay any thing’ is literally, who shall call in question anything about God’s elect. The ‘it is’ is in italics. The word that should be there is ‘shall’ God who justifies.
Most Christians never realize that they are sons and daughters of God's love. Look at this record. If we're born again, who's going to lay anything? Who's going to call God in question regarding anything that He did for us, have God's like, shall God who justified us call it in question? No. He's the one who did it.
Our minds can begin to be renewed only as we practice the living truth of the Word. The Word has to become as real or more real to you than the word of any human being, or the word of your banker, or the word of an attorney or lawyer or governor, or anyone else. The Word has to become a living reality and truth for you.
1 John 3:2:
Beloved, now are we the sons of God,…
When? Now. You see, it has to just be truth for you. The Word is always personal, people. It is addressed to us. In the church epistles and the pastoral epistles that I mentioned when I opened tonight, and being addressed to us – that word addressed to us is literally a lamp unto our feet and a light to our pathway.
So we study the Word and live it. If you do not study the Word and live it, you're going to be a spiritual cripple. You may be born again, but you're spiritually crippled because you do not know the Word. And then we have to adjust our life to the Word and quit just being a talker. We have to be doers of the Word.
In James chapter 1, listen to this record. It's very applicable to the church of the body of believers. Verse 22.
James 1:22:
But be ye doers of the word, and [what?] {not hearers only,} deceiving your own selves.
The word ‘deceiving’ is cheating yourself. You never want to cheat yourself. That's why we want to be doers of the Word and just not hearers of it. If we just get itchy ear balls for someone to teach us the Word and hear it, and then not live it, not do it, we're cheating ourselves. And the one person you never want to cheat is yourself – that's for sure.
You see, the Word of God is the will of God. The scriptures are the word of truth. But we only have the true word in the proportion and to the degree and extent that we rightly divide it. Remember that record in 2 Timothy, is it 2:15? Study to do what?
2 Timothy 2:15:
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, [as] a workman… [who] needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Most Christian people read and believe the words of the world rather than the Word from heaven. It is believing of the truth of the Word that gives reality to your confession. And your confession gives boldness to your believing. It is the Word that establishes. It is the Word that builds. You have to count upon God and His Word above your abilities, weaknesses or circumstances. You have to count on God rather than to lean on the arm of flesh. And to lean on what the world says is to lean on the arm of flesh.
Proverb says this.
Proverbs 3:5:
… lean not unto thine own understanding.
Do not lean on the arm of flesh. Proverbs 3:5. See? Born again Christian, people who have not succeeded, the reason for that is because they haven't spoken the Word. And the reason they haven't spoken the Word is because they didn't live the Word. Now, the scriptures, the word of truth, is a pure word.
I'd like for you to turn to Psalm 12. Look at verse 6.
Psalms 12:6:
The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
The words of the Lord, are what words? Pure words. So if we can get back to the words of the Lord, those words will always be what kind of words? Pure. Right. The words of the Lord, the scriptures, are pure words. And they're purified how many times, does it say? Seven. Seven times. Biblically, seven is the number of perfection; completeness, fullness, good, with nothing to be added to it or taken away from it without amarring it.
In Genesis, the seventh day God did what? Rested, from all the work of creation because it was perfect. The Sabbath or the seventh day of the week is to be a day of rest. It is interesting that the number seven completes the colors of the spectrum and the rainbow, and in music the notes on the scale.
Now the Lord uses, in the scriptures, words pertaining to this world, but they're purified to perfection. Silver, to be pure silver, has to be refined seven times. So words that are used in the Word have to be perfectly purified before they can be used as the words of the Lord. That's why the words of the scriptures are pure words. They're not angelic words. It's not, ‘though I speak with the tongue of angels’. They're not angelic words but they are pure words, do you understand?
All the words in the scriptures are human words that are used by men on or have been used by men on this earth. Therefore, God had to perfectly purify those words in the usage of the scriptures or of the Word – as silver is purified in a furnace – before God could use those words in the scriptures.
The accurate translation of Psalm 12:6 is as follows, because they missed an ellipsis in here, an omission. Ellipsis is a figure of speech, meaning there was a deliberate omission. And they missed that in translation, that omission. They missed it in here in the King James Version, the Authorized Version missed it, and six or seven of the other versions that I've checked all missed it. But I'll show it to you, and it'll be real simple to you.
It should be translated as follows:
“The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace, words pertaining to the earth [words pertaining to the earth], purified seven times.”
That's the literal accuracy of Psalm 12, verse 6.
“The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace, words pertaining to the earth,…”
The ellipsis is ‘words’. “…words pertaining to the earth that are purified…” How many times? seven. That's right.
How beautiful the scriptures are when you work them to see these wonderful words and how God elevated them and uses them, and how He purified them. Some words that people used in their vocabulary in that day and time when the scriptures were originally written, God never uses in His Word. But those that are used, He purified them and elevated them. Lifted them up. Like silver tried in a furnace…burned in a furnace, purified seven times so that it's perfectly, perfectly pure.
That's this word of truth. And to know the word of truth and to hold it as the true Word in your life is going to indicate the footprints of your confession, which is manifested in the action in your life. Because action is the fruit of thought. What a man does is really what he thinks.
Proverbs says, Proverbs 23:7.
Proverbs 23:7:
… as… [a man] thinketh in his heart, so is he:…
See it? As a man thinketh. And that great one in Philippians. We have to read that one completely again. Philippians. I can quote it to you, but it'd be best if you read it too, then you know it's written in here.
The last few words of verse 8.
Philippians 4:8:
… think on these things.
Right. Well, what are we to think on?
Philippians 4:8:
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
So this year, we should think more Word, live more Word as God's wonderful sons and daughters. We are controlled by our thinking. We do not go any further this year than we think we're going to go. And our thinking is conditioned by what we're taught, and you cannot believe any bigger than what you’re taught.
The scriptures are absolutely pure words. That is not true of any other writers; Shakespeare, Chaucer or anyone else – V.P. Wierwille. Not true. But the scriptures God Himself supervised and holy men of God spake as they we moved. God had the words purified like silver, seven times so they were perfectly pure.
So when he said,
1 John 3:2:
Beloved, now are we the sons of God,…
That’s pure word. And that means that we are sons of God when? Now. And then, as sons of God, we ought to act like it. That's what this word of truth is telling us.
For most people, the Word of God is never real. It's just words like the worldly people use words. But for those of us who know the secret of the power for abundant living and the more abundant life, the words of the Word have a specific purpose wherever they're used. And this is the word of truth. And we have the true Word to the end and in the proportion that we rightly divide it. And that is another reason why I'm so excited about sharing the chronology of the life of Jesus Christ with the handful or body of people present in Nashville. You can't ever go any further than what you're taught, and we'll only have the word of truth and the true Word in the proportion we rightly divide it. And nobody has ever put a harmony of the gospel together that's worth looking at.
One of the reasons is, that which is similar they made identical. And you and I know if it's identical, it has to be identical. If there is one variation, it cannot be what? identical. See, the greatness of our ministry resides in our position, believing in the integrity and accuracy of the Word, and thus saith the Lord, and that the Word of God is the will of God. It is the word of truth. And there certainly are men and women all over the world who, in their hearts, long for that word of truth. Now, all we have to do is live it, act it, speak it.
It is God that has to give the increase. And these words, God has purified. If we had the original originals, there would be no reason for our research department. But one of the great reasons for our research department is that we have to constantly keep working manuscripts and stuff to get back to that original word. For in the original word of the Word there were no discrepancies. There was no discrepancy, no contradiction, and that particular word was purified to perfection seven times.
And what a wonderful thing it is, people, to have something you can trust in life. Something you can believe in, something you can stake your life on, that is just as true tomorrow as it is today. It'll be just as true on January the 1stnext year as it was January the 1stthis year. It's the word of what? Truth. Men come and go and men blow, but the Word of God liveth and abideth forever, and it's true. And to be a part of such a ministry that endeavors to love people and share with them the truth of the Word.
Now, sometimes people violently react at first, but that doesn't bother me. Because if you speak the truth in love, that's all you're required to do. And we in the ministry speak the truth to the best of our ability with love. We don't force anything down anybody's throat. We don't even try to change anybody. We just teach the Word. And if they believe the Word, the change comes. If they don't, that's their problem.
So it's a tremendous year and a tremendous ministry, and I just like for you to be grateful and thankfully in your heart for the greatness of this word of truth; that it is available to people all over the world, and that you and I are a part of helping people every place in the world.
Thank you, Father, for allowing me to teach your people tonight about this word of truth. And I thank you for our people being doers of the Word and not hearers only. Thank you for the greatness of it, through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.