Category Archives: Principal Matters A

Principal Matters: Affliction

Posted on by Posted in Principal Matters A
Researched and prepared by Ruth Magnusson Davis

This post belongs to the series “Principal Matters from the 1537 Matthew Bible.” The purpose of the series is:

(1) To get to know the Table of Principal Matters in the Matthew Bible.
(2) To learn through bible studies from the Reformation.

“As the bees diligently do gather together sweet flowers, to make by natural craft the sweet honey, so have I done with the principal topics contained in the bible.”

So began John Rogers’ introduction to the Table of Principal Matters in the 1537 Matthew Bible. This Table was a concordance set at the front of the book which set out bible topics in alphabetical order. Under each topic were short headings with bible verses for further study. This Principal Matters Series follows the topics in the order of the Table. It also sets out the bible verses in full, taken from the Matthew Bible.

Topic: Affliction

(1) Affliction, after the manner of the scripture, is called heat, trial by fire, and a burning furnace.

1 Peter 4:12-13 Dearly beloveds, be not troubled in this heat that has now come among you to try you, as if some strange thing had happened to you. But rejoice, inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ’s passions, so that when his glory appears, you may be merry and glad.

Psalm 17:3 You have proved and visited my heart in the night season. You have tried me in the fire and have found no wickedness in me, for I utterly purposed that my mouth should not offend.

Psalm 66:10-12 For you, O God, have proved us; you have tried us as silver is tried. You have brought us into captivity, and laid trouble upon our loins. You have suffered men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you have brought us out and refreshed us.

(2)  God threatens to send afflictions to those who have trust in any other than in him only. And therefore, he forgave the children of Israel when they forsook their idolatry.

Deuteronomy 31:16-17 And the Lord said to Moses, Behold, you must sleep with your fathers. But this people will go a-whoring after strange gods, the gods of the land into which they are going, and will forsake me and break the covenant that I have made with them. And then my wrath will wax hot against them, and I will forsake them and will hide my face from them,b and they shall be consumed. And when much adversity and tribulation is come upon them, then they will say, Because our God is not among us, these tribulations have come upon us.

Joshua 24:19-10 But Joshua said to the people, You cannot serve the Lord, for he is a holy God, and cannot bear your transgression and sin. But when you have forsaken the Lord and have served strange gods, he will turn and do you evil and consume you, after he has done you good.

Judges 10:13-16 [The Lord said] you have forsaken me, and you serve strange gods. Therefore, I will help you no more. But go and cry to the gods that you have chosen, and let them save you in the time of your tribulation! But the children of Israel said to the Lord, We have sinned. Do with us whatever you please, only deliver us at this time. And they put away the strange gods from them and served the Lord. And the misery of Israel grieved his soul.

(3)  We ought to succour those who are afflicted.

Ecclesiasticus 7:32-36 Reach out your hand to the poor, that God may bless you with abundance. Be liberal to all people living, yet let not but do good even to those that are dead. Let not those who weep be without comfort, but mourn with such as mourn. Let it not grieve you to visit the sick, for that will make you to be beloved. Whatever you take in hand, remember the end, and you will never do amiss.

~~End~~

Notices:

– New Testament Scriptures are from the October Testament, the New Testament of the New Matthew Bible. Old Testament Scriptures and Apocryphal writings are taken directly from the Matthew Bible, with obsolete English gently updated roughly as it will be in the complete New Matthew Bible.

– Click here for information about the New Matthew Bible Project, our project to gently update the 1537 Matthew Bible.

– Sample scriptures from the New Matthew Bible are here.

– To find former topics, go to the main blog page, and under the category “Principal Matters Series” look for the subcategory with the right letter. For example, for “Abrogation,” look under Principal Matters Series/Principal Matters A/Abrogation. (Also, a few topics are linked at the end.)

– Some of the recent posts in this series are 5 posts on the topic of adultery. The first post is here:  Adultery 1

Principal Matters: Adultery Part 5

Posted on by Posted in Principal Matters A

Researched and prepared by Ruth Magnusson Davis

This post belongs to the series “Principal Matters from the 1537 Matthew Bible.” The purpose of the series is:

(1) To get to know the Table of Principal Matters in the Matthew Bible.
(2) To learn through Bible studies from the Reformation.

“As the bees diligently do gather together sweet flowers, to make by natural craft the sweet honey, so have I done with the principal topics contained in the Bible.”

So began John Rogers’ introduction to the Table of Principal Matters in the 1537 Matthew Bible. This Table was a concordance at the front of the book. It set out bible topics in alphabetical order. Under each topic were short headings, with bible verses for further study.

This Principal Matters series follows the topics in the order of the Table and sets out the bible verses in full, taken from the Matthew Bible and gently updated as needed.

Topic: Adultery

This is the fifth and final part under the topic “Adultery” in John Rogers’ Table of Principal Matters of the Matthew Bible. It begins with the 12th heading and ends with the 15th.

Under the 12th heading, the scripture reference is mysterious to me. The heading reads, “One ought to beware of adulterers.” It might mean, in modern English, “One ought to be aware of adulterers,” but either way, the meaning is nearly the same. The scripture reference is “Deut.v.b,” or Deuteronomy 5.b. There were no verse numbers in the earliest English Bibles, so scripture references were by letters assigned to whole sections of a chapter (a,b,c, etc.). (Sometimes this makes it difficult to pinpoint the exact verse or verses intended.)

Deuteronomy 5 contains the Ten Commandments, and the only references to adultery are in verses 18 and 21: “Thou shalt not break wedlock (commit adultery),” and “Thou shalt not lust after thy neighbour’s wife.” But what do these verses have to do with being wary (or being aware) of adulterers? Is the idea to look out for others who might lust after your wife? However, the main point of the Ten Commandments is to direct one’s own, personal conduct. Or does it suggest that adulterers (unless repentant) show that they despise God’s laws, and are generally not to be trusted?

But perhaps the reference to chapter ‘v’ or ‘5’ was a mistake? Such errors were not uncommon. To doublecheck, I compared the 1535 French Bible of Pierre Olivetan. People who have read Part One of The Story of the Matthew Bible will know that Rogers and Olivetan had the same Table of Principal Matters in their bibles. However, Olivetan shows the same heading and scripture reference at the 12th heading. In the old French spelling, he had “On se doivt informer des adulteres. Deutero.v.b.” (Note, there were no accent marks in old French.)

All things considered, I must keep the Bible verses from Deuteronomy 5.b, although it is difficult to understand how they relate to the heading. (This would be a good question for bible study groups to explore.)

And now, to see the last part of the topic “Adultery” in John Rogers’ (and Pierre Olivetan’s) pioneering work. It has been a marvellous gathering together of bible verses and teachings on this subject:

Adultery (cont’d)

(12) One ought to beware of adulterers.

Deuteronomy 5:18 You shall not break wedlock.

and 5:21 You shall not lust after your neighbour’s wife.

(13) God witnesses against adulterers.

Malachi 3:5 I will come and punish you, and I myself will be a swift witness against the witches, against the adulterers …

(14) A special sacrifice for the suspicion of adultery.

Numbers 5:11-31 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: If any man’s wife goes aside and trespasses against him, in that another man lies with her carnally, and the thing is hidden from the eyes of her husband and it has not come to light that she is defiled (for there is no witness against her, inasmuch as she was not taken in the act), but the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he is jealous over his wife, and she is defiled – or perhaps the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he is jealous over his wife but she is yet undefiled – then let her husband bring her to the priest. And he shall bring an offering for her, the tenth part of an ephah of barley meal; but he shall pour no oil on it nor put frankincense on it, for it is an offering of jealousy and an offering that reminds of sin.

And let the priest bring her and set her before the Lord. And let him take holy water in an earthen vessel, and take some of the dust that is in the floor of the habitation and put it into the water. And the priest shall set the wife before the Lord, uncover her head, and put in her hands the offering to remind her, which is the jealousy offering. And the priest shall have bitter and cursing water in his hand. And he shall adjure her and say to her, If no man has lain with you, and you have not gone aside from your husband and defiled yourself, then this bitter cursing water will not hurt you. But if you have gone aside from your husband and are defiled, and some other man has lain with you besides your husband (and let the priest put her under oath with the invocation of the curse and say to her), may the Lord make you a curse and an oath among your people, so that the Lord makes your thigh rot and your belly to swell:– so go this bitter cursing water into your bowels, so that your belly swells and your thigh rots.

And the wife shall say, Amen, Amen.

And the priest shall write this curse in a bill and wash it out in the bitter water, and shall give the wife some of the bitter cursing water to drink. When the cursing water is in her and is bitter, then let the priest take the jealousy offering out of the wife’s hand, wave it for a food offering before the Lord, and bring it to the altar. And he shall take a handful of the reminder offering and burn it upon the altar, and then make her drink the water. And when he has made her drink the water, if she is defiled and has trespassed against her husband, then the cursing water will go into her and be so bitter that her belly will swell and her thigh will rot, and she will be a curse among her people. And if she is not defiled but is clean, then she will have no harm, but will be able to conceive.

This is the law for jealousy, when a wife goes aside from her husband and is defiled, or when the spirit of jealousy comes upon a man and he is jealous over his wife. Then he shall bring her before the Lord and the priest shall administer all this law concerning her; and the man shall be guiltless, and the wife shall bear her sin.

(15) One may leave his wife for the cause of adultery

Matthew 19:9 I say therefore to you, whoever puts away his wife (unless it be for fornication) and marries another, breaks wedlock. And whoever marries her who is divorced, commits adultery.

~~End of all five parts of the topic “Adultery” in the Matthew Bible~~

Called the Sotah Ritual by the Hebrews, a wife suspected of infidelity is made to drink the bitter cursing water. This 18th-century illustration is by Jan Luyken.

Notices:

– New Testament Scriptures are from the October Testament, the New Testament of the New Matthew Bible. The Old Testament Scriptures and Apocryphal writings are taken directly from the Matthew Bible, with obsolete English gently updated.

– Information about the New Matthew Bible Project is here.

– Sample scriptures from the New Matthew Bible are here.

– To find former topics, on the main blog page look for “Categories” and search under “Principal Matters Series” for the subcategory with the appropriate letter. For example, for “Abomination,” look under Principal Matters Series/ Principal Matters A/Abomination.

Principal Matters: Adultery Part 4

Posted on by Posted in Principal Matters A

Researched and prepared by Ruth Magnusson Davis

This post belongs to the series “Principal Matters from the 1537 Matthew Bible.” The purpose of the series is:

(1) To get to know the Table of Principal Matters in the Matthew Bible.
(2) To learn through Bible studies from the Reformation.

“As the bees diligently do gather together sweet flowers, to make by natural craft the sweet honey, so have I done with the principal topics contained in the Bible.”

So began John Rogers’ introduction to the Table of Principal Matters in the 1537 Matthew Bible. This Table was a concordance at the front of the book. It set out bible topics in alphabetical order. Under each topic were short headings, with bible verses for further study.

This Principal Matters series follows the topics in the order of the Table and sets out the bible verses in full, taken from the Matthew Bible, and gently updated as needed.

Topic: Adultery

The topic of adultery in the Table of Principal Matters was long, so I have divided it into 5 separate posts, this being Part 4.

Under the topic of adultery, Rogers drew twice from the Apocryphal writings. The first he drew from was the one-chapter book of Susanna, which we saw in Part 2. Here he drew from Ecclesiasticus (also known as “Sirach”), which is one of my favourites. Note, the Apocryphal books of the Matthew Bible were often quite different from later versions, so sometimes I had to improvise the verse numbering.

In the last post (Part 3) we saw how two heathen kings took Abraham’s wife Sarah into their houses, but once they learned that she was married, they sent her back to Abraham. These stories were given under heading 8, concerning how God punishes adultery. We saw there how God lifted punishment from the heathen rulers when they restored Sarah to her husband.

However, in this Part we see how the Israelite ruler King David not only committed adultery, but added murder to his sin in order to escape detection; and though he repented, punishment was never lifted from his house for the rest of his life. Sin always has consequences in this life, although for the saved the eternal consequences are remitted for the next life. At the end of this post, I added bible verses that deal with David’s punishment.

This part also covers King Herod, who took and married Herodias, his own brother’s wife. Herodias was angry at John the Baptist because he openly rebuked this egregious adultery, and so arranged for him to be beheaded.

And now, on to Part 4, which begins with the 10th heading under “Adultery” from the Table of Principal Matters in the 1537 Matthew Bible.

Adultery (cont’d)

(10) Adultery is the cause of procuring another man’s death.

2 Samuel 11:2-17 It chanced in an evening that David arose from his couch and walked upon the roof of the king’s palace, and from the roof saw a very beautiful woman washing herself. And he sent to inquire what woman it was. And it was answered him that she was Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, and wife to Uriah the Hittite.

And David sent messengers to fetch her; and she came to him, and he lay with her. And she was straightaway purified from her uncleanness, and returned to her house. And when the woman perceived that she had conceived, she sent and told David, and said, I am with child.

Then David sent a message to Joab [the commander of his army], directing him to send to him Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David. And when Uriah had come to him, he asked how Joab was doing, how the people fared, and how the war prospered. And David said moreover to Uriah, Go down to your house, and wash your feet.

And Uriah departed out of the king’s palace, and there followed him a service from the king’s table. But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s palace with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house.

Then they told David, saying, Uriah did not go down to his house. Then David said to Uriah, Seeing that you have come from journeying, why do you not go down to your house? And Uriah said to David, The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in pavilions, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord live in tents upon the flat ground; and should I then go down into my house to eat, drink, and lie with my wife? By your life, and as sure as my soul lives, I will not do that thing. Then David said to Uriah, Tarry here this day also, and tomorrow I will let you depart.

And so Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next day. And David called him, and he ate and drank before him, and he made him drunk. And in the evening, Uriah went out to lie on his couch with the servants of the lord, and did not go down to his house. Therefore, on the next day David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by Uriah. And he wrote in the letter, saying, Put Uriah in the forefront of the battle, where it is most fierce, and get back from him, so that he may be smitten to death.

And as Joab besieged the city, he assigned Uriah to a place where he knew that strong men were.  And the men of the city came out and fought with Joab. And there were certain men smitten among the people and among the servants of David, and Uriah the Hittite died also.

Loyal and faithful, Uriah the Hittite lies dead, slain by his king.

~~~

Matthew 14:3-10 [King] Herod had seized John [the Baptist], and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. For John said to him, It is not lawful for you to have her. But when Herod would have put him to death, he feared the people, because they counted John as a prophet.

But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod; whereupon he promised with an oath that he would give her whatever she would ask. And she, being first instructed by her mother, said, Give me here the head of John the Baptist on a platter.

And the king sorrowed. Nevertheless, because of his oath, and because of the people who were sitting also at the table, he commanded it to be given her. And he sent and beheaded John in the prison.

This gruesome image depicts the head of John the Baptist on a platter, after he was beheaded by King Herod.

~~~

See also Mark 6:14-29 (a parallel account of the adultery of Herod and Herodias, and how Herodias procured the death of John the Baptist.)

(11) Adultery defames the person.

Proverbs 6:29 Whoever goes in to his neighbour’s wife and touches her, cannot be guiltless.

Ecclesiasticus 23:18 & 21 A man who breaks wedlock, and who regards not his soul but says, Tush, who sees me? I am compassed about with darkness, the walls conceal me; nobody sees me; whom need I fear; the Most High will not remember my sins! – He understands not that his eyes see all things. For all such fear of men drives away the fear of God from him; for he fears only the eyes of men, and considers not that the eyes of the Lord are clearer than the sun, beholding all the ways of men and the ground of the deep, and looking even to men’s hearts in secret places. …

The same man shall be openly punished in the streets of the city, and shall be chased abroad like a young horse foal. And when he is least thinking upon it, he will be taken. Thus shall he be put to shame before everyone, because he would not understand the fear of the Lord.

Ecclesiasticus 23:22-26 And thus shall it go also with every wife who leaves her husband and gets inheritance by a strange marriage. First, she has been unfaithful to the law of the Most High. Secondly, she has forsaken her own husband. Thirdly, she has played the whore in adultery, and gotten her children by another man. She shall be brought out of the congregation, and her children shall be looked upon. Her children shall not take root, and as for fruit, her branches shall bring forth none. A shameful report shall she leave behind her, and her dishonour will not be put out.

And they that remain shall know that there is nothing better than the fear of God, and there is nothing sweeter than to take heed to the commandments of the Lord. It is a great honour to follow the Lord, for long life shall be received from him.

~~ ~~~ ~~

This 1611 painting is by Pieter Lastman. It depicts King David handing his loyal servant Uriah the Hittite the letter that directs Joab to make sure Uriah is killed in battle.

Here I (Ruth) add a section on the punishment that came on King David and his house due to his adultery with Bathsheba and murder of her husband Uriah. Note, as it was said above under heading 11, David was brought to open dishonour. Contrariwise, how sweet it would have been, had he heeded God’s commandments. Also, as it was said, David sought to hide from the eyes of man, and forgot that the eyes of God see all things.

The story of David’s grievous sins continues with Nathan the prophet going to the king’s palace to rebuke him, and to open his eyes to his sin. The prophet conveyed God’s message to him:

2 Samuel 12:7-15 Thus says the Lord God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and delivered you out of the hands of Saul. And I gave you your master’s house, and your master’s wives into your bosom; and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if that had been too little, I would have given you so much more. Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord, to do wickedness in his sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword and taken his wife as your wife, and have slain him by the sword of the children of Ammon.

Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because (says the Lord) you have despised me and taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. Thus says the Lord: Behold, I will stir up evil against you, even from your own house; and will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbour, who will sleep with them in the sight of the sun. And you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and in the open sunlight.

Then David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan answered David, The Lord has put away your sin; you shall not die. However, because in doing this deed you have given the enemies of the Lord cause to rail, the child that is born to you will surely die.

And indeed, it came to pass that the child died, and that the sword never departed from David’s house. It reminds me of the proverb: he who rewards evil for good, evil shall never depart from his house (Proverbs 17:13).

The prophet Nathan rebukes David of his sin.

Notices:

– New Testament Scriptures are from the October Testament, the New Testament of the New Matthew Bible. The Old Testament Scriptures and Apocryphal writings are taken directly from the Matthew Bible, with obsolete English gently updated.

– Information about the New Matthew Bible Project is here.

– Sample scriptures from the New Matthew Bible are here.

– To find former topics, on the main blog page search under “Categories/ Principal Matters Series” for the subcategory with the appropriate letter. For example, for “Abomination,” look under Principal Matters Series/ Principal Matters A/Abomination.

– The preceding topics in this series are:
Adultery Part 1
Adultery 2 (Susanna)
Adultery Part 3

Principal Matters: Adultery Part 3

Posted on by Posted in Principal Matters A

Researched and prepared by Ruth Magnusson Davis

This post belongs to the series “Principal Matters from the 1537 Matthew Bible.” The purpose of the series is:

(1) To get to know the Table of Principal Matters in the Matthew Bible.
(2) To learn through Bible studies from the Reformation.

“As the bees diligently do gather together sweet flowers, to make by natural craft the sweet honey, so have I done with the principal topics contained in the Bible.”

So began John Rogers’ introduction to the Table of Principal Matters in the 1537 Matthew Bible. This Table was a concordance at the front of the book. It set out bible topics in alphabetical order. Under each topic were short headings, with bible verses for further study.

This Principal Matters series follows the topics in the order of the Table. It also sets out the bible verses in full, taken from the Matthew Bible and gently updated as needed.

Topic: Adultery

The topic of adultery in the Table of Principal Matters was long, with 15 headings. Some of the scriptures are also quite long. Therefore, I have divided this topic into five separate posts, of which this is the third. Headings 1-5 are in the previous two posts, and here we cover headings 6-9.

I noticed a curious thing under heading 8. This heading reads “Those who have minds only to commit adultery are punished.” The scripture verses given are in Genesis chapters 12 and 20. These chapters respectively tell the stories of Pharaoh and King Abimelech, two heathen rulers who took Abraham’s wife Sarah into their houses. (Sarah was called Sarai in chapter 12.) Their intent was to have her as their wife or concubine. However, both men were unaware that Sarah was married to Abraham (called Abram in chapter 12), because he lied and said that she was his sister.

These rulers had conceived a lust for Sarah, and no doubt this was carnal and fleshly. However, strictly speaking they did not have adultery in their minds. Indeed, both men returned Sarah to Abraham immediately once they learned that she was his wife – and, fortunately, without having violated her. It was clear from their conduct that they shrank from adultery and feared God. While punishment came passingly upon them and their houses so long as they held Sarah, perhaps as a kind of forewarning, it was lifted when they restored her to her husband.

If no adulterous deed was in fact committed by these two rulers, but only contemplated without knowledge of Sarah’s married state, and yet God punished them, what will be the punishment of those who knowingly practise adultery?

Another curious thing is that no reference is made under heading 8 to another ruler who did knowingly commit adultery and was sore punished: King David, who lay with Uriah’s wife Bathsheba. In my next post are some scriptures where the Table of Principal Matters used David’s story to illustrate how adultery may lead to murder. King David had Bathsheba’s husband Uriah killed (though Uriah was a good and honourable man) in order to avoid detection. Then God afflicted King David and his house for the rest of his life, even though he repented of his double sins.

A final note: the word ‘fornication’ in the Scriptures may include adultery and any form of sexual immorality. It needs to be broadly understood in biblical context.

Adultery (continued)

(6) He who looks upon his neighbour’s wife, lusting after her, has already committed adultery with her.

Matthew 5:27-28 You have heard how it was said to the people of the old time, You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that whosoever looks on a wife, lusting after her, has committed adultery with her already in his heart.

(7) Many are adulterers.

Ezekiel 22:11 Every man has dealt shamefully with his neighbour’s wife, and abominably defiles his daughter-in-law.

Jeremiah 23:10 … the land is full of adulterers, for which it is destroyed, and mourns; and the pleasant pastures of the desert are dried up.

Hosea 4:11-12 Whoredom, wine, and drunkenness take the heart away. My people ask counsel at their wooden gods; their staff must inform them. For a whorish mind has deceived them, so that they commit fornication against their God.

2 Peter 2:13-14 They count it pleasure to live deliciously for a season. Spots they are, and vileness, living at pleasure, and in deceptive ways feasting with you, having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease to sin, beguiling unstable souls.

(8) Those who have minds only to commit adultery are punished.

Genesis 12:14-19 As soon as he came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw [Sarai], that she was very fair. And Pharaoh’s lords saw her also, and praised her to Pharaoh. So it came about that she was taken into Pharaoh’s house, who treated Abram well for her sake, so that he had sheep, oxen, and he-donkeys, menservants, maidservants, she-donkeys, and camels.

But God plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. Then Pharaoh called Abram and said, Why have you dealt thus with me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say that she was your sister, and cause me to take her as my wife? But now, lo, there is your wife. Take her, and be walking.

~~~

Genesis 20:2-7, 14, 17-18 Abraham said of Sarah his wife that she was his sister. Then Abimelech king of Gerar sent and fetched Sarah away. And God came to Abimelech by night in a dream and said to him, See, you are but a dead man because of the woman that you have taken away, for she is a man’s wife.

But Abimelech had not yet come near her, and therefore said, Lord, would you slay righteous people? Did he not say to me that she was his sister? Yea, and did she herself not say that he was her brother? With a pure heart and innocent hands I have done this.

And God said to him in a dream, I knew well that you did it in the pureness of your heart, and therefore I kept you so that you would not sin against me; neither did I suffer you to come near her. Now therefore, deliver to the man his wife again. And let him pray for you so that you may live. But if you do not deliver her back, be sure that you shall die, with all that you have. …

Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen, menservants and womenservants, and gave them to Abraham, and delivered Sarah his wife to him again. … And so Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maidservants, so that they bore children. For the Lord had closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

(9) Adulterers have no part in the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Be not deceived. For neither fornicators, nor worshippers of images, nor whoremongers, nor effeminates, nor abusers of themselves with the male sex,  nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor cursed speakers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

Hebrews 13:4 Let wedlock be had in honour in all points, and let the bedchamber be undefiled. For whorekeepers and adulterers God will judge.

“Abram’s Counsel to Sarai.” This painting by James Tissot (1836-1902) depicts Abram counseling Sarai to tell people that she is his sister, from Genesis 12.

~~ End Part 3, Adultery ~~

Notices:

– New Testament Scriptures are from the October Testament, the New Testament of the New Matthew Bible. The Old Testament Scriptures and Apocryphal writings are taken directly from the Matthew Bible, with obsolete English gently updated.

– Information about the New Matthew Bible Project is here.

– Sample scriptures from the New Matthew Bible are here.

– To find former topics, on the main blog page search under “Categories/Principal Matters Series” for the subcategory with the appropriate letter. For example, for “Abomination,” look under Principal Matters Series/ Principal Matters A/Abomination.

– The preceding topics in this series are:
Adultery Part 1
Adultery Part 2 (The Story of Susanna)

Principal Matters: Adultery (2), Susanna

Posted on by Posted in Principal Matters A

Researched and prepared by Ruth Magnusson Davis

This post belongs to the series “Principal Matters from the 1537 Matthew Bible.” The purpose of the series is:

(1) To get to know the Table of Principal Matters in the Matthew Bible.
(2) To learn through bible studies from the Reformation.

“As the bees diligently do gather together sweet flowers, to make by natural craft the sweet honey, so have I done with the principal topics contained in the Bible.”

So began John Rogers’ introduction to the Table of Principal Matters in the 1537 Matthew Bible. This Table was a concordance at the front of the book. It set out bible topics in alphabetical order. Under each topic were short headings, with bible verses for further study.

This Principal Matters series follows the topics in the order of the Table. It also sets out in full the bible verses under each entry, taken from the Matthew Bible.

Topic: Adultery (Part 2)

The topic of adultery in the Table of Principal Matters was long, so I have divided it into several shorter posts. This post deals with only one entry. It concerns the story of Susanna, from the apocryphal book named after that woman. Susanna, a beautiful and godly wife, was targeted by some very evil men who were elders and judges in Israel.

People who have a facsimile of the 1537 Matthew Bible might notice that the Bible verse cited under this heading in the Table of Principal Matters was Daniel xiii.c (Daniel 13:22-23). This is because, in the Latin Vulgate Bible, the story of Susanna was the 13th chapter in the book of Daniel. However, in Reformation Bibles the 13th chapter was extracted from Daniel, re-named “Susanna,” and put with the Apocryphal books. Therefore, in modern Bibles, Daniel has only 12 chapters. (It is not until we reach the end of “Susanna” that we learn why it was originally included in the book of Daniel.)

Susanna’s story will be of interest simply because it will be new to many, the Apocryphal books having fallen into disuse after the 17th century. I have given the entire chapter, both because the story is now unknown and because it is an instructive account of the lusts and evil contrivances of man. It shows the worst kinds of sins that evil lusts may lead to, and God’s wrath against such sins. A bible study question would be to identify the incremental sins that arose here from fleshly desire, and to consider the necessity of cutting off all evil roots of lust and affection, which grow into deadly plants.

Adultery (continued)

(5) Susanna would rather die than commit adultery.

Susanna (first draft, updated for the New Matthew Bible):

There dwelt a man in Babylon called Joacim. He took a wife whose name was Susanna, the daughter of Chelcias. She was a very fair woman, and such a one as feared God. Her father and her mother also were godly people, and had taught their daughter according to the law of Moses. Now Joacim her husband was a great, rich man, and had a beautiful orchard adjoining his house. And the Jews commonly resorted to him because he was a man of reputation among them.

That same year, there were appointed two judges, men such as the Lord speaks of: All the wickedness of Babylon comes from the elders; that is, from the judges who seem to rule the people. These men came often to Joacim’s house, and all such people has had anything to do with the law came there to them.

Now when the people returned again in the afternoons, Susanna would go into her husband’s orchard to walk. The elders seeing this – that she went in daily and walked – burned with lust for her. Yea, they were almost out of their wits, and cast down their eyes so that they would not see heaven nor remember that God is a righteous judge. For they were both wounded with the love of her. Neither one told the other of his affliction, and for shame they did not tell her of their inordinate lust, that they desired to have to do with her. Yet they laid wait for her ardently from day to day, so that they might (at the least) have a sight of her.

And the one said to the other, Up, let us go home; for it is time for the mid-day meal. So they went their ways from her. When they returned again, they came across each other. Asking why between themselves, the one told the other of his wicked lust. Then they appointed a time when they might catch Susanna alone.

It happened also that they spied out a convenient time, when she went forth to walk (as her manner was) and no one was with her except two maids. And she was thinking to wash herself in the garden, for it was a hot season. And there was not one person there except the two elders, who had hidden themselves to watch her.

So she said to her maids, Go and fetch me oil and soap, and shut the orchard door so that I may wash myself.

And they did as she bid them and shut the orchard door, and went out themselves at a back door, to fetch the things that she had said. But Susanna did not know that the elders lay there hidden within.

Now, when the maids had gone out, the two elders got up and ran upon Susanna, saying, Now the orchard doors are shut, so that no one can see us! We are in love with you. Therefore, consent to us, and lie with us. If you will not, we will bring a testimony against you, that there was a young fellow with you, and that is why you sent your maids away from you.

Susanna groaned and said, Alas, I am in trouble on every side! If I follow your mind, it will be my death, and if I do not consent to you, I cannot escape your hands. Well, it is better for me to fall into your hands without doing this deed than to sin in the sight of the Lord.

And with that, she cried out with a loud voice. The elders also cried out against her. Then someone ran to the orchard door and forced it open. And when the servants of the house heard the cry in the orchard, they rushed in at the back door to see what the matter was. And when the elders told them, the servants were greatly ashamed, because there was never such a report made of Susanna.

On the next day, the people assembled to Joacim her husband. And the two elders came also, full of mischievous imaginations against Susanna, to bring her to death. And they spoke thus before the people: Send for Susanna the daughter of Chelcias, Joacim’s wife!

And immediately they sent for her. So she came with her father and mother, her children, and all her kindred. Now, Susanna was a refined person, and marvellously fair of face. Therefore the wicked men said to take off the cloths from her face (for she was covered), so that at the least they could be satisfied by her beauty. Then her friends – yea, and all who knew her – began to weep.

These two elders stood up in the midst of the people, and laid their hands upon Susanna’s head. She was weeping and looking up towards heaven, for her heart had a sure trust in the Lord. And the elders said, As we were walking in the orchard alone, this woman came in with her two maids, whom she sent away from her and barred the orchard doors. With that, a young fellow who was hidden there came out to her and lay with her. As for us, we stood in a corner of the orchard. And when we saw this wickedness, we ran to her and perceived that they had meddled together. But we could not hold him, for he was stronger than we. Thus he opened the door and got away. Now, when we seized this woman, we asked her who this young fellow was. But she would not tell us. This is the matter, and we are witnesses of the same.

The common people believed the two men because they were the elders and judges of the people, and so they condemned her to death. Susanna cried out with a loud voice and said, O Everlasting God, searcher of secrets, you know all things before they come to pass! You know that they have borne false witness against me! And behold, I must die, although I never did any such things as these men have maliciously invented against me.

And the Lord heard her voice. For when she was led forth to death, the Lord raised up the spirit of a young child whose name was Daniel, who cried with a loud voice, I am clean from this blood!

Then all the people turned towards him and said, What do these words mean, which you have spoken?

Daniel stood in the midst of them and said, Are you such fools, O ye children of Israel, that you cannot discern? You have here condemned a daughter of Israel to death, and know not the truth of it! Go and sit in judgment again, for they have spoken false witness against her.

And so the people turned back in all haste. And the elders (that is, the principal heads) said to him, Come and sit down here among us, and make known to us this matter, seeing God has given you as great honour as an elder.

And Daniel said to them, Put these two apart one from another, and then I will hear them.

When they were put apart one from another, he called one of them and said to him, O thou old, cankered villain, who has practiced your wickedness for so long! The evil deeds that you have done before are now come to light. For you have given false judgments; you have oppressed the innocent and let the guilty go free, whereas yet the Lord says, The innocent and righteous, see that you slay not. Well then, if you saw her, tell me: under what tree did you see them talking together?

He answered, Under a mulberry tree.

And Daniel said, Very well now, your lie is upon your own head. Lo, the messenger of the Lord has received the sentence from him, to cut you in two.

Then he put him aside and called for the other, and said to him, O thou seed of Canaan, but not of Judah! Beauty has deceived you, and lust has subverted your heart. Thus have you dealt before with the daughters of Israel; and they (for fear) consented to you. But the daughter of Judah would not abide your wickedness. Now tell me then, under what tree did you catch them speaking together?

He answered, Under a pomegranate tree.

Then said Daniel to him, Very well, now your lie is also upon your head. The messenger of the Lord stands waiting with the sword to cut you in two, and to slay you both.

With that, all the whole multitude gave a great shout and praised God, who always delivers those who put their trust in him. And they came upon the two elders (whom Daniel had convicted with their own mouth, that they had given false witness) and dealt with them as they would have done with their neighbouress. Yea, they did according to the law of Moses, and put them to death. Thus the innocent blood was saved that same day.

Then Chelcias and his wife praised God for their daughter Susanna, with Joacim her husband and all the kindred, that there was no dishonour found in her.

From that day forth, Daniel was had in great reputation in the sight of the people.

This 1603 painting by Domenchino is one of many artists’ renderings of the two elders accosting Susanna in the garden.

~~The end of the story of Susanna~~

Notices:

– Information about the New Matthew Bible Project is here.

– Sample scriptures from the New Matthew Bible are here.

– To find former topics, on the main blog page search under “Principal Matters Series” for the subcategory with the appropriate letter. For example, for “Abomination,” look under Principal Matters Series/ Principal Matters A/Abomination.

– The preceding topics in this series include  Adam and Adultery Part 1.

Principal Matters: Adultery Part 1

Posted on by Posted in Principal Matters A

Researched and prepared by Ruth Magnusson Davis

This post belongs to the series “Principal Matters from the 1537 Matthew Bible.” The purpose of the series is:

(1) To get to know the Table of Principal Matters in the Matthew Bible.
(2) To learn through bible studies from the Reformation.

“As the bees diligently do gather together sweet flowers, to make by natural craft the sweet honey, so have I done with the principal topics contained in the bible.”

So began John Rogers’ introduction to the Table of Principal Matters in the 1537 Matthew Bible. This Table was a concordance at the front of the book. It set out bible topics in alphabetical order. Under each topic were short headings with bible verses for further study.

This Principal Matters series follows the topics in the order of the Table and sets out the bible verses in full, taken from the Matthew Bible.

Topic: Adultery (Part 1)

The topic of adultery in the Table of Principal Matters is long, and some of the scriptures given are also quite long. Therefore, this topic is divided into several parts.

There were some bible verses here that I was unable to identify due to typographical errors in the Matthew Bible.

Adultery

(1) Adultery is a violation of the faith promised in marriage, which thing is forbidden to us.

Exodus 20:14 You shall not break wedlock.

Leviticus 18:20 You shall not lie with your neighbour’s wife, to defile yourself with her.

Deuteronomy 5:18 You shall not break wedlock … You shall not lust after your neighbour’s wife.

(2) Adulterers are stoned to death [under Mosaic law].

Leviticus 20:10 He who breaks wedlock with another man’s wife shall die for it, because he has broken wedlock with his neighbour’s wife; and so shall she likewise.

Deuteronomy 22:23-24 If a maiden is betrothed to a husband, and then a man finds her in the town and lies with her, then you shall bring them both out to the gates of the same town and shall stone them with stones to death: the damsel because she did not cry out, being in the town, and the man because he has violated his neighbor’s wife. And you shall put away the evil from you.

But if a man finds a betrothed damsel in the field and forces her and lies with her, then the man that lay with her shall die alone, and to the damsel you shall do no harm, because there is in the damsel no cause of death.

Deuteronomy 27: 20-23:

Cursed be he that lies with his father’s wife, because he has uncovered his father’s covering. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Cursed be he that lies with any manner of beast. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Cursed be he that lies with his sister, whether she be the daughter of his father or of his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Cursed be he that lies with his mother-in-law. And all the people shall say, Amen.

(3) If the adulterers are not punished by men, God will punish them.

Jeremiah 5:7-10 Your children have forsaken me and sworn by them that are no gods. And although they were bound to me in marriage, yet they fell to adultery, and frequented harlots’ houses. In the desire of unclean lust they have become like the lusty horse, every man neighing at his neighbor’s wife. Should I not correct this? says the Lord. Should I not be avenged upon every people that is like this?

Jeremiah 7:8-10, 14-15  But take heed! You trust in counsels that beguile you and do you no good. For when you have stolen, murdered, committed adultery and perjury; when you have offered to Baal following strange and unknown gods, then you come and stand before me in this house that has my name given to it and say, Tush, we are quite absolved, though we have done all these abominations….

And therefore, even as I have done to Shiloh, so will I do to this house, to which my name is given and in which you put your trust – yea, to the place that I have given to you and your fathers. And I will thrust you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, the whole seed of Ephraim.

(4) An example of God’s punishment is David’s son, who died for the adultery of David.

2 Samuel 12:10-14  [Nathan said to King David,] The sword shall never depart from your house because (says the Lord) you have despised me and taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. Thus says the Lord: Behold, I will stir up evil against you, even from your own house, and will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, who will sleep with them before the sun. And you did it secretly, yet I will do this thing before all Israel and in the open sunlight.

Then said David to Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord!

And Nathan said to David, The Lord has put away your sin; you shall not die. However, because in doing this deed you have given the enemies of the Lord cause to blaspheme, the child that is born of you shall surely die.

David confessed his sin and was forgiven, but the consequences for his sin were not remitted. For even forgiven sin is still punished in this life. David’s baby died for his father’s sin.

~~End~~

Notices:

Susanna: The next heading under “Adultery” in the Table of Principal Matters deals with the story of Susanna. It reads, “Susanna would rather die than commit adultery.” “Susanna” is one of the apocryphal books. It is only one chapter long. Because it gives a very full picture of the sinful follies, lusts, and contrivances of man, and of all the sins that adultery draws along in its wake, I will devote the whole of the next post to Susanna’s story.

– The Old Testament Scriptures and Apocryphal writings given here are from the 1537 Matthew Bible, with the obsolete English gently updated.
– Information about the New Matthew Bible Project is here.
– Sample scriptures from the New Matthew Bible are here.

– To find former topics, on the main blog page search under “Principal Matters Series” for the subcategory with the appropriate letter. For example, for “Abomination,” look under Principal Matters Series/ Principal Matters A/Abomination.

– Two preceding topics in this series are:
Adam
Accusation

Principal Matters: Adam

Posted on by Posted in Principal Matters A

Researched and prepared by Ruth Magnusson Davis

This post – a short but foundational one about Adam – belongs to the series “Principal Matters from the 1537 Matthew Bible.” The purpose of the series is:

(1) To get to know the Table of Principal Matters in the Matthew Bible.
(2) To learn through bible studies from the Reformation.

“As the bees diligently do gather together sweet flowers, to make by natural craft the sweet honey, so have I done with the principal topics contained in the bible.”

So began John Rogers’ introduction to the Table of Principal Matters in the 1537 Matthew Bible. The Table was a concordance at the front of the book. It set out bible topics in alphabetical order. Under each topic were statements of doctrine and bible verses for further study.

This series proceeds topic by topic following the order of the Table. It also sets out the bible verses in full, taken from the Matthew Bible, with minimal updating of the English so it is understandable for today.

Adam

(1) We are all sinners in Adam, from whom we have the inclination to do evil.

Romans 5:17, 18, 19 …by the sin of one, death reigned by the means of one … by the sin of one, condemnation came on all men … by one man’s disobedience, many became sinners.

(2) And by him we are subject to death.

1 Corinthians 15:21-22 … by a man came death … through Adam all die.

(3) Adam was a figure of Christ to come, who is called the last Adam.

Romans 5:14 Death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those also who did not sin with such transgression as did Adam, who is the similitude of him who is to come.

[See also 1 Corinthians 15:45 There is a natural body and there is a spiritual body; as it is written, the first man Adam was made a living soul, and the last Adam was made a life-giving spirit.]

The fall of man. Eve entices Adam to eat of the forbidden fruit, and all his descendants will die.

~~End~~

Notices:

– New Testament Scriptures are from the October Testament, the New Testament of the New Matthew Bible.
– Information about the New Matthew Bible Project is here.
– Sample scriptures from the New Matthew Bible are here.

– To find former topics, on the main blog page search under “Principal Matters Series” for the subcategory with the appropriate letter. For example, for “Abuses,” look under Principal Matters Series/ Principal Matters A/Abuses. (Also, a few topics are linked at the end.)

– Preceding topics in this series include:
Acception (Partiality)
Accusation

Upcoming topics:
Adultery
Affliction
Angels

Principal Matters: Accusation

Posted on by Posted in Principal Matters A Leave a comment

Researched and prepared by Ruth Magnusson Davis

This post belongs to the series “Principal Matters from the 1537 Matthew Bible.” The purpose of the series is:

(1) To get to know the Table of Principal Matters in the Matthew Bible.
(2) To learn through bible studies from the Reformation.

“As the bees diligently do gather together sweet flowers, to make by natural craft the sweet honey, so have I done with the principal topics contained in the bible.”

So began John Rogers’ introduction to the Table of Principal Matters in the 1537 Matthew Bible. This Table was a concordance set at the front of the book. It set out bible topics in alphabetical order with short statements of doctrine. It also cited bible verses for further study. This series proceeds topic by topic following the order of the Table and sets out the bible verses in full, taken from the Matthew Bible.

To find former topics, on the main blog page search under “Principal Matters Series” for the subcategory with the appropriate letter. For example, for “Abomination,” look under Principal Matters Series/ Principal Matters A/Abomination.

Accusation

(1) One ought to accuse his brother to the church if he does not amend after he has had a brotherly admonition.

Matthew 18:15-17 If your brother trespasses against you, go and tell him his fault between him and you alone. If he hears you, you have redeemed your brother. But if he does not hear you, then take along with you one or two others, so that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every matter may be established. If he does not hear them, tell it to the congregation. If he does not hear the congregation, take him as a heathen man and as a publican.

(2) No accusation ought to be received against the minister except under two or three witnesses.

1 Timothy 5:19 Against an elder receive no accusation except with two or three witnesses.

(3) We are accused before God by the malice of Satan

Job 1:7-11 And the Lord said to Satan, From whence do you come? Satan answered the Lord and said, I have gone about the land and walked through it. Then said the Lord to Satan, Have you not considered my servant Job, how he is an innocent and virtuous man, such a one as fears God and eschews evil, and that there is none like him in the land? Satan answered and said to the Lord, Does Job fear God for naught? Have you not preserved him, his house, and all his substance on every side? Have you not blessed the works of his hands? Is not his possession increased in the land? But lay your hand upon him a little – touch once all that he has – and (I hold) he will curse you to your face.

Revelation 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying, Now in heaven is made salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ. For he is cast down who accused our brethren before God day and night.

(4) We are also accused by our own sinfulness.

Jeremiah 2:19 Your own wickedness shall reprove you, and your turning away shall condemn you, so that you may know and understand how evil and hurtful a thing it is that you have forsaken the Lord your God and not feared him, says the Lord God of hosts.

(5) Also by our own conscience.

Romans 2:14-15 For if the Gentiles who have no law do by nature the things contained in the law, then they, having no law, are a law unto themselves. They show the deeds of the law written in their hearts, while their conscience bears witness to them, and also their thoughts, accusing one another or defending…

(6) Also by the Scripture.

John 5:45 Do not think that I will accuse you to my Father. There is one who accuses you: even Moses, in whom you trust.

(7) Let us, therefore, accuse ourselves.

Proverbs 18:17 The righteous accuses himself first of all. If his neighbour comes, he will find out the truth about him.

 

This painting of the prophet Jeremiah is by Michelangelo. Jeremiah is known as the “weeping prophet” for the grief he expressed in his oft rebukes of his apostate people, Israel.

~~End~~

Notices:

– New Testament Scriptures are from the October Testament, the New Testament of the New Matthew Bible. The Old Testament Scriptures and Apocryphal writings are taken directly from the Matthew Bible, with obsolete English gently updated.
– Information about the New Matthew Bible Project is here.
– Sample scriptures from the New Matthew Bible are here.

– Previous topics in this series:
Abomination
Acception, or Partiality

Principal Matters from the Matthew Bible: Acception (Partiality)

Posted on by Posted in Principal Matters A

Researched and prepared by Ruth Magnusson Davis
Theme: Partiality to any person or nation is not of God.
Short RMD appendix: What is the new covenant with Israel?

 

This post belongs to the series “Principal Matters from the 1537 Matthew Bible.” The purpose of the series is:

(1) To get to know the Table of Principal Matters in the Matthew Bible.
(2) To learn through bible studies from the Reformation.

“As the bees diligently do gather together sweet flowers, to make by natural craft the sweet honey, so have I done with the principal topics contained in the bible.”

So began John Rogers’ introduction to the Table of Principal Matters in the 1537 Matthew Bible. The Table was a concordance at the front of the book. It set out bible topics in alphabetical order with short statements of doctrine. Bible verses were cited for further study. This Principal Matters Series proceeds in order, giving the most interesting topics. It also sets out the cited bible verses in full, taken from the Matthew Bible.

To find former topics, on the main blog page search under “Principal Matters Series” for the subcategory with the appropriate letter. For example, for “Abrogation,” look under Principal Matters Series/Principal Matters A/Abrogation. (Also, a few topics are linked at the end.)

Topic: Acception, or Partiality

“Acception,” or “Accepcyon” in the old spelling, is an obsolete word. It means partiality or favouritism[1]. It was used in the phrase “acception of persons.” This phrase means the same as the phrase “respect of persons,” which we know from the KJV and older bibles. Respect or acception of persons is partiality based on outward things, such as race, ethnicity, wealth, or social status.

Under this topic, Rogers reviews the bible verses which show that partiality is always wrong and is not of God.

Rogers took two verses at the end of this entry from the apocryphal book Ecclesiasticus. This book is also known as the “Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach,” or just “Sirach.” The apocryphal books of the Matthew Bible were sometimes very different from later versions – in length, content, and message – so in places I had to improvise the verse numbering.

I added a separate discussion at the end relevant to the question, what is the new covenant with Israel? This is to supplement Rogers’ points about partiality toward Israel or the Jews. He likely could not have anticipated how widespread such partiality would be in our century. But it is interesting to consider how this makes his study all the more relevant for today.

From the 1537 Matthew Bible: Acception

(1) Acception of persons is to have respect to the estate of the person or to his nation, which thing is not of God.

Deuteronomy 10:16-19 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your hearts, and be no longer stiff-necked. For the Lord your God, he is God of gods and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty and a terrible, who regards no man’s person nor takes gifts, but does right to the fatherless and widow, and loves the stranger, to give him food and raiment. Love, therefore, the stranger. For you were strangers yourselves in the land of Egypt.

2 Chronicles 19:7 Let the fear of the Lord be with you, and take heed and do it. For there is no unrighteousness in the Lord our God, nor regarding of persons, nor taking of rewards.

Romans 2:10-11, 28-29  He will reward every person according to his deeds; that is to say, praise, honour, and immortality to those who continue in doing good and seek eternal life;  but to those who are rebellious and reject the truth, and follow iniquity, will come indignation and wrath – tribulation and anguish upon the soul of every person who does evil: of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile. To everyone who does good will come praise, honour, and peace: to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile. For there is no partiality with God. …

For he is not a Jew who is a Jew outwardly. Neither is that thing circumcision which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is hid within, and the circumcision of the heart is the true circumcision, which is in the Spirit and not in the letter; whose praise is not from men, but from God.

Ephesians 6:8 And remember, whatever good thing anyone does, that he will receive back again from the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

Colossians 3:9-11 Do not lie to one another. Put off the old man with his works and put on the new, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him who made him – where there is neither Gentile nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian or Scythian, bond or free: but Christ is all in all things.

Acts 10:34-35 Then Peter opened his mouth and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is not partial, but among all peoples, whoever fears him and works righteousness is accepted with him.

(2) And the same thing [partiality] also ought not to be in man.

James 2:1-4 Brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, in respect of persons. If there comes into your company a man with a golden ring and in goodly apparel, and there comes in also a poor man in wretched clothing,  and you have a respect to him who wears the fine clothing, and say to him, Sit here in a good place, but say to the poor, Stand there, or, Sit here by my footstool, are you not partial among yourselves, and have judged after evil thoughts?

Jude 1:5 My intent is therefore to remind you, since you already know this, that the Lord (after he had delivered the people out of Egypt) destroyed those who afterward did not believe.

Ecclesiasticus 20:22 There are some who destroy their own soul with shame, and for the sake of an unwise person, he destroys it. And with acception of persons, he will undo himself.

Ecclesiasticus 42:1 Be partial to no person, which is to offend.

~~End of topic “Acception” in the 1537 Matthew Bible ~~

 

From Ruth Magnusson Davis:

What is the new covenant with Israel?

The topic “acception” goes to the heart of the question, what is the new covenant with Israel? Or, what place does Israel have under the new covenant? The short answer is that the new covenant with Israel is the same as the new covenant with the Gentiles. For now and for the future, no race, tongue, or nation has any favoured place because God is not partial. All the bible verses cited in the Table of Principal Matters in the Matthew Bible attest to this. Therefore, the old covenant having served its purpose, it is put aside, and the new covenant has now gone forth to all peoples alike. For there is no partiality with God.

But still, many think they are taking the Bible literally and properly when they hold that God will exalt the nation of Israel and give the Jewish people a special place and earthly kingdom in the future. However, if the statements of the apostles and the prophets are made to agree with each other, the only hope we can stand on is the single promise of salvation by faith in Christ Jesus to all, both Jew and Gentile, without any partiality. This promise is of a place in the heavenly kingdom and the new Jerusalem, not any earthly kingdom. The hope of an earthly kingdom is the hope of Judaism, not Christianity. It is sobering to reflect that an earthly kingdom was the hope of the Jews and Pharisees who crucified Christ. But Jesus said to Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, then my servants would surely fight so that I would not be delivered to the Jews. But now my kingdom is not from here.” (John 18:36)

Two objections may be raised:

(1) The promises to the nation of Israel in the Old Testament were often expressed to be “forever.”

However, in the 1537 Matthew Bible, John Rogers addressed this issue several times in his notes on the books of Moses. He pointed out that in Hebrew, the word translated “forever” only means a long season; that is, a time without an appointed end. It does not mean a time without any end. The word “forever” (or just “ever”) usually translates the Hebrew o-lawm. In a note on Exodus 15:18, Rogers explained that the concept of a time without any end was indicated through repetition in the Hebrew, translated in English as “ever and always” or “ever and ever.” The repetition apparently indicated a genuine “forever.”

(2) The Jews had a preferred place and special promises under the Old Testament, which promises have yet to be realized.

Paul explained that all things happened to the Jews only for an example, for us to learn from (1 Corinthians 10:6, 11). The whole thrust of much of his teaching was to show that the old covenant with Israel has been abrogated for its unprofitableness and the Jews will have no special place now. They are sinners just as we are, and in need of the same salvation under the same covenant. He wrote about the limited, former preferment of the Jews as follows:

Romans 3:1-4, 9-10, 22-23 What preferment, then, has the Jew? Or what advantage from circumcision?  Surely very much. The word of God was committed first to them. What, then, if some of them did not believe? Does their unbelief make the promise of God without effect? God forbid. Let God be true and all men liars, as it is written: That you may be justified in your words, and should overcome when you are judged…. For we have already established that both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin, as it is written: There is none righteous, no, not one…. Without doubt, the righteousness which is good before God comes by the faith of Jesus Christ, to all and upon all who believe. There is no difference. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

There is no difference! This Paul laboured to show and teach. The word of God was first given to the Jews, but now, under the new covenant, all nations are given it, and all have received the promise of the circumcision of the heart by the Holy Spirit. There is no yet-to-be-revealed partiality, as it were, for ethnic or national Israel.

Much more could be said, but in conclusion, the answer to the question, what is the new covenant with Israel? is not to be found in answers that show favour to Israel or to the Jews. That would be ethnocentric; that is, it would be acception or partiality. Indeed, Martin Luther charged the Jews with ethnocentric partiality – for which, ironically, he has been accused of antisemitism. But as William Tyndale once wrote, Antichrist turneth the roots of the tree upward. (See my paper defending Luther from charges of antisemitism.)

The true Israel of God is all who truly believe on the Son (Ro. 2:29, Gal. 6:16, etc.) The true believers – regardless of race, colour, or creed, or of nation, tongue, or history, or of estate, position, or office – are all the people of God. And they are his only people, and in fact always have been. The story of Israel’s exodus from Egypt served only for our instruction, and as a type and shadow of the exodus of the people of faith from bondage to Satan in his Egypt, which is this present world. Likewise, the whole institution of the Levitical priesthood served to illustrate, under many different aspects, the salvation that Christ won for his people as the Passover Lamb of God, his role as our great High Priest, and also the priesthood of all believers.

God is not partial.

For a related discussion, see “Seven Foundational Points” in About the Table of Principal Matters.

~~end~~

This oil on canvas painting of the Exodus was by Francis Danby in 1825.

Notices:

– New Testament Scriptures are from the October Testament, the New Testament of the New Matthew Bible. The Old Testament Scriptures and Apocryphal writings are taken directly from the Matthew Bible, with obsolete English gently updated.
– Information about the New Matthew Bible Project is here.
– Sample scriptures from the New Matthew Bible are here.

– A previous topic in the Principal Matters series that also touches on the new covenant is Abrogation

________________

Endnote
[1] See the Oxford English Dictionary online under Accepcyon/Acception, entry 2. Only subscribers have access to this dictionary so I havenot linked to it.

KP what is the new covenant with Israel?

Principal Matters from the Matthew Bible: Abuses

Posted on by Posted in Principal Matters A

Researched and prepared by Ruth Magnusson Davis
Answers the question, What are abuses in the Church?

This post belongs to the series “Principal Matters from the 1537 Matthew Bible.” The purpose of the series is:

(1) To get to know the Table of Principal Matters in the Matthew Bible.
(2) To learn through bible studies from the Reformation.

“As the bees diligently do gather together sweet flowers, to make by natural craft the sweet honey, so have I done with the principal topics contained in the Bible.”

So began John Rogers’ introduction to the Table of Principal Matters in the 1537 Matthew Bible. The Table was a concordance at the front of the book. It set out bible topics in alphabetical order. Under each topic were statements of doctrine and bible verses for further study. This series proceeds topic by topic, following the order of the Table, and sets out the bible verses in full.

Topic: Abuses

Under this topic we see the importance of guarding against abuses in the church. What is meant by “abuses” becomes clear as the study progresses. It includes idolatry, sects, acceptance of fornicators, carelessness for the weak, following the precepts and doctrines of men, etc. Interestingly, we see that separation of church and state was not an ideal of the Reformers: kings and rulers should maintain Christian laws in the land, just as it was in Israel.

In England the king or queen was (and is) the constituted head of the Church of England, a national church. As such, he or she was responsible for the church’s well-being. This accounts for Rogers’ reference to Romans 13:4 under entry (1) below, concerning the rulers as ministers of God to correct abuses in the church — even though, when the apostle Paul wrote this epistle, the Roman rulers were not Christian rulers. Rogers had in mind the rulers of England (and other European countries) in his time. The authority of the British monarch was much stronger in the 16th century than it is now, and the national church occupied a more important and ubiquitous place in the public arena, so Rogers naturally gave responsibility for the church to the ruler under Romans 13:4. Nowadays, however, we in the west tend to apply this verse only to matters of personal or national security, as Paul also did, given the circumstances of his day.

Also, in entry (1) I believe Rogers used the term “church” at least partly in an obsolete way, meaning the whole body of people in a land or community who identify as Christian. In his day, this meant the citizens under the jurisdiction of a professing Christian ruler.

Abuses

(1) The abuses that are in the church ought to be corrected by the [Christian] rulers.

Romans 13:4 For he is the minister of God for your welfare.

  • An example is Hezekiah, who destroyed the serpent.

2 Kings 18:3-4 [King Hezekiah] did what pleased the Lord in all things, like David his father. He put away the high altars, broke the images, and cut down the groves. He also utterly broke the brazen serpent that Moses made, because until those days the children of Israel burned sacrifices to it and called it Nehushran.

  • Also an example is Jehoshaphat:

2 Chronicles 20:32 And [Jehoshaphat king of Judah] walked in the way of Asa his father, and bowed not therefrom, to do that which was pleasing in the sight of the Lord.

[Ed: Verse 33 goes on to say, “However, they did not put down the hill altars, neither did the people yet prepare their hearts unto the God of their fathers.” Rogers was aware of this verse, of course, but it speaks to other issues, such as the danger of falling away and the slippery slope to destruction.]

  • Also Josiah:

2 Kings 23:3 And [King Josiah] stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the Lord that they should walk after the Lord, and keep his commandments and his witnesses and his ordinances with all their hearts and all their souls, and make good the words of the said covenant, which were written in the aforesaid book. And all the people consented to the covenant.

 (2) The ministers ought to preach against abuses.

  • An example is John the Baptist:

Matthew 14:4 For John said to [Herod], It is not lawful for you to have her.

  • And St. Paul, who rebuked the Corinthians for having sects:

1 Corinthians:10-11 I beseech you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to all speak one thing, and that there be no dissension among you, but be knit together in one mind and in one purpose. It is reported to me about you, my brethren, by those who are of the house of Chloe, that there is strife among you.

  • Also, Paul rebuked them because they suffered a fornicator among them:

1 Corinthians 5:1, 6-8: There is a report abroad that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not once named among the Gentiles: that a man should have his father’s wife… Your complacency is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven sours the whole lump of dough? Purge therefore the old leaven, so that you may be new dough, as you are sweet bread.

  • Also, Paul rebuked them because they accused one another before unfaithful judges:

1 Corinthians 6:1, 7-8: How dare one of you, having a problem with another, go to law under the unrighteous, and not rather under the saints? … Now therefore there is utterly a failing among you, because you go to law one with another.

  • Also, Paul rebuked them because they sat with the Gentiles in their temples and ate with them of their sacrifices:

1 Corinthians 8:4-12 To speak of meat dedicated to idols: we are sure that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. And though there be what are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth (as there be gods many and lords many), yet to us there is but one God, who is the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. But not everyone has knowledge. For some still suppose that an idol really is something, and eat a thing as offered to the idol, and so their consciences, still being weak, are defiled.

Meat does not make us acceptable to God. We are neither the better if we eat nor the worse if we do not. But take heed that your liberty does not cause the weak to fall. For if someone sees you who have knowledge sitting at food in the idol’s temple, might not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things that are offered to the idol? And so through your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died. When you sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak consciences, you sin against Christ.

  • Also, Paul rebuked them because they abused the Supper of the Lord:

1 Corinthians 11:20-21, 22, 26-30 When you come together, a person cannot eat the Lord’s Supper, because everyone begins ahead to eat his own supper. And one is hungry, and another is drunk… In this I do not praise you… as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you show the Lord’s death till he comes.  Therefore whosoever eats of this bread or drinks of this cup unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person therefore examine himself, and thus let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats or drinks unworthily, eats and drinks his own damnation, because he does not discern the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.

  • Also, Paul rebuked them because they doubted of the resurrection:

1 Corinthians 15. See entire chapter. Verses 12-14:  If Christ is preached, that he rose from the dead, how is it that some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no rising again of the dead, then Christ is not risen. If Christ is not risen, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith is also in vain.

  • And because they prayed in a language that people did not understand:

1 Corinthians 14:13-19 Therefore let him who speaks in an unknown tongue pray such that he may interpret also. If I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding brings no one fruit. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and will pray with the meaning also…. I thank my God that I speak with tongues more than you all, yet in the congregation I would rather speak five words with my meaning for the information of others, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

(3) Any manner of mere precepts of men are abuses.

Matthew 15:1-6 Then scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, Why do your disciples transgress the precepts of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.

He answered and said to them, And why do you transgress the commandment of God through your precepts? For God commanded, saying, Honour your father and mother, and, He who curses father or mother shall suffer death. But you say every man should tell his father or mother, That which you desire of me, to help you with, is given for God – and so he should not honour his father or mother. And thus you have made the commandment of God to be without effect, through your precepts.

Isaiah 29:13-14 Thus says the Lord: Since this people draws near me with their mouth and praises me highly with their lips, whereas their heart nevertheless is far from me, and the fear which they owe to me, in that they turn to men’s laws and doctrines. Therefore, I will also show to this people a marvelous, terrible, and great thing – namely this: I will destroy the wisdom of their wise, and the understanding of their learned men shall perish.

Mark 7:3-4 The Pharisees and all the Jews, unless they wash their hands often, will not eat, observing the precepts of the elders. And when they come from the market, unless they wash, they will not eat. And there are many other things that they have taken upon themselves to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers, and of copper pots, and of tables.

This traditional two-handled style of cup is still used today by the Jews in ritual handwashing ceremonies.

 

 

Notices: