BUY THE TRUTH. EARTH WITNESSES. SPIRITUAL LANGUAGE
This is an excerpt from the 1611 Fellowship, Feb. 4, 2024. We discuss the question of the week (Proverbs 23:23). John Doerr gives a presentation about the Spirit, the Water, and the blood (1 John 5:8).
Comments (8)
Hi Terrence, I'll pass it on.
Thanks for the discussion. Tell John thanks for his lesson today please. Went with the Mark of the beast question.
genesis CHP 43+ (Joseph and the famine and his brothers) , has many references to gold,silver, eyes,(and houses and asses)
I think you make a good point about Simon Magus. He was definitely more interested in acquiring power. Yet, he presumed something of a spiritual nature bestowed by God could be purchased, and he presumed that the disciples would entertain the idea of selling it. It is also true that Proverbs 23:23 is directed at believers; yet, non-believers do not have the Truth (Jesus Christ), thus it would behoove them to acquire the truth by faith and upon receiving the free gift hold it dear to them, not forsaking it or turning it into an opportunity to profit. Also, you are right regarding supporting the spread of the Gospel and the edification of believers "...the workman is worthy..." (Matthew 10:10) & "...God loveth a cheerful giver..." (2 Corinthians 9:7) Excellent comment, Roy... very insightful.
The Bible does not say it . . but I speculate that Satan entered into Magus as he did Judas. There is a theory (from the Christian Apocrypha) that it was Simon Magus . . . and obviously not Simon Peter who never traveled to Rome . . .who traveled to Rome and became the spiritual father of Roman Catholicism. If not possessed by Satan, we could certainly see Magus accepting Satan's offer of power over the whole world if only Magus worshipped him. Simony . . the purchase of church offices . . was named after him. Certainly the Popes and priests of the Romish Church have at least adopted the magic tricks and love of world power displayed by Simon Magus.
By these comments, I hope to add to understanding as it pertains to this discussion. First, there were many spiritual underpinnings of the Magus interaction . . but the direction of Proverbs 23:23 was not chief among them. Put differently, the opposite of the transaction contemplated in Proverbs 23:23 occurred. Magus was not seeking to acquire/buy the Truth, wisdom and understanding . .he simply wanted the POWER that came with it. And Peter was not refusing to give/sell the Truth, wisdom and understanding . . he simply rebuked Magus as having no spiritual desire to acquire it. Acts 8:18-20 "18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, 19 saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. 20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money." Magus wanted the secret to the trick. Peter simply responded that the power of the Holy Ghost was not something money or any other material thing could buy. This is obvious to any believer . . and equally baffling to men like Magus. The interchange between Magus and Peter was about Magus' desire to acquire worldly power . . . not eternal wisdom or understanding . . set against Peter preaching the free gift of Jesus Christ's spiritual power and eternal life. Proverbs 23:23 is directed to believers, not men like Magus. It says "Buy the Truth" . . so the question is 'with what?' Faith? Just as the body without the spirit is dead . . faith without works is dead. James 2:26. Can giving money be a work that supports one's faith? Of course. "Buy the Truth" simply means invest in it spiritually AND materially. It means live your faith . . study your Bible . . be a light in the darkness . . pray . . help others . . and "yes", if you can, support the spreading of the Gospel financially and give freely. There are many examples of how the church received financial support in the Bible, and the mechanism by which this occurred, which required great faith from those who offered their support. The Word does not ignore the necessity of money in the World. It rebukes the worship of it. In Mark 12:41-44, Jesus did not speak against the concept of giving money . . or even against worldly money itself . . . . he spoke of the spiritual value of giving from the heart and not for show. Supporting the ecclesia financially (in the proper spirit) is also part of "Buying the Truth" because it is a work that can be in support of a believer's faith. "Sell it not" simply means . . don't give up your belief and faith in Jesus Christ for ANYTHING in this world. It does not mean you must work for free, refuse needed financial support from fellow believers or give your possessions away.
Hi Roy, I discussed your comment with my 1611 Fellowship. I wanted to see what they had to say. It was quite interesting. Would you mind if I posted it here on Patreon?
yay,i cant wait to listen :) a whole hour :D