SECTION 8
PAUL’S WITNESS AS A MISSIONARY

LESSONS

33. The Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ

34. “That Your Faith Should Not Stand in the Wisdom of Men”

35. “This Do in Remembrance of Me”

36. “Covet Earnestly the Best Gifts”

37. Affliction Worketh for Us a More Exceeding Weight of Glory

38. “Whatsoever a Man Soweth, That Shall He Also Reap”

39. “Man Is Justified by Faith”

40. “Heirs of God, and Joint-Heirs with Christ”

41. Elected Before the Foundations of the World

“HOLY MEN OF GOD” WROTE

“. . . no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

“For the prophecy came not . . . by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (2 Peter 1:20, 21.)

The First Presidency of the Church of Christ Directed All Missionary Work in This Meridian Dispensation

Of the twenty-seven books in the New Testament, fourteen were written by the apostle Paul. This has led some commentators to unjustifiably conclude that the work of this one outstanding apostle, together with the letters he wrote, overshadowed the work of the other apostles. But in your study you must remember that “Peter, James, and John, acted as the First Presidency of the Church in their day.” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 3:152.) The work of spreading the gospel had already progressed under the direction of the First Presidency before Paul’s work had commenced. It was by their direction that Paul was sent to the gentiles (Galatians 2:9). And it may well be found, when God reveals “many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God” (ninth Article of Faith), that Peter and others of the early brethren traveled as widely and wrote as much as did Paul.

Before reading the letters of these early witnesses, it will be helpful to review what is known of their biographies. These are summarized at appropriate places throughout the course manual and should provide you with some helpful insights as to why the early apostles expressed themselves as they did.

Why the Early Apostles Communicated to the Church by Letter

At the time of Paul’s conversion to the gospel, about A.D. 36, the church of Jesus Christ was a small body of believers scarcely known beyond the borders of Judea. Some fifteen or sixteen years later, at the time Paul wrote his first two letters, First and Second Thessalonians, the gospel message had spread to various parts of the Roman Empire. The church then was widely scattered, and modern methods of rapid transportation and communication were unknown. Also, converts to the early church came out of a world of competing and soul-degrading philosophies. The major problem of the authorities of the church in that time, therefore, was keeping the church pure and uncontaminated from the false philosophies and immoral practices of the day, and communicating this direction in the most rapid manner. Communication by courier through direct word, or by letter to local priesthood authorities, was the fastest way that church authorities could respond to local needs and problems (2 Thessalonians 2:2). It is against this backdrop that Paul, no doubt under the direction of the presidency of the church, was empowered to set in order many of the branches of the church which he had founded. For the most part, this was done by letters, fourteen of which we have in our New Testament. Likewise, in the New Testament canon are found letters of other priesthood officers: Peter, the president of the church; James, an apostle; John, an apostle and, some think, the successor to the president following Peter’s martyrdom; and Jude, an apostle. Each of their letters was written to provide encouragement and instruction to the saints scattered abroad or to combat heresy which had crept into the church.

In What Historical Sequence Were the Letters Written?

Because of Luke’s detailed historical account in the book of Acts, and other internal allusions within the letters themselves, we have a general notion when most of the letters in the New Testament canon were written. In no case, of course, can we assign an exact date for the letters. Some letters appear to have been written during Paul’s second and third missionary journeys, between A.D. 50 and 60; others were penned during the first and second imprisonments in Rome, from about A.D. 61 to 68; still others appear to have been written toward the end of the first century. One, the book of Hebrews, bears no dating marks at all, making it difficult to suggest any accurate time period when the letter was written. The chronology of Paul’s letters in this course manual is essentially that which is used by Dr. Sidney Sperry in The Life and Letters of Paul. For the chronology of the New Testament writings, see the Chart of New Testament History in the center section.

BIOGRAPHY

Paul the Missionary

Following his conversion, Paul was taken into Damascus where Ananias, who was probably the presiding officer of the local church, helped to heal him of his blindness. Then Paul was baptized, and he received the gift of the Holy Ghost. Because he progressed so rapidly in understanding his new faith, and because his training in the Old Testament had been so thorough, in a very short time Paul was able to confound the Jewish leaders in Damascus by proving Jesus to be the long-awaited Messiah. About this time, Paul went into Arabia to prepare himself spiritually (Galatians 1:17). There, in desert seclusion, it is possible that his prayers and meditations were of such power that he was taught the gospel by direct revelation from the Savior (Galatians 1:11, 12).

We do not know the exact place or length of Paul’s stay in Arabia; we do know that at the end of this time, he was prepared to begin his missionary labors. He returned to Damascus and again taught in the Jewish synagogues. This time his preaching so incensed the Jews that they sought to kill him. Members of the church helped Paul by lowering him down the outside of the city wall in a basket, and the beleaguered man was able to escape to Jerusalem.

Perhaps during his stay in Jerusalem Paul learned much from Peter concerning the mortal life and ministry of the Savior. Paul used the occasion to preach the gospel in the Jerusalem synagogues. Because he reasoned with such vigor and effectiveness, he alienated the Jewish leaders and they determined to kill him. Their plots, however, were ineffective, for the Savior intervened to save Paul’s life. The Lord appeared to Paul in a vision while he was praying in the temple and warned him to leave the city. Obedient to this command, Paul fled from Jerusalem, and with the help of the church brethren escaped to Caesarea and then back to Tarsus, his hometown and capital of the province of Cilicia.

While Paul was in Cilicia and the neighboring province of Syria, he preached with great power; so many people were converted that the news of his success was carried to the brethren in Jerusalem (Galatians 1:21–24). Later, when Barnabas needed an assistant in the ministry, no doubt he was influenced by his knowledge of Paul’s effectiveness as a missionary. Barnabas sought out Paul in Tarsus and persuaded him to help in the missionary labors in Antioch (Acts 11:25, 26). Relief funds were also gathered for the impoverished members of the church in Jerusalem. Then the two men traveled to Jerusalem to take the much-needed assistance to the saints (Acts 11:29–31).

In Acts we read of Paul’s three known missionary journeys and of his five visits to Jerusalem. Paul’s letters, many of which were written during his travels, add much to help us understand the details of Paul’s life and apostolic ministry. At the end of his third missionary journey, Paul returned to Jerusalem. There Roman soldiers rescued him from certain death at the hands of an angry mob of Jews. When the Roman chief captain learned of Paul’s Roman citizenship and of a Jewish conspiracy to kill Paul, he detailed several hundred soldiers to take Paul to Caesarea where he could be protected and judged by Felix, the Roman governor.

Where was Antioch in Relationship to Jerusalem?

33
THE COMING OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

THEME

Those who follow the living prophets are prepared for Christ’s second coming.

INTERPRETIVE COMMENTARY

FIRST THESSALONIANS

(33-1) 1 Thessalonians 1:1. Why Did Paul Write to the Thessalonians, and When Were the Letters Written?

The missionaries were driven from Thessalonica by angry Jews (Acts 17:5, 10). Paul went from there to Berea, then to Athens, and on to Corinth where Silas and Timothy joined him. Paul then sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to check on conditions in the branch.

While Timothy was with the Thessalonian saints, observing conditions of the novice branch, he probably counseled and comforted the members and reminded them of their gospel duties and commitments. Thereafter, he returned to Corinth and reported to Paul. From Timothy’s report, and because of Paul’s prior experience in Thessalonica, the apostle was able to write to the saints and praise them for their Christian examples.

He wrote them a message of consolation and encouragement, that they might be able to continue to endure persecution and trials and to remain steadfast in their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Written to members, most of whom prior to their baptism appear to have been gentiles and not Jews, the book calls attention to problems which probably were peculiar to gentile converts. Questions of social solidarity, sexual purity, and honest labor were three problems faced by the converts in Thessalonica. Had most of the Thessalonian saints been Jewish converts, it would seem that they would not have had the same problems to such a degree. Why? Because the Jews had enjoyed a background in the law of Moses which encouraged social and especially family ties, discouraged sexual sin, and emphasized the virtue of six days of labor.

The letters to the Thessalonians were, as nearly as can be determined, written from Corinth several months after Paul had left Macedonia, probably near the close of A.D. 52.

(33-2) 1 Thessalonians 1:1. Who Were Silvanus and Timotheus?

Silvanus is another form of the name Silas; this man is thought to be the same who accompanied Paul in the second missionary journey. (See the commentary on Acts 15:40.)

Timotheus is Timothy. (See biographical sketch in the introduction to section 11.)

(33-3) 1 Thessalonians 1:10. How May the Saints Escape the Wrath to Come?

The Prophet Joseph Smith said:

“It seems to be deeply impressed upon our minds that the Saints ought to lay hold of every door that shall seem to be opened unto them, to obtain foothold on the earth, and be making all the preparation that is within their power for the terrible storms that are now gathering in the heavens, ‘a day of clouds, with darkness and gloominess, and of thick darkness,’ as spoken of by the Prophets which cannot be now of a long time lingering. . . .” (Teachings, p. 141.)

The “wrath to come” is “the desolation of abomination which awaits the wicked, both in this world and in the world to come.” (D&C 88:85.)

(33-4) 1 Thessalonians 2:2. What Is Meant by Speaking the Gospel “with Much Contention”?

It has been suggested that the word contention in verse 2 ought to translate from the Greek as “conflict”—referring to any struggle, outward or inward. Sometimes the word opposition is used in place of contention. Whichever interpretation is used, what seems to be clear is the fact that Paul was able to preach the gospel only by enduring much conflict with antagonistic Jews and gentiles, by struggling mightily with mental trials, and by experiencing great hardships. Like Paul, missionaries today must endure much hardship and opposition—antagonistic nonmembers, self- and devil-imposed doubt and temptation, and even physical and financial hardships. And like Paul, missionaries today overcome and endure in the same way: by perseverance born of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

(33-5) 1 Thessalonians 4:3–5. What Does It Mean to Possess One’s Vessel in Sanctification and Honour?

The word vessel in this passage has been interpreted to mean “body.” Men and women are to control their bodies, to respect their bodies as temples of God, and to treat them with honor. They are not to use them as instruments for lustful self-gratification.

“To be sanctified is to become clean, pure, and spotless; to be freed from the blood and sins of the world; to become a new creature of the Holy Ghost, one whose body has been renewed by the rebirth of the Spirit. Sanctification is a state of saintliness, a state attained only by conformity to the laws and ordinances of the gospel. The plan of salvation is the system and means provided whereby men may sanctify their souls and thereby become worthy of a celestial inheritance.” (McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 675.)

(33-6) 1 Thessalonians 5:2. “For Yourselves Know Perfectly That the Day of the Lord So Cometh As a Thief in the Night”

“I do not know when he is going to come. No man knows. Even the angels of heaven are in the dark in regard to that great truth. [See Matthew 24:36, 37.] But this I know, that the signs that have been pointed out are here. The earth is full of calamity, of trouble. The hearts of men are failing them. We see the signs as we see the fig tree putting forth her leaves; and knowing this time is near, it behooves you, and all men upon the face of the earth, to pay heed to the words of Christ, to his apostles and watch, for we know not the day nor the hour. But I tell you this, it shall come as a thief in the night, when many of us will not be ready for it.” (Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 3:52–53.)

(33-7) 1 Thessalonians 5:12, 13. “Know Them Which Labour Among You, and Are over You in the Lord”

Members of the Church are to highly esteem the ecclesiastical leaders who preside over them. Criticism, faultfinding, backbiting, and gossip should be done away with; and an attitude of helpfulness, honest praise, kindness, and forbearance should prevail. This same respect and honor is to be given to all who labor to build up the kingdom. How is such honor for those who bear the priesthood to be obtained? For the men in the Church the following advice is of great value: “If you will honor the Holy Priesthood in yourself first, you will honor it in those who preside over you and in those who administer in the various callings throughout the Church.”

For the women of the Church, a corollary is equally true, according to President Smith: “If you will honor the Holy Priesthood in [your husbands and fathers and sons], you will honor [that priesthood and its callings] in those who preside over you and in those who administer in the various callings throughout the Church.” (Joseph F. Smith, as quoted in F. W. Otterstrom, “A Journey to the South,” Improvement Era, Dec. 1917, p. 106.)

(33-8) 1 Thessalonians 5:14. “Comfort the Feebleminded”

The word feebleminded is perhaps better written as “fainthearted.” The admonition is to comfort those who lack courage or resolution to live the gospel. (See McConkie, DNTC, 3:58.)

(33-9) 1 Thessalonians 5:19. “Quench Not the Spirit”

“In the true Church there will always be powerful manifestations of the Spirit of God. Inclinations to bridle and submerge these is of the world.” (McConkie, DNTC, 3:58.)

(33-10) 1 Thessalonians 5:26. What Does Paul Mean by the Expression “Greet All the Brethren with an Holy Kiss”?

This verse in the Inspired Version reads: “Greet all the brethren with a holy salutation.”

SECOND THESSALONIANS

(33-11) 2 Thessalonians 1:9. What Is “Everlasting Destruction”?

To experience everlasting destruction is to partake of spiritual death, “which is to be cast out of the presence of God and to die as pertaining to the things of righteousness.” (McConkie, DNTC, 3:61.)

(33-12) 2 Thessalonians 2:2. What Is the Meaning of “Nor by Letter As from Us”?

The Inspired Version reads: “That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled by letter, except ye receive it from us; neither by spirit, nor by word, as that the day of Christ is at hand.” (Emphasis added.)

(33-13) 2 Thessalonians 2:3. What Is the “Falling Away” Which Must First Take Place Before the Second Coming?

The Greek word Paul uses is apostasia, the word from which we derive the words apostasy, apostatize, and apostate. The literal meaning of the word is to revolt; but in secular Greek usage it meant political revolt or the changing of governmental forms. The passage in Thessalonians is a reference to the apostasy that was to occur before the Lord returns to the earth to rule and reign in majesty and power.

(33-14) 2 Thessalonians 2:3. Who Is “the Son of Perdition”?

Satan and those with him who rebelled against God in heaven and were cast out are known as sons of perdition. These rebellious spirits “chose evil by choice after having had the light. While dwelling in the presence of God they knowingly entered into their rebellion. Their mission on earth is to attempt to destroy the souls of men and make them miserable as they themselves are miserable.” (Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 2:219.) The word perdition is derived from the Latin perditus, meaning “to destroy,” and was a title given to Satan (D&C 76:26). Therefore, in this passage Paul refers to Satan.

(33-15) 2 Thessalonians 2:7. What Is the Mystery of Iniquity?

“The seemingly obscure expression, ‘he who now letteth will let,’ may be more readily understood by remembering that in the older style of English ‘let’ had the meaning of ‘restrain’ or ‘hinder.’ The passage therefore may be understood as a declaration that the spirit of iniquity was already active though restrained or hindered for a time; and that later even this restraint would be removed and the evil one would be in power. In the Revised Version of the New Testament this passage is rendered thus: ‘—lawlessness doth already work: only there is one that restraineth now, until he be taken out of the way.’

“Just who or what is referred to as exercising a restraint on the powers of iniquity at that time has given rise to discussion. Some writers hold that the presence of the apostles operated in this way, while others believe that the restraining power of the Roman government is referred to. It is known that the Roman policy was to discountenance religious contention, and to allow a large measure of liberty in forms of worship as long as the gods of Rome were not maligned nor their shrines dishonored. As Roman supremacy declined ‘the mystery of iniquity’ embodied in the apostate church operated practically without restraint.

“The expression ‘mystery of iniquity’ as used by Paul is significant. Prominent among the early perverters of the Christian faith were those who assailed its simplicity and lack of exclusiveness. This simplicity was so different from the mysteries of Judaism and the mysterious rites of heathen idolatry as to be disappointing to many; and the earliest changes in the Christian form of worship were marked by the introduction of mystic ceremonies.” (Talmage, The Great Apostasy, pp. 41–42.)

According to the Inspired Version, the statement “until he be taken out of the way” refers to Satan, who was and still is causing misery, unhappiness, and sin throughout the world. He will continue to do so until he is bound by the Lord at the beginning of the Millennium. (See McConkie, DNTC, 3:63.) The Inspired Version reads: “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work, and he it is who now worketh, and Christ suffereth him to work, until the time is fulfilled that he shall be taken out of the way.”

(33-16) 2 Thessalonians 2:9. Does Satan Have Power to Work Signs and Wonders?

Satan has great power to produce false signs and wonders. He has the ability to imitate the miracles of God—witness the efforts of the magicians in Pharaoh’s court when they imitated the miracles of Moses and Aaron (Exodus 7, 8). Satan has power over the elements. He is a master of deceit. He can appear as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). He is an orator. He has the gift of tongues. Many are the powers of Satan which he uses to lead men astray. Those spirits who followed Satan have these same capacities in lesser degrees (Revelation 16:14). In all this, “the power of the devil is limited; [and] the power of God is unlimited.” (Young, Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 68.)

(33-17) 2 Thessalonians 2:11. Does God Seek to Delude Men?

God does not attempt to delude men, for he is a God of truth and he cannot deceive (D&C 62:6; Deuteronomy 32:4). He does allow men to believe as they please. If they choose to accept untruth, he does not force them to think or do otherwise.

“. . . If man is to be rewarded for righteousness and punished for evil, then common justice demands that he be given the power of independent action. A knowledge of good and evil is essential to man’s progress on earth. If he were coerced to do right at all times, or were helplessly enticed to commit sin, he would merit neither a blessing for the first nor punishment for the second. . . .

“God is standing in the shadow of eternity, it seems to me, deploring the inevitable results of the follies, the transgressions and the sins of His wayward children, but we cannot blame Him for these any more than we can blame a father who might say to his son, ‘There are two roads, my son, one leading to the right, one leading to the left. If you take the one to the right it will lead you to success and to happiness. If you take the one to the left it will bring upon you misery and unhappiness and perhaps death, but you choose which you will. You must choose; I will not force either upon you.’ . . .” (McKay, Pathways to Happiness, pp. 90–91, 93.)

So Paul is suggesting that God allows men to be deluded because they “received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” (vs. 10.)

(33-18) 2 Thessalonians 3:6. Are We Really Supposed to Withdraw Our Fellowship “from Every Brother That Walketh Disorderly”?

“Enemies from within, traitors to the Cause, cultists who pervert the doctrines and practices which lead to salvation, often draw others away with them, and added souls lose their anticipated inheritance in the heavenly kingdom. When cultists and enemies become fixed in their opposition to the Church, and when they seek to convert others to their diverse positions, the course of wisdom is to avoid them, as Paul here directs, and to leave them in the Lord’s hands.” (McConkie, DNTC, 3:66.)

(33-19) 2 Thessalonians 3:8. What Is Meant by “Neither Did We Eat Any Man’s Bread for Nought”?

“Even Paul and his ministerial associates, who were in fact entitled to temporal help from the saints, chose to set an example of self-support. There are perils in a paid ministry.” (McConkie, DNTC, 3:67.)

(33-20) 2 Thessalonians 3:16. How May the Lord “Give You Peace Always”?

“The peace of Christ does not come by seeking the superficial things of life, neither does it come except as it springs from the individual’s heart. Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. . . .’ (John 14:27.) Thus the Son of Man, the executor of his own will and testament, gave to his disciples and to mankind the ‘first of all human blessings.’ It was a bequest conditioned upon obedience to the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is thus bequeathed to each individual. No man is at peace with himself, who transgresses the law of right either in dealing with himself by indulging in passion, in appetite, yielding to temptations against his accusing conscience, or in dealing with his fellow men, being untrue to their trust. Peace does not come to the transgressor of law; peace comes by obedience to law; and it is that message which Jesus would have us proclaim among men.” (David O. McKay in CR, Oct. 1938, p. 133.)

POINTS TO PONDER

IF YOU ARE PREPARED, YOU NEED NOT FEAR

(33-21) Those Who Follow the Prophets Need Not Fear

“My text today is from a revelation of the Lord to Joseph Smith, the Prophet, at a conference of the Church January 2, 1831, as follows: ‘. . . if ye are prepared ye shall not fear.’ (D&C 38:30.)

“In section 1 of the great Doctrine and Covenants, a volume of modern scripture, we read these words: ‘Prepare ye, prepare ye for that which is to come. . . .’ (D&C 1:12.) Further in this same revelation are these warning words: ‘. . . I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth . . .’ (D&C 1:17.)

“What are some of the calamities for which we are to prepare? In section 29 the Lord warns us of ‘a great hailstorm sent forth to destroy the crops of the earth.’ (D&C 29:16.) In section 45 we read of ‘an overflowing scourge; for a desolating sickness shall cover the land.’ (D&C 45:31.) In section 63 the Lord declares he has ‘decreed wars upon the face of the earth. . . .’ (D&C 63:33.)

“In Matthew, chapter 24, we learn of ‘famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes. . . .’ (Matt. 24:7.) The Lord declared that these and other calamities shall occur. These particular prophecies seem not to be conditional. The Lord, with his foreknowledge, knows that they will happen. Some will come about through man’s manipulations; others through the forces of nature and nature’s God, but that they will come seems certain. Prophecy is but history in reverse—a divine disclosure of future events.

“Yet, through all of this, the Lord Jesus Christ has said: ‘. . . if ye are prepared ye shall not fear.’ (D&C 38:30.)

“What, then, is the Lord’s way to help us prepare for these calamities? The answer is also found in section 1 of the Doctrine and Covenants, wherein he says:

“‘Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments:

“‘And also gave commandments to others. . . .’ (D&C 1:17–18.) He has also said: ‘Search these commandments, for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled.’ (D&C 1:37.)

“Here then is the key—look to the prophets for the words of God, that will show us how to prepare for the calamities which are to come. For the Lord, in that same section, states: ‘What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.’ (D&C 1:38.)

“Again, the Lord warned those who will reject the inspired words of his representatives, in these words: ‘. . . and the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people.’ (D&C 1:14.)” (Ezra Taft Benson in CR, Oct. 1973, p. 89.)

(33-22) Our Only Safety Is Obedience

“Now the only safety we have as members of this church is to do exactly what the Lord said to the Church in that day when the Church was organized. We must learn to give heed to the words and commandments that the Lord shall give through his prophet, ‘as he receiveth them, walking in all holiness before me; . . . as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith.’ (D&C 21:4–5.) There will be some things that take patience and faith. You may not like what comes from the authority of the Church. It may contradict your political views. It may contradict your social views. It may interfere with some of your social life. But if you listen to these things, as if from the mouth of the Lord himself, with patience and faith, the promise is that ‘the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; yea, and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his name’s glory.’ (D&C 21:6.)” (Harold B. Lee in CR, Oct. 1970, p. 152.)

(33-23) The Present-Day Welfare Program Is One Way to Be Prepared

“For the righteous the gospel provides a warning before a calamity, a program for the crises, a refuge for each disaster.

“The Lord has said that ‘the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven . . .’ (Mal. 4:1), but he assures us that ‘he that is tithed shall not be burned. . . .’ (D&C 64:23.)

“The Lord has warned us of famines, but the righteous will have listened to prophets and stored at least a year’s supply of survival food.

“The Lord has set loose the angels to reap down the earth (see Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, p. 251), but those who obey the Word of Wisdom along with the other commandments are assured ‘that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. . . .’ (D&C 89:21.)

“The Lord desires his Saints to be free and independent in the critical days ahead. But no man is truly free who is in financial bondage. ‘Think what you do when you run in debt,’ said Benjamin Franklin, ‘you give to another power over your liberty.’ ‘. . . pay thy debt and live . . .’ said Elisha. (2 Kings 4:7.) And in the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord says, ‘. . . it is my will that you shall pay all your debts.’ (D&C 104:78.) . . .

“From the standpoint of food production, storage, handling, and the Lord’s counsel, wheat should have high priority. Water, of course, is essential. Other basics could include honey or sugar, legumes, milk products or substitutes, and salt or its equivalent. The revelation to store food may be as essential to our temporal salvation today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah.

“President Harold B. Lee has wisely counseled that ‘Perhaps if we think not in terms of a year’s supply of what we ordinarily would use, and think more in terms of what it would take to keep us alive in case we didn’t have anything else to eat, that last would be very easy to put in storage for a year . . . just enough to keep us alive if we didn’t have anything else to eat. We wouldn’t get fat on it, but we would live: and if you think in terms of that kind of annual storage rather than a whole year’s supply of everything that you are accustomed to eat which, in most cases, is utterly impossible for the average family, I think we will come nearer to what President Clark advised us way back in 1937.’ (Welfare conference address, October 1, 1966.)

“There are blessings in being close to the soil, in raising your own food, even if it is only a garden in your yard and/or a fruit tree or two. Man’s material wealth basically springs from the land and other natural resources. Combined with his human energy and multiplied by his tools, this wealth is assured and expanded through freedom and righteousness. Those families will be fortunate who, in the last days, have an adequate supply of each of these particulars.” (Ezra Taft Benson in CR, Oct. 1973, pp 90–91.)

34
“THAT YOUR FAITH SHOULD NOT STAND IN THE WISDOM OF MEN”

THEME

Latter-day Saints should put their trust in God rather than rely totally on the wisdom of men.

INTERPRETIVE COMMENTARY

(34-1) Acts 18:23; 20:38. Background to Paul’s Third Missionary Journey

Paul’s third missionary journey is the longest of the three, both in terms of time spent (four years) and distance covered. Although much of Paul’s time was occupied with visits to places covered in the first two journeys, Ephesus became his headquarters for three years. It was during this period that we get our finest picture of Paul, for we see him as a theologian, preacher, writer, and faithful servant of Jesus Christ, not only by means of Luke’s brilliant account but also through Paul’s four letters: two to the Corinthians, one to the Romans, and the one to the Galatians. One of Paul’s prime concerns on the third journey was to collect funds for the poor in Jerusalem. (See center map section for an outline of the third missionary journey.)

(34-2) Acts 21:9. Can Women Prophesy?

“Though men are appointed to hold rule in the home and in the Church, women are not one whit behind them in spiritual endowments. They prophesy, receive visions, entertain angels (Alma 32:23), enjoy the gifts of the Spirit, and qualify with their husbands for full exaltation in the highest heaven.” (McConkie, DNTC, 2:181.)

(34-3) Acts 21:10–14. Should Paul Have Come to Jerusalem When Warned Against It?

“Should Paul have gone to Jerusalem? Did the journey accord with the will and purposes of the Lord?

“Whatever the answers to these questions may be, it is clear that Paul was forewarned of the persecutions and trials that would attend such a journey. He had received whisperings from the Spirit saying that bonds and afflictions awaited him in Jerusalem (Acts 20:22–24). Now . . . Agabus, apparently learning of Paul’s determination to face persecution and even death in Jerusalem, comes and tells him in the Lord’s name that in Jerusalem he will be bound by the Jews and delivered to the Gentiles.

“However, out of his journey to Jerusalem came the arrest which enabled him, while in Roman custody, to testify before the Jews of Jerusalem, before Festus and then Agrippa, on the island of Melita, and in Rome itself. To take the witness of Christ to kings and rulers, it oftentimes seems to require the arrest and trial of the Lord’s servants. Surely Paul’s trip to Jerusalem tested his metal and ennobled his soul, and because of it, he gained opportunities to stand in defense of truth and righteousness, which otherwise would have been denied him.” (McConkie, DNTC, 2:181.)

FIRST CORINTHIANS

(34-4) Why Did Paul Write to the Corinthians, and What Was the Approximate Date of Writing?

“One of the fascinating subjects in the life of the apostle is the exchange of communications and news between him and his converts in Corinth. The communications revealed that there were factions forming in the branch with different views regarding moral conduct and doctrine. Some of the converts were assuming a libertine or freethinking attitude with respect to the doctrines which had been taught to them by Paul and the missionaries who worked with him. Some were defending loose sexual standards that were rampant in the notorious city. These problems came into being because of the background of the new converts and the conditions of the time and place in which they were living. They were reactions to the new faith which had been taught to them against the old background which had been part of their former conduct and thinking.

“It was his concern over these disappointing happenings and also the questions that had been asked of him in the communications that caused Paul to write a letter to the saints at Corinth at Easter time, the anniversary of the resurrection of Jesus.” (Howard W. Hunter in CR, Apr. 1969, p. 136.)

In addition to rebuking the Corinthians for their loose manner of living, Paul wrote for at least two other reasons: (1) to correct certain misapprehensions which had arisen from a former letter, now lost, and (2) to answer certain questions posed by the Corinthians in their return letter, also lost. Unfortunately we can only surmise from Paul’s comments in First Corinthians as to the contents of his first letter or the reply thereto (1 Corinthians 7:1). We are thus in much the same position as one who has found an old letter: we are privileged to read only one side of the correspondence and must guess what the questions and issues were that prompted the reply given.

As with Paul’s other epistles, so with First Corinthians: no precise date can be placed upon it. However, Paul’s reference to tarrying at Ephesus “until Pentecost” (i.e., April–May) and his expressed expectation to “winter” with the saints in Corinth (1 Corinthians 16:6–8) seems to indicate that the epistle was written some time in the early spring. Putting these statements together with what else is known concerning Paul’s life, we may tentatively assign a date of sometime during March or April of the year A.D. 57.

(34-5) 1 Corinthians 1:14. Who Was Crispus?

Where the size of a congregation permitted, the Jewish synagogue was presided over by a college of elders (Luke 7:3), who in turn were under control of one who was “the chief of the synagogue” (Luke 8:41; 13:14). Crispus was one of these. He was in charge of the synagogue in Corinth at the time that Paul ministered the gospel in that city. He was converted by Paul’s words and shortly thereafter baptized, with his household, by the great apostle to the gentiles. Paul mentions him specifically as being one of the few he baptized in Corinth.

(34-6) 1 Corinthians 1:17. Why Does Paul Say That the Lord Sent Him Not to Baptize?

Some have used this scripture passage to support the notion that Paul saw no real significance to the act of baptism and did not consider it to be essential in God’s sight. To argue thus is to ignore the many other passages in which Paul speaks of the ordinance not only in an approving way but in a manner to suggest its absolute necessity for all who would enjoy a valid relationship with Christ. (See Romans 6:3, 4; Ephesians 4, 5; Galatians 3:27; Colossians 2:12.) The context in which Paul’s statement appears is that of chastising the Corinthian saints for their tendency to stir up division and strife, even on the smallest of issues. He begs them to cease such practices and to be “joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (1 Corinthians 1:10.) The Greek word for divisions, schismata, is very expressive of Paul’s true feelings. It was as if the great apostle was so thoroughly ashamed of such factionalism that he refused to be identified with it. The test of one’s effectiveness as a representative of Jesus Christ is not how many he baptizes but how well he spreads the word of God so that all who will hear and obey may do so.

(34-7) 1 Corinthians 1:23. Why Was the Crucifixion of Jesus a Stumblingblock to the Jews?

In setting forth the idea that the crucifixion was a “stumblingblock” to the Jews, Paul used a metaphor common to both Greeks and Hebrews. The word in the original Greek is skandalon, the same from which we derive our word scandal. The skandalon was the movable triggerstick of a trap or snare which, when struck by the foot, caused the striker to be caught by the trap. It is often used in the New Testament as a symbol of Christ because his appearance and brief sojourn among men was so different from that which the Jews anticipated. They expected a mighty king of glory who would throw off the hated yoke of Rome in one miraculous stroke and establish a messianic kingdom in which faithful Jews would reign supreme. As far as many of the Jews were concerned, Jesus was nailed to a cross just as hundreds of others had been. This was indeed the triggerstick that caused them to stumble and fall into the trap. The prophet Jacob in the Book of Mormon also spoke of this stumbling (Jacob 4:14, 15).

(34-8) 1 Corinthians 1:26–31. “God Hath Chosen the Weak Things of the World to Confound the Things Which Are Mighty”

“Question: Who is better qualified to preach the gospel, a fifty-year-old college president of world renown who has many scholastic degrees, or a nineteen-year-old high school graduate who has no scholastic stature whatever?

“Answer: The one who has a testimony of the gospel and who is so living as to have the companionship and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

“Question: How is it that the weak things of the earth confound the mighty and strong?

“Answer: True religion is not a matter of intellectuality or of worldly prominence or renown, but of spirituality; and they are not weak but strong in the realm of spiritual things.

“Question: How is it that weak and untried persons have spiritual powers and understanding which is often denied the learned and worldly wise?

“Answer: It is in large measure a matter of pre-existent preparation. Some people developed in the pre-mortal life the talents to recognize truth, to comprehend spiritual things, to receive revelation from the Spirit; others did not. Those so endowed spiritually were foreordained and sent to earth to serve at God’s command as his ministers.” (McConkie, DNTC, 2:316–17.)

(34-9) 1 Corinthians 1:28. Why Would God Choose the “Base Things of the World” to Do His Work?

Here is an example of how words can change through the centuries by acquiring a meaning almost opposite to that which they originally conveyed. In the English of the 1600s, base meant “lowly” or “humble,” whereas today it carries with it the idea of “lewd and evil.”

(34-10) 1 Corinthians 2:1–8. “My Speech and My Preaching Was Not with Enticing Words of Man’s Wisdom”

“There was of old, there is now, and to all eternity there shall be only one approved and proper way to preach the gospel—Preach by the power of the Spirit. Anything short of this is not of God and has neither converting nor saving power. All the religious learning, of all the professors of religion, of all the ages is as nothing compared to the Spirit-born testimony of one legal administrator. . . .

“If there is any truth of salvation that Deity has made imperishably clear, it is the first and last, in all ages, now and forever, among the learned and the ignorant for all races and peoples, and for that matter on all the endless worlds of the great Creator, there is one formula and one formula only for conveying saving truth to men—Preach by the power of the Spirit.” (McConkie, DNTC, 2:318.)

POINTS TO PONDER

ONLY AS WE PUT OUR FULL TRUST IN GOD WILL WE FIND ULTIMATE HAPPINESS

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“THIS DO IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME”

THEME

To worthily partake of the sacrament, we must strive to forsake all wickedness and live a Christlike life.

INTERPRETIVE COMMENTARY

(35-1) 1 Corinthians 4:16. “Be Ye Followers of Me”

To some, Paul’s counsel may seem prideful and arrogant, but it is not. In at least eleven cases, the King James translation uses the word follow or followers as equivalent to the Greek words for “imitate” or “imitators.” With the New Testament as yet unwritten and the Christlike ideal as yet imperfectly understood, the Corinthians needed a living pattern. Paul wanted no disciples of his own for his personal sake and glory. His urging was simply, “Follow me, for I follow Christ.”

(35-2) 1 Corinthians 5:1, 11. Did Paul Use the Word Fornication As We Use It Today?

In today’s modern world, and in the Church as well, fornication has taken on a more technical meaning than it had during the time of the King James translation. Today it is defined as sexual intercourse between unmarried people. But the word which Paul used is porneia (the root word for our pornography) and meant any extramarital intercourse. Perhaps it might be well to point out here that Corinth had a worldwide reputation in the ancient world for its immorality. It was located very close to two major ports and therefore subject to many of the vices and evils which accompany centers of commerce and trade. In addition, Corinth was the site of the famous temple of Aphrodite (Venus), the goddess of love, where there were a thousand “priestesses.” They were actually nothing more than prostitutes glorified by the cloak of religious worship. Anciently, Corinth’s reputation was such that to “Corinthianize” meant to engage in reckless debauchery, and Corinthians were usually portrayed on the stage as drunkards. Even in modern English a person is sometimes called a Corinthian, meaning that he is given totally over to licentious desires. It is not surprising, then, that in this and the following chapter, Paul sharply condemns immorality and the lusts of the flesh.

“Apparently a member of the Church in Corinth had married his stepmother, either because she was a widow or had been separated from her prior husband. Such marriages were forbidden by the Mosaic code under penalty of excommunication. (Lev. 18:6–8, 29.) Paul endorses the Mosaic prohibition, describes the intimacies resulting from such unions as fornication, condemns his Corinthian brethren for winking at the offense, and directs the excommunication of the offender. If the sinner were left in the Church, Paul reasons, his influence, as leaven, would spread throughout the whole Church. The Church must, therefore, purge out this old leaven of wickedness and replace it with a new influence or leaven of righteousness.” (McConkie, DNTC, 2:335.)

(35-3) 1 Corinthians 6:2, 3. “Know Ye Not That We Shall Judge Angels?”

“The man who passes through this probation, and is faithful, being redeemed from sin by the blood of Christ, through the ordinances of the gospel, and attains to exaltation in the kingdom of God, is not less but greater than the angels, and if you doubt it, read your Bible, for there it is written that the Saints shall ‘judge angels,’ and also they shall ‘judge the world.’ And why? Because the resurrected, righteous man has progressed beyond the pre-existent or disembodied spirits, and has risen above them, having both spirit and body as Christ has, having gained the victory over death and the grave, and having power over sin and Satan; in fact, having passed from the condition of the angels to that of a God. He possesses keys of power, dominion and glory that the angel does not possess—and cannot possess without gaining them in the same way that he gained them, which will be by passing through the same ordeals and proving equally faithful.” (Smith, Gospel Doctrine, pp. 18–19.)

(35-5) 1 Corinthians 7:7. Was the Apostle Paul a Married Man?

It is possible that Paul, who had once been married, was a widower at the time of his writing of First Corinthians. His heart was thoroughly set on missionary work, and thus he might have chosen not to remarry. Hence his counsel to those in similar circumstances was “I would that all men were even as I myself.”

Aside from the fact that marriage is an eternal command of God, which Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, would know as well as anyone, there are some other compelling reasons why the answer to the question Was Paul married? should be yes.

In the first place, Paul’s writings indicate a positive attitude toward marriage. Some of the finest counsel given in scripture on the subject comes to us from Paul (Ephesians 5:21–6:4; Colossians 3:8–21). It would be presumptive indeed for Paul to give such counsel if he had not obeyed the law of God himself.

In 1 Corinthians 9:5 Paul argues that apostles have as much right to marry as anyone else, “Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?” But marriage is more than a right; it is a solemn duty. Hence Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11:11: “Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.” The need for all to marry if they would find approval “in the Lord” is thus undisputed.

Faithful Jews regarded marriage as a religious obligation and a condition of extraordinary importance. It was the custom for Jewish men and women to marry at an early age, generally between sixteen and eighteen but sometimes as early as fourteen. Paul, a strict Pharisee (Acts 26:5) was “taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God” (Acts 22:3), as faithful Jews were enjoined to be. Thus “there would seem to be no good reason . . . why Paul, a trained and ardent Pharisee, should fail to honor an obligation esteemed so sacred in the eyes of his people.” (Sperry, Paul’s Life and Letters, p. 9.) When a list of 613 precepts contained in the law of Moses was first drawn up, marriage was listed as number one. If Paul “lived unmarried as a Jerusalem Pharisee, his case was entirely exceptional.” (Farrar, The Life and Work of St. Paul, p. 46.)

Most scholars acknowledge that Paul was either a member of the Jewish ruling body, the Sanhedrin, or a close associate thereof (Acts 8:3; 9:1, 2; 22:5; 26:10). If he were indeed a member of the Sanhedrin, Paul would have been expected to be in compliance with the special requirements for membership in the body, one of which was marriage. If he were not a member, Paul would still, as an official representative of the ruling group, be expected to be in harmony with all accepted Jewish customs. Only such a condition would prevent his being charged with advocating obedience to laws with which he himself was not in strict compliance.

What, then, of those who contend that Paul was unmarried and taught others to be likewise? The passage cited as evidence is 1 Corinthians 7:7, 8 wherein Paul says: “For I would that all men were even as I myself. . . . I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.” Elder Spencer W. Kimball has commented on this passage as follows: “Taking such statements in conjunction with others [Paul] made it is clear that he is not talking about celibacy, but is urging the normal and controlled sex living in marriage and total continence outside marriage. (There is no real evidence that Paul was never married, as some students claim, and there are in fact indications to the contrary.)” (Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 64.)

(35-6) 1 Corinthians 7:9. What Did Paul Mean by “It Is Better to Marry Than to Burn”?

The meaning of Paul’s counsel is not entirely clear. The Greek word which the King James translators have rendered burn is a passive infinitive used to convey the idea of being inflamed with passion, lust, or anger. The Prophet Joseph Smith’s inspired account is even more explicit than the King James: “But if they cannot abide, let them marry; for it is better to marry than that any should commit sin.”

(35-7) 1 Corinthians 7:14. What Is the Interpretation of This Verse As Given in Latter-day Revelation?

Read D&C 74:2–7.

Paul is referring here to marriages where the husband or wife has converted to Christianity but the other partner has not. Though in this context “unbelieving” refers to Jewish parents who wanted to continue circumcising their children, the principle of spiritual damage to children from such marriages holds true in all generations. When a man or woman who are faithful members of the church marry those without a strong testimony of the gospel, not only is the marriage itself endangered but the spiritual training of the children will be severely limited. A child needs the spiritual testimony and training of both parents without conflict or schism.

(35-8) 1 Corinthians 7:25–40. Paul’s Views on Marriage in Light of the Inspired Version

Clearly Paul is here wrestling with difficult problems presented to him by the Corinthian saints. On some things he can reply authoritatively; on others he renders a personal judgment. Verses 25–40 deal with special questions to those involved in missionary or other priesthood service requiring absence from home for prolonged periods. Carefully compare the following changes as found in Joseph Smith’s Inspired Version with your King James translation.

26 I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, for a man so to remain that he may do greater good.

28 But if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless, such shall have trouble in the flesh. For I spare you not.

29 But I speak unto you who are called unto the ministry. For this I say, brethren, the time that remaineth is but short, that ye shall be sent forth unto the ministry. Even they who have wives, shall be as though they had none; for ye are called and chosen to do the Lord’s work.

30 And it shall not be with them who weep, as though they wept not; and them who rejoice, as though they rejoiced not, and them who buy, as though they possessed not;

31 And them who use this world, as not using it; for the fashion of this world passeth away.

32 But I would, brethren, that ye magnify your calling. I would have you without carefulness. For he who is unmarried, careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord; therefore he prevaileth.

33 But he who is married, careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife; therefore there is a difference, for he is hindered.

36 But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin whom he hath espoused, if she pass the flower of age, and need so require, let him do what he hath promised, he sinneth not; let them marry.

38 So then he that giveth himself in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth himself not in marriage doeth better.

“It is clear from the Inspired Version corrections and additions that ministerial service of a missionary nature was involved, and the main questions seemed to be: Should engaged persons who are called on missions marry first, or go out on the Lord’s errand while single? And if they should serve while single, should certain ones who were already married, receive divorces prior to such service?

“In our day when an elder who is engaged to be married is called on a mission, more often than not he fulfills his mission prior to his marriage; occasionally he marries first and leaves his wife for the assigned period of ministerial service. In the earlier days of this dispensation recently married brethren were frequently called to leave their wives and perform missionary service. Obviously the same rule need not and should not apply in every case. A host of personal circumstances and situations are always involved. Ordinarily, and Paul specified this as his opinion, marriage should be deferred.” (McConkie, DNTC, 2:346–47.)

(35-9) 1 Corinthians 7:32. What Does Paul Mean by “I Would Have You Without Carefulness”?

A similar expression is found in Philippians 4:6 in which Paul is represented as saying, “Be careful for nothing.” It means “Have no anxiety about anything.” Paul was in fact counseling his readers to refrain from anxieties and tensions rather than from carefulness as we know it today.

(35-10) 1 Corinthians 8:5. Does the Phrase “Gods Many and Lords Many” Have Reference to Heathen Gods?

“Paul says there are Gods many and Lords many. I want to set it forth in a plain and simple manner; but to us there is but one God—that is pertaining to us; and he is in all and through all. . . .

“. . . You know and I testify that Paul had no allusion to the heathen gods. I have it from God, and get over it if you can. I have a witness of the Holy Ghost, and a testimony that Paul had no allusion to the heathen gods in the text.” (Smith, Teachings, pp. 370–71.)

(35-11) 1 Corinthians 9:1. Was Paul an Ordained Apostle, and If So, by Whom?

“We are extremely lacking in information in relation to many important details that failed to seep through the ages to our day, and we are left in darkness to know when and where Paul was ordained. . . .

“. . . The fact may be correctly surmised that Paul did find time to mingle with his brethren [of the Twelve] and that through the divine inspiration the apostleship was conferred on him by their action. . . . We have no reason to believe that Paul received his ordination independent of the action of the other apostles.” (Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, 4:99–100.)

(35-12) 1 Corinthians 9:22. “I Am Made All Things to All Men”

“Paul here says he made himself all things to all men in an effort to get them to accept the gospel message; that is, he adapted himself to the conditions and circumstances of all classes of people, as a means of getting them to pay attention to his teachings and testimony. And then, lest any suppose this included the acceptance of their false doctrines or practices, or that it in any way involved a compromise between the gospel and false systems of worship, he hastened to add that he and all men must obey the gospel law to be saved.” (McConkie, DNTC, 2:353.)

(35-13) 1 Corinthians 10:24. “Let No Man Seek His Own, but Every Man Another’s Wealth”

The word wealth as used in the days of the King James translators conveyed not only the idea of riches but of well-being and welfare. Unless we understand this, the statement quoted above seems to be an open invitation to robbery and theft. Far from that, Paul was really inviting his readers to acts of true Christian charity. The Inspired Version renders it thus: “Let not man therefore seek his own, but every man another’s good.”

(35-14) 1 Corinthians 10:25. What Did Paul Mean When He Said the Saints Could Eat That Which Is Sold in the Shambles?

Paul’s meaning becomes clear when it is understood that the word shambles meant “meat market” in Paul’s day. Very often when sacrificing animals to pagan gods, only a portion of the carcass was required; the rest could be, and often was, sold to the local butcher for resale to the poorer class. There would be, of course, no way for a Christian to know whether the meat offered for sale came from animals slaughtered for food or for temple sacrifices. Some of Paul’s converts were anxious about keeping the letter of the law and refused to buy anything from the local markets. Paul indicates that such scrupulousness is uncalled for. One can keep the letter of the law and still violate its spirit if he provides, by his example, an excuse for a weaker brother to sin (1 Corinthians 8). On the other hand, one can keep the law so precisely as to the written letter that he moves to a Pharisaical extreme and forgets the very purpose for which the law was given in the first place.

(35-15) 1 Corinthians 11:11. “Neither Is the Man Without the Woman, Neither the Woman Without the Man, in the Lord”

“The house of the Lord is a house of order and not a house of confusion; and that means that the man is not without the woman in the Lord, neither is the woman without the man in the Lord; and that no man can be saved and exalted in the kingdom of God without the woman, and no woman can reach the perfection and exaltation in the kingdom of God alone. That is what it means. God instituted marriage in the beginning. He made man in his own image and likeness, male and female, and in their creation it was designed that they should be united together in sacred bonds of marriage, and one is not perfect without the other. Furthermore, it means that there is no union for time and eternity that can be perfected outside of the law of God, and the order of his house. Men may desire it, they may go through the form of it, in this life, but it will be of no effect except it be done and sanctioned by divine authority, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.” (Smith, Gospel Doctrine, p. 272.)

POINTS TO PONDER

THE BLESSINGS OF THE SACRAMENT COME TO THOSE WHO ARE PREPARED

(35-16) How Pure Must We Be to Be Like the Lord?

Read these passages and consider the questions.

Matthew 17:2

Compare 3 Nephi 19:25. What radiated from Jesus to the Nephite disciples who were praying to him? What words are used to describe the glory of Jesus? Why do you think that Jesus was able to have that glory in and around him?

2 Corinthians 7:1

Paul says we must rid ourselves of all filthiness. What does the word all mean? How strict is the standard of holiness in the presence of God? Compare 3 Nephi 27:19. How many sins must a man repent of before he may be permitted to enter into the presence of God?

Helaman 13:38

The first part of this verse does not apply to you, of course. But how total and complete is the righteousness of God? What will lead to real happiness? Compare Romans 12:1, 2. How soon should people try to repent of all in their lives that may offend God?

Alma 11:37

Can a person be saved if he has not repented of all his sins? Again, what does the word all mean? What must a man do to get into the kingdom of heaven?

The Prophet Joseph Smith said, “If a man gets a fullness [of the blessings] of the priesthood of God he has to get it in the same way that Jesus Christ obtained it, and that was by keeping all the commandments and obeying all the ordinances of the house of the Lord.” (Teachings, p. 308. Italics added.) Can you get that fulness in any other way? Is it a commandment of God that you become pure just as he is pure, and that you be separate from the wickedness of the world? Do you think God would make it possible for you to do that? Read Philippians 4:13. Compare 1 Nephi 3:7. Then read D&C 93:11–20.

Christ, of course, was always pure. But even then, did Jesus receive a fulness of the Father’s glory and power all at once? Why do you think the Lord wants you to understand the process by which he overcame the world and received a fulness of the glory and power of the Father? What does the word fulness mean? Would the Lord give that glory and power to you if you were not fully prepared and worthy to receive it?

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught this: “When you climb a ladder, you must begin at the bottom, and ascend step by step, until you arrive at the top; and so it is with the principles of the Gospel—you must begin at the first, and go on until you learn all the principles of exaltation. But it will be a great while after you have passed through the veil before you will have learned them [all].” (Teachings, p. 348.) In this statement the Prophet is not talking about repentance. He is saying that our obligation is to strive to live by and obey all the truth we receive in this world, but that we will not receive all truth in this world.

Do you think the Lord will excuse you if you do not try to be as perfect in this world as it is possible to be? Elder Joseph Fielding Smith has said this: “Here we lay the foundation. . . . It is our duty to be better today than we were yesterday, and better tomorrow than we are today. Why? Because we are on that road . . . to perfection, and that can only come through obedience and the desire in our hearts to overcome the world.” (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:18–19.)

(35-17) What Is Involved in the Sacrament?

Before you can meaningfully participate in the sacrament, you need to know something of what is involved and how you can prepare during the week. Consider each of these points in turn.

For four thousand years, from Adam to Christ, God commanded his people to offer sacrifice. Those who were obedient offered the firstlings of the flock, animals without spot or blemish as a figure of the innocence and purity of Christ, who himself would die as a sacrifice for the sins of those who repent. Those who offered sacrifice before the birth of Christ looked forward. We must look backward. That is the only real difference. It is inconceivable that God would ever accept ancient sacrifices if those who offered them were not sincere and truly repentant. It would be as though they offered up their sacrifices in vain.

The ordinance of the sacrament has many elements and conditions of sacrifice.

Read these scriptures about the sacrament and answer the questions that follow:

1 Corinthians 11:23–30

D&C 46:4

3 Nephi 18:28–32

How serious a matter is it for someone to presume to enjoy the benefits of the sacrament when he does not offer up a broken heart, a contrite spirit, and genuine sorrow for the sins and weaknesses he should be struggling to overcome?

(35-18) How Can You Prepare?

There is a way that you can prepare during the week to partake of the sacrament, for God would never issue such strict commands about the sacrament without providing a way for the commands to be obeyed. (See 1 Nephi 3:7.)

The process is outlined here:

• 2 Corinthians 13:5. Make a list of your most serious sins and temptations. This should not be done in a class or in public. It is a private matter between you and the Lord.
• Next, classify the things you have written on your list. Rank them in order of seriousness or difficulty. You can enjoy the blessings of the Spirit of God only according to the level of your most serious unrepented personal sin. So if you start working on less serious matters first, you still will not receive the blessings you desire. Sometimes men will repent of less serious matters, outward things, and then complain that they do not feel any more spiritual, when, in reality, they should start with the most serious sin or temptation in their life. Can you see why it is necessary that you work on the most serious or difficult first?
• 3 Nephi 12:23, 24. If there are some things on your list that need to be discussed with your bishop, or if there are those whom you may have offended, what must you do? And after you have done that, what promise does the Lord make to you, in verse 24? (Compare Matthew 5:23, 24.)
• Treat each day as a stewardship. In your morning prayers, plead with the Lord to help you overcome that most serious problem. Report to him each night. And as you strive to overcome it, continue to pray for forgiveness for past mistakes.
• D&C 59:9, 11, 12. How would this process prepare you to participate in the sacrament on Sunday? Would renewing your covenants be more meaningful if you prepared in this way?
• Ether 12:27. There is a great power that comes from Christ to a man who is trying to overcome sin and weaknesses. Without that power man could never overcome the world; but with it, weaknesses can be overcome and replaced by strengths. Why does the Lord give you an understanding of your weaknesses? When you feel that you have conquered your most serious problem, seek the Lord’s witness. He has ways to let you know if you have really mastered your most serious sin. President Harold B. Lee taught this:

“The most important of all the commandments of God is that one that you’re having the most difficulty keeping today. If it’s one of dishonesty, if it’s one of unchastity, if it’s one of falsifying, not telling the truth, today is the day for you to work on that until you’ve been able to conquer that weakness. Then you start on the next one that’s most difficult for you to keep.” (Church News, 5 May 1973, p. 3.)

The biggest problem that you will have as you try to overcome your weaknesses is that Satan will try to discourage you. But if you make up your mind to do it, if you “search diligently, pray always, and be believing, [then] all things shall work together for your good, if ye walk uprightly and remember the covenant.” (D&C 90:24.)

SINCERE EFFORT IS REWARDED WITH HEAVENLY POWERS

36
“COVET EARNESTLY THE BEST GIFTS”

THEME

The Lord gives us gifts of the Spirit so we may bless, encourage, and strengthen one another in love.

INTERPRETIVE COMMENTARY

(36-1) 1 Corinthians 12:3. “No Man Can Say That Jesus Is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost”

Men may say things without the aid of the Holy Ghost, but they may not be assured of eternal truths without the influence of that member of the Godhead. The Prophet Joseph Smith said that 1 Corinthians 12:3 should be translated “no man can know that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.” (Teachings, p. 223. Italics added.)

(36-2) 1 Corinthians 13:1–13. Paul’s Teachings on Charity—Some Further Insights

Charity, of course, is here being used in the sense of the pure love of Christ (Moroni 7:47) and not in the sense of the giving of money or services to those in need. Some of the Old English words obscure the vividness of Paul’s beautiful language here. The following are some helps in that regard:

(36-3) 1 Corinthians 14:1–22. Are All the Gifts of the Spirit Observable like the Gift of Tongues?

“There are several gifts mentioned here, yet which of them all could be known by an observer at the imposition of hands?

“The word of wisdom, and the word of knowledge, are as much gifts as any other, yet if a person possessed both of these gifts, or received them by the imposition of hands, who would know it? Another might receive the gift of faith, and they would be as ignorant of it. Or suppose a man had the gift of healing or power to work miracles, that would not then be known; it would require time and circumstances to call these gifts into operation. Suppose a man had the discerning of spirits, who would be the wiser of it? Or if he had the interpretation of tongues, unless someone spoke in an unknown tongue, he of course would have to be silent; there are only two gifts that could be made visible—the gift of tongues and the gift of prophecy. . . .

“The greatest, the best, and the most useful gifts would be known nothing about by an observer. It is true that a man might prophesy, which is a great gift, and one that Paul told the people—the Church—to seek after and to covet, rather than to speak in tongues; but what does the world know about prophesying? Paul says that it ‘serveth only to those that believe.’ But does not the Scriptures say that they spake in tongues and prophesied? Yes; but who is it that writes these Scriptures? Not the men of the world or mere casual observers, but the Apostles—men who knew one gift from another, and of course were capable of writing about it. . . .” (Smith, Teachings, p. 246.)

(36-4) 1 Corinthians 14:26–40. What Are Some Things We Should Know in Relation to Speaking in Tongues?

The Prophet Joseph Smith had a great deal to say on the subject of tongues. The following excerpts help to summarize his counsel in relation to this subject:

The Devil Also Speaks in Tongues

“Speak not in the gift of tongues without understanding it, or without interpretation. The devil can speak in tongues; the adversary will come with his work; he can tempt all classes; can speak in English or Dutch. Let no one speak in tongues unless he interpret, except by the consent of the one who is placed to preside; then he may discern or interpret, or another may.” (Teachings, p. 162.)

There Is a Specific Purpose for the Gift of Tongues

“. . . the gift of tongues by the power of the Holy Ghost in the Church, is for the benefit of the servants of God to preach to unbelievers, as on the day of Pentecost. When devout men from every nation shall assemble to hear the things of God, let the Elders preach to them in their own mother tongue, whether it is German, French, Spanish or Irish, or any other, and let those interpret who understand the language spoken, in their own mother tongue, and this is what the Apostle meant in First Corinthians 14:27.” (Teachings, p. 195.)

There Are Definite Cautions About the Gift of Tongues

“Be not so curious about tongues, do not speak in tongues except there be an interpreter present; the ultimate design of tongues is to speak to foreigners, and if persons are very anxious to display their intelligence, let them speak to such in their own tongues. The gifts of God are all useful in their place, but when they are applied to that which God does not intend, they prove an injury, a snare and a curse instead of a blessing.” (Teachings, pp. 247–48.)

“If you have a matter to reveal, let it be in your own tongue; do not indulge too much in the exercise of the gift of tongues, or the devil will take advantage of the innocent and unwary. You may speak in tongues for your own comfort, but I lay this down for a rule, that if anything is taught by the gift of tongues, it is not to be received for doctrine.” (Teachings, p. 229.)

(36-5) 1 Corinthians 14:34, 35. Should Women Keep Silent in Church?

In both of these verses, Joseph Smith changed the word speak to rule in the Inspired Version. Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote:

“May women speak in Church? Yes, in the sense of teaching, counseling, testifying, exhorting, and the like; no, in the sense of assuming rule over the Church as such, and in attempting to give direction as to how God’s affairs on earth shall be regulated: ‘A woman has no right to found or organize a church—God never sent them to do it.’ (Teachings, p. 212.) Paul is here telling the sisters they are subject to the priesthood, that it is not their province to rule and reign, that the bishop’s wife is not the bishop.” (DNTC, 2:387–88.)

(36-6) 1 Corinthians 15:29. “Else What Shall They Do Which Are Baptized for the Dead?”

“Every man that has been baptized and belongs to the kingdom has a right to be baptized for those who have gone before; and as soon as the law of the Gospel is obeyed here by their friends who act as proxy for them, the Lord has administrators there to set them free. A man may act as proxy for his own relatives; the ordinances of the Gospel which were laid out before the foundations of the world have thus been fulfilled by them, and we may be baptized for those whom we have much friendship for; but it must first be revealed to the man of God, lest we should run too far.” (Teachings, p. 367.)

(36-7) 1 Corinthians 15:33. “Evil Communications Corrupt Good Manners”

The word communications as used here does not mean corrupt, degrading language or talk; it means companionships or associations. The Greek word, here translated communications, refers to the length and breadth of social interaction, of which clean speech and uplifting language are but a small part. Far more than good manners are at stake; one’s basic character patterns or ethical choices are also involved. Paul was simply saying that one’s standards are often determined by the company he keeps.

(36-8) 1 Corinthians 15:44–49. “It Is Raised a Spiritual Body”

“‘And the spirit and the body are the soul of man.

“‘And the resurrection from the dead is the redemption of the soul.’ (D&C 88:15–16.)

“There is a separation of the spirit and the body at the time of death. The resurrection will again unite the spirit with the body, and the body becomes a spiritual body, one of flesh and bones but quickened by the spirit instead of blood. Thus, our bodies after the resurrection, quickened by the spirit, shall become immortal and never die. This is the meaning of the statements of Paul that ‘there is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body’ and ‘that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.’ The natural body is flesh and blood, but quickened by the spirit instead of blood, it can and will enter the kingdom.” (Howard W. Hunter in CR, Apr. 1969, p. 138.)

(36-9) 1 Corinthians 15:45. “The Last Adam Was Made a Quickening Spirit”

“An immortal soul or person, consisting of a resurrected body housing an eternal spirit everlastingly. It is Christ, as a quickening spirit, who ‘quickeneth all things,’ thus bringing to pass ‘the redemption of the soul.’ (D. & C. 88:17.)” (McConkie, DNTC, 2:402.)

(36-10) 1 Corinthians 15:50. “Flesh and Blood Cannot Inherit the Kingdom of God”

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught the following concerning resurrected bodies:

1. “God Almighty Himself dwells in eternal fire; flesh and blood cannot go there, for all corruption is devoured by the fire. . . . When our flesh is quickened by the Spirit, there will be no blood in this tabernacle.” (Teachings, p. 367.)
2. “Flesh and blood cannot go there [i.e., into God’s presence]; but flesh and bones, quickened by the Spirit of God, can.” (Teachings, p. 326.)
3. “As concerning the resurrection, . . . all will be raised by the power of God, having spirit in their bodies, and not blood.” (Teachings, p. 199–200.)

(36-11) 1 Corinthians 16:22. What Is the Meaning of the Words Anathema and Maranatha?

This strange inclusion of two Aramaic words together in Paul’s closing words of the epistle has raised many questions. The meaning of both words is known, but the strange combination is what puzzles most scholars. Anathema means literally “something set apart or consecrated,” and came to carry the meaning of “cursed” or “accursed.” This is the word Paul uses in Galatians 1:8 when he says that anyone preaching another gospel than the true one should be accursed. Maranatha has been variously translated as “the Lord comes,” “the Lord will come,” “the Lord is at hand,” and so on. It seems to have been a common Christian greeting or watchword. As far as the combination of the two are concerned, two basic interpretations are made. Some versions assume that there should be a period between the two. Thus it reads: “If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come!” Most scholars seem to prefer this separation. But one has suggested that Paul combines them deliberately, using an old Syriac exclamation, “Let him be accursed, the Lord is at hand,” suggesting that at the Lord’s coming, punishment will be meted out. (See Fallows, The Popular and Critical Bible Encyclopedia and Scriptural Dictionary, 1:104.)

POINTS TO PONDER

A DIVERSITY OF GIFTS IS MADE AVAILABLE TO EVERY SAINT WHO DESIRES THEM IN HUMILITY AND RIGHTEOUSNESS

(36-12) All Spiritual Powers Are Activated by the Pure Love of Christ

Under the overarching power of Christ’s pure love all spiritual powers are activated. Without it religious behavior becomes sterile and fruitless. The point does not need to be belabored. Surely you have seen the application of Paul’s yardstick to your own life. Does it infuse your spiritual life? Do you exercise the spiritual gifts you have been given under its influence? Or, like the Corinthian saints, do you sometimes find yourself seeking spiritual power without seeking the love that makes those powers operate?

(36-13) Motivated by the Pure Love of Christ, We Are Prepared to Receive and Exercise Our Spiritual Gifts

Many persons will bear witness that as they have received calls to serve within the Church, their accompanying blessings have included the endowment of spiritual gifts to enable them to more effectively accomplish their labors. Missionaries rapidly learn difficult languages and are blessed with words with which to defend the truth; fathers give inspired blessings to their children; through faith mothers assist their husbands in healing ill family members; teachers are granted special thoughts while preparing and delivering lessons so that the students are edified. Testimonies grow, people are healed, directions are given, knowledge and wisdom come to the thirsting unenlightened—all based on the love which transforms the giver into a Christlike servant who blesses, encourages, and strengthens others in love.

THE CHURCH HATH NEED OF EVERY MEMBER

37
“AFFLICTION WORKETH IN US A MORE EXCEEDING WEIGHT OF GLORY”

THEME

The Lord may call upon us to bear afflictions and tribulations so that we may become as he desires us to be.

INTERPRETIVE COMMENTARY

PAUL’S SECOND LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

(37-1) 2 Corinthians. Paul Defends the Conduct of His Ministry

Of all of Paul’s known writings, Philippians and Philemon are generally acknowledged to be the most personal. From 2 Corinthians we get a deep insight into Paul’s sensitive nature—how it hurt him to be falsely accused by fair-weather saints who had not borne the heat and the burden of the ministry as he had. We learn much concerning the church of Jesus Christ in the apostolic age and how members struggled with rivalry, jealousy, and fear, but we find little of a deep doctrinal nature. We get occasional out-bursts of human feeling that help to illuminate the character of the man we know as Paul the apostle. Openly accused by some in Corinth who wished to see his influence reduced, Paul vigorously defends his personal character as well as his conduct as an apostle of Jesus Christ.

(37-2) Background Information

Paul wrote at least three letters to the Corinthian saints. The first apparently has been lost to us; we have copies of the second and third letters. These last two are known as First Corinthians and Second Corinthians, respectively. Second Corinthians is a follow-up letter to First Corinthians.

It was from Macedonia, as evidence within the epistle itself suggests, that Paul wrote 2 Corinthians (2 Corinthians 2:13; 7:5–7; 9:2–4). Since Luke places Paul’s visit to Macedonia near the end of Paul’s third missionary journey, the letter was likely written in A.D. 57.

The letter reveals that Paul wrote for at least five reasons: (1) to defend his work in the ministry; (2) to commend the Corinthian saints for their improvements since he last wrote; (3) to defend his personal character and conduct; (4) to encourage a generous financial gift for the impoverished saints of Jerusalem; and (5) to speak of an impending third visit to Corinth.

When the letter was completed, and there is good evidence to suggest that it was written in haste, Paul sent it with Titus on a return journey to Corinth. Titus was accompanied by two companions (2 Corinthians 8:18, 22), one of whom may have been Luke. Paul commends Titus and his party strongly to the Corinthians and urges them to make “proof” of their love and of Paul’s boasting in their behalf by making a generous contribution for the poor and sending it back with Titus (2 Corinthians 8:24; 9:5).

(37-3) 2 Corinthians 1:22. “Who Hath . . . Given the Earnest of the Spirit in Our Hearts”

Earnest is a technical term which came from the ancient world of finance and means “a guarantee” or “caution money.” It is used in exactly the same sense we use it today in the phrase “earnest money.” It was an initial sum of money given as a guarantee that the remainder owing would later be paid. What Paul suggests is that we have been given the Holy Ghost, an initial payment of blessedness which serves as a guarantee of a much fuller payment in the future if we continue faithful.

(37-4) 2 Corinthians 2:5. What Does Paul Mean When He Says “That I May Not Overcharge You”?

This verse and those that follow it provide an interesting insight into the love and compassion of Paul. We do not know whether the transgressor Paul refers to here is the fornicator mentioned in his first letter (1 Corinthians 5:1) or one of the false teachers in the church who had led a revolt against Paul and his teachings. But it is evident that the church has taken action against the men, and now Paul cautions them against withholding their love from him. In verse 5 he hastens to point out that he was upset with the news of this brother, not because his own feelings were hurt but because the man was doing damage to the entire church in Corinth. Now Paul encourages them to forgive and comfort this man so that he will not be lost from fellowship. (vss. 6–12). This attitude of firmness on adherence to church rules and procedure, but loving forgiveness when the transgressor shows true repentance and corrects the errant behavior, is a mark of the church of Jesus Christ today as well as in former times.

(37-5) 2 Corinthians 2:17. The Vivid Imagery of Paul Talking About Those Who Corrupt

Corrupt here is taken from the Greek word for a peddler. “The term included dealers in victuals and all sorts of wares, but was especially applied to retailers of wine, with whom adulterations and short measures were a matter of course.” (Vincent, Word Studies, 2:813.) This class of merchants had such an unsavory reputation for unscrupulousness and dishonesty in their trading that in some cases they were barred from holding public office. False teachers in the church were of the same mentality, watering down or changing the word of God at will so they could further their own selfish ends. Thus we get a picture of Paul, who is not only capable of slowing great love but is also able to demonstrate great sharpness in condemning those who would bring havoc upon the church.

(37-6) 2 Corinthians 3:6, 14. Is Paul Talking About the Bible When He Refers to the Old and New Testament?

The word testament is a translation of the Latin testamentum, which was the translation of the Greek word for “covenant.” A person’s last will and testament (or death covenant) is an example of the true meaning of the word. However, when new testament and old testament are used, most of us immediately think of the two divisions of the Bible. We should remember that those two divisions were so called because the first continued the writings and records of the people of God under the old covenant (the Mosaic law) and the second, his dealings under the new covenant (the law of Christ). The New Testament, as we know it in the Bible, was not even compiled until long after Paul’s death. So in verse 6, Paul states that they are ministers of the new covenant of Christ, which does away with the old. Even in verse 14, though it is obvious that Paul refers to the scriptural records when he talks of the reading of the old testament, he is not using it in the same sense we think of the Old Testament, but rather in the sense of the Mosaic law, or the old covenant.

(37-7) 2 Corinthians 5:19. The Use of the Word Wit

The word wit is an old English verb which literally means “to know” or “to find out.” When combined with the word to, the expression “to wit” usually means “that is” or “namely.” This is the use made of it here. However, the expression in 2 Corinthians 8:1, “we do you to wit of the grace of God,” means “we want you to know of the grace of God.”

(37-8) 2 Corinthians 6:2. “Now Is the Day of Salvation”

Read Alma 34:31–33.

(37-9) 2 Corinthians 6:12. “Ye Are Not Straitened in Us, but Ye Are Straitened in Your Own Bowels”

As used in scripture, the word bowels very often refers to the center of pity or kindness. When we feel love or compassion for someone or something, we usually experience pain within. “Let thy bowels be full of charity towards all men” (D&C 121:45) means, “Demonstrate a Christlike love for others.” As used here the word bowels is part of a larger expression, “ye are straitened in your own bowels.” It is simply Paul’s way of telling the Corinthians that they had not been restricted by any lack of affection on his part but rather by their own failure to show a proper love and compassion. Similar uses of the word in the New Testament are found in Philippians 1:8; 2:1; Colossians 3:12; and 1 John 3:17.

(37-10) 2 Corinthians 6:14. “Be Ye Not Unequally Yoked Together with Unbelievers”

“What are we to do then; Shall we bring upon ourselves the unhappiness of a divided household? Shall we profit by the voice of experience and marry within our own faith?

“. . . The obvious answer to everyone is, marry within your own faith. If you are a Presbyterian, marry a Presbyterian. If you are a Catholic, marry a Catholic. If you are of the house of Judah, marry within your own faith. If you are a Mormon, marry a Mormon.” (Mark E. Petersen in CR, Apr. 1958, p. 106.)

(37-11) 2 Corinthians 7:8–10. “For Godly Sorrow Worketh Repentance to Salvation Not to Be Repented Of”

“Often people indicate that they have repented when all they have done is to express regret for a wrong act. But true repentance is marked by that godly sorrow that changes, transforms, and saves. To be sorry is not enough. Perhaps the felon in the penitentiary, coming to realize the high price he must pay for his folly, may wish he had not committed the crime. That is not repentance. The vicious man who is serving a stiff sentence for rape may be very sorry he did the deed, but he is not repentant if his heavy sentence is the only reason for his sorrow. That is the sorrow of the world.

“The truly repentant man is sorry before he is apprehended. He is sorry even if his secret is never known. . . . Repentance of the godly type means that one comes to recognize the sin and voluntarily and without pressure from outside sources begins his transformation.” (Kimball, Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 153.)

(37-12) 2 Corinthians 11:24. What Was It Like to Be Scourged by the Jews?

In Deuteronomy 25:1–3, Moses set down the principle that a guilty man could be lashed forty times. The Jewish rabbis had reduced that to thirty-nine, lest there should be a miscount and he be whipped more than forty times. (Moses warned against exceeding that number, and so the extra caution.) By Paul’s time this had developed into a brutally painful punishment meted out with great precision. To anyone familiar with the Jewish scourging, Paul’s claim that he endured such punishment five times is an impressive claim indeed, for often the victim died under the lashing. Farrar has given us a detailed description of the practice.

“Both of [the victim’s] hands were tied to . . . a stake a cubit and a half high. The public officer then tore down his robe until his breast was laid bare. The executioner stood on a stone behind the criminal. The scourge consisted of two thongs, one of which was composed of four strands of calf-skin, and one of two strands of ass’s-skin, which passed through a hole in a handle. . . . The prisoner bent to receive the blows, which were inflicted with one hand, but with all the force of the striker, thirteen on the breast, thirteen on the right, and thirteen on the left shoulder. While the punishment was going on, the chief judge read aloud [Deuteronomy 28:58, 59; 24:9; and Psalms 78:38, 39 which dealt with God’s commandments, the punishment for their nonobservance, and the Lord’s compassion on the sinner] . . . If the punishment was not over by the time that these three passages were read, they were again repeated, and so timed as to end exactly with the punishment itself. Meanwhile a second judge numbered the blows, and a third before each blow exclaimed ‘Hakkehu’ (strike him).” (Farrar, The Life and Works of St. Paul, pp. 715–16.)

One cannot help but wonder why Paul would submit to these at the hands of the Jews when he claimed Roman citizenship on other occasions and escaped this dreadful punishment (Acts 22:24–29). Again we turn to Farrar for a possible answer. He says that once a person was so lashed, he was viewed as being fully restored, having paid completely any debt incurred by his wrongdoing.

Then Farrar adds: “To have refused to undergo it by sheltering himself under the privilege of his Roman citizenship would have been to incur excommunication, and finally to have cut himself off from admission into the synagogue.” (Farrar, St. Paul, p. 717).

As we saw from Acts, Paul’s typical missionary approach was to enter the synagogue and begin preaching. To be cut off from such access would have been a serious curtailment of his efforts. When one contemplates the determination it would take to undergo such a flogging a second time, after suffering it once, one gets some idea of the extent of Paul’s commitment to Christ. Little wonder that he is peeved by the empty boasting and petty criticism of the false teachers at Corinth!

(37-13) 2 Corinthians 12:2–4. “I Knew a Man in Christ . . . Caught Up to the Third Heaven”

The man whom Paul knew was Paul himself. Joseph Smith reports: “Paul ascended into the third heavens, and he could understand the three principal rounds of Jacob’s ladder—the telestial, the terrestrial, and the celestial glories or kingdoms, where Paul saw and heard things which were not lawful for him to utter.” (Teachings, pp. 304–5.)

(37-14) 2 Corinthians 12:7–9. “There Was Given to Me a Thorn in the Flesh”

The word Paul uses here literally means “a Pale” (as in impaled) or “a stake.” It was used to refer to sharpened stakes, to surgical instruments, or to fishhooks. The very term suggests something that was extremely painful and troublesome to Paul. There have been endless debates on what such an infirmity might be, and the suggestions have included a bitter and shrewish wife who turned against Paul at his conversion, epilepsy, a serious eye affliction, malaria, and some spiritual weakness with which he was constantly troubled. There is no way of knowing from the present records what Paul meant. What we can be sure of is that each of us has weaknesses, spiritual as well as physical, which Satan will use to challenge us. Elder Harold B. Lee said: “The Lord has told us in the scriptures that Satan is an enemy of all righteousness; because of that fact, those who are standing in high places in our Father’s kingdom will become the objects of his attacks. You may well expect, as the Apostle Paul understood, that you who preside in the various places in our Father’s kingdom will be subject to the devil’s onslaughts.

“. . . Sometimes there is given infirmity, difficulty, hardship upon you to try your souls; and the powers of Satan seem to be enrolled against you, watching and trying to break down your powers of resistance: but your weakness, through those infirmities, will give you the power of God that shall rest upon you even as the Apostle Paul was reconciled and comforted by the thought that through his trials the power of God might rest upon him.” (CR, Oct. 1949, 57.)

POINTS TO PONDER

GOD HAS PURPOSE AND DESIGN IN THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS THAT COME UPON HIS PEOPLE

(37-15) We Bear Some Afflictions as Punishment for Disobedience

God has purposes in sometimes allowing suffering and affliction to come upon his children. If his children break his laws and go contrary to what they know is right, God may provide punishments, burdens, and trials to teach them that it is not wise to do what they know is wrong.

If men were perfectly obedient to every requirement then it would be possible for them to be sanctified without affliction (compare Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 350). But since “none were ever perfect but Jesus” (Teachings, p. 187), then all must endure affliction of some degree or another.

(37-16) SUMMARY

President John Taylor, who bore in his body bullet wounds from the martyrdom at Carthage, and during whose administration the wrath of a belligerent nation rained down upon the Church with near devastating effect, taught:

“It is necessary that we pass through certain ordeals in order that we may be purified. People sometimes do not comprehend these things. . . .

“We have learned many things through suffering, we call it suffering; I call it a school of experience. . . . What are these things for? Why is it that good men should be tried? . . . that we may learn to place our dependence upon God, and trust in Him, and to observe his laws and keep his commandments. . . . I have never looked at these things in any other light than trials for the purpose of purifying the Saints of God, that they may be, as the Scriptures say, as gold that has been seven times purified by the fire. [See Psalms 12:6.]” (JD, 23:334–36.)

To the Saints of our generation who are burdened with trials, President Marion G. Romney offers this counsel:

“I say to you and all the rest of us who are being tried in the crucible of adversity and affliction: Take courage; revive your spirits and strengthen your faith. In these lessons so impressively taught in precept and example by our great exemplar, Jesus Christ, and his Prophet of the restoration, Joseph Smith, we have ample inspiration for comfort and for hope.

“If we can bear our afflictions with the understanding, faith, and courage, and in the spirit in which they bore theirs, we shall be strengthened and comforted in many ways. We shall be spared the torment which accompanies the mistaken idea that all suffering comes as chastisement for transgression. We shall be comforted by the knowledge that we are not enduring, nor will we be required to endure, the suffering of the wicked who are to ‘be cast out into outer darkness [where] there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth.’ (Al. 40:13.)” (Marion G. Romney in CR, Oct. 1969, p. 59.)

38
“WHATSOEVER A MAN SOWETH, THAT SHALL HE ALSO REAP”

THEME

Only those who endure in righteousness unto the end will receive eternal life.

INTERPRETIVE COMMENTARY

(38-1) The Book of Galatians—Freedom and the Gospel

The theme of this letter is that true freedom can be found only in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul shows clearly and powerfully that adoption of the teachings of the Judaizers (Jewish Christians who insisted on the observance of the Mosaic law) would limit or even destroy the new freedom the saints had found in Christ. Paul demonstrates that although the Mosaic law was of value for the children of Israel prior to Christ’s mortal ministry, its need is now superseded by the higher law.

(38-2) Place and Date of Writing

Though neither the place nor date of writing of the letter to the Galatian saints can be established with any positive certainty, the evidence favors the conclusion that it was written from Corinth during the third missionary journey in approximately A.D. 57.

(38-3) Special Problems

The most significant debate about the letter itself concerns the identity of the Galatian saints. The term Galatia could refer to two different areas, depending on whether its user was speaking ethnically or politically. The ethnographic usage of the term referred to that area just below the Black Sea in Asia Minor where the area was inhabited by Gauls.

When the Roman legions brought these Gaulic tribes under subjection, the territory was made a Roman province called Galatia. This included a much broader territory, since it encompassed more southerly sections of Asia Minor. This provincial title was the political use of the term Galatia.

Which sense did Paul have in mind when he used the term? That is the point of debate. Two basic theories have resulted. The first is called the North Galatian Theory. Those who hold this view assume that Paul is using the term ethnically and therefore Galatia is limited to the northern parts of the province. The greatest problem with this theory is that there is no record of any preaching activity there, nor does Paul or Luke ever make any reference to the major cities of northern Galatia.

Those who accept the South Galatian Theory hold that Paul always uses provincial titles when he refers to established churches. (He refers to Achaia, Arabia, Asia, Cilicia, Dalmatia, and so on.) If this is so, then Galatia, as Paul uses it, would include the southern regions of Asia Minor, including such towns as Antioch, Derbe, Lystra, Iconium—towns he visited on the first missionary journey (Acts 13:13–14:23 and Acts 16:1–9). This theory, then, is supported by what we know from both the record of Acts and Paul’s other incidental references.

While the interpretation and value of the book is not affected by the correctness of either theory, we shall assume that the South Galatian Theory is correct and that Paul is writing to those churches established on his first missionary journey.

(38-4) Galatians 1:8, 9. Those Who Would Introduce False Teachings into the Church

Elder Howard W. Hunter spoke of this problem in a general conference:

“From the earliest days of the Christian church, spurious gospels have been taught—not really gospels, as Paul pointed out, for there is only one gospel of Christ. Today is not different. We are surrounded by frustrations and advances in thought and learning which raise questions and doubts. These seem to drag men down and destroy faith and morality. Where, then, is hope in this world of frustration and moral decay? It lies in the knowledge and understanding of the truths taught by the Master, which must be taught by the Church of Christ without deviation and believed in and lived by its membership. These are eternal truths and will be so in perpetuity regardless of changing circumstances in society, development of new scientific achievements, or increase of man’s knowledge.” (CR, Oct. 1973, p. 66.)

President Harold B. Lee warned about false teachings arising from within the Church itself.

“There are some as wolves among us. By that, I mean some who profess membership in this church who are not sparing the flock. And among our own membership, men are arising speaking perverse things. Now perverse means diverting from the right or correct, and being obstinate in the wrong, willfully, in order to draw the weak and unwary members of the Church away after them.

“And as the apostle Paul said, it is likewise a marvel to us today, as it was in that day, that some members are so soon removed from those who taught them the gospel and are removed from the true teachings of the gospel of Christ to be led astray into something that corrupts the true doctrines of the gospel of Christ into vicious and wicked practices and performances.

“These, as have been evidenced by shocking events among some of these splinter groups, have been accursed, as the prophets warned; and they are obviously in the power of that evil one who feeds the gullible with all the sophistries which Satan has employed since the beginning of time.” (CR, Oct. 1972, p. 125.)

(38-5) Galatians 2:2–4, 9. Does Paul’s “Running in Vain” Imply Doubts About His Mission?

The implication that is sometimes derived from the English rendering of verse 2 is that Paul had inner doubts about his commission to the gentiles and went to the apostles to see if he was “running in vain.” But that implication is not found in the original language. The feeling conveyed there is that Paul sought official sanction for the work he was engaged in (probably in answer to the criticisms that were already being started by the Judaizers). Verse 4 shows that he received that official approval without reserve, for Titus was not required to be circumcised, as demanded by those who were opposed to Paul. This full and unqualified support of the brethren is further shown in verse 9, where Paul says he and Barnabas were offered the right hand of fellowship—a Greek and Hebrew idiom showing full partnership, alliance, or unity.

(38-6) Galatians 2:11–21. How Could Paul, an Apostle, Correct Peter, the President of the Church?

“Peter and Paul—both of whom were apostles, both of whom received revelations, saw angels, and were approved of the Lord, and both of whom shall inherit the fulness of the Father’s kingdom—these same righteous and mighty preachers disagreed on a basic matter of church policy. Peter was the President of the Church; Paul, an apostle and Peter’s junior in the church hierarchy, was subject to the direction of the chief apostle. But Paul was right and Peter was wrong. Paul stood firm, determined that they should walk ‘uprightly according to the truth of the gospel’; Peter temporized for fear of offending Jewish semi-converts who still kept the law of Moses.

“The issue was not whether the Gentiles should receive the gospel. Peter himself had received the revelation that God was no respecter of persons, and that those of all lineages were now to be heirs of salvation along with the Jews. (Acts 10:21–35.) Further, the heads of the Church, in council assembled, with the Holy Ghost guiding their minds and directing their decisions, had determined that the Gentiles who received the gospel should not be subject to the law of Moses. (Acts 15:1–35.) The Jewish members of the Church, however, had not been able to accept this decision without reservation. They themselves continued to conform to Mosaic performances, and they expected Gentile converts to do likewise. Peter sided with them; Paul publicly withstood the chief apostle and won the debate, as could not otherwise have been the case. Without question, if we had the full account, we would find Peter reversing himself and doing all in his power to get the Jewish saints to believe that the law of Moses was fulfilled in Christ and no longer applied to anyone either Jew or Gentile.” (McConkie, DNTC, 2:463–64.)

(38-7) Galatians 2:13. What Is the Meaning of the Word Dissimulation?

Paul used a very strong word, of which the English dissimulation is an excellent translation. The English is based on the word simulate, which means “to make similar.” Dissimulate therefore means “to hide under false appearance. The Greek word hypokrisei is a derivative of the same root as our word hypocrite. These Judaizers were hypocrites because they pretended to be extremely faithful in their obedience to gospel principles even while they were working in a manner contrary to true gospel standards.

(38-8) Galatians 2:16. What Did Paul Mean by “the Law,” “the Works of the Law,” and “Justification by Faith”?

As we have already seen, the major thrust of this particular letter was an attempt to show the Galatian saints that obedience to the Mosaic law was not only unnecessary but actually contrary to the gospel. Technically, “the law” referred to the first five books of the Old Testament. In Hebrew those were called the Torah. Paul used the word in that sense in 4:21, 22 when he called attention to the example of Sarah and Hagar. But by the time of Jesus, the phrase “the law” had also come to mean the whole set of rules, rituals, and practices of the Mosaic code, both those included specifically in the writings of Moses, and the mass of oral traditions that had been formulated throughout the following centuries. It is in this sense that Paul most typically uses law in Galatians.

Very briefly, justification means “to be declared righteous,” and also “to be put back into the right relationship with a person.” Therefore, what Paul was saying is that no man can be made righteous and reestablish the proper relationship with God exclusively by the words of the Mosaic law or, for that matter, by any law of works alone. This can come only through the atoning sacrifice of the Savior and through the obedience to the principles and ordinances of the gospel. (Paul outlined this doctrine much more completely and systematically in the first few chapters of his letter to the Romans. Therefore, a detailed and complete treatment of these important doctrines will be reserved for that section.)

(38-9) Galatians 3:8. Did Saints Before Christ Have the Gospel Preached to Them?

“It will be noticed that, according to Paul, (see Gal. 3:8) the Gospel was preached to Abraham. We would like to be informed in what name the Gospel was then preached, whether it was in the name of Christ or some other name. If in any other name, was it the Gospel? And if it was the Gospel, and that preached in the name of Christ, had it any ordinances? If not, was it the Gospel? And if it had ordinances what were they? Our friends may say, perhaps, that there were never any ordinances except those of offering sacrifices before the coming of Christ, and that it could not be possible before the Gospel to have been administered while the law of sacrifices of blood was in force. But we will recollect that Abraham offered sacrifice, and notwithstanding this, had the Gospel preached to him.” (Smith, Teachings, p. 60. See also Jacob 4:5.)

(38-10) Galatians 3:19. To What Was the Law of Moses Added Because of Transgression?

“It is said again, in Gal. [3:19], that the law (of Moses, or the Levitical law) was ‘added’ because of transgression. What, we ask, was this law added to, if it was not added to the Gospel? It must be plain that it was added to the Gospel, since we learn that they had the Gospel preached to them. From these few facts, we conclude that whenever the Lord revealed Himself to men in ancient days, and commanded them to offer sacrifice to Him, that it was done that they might look forward in faith to the time of His coming, and rely upon the power of that atonement for a remission of their sins. And this they have done, thousands who have gone before us, whose garments are spotless, and who are, like Job, waiting with an assurance like his, that they will see Him in the latter day upon the earth, even in their flesh.” (Smith, Teachings, pp. 60–61.)

(38-11) Galatians 3:24. How Was the Law a Schoolmaster to the Children of Israel?

The translators of the King James Version used the word schoolmaster to translate the Greek word Paul used here because it had come directly into English and by then had come to mean “a teacher.” The Greek word is paidagogus, from which comes our pedagogue, or teacher. But it had a special usage in Paul’s time which lends even more power to the image he was creating. A paidagogos was a special tutor hired by the more wealthy families; he was not only responsible for the child’s education, but he was also expected to prepare and train the child in all ways so that he was brought to maturity. The closest equivalent we have in modern times would be the English nanny or governess, who lived right in the house and had direct responsibility for the children’s upbringing.

Paul’s usage of the word here would immediately convey the true purpose of the Mosaic law—to prepare the children of Israel (who were literally children in the spiritual sense) for maturity and the “adult” laws and ordinances of the gospel. The prophet Abinadi had this very thing in mind when he explained the reasons why the Israelites were given the law of Moses. (See Mosiah 13:29–31.)

Abinadi’s statement that all these things were “types” of things to come is an important one. Type is a common scriptural synonym for symbol. So not only was the law of Moses a set of strict laws designed to tutor the children of Israel in the ways of obedience and bring them to spiritual maturity, but also it contained deeply spiritual symbolism pointing the mind to Jesus as the Redeemer and Messiah. Clearly, the law of Moses was designed to prepare God’s people for the gospel which was to come.

(38-12) Galatians 3:27. Can a Wicked Person Really Put On Christ Through Repentance and Baptism?

“When a physical body is filthy, the process of cleansing is a thorough bath, the brushing of teeth, the shampooing of hair, the cleaning of fingernails, and the donning of fresh, clean clothing. When a home is renovated, roofs are mended or replaced, walls washed or painted, floors swept and scrubbed, furniture repaired and dusted, curtains laundered and metals polished. When a defiled man is born again, his habits are changed, his thoughts cleansed, his attitudes regenerated and elevated, his activities put in total order, and everything about him that was dirty, degenerate or reprobate is washed and made clean. . . .

“. . . When one is washed and purged and cleansed, he is no longer an adulterer. The washing, purging, cleansing process is mentioned many times, many places, by many prophets.

“The effect of the cleansing is beautiful. These troubled souls have found peace. These soiled robes have been cleansed to spotlessness. These people formerly defiled, having been cleansed through their repentance—their washing, their purging, their whitening—are made worthy for constant temple service and to be found before the throne of God associating with divine royalty.” (Kimball, Miracle of Forgiveness, pp. 352–53.)

(38-13) Galatians 4:6. What Is the Significance of the Title “Abba, Father”?

Paul suggested that through the atonement of Christ we can be adopted as sons of God, and then the Spirit shall help us cry “Abba, Father.” Abba is Aramaic (a cognate of Hebrew) and carries more than just the connotation of father. It is the intimate and personal diminutive of the word father used by children in the family circle. The closest equivalent we have is papa or daddy, although neither can really convey fully the impact of the word. The point is that God is not only Father (the formal title and name), but he is also Abba, the parent of love and guidance that knows us intimately and whom we can approach without fear.

(38-14) Galatians 4:21–31. The Allegory of Sarah and Hagar

“Paul here uses the life of Abraham as an allegory to dramatize the superiority of the gospel over the law of Moses—a mode of teaching designed to drive his doctrine home anew each time his hearers think of Abraham and his life.

“Hagar, the bondwoman, bore Ishmael; and Sarah, the free-woman, brought forth Isaac. Ishmael was born after the flesh, while Isaac, as a child of promise, came forth after the Spirit. Hagar is thus made to represent the old covenant, the law of Moses, the covenant under which men were subject to the bondage of sin; while Sarah symbolizes the new covenant, the gospel, the covenant under which men are made free, free from bondage and sin through Christ.

“Mt. Sinai, from whence the law came, and Jerusalem, from whence it is now administered, symbolize the law, and their children are in bondage. But the spiritual Jerusalem, the heavenly city of which the saints shall be citizens, is symbolized by Sarah, and she is the mother of freemen. Sarah, who was so long barren, as our spiritual mother, has now made us all, like Isaac, heirs of promise.

“But it is now, as it was then, those born after the flesh war against those born of the Spirit. And as God rejected Ishmael and accepted Isaac, so does he now reject those who cleave to the law of Moses and accept those who turn to Christ.” (McConkie, DNTC, 2:477–78.)

(38-15) Galatians 5:2. Why Would Circumcision in Paul’s Day Have Negated the Power of Christ?

“Circumcision, as a religious ordinance, is the token and sign certifying belief in, acceptance of, and conformity to the whole Mosaic system, and therefore for the Christians of that day it constituted a rejection of Christ and his gospel which replaced the law. See Acts 15:1–35.” (McConkie, DNTC, 2:479.)

(38-16) Galatians 5:16–26. The Natural and the Spiritual

“. . . man is a dual being, and his life a plan of God. That is the first fundamental fact to keep in mind. Man has a natural body and a spiritual body. . . .

“Man’s body, therefore, is but the tabernacle in which his spirit dwells. Too many, far too many, are prone to regard the body as the man, and consequently to direct their efforts to the gratifying of the body’s pleasures, its appetites, its desires, its passions.” (David O. McKay, “The Abundant Life in a Selfish World,” Improvement Era, Sept. 1949, p. 558.)

(38-17) Galatians 6:17. I Bear in My Body the Marks of the Lord Jesus

Our English word stigma is drawn from the Greek word which was used here, stigmata. It meant a wound or scar and came originally from the brands with which slaves were marked. Since generally that was a mark one was not proud of, such marks were generally looked upon with some negative connotations—thus our use of the word stigma. But here Paul seems to refer to them not as a mark of shame, but of faithfulness in the face of persecution. Perhaps the stigmata that he bore were partially received in Galatia itself. It should be remembered that on the first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas were expelled forcibly from Antioch in Pisidia (Acts 13:50). Then they were forced to flee from Iconium to avoid stoning (Acts 14:5), only to have the angry Jews follow them to Lystra and carry through with their intent, stoning Paul and leaving him for dead outside the city (Acts 14:19).

POINTS TO PONDER

(38-18) You Shall Always and Forever Reap Just As You Sow

Emma Jane struggled with the handrail as she edged her way up the steps of the church and into the foyer. She had been brought up in the faith, had married and reared a family, her husband had passed away recently, her children lived far away, and she felt just a little lonely as she made her way on through the foyer and into the aisle that led to her usual seat near the front of the chapel. She was bent with age, and it was only with great effort that she could prepare to attend her Church meetings. But she enjoyed the meetings, and today was a special day, for the young, new bishop was going to address the ward members. She liked him and marveled that he could be prepared at such a young age to preside over a ward. She hoped he would say something pleasant for a change, for the previous bishops seemed to speak only about sin and worthiness and repentance. The sacrament was administered, and soon the bishop was speaking.

“Oh no!” thought Emma Jane. “He’s going to speak about repentance and sin, too. I’m old. I’m entitled to hear about sweeter things now. “Why all this talk about morality? When will we ever hear the end of that . . .”

Her silent questions trailed off as her mind flashed back to that one time now almost fifty years ago. She had been pretty and young, and a little too careless, and had slipped just once. In her subsequent courtship and marriage in the temple to another man, she had rationalized that since it had just been one mistake, she needn’t tell anyone, especially the bishop who had interviewed her. Certainly, she had convinced herself she must have been strong and good or she would have made many more mistakes than one in those carefree years.

The bishop was saying that repentance must be complete, and that included confession of major sins. “But mine was not a major sin because I was so young and I never did it again. Oh, why must we hear of sin when our services should be filled with peace?” Her mind recalled the graveside service of her late husband. She had been pleased that he had never known, and yet as she had stood there by his grave on that lonely day, she couldn’t help but feel that she had been a deceiver and that where he was now he probably knew. The bishop was speaking of how our former sins will remain with us always unless and until we resolve them. How could you know if your sins were resolved? the bishop was asking. If you could hear a sermon on the subject of your former sins and still feel at peace.

Emma Jane did not feel peace! “Oh I wish he would quit,” she thought. Her mind was tormented now as it had been many times before by the suggestion that she should see her bishop about that trouble so many years ago. Throughout the rest of the meeting she could hardly refrain from crying out. “Oh, why can’t I forget? Why must I always feel like this?”

The people were leaving now, and she among them. She silently hoped that her profound anxiety inside did not show on her face. Then all of a sudden there he was, her new bishop, smiling, with his hand stretched through the crowd.

“Good afternoon, Sister Emma, how good to see you here.” She stared up at him; she could not bring herself to speak; the tears welled up in her eyes and she felt as if she could not move.

“Are you feeling well?” the bishop asked, still clasping her hand. Still she could not speak; but the tears continued to flow, and she became unaware of the other members of the congregation. Gently, the bishop led her by the arm into his office, where she collapsed into a chair. Then, almost before she could think about it, the story came gushing out—her grave mistake of fifty years ago and all the aching, tormented years since. Within minutes it was done, and then her sobbing stopped. After some words and reassurance, her young bishop sat back in his chair and was quiet for a long time. At last he said: “Oh, I wish that you had cleared this up before now. The years . . .”

Her mind trailed off. “Yes,” she thought, “the long years, all of them, but always I knew—deep inside I knew that I would one day have to come back to the bar of nature’s God and pay, pay in deep pain and tears.”

E’en down to old age, all my people shall prove
My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And then, when gray hair shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs shall they still in my bosom be borne.
(“How Firm a Foundation,” Hymns, 66.)

39
“MAN IS JUSTIFIED BY FAITH”

THEME

Justification comes by the grace of Christ through faith.

INTERPRETIVE COMMENTARY

ROMANS

(39-1) What Is the Theme of Romans?

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16.) In this brief but powerful statement, Paul sounds the theme of his letter. The rest of the epistle is spent in developing this theme and showing that justification by faith brings eternal salvation. Paul expands this theme, showing that true faith requires personal righteousness and obedience to gospel principles, a truth often overlooked by those who stress salvation by faith alone.

(39-2) Where and When Was It Written?

Though it is always difficult to state with absolute certainty the location from which a certain epistle was written and when, in the case of the letter to the Romans, Paul gives several clues within the letter that correspond with the record in Acts. For example, he mentions that while he has not yet been to Rome, he intends to come there as soon as he makes a trip to Jerusalem to deliver money collected for the poorer saints in Judea (1:10; 15:19–27). Also, the more formal and well-thought-out nature of this epistle suggests a period of relative peace and stability for its composition. In Acts 20:2, 3 Luke tells us that during Paul’s third missionary journey the apostle spent three months in Corinth. He was probably waiting for good sailing conditions before departing for Jerusalem. From these clues it can be said with some certainty that the letter to Rome was written from Corinth near the end of the third journey, most likely during the winter months of A.D. 57–58.

(39-3) What Are Some of the Significant Contributions of Romans?

“Romans defines the gospel and summarizes the laws by obedience to which full salvation comes. It speaks plainly of Adam’s fall, which brought death, and Christ’s atoning sacrifice, which brought life. It tells how the law of justification works, how men are justified by faith and works, through the blood of Christ. In it are some of the most explicit Biblical teachings on the election of grace, the status of the chosen race, on why salvation cannot come by the law of Moses alone, on why circumcision was done away in Christ, and on how and why salvation was taken to the Gentiles. And it is a chief source of the glorious doctrine of joint-heirship with Christ, that marvelous principle under which men, through celestial marriage and the continuation of the family unit in eternity, can gain exaltation in the highest celestial heaven. . . .

“In its very nature Romans is an epistle capable of differing interpretations. Those without prior and full knowledge of the doctrines involved find it exceedingly difficult to place Paul’s comments about these doctrines into their true perspective. For instance, it is on a misunderstanding of the Apostle’s statement about justification by faith alone that the whole sectarian world is led to believe that men are not required to work out their own salvation; and it was this very passage that enabled Martin Luther to justify in his own mind his break with Catholicism, an eventuality of vital importance to the furtherance of the Lord’s work on earth.” (McConkie, DNTC, 2:212–13.)

(39-4) Romans 1:7, 8. Paul Writes to the Saints in Rome

“To whom was the Epistle to the Romans written? To the Gentiles in Rome? To the world in general? To sectarian Christians today? Not by any means. If there is any truth the world can gain from this Epistle, such is all to the good. But Paul wrote it to the saints, to members of the Church, to those who already had the gift of the Holy Ghost, to those who had been born again, to those who held the priesthood and enjoyed the gifts of the Spirit. Hence he was writing to the people who already knew the doctrines of salvation, and his teachings can only be understood by people who have the same background, the same knowledge, and the same experience as the original recipients of the message. Romans is a sealed book to the sectarian world; it is an open volume of inspiring gospel truth to the saints of God.” (McConkie, DNTC, 2:216.)

(39-5) Romans 1:26, 27. How Serious Is the Sin of Homosexuality?

“Of the adverse social effects of homosexuality none is more significant than the effect on marriage and home. The normal, God-given sexual relationship is the procreative act between man and woman in honorable marriage. . . .

“. . . where stands the perversion of homosexuality? Clearly it is hostile to God’s purpose in that it negates his first and great commandment to ‘multiply and replenish the earth.’ If the abominable practice became universal it would depopulate the earth in a single generation. It would nullify God’s great program for his spirit children in that it would leave countless unembodied spirits in the heavenly world without the chance for the opportunities of mortality and would deny to all the participants in the practice the eternal life God makes available to us all.

“Because of the seriousness of this sin it carries a heavy penalty for the unrepentant. The offender may realize that disfellowshipment or excommunication is the penalty for heavy petting, adultery, fornication and comparable sins if there is not adequate repentance, yet he often supposes that because his acts have not been committed with the opposite sex he is not in sin. Let it therefore be clearly stated that the seriousness of the sin of homosexuality is equal to or greater than that of fornication or adultery; and that the Lord’s Church will as readily take action to disfellowship or excommunicate the unrepentant practicing homosexual as it will the unrepentant fornicator or adulterer. . . .

“After consideration of the evil aspects, the ugliness and prevalence of the evil of homosexuality, the glorious thing to remember is that it is curable and forgivable. The Lord has promised that all sins can be forgiven except certain ones enumerated, and this evil was not among those named. Thus it is forgivable if totally abandoned and if the repentance is sincere and absolute. Certainly it can be overcome, for there are numerous happy people who were once involved in its clutches and who have since completely transformed their lives. Therefore to those who say that this practice or any other evil is incurable, I respond: ‘How can you say the door cannot be opened until your knuckles are bloody, till your head is bruised, till your muscles are sore? It can be done.’

“. . . Many have been misinformed that they are powerless in the matter, not responsible for the tendency, and that ‘God made them that way.’ This is as untrue as any other of the diabolical lies Satan has concocted. It is blasphemy. Man is made in the image of God. Does the pervert think God to be ‘that way’? . . .

“Sometimes not heavenly but earthly parents get the blame. Granted that certain conditions make it easier for one to become a pervert, the second Article of Faith teaches that a man will be punished for his own sins. He can, if normal, rise above the frustrations of childhood and stand on his own feet. . . .

“A man may rationalize and excuse himself till the groove is so deep he cannot get out without great difficulty. But temptations come to all people. The difference between the reprobate and the worthy person is generally that one yielded and the other resisted. And if the yielding person continues to give way he may finally reach the point of ‘no return.’ The Spirit will ‘not always strive with man.’ (D&C 1:33.)” (Kimball, Miracle of Forgiveness, pp. 80–86.)

(39-6) Romans 2:6–13. The Importance of Works

Those churches that make much of Paul’s doctrines of justification by faith and salvation by grace either skip or gloss over the powerful teaching of Paul in these verses. Paul clearly teaches that good works are rewarded and evil works punished, concluding with these powerful words: “For not the hearers of the word are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.”

(39-7) Romans 3:1–31. Man Must Be Justified by Grace

Since, as Paul says, all men sin, then no man can be justified (or restored to a proper relationship with God) by works alone. Some intervening power must bridge the gap. That power was provided by Jesus Christ. He lived the law perfectly, had no sin, and therefore never estranged himself from God. In addition, he sacrificed himself so that he could pay the debt of sin with his own holiness for all men who would come unto him. His grace becomes the source of their justification with God.

President Joseph Fielding Smith clearly pointed out the role of both grace and works in our salvation.

“There is a difference between the Lord Jesus Christ and the rest of mankind. We have no life in ourselves, for no power has been given unto us, to lay down our lives and take them again. That is beyond our power, and so, being subject to death, and being sinners—for we are all transgressors of the law to some extent, no matter how good we have tried to be—we are therefore unable in and of ourselves to receive redemption from our sins by any act of our own.

“This is the grace that Paul was teaching. Therefore, it is by the grace of Jesus Christ that we are saved. And had he not come into the world, and laid down his life that he might take it again, or as he said in another place, to give us life that we may have it more abundantly we would still be subject to death and be in our sins. . . .

“So it is easy to understand that we must accept the mission of Jesus Christ. We must believe that it is through his grace that we are saved, that he performed for us that labor which we were unable to perform for ourselves, and did for us those things which were essential to our salvation, which were beyond our power; and also that we are under the commandment and the necessity of performing the labors that are required of us as set forth in the commandments known as the gospel of Jesus Christ:” (Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 2:309–11.)

(39-8) Romans 4:4. Eternal Life—a Gift or a Wage?

Paul’s suggestion here is that if a man were justified by the works of the law, then he would have reason to glory, for then the reward he received from the Father would be a debt owed for services rendered and not a gift of grace. But, of course, this was not the case. No man could earn salvation on his own. This shattered the Jewish concept that somehow one could earn God’s pleasure and eternal glory through obedience to the law. In this connection, it is interesting to note that even the very terminology the Lord uses makes it clear that nothing man could have done himself would have earned for him the celestial kingdom. Whenever the Lord speaks of his glory and kingdom being transmitted to man, the verb used is inherit and the noun is gift. While there is no suggestion that the gift is given unconditionally, that it is a gift is always clear. The Doctrine and Covenants illustrates that balance perfectly. “If thou wilt do good, yea, and hold out faithful to the end, thou shalt be saved in the kingdom of God, which is the greatest of all the gifts of God; for there is no gift greater than the gift of salvation.” (D&C 6:13.)

“What price must men pay for this precious gift? Not conformity to Mosaic standards, not compliance with the ordinances and performances of a dead law, but the price of faith, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, faith that includes within itself enduring works of righteousness, which faith cannot so much as exist unless and until men conform their lives to gospel standards.

“Does salvation come, then, by works? No, not by the works of the law of Moses, and for that matter, not even by the more perfect works of the gospel itself. Salvation comes through Christ’s atonement, through the ransom he paid, the propitiation he made; without this no good works on the part of men could redeem them from temporal death, which redemption is resurrection, or redeem them from spiritual death, which redemption is eternal life.” (McConkie, DNTC, 2:231.)

(39-9) Romans 4:16. How Are Men Justified?

“Therefore ye are justified of faith and works, through grace, to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to them only who are of the law, but to them also who are of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all.” (Romans 4:16, Inspired Version.)

(39-10) Romans 5:20. What Is Meant by the Phrase “the Law Entered, That the Offense Might Abound”?

The Greek word Paul uses here that is translated entered means literally “to come in by the side of.” In classical Greek it was often used of actors in the theaters who played a supporting role and who would come on stage from the wings, play their part, and disappear again. Such a word used to describe the law of Moses points out the same things that Paul suggested in Galatians when he called the law a “schoolmaster.” (See the note on Galatians 3:24.)

POINTS TO PONDER

MAN IS JUSTIFIED BY FAITH THROUGH THE GRACE OF GOD

40
HEIRS OF GOD, AND JOINT-HEIRS WITH CHRIST

THEME

Man’s highest potential is to become an heir to all that the Father has.

INTERPRETIVE COMMENTARY

(40-1) Romans 6:1–6. What Is the Symbolism of Baptism?

“Baptism cannot be by any other means than immersion of the entire body in water, for the following reasons:

“1. It is in the similitude of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and of all others who have received the resurrection.

“2. Baptism is also a birth and is performed in the similitude of the birth of a child into this world.

“3. Baptism is not only a figure of the resurrection, but also is literally a transplanting or resurrection from one life to another. . . .” (Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 2:323–24.)

(40-2) Romans 7:1–6. The Law of Moses Is like a Deceased Husband

“Paul was an absolute genius at devising illustrations to drive home his gospel teachings. Here he compares Israel’s allegiance to the law of Moses with that of a wife to her husband. As long as her husband lives, a wife is bound to him, must obey his laws, and if she be with another, she is an adulteress. But when the husband dies, he can no longer direct her actions, and she is free to marry another; she can no longer be subject to him that is dead.

“So with Israel and the law. As long as the law lived, and was therefore in force, Israel was married to it and required to obey its provisions. If she went after other gods, or followed other religions, it was as adultery. But now the law is fulfilled; it no longer lives; it has become dead in Christ; and Israel is married to another, even to Christ, whose gospel law must now be obeyed.

“As a matter of fact, whenever the Melchizedek Priesthood—which ‘administereth the gospel’ (D. & C. 84:19)—was found in ancient Israel, the law of Moses was dead, and the people were alive in Christ. Hence, we find Nephi saying, some six hundred years before Christ, ‘Notwithstanding we believe in Christ, we keep the law of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the law shall be fulfilled. For, for this end was the law given; wherefore the law hath become dead unto us, and we are made alive in Christ because of our faith; yet we keep the law because of the commandments.’ (2 Ne. 25:24–25.)” (McConkie, DNTC, 2:253–54.)

(40-3) Romans 8:4–6. The Meaning of the Words Carnal and Flesh

This passage, as much as any other, has given rise to the idea that Paul viewed the physical body as an inherently evil thing. This is unfortunate, for a careful reading of Paul’s language leads to another conclusion.

Our English word carnal is a derivative of the Latin carnalis, meaning “the flesh” or “the body.” Ironically enough, there is no separate word for carnal in the Greek. What we have here is the adjectival form of the Greek noun meaning “flesh.” So in verse 6 of this passage, where the King James Version translates it “carnally minded,” literally the Greek reads “the mind of the flesh.”

A close examination of Paul’s use of the term flesh makes it clear that he does not see it as an inherently evil thing. Perhaps the greatest insight into Paul’s idea of the flesh is given in Galatians 5:13 where he employs an interesting Greek term in reference to the flesh. The word he chooses is aphormay, which the King James Version translates as occasion. This was a military word in classical Greek and was used to describe the point from which a commander launched an attack upon the enemy. Literally, then, it should be translated as bridgehead or base of operations. This is an appropriate metaphor, since the needs of our bodies often become the vulnerable base of operations. How many souls have been won by Satan as they surrendered to bodily appetites? How many eternal lives have been lost because they were not spiritually minded but, rather, were dominated by “the mind of the flesh”?

(40-4) Romans 8:17. What Does Paul Imply When He Says, “We Shall Be Joint-Heirs with Christ”?

“In the important doctrinal discourse known as the ‘King Follett Sermon’ the Prophet Joseph Smith, referring to those who ‘shall be heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ,’ described joint-heirship as inheriting the same power, the same glory, and the same exaltation, until an individual ascends to the station of Godhood and rises to the throne of eternal power sharing the rewards with all the faithful who have preceded him. A joint-heir legally inherits and shares all equities and gifts in equal interest with all other heirs. Nothing is excluded nor adjusted in value between the participating joint-heirs. . . .

“If we are led by the Spirit of God in our lives, we are promised heirship with him and joint-heirship with Christ our Lord in the great estate of God’s kingdom and glory. We ‘suffer with Christ’ as we sacrifice the things of the world and yield complete obedience to every truth, principle, and ordinance of the gospel plan. Whatever we contribute in honest tithes and other contributions along with unselfish participation and service to our fellow men to build the kingdom of God on the earth, increases our personal joy and happiness in heirship with Christ the Lord.” (Delbert L. Stapley in CR, Apr. 1961, p. 66.)

(40-5) Romans 8:29, 30. Did Paul Believe in Predestination?

The dictionary defines predestination as determining beforehand one’s state, condition, and actions in life by divine decree. There is no room for free agency. Latter-day Saints are sometimes disturbed to find Paul using the word predestination in his letter. There are three factors that help us to understand Paul’s meaning.

First, there is nothing in the original Greek word, which the King James Version chose to translate as predestinate, which implies a loss of free agency. It is a compound word formed from the prefix pro, meaning “before,” and the verb horizo, meaning “to define.” The verb itself was derived from horos, a boundary. (Our English horizon comes from this verb.) Literally, the word means “to determine beforehand, or decide beforehand.” Some modern biblical translations use the word foreordain to translate prohoridzo.

Elder Joseph Fielding Smith wrote the following:

“Just what Paul might have had in mind may not be too clearly expressed in the translation that has come to us. That he taught that some men are destined to be damned must be rejected; likewise that some were predestined to be saved without a trial of their faith. Those who rejected the truth and rebelled were cast out with Lucifer because of the great gift of free agency.

“We have reason to believe that all who were privileged to come to this mortal world came because they were entitled by pre-mortal qualifications. It is absurd to think that Paul would teach that in the beginning before the earth was formed, some souls were destined to come to earth, receive tabernacles and then be consigned to perdition and some to be saved. Such a doctrine is contrary to all that has been revealed.” (Answers to Gospel Questions, 4:153.)

POINTS TO PONDER

MEN MAY OBEY THE GOSPEL AND BECOME LIKE GOD THE FATHER

(40-6) Our Goal Should Be to Become as God

“We have been promised by the Lord that if we know how to worship, and know what we worship, we may come unto the Father in his name, and in due time receive of his fulness. We have the promise that if we keep his commandments, we shall receive of his fulness and be glorified in him as he is in the Father. [See D&C 93:11–20, 26–28.]

“This is a doctrine which delighted President Snow, as it does all of us. Early in his ministry he received by direct, personal revelation the knowledge that (in the Prophet Joseph Smith’s language), ‘God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens,’ and that men ‘have got to learn how to be Gods . . . the same as all Gods have done before. . . .’ [Teachings, pp. 345–46.]

“After this doctrine had been taught by the Prophet, President Snow felt free to teach it also, and he summarized it in one of the best known couplets in the Church in these words:

“‘As man now is, God once was;
As God now is, man may be.’

“This same doctrine has of course been known to the prophets of all the ages, and President Snow wrote an excellent poetic summary of it, which came to him as a result of pondering what some of the ancient prophets had written on the subject.

“Paul wrote: ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.’ [Philippians 2:5, 6.]

“The Beloved Disciple John wrote:

“‘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.

“‘And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.’ [1 John 3:1–3]

“Then President Snow, addressing himself to Paul and referring to the words written by John, penned these lines:

Dear Brother:

Hast thou not been unwisely bold,
Man’s destiny to thus unfold?
To raise, promote such high desire,
Such vast ambition thus inspire?

Still ’tis no phantom that we trace
Man’s ultimatum in life’s race;
This royal path has long been trod
By righteous men, each now a God:

As Abra’m, Isaac, Jacob, too,
First babes, then men—to gods they grew.
As man now is, our God once was;
As now God is, so man may be,—
Which doth unfold man’s destiny.

For John declares: When Christ we see
Like unto him we’ll truly be.
And he who has this hope within,
Will purify himself from sin.

Who keep this object grand in view,
To folly, sin, will bid adieu,
Nor wallow in the mire anew;

Nor ever seek to carve his name
High on the shaft of worldly fame;
But here his ultimatum trace:
The head of all his spirit-race.

Ah, well: that taught by you, dear Paul,
’Though much amazed, we see it all;
Our Father God, has ope’d our eyes,
We cannot view it otherwise.

The boy, like to his father grown,
Has but attained unto his own;
To grow to sire from state of son,
Is not ’gainst Nature’s course to run.

A son of God, like God to be,
Would not be robbing Deity;
And he who has this hope within,
Will purify himself from sin.

You’re right, St. John, supremely right:
Whoe’er essays to climb this height,
Will cleanse himself of sin entire—
Or else ’twere needless to aspire.

(Improvement Era 22:660–61 [June 1919.])

“Now I hold this glorious hope out to you as the goal toward which all members of the Church should strive. Our whole purpose in life should be to do those things which will enable us to gain eternal life, and eternal life is the name of the kind of life possessed by the Father and the Son; it is exaltation in the eternal realms.” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Address at Snow College, 14 May 1971, pp. 3–7.)

(40-7) We Can Become like God Because We Have the Seed of Deity Within Us

MAN MAY BECOME A JOINT-HEIR IN ETERNITY TO ALL THAT THE FATHER HAS

(40-8) An Heir Is One Who Inherits

An heir is one who is entitled to inherit from a progenitor or others, property, titles, or other benefits. But heirs in an eternal sense involve more than inheritance, and must be designated on the basis of righteousness and obedience to divine law. All mankind are God’s sons and daughters in the spirit, but only those who qualify themselves by baptism, priesthood, and faithfulness may become his heirs in the ultimate sense and inherit the fulness of that which he may bestow. (Compare Moses 6:64–68; D&C 84:31–34.)

In the worldly sense, the giver must die before the heir may inherit that which the giver has designated for him. In an eternal sense the Giver continues to live.

In the worldly sense, the giver is left with nothing after his gift has been delivered to his heir. But in the eternal sense, both the Giver and the heir continue to live and possess jointly and mutually all things. God does not forfeit or lose his power when he gives his power to others, nor does he surrender his perfect knowledge when his children come to know all things.

(40-9) Through Christ We Can Receive All That the Father Has

“Now, how are they to receive all that the Father hath, if something is withheld? And if something is not withheld, how can they receive all that he hath and not become as he is, that is, be gods themselves? . . .

“How can the saints receive of his fulness and be equal with the Lord and not be as he is, that is, gods?

“The Father has promised through the Son that all that he has shall be given to those who are obedient to his commandments. They shall increase in knowledge, wisdom, and power, going from grace to grace, until the fulness of the perfect day shall burst upon them. They shall, through the glory and blessing of the Almighty, become creators. All power, and dominion, and might shall be given to them, and they shall be the only ones upon whom this great blessing shall be bestowed. . . .

“If the faithful, who keep the commandments of the Father, are his sons, then they are heirs of the kingdom and shall receive of the fulness of the Father’s glory, even until they become like the Father. And how can they be perfect as their Father in heaven is perfect if they are not like him? . . .

“Now, if they overcome all things, then there are not some things which they do not overcome. If these are to receive ‘of his fulness and of his glory,’ and if into their ‘hands the Father has given all things,’ then the Father has not withheld some of the fulness of his glory, or some things. And if they receive his fulness and his glory, and if ‘all things are theirs, whether life or death, or things present, or things to come, all are theirs,’ how can they receive these blessings and not become gods? They cannot.’ (Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 2:35–36, 39.)

41
ELECTED BEFORE THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE WORLD

THEME

Those who are foreordained to special callings in this life must remain true and faithful.

INTERPRETIVE COMMENTARY

(41-1) Romans 9:11. How Does the Law of Election Operate?

“Paul here tells how the election of grace fits in to the gospel scheme. His Roman readers knew what he was talking about because they already understood the doctrine of election. Since the sectarian world has little or no comprehension of pre-existence and eternal progression, upon which doctrines the principles of election are based, it is no wonder that these and other teachings of Paul are so completely misconstrued by them.

“This doctrine of the election of grace is as follows: ‘As part of the new song the saints will sing when they “see eye to eye” and the millennial era has been ushered in will be these words, “The Lord hath redeemed his people, Israel, According to the election of grace, Which was brought to pass by the faith And covenant of their fathers.” (D. & C. 84:98–102; Rom. 11:1–5.) This election of grace is a very fundamental, logical, and important part of God’s dealings with men through the ages. To bring to pass the salvation of the greatest possible number of his spirit children the Lord, in general, sends the most righteous and worthy saints to earth through the lineage of Abraham and Jacob. This course is a manifestation of his grace or in other words his love, mercy, and condescension toward his children.

“‘This election to a chosen lineage is based on pre-existent worthiness and is made “according to the foreknowledge of God.” (1 Pet. 1:2.) Those so grouped together during their mortal probation have more abundant opportunities to make and keep the covenants of salvation, a right which they earned by pre-existent devotion to the cause of righteousness. As part of this election, Abraham and others of the noble and great spirits were chosen before they were born for the particular missions assigned them in this life.’ (Abra. 3:22–24; Rom. 9.)” (McConkie, DNTC, 2:273–74.)

(41-2) Romans 9:13. Did the Lord Hate Esau?

While it is likely that the names Esau and Jacob stood for the nations that had sprung from these two brothers, namely, Edom and Israel, it still seems strange that God should choose one to hate and one to love. But while the Greek word used here does mean “hate” in the same sense that we use it, Paul is quoting a phrase from Malachi 1:3. In Hebrew the verb translated to hate carried many shades of meaning, including “rejection,” “strong displeasure,” or, very commonly, “loving less than.” The important point in Paul’s discussion is that this acceptance of Jacob and rejection of Esau was on the basis of personal righteousness, not on some arbitrary judgment.

“God chose Jacob over Esau while the two were yet in Rebecca’s womb and before either, as far as the works of this life are concerned, had earned any preferential status. Why? It is a pure matter of pre-existence. Jacob was coming into the world with greater spiritual capacity than Esau; he was foreordained to a special work; he was elected to serve in a chosen capacity.

“Then through the lineage of Jacob, God sent those valiant spirits, those noble and great ones, who in his infinite wisdom and foreknowledge he knew would be inclined to serve him. Through Esau came those spirits of lesser valiance and devotion. Hence, in the very nature of things, many of Jacob’s seed were righteous in this life, and many of Esau’s were wicked, causing Malachi to say in the Lord’s name, some fifteen hundred years later, that God loved the house of Jacob and hated the house of Esau. (Mal. 1:2–3.)” (McConkie, DNTC, 2:277.)

(41-3) Romans 10:9, 10. Can One Achieve Salvation Simply by Confessing with the Mouth?

These two verses of scripture have been quoted very often by those who believe that salvation comes by grace alone and is not dependent in any way upon man’s good works. Some groups even go so far as to say that if a man should confess Jesus before he is killed in an accident he will be saved in the kingdom of God, even if he had lived a wicked life prior to that time. Not only does this idea go contrary to the vast weight of Paul’s own teachings (some within the Roman epistle itself—for example, 2:5–13; 6:13, 16; all of chapters 12–14), but it is also a gross misinterpretation of what Paul is really saying.

The passage in question comes in the section where Paul is talking about Israel’s rejection of the gospel. He begins by pointing out that while the Jews are zealous for God (that is, eagerly trying to be obedient to his commandments), they have missed a vital point of the gospel by trying to rely on their own righteousness alone. Paul then quotes rather freely from the Old Testament to show that no man could accomplish what Christ did in coming down from heaven and in coming out of the great pit of death, no matter how hard they tried. What men must do in order to qualify for Christ’s blessings is to confess their Lord openly before the world. This they can do only with a heart that “believeth unto righteousness” (vs. 10).

The heart (in Greek kardia) was seen as the seat of man’s inner self. “Believing with the heart” implies much more than intellectual assent. It implies commitment, behavioral evidence of that commitment, and an inner change. Obviously, if one truly believes things, he will live accordingly. Confession with the mouth is not sufficient.

(41-4) Romans 10:14, 15. Acceptance of Christ Requires Acceptance of His Prophets

“Now it is not possible, in my judgment, for people in the world to accept Christ and come to salvation, unless at one and the same time they accept the prophets whom Christ has sent and receive the administration of holy ordinances under their hands.

“Christ and his prophets are one. We could not believe in Christ if there were not prophets to declare Christ and his saving truths unto us. The Apostle Paul reasoned on this subject, and he said: ‘. . . how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

“‘And how shall they preach, except they be sent?’ (Romans 10:14–15.)

“Except for Christ, there would be no salvation. Except for the prophets of God, sent in the various ages of the earth’s history, the testimony of Christ would not be borne, the message of salvation would not be taught, and there would be no legal administrators who could perform the ordinances of salvation for men, that is, perform them so they will be binding on earth and sealed eternally in the heavens.

“So it is that the Lord has sent prophets. No one would suppose that he could believe in Christ and reject Peter, James, and John. The Lord and his prophets go hand in hand. Christ said, ‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman’; then he said to his Apostles, ‘Ye are the branches.’ (John 15:1, 5.) The branches and the vine are connected. He taught also that if the branches were torn away from him, they would wither and die and be cast into the fire. If people in the world would pick the fruit of eternal life off the branches, they have to accept the prophets, for the branches are the prophets.” (Bruce R. McConkie in CR, Oct. 1951, p. 147.)

(41-5) Romans 10:17. How Does Faith Come?

“Faith comes by hearing the word of God, through the testimony of the servants of God; that testimony is always attended by the Spirit of prophecy and revelation.” (Smith, Teachings, p. 148.)

(41-6) Romans 11:2. What Is the Meaning of the Word Wot?

Wot is the present tense of the now obsolete English word wit, which means to know. Wist is its past tense. Paul is asking, “Know you not?”

(41-7) Romans 11:13. “I Magnify Mine Office”

“Sometimes we hear brethren refer to ‘magnifying the priesthood.’ While many of us are guilty of making this erroneous statement, it isn’t the priesthood we magnify; it is one’s office and calling in the priesthood. It cannot be enlarged upon because there is no authority or power greater in the universe.

“To magnify is to intensify, to increase in significance, to enlarge upon, and to cause to be held in greater esteem or respect.

“President Joseph F. Smith said, ‘There is no office growing out of this Priesthood that is or can be greater than the Priesthood itself. It is from the priesthood that the office derives its authority and power. No office adds to the power of the Priesthood. But all offices in the church derive their power, their virtue, their authority, from the Priesthood.’ (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine [Salt Lake City: Desert Book Co., 1939], p. 148.)

“The apostle Paul stated, ‘Inasmuch as I am the apostle of the gentiles, I magnify mine office.’ (Romans 11:13.) And Jacob teaching the people of Nephi states, ‘I, Jacob, according to the responsibility which I am under to God, to magnify mine office with soberness, . . .

“‘Ye yourselves know that I have hitherto been diligent in the office of my calling; but I this day am weighed down with much more desire and anxiety for the welfare of your souls than I have hitherto been.’ (Jacob 2:2, 3.)

“There can be no office or calling that is higher than the priesthood. President John Taylor noted, ‘Honor proceeds from works, not from office, . . . but by a person magnifying his office and calling.’ (John Taylor, Gospel Kingdom, comp. G. Homer Durham [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1944], p. 133.)” (Delbert L. Stapley in CR, Aug. 1972, p. 64.)

(41-8) Romans 11:17–24. The Grafting In of the Wild Olive Branches

Some Bible scholars have been quick to point out that Paul made an evident blunder here when he drew upon a symbol from the olive culture to make his point. While the grafting of branches from one olive tree to another so as to change the nature of the tree was a common practice, it was always done in the reverse order that Paul mentions; that is, a good branch from a tame olive tree could be grafted into a wild olive and make the wild olive tame. But if the process is reversed, so are the results. The tree is pulled in the direction of the grafted branches, not vice versa, as in Paul’s little allegory. Therefore, these scholars conclude that Paul was ignorant of olive culture and made a rather obvious error in his symbol.

But it is difficult to believe that a man as educated and well traveled as Paul would not know the basic facts of olive grafting, which were fairly commonly known in his time. The better explanation is that in the very paradox of the symbol he teaches profound and important doctrines. For one thing, the conversion of the gentiles (changing wild olives into tame) was contrary to the expectations of Israel and thus was not what one would expect to happen naturally. Secondly, Paul’s symbol makes it clear that the source of nourishment is still the covenant that God made with Abraham (the roots of the tree). The power flows from the Abrahamic covenant and not from the gentiles. To reverse that symbolism would be contrary to the truth. The gentiles were not the root of the tree; they are only branches. The third point in Paul’s defense is that he himself clearly indicates that he knew what he was saying was contrary to nature. The implication, therefore, is that he chose the paradoxical symbolism purposefully in order to teach the gentiles their true relationship to the covenant people. Paul may have been relying upon the writings of an ancient prophet, Zenos, who spoke in a similar vein. (See Jacob 5, 6 in the Book of Mormon.)

(41-9) Romans 11:25. What Is Meant by the Fulness of the Gentiles?

“For the nearly two thousand years between Abraham and Christ, the statutes and judgments of God were reserved almost exclusively for the seed of Abraham and for the house of Israel. During the mortal ministry of our Lord, the message was limited to Israel, to the Jews, and it was not then offered to the Gentiles. After Jesus’ resurrection, Peter opened the door to the preaching of the gospel of the Gentiles, and Paul became their chief apostolic advocate and teacher. Thus there was a period or time for the Gentiles to take precedence. The times of the Gentiles is the period during which the gospel goes to them on a preferential basis, and this will continue until they have had a full opportunity to accept the truth, or in other words until the fulness of the Gentiles. Then the message will go again to the Jews, meaning to the Jews as a nation and as a people.” (McConkie, DNTC, 2:290. See also D&C 45:19, 25, 28–30.)

(41-10) Romans 12:1. What Does It Mean to Be a Living Sacrifice?

“Paul is here alluding to the fact that the old sacrifices, those unto death, are abolished, that they have been replaced with a new order, sacrifices unto life. As with almost all doctrines, this is taught in the Book of Mormon with greater plainness and perfection than in the Bible. To the Nephites, after his resurrection, the Lord Jesus said: ‘Ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings. And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost.’ (3 Ne. 9:19–20.) Thus to present one’s body as a living sacrifice is to come forth with a broken heart and a contrite spirit through obedience.” (McConkie, DNTC, 2:292.)

(41-11) Romans 13:1–7. Who Are the “Powers That Be”?

Joseph Smith added some significant phrases to these verses that make it clear that Paul was not speaking of governmental authorities, as is commonly supposed, but of those who are the ruling authorities in the church. Compare your King James Version with the following rendition by the Prophet Joseph Smith:

“Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power in the church but of God; the powers that be are ordained of God.

“But first, render to all their dues, according to custom, tribute to whom tribute, custom to whom custom, that your consecrations may be done in fear of him to whom fear belongs, and in honor of him to whom honor belongs.” (Romans 13:1, 7, Inspired Version.)

“To gain salvation the saints must be subject to God’s ministers. The doctrines and ordinances of the gospel cannot be separated from those appointed to teach Christ’s gospel and perform his ordinances. Those who accept the gospel do so by submitting to the will and dictation of Christ. They come to the legal administrators who teach the doctrines of Christ and who perform the ordinances of salvation in his name and by his authority.” (McConkie, DNTC, 2:296.)

(41-12) Romans 14:23. “Whatsoever Is Not of Faith Is Sin”

“This law applies to the saints, to those who have the light, who know that salvation is in Christ, to those who are under covenant to keep the commandments. It is not applicable to the world in general, for sin is not imputed where there is no law. Thus the saints are guilty of sin when they fall short of those high standards they are obligated to attain.” (McConkie, DNTC, 2:302.)

(41-13) Romans 15:24, 28. Did Paul Ever Get to Spain?

The record of Acts ends with Paul’s first imprisonment, and the official account of Paul’s known life is closed. From that point on, the scholars are uncertain, but there is strong evidence that Paul was eventually acquitted and freed, during which time he would naturally have continued his missionary labors. Since he had expressed intent to go to Spain, many have assumed he succeeded in doing so before he was arrested again and put to death under a wave of Christian persecution. Clement of Rome (about A.D. 100) states that Paul had “gone to the extremity of the West,” which would seem to imply Spain. Others of the early Christian fathers also reported that he labored in Spain. Thus, Paul’s intentions to go to Spain may have been eventually realized.

POINTS TO PONDER

YOU ARE FAVORED BECAUSE OF YOUR CONDUCT IN PREMORTAL LIFE

YOU MUST BE FAITHFUL HERE TO RETAIN YOUR BIRTHRIGHT AND MERIT THE BLESSINGS YOU WERE ELECTED TO RECEIVE