Truth on Tough Texts

Truth on Tough Texts: Expositions of Challenging Scripture Passages

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AS Matthias God’s choice to replace Judas (Acts 1:15-26)? What is the identity of those “sons of God” referred to in Genesis 6? Are the “angels” of the seven churches real angels or pastors (Rev. 1:20)? Is there a so-called call to ministry (Eph. 4:11; 1 Tim. 3:1)? Is “deaconess” a valid church office (1 Tim. 3:11)? What is the “sealing” of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13-14)? Is “regeneration” absent from the Old Testament, being a New Testament doctrine only (Isa. 57:15; Eph. 2:1)? What do other terms that appear in Scripture mean, such as: “fall away” (Heb. 6:4-6), “old man” (Rom. 6:6), and “new creature” (2 Cor. 5:17)? Those are just a few of the “tough texts” we find in Scripture. Such texts are certainly not “less inspired” than the rest of Scripture, rather simply more intricate and complex and thereby demand especially diligent investigation. This 598-page book therefore, addresses many texts of Scripture that have historically been debated, are particularly difficult to understand, or have generated questions among believers. The chapters that follow originally appeared in the monthly publication, Truth on Tough Texts, which was launched by the author in August 2005. They reappear here so that they might reach a wider audience, as well as provide a quick reference for longtime readers of the monthly offerings. This was the premier book of Sola Scriptura Publications, founded in 2012. 

1 Copy, $25.00; 2–10 copies, $23.00 ea.; 11–20 copies, $21.00; 21+: $20.00 ea. — Also available on Amazon.com and for Kindle Reader.

Book Features

52 chapters (598 pages) covering most of the articles from the first six years of the monthly publication.	An Appendix, "Principles of Biblical Interpretation," also originally a two-part article.
Numerous endnotes on the text as they appeared in the monthly articles.	32 pages of indexes: Subject, Person, Scripture, and Foreign Words.
Quotations from great Christian leaders sprinkled throughout at the end of most chapters.	Numerous endorsements from Christian leaders who have appreciated the monthly articles.

Contents

	Introduction...........................................................................	10
1	The Sufficiency of Scripture — Rom. 4:3; Gal.4:30.................	12
2	Was Matthias God’s Choice? — Acts 1:15-26........................	22
3	How Often Should the Lord’s Supper Be Observed? — 1 Cor.11:26.....................................................................................	27
4	Temporary Spiritual Gifts — 1 Cor. 12:8–11; 13:8–13..............	33
5	Who in the World Were Those “Sons of God”? and Does Jude Quote from Pseudepigraphal Literature? — Gen. 6:4; 1 Pet. 3:18–20; 2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6, 9, 14–15.......................................	47
6	Where Has Our Discernment Gone? — Eph. 4:14...................	65
7	Does the Authorship of Hebrews Matter? — 2 Pet. 3:15–16....	86
8	What’s Really At Stake in the Textual Issue?.........................	99
9	What Does “It” and “That” Refer to in Ephesians 2:8?............	113
10	Is the Bible Unclear on the Deity of Christ? — Eph. 4:5; John 1:1........................................................................................	118
11	Who Were the Recipients of the Epistle to the Ephesians? — Eph. 1:1................................................................................	124
12	Who are the “Angels” of the Seven Churches? — Rev. 1:20....	135
13	Do the Seven Churches Have a Historical Application? — Rev. 2 and 3..........................................................................	139
14	Is There a So-called “Call” to Ministry? — Eph. 4:11; 1 Tim. 3:1........................................................................................	147
15	Pastor, Bishop, and Elder — Eph. 4:11; 1 Tim. 3:1–2; 5:17.......	156
16	What About the Deacon and Deaconess? — Acts 6:1–6 and 1 Tim. 3:11...............................................................................	171
17	What Does the Phrase “Led Captivity Captive” Mean? — Eph. 4:8–10...................................................................................	180
18	What About the Head Covering? — 1 Cor. 11:2–16................	187
19	What Does “Fall Away” Mean? — Heb. 6:4–6.......................	195
20	What is the “Old Man”? — Rom. 6:6......................................	203
21	Apologetics and the Gospel — 1 Pet. 3:15...............................	210
22	The Sealing of the Holy Spirit — Eph. 1:13–14........................	220
23	“New Creature” and the Lordship Debate — 2 Cor. 5:17.........	234
24	The Sabbath or Sunday? — Ex. 20:8–11.................................	242
25	Was There Regeneration in the Old Testament? — Isa. 57:15; Eph. 2:1................................................................................	250
26	The Disagreement Between Paul and Barnabas — Acts 15:36–41...............................................................................	258
27	What Does Scripture Say About Women Teachers? — 1 Tim. 2:11–15.................................................................................	266
28	Is There a “Carnal Christian”? — 1 Cor. 3:1–4.......................	274
29	Distinctions, Divisions, and Christian Love — Selected Texts...	282
30	The Grace of Unity — Eph. 4:1–3..........................................	291
31	The Ground of Unity — Eph. 4:4–6........................................	309
32	Quietism or Pietism? — Phil. 2:12–13.....................................	338
33	What Was Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh? — 2 Cor. 12:7...............	346
34	What About Cremation? — Selected Texts.............................	351
35	Teaching Faithful Men — 2 Tim. 2:2.......................................	355
36	A Model for Teaching Faithful Men — 2 Tim. 2:2	361
37	Forsaking the Assembly — Heb.10:25....................................	370
38	Is There an “Age” of Accountability? — Selected Texts	379
39	The Old Paths — Jer.6:16......................................................	383
40	“We Band of Brothers” — 1 Jn. 4:20–21................................	394
41	What is the Unpardonable Sin? — Matt. 12:31–32...................	404
42	What is the Sin Unto Death? — 1 Jn. 5:16–17.........................	412
43	The Pestilence of Idolatry — Selected Texts...........................	421
44	The King and Mephibosheth: A New Testament Portrait — 2 Sam. 9..................................................................................	433
45	The “Only Begotten” Son — Jn. 3:16......................................	442
46	GOD Was Manifest in the Flesh — 1 Tim. 3:16.......................	450
47	Fasting: Ritual or Relationship? — Mk. 2:19–22.......................	459
48	The Most Terrifying Words in the Bible — Matt. 7:21–23........	468
49	What in the World is a Biblical Worldview? — Psa. 119:11......	478
50	The Lord’s Supper: Memorial or More? — 1 Cor. 11:23–26.....	487
51	1 John 5:7–8: Beyond a Reasonable Doubt?............................	497
52	Reader Questions..................................................................	510
	What does “Baptized for the Dead” Mean? (1 Cor. 15:29)..	510
	What does “Born of Water and of the Spirit” Mean? (Jn. 3:3–6)..............................................................................	511
	On Which Day of the Week Did Jesus Die? (Matt. 12:40)...	512
	Are there “Guardian Angels”? (Heb. 1:14; Matt. 18:10)......	514
	What is the Meaning of Mathew 7:6?.................................	515
	What does Proverbs 8:22–31 Mean?..................................	517
	What Does Colossians 1:15 Mean?....................................	518
	Should We Pray to Jesus?.................................................	518
	What are the Origins of “Pope”?.......................................	519
	Do Matthew 5:32 and 19:9 Refer to the Betrothal Period?	521
	What Does “Private Interpretation” Mean? (2 Pet. 1:20).....	522
	What is “Effectual, Fervent” Prayer? (Jas. 5:16).................	523
	What Does “Image and Likeness” of God Mean? (Gen. 1:26)................................................................................	525
	Is the Sonship of Jesus Eternal?.........................................	526
	What is the difference between Kingdom of Heaven and Kingdom of God?..............................................................	527
	Is it Important to Know the Moment of Salvation?..............	528
	What is Authentic Christianity?..........................................	529
	What does “Spirits in Prison” and “Baptism” Mean in 1 Peter 3:19–22?.................................................................	529
	Why is the Word “Murders” Absent in Galatians 5:21?........	533
	Is there a Contradiction Between 2 Kings 24:8 and 2 Chronicles 36:9?...............................................................	534
	Who is the Persian Queen in Nehemiah’s Day (Neh. 2:6)?..	534
	What is the Significance of the “Folded Napkin” in Jesus’ Tomb (Jn. 20:7)?...............................................................	535
	What does “Sent the Hornet” Mean (Josh. 24:12)?.............	537
	What About Church Associations?.....................................	538
	What Does Paul’s Words “How Large a Letter” Mean (Gal. 6:11)?......................................................................	539
	Conclusion............................................................................	543
	Appendix: Principles of Biblical Interpretation..........................	545
	Subject Index........................................................................	565
	Person Index.........................................................................	574
	Scripture Index......................................................................	581
	Foreign Words Index.............................................................	593
	About the Author...................................................................	597
	A Final Thought.....................................................................	598

3

How Often Should the Lord’s Supper Be Observed?*

1 Corinthians 11:26

For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

I

t has amazed me for decades how this verse is dismissed with a shrug, as if it has absolutely no bearing at all on how often we should observe the Lord’s Supper. It is argued, “The verse doesn’t say how often, just as often.” It is, therefore, very common in evangelical and fundamental churches to observe it only once a month, every two months, or even once a quarter. Let us, therefore, first honestly follow the New Testament progression, and then second prayerfully submit a conclusion.

The New Testament Progression

First, originally, in Acts 2 the Lord’s Supper was observed daily. This doesn’t necessarily mean in every house gathering, rather somewhere in the city every day. As Theologian Augustus Strong writes, “The Lord’s Supper is to be repeated often,”[i] and this was certainly the case in Acts. But again, how often should it be observed?

Second, in Acts 20:7 we read, “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.” According to verse 6, Paul stayed in Troas seven days. Verse 7 is then the clearest verse about Sunday worship, and the Lord’s Supper was observed on Sunday evening. This is shown by the fact that Luke’s method of noting time here is not Jewish (sundown to sundown) but is Roman (midnight to midnight). Not only does Luke use the word “midnight” in verse 7, but “break of day” in verse 11. He undoubtedly did this in the spirit of when Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper. As Matthew 26:26–30 indicates, it was in the evening of the night of His betrayal.

So, the Lord’s Supper was here observed on Sunday evening before the preaching. No longer were there daily meetings, but here is a clear reference to Sunday worship and observance of the Lord’s Supper then. May we submit, then, what better time could there be to remember our Lord’s ordeal than on Sunday evening?

Acts 2:42 further substantiates this: “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” The Greek construction shows that “breaking of bread” and “prayers” are what actually constitute fellowship. But the main point here is that consistency dictates we observe all of them on the Lord’s Day, not just two out of three. Acts 2:42, therefore, gives the principle (or precedent), while 20:7 gives the practice.

Of course, it is argued that “breaking of bread” can refer simply to eating a regular meal, but that simply cannot be true here. As solid commentator William MacDonald rightly observes (and virtually every evangelical commentator agrees):

This expression is used in the NT to refer both to the Lord’s Supper and to eating a common meal. The meaning in any particular case must be determined by the sense of the passage. Here it obviously refers to the Lord’s Supper, since it would be quite unnecessary to say that they continued stedfastly eating their meals. From Acts 20:7 we learn that the practice of the early Christians was to break bread on the first day of the week. During the early days of the church, a love feast was held in connection with the Lord’s Supper as an expression of the love of the saints for one another. However, abuses crept in, and the “agape” or love feast was discontinued.[ii]

So we ask again, why should we observe only two out of the three fundamental activities of the Church on the Lord’s Day? As one commentator insists, “There is no command anywhere in the Bible that specifies how often the Supper should be observed.” But may we ask, why does there need to be? Is not a biblical precedent just as binding as a biblical command? When there is a clear precedent, why would we need anything else? And if I may interject, how many so-called “ministries” and “methods” do we practice today that don’t even have a precedent, much less a command, but we do them anyway? What is patently ignored today concerning the doctrine of Biblical Authority is that it includes precedents, not just commands.

Third, note specifically what our text says (and the text is always the issue): “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till he come (emphasis added). How often do we meet to celebrate the Lord’s death and resurrection? Every Lord’s Day, and the Lord’s Supper is here included. Many take as often to be infrequent, but the text implies the exact opposite.

Fourth, notice also that each time we observe the Lord’s Supper, it shows the Lord’s death till he come. The word shows is the Greek kataggellō, to announce publicly, proclaim. This word is a derivative of kerux and kerussō, which spoke of the imperial herald announcing the wishes of the King, as when Paul told Timothy to “preach the Word” in 2 Timothy 4:2. So, each time we observe the Lord’s Supper, we are proclaiming the Gospel. Should this not, then, be practiced each Lord’s Day?

Harry Ironside wonderfully illustrates this in a personal incident. A Japanese man who was attending some of Ironside’s meetings in Sacramento was troubled about his soul, but it seemed impossible to bring him to Christ because of his love for money. A year later, Ironside was again in Sacramento for meetings and there was the man again. Ironside asked him if he’d received Christ yet, to which he answered no. He then asked an odd question, “Do you have a meeting on Sunday where you eat the bread and drink the wine showing how Jesus died?” Ironside answered yes, to which the man replied, “I come.” At the meeting, the man sat close to the front, and Ironside prayed that God would speak to his heart. After the people had partaken of the elements and the elements were returned to the table, the man stood up and said, “I like to pray.” Ironside winced, regretting that he didn’t tell the man they he wouldn’t be expected to take part in the meeting. But the man prayed like this: “Oh, God, I all broke up. For one year I fight You. I fight you hard. Your Spirit break me all to pieces. O God, today I see Your people eating the bread, drinking the wine, telling how Jesus died for sinners like me. O God, You love me so. You give Your Son to die for me. I cannot fight you anymore. I give up. I take Him as my Savior.” As Ironside then writes,

It did not spoil our meeting at all to have him take part with such a prayer. We realized that this simple ordinance had preached to him . . . The Lord’s Supper, if given the place our Lord intended it to have, will constantly preach to the world, and will say more than any words of ours can say: “As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do preach the Lord’s death till he come.”[iii]

Fifth, it’s also noteworthy that this passage is the lengthiest discussion of the Lord’s Supper in Scripture and was given to a church that had perverted virtually all church activity. It seems apparent, then, that the Lord’s Supper, as Harry Ironside put it, “was intended to occupy a very large place in the minds of Christians in this dispensation.”[iv] It seems clear, then, that something that occupies such a large place should occur each Lord’s Day.

Sixth, and finally, a principle that is overlooked on this issue is that any other frequency is totally subjective. We are left with no absolute but allowed to decide for ourselves how often we will remember the Lord’s death and resurrection. Indeed, the common practice of our day on every issue is “to make it up as we go along.”

Conclusion

I simply see no other conclusion than the observance of the Lord’s Supper each Lord’s Day as part of our worship and fellowship. Others of this “old school” agree. That was, for example, the view of Reformer John Calvin, who wrote in his Institutes:

[The Lord’s Supper] was not instituted to be received once a year and that perfunctorily (as is now commonly the custom); but that all Christians might have it in frequent use, and frequently call to mind the sufferings of Christ, thereby sustaining and confirming their faith . . . That such was the practice of the Apostolic Church, we are informed by Luke in the Acts . . . (Acts 2:42). Thus we ought always to provide that no meeting of the Church is held without the word, prayer, the dispensation of the Supper, and alms.[v]

This was also the view of the famous English non-conformist preacher Thomas Goodwin (1600–80),[vi] as well as theological giant Francis Turretin (1623–87), who wrote:

Christians are said to have come together upon the first day of the week to break bread (Acts 20:27), i.e., to celebrate the holy supper, which was customarily done on the Lord’s Day when they assembled to hear preaching and to perform the other public exercises of piety.[vii]

Likewise, this was the view of the Puritans, such as Matthew Henry (1662–1714):

Our bodily meals return often; we cannot maintain life and health without this. And it is fit that this spiritual diet should be taken often too. The ancient churches celebrated this ordinance every Lord’s Day, if not every day when they assembled for worship.[viii]

It was also Charles Spurgeon’s conviction that the Lord’s Supper was to be observed every Lord’s Day, as brought out in the Preface to his book, Till He Come: Communion Meditations and Addresses. He believed strongly that this was the “apostolic precedent; and it was his oft-repeated testimony that the more frequently he obeyed his Lord’s command, ‘This do in remembrance of Me,’ the more precious did his Savior become to him.”

Likewise, in his commentary on Acts, A. C. Gaebelein wrote:

The Lord’s Day and the Lord’s Supper belong together, and there can be no doubt that the early church celebrated that feast of love each Lord’s Day . . . Is it too much to carry out His loving request every Lord’s Day, the day on which He left the grave?[ix]

Theologian Louis Sperry Chafer concurs: “As the resurrection is celebrated by fitting observance of the Lord’s Day each week, so it seems probable that it is well to celebrate Christ’s death just as often.”[x] John Murray also agrees when he writes, “The Lord’s Day is ever recurrent and the Lord’s supper should be frequently administered. . . . Acts 2:42 implies that the supper was an integral part of the worship of the early church.”[xi]

I we may also add, as theologian Wayne Grudem rightly points out, “It has been the practice of most of the Church throughout its history to celebrate the Lord’s Supper every week when believers gather.”[xii] The change, for some odd reason, seems to have occurred after the Reformation, although as mentioned a moment ago, some retained it.

One more important question arises: is there a danger of this becoming ritual and mindless activity? Certainly, but that would be our fault and to our shame. This is an act of worship and remembrance that is observed by God’s unified people. A wonderful aid that I have found to contribute to the worship atmosphere is to read an entry from the book, The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions (Banner of Truth Trust). One can find other good resources, of course. I’ve used, for example, the “Table Addresses” of John Murray in Volume 3 of The Collected Writings of John Murray (Banner of Truth Trust).[xiii]

Finally, the Lord’s Supper is more than a remembrance for our own sakes; it is also a proclamation for the world’s sake. It is a testimony to the world that we are not ashamed of our Lord or of His blood, that we belong to Him and are obedient to Him.

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* This chapter was originally TOTT issue #2, September 2005. See chapter 48 for another discussion of the Lord’s Supper.

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NOTES

[i] Augustus Strong, Systematic Theology (Valley Forge: Judson Press, 1907), p. 964.

[ii] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995), p. 1588.

[iii] H. A. Ironside, 1 Corinthians (New York: Loizeaux Brothers, 1938), pp. 350-3 (emphasis in the original).

[iv] Ironside, p. 342.

[v] Institutes, Book IV, Ch. 14, Section 44 (Beveridge translation).

[vi] Thomas Goodwin, Government of Churches, b. 7, ch. 5, p. 328. Cited in John Gill, A Body of Doctrinal and Practical Divinity (Paris Arkansas: The Baptist Standard Bearer, 1995 Reprint of the 1839 Edition), p. 923.

[vii] Francis Turretin, Institutes of Elenctic Theology. Three Volumes. (Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 1997), Vol. 3, p. 445..

[viii] Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible.

[ix] A. C. Gaebelein, Acts (New York: Loizeaux Brothers), pp. 344, 67.

[x] Louis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, (Dallas: Dallas Seminary Press, 1947-1948), Vol. VII, p. 229.

[xi] Collected Writings of John Murray (Carlisle: Banner of Truth Trust, 1977), Vol. 2, pp. 376, 380.

[xii] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), p 999.

[xiii] We have posted these on our website (www.TheScriptureAlone.com) at the following link: www.TheScriptureAlone.com/murray_ls.htm.

            

Endorsements

Dr. Watson has undertaken a project that would make most men tremble: he has studied and explained some of the most daunting passages of Scripture, and then has demonstrated the courage to publish his explanations for all of the theologians of Christendom to evaluate and contest! He has done so with remarkable care and thoroughness, and you will profit by reading the outcomes and learning from his methods.

—Dr. James Maxwell

President, Faith Baptist College and Seminary

Ankeny, Iowa

I had the privilege of teaching with Dr. Watson in Haiti in 2011 and providentially was able to read several issues of TOTT. These articles not only gave me an appreciation for his scholarship but an understanding and gratitude for a resource that is desperately needed by the serious student of the Word of God. The perspicuity of the Bible has been challenged throughout Church History, but Truth on Tough Texts: Expositions of Challenging Scripture Passages brings clarity to difficult texts using a sound biblical hermeneutic.

—Dr. Allen Monroe

Equipping Leaders International

Former Professor, Cedarville University

Challenging. Insightful. Biblical. Three words that accurately describe Doc Watson’s writing in his new book, Truth on Tough Texts: Expositions of Challenging Scripture Passages. In this compilation of excellent articles, the author does something that is rare these days: he lets the Bible speak for itself. By applying a sound biblical hermeneutic and taking the Bible seriously, truth clearly emerges from the tough texts of Scripture. Pastors and laymen alike will benefit from the hours of study and careful scholarship that went into these pages.

—Dr. James Bearss

President, On Target Ministry

Teaching Faithful Men through International Education

If you have not been blessed to sit under the teaching ministry of Dr. Watson, in one of the most beautiful venues in God’s creation, then do the next best thing and read his books. TOTT is a much needed antidote for a culture that overwhelmingly calls itself Christian but cannot enumerate its most basic and important truths. I heartily recommend you wrestle through the tough texts of Scripture with Doc’s enlightened coaching.

—JD Wetterling

Author of No one . . . and

No Time to Waste

The vast majority of Scripture is clear and understandable to even the simplest of readers, but there are those “hard sayings,” those confusing sections, those tough texts that take extra care and study to discern. Dr. Watson examines many of these “tough texts” through the lens of Scripture, making every effort to determine their true meaning and eliminate the layers of inadequate teaching that has covered many of them over the ages. I recommend this book to the serious student of the Word of God.

—Dr. Gary E. Gilley

Pastor, Southern View Chapel; Springfield, Illinois

Author, This Little Church series

Doc Watson’s TOTT has served me and our church family with his willingness to tackle not only tough texts but also tough topics. I often post his recent article on my office bulletin board. As a pastor, I am all about helpful resources for myself and others, and that’s what this publication offers. Where the commentaries give a brief statement, Doc gives you a concise and thorough explanation. Keep this book within reach on your shelf because you will use this as a reference source when discussions lead to a question about a biblical text or topic.

—Kevin Kottke, MDiv

Pastor, Plainfield Bible Church

Plainfield, Indiana

Dr. Watson has taken from his extensive experience those biblical texts and issues that are most difficult and tackled them head-on. These are texts most commentaries skirt over or shy away from. Doc’s manner is thorough and in-depth, using sound hermeneutic principles of exegesis. The results are profound studies and answers on important subjects. These rich studies have been very beneficial to me personally, and I recommend them to anyone who loves the truth of God’s Word.

—Jim Bryant, MBS

Pastor, Grace Bible Chapel; San Antonio, Texas