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The above is a misnomer. It is impossible for two people to understand anything and not understand
it alike. We understand facts and commands alike. It is possible to misunderstand a fact or a
command, but our differences arise from our misunderstanding and not from our understanding.
There is a divine and inspired rule running all through the Bible that should be our guide in matters religious. We want to call attention to this rule in various passages. First, we shall read Deuteronomy 29:29: "The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law." It would be a happy day for all of us if we would learn this principle. Secret things belong to God. Revealed things belong to us. Too many want to pry into the secret things, or to speak where the Bible does not speak. Again, we read in 2 Timothy 4:1-2, "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; preach the word..." In this solemn charge by Paul to his son in the gospel, Timothy, he told him to "preach the word." Timothy was not at liberty to speculate on the word of God, but to preach it. We are not to preach our opinions, but the word. We had better spend more time preaching the word, and not so much time preaching about the word. "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God..." (1 Pet. 4:11). Once again, "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." (Rev. 22:18-19). To add unto the word of God means that the plagues that are written therein will be added unto us, and to take away from God's book means that our part shall be taken out of the book of life and out of the holy city from the things which are written. It is no wonder the inspired Paul wrote, "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." (Gal 1:8-9). And in 2 John 9, we have this striking language: "Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son." Can we understand the Bible alike? Yes, if we are willing to be guided and controlled by the rule given above. Let us illustrate this rule. If you were to turn to Exodus 3:2-4, you would read about the angel of the Lord appearing to Moses in a burning bush. Now let us try this rule. We want to ask two questions. First, did the angel of the Lord appear to Moses in a burning bush? There is no one but who will answer, "Yes." Why do we thus answer? It is revealed. We are speaking here where the Bible speaks. Second, what variety of bush was it? Some may say it was pine, others, cedar, etc. Why are we divided in our answers to this question? We are speaking where the Bible is silent. That answer to that question is not revealed. It is untaught. It is not in the Bible. While we confine our answers to what is revealed, we are a unit. Just as soon as we begin to speak where the Bible is silent, we are divided. My friends, we are not divided over what is in the Bible. We are divided over what is not in it. Let us try once more. In John 3:1-2, we read about Nicodemus coming to Jesus by night. Let us see if we can understand this alike. First, did Nicodemus come to Jesus by night? There is not a preacher who believes the Bible on the face of the earth but who "sees" this alike. Why? The Bible says plainly that Nicodemus came by night. Why did he come under the cover of darkness? One might say he was a coward and ashamed to come in daylight. Another might say he was a very busy man and did not have time to come by day. Still, others might say he wanted the personal touch, so he came by night to avoid the multitudes who crowded around Jesus by day! What is the matter here? What is causing all of this division? We have forgotten our rule and are attempting to speak where God's book does not speak. The Bible does not say why Nicodemus came to Jesus by night, and we dare not hazard a guess. Now, for a few applications of this heavenly-inspired rule. How should people be baptized? We all admit that immersion is baptism. We all agree that a burial in water, preceded by the proper requisites, is baptism. Why do we thus agree? The Bible plainly says "we are buried with him by baptism" (Rom. 6:3-5; Col. 2:12). We can all understand this alike because it is revealed. Someone says that he believes "sprinkling" or "pouring" will do just as well as baptism. We divide over this. We cannot see it alike. We do not "understand" it alike. What has caused the division? Is it over what the Bible says? No, it is over what it does not say. "Sprinkling" and "pouring" are not baptism, but are substitutes for baptism, without one syllable of divine authority back of the practice. Who should be baptized? We are all agreed that a penitent believer is a proper subject for baptism. Why are we thus agreed? The Bible teaches it (Mk. 16:15-16; Acts 2:37-38). But some religious teacher begins to baptize babies. Division comes in the wake of this practice. What has caused the division? It is caused by speaking where the Bible does not speak — going beyond, not abiding in the doctrine of Christ. Baptizing babies is no part of the doctrine of Christ. All religious people claiming to be Christians are willing to wear the name "Christian." We do not divide over this name. We understand this name alike! Where does the division arise? It comes from wearing religious names foreign to the Bible. All of us agree that it is right to sing in worship, but some want to "play" also. We are united on the singing, but divided on the use of instrumental music in the worship. One is found in the New Testament, but the other is not. We "see" alike what is in the Bible, but cannot possibly "see" the other alike. No, instrumental music was added by mere man hundreds of years after the Bible was a closed Book. We divide over the "millennium" and over the so-called "pre-millennial" reign of Christ, and the so-called "rapture," but the Bible does not say one word about these things, and we ought to keep silent where the Bible does. If we were to speak just where the Bible does, say just what the Bible says, division and agitation over these questions would end overnight. My friend, if you have a "theory" that cannot be expressed in the very words of the Bible in unequivocally and unmistakably plain language, you'd better keep this "theory" to yourself. Let us all speak where the Bible speaks and remain silent where God has not spoken. We can unite upon that Biblical platform. |