Assurance That The Bible Is True -- Luke 24

Every writer of Scripture wrote of one theme—Jesus Christ the eternal Son of God. Many prophets and apostles recorded the word of God, but there is not a contradiction in the entire Bible. God used His men to give His word over a period of nearly two centuries with no disharmony between them. A jigsaw puzzle has many pieces with various shapes and sizes. When properly assembled, it portrays a picture. Likewise, when God’s word is properly interpreted, it reveals God’s purpose. In contrast to many writers of Holy Scripture, a few individuals wrote the Book of Mormon, the Koran, the Key To The Scriptures, etc. No book is a substitute for God’s word. All heresies begin when people become enamored with the writings by some individuals and accept what they say in lieu of the Bible. Theology learned from any human book is knowledge of a dangerous type. “…be warned: the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body” (Eccl. 12:12 NASB).

As the incarnate Word is the Christian’s life and power, the written word is his instruction and authority. Anyone who questions the Scriptures as God’s word also denies its authority. Reverence is the sincere recognition of greatness: “…God is greater than man” (Job 33:12 NASB). God is great without quantity, good without quality, everlasting without time, and omnipresent without place; and He contains all things without extent. God is not only great, “…What god is great like our God” (Ps. 77:13 NASB), but also greatest, “For the LORD is a great God, And a great King above all gods” (Ps. 95:3 NASB). God is not only good, “PRAISE the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, For He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting” (Ps. 106:1 NASB), but also better and best of all, “But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better” (Phil. 1:23 NASB).

Where there is absolute supremacy there can be no injustice. What the supreme One wills is always right because He wills it. The sovereign God cannot act arbitrarily because there is no law above God. He is His own law.

The four great historical events of Christ’s earthly sojourn are His transfiguration, His death at Calvary, His resurrection, and His ascension. Connected with these four events are two men (Luke 9:30; Matt. 17:3; Mark 9:4; Acts 1:10). Moses and Elijah are named in the mount of transfiguration scene. Do all the references refer to Moses and Elijah? The word “men” in all the references is from the Greek word aner instead of anthropos. The noun aner is used to speak of full age, ripe age, or perfected. It cannot be translated “angel” because the Greek word for angel is aggelos, which means a message delivered by God, man, or Satan. It is also used to speak of created beings superior to man (Ps. 8:5; Heb. 2:7). The chosen angels belong to God, and they are engaged in His service (Ps. 103:20; I Tim. 5:21). The fallen angels left their habitation and became the servants of Satan (II Pet. 2:4; Jude 6).

The historical event of Christ’s transfiguration has a great prophetical message. It was not only symptomatic of what had already begun but also prophetic of what shall be revealed. Therefore, the transfiguration was prophetic of that which is to come. If a person should choose the most dreadful position in which men were placed on earth, he would fix his attention on Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. If he should choose the most favored position, he would say Peter, James, and John. The Hebrews were calm in the fiery furnace, but the disciples were fearful out of reverence for Christ in their experience on a high mountain as Christ transfigured Himself before them.

Mountains are symbols of God’s majesty. The most memorable events of Biblical history transpired on mountains—Abraham on Mount Moriah, Moses on Mount Sinai, Elijah on Mount Carmel, Christ on Mount Calvary, and Christ on Mount Olivet.

Peter, James, and John constituted a little circle within the larger circle of disciples. Different degrees of privilege and trust were given to them. All the members of the natural body do not have the same honor and function, and the same is true of the body of Christ (I Cor. 12).

Warning must be given to all Christians because many believe they should be constantly going up to mountains of extraordinary joy and revelation. That idea denies the need for the valleys and plains of tribulation, suffering, and trial in order to become mature (Rom. 5:1-5; I Pet. 1:1-8).

Christ was transfigured before two witnesses who were in their glorified bodies—Moses who died and Elijah who was translated. Peter, James, and John, earthly men who had not walked through the shadow of death, also witnessed the transfiguration. This teaches the reality of a union between the human and the Divine. The earthly men were assured that Christ’s body (human nature) would be preserved subsequent to His death. Therefore, the veil between the disciples and the kingdom to come was drawn aside to permit a view into prophecy. Thus the “word of prophecy” was confirmed (II Pet. 1:17-19).

A study of phenomena to note the changes that can come to substances without destroying their essential nature is fascinating. Peter testified to this in II Peter 1:16-18. The witnesses “…saw no one, except Jesus Himself alone” (Matt. 17:8). Peter, James, and John did not see the blessedness of the saints in glory, but they saw Jesus Christ who is the only manifestation of God. Likewise, Moses and Elijah did not see the Old Testament saints who were represented by them, but they saw Jesus Christ, the only manifestation of God. Each saint of God says with John, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30 NASB).

Luke’s account of the transfiguration records the link between the transfiguration and Christ’s Calvary experience: “Who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His departure [exodos, which means departure or death] which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem” (Luke 9:31 NASB). The Greek word exodos is a compound word made up of ek, which means out, and hodos, which means a way. It is used three times in the New Testament (Heb. 11:22—a going out or departure from; Luke 9:31; II Pet. 1:15—a departure from life, decease, or death). The death of the sinless Lord Jesus was entirely voluntary, a death in which the God-Man was a sacrifice for sin (the only instance of a man being such a sacrifice), a death that should be commemorated forever. Therefore, there can be no kingdom, which the transfiguration portrays, without the cross.

Christ’s death was necessary: “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” (Luke 24:26 NASB). The death of Christ displays a person offending and a Person offended. It proves that the offended Person holds the offender justly bound to suffer penal consequences merited by the offence. Christ’s death was necessary in order for God to forgive the sin of the offender. Forgiveness of sin depends on the holy character of God. There are moral reasons that require that sin must be punished. These moral reasons render the death of Christ necessary for the forgiveness of sin. All false religions not only reject but also hate the teaching of the substitutionary work of Christ on behalf of the elect.

God conditionally obligated Himself to give His Son to die because His death confirmed the entrance of sin. Death was the only way to settle the guilt of sin. There was no necessity on God’s part for sin to enter, but His wisdom thought it good that it should. Therefore, God created man with the possibility of sinning, but not with the necessity to sin (Eccl. 7:29). Transgression against God demands no less than death because an infinite crime against God demands eternal punishment. The vileness of the offender is reflected in the dignity of the Offended. Therefore, sin against God is infinite.

The necessity was not incumbent on God to redeem the sinner. As God was not obligated to prevent the fall, He was not obligated to redeem man subsequent to the fall. However, Christ’s death was necessary to redeem man, but it was not necessary by an antecedent necessity. Salvation of the lost was not of absolute necessity but of the good pleasure of the sovereign God. The term “necessity” indicates that since God out of His good pleasure chose some to salvation, He was under necessity to accomplish that salvation through the sacrifice of His Son. Therefore, the decreed death of His Son was bound by the eternal covenant of grace (Heb. 13:20, 21; Rev. 13:8).

There was no necessity on God the Father to give His Son, and there was no necessity on the Son to die for the elect. However, God the Father made a covenant with Christ and Christ consented to the covenant to die for the sins of the elect. Christ, by a free act of His own will, became the Surety of the elect. Therefore, the Father counted Him as one with those for whom He died. The Surety is liable for the guilt of His clients. Satisfaction must be by death because death was threatened as the judgment. The death of all the sacrifices of the Old Testament pointed to the death of the Testator (Heb. 9-10). Mercy and justice meet in the death of Christ. Mercy could not have been discovered in the condemnation of all or justice in the pardon of all. Although mercy is essential to God, it could not be unjustly exercised; therefore, justice was satisfied in Christ’s death because only a Divine Person was capable of effecting satisfaction.

All Scripture points to Jesus Christ. After His resurrection, the Lord Himself explained to the two men on the road to Emmaus the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures: “And He said to them, O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory? And beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He would go farther. And they urged Him, saying, Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over. And He went in to stay with them. And it came about that when He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. And their eyes were opened [aorist passive indicative of dianoigo] and they recognized [aorist active indicative of epiginosko] Him; and He vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, Were not our hearts burning [present passive participle of kaio] within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:25-32 NASB). Christ’s words to the two men are repeated in verses 44-46—“Now He said to them, These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead the third day” (NASB).

Jesus Christ opened the two men’s eyes and minds before they recognized Him or understood the Scriptures. There is an inward faculty of the mind that corresponds to the natural eye. It is the power by which people see and apprehend the truth of natural things. The eye of the soul is a part of man’s constitution since Adam’s fall. This eye, because of depravity, is born blind to spiritual things. Therefore, all it can see is that which is related to this world system. It is closed to the guilt of sin, forgiveness in Christ, peace, God the Father, the Holy Spirit, and eternity.

How is the closed eye opened? Most religionists believe the eye of the soul, like the eye of the body, is opened and closed by an act of the will in the brain. Therefore, the act of the will in the brain moves the organ of the eye. The way the will can take effect on the nerves and muscles of any part of the human body is a mystery, but it does just that. According to the viewpoint of the natural person, his will acts naturally. However, the will with which man was created suffered the same depravity in the fall, which included the whole man—body, soul, and spirit (I Thess. 5:23).

According to Arminians, the will is balanced between right and wrong. Therefore, the will can choose either way. This is a denial of depravity. The Arminian believes that by some sovereign determining power of his will he can choose to do good or evil. He says if this is not true, man cannot be blamed for sin, and there can be no pretext for moral government.

“Can” and “cannot” are used differently pertaining to natural and spiritual conduct. A Christian wife can naturally be a better housekeeper, but she cannot spiritually prostitute herself. The Christian can naturally attend a place of sin, but he cannot spiritually live in sin: “No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. Little children, let no one deceive you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God” (I John 3:6-9).

Scripture states that the two men who conversed with Jesus Christ on the road to Emmaus experienced not only their eyes being opened, but also their hearts burning within them (Luke 24:31, 32). Both verbs are in the passive voice, which means God acted upon the two men. They had nothing to do with their eyes being opened or their hearts burning. They could see because they were in Christ, and His explaining the Scriptures to them caused great excitement in their hearts. The Scriptures give both light and warmth to those who have been born of God (Ps. 19).

The following things are included in the will of the sovereign God: He created mankind (Gen. 1:26, 27; 5:1, 2). He chose to save some and pass by the others (Rom. 9). He sent His Son to die for the redemption of the elect (I Pet. 1:1, 2, 18-21). He regenerates the elect by the Holy Spirit (John 3:1-8). He works in time in the regenerate to will and to do His good pleasure (Phil. 2:12, 13). He will make the elect like Christ for eternity (I Cor. 15:50-57).

Christians should observe that there are some things done for the elect that were neither produced by them nor worked in them. Because Christians did not exist, neither Christ’s death on the cross on their behalf (Rev. 13:8) nor their justification before God (Rom. 3:24-26; 5:9, 10) were actually worked in them. There are some things wrought in Christians but not by them. They are regeneration and the impartation of Christ’s righteousness (John 3:8; I Cor. 1:30). There are other things wrought in Christians and by them. These are their works subsequent to regeneration. God’s will becomes their will. Therefore, God works in them to be willing and to be working on behalf of His good pleasure (Phil. 2:12, 13). Hence, they become the instruments of God’s inward working.

A valuable lesson to be learned from Luke 24:31, 32, and 45 is that equal accessibility to Scriptures is no guarantee of equal illumination of Scripture to those who read them or hear them explained. God conceals the truth from the nonelect: “At that time Jesus answered and said, I praise Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou didst hide these things from the wise and intelligent and didst reveal them to babes. Yes, Father, for thus it was well-pleasing in Thy sight. All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son, except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him” (Matt. 11:25-27 NASB). “But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep” (John 10:26 NASB). Christ praised the Father for concealing truth from some. If there were no reprobation, there would be no election. If there were no election, there would be no grace. If there were no grace, there would be no salvation. If there were no salvation, there would be no body of Christ. If there were no body of Christ, all would be doomed to endless torment. No person can read the Bible without recognizing both election and reprobation.

The statement in Luke 24:32 “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road…” denotes an expression of deep interest in every Christian. The word for “burning” is a present passive participle of the verb kaio, which means to set fire or to light a lamp. The passive voice means being lighted or being burned. Metaphorically, it speaks of the heart being warmed with spiritual light. When the questioning mind of a regenerated person is subjected to God’s truth, the light of truth warms him. It is an experience that literally captivates the Christian by the excellence of Christ’s teaching. The words of our Lord allow no change, admit no allowances, and bend to no circumstances.

The verb kaio is used twelve times in the New Testament. It is used in the following ways: (1) to cause to burn, to kindle or light (Matt. 5:15); (2) in the passive voice, to be kindled, burned, or inflamed (Luke 12:35); (3) metaphorically, to be kindled into emotion (Luke 24:32); and (4) to consume with fire (John 15:6).

There are two compound verbs using the stem kaio. The first is ekkaio (ekkaiomai), made up of the preposition ek, which means out or from and the stem kaio. It is used only in Romans 1:27, and it refers to lustful passions by being inflamed by sensual desires. The second compound verb is katakaio. The preposition kata means down. Joined to kaio, the compound verb signifies to burn up, burn utterly as chaff (Matt. 13:30, 40), burn the earth and its works (II Pet. 3:10), and to burn utterly (Rev. 18:8). This compound verb is used twelve times in the New Testament.

The fourth and last verb is puroo (puromai), and it is used six times in the New Testament. It is derived from pur, which means fire, or to blow with heat. Fire is used figuratively to express various circumstances of severe trial (Luke 12:49; I Cor. 3:13; Jude 23). Metaphorically, it is used to describe distressful feelings (II Cor. 11:29), to lust, to be inflamed, or to burn (I Cor. 7:9 NASB).

The burning of I Corinthians 7:9 refers to lust. Theology cannot be erased and retain morality. The sexual freedom of the present generation has brought us to the brink of disaster. The “new morality” is a manifestation of Jude 8—“Yet in the same manner these men, also by dreaming defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties” (NASB). The Christian cannot go so far as to say, “preach the gospel of Christ and there is no need for instruction about morality.” However, instruction concerning morality, including the morality of sex, is necessary.

Sex is not a subject for which the man of God must apologize. Christians do not joke about sex because in itself it is not immoral. It is sacred. It is set apart to be treated with respect in the marriage relationship between a man and a woman. Abuse of sex does not bar its lawful use (I Cor. 7:1-15). The mystery of sex is unveiled in the temple of love and not in the laboratory of lust. Christians recognize the reality of sexual desire, but they also realize that such desire is controlled by love. The Bible teaches that sex belongs to marriage, but it also teaches that it has restrictions in marriage. Marriage is a God-given endowment to be kept in trust for that person to whom one is able to offer oneself in the responsible union of lifelong marriage.

Sex in the state of marriage is the greatest expression of love between a husband and his wife. It is the greatest experience of intimacy in the physical realm. It illustrates the highest spiritual experience in the Christian life, the times when the Christian is being made to hear what the Lord is teaching him. The Lord reveals His secrets to His chosen ones, and the recipients reciprocate by giving undivided attention to what is taught. No spirit of fellowship can surpass the experience of Christians’ hearts being made to burn by the Savior speaking to them through His word enabling them to understand.

The person whose eye has been opened by the Lord and whose heart He has caused to burn because of hearing and being made to understand God’s word is prepared for inevitable controversy. In his encounter with the Jews in Thessalonica, Paul reasoned with them from the Scriptures: “…they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ” (Acts 17:1-3 NASB). When he reasoned with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles in Athens, some of the Epicureans and Stoic philosophers ridiculed him because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection (vv. 17, 18).

No one can live his life without controversy. Polemics is that branch of theology dealing with the art of controversy. Controversy alone issues in complete failure. Neither person is convinced. Disagreement can be refreshing only when two people desire to compare views in order to reach a clearer understanding of truth. On the other hand, controversy is wretched when it is an attempt to prove another person wrong. It destroys the humble inquiry after truth. Controversy is profitable when done properly, and it will not destroy a person’s humility in his desire to know the truth. Christians should “examine [dokimadzo, which means to prove or approve after trial] everything carefully, hold fast to that which is good” (I Thess. 5:21 NASB). The word dokimadzo means to test and also carries the idea of approving as a result of the examination. However, it is not enough to test unless that which is approved is embraced and maintained.

There is only one effective way to arrive at the truth. God teaches the humble His truth: “He leads the humble in justice, And He teaches the humble His way” (Ps. 25:9 NASB). Pride must vanish when one recognizes that God is the Teacher. The Christian is not as anxious to prove others wrong as he is to have Divine guidance in the way of truth and judgment. Humility is reverence for that which has been learned to be the truth of God. Man always has something to learn. God has something to teach, but men are never completely taught.

Controversy is often heated and one-sided, but it is not an unhealthy sign. Semantics is the study of meaning, classifying, and changes in meaning. A good semantician will be diligent in his research of meaning. Therefore, a study of words is most important in polemics. False first principles and false rules of interpretation lie at the foundation of all false doctrine. Without a self-evident principle to determine on which side lays the burden of proof, controversy could be endless without any help gained.

In every question, the burden of proof lies on the side of the affirmative. An affirmation is no authority without proof. It is the same as though it were not affirmed. He who denies has nothing to prove until proof is advanced. Evidence cannot be refuted until affirmation is advanced. If nothing is in the opposite scale, it would be foolish to try to fill the other scale to try to outweigh nothing. Without evidence, the person who affirms loses his cause. When a person engages to disprove the affirmation in a case where the antagonist gives no evidence, he does injury to his own cause. No person can disprove that which has no proof. That which has no proof needs no refutation. Disproof is the refutation of the alleged proof.

If a man must prove his affirmation, the objector must prove his objection. Every man must seek to prove that which his cause requires. There is a well-known principle of law that states that every man must be presumed innocent until his guilt is established. However, this does not mean that one should take for granted that he is innocent. If that were the case, he would be entitled to immediate liberation. The word “pressure” signifies to suppose that he is to be legally judged guilty. The law pronounces no judgment until it hears the proof. The accused must prove his side of the case or the charge falls for lack of evidence. The accuser is the one who needs the proof.

In regard to religious questions, it is not whether such things are useful or injurious but whether or not they are founded in Scripture. No religious institution has authority from its age. No religious institution has authority for its seeming success. No religious institution has authority from tradition. Everything that claims belief must submit its evidence or else it cannot be rationally received. Everything believed must rest on evidence or else it cannot be rationally retained. The Bible exists; therefore, those who affirm their institutions (practices) are Scriptural are obligated to prove they are Biblical. No man in order to disprove error is obligated to hunt for its origin.

The correct use of controversy is very important. The Scriptures are the Christian’s only standard; therefore, Scripture cannot prove anything not found in Scripture. Christians are admonished to acquire wisdom: “Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth” (Prov. 4:5 NASB). Knowledge is not necessarily good: “And this I pray, that your love may about still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ” (Phil. 1:9, 10 NASB). Knowledge can have the opposite effect: “NOW concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies” (I Cor. 8:1 NASB). Increasing knowledge seems to make some more gracious. However, learning shuts others up to a world of their own high above their fellows and makes them hard to get along with. Becoming unshackled from one spiritual prison to shut oneself inside a worse prison of his making is possible. This is caused by the incorrect motive for gaining knowledge. The carnal Christians in Corinth were warned about being puffed up with knowledge.

The key to true knowledge is a spiritual life. The most effective Christian is not one who has enough degrees but one who learns something and then puts it into practice. No one can know for certain what is right by looking up texts bearing on a particular subject. If he could, all that would be required would be a good concordance, a good memory, sound common sense, and good reasoning power. There would be no need for spirituality, the exercise of soul, dependence on the Holy Spirit, and a deep sense of one’s own nothingness apart from Christ. To arrive at spiritual conclusions one must be spiritual: “If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from Myself” (John 7:17 NASB). Where there is no knowledge of truth there can be no obedience to truth. Obedience of faith cannot be expected where the doctrine of faith is absent. Doctrine cannot be adorned if it is not known. The Bible is not a book from which one is to get more theoretical knowledge. It is a Book to be obeyed.

The smoke of controversy sometimes conceals truth. Talking about truth without manifesting it is repulsive. Some have the art of wrangling and thus make sane things obscure, as in the burning of wet fuel one cannot see the fire for the smoke. Truth is both personal and purposeful. It is not only for the Christian but also should have an effect on him (Rom. 12:1, 2).