The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-09-17

evil spoken of.
And in covetous-
ness shall they with feigned words
make merchandise of you; whose SEN
tence now from of old lingereth not,
and their destruction slumbereth not"
2 Pet. 81. 2. 5.
The preceding verses reveal two
methods God uses in speaking to men.
1. The audible voice. There came
such a voice to him from the excel
lent glory, This is my beloved Son in
whom l am well pleased: and this
voice we ourselves heard come out of
heaven, when we We're with him in
the holy mount" 2 Pet. 1:17, 10.
On the Mount of TRANSPORTATION
God the Father spoke to Jesus in an
audible voice when Peter, James and
John heard it and understood.
2. Written language. In verse 20
it is called prophecy of scripture
and scripture means writing-sproph-
ecy of writing" The prophet was
n who spoke from God to the
people a message sometimes of pre-.
diction, but usually of present rebuke,
warning, eXhortation or instruction.
This prophecy vas frequently spoken
first and then reduced to writing.
OF this prophecy of writing" three
things are said in the context: az 1t
is more certain than the vocal utter
ance. I'VE have the word of propli-
ecy made more sure" than the voice
heard in the mount. The writing is
more easily understood and more
permanent. The voice was heard but
once, while the writing is for all ages.
h voice was for the Son only, heard
amid confusion and excitement, while
the writing is for eye and ear to be
read and recited in calm and quiet.
,(2) The written word did not come
TO us by mere hL--an agency. 'N6
prophecy of scripture is of private in
depreciation" The word private
means not private as in. contrast with
public, but private in the sense Of its
being ones w rather than another's.
Private property means that it is ours
n not a%nother's. The word Inter.
probation" means primarily the un-
loosing, as when birds are Embossed
from a cage. No prophecy of Scrip.
ture is of the writer's W %unloosing.
He did not let those thoughts loose
out of himself, "for no prophecy ever
came by the will of man." (3) The
Holy Spirit expressed the written
word through men. Men spoke from
God, being moved by the Holy Spirit
Il Pet: 1:21.) Bear in mind that these
words refer to the prophecy of writ
ing in the preceding verse and you
have a biblical definition of the Scrip
lures. They are prophecy written by
men through whom God spoke by the
Holy Spirit.
The context gives seven character.
istics of these false teachers.
l. Their teachings are Destructive
rather than constructive. They tear
down rather than build up. They
doubt and deny.
2. They work under cover. ssWho
shall privily bring in destructive her.
esies." They prefer to do their work
iii the position of Christian teachers,
They carry a dagger for Christian
truth under the cloak of science and
philosophy.
8. They repudiate the vicarious
atonement of Christ, denying the
Master who bought them" Some OF
them are willing to admit that Jesus
was a good and great man who taught
wonderful truths, but the cross is an
offense to them. They inveigh against
blood atonement.
4. They have many followers. "Many
shall follow their %lascivious ways.n
Their wanton ways of thinking have
a daredevil ton about them which
win a certain class of minds and. sad
to say, not a few of these false teach.
ers by dethroning the authority 81
the moral law have SO weakened and
blunted the ethical sense Of their fol.
lowers that they have gone into ok.
cesses of carnal indulgences.
5. They have an eye to business
.fn4 covetousness they shall make mer.
chandise of you" Some modern amos.
tastes. like Christian Science. are
money-making institutions. One 81
the inducements for Joining is that
you can make money easily.
g.. False teachers do not hesitate tc
buy you from loyalty to truth. by the
offer of lucrative and honorable posi.
tions. They make its appear; thatsit
will be for your interest in the future
to keep quiet or take sides with then,
in their efforts to propagate their va.
carries. They will buy any man n
brains who is for sale.
q. Their literary style viii be ne.
dantic and artificial. with feipned
words" The Greek for "feiened.
means "molded,," formed" a. way
clay or iron into any artificial shane
you may wish. They hide Their
thoughts inSgreat, unusual words, "a
which they often give artificial mean.
ings. 80 that gl~ossaries are needed al
the end of their books.
Pleasing God.
But how easy it is to please God,
"a tear, q sigh, a cry Of penitence: 4
prayerf for his mercy on the sinner: 4
+ hunger for hOliar thinra. . $50.