Yes!
That may sound strange brother but I hope to unravel this here, I pray so. The scriptures contain the 'law' as you have stated, but far much more than that. Blake, I plead with you to bear with me...
Luk 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
Luk 24:32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
[b]Luk 24:32 -
Our heart burn within us[/b] - This is an expression denoting the deep interest and pleasure which they had felt in his discourse before they knew who he was. They now recalled his instruction; they remembered how his words reached the “heart” as he spoke to them; how convincingly he had showed them that the Messiah ought to suffer, and how, while he talked to them of the Christ that they so much loved, their hearts glowed with intense love. This feeling was not confined to them alone. All the followers of Jesus know how precious and tender are the communications of the Saviour, and how the heart glows with love as they think or hear of his life, and sufferings, and death.
[b]He opened to us[/b] - He explained to us the Scriptures. See Luk_24:27.
This narrative shows us,
1. How blind people may be to the plainest doctrines of the Scriptures until they are explained to them. These disciples had often read or heard the Scriptures, but never, until then, did they fully understand that the Messiah must suffer.
2. It is proper there should be those whose office it is to explain the Scriptures. Jesus did it while on earth; he does it now by his Spirit; and he has appointed his ministers, whose business it is to explain them.
3. If people attempt to explain the Bible, they should themselves understand it. They should give their time and talents to a suitable preparation to understand the sacred volume. Preaching should consist in “real,” and not “fancied” explanations of the Scriptures; the real doctrines which “God” has taught in his word, and not the doctrines that “men” have taught in their systems.
4. Here was convincing evidence that Jesus was the Messiah. This was but one of many instances where Jesus convinced his disciples, contrary to their previous belief. In this case the evidence was abundant. He first satisfied them from the Old Testament that the very things which had happened were foretold; he then dissipated every doubt by showing “himself” to them and convincing them that he was truly the Christ. There was no chance here for deception and juggling. Who would have met them and talked with them in this way but the real Saviour? Who would have thought of writing this narrative to help an imposture? What impostor would have recorded the dulness of the disciples as to the plain declarations of the Old Testament, and “then” have thought of this device to prop up the narrative? Everything about this narrative - its simplicity - its tenderness - its particularity - its perfect nature - its freedom from all appearance of trick - shows that it was taken from real life; and if so, then the Christian religion is true, for here is evidence that Jesus rose from the dead.
Psa 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Jer 23:29 Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?
Joh 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Joh 14:24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
Joh 15:20 [u]Remember the word that I said unto you[/u], The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Heb 6:5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
Brother, these are not just random verses as proof text. Is not all of communication ultimately rooted in what is meant? What we discuss here amongst ourselves, a sequence of letters stringed together to form words to communicate thought. [i]Meaning[/i]. Brother, you are as far away as you are close, if you were not to attempt to divide that which is in-divisible. It is both\\and, one and the same.
Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Blake, look how well everything is codified in the "both" of the matter;
Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the [u]whole[/u] armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Eph 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
Eph 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the [u]word[/u] of God:
Eph 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
And again...
Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Is this not so? The same Word of truth, brought to remembrance by the Holy Spirit because it is hidden in the heart and brought to the mind.
Heart to heart communication that is not contradictory, we are the contradicted, the divided, the fallen, the fallible. If I had the ability, I wouldn't trust myself to throw myself across the street. I realize that [i]I don't know[/i] and must rely on Him who does know. Trust my own thoughts? The notions that crop up in my head? All inspired, unction prompted by the Holy Spirit? My goodness no... A perusing of just the last week or so around here is and was a great lesson of resting on my laurels, of lack of prayer, of that frontal lobe management. A great deal of embarrassment and humility (A good thing!), a recognition of underlying pride, of faulty expression.
Blake, how I could but wish to get to the very bottom of all this once and for all and be done with it. There is something about a mindset among us that often cut's across every discussion and it is this partisan spirit, this either\\or thinking, this leaning hard on one area and neglecting another. We can build up whole constructs and\\or doctrines on a select verse or even a handful. Whole denominations have been constructed this way and then everything is held up to the ideal, instead of the ideal being held up to the whole.
What you are doing again as in the recent past is no different. We are so proud and so slow to hear and to listen, to take the whole counsel of the Lord. We would prefer to wield the scriptures, Gods thought, the Lords intent, that which if we recall ...
Joh 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
... rather than to submit to it, to come under it, to humble ourselves before all that the Lord has spoken, is speaking and still constantly communicates to us without contradiction, through His word, in His word by His word, by prayer, by the Holy Spirit ... [u]who[/u]...
Eph 4:4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
Eph 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
Eph 4:6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and [u]in you all[/u].
Blake I do very much grasp the emphasis of the heart that you are trying to convey due to the wreckage and incredible mis-management of the scriptures themselves. The very thought communicated to the heart is lost on so many. The combustion just lying below the surface, ready to explode at the slightest challenge ... I just do not understand it completely. The scriptures as a solitary scholastic study. As a weapon to bludgeon the foes with or each other by mere mortals. As some sort of reference manual to jostle over a jot or a title as if it were sport .... Surely it is expressed in Ephesians as a sword and in Hebrews as a double edged sword, meaning it cut's both ways;
1Ti 1:7 Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.
Jam 3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more severely.
Jam 3:2 For all of us make many mistakes. If someone does not make any mistakes when he speaks, he is perfect and able to control his whole body.
I am somewhat grieved seeing the amount of hostility expressed between brothers of late. Time and again I must wonder at ... "Are we reading the same Book"? Or to dissuade a misunderstanding, "Has the Book read us"? Has the thought of God penetrated far enough into our very marrow that we do not see, feel and recognize just how far off we are or can be?
Blake, it is a whole. One of the best and accurate lines of thought I have ever heard that still resonates when it comes to scripture was stated by our own Philologos who has much more traction and longevity than the two of us combined; That we lift up a section or verses to examine them, but to be sure to put them back into their context when we are through with them. It is no different in the attributes and matters of the heart, of prayer, of contemplation, the Lords thought is unified and communicated without error as a whole. Where it is off is where we must struggle and relinquish, humble ourselves and change both our minds and our hearts.
There is a great deal of agitation and hostility towards one another, so much so that we are ready to lunge at each other with unkind words and thoughts, malice and ill will. The Lord is left out of the entire picture while we yet talk of Him. Amazing!
Blake, I will come along side you here and draw up the one aspect for inspection before dropping it back down into the pool of marrow ... It is obvious that we are not praying as we ought, more concerned about what we [i]think[/i] the Lord is saying rather than saying what the Lord is thinking and wishing to communicate to our hearts and to each other.
That we might apply this broadly, to the whole man, to what is evidently lacking;
Jam 4:1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
Jam 4:2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
Jam 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
Jam 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
Jam 4:5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
Jam 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
Jam 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Jam 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
Jam 4:9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
Jam 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
Jam 4:11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.
Jam 4:12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
