Unsound Words

Much has been written about the use of unsound words, and rightly, because that is one of the main causes of error. Yet in warning against that bad practise we all of us assume responsibility to search ourselves, lest we do the very thing we are warning others against. This is a trap that may snare any of us at some time or other. As I cannot claim to be always guiltless in this respect, perhaps I may without offence quote two glaring examples that appeared in "Unsearchable Riches" for July, 1956, as a warning to us all to be more careful.

In this, one writer on this very subject says (p. 173): "A few samples of such unsound words, which, indeed, are quite in place in the kingdom administration, and concern Israel, but have no right in our present secret administration for the calling out and preparation of the body of Christ, but which we meet continually, will help to make this matter clearer." Here he uses two unsound expressions, kingdom administration and secret administration. Both of these are entirely unscriptural.
On p. 198 another writer produces a much less obvious, and therefore much more dangerous, example. Quoting Rom. 11:5, 6, he says that here "Paul is referring to the chosen in the body of Christ out of Israel." We need feel no surprise that he offers no evidence for this confident assertion, for it is entirely untrue. The subject is Israel, and the word body does not occur anywhere in the context. Paul is here telling the Romans about the remnant of Israel according to choice of grace. They were not to imagine that God's grace had come to Gentiles exclusively. So long as the Twelve Apostles and those associated with them continued to live on earth, their calling had not vanished from view. In due time Israel will be taken back. They are only in eclipse now, their hopes are not dead and gone for evermore.
Behind such unsound words as these lurks the erroneous theory that Israel's calling is not according to choice of grace. If anyone who reads this happens to believe this theory, he will do himself and the rest of us a considerable service if he will attempt to prove it from Scripture. Why is it that so many otherwise enlightened people somehow feel an irresistible urge to steal from Israel the blessings God has promised to His earthly people? They ridicule the grosser forms of this covetousness, that take all the blessings of the Hebrew Scriptures for "the Church" and leave the punishments or curses for Israel; yet in such matters as Rom. 11:1-15 they are quite as faulty, and more culpable in that they are without excuse for not knowing better.