Sullivan church of Christ – Sullivan, MO
Date: February 20, 2005
A FEW THOUGHTS ON REPETITION
David B. Smith
Men and women who read the Bible through on a regular basis are likely impressed
with the repetitious nature of truth. This does not mean that the Bible is
redundant or boring, not by any means. But it does mean that God utilizes the
most effective memory tool for man: repetition. Men for ages have recognized its
value (i.e., repetition), not just in learning the Scriptures but in learning any skill
or piece of information. For example, an interview found through an Internet
search showed one football coach stating “as coaches, we rely on repetition,
repetition, repetition” (www.kansas.com, July 27, 2003) concerning the training of
his players. Or consider another interview with a media group who states regarding
advertising, “Advertising is all about repetition, repetition, repetition” (www.
longbeachonline.com, Sept. 16, 2002). And in an interview with Allen Hicks,
popular horse trainer for many Hollywood movies and stars, the article records,
“Unlike some trainers he’s known, Hicks doesn’t think blood needs to be drawn to
get a horse properly trained. Horses learn one way and one way only,” he said,
“Repetition, repetition, repetition” (www.mailtribune.com, March 29, 2004).
Repetition, then, is a good thing. And what better way to help man learn the great
principles of the Bible than to remind man constantly throughout the entirety of
the Sacred Text of what he must or must not do? To be sure, there is power in
repeating and remembering what one has already learned. Barclay offers a few
excellent comments on this wise:
“. . . it is necessary for a thing to be said over and over again if it is to penetrate
the mind . . . It is by continued repetition that the rudiments of knowledge are
settled in the mind of the child. There is something of significance here. It may
well be that often we are too desirous of novelty . . . when what is needed is a
repetition of the eternal truths which men so quickly forget and whose significance
they often refuse to see. There are certain foods of which a man does not get tired;
necessary for his daily sustenance they are set before him every day. We speak
about a man’s daily bread. And there are certain great Christian truths which have
to be repeated again and again and which must never be pushed into the
background in the desire for novelty.”
“Again and again the New Testament makes it clear that preaching and teaching are
so often not the introducing of new truth but the reminding man of what he already
knows. Moffat quotes a saying of Dr. Johnson: ‘It is absolutely considered that
men more frequently require to be reminded than informed.’ The Greeks spoke of
‘time which wipes all things out,’ as if the human mind were a slate and time a
sponge which passes across it with a certain erasing quality. We are so often in
the position of men whose need is not so much to be taught as to be reminded of
what we already know” (William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible Series: The Letters
of James and Peter [Philadelphia: Westminister press, 1976], pp. 336, 337).
Barclay’s comments should not be carried too far, so as to exclude the need for an
increase in knowledge (2 Pet. 3:18). But he is right on the mark with the emphasis
on repetition of basic Bible truths. As Peter wrote, “Wherefore I will not be
negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though you know
them, and be established in the present truth” (2 Pet. 1:12). The problem is not
with the Word of God, but with man — who has a tendency to forget in the absence
of being reminded. Note the repeated warnings of the book of Deuteronomy about
the danger of forgetting: “only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest
thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen” (Deut. 4:9); “take heed unto
yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the Lord your God” (Deut. 4:23); “then
beware lest thou forget the Lord” (Deut. 6:12); “beware that thou forget not the Lord
thy God” (Deut. 8:11); “but thou shalt remember the Lord thy God . . . And it shall
be, if thou do at all forget the Lord thy God” (Deut. 8:18-19). And the way to avoid
the condemned forgetfulness is to remind one’s self always of that which God
requires. So again, there is a unique power in repetition. With that said, here are
a few miscellaneous points:
1.) Many men grow weary of hearing the same thing over again (Is. 28:9-13). But
the surest way to downfall is to lose respect for the message from God and, more
especially, to lose interest in hearing it more than once.
2.) Because truth is to be repeated constantly, the job of the preacher or elder is
not done after a subject has been preached for the first time. Without repetition,
men will forget. Too, there are always younger generations who will need to hear
the truth. And in this context, someone’s “refresher” course in truth may very well
be another’s first time.
3.) If congregations are being starved of basic truths, there is a problem (Acts 20:
27; 2 Tim. 4:2). Every group of people needs to hear sermons and classes on the
nature of truth, the nature of the church, the deity of Jesus, the plan of
conversion, marriage laws (including divorce and remarriage), et cetera, and to hear
them often. Obviously, it takes time to get to everything. But there is a difference
in a balanced preaching schedule where basic truths are not forgotten and in a
preaching/teaching schedule where nothing essential is ever repeated.
4.) What should be repeated more and with greater effectiveness in every gathering
than the plan of conversion? Yet it is now trendy among progressive congregations
to stop reminding people of God’s plan to save. But people must have this
repeated. And it is during this time especially that saints are able to reflect upon
their own conversion to the Christ and the same extension to grace being made for
other men who will obey. When the invitation is being repeated, be respectful and
listen carefully and remember.
5.) The Lord’s Supper is repeated every first day of the week (Acts 20:7). And it is
done with such repetition, “in remembrance of me . . . for as often as ye eat this
bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till he come” (I Cor. 11:24-
26). The repetition of the Lord’s Supper keeps man sensitive to that great event of
the Lord’s own death.
6.) And repeating one’s own attendance to the assemblies of the saints keeps him
from becoming indifferent to his soul (Heb. 10:24-25). Repetition in regard to the
assemblies is required, for the good of man.
So there is a unique power to repetition. Do not be afraid to speak the truth more
than once, read the Bible always, and be reminded always of what God would have
man do.
—via “The Northside Transformer,” Weekly Bulletin of the Northside church of
Christ, Nov. 7, 2004
YOUR EYES CAN EXPRESS
Envy: “Sail eyed David from that day forward” (I Sam. 18:9).
Guile: “He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow” (Pro. 10:10).
Hypocrisy: “When Jehu came to Jezrell, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her
eyes . . .” (2 Kings 9:30).
An adulterous heart: “He that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath
committed adultery already with her in his heart” (Matt. 5:28).
Intemperance: “Who hath redness of eyes? They that tarrieth long at the wine”
(Pro. 23:29-30).
Compassion: “. . . When he saw him, he was moved with compassion.”
—Source: “Minister’s Monthly,” July, 1965