Sullivan church of Christ – Sullivan, MO
Date: October 30, 2005
JUST A MATTER OF WANTING TO!
A man can get out of bed at three o’clock on Saturday morning to go fishing, but
when you talk to him about Sunday morning Bible class, he can’t get up that
early on Sunday! WHY THE DIFFERENCE???
A man can go a hundred miles on Friday night to a ball game, but is too tired to
get out for the worship on Sunday and Wednesday nights! WHY THE
DIFFERENCE???
A man can take his family to a circus and spend considerable money, but can’t
afford to give more than a dollar to the Lord! WHY THE DIFFERENCE???
A man can be on the membership committee at the civic club but cannot make
the right approach when asked to do personal work for the Lord! WHY THE
DIFFERENCE???
A man can take an aspirin and go to work despite an annoying headache, but a
similar headache is considered a good reason for missing the worship! WHY
THE DIFFERENCE??? —Selected
WHAT DOES THE PHRASE “FOR MANY”
MEAN IN MATTHEW 26:28?
Ben Justice
After Jesus finished the Passover Supper with his disciples, he instituted his
Supper — the Lord’s Supper (v. 26-29). In connection with the fruit of the vine,
which represents his blood, he said in v. 26, “For this is my blood of the new
testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” Jesus noted that he
shed his blood. His blood would be the means of bringing about his will — the
New Testament. His blood was shed “for (unto) the remission of sins.”
However, our discussion hinges on the phrase “for many.” Jesus shed his blood
“for many.” What does this phrase mean?
It is interesting that the phrase “for many” is also used in Matt. 20:28, wherein
Jesus stated, “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister,
and to give his life a ransom for many.” The parallel is given in Mark 10:45, which
also has the phrase “for many.” The term “ransom” comes from a word literally
meaning “a means of loosing.” The word is used in the OT to refer to the price
paid for a slave who is then set free by the one who bought him. Jesus gave his
own life as the price of freedom for those who are slaves of sin. “Gave”
indicates a “gift.” We understand that Jesus gave his life as a gift on the cross.
This was the price paid “for many,” as the text says. The question is, “Shall we
conclude that Christ’s gift and sacrifice was not for ‘all’?” It is interesting to
note as well that we have this same truth set forth in I Tim. 2:6 — “Who (Christ)
gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” This passage plainly states
that Christ died “for all.” Either the phrase “for many” in the above passages
means “for all,” or it carries a special sense.
One writer stated on Matt. 26:28 that the term “many is a Semitism for
‘everybody’.” (Robert H. Mounce, New International Biblical Commentary —
Matthew, Pg. 241). The phrase “for many” does not mean “the chosen
community of salvation,” as alleged by some (Larry W. Hurtado, New
International Biblical Commentary — Mark, Pg. 177). In other words, the
“elect.” This is Calvinistic teaching, which says that Christ died for a limited
amount of people, even though they will be “many.” This teaching clearly
contradicts the Bible’s plain teaching that Jesus died “for all.” Salvation is not
limited (cf. I John 2:2; Heb. 2:9; 2 Cor. 5:14-15). The term “many” is an unlimited
term. In other words, “many” is not a fixed number; it is not restrictive in
nature. Therefore, many could very well carry the sense of “all.”
The phrase “for many” could carry a special sense, in that it refers to that even
though Christ died for all, all do not accept the offered salvation. “All” and
“many” therefore would refer to the same object, but “all” do not comply with the
conditions for salvation whereby the blessings of the blood of Christ are
appropriated and applied (cf. Rom. 6:3; Gal. 3:27).
The phrase “for many” could be in contrast or in comparison with the one Son of
God. Only one gave his life a ransom and shed his blood, but many will benefit.
The Greek word translated “for” is anti, meaning “instead of” or “in the place of.”
Only “one” would die — namely Jesus. “Many” would not have to.
Based Upon Ecc. 9:5-6, Do The Dead Know and
See What The Living On Earth Are Doing?
Ben Justice
Occult practices have accelerated rapidly in recent years. One peculiar aspect of
the occults is the attempts to communicate with the dead. However, there is
absolutely no Biblical evidence that the dead have any communication with the
living on earth. The account of the Rich Man and Lazarus reveals this. In Luke
16, the Rich Man wanted father Abraham to send Lazarus back to his father’s
house to testify to his five brethren. However, the request was denied (v. 27-31).
This brings us to Ecc. 9:5-6, which states, “For the living know that they shall die:
but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory
of them is forgotten. (6) Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now
perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under
the sun.” These verses teach just the opposite that the dead know any thing.
The text explicitly states, “the dead know not any thing.” This is referring not to
the soul of man, but the physical body. The physical side of man goes back to
the dust of the earth (Ecc. 12:7). The soul of man does not sleep, as alleged by
Jehovah’s Witnesses; only the body sleeps. The context of v. 5-6 is very
important. Verses 3 & 6 speak of things done “under the sun.” The writer has
in mind events that occur “under the sun.” The phrase refers to this earth.
Once a person is dead, he is no longer an observer of what transpires upon the
earth. The dead do not know any thing that happens upon the earth. Now, while
it is true that the Scriptures teach that after death one has memory of the past
events that took place upon the earth, it does not mean that he, after death, has
a consciousness of events of the present.
[NOTE: See Wayne Jackson’s article, “Do The Dead Observe Earth’s
Activities” for more observation of this question.
www.christiancourier.com/questions/deadObservationQuestion.htm].