PATIENT PLODDING seems to be the only path by which we can attain
clear cut conceptions of the facts of God's Word. Perhaps this is
why the figure of a workman is used in connection with the Word
of Truth. Although I have taken a special interest in figures of
speech ever since I studied them in high school, and have been
vitally concerned with those in the Scriptures, I have always felt
that the subject needed clarifying in some way before the average
student would take to this important study. The reason for this
lack of interest lies partly in the inappropriate names given to
figures, and partly in a lack of clear definition and
classification. Now that I am trying to get the facts in card
index form for study, the subject is beginning to clarify.
The study of figures cannot be safely neglected by the
student of Scripture. We easily go astray through ignorance in
this field. The disciples had much difficulty on this score. When
our Lord referred to the doctrine of the Pharisees under the
figure of leaven, they took Him literally, and missed the whole
lesson. In modern times much mistaken teaching has been based on
the failure to see a figure. One great movement, which insists
that our Lord has no material body, bases its reasoning on the
statement that He is a life-giving Spirit. They could easily say
to me, "You don't believe the Bible, for it says that the Lord is
a spirit, and you deny it." The immediate context should have
saved them from this mistake, for there Adam is called a soul.
They cannot reason that, therefore, he had no body. When a passage
is clearly
contrary to facts it is always true to feeling and a figure of
speech.
Many imagine that when we "make" a passage figurative we
practically deny it. Quite the contrary is the case, for the
figure usually emphasizes the truth of a passage at the expense of
the facts. Thus, in contrasting Adam and our Lord, the
difference lay in the place given to the soul and the spirit. Adam
was dominated by his soul, our Lord by His spirit. In one the soul
was alive, in the Other the spirit was life-giving. Nothing could
excel the splendid terseness and forcefulness of calling one a
soul and the other a Spirit, even though, strictly speaking, these
statements are not literally true.
Others wish to know how to be sure when a passage is literal
and when figurative. Here there is room for help. The student
needs proper tools so that he can easily become acquainted with
figures and so that he can examine and verify the facts. Something
like a concordance seems to be the best implement. Meanwhile we
hope to help by indicating the more prominent figures by means of
a small superior letter, F for the commonest of all figures, an
Implication, as when our Lord is called a Spirit, and A for an
Association (as we now call a Metonymy) which also occurs very
frequently. In this way the principal figures are pointed out in
the text, and most of the figures of a like character are given in
the concordance for comparison and study.
Some popular errors rest on ignorance of one of the common
figures of speech, Personification. No one questions this figure
in the case of the rich man who said to his soul, "Soul, you have
many goods laid up for many years..." (Luke 12:19). No one
reasons from this that the human soul is a distinct person.
Instead, it is an exquisite way of addressing oneself when the
enjoyment of the senses is in question. So also with the spirit of
God. Even a superficial study of the literal occurrences of the
word spirit will show that the spirit of a
man, or of Christ, or of God, is not a distinct personality! When
so used it is figurative. The spirit of Jesus does not let Paul
speak the word in the province of Asia (Acts 16:7). Shall we make
this a personality distinct from our Lord? Neither should we make
God's spirit a person, when it is used in the figure
Personification.
Our Lord could have said to the Pharisees and Sadducees:
"You are like the progeny of wipers" (Matt.3:7)! This would
have been true as to fact. He might have shortened it to "You are
the progeny of vipers." This would not be true as to fact, though
truer to feeling. What He did say was, "Progeny of vipers!" How
much more terse and trenchant and true to the emotions! Let us
learn from this that figures of speech are often false as to fact
in order to be fervent in feeling. Figurative statements are not a
sound basis for reasoning. We cannot say (as, alas, has often been
done in other less obvious cases), that the leaders in Israel were
not human beings at all, but vipers. Some even add, If you don't
believe that, you reject the Word of God and make Christ a liar!
From this extreme case we may see how easily zealous but ignorant
"faith" may fail to understand God's Word.
But this example was especially elaborated in order to show
the true literary nature of figures of likeness. They are all
condensed similes. Figurative speech is the language of feeling,
and feeling demands terse, vigorous statements. The simile (you
are like) when used of objects which are very dissimilar, points
out one or two marks of similarity. The metaphor (you are) is
more forceful, because it leaves out the word like. The
implication leaves out all of the introductory words you are
like. As the name shows, the likeness is implied, not stated.
It will be found helpful for the understanding of figures of
likeness to remember that they are abbreviated forms. It may be
well at times to add the proper form of be and the word like.
For instance, our
Lord said they were fleeing from indignation. They were not
literally fleeing. They were like those who are fleeing from
some catastrophe, because they sought shelter in baptism. This
kind of figure, which implies a likeness, is most frequent of
all.
My recent investigations in this realm have impressed me with
the fact that figurative language is the shorthand of the
emotions. When we are under much stress, or excited, we do not
wish to go through all the circumlocution necessary to state
facts, but leave out what may be taken for granted. And so we make
prominent the points we wish to press. It is a vital method of
emphasizing and condensing truth. A few words with fervor convey
more than many in cold blood.
WHAT A PARABLE REALLY IS
In the course of the work, we found it necessary to classify
a large number of figures for which there seemed to be no name.
For instance, take the expression "Physician, cure yourself"
(Luke 4:23)! The Lord is compared by implication hypocotastasis
to one who cures others. Further He is compared to one who needs a
physician, and the action of curing. It is a combination of
figures of likeness. I had defined a parable in just these terms,
but can we call this a parable? We usually think of a parable as a
longer story, yet I could see no vital difference. It was with
considerable satisfaction, therefore, that I found that the
Scriptures themselves name this a parable, not a proverb, as
in the Authorized Version. 'Twas a pity this was not correctly
rendered. It would have saved much confusion of thought as to the
real nature of a parable. Now we know that it is an active
likeness, a moving picture, as it were, with like action
included.
Moreover, what we call a parable is sometimes a group of
parables. Thus the parables of the sowing are four, not one
(Matt.13:3; Mark 4:3; Luke 8:5). When
our Lord had finished telling the "parable" of the sowing (Mark
4:2-9) the twelve asked him to explain the parables (plural), not
the one parable. The roadside seed was one parable by itself, and
so was that sown on rocky places, while those among thorns was the
third, and the seed sown on ideal (or good) earth was a distinct
parable by itself. There were four different parallels or
parables.
A list of the parables given in a German Bible Lexicon gives
about thirty. This is in accord with the traditional view. But it
is more likely that there are over a hundred of these delightful
figures, for our Lord was very free with them, and they are not
absent from other parts of the Scriptures. It is a joy to find
oneself in line with God's thoughts even on these externals, and
it is sure to help us to more clarity in comprehending His mind
and heart.
FIGURES OF ASSOCIATION
Next to figures of likeness the Scriptures use figures of
Association, usually called Metonymy or Exchange. It also
seems to be a condensed form, which may be expanded. Thus
"drinking this cup" really means "drinking of the contents of
this cup" (1 Cor.11:26). We are trying to find names for the
figures used in Scripture which really correspond with the facts.
That is why we call this Association, which alone seems to seize
the true idea, and is broad enough to cover all the varieties.
Some object associated with a thing is used for it. Moses is
put for his writings, Christ is called the Resurrection.
Anything closely connected, as the Circumcision, is used for
those who are circumcised. It may actually be a part of it, as
when flesh is used for all connected with man's physical frame.
EXPAND THE FIGURES
It is helpful, if we wish to understand a figure of this
kind, to know that it is a terse, condensed form, usually
a word for a phrase, and then to expand it so that it becomes
literal. Thus, we do not read Moses, but [the writings of] Moses.
Christ is not Himself the resurrection, but the [One Who effects]
resurrection. Circumcision is a rite, but the Circumcision are the
[subjects of] circumcision, and the flesh includes all [connected
with] the flesh, according to the context. This, and similar
figures, especially parts of the body for the whole, as "every
eye will be seeing Him" (Rev.1:7), we call Near Association,
for they are very close and, indeed, partly literal, for they will
see Him with their eyes.
I am more and more impressed with the conviction that figures
are vital to the understanding of the Scriptures, and are not an
academic plaything of scholars, which has little effect on
doctrine and deportment. Next to the meaning of a word, a figure
may be the deciding factor in a great movement, so as to determine
action. The honest unlettered believer, like the disciples of our
Lord, are in danger of taking literally what is clearly and
convincingly concerned with higher things. And the imaginative,
"spiritual" believer goes to the other extreme and sees symbols
everywhere which conflict with the literal facts. To bring system
and order into this chaos is worth some effort. The question is
how to bring it to the saints in a practical way. Not many of them
will take a course in the science of figures, if such were to be
had. Even books on the subject are rare and usually expensive and
erudite.
NOTED IN THE TEXT
My present plan is this. I will note the principal figures,
F Implication, M Metaphor, P Parable, V Vision, A
Association, N Near-Association, Pn Personification, C
Condescension, D Demeaning, and Ir Irony, by means of small
superior letters, right on the text, but so small that they will
not disturb the ordinary reader. In this way the student will be
continually reminded of the
figures and will become figure-conscious and form their
acquaintance. But in parables and visions nearly every other word
would be noted, so here the P and the V indicate whole groups
of figures. This has already been done in the manuscript of the
German version.
A CONCORDANCE OF FIGURES
On the other hand I would like to give a concordance of
these, as well as other figures. This can be much condensed by
indicating the figures in the Keyword Concordance by means of the
same letters, and simply referring to these, in most cases, in the
concordance of figures. Thus, at very small cost, we could put
into the hands of the saints a practical means of mastering this
important matter. I did not think I could find time for this work,
so hoped to have it done by others. I am glad now that this hope
failed, although it has taken a vast amount of time and effort,
for it is a task no one should tackle without a long training
beforehand.
The importance of figures of speech arises from the fact
that, taken literally, as a rule they are not true, hence are very
likely to be misunderstood. So, when our Lord said that He would
rebuild the temple in three days, this was brought up against Him
with convincing effect. Then this element of literal untruth is
often made a premise for further false conceptions. The only
safety lies in an intelligent and vital sympathy and insight by
which to detect figures, which will seize their real intention.
Thus, a spiritual man would say to himself, God does not dwell in
Herod's temple, He dwells in Christ. If they destroy Him, He will
undo their work in three days.
But perhaps still more mischief is wrought, even by those who
recognize figures, in failing to confine them to the actual points
of contact. In figures of likeness, particularly, we are tempted
to expand the similarity to factors which are not in view and
which cause havoc in interpretation. Well do I remember the relief I found
when I first saw that the figure of an espoused virgin (2 Cor.11:2) had
no bearing on the subject of the "bride." It had been used to "prove" that
the church is the bride. Yet it has nothing to do with marriage, but is
limited to the singleness which becomes those who are engaged. So many
fine figures such as that of the body of Christ and His headship, are
being expanded beyond their legitimate limits, causing much confusion.
Often we hear the expression, "when the body of Christ
is joined to its Head." Here we have a mixture of two distinct figures,
the body (including its head) and Christ as Head. In one case the whole
body is used to illustrate our union with one another in Christ. In the
other a part of the human body, the head, is used to show our Lord's
relation to the saints, as over and superior to them. We cannot
intelligently speak of being united to our Head in the future. That
relation already exists, so far as the figure is concerned. These precious
parallels should be carefully pondered in our hearts and kept each in its
own casket. But this deserves an article by itself, so need not be
enlarged upon at this time.
We trust that we can claim the sympathy and prayers of
our friends as we plan and plod to prepare a smooth path for all of His
dear saints who seek to master the message of God's revelation. We could
perhaps please them better by devoting our time to work which shows more
immediate results. But we are deeply impressed with a conviction that this
is in His will, and may be used for His glory, and has an importance
second only to the making of a concordant version. The work is tiring and
trying, and few would care to do it unless they were sure of His approval
in that day.
