this tendency is speedily and effectively checked, a second and general apostasy will follow, as certainly as one sun-set follows another, from the same cause. This parable should impress both the ministry and membership of our churches with the sacred duty of guarding with holy vigilance against the entrance of the unregenerate into our churches, and, by the exercise of a strict gospel discipline, driving out all “the fowls of the air” that are now lodging in them. *** Dr. Parsons, in his Development of Antichrist, says: “The Parable of the Leaven represents the results which will be manifested in the kingdom of Christ during the age from the corruptions introduced by those within the church. The meal will be leavened by heresies and perversions during all this dispensation. “All the parables of Christ illustrating the mystery of the administration of His kingdom plainly betoken a mixed and corrupted state of things to the end of this dispensation, and the Spirit confirms this in the revelation of this great apostasy: “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. - 1 Tim. 4:1-3. “Also that times of great peril shall be in the last days; that formality and hypocrisy will abound; that all who adhere to godliness shall suffer persecution; and that evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.”31
THE NEW LIFE WITH ITS NEW BIRTH AND KINGDOM {“Verily, verily, I say unto thee, ... Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. ... Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”} [John 3]
Our Lord’s conversation with Nicodemus has in all ages been noted for its deep importance. It has its difficulties, some of which are due to inaccurate renderings. The reader will therefore find a few differences between this and the usual version.* * Instead of “again,” the margin in the Old and the Revised Version reads “from above.” The latter is the true translation: it is so given in this same chapter: John 3:31. The translators, old and new, sometimes render [the Greek word …] by ‘beget,’ sometimes ‘bear.’ The former is the true rendering: Matt. 1:2. Sometimes both renderings are given in the same verse: John 5:1, 18, corrected in the Revised Version. The Greek [word …] in this passage is sometimes rendered ‘spirit,’ sometimes ‘wind:’ John 3:8. I suppose it should be rendered ‘wind’ all through. It cannot be ‘the Spirit,’ for there is no article, any more than before ‘water.’
“Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night, and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, we know that Thou art come (as) a
31
J. R. GRAVES’ LANDMARKS, a Non-Published print, {excerpts of his works I’ve gathered ~SM}.