The Strife Part VII
How Christianity, from the first century, deviated from the Holy Scriptures by S.V.M. originally written in Dutch in 1931, translated from Dutch by Aristarkos.
VII. THE REFORMATION
THEIR OPINION. Broadly speaking, the view of the Reformers also corresponds to that of the Church Fathers. This can still be traced today in all the churches sprung from the Reformation. With few exceptions, all the good that the Lord promised to Israel is applied to the « Church » and the curse is left for the Jews. The O.T. is understood, at least as far as prophecy is concerned, exclusively « spiritually ». In the book « Maranatha » by Rev. Bultema, a good overview is given of what people believed about Israel, the second coming of the Lord and the millennium since the first centuries. The leading reformers, such as Luther, Calvin, Melanchthon, etc., do expect the coming of Christ and a fulfillment of prophecy, but again largely in a spiritual sense. They fight a false « chiliasm », according to which Christians on earth are entering a time of gross pleasures. They do not know the Biblical chiliasm in relation to Israel for a limited time.
It is always important to read the statements of these people for yourself, in order to get an accurate idea of their views. We therefore give here some parts of Calvin's « Institutions ». (We translate from French):
2-10-2 « First, that the Lord has not set before the Jews earthly glory and wealth as an end to which they should strive. »
2-10-3 « He (Paul) thus clearly proves in this text (Rom. 1:2; 3:21), that the O. T. is particularly concerned with the life to come. »
2-10-23 « The audacious ignorance which we see today in all the Jewish people, in that they foolishly expect an earthly kingdom from Christ... »
2-11-2 « But the prophets mostly describe the beauty of the age to come by means of the image and figure which they have received of it from God... We understand that this does not concern the earthly life, which is like a pilgrimage, and is not befitting the earthly city of Jerusalem: But it concerns the true land of the faithful and the true heavenly city, where God has prepared blessing and eternal life (Ps. 132:13-15; 133:3). »
11-2-12 « But by the public calling of the Gentiles, which took place after the ascension of Jesus Christ, they were not only raised to the same rank as the Jews, but what is more, they were put in their place. »
3-25-10 « Wherefore the prophets, not being able to express these spiritual things with words, have described and almost painted them, by means of corporeal figures. »
We also give a few things from Bavink and Kuyper. The former, in his « Reformed Dogmatics » (4th part p. 717 et seq.), has given a good overview of the future expectation of Israel in the O.T. In paragraph 564 he then adds:
1V-564 « These Messianic expectations of the O.T. bear, as everyone at once sees, a very peculiar character; they limit themselves to a future salvation on earth.
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Later Judaism made various changes to these O.T. expectations. Deprived of its political dominion and scattered among the nations, it began to take more and more account of the future fate of individuals, and expanded its scope to humanity and to the whole world. Israel, on the basis of His own legal righteousness, would one day be brought by the Messiah to political dominion over all nations, but this Messianic kingdom had a provisional, temporary character and would at the end give way to a kingdom of God, to a salvation of the just in heaven, which was introduced by the resurrection of all men and by the general judgment of the world. The political and religious sides, which were most closely united in the prophetic picture of the future, were thus torn apart. Israel in Jesus' day expected a sensual, earthly Messiah kingdom, the condition of which was described in the forms and types of the O.T. prophecy. But these images and forms were now taken in a literal sense; the shell was exchanged for the core, the thing for the image, the essence for the form; the Messianic Empire became a political dominion of Israel over the nations, a period of outward prosperity and flourishing. And at the end of it first, after the general resurrection, the world judgment took place, in which each one was judged according to his works and whether he received salvation in heaven as reward or torment in gehenna as punishment for his deeds. In this way the teaching of Chiliasm was born. However, a large part of the Jewish apocryphal literature still adheres to the O.T. expectations. But frequently, especially in the Apoc. of Baruch, and in the fourth book of Ezra, yet there is the representation that the glory of the Messianic kingdom is not the last and the highest, but after a certain time, which is often reckoned and in the Talmud for example, is set at 400 or at 1000 years, before the heavenly salvation of the kingdom of God will make way. Chiliasm is therefore not of Christian, but of Jewish and also of Persian origin. It always rests on a compromise between the expectations of an earthly and a heavenly salvation, and seeks to do justice to the O. T. prophecy in that it holds foretold an earthly Messiah-kingdom, which after an appointed time will be replaced by the kingdom of God. The strength of Chiliasm now seems to be the O.T., but in fact it is not; the O.T. is certainly not chiliastic, it depicts in the Messiah kingdom the completed kingdom of God, which is without end and lasts forever. Dan. 2:44, and which is preceded by judgment, resurrection, and world renewal. Nevertheless, it found faith among the Jews, and also among many Christians, and came up again and again as the world developed its God-hostile power and made the church suffer persecution and pressure. In the most ancient times we find it with Cerinthus, in the will of the XII Patriarchs, with the Ebionites, with Barnabas, Papias, Irenaeus, Hippolytus, Appolinafis, Commodianus, Lactantius, Victorinus. But Montanism urged prudence; Gnostics, Alexandrian theologians and especially Augustine strongly opposed it, and the changed condition of the church, which had conquered world power and regarded itself more and more as the Kingdom of God on earth, gradually made it die out completely.
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Restoration of temple and altar, of priesthood and sacrifice, was generally rejected as all too clearly contrary to the N.T., but still found defense with the Ebionites and in more recent times with Serarius, Oetinger, Hess e. a.
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All these changes formulate just as many objections to Chiliasm; even before the prophecy of the O.T., to which it prefers to refer, it cannot exist. For, besides the fact that, as has already been said above, the O.T. sees in the Messianic kingdom not a provisional, temporary condition, but the final result of world history, Chiliasm is guilty of the greatest arbitrariness in the interpretation of the prophecy. It doubles the second coming of Christ and the resurrection of the dead, without the O.T. knowing anything about it. It lacks all rule and method in interpretation, and halts arbitrarily, in the subjective opinion of the interpreter. The prophets all proclaim with equal loudness and power, not only the conversion of Israel and of the nations, but also the return to Palestine, the rebuilding of the temple, priesthood, and sacrificial service, etc. And it is nothing but arbitrariness to take one feature of this figure literally and the other spiritually. It is a brook of the future that the prophecy draws us. And this image can either be taken literally, as it presents itself, but then one breaks with Christianity and falls back into Judaism, or an entirely different explanation can be given of this image than Chiliasm tries. Such a statement is suggested by Scripture itself, and must be taken from it by us.
(Bavinck therefore wants to spiritualize everything, but that is not possible and finally he falls into the same arbitrariness that he accuses the Chiliasts of. By not believing Paul's revelations, it is not possible to remain consistent. You can see here to what extremes he is driven).
565. Already in the O.T. there are many indications for another and better explanation than the Chiliasm of the prophetic expectations offers. Even the modern history of Israel recognizes that the moral character of the Yahvism of the prophets distinguishes it from the natural religions and has gradually given a spiritual significance to the religious laws and customs among Israel. True circumcision is that of the heart, Deut. 10:16, 30:6, Jer. 4:4; the sacrifices acceptable to God are a broken heart and a contrite spirit, 1 Sam. 15:22, Ps. 40:7, 50:8 v., 51:19, How. 6:6, Am. 5:21 v., Mich. 6:6 v., Isa. 1:11 v., Jer. 6:20, 7:21 v. etc. True fasting is the loosening of the snares of wickedness, Isa. 58:3 v., Jer. 14:12; for a much of the struggle of the prophets is directed against the outward, self-righteous cult of the people. The essence of the future dispensation, then, is that the Lord will make a new covenant with his people, that he will give them a new heart, and write his law in it, and that he will pour out his Spirit upon all, that they may love him with all their hearts, and walk in his ways, Deut. 30:6, Jer. 31:32, 32:38 v., Ezek. 11:19, 36:26, Joel 2:28, Zech. 12:10. And now that future is painted in pictures, taken from the historical circumstances, so that Zion and Jerusalem, temple and altar, sacrifice and priesthood, continue to occupy one great place in it. But, let it be remembered that we also do the same and cannot speak of God and divine things, of spiritual and heavenly things, except in earthly, sensuous forms. The O.T. worship has been appointed by God for this purpose, because we should not be able to speak truthfully of heavenly things, not in self-made, but in correct images given to us by Himself. The N.T. therefore also adopts this usage and speaks of the future kingdom of God of Zion and Jerusalem, of temple and altar, of prophets and priests; the earthly is an image of the heavenly. Everything Vergangliche ist nur ein Gleichniss (Ephemeral is just a parable). It should not be forgotten that all prophecy is poetry, which must be explained according to its own nature.
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Surely there can be no doubt that the N.T. regards itself as the spiritual, and therefore as the complete and true fulfillment of the O.T. The spiritualizing of the O.T., if understood in the right sense, is not an invention of Christian theology, but has begun in the N.T. itself. The spiritualized O.T., that is, the O.T. stripped of its temporal, sensuous form, is the N.T. The peculiarity of the old dispensation was precisely that the covenant of grace was presented under pictorial images, and clothed in national, sensuous forms... Everything spiritual, celestial, and eternal, according to the susceptibility of Israel, who had been under the discipline of the law as a child, was shrouded in earthly shadows. Although the great mass of the people often stopped at these outward forms, just as many Christians cling to the attribution in the sacrament, the pious Israelites penetrated with their hearts to the spiritual core hidden in the shell, yet they also saw that spiritual no other than in shadow and image... Completely wrong, then, is the view of Chiliasm, according to which the N.T. is an interlude with the Gentile church, a byway taken by God , because Israel rejected its Messiah, so that the actual continuation and fulfillment of the O.T. would not begin until the second coming of Christ. Rather, the reverse is true. Not the New but the O.T. is an intermediate company...
... the congregation of believers has replaced national, carnal Israel in all respects, the O.T. has been fulfilled in the N.T. (Harnack, Die Mission und die Ausbreitung des Christ in den ersten drei Jahrh [The Mission and Spread of Christ in the first three years].) ».
So far Bavinck. One sees to what great difficulties and false conclusions one is led if one has no eye for God's Purpose of the aions. Some, who have not taken the trouble to investigate a few things that have been presented to them, then speak of « hobby horse » or use other contemptuous expressions. Out of their mouths comes their own judgment. Our whole conception of Christianity, of our position, of Israel and the nations, of the future, etc., depends on the view we have of this resolution.
Then from « Pro Rege » by Dr. A. KUYPER the following:
Page 119 « Israel is a metaphorical appearance. In a metaphorical conception, it was and remained « God's people », even in the days when sacrifices were made to idols in every street of Jerusalem. But this typical nation was not to be replaced by the real nation until Messiah had come, and the true Israel, not of the circumcision in the flesh, but of the circumcision of the heart, was gathered out of all the people. »
« There is thus a twofold dispensation here. The exemplary, the symbolic dispensation, in which only the shadows and pictures were seen, and which endured until the Messiah came. And next to it stood the real dispensation, when the shadows and types fled away, and the spiritual kingdom made its entry. »
Page 233. « For they (the Jewish scribes) understood the Old Testament, as if the dispensation of Israel were not prophetic-typical, and therefore transitory and culminating in Christ, but enduring and abiding. »
Page 312. « This narrow-hearted national, and thoroughly false conception of Messianic Kingship, was so deeply ingrained in Israel in Jesus' day, that even Jesus' own youth, until the end, until after his resurrection, even until on the Mount of Olives just before the Ascension, still kept asking, Lord, when wilt thou restore the kingdom to Israel? »
Page 480. « This giving to humanity of so glorious a King has now been accomplished in such a way that first the high life of humanity is concentrated in the national existence of a single, chosen people. This happened in Israel. In this chosen people the idea of a holy Kingship is now gradually emerging. Not real, because everything in Israel is shadowy and illusory. »
Third part p. 317. « Even for the Jews the time will come when they will again bow in large numbers before the King anointed of God over Zion, and for this reason the Jews have been carried away in masses from Africa and Asia, and imprisoned in Christian Europe, lest they should be seduced by Paganism and should not bow to Islam. When their hour will come we do not know, but their continued existence, even in numbers of twelve million, tells us that a future still awaits them. »
We see how the literal fulfillment of the prophecy is completely rejected and the « Church » takes the place of Israel.
One can of course go more or less far in spiritualizing; one is then on a subjective terrain and who will indicate the safe limit here? Dr. Kuyper therefore finds it necessary to emphasize that one should not spiritualize everything and that the core of the matter should be preserved. So now for him Christ is really King over a real kingdom, which also concerns the earth.
We first take the literal meaning of all prophecy. If it has not yet been literally fulfilled, it will be in the future. Then we can also examine the spiritual lessons, applications, types, etc., which can concern individuals as well as groups and nations.
The differing views regarding the prophecy and Israel's future can be stated mainly as follows.
1. Only literally.
2. Only spiritually.
3. Literally AND spiritually.
There are, of course, all kinds of shades. In general, Christianity takes the unfulfilled prophecy spiritually and thinks that the « Church » has replaced Israel. Now we do not claim that they are not allowed to apply the prophecies, but that they do not do full justice to God's Word. Thus Kuyper says quite correctly, that Israel is a symbolic people, just as the greater part of the prophecy is symbolic. However, he goes further than God's Word when he says that therefore the literal must not be there and that Israel has already been replaced by the true Israel. Now let all Israel's history be figurative, therefore that history is not yet finished. We do not reject the symbolism, but on the contrary adhere to a complete symbolism. We take not only Israel's past literally and spiritually, as most do, but also the future literally and spiritually. So we believe in a literal kingdom on earth, which will picture a still later higher glory. What stands in the way of the common literal view of the Jews is the fact that they regarded this too much as a final state. The literal conception, however, is fully justified when it is recognized that there are still two aions to come, and in each of these is considered not only the earthly calling, but also the heavenly and over-heavenly. We must broaden our view with Scripture and better understand what God says about the aions and dispensations and the different spheres of blessing. Only then does one get a complete picture, in which both literal and spiritual meaning fit. By believing the Scriptures literally as much as possible, we get a view in times and in the spheres, which transcends all human thought and is much more spiritual than all « spiritualization ».
When one sees, then, that the millennial kingdom is but a part of the aion to come, and another aion follows after it, before God is all in all, then one understands that God has room to fully realize and to work out His Purpose concerning Israel and the nations. The earthly blessings, which we then take literally, but not therefore grossly materialistic, are then only a symbol of the later and higher things. Not all people live on earth then. God now also gives the opportunity to belong to another sphere, either the heavenly one in which one is « blessed » with Abraham, or the over-heavenly one, in which one is placed with Christ. The existence of one thing or group in time and sphere, therefore, does not nullify the other. It is not because there is now a group that will be blessed « with » Abraham and a group that is above all in Christ, that it means that Israel can no longer fulfill its task as a priestly nation on earth. Each one only discern exactly what God has called him to and walk accordingly. One understands, then, how many good tidings God brings in His Word, how many « Gospels » there are, although they all point to one Savior. Those who have a view of the whole Purpose of God will also be able to be used to preach the appropriate gospel to each. Those who have only a very narrow view of God's plan are in danger of preaching a confused gospel, and though they can be very successful, they are not « tried » workers.
We have no doubt that the root cause of the chaos of Christianity lies in not believing everything the prophets have said. So we mean everything in all respects, both literally and spiritually. Each walked away with a piece of truth and built a system on it, which then either expired or was finished by others. Such a system, of course, never suffices, and those who are not too caught up in it see the difficulties and may change to another system. Most, however, do not get out of such a teaching, but try to dodge the difficulties as best they can or simply do not think about them. It is not as usual in ordinary science, where one is willing to learn from the other and one still more or less easily gives up something when one gets something better in return. In the religious world, Satan usually works to blind, so that one cannot break free from a system. To know a part of the truth does not bother him so much. What he wants to prevent is a growing up, a constant investigation. The creed or particular doctrine of the group to which one belongs, and which may be useful in some way, then becomes an obstacle. The investigation of God's Word becomes a danger to that group and there is hostility to any serious attempt at further investigation. People are made to listen only and take without serious scrutiny what « trusted authorities » tell them.
So in the Reformation we see a return to the source, to God's Word, but it was only partial. One could point to the many abuses of the Roman Church and to the neglect of what Paul had taught in his first period. Especially justification by faith alone, which was long obscured. This, too, was a consequence of the spiritualization of the O.T. They applied to the « Church » as well as possible what was said to Israel, also in the Gospels, and so necessarily came to a legalistic attitude. We have seen how the writings of the first centuries clearly show this tendency to justification by works. So with the Reformation there was a reaction: God's Word was re-examined and part of Paul's teaching was brought back to the forefront. It was also felt that many other things were not right, but the main cause of this was not clearly understood. People continued to turn away from what Paul had made known during his second period (post-Acts). So they clung to the 12 Apostles of Israel and were impotent in the face of the many wrongs that resulted from this. With those Apostles one also had to keep, at least in part, the « Apostolic Tradition », and where was now the limit? Rome relied on the Fathers of the Church, and here lay the strength of the Church purified by the Reformation. As in the first century, the Reformation saw that one could not reject all tradition and yet again not accept all. Naturally, all sorts of strife and struggle ensued. One must also read the writings of those times again to gain an insight into the chaos that prevailed at that time. In this respect, Bossuet's work « Histoire des Variations du Protestantisme [History of Variations of Protestantism] » is very instructive. Our adversaries may exaggerate, but it is good to check their words, to see their own weakness.
The partial return to the Scriptures, then, was the cause of strife and confusion, and Rome pointed and still points to this. Searching the scriptures can only lead to division, it says, so stick to our doctrine! But, it will be asked, how could God's Word be so divisive here? Those Reformers were industrious and sincere investigators, weren't they? For us, the reason is very simple. Having been led astray by not accepting God's Word literally, no satisfactory solution could be reached. A new dispensation had long since begun, and people were blind to it. One had only to try to fit all kinds of things together, to understand them more or less spiritually, and there were all kinds of things and subjective thoughts. If one does not see clearly the dispensations and the position in which God has placed us, then one wants to apply to one group what has been said to the other or to put together what God has separated.
However important the Reformation has been, it must not be thought that the final goal has been reached here, that the full truth has now become known. One may be grateful to the Reformers for their work, but one must not stop there. Then they too become an obstacle. Again and again one must return to the written Word without preconceived notions, without any particular doctrine or creed having authority over conscience. They must always give way to God's Word (See Dr A. Kuyper's introduction to the « Three Forms of Unity »).
We must not close our eyes to the power of Rome. If one looks not so much at the abuses as at the outlines of this teaching, one must admit that this system is well and strong, so long as one assumes that the 12 Apostles had a calling in relation to the Church. One can argue endlessly about all kinds of parts. In our case, however, we strike the very basis by believing the Scriptures, when they say that those 12 Apostles in the New Birth that is when they shall sit upon 12 thrones in the aion to come, judging the 12 tribes of Israel, and that the Church, which is the body of Christ, and which shall then be placed with Him in the over-heavenly places, shall have no connection with those Apostles.
In connection with the foregoing, we note that most of the translations of the Scriptures were made by believers who spiritualized the prophecy and had no eye for the great mystery. Involuntarily they express everything in a way that is more or less tinted by their conception. If one now has a different view, it goes without saying that one goes back to the original text. If one accepts God's Word literally, one is also obliged to examine more closely the words chosen by the Holy Spirit. So we cannot always be satisfied with translations, which are sufficient, generally speaking if one is satisfied with the spiritual meaning, but does not always render the words given correctly.
CEREMONIES. We would like to add a word here about the ceremonies. Here again lies a great difficulty for those who leave Paul.
We have already seen a few things in relation to the controversy over the observance of the Passover. However, that was not the end. The Roman Church adhered to the practices which had gradually taken shape and were based on the tradition of the 12 Apostles of Israel. The ritual was therefore determined down to the smallest details and Rome could thus point out to the world an impressive unity.
The Reformers rightly wanted to return to God's Word, but found no detailed indications for « New Testament » forms here. By separating those things from Israel and previous things, it was not possible to construct anything definite on the basis of God's Word alone. When they took up the strife against the Roman Mass, their weakness appeared in their disagreement and in the necessity of checking and amending their confessions and statements again and again. In general not much is known of the strife between the Reformers over a multitude of matters, on which, of course, each had his own opinion, the Scriptures being silent. Agreement was therefore never reached. This can still be seen today in the churches of the Reformation. Since that time, Home has always emphasized his unity and the need to follow the tradition of the Apostles.
We propose to our readers to consider carefully what the Scriptures do say about the outward forms, how far they give certain indications which would enable the believers to keep them nearly the same everywhere. The absence of certain regulations has struck for example W. Kelly (Lectures on the Church of God p. 151).
« It is curious how the Spirit of God avoids giving laws concerning the Lord's Supper (and the same is true of Christianity, in general). »
One can find something in the writings before Acts 20, but applying everything is not possible; then you get stuck with all sorts of things. One must then discern what is now for us, and what is not. It is therefore obligatory to say that the Lord Himself is in charge, and that the Holy Spirit gives up all that must be done. Now that is fully true in so far as spiritual things are concerned, but it is not so in our dispensation in regard to the visible ceremonies. The Lord will indeed give us understanding in all things (2 Tim. 2:7), but then only in all things that are according to His will and rely on His Word. If we do not follow His written Word and believe in everything but the tradition, He will not help us in the practice of the tradition or of the misplaced truth. One soon gets into all sorts of difficulties with regard to the manner of gathering, water baptism, the Lord's Supper, etc. Just think of the question, who may partake of the Lord's supper. They want to exclude the unbelievers and the « wicked », as well as those who announce a false teaching. Only the true believers, who walk according to God's will, are allowed. The principle may be right, but to be sure of these things one must have gifts, as in Matt. 18:18. Then such a person can be handed over to Satan (1 Cor. 5:5). If one wants to accuse others of false teaching, one must have the right teaching in everything, and who dares to assert this? It is said that the Lord alone has to command, but those commands must still be carried out and who dares to claim to know His commands correctly in everything? Especially in relation to other brothers? One does not even fully know His will towards oneself!
Who knows his fellow human beings like e.g. Peter knew Ananias? (Acts 5:8). It is seen that with a « visible » Church, a « visible » worship service, etc., one inevitably gets stuck and one comes to a ruling over the brothers and a haughty knowing everything.
It may be assured that in Acts they knew exactly what to do and that also in the Kingdom all forms will be carried out completely according to God's will. In those times of spiritual endowments, unknown to us, which concern the earthly sphere, nothing « visible » will be left to arbitrariness.
Perhaps someone, however, thinks that these outward things can still be celebrated, in a more general sense, without paying too much attention to the manner, in remembrance of the Lord, for the strengthening of faith, as a means of grace, etc. Then one supports only on his feeling and not on Scripture. So why not laying on of hands, washing feet, anointing, and numerous other things that may seem equally desirable? Yes, why not imposing churches, services, why not statues, processions, etc.? Let it be logical, either Scripture alone, rightly divided, or a whole system of things, which one thinks to be good, and which one thinks can be justified from ancient traditions. Don't be in two minds, one chooses between the Scriptures and a « religion », between growing up in the Head, Which is above all things, and acting after fatherly, often vain, conduct. It should not be forgotten that the only true « religion » was given to Israel. Sometimes reference is made to Prov. 22:28:
« Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set. »
This means that we must hold fast to what our « fathers » thought. We literally adhere to the Scriptures, also in this text: the fathers were those of Israel (Rom. 9:35). Let us not move a stone from what those fathers and also the 12 Apostles and Paul have stated. To put other « fathers » in the place of those God-inspired men, and to follow this opinion, is precisely what we do not do. It comes down to going far enough back to the true fathers. Many an earnest believer will think of what he would lose if he had no outer things. One must first show him what enormous profit there is, if one clearly sees his position in the over-heavenly. We humans can draw attention to that, but God must work it in him. When he sees that gain, he calls it no longer a loss to leave something that was not given to us. The same is true in other fields. The man of the world also sometimes thinks he has lost a lot if he has to believe. What now appears to be of value to him, he must then give up. Shall we begin by depriving him of what is still of value to him? That's not possible. But if he sees what treasures he has in Christ, then everything follows of itself. So it is with the Romans. Must we first fight against the Mass, against Mary as Mediatrix, against the saints as intercessor, against miracles as God's signs? Those who believe in their Church in all sincerity have so much blessing from all those things. How could they not shrink from the danger of losing such treasures? No, first we must build up, first show all that God has given.
So also with the outward things of the other believers. As long as they have value to someone, they should be followed. When one then speaks of these things with those who do not yet have a clear understanding of the church, one is guided by the Holy Spirit. What must be avoided in any case is to attack others in what is dearest to them, only to show that we know so much better. All be done in love, not out of wariness; with meekness, not with pride; in complete dependence on God, not in their own strength. One thinks of 2 Tim. 2:24-26. Let us hold fast to the truth at all costs... but in love (Eph. 4:15). We will come back to this subject later to point out that one should not look at oneself and at what one has to gain, but at what can glorify God.
Aristarkos