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Sayings Not Found in Scripture
We often get questions by
people asking us to locate various sayings in the Bible which do
not exist. Many sayings have developed throughout the years by a
variety of means. Scripture supports the purposes of some of the
sayings while contradicting others. Scroll down to read where the
saying actually came from.
Sayings
Moderation in all things.
 Once
saved, always saved.
Better
to cast your seed....
Spare
the rod, spoil the child.
To
thine ownself be true.
Do
unto others as you would have them do unto you.
God
helps those who help themselves.
Money
is the root of all evil.
Cleanliness
is next to godliness.
This
too shall pass.
God
works in mysterious ways.
The
eye is the window to the soul.
The
lion shall lay down with the lamb.
Pride
comes before the fall.
Miscellaneous
The
Three Wisemen
The
Sinner's Prayer
Wedding
Vows
The
Seven Deadly Sins
Sayings
Moderation in all things
The phrase, "Moderation in
all things," is common extrapolation of Aristotle's Doctrine of
the Mean (as presented in his Nicomachean Ethics). His
ethic works around finding the mean, or middle gorund, between
excess and deficiency. An example of this would be his
presentation of courage being the happy medium between the extreme
of rash action and the deficiency of cowardice, in respect to a
person's possible action in the face of danger.
It should be noted that
Aristotle's ethic is often misundertood by its summary: moderation
in all things. It is frequently reasoned by those
unfamiliar with context that the common phrase means that a person
should approach all things (whether healthy or unhealthy) with
moderation; therefore, reasoning that a moderate amount of a bad
thing can be indulged is not uncommon to find. This is an
inaccurate representation of the perspective summarized in the
popular phrase.
But what about Scripture?
Though there is no direct quotation matching the proverb, Paul
does use a similar idea in his description of the successful
athlete:
And everyone who competes
for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain
a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown (1
Corinthians 9:25).
While Paul could be making
reference to an Aristotalean sort of ethic of moderation here, it
is more likely that the phrase translated here as "temperate in
all things" should be better rendered as "wholly self-controlled"
or "entirely self-disciplined." Several alternative translations
favour this reading of the text. Thayer's Greek Lexicon notes that
Paul is presenting the figure of an athlete who trains himself,
taking charge of his body, abstaining from "unwholesome foods,
wine, and sexual indulgence" that he might perform at the peak of
his potential prowess.
Once saved,
always saved
First of all, slogans like
"Once Saved, Always Saved" are always regrettable because they
polarize an issue, causing them to be touted or denounced
vehemently not on the basis of truth as truth is, but only as it
is represented in the stark world of sloganeering.
Take for instance, the
present slogan—Once Saved, Always Saved. This is based upon the
doctrine of the perseverance of the saints, but skews the doctrine
by only representing a portion of its teaching. In fact, the
slogan doesn't give us enough information to properly judge its
merits. As well, the slogan is tautological in its simplicity, so
that in being inherently true on its face, it is unable to say
anything of value. One might as well say, "Once one has eternal
life, he shall always have eternal life." This is obvious by the
very definition of eternal life; and so, the slogan teaches us
nothing of value. It is likely that this slogan (like most
slogans) was created for a very particular purpose, but has long
since (again, like most slogans) outgrown that purpose.
Instead, let's look at the
doctrine to which the slogan makes reference.
When we speak of the
perseverance of the saints, we are, in the first place, speaking
not of any power within the grasp or intention of men who believe
but rather of the strength of God's own redemptive and recreative
work. Because men are saved by grace and not works, the sinful
works of men are no great obstacle if God wishes to recreate a man
into the image of his Son. The effect of Christ's blood in
redemption is complete. So powerful is the blood of Christ that
all sins of those that God ordains it to cover are washed in their
entirety. As well, when God deems to recreate a man in the image
of Christ, he begins the creative work and is faithful to complete
it in his time despite the work's potential inclinations to the
opposite.
When we speak of
perseverance, we are really speaking of God's faithfulness rather
than man's. As well, we are not speaking of any statement or
decision a man could make. Part of the flaw in the slogan's
respect is the preponderance of the contemporary understanding of
being "saved." While salvation is a very biblical notion and
Scripture does point out that man must be saved, believers too
often view this as an effect of a profession of faith rather than
the result of God's work of grace. The distinction is palpable.
Obviously, anyone can make a profession of faith and live for a
time with external evidence of the work of redemption in their
lives and yet still be without the work of grace. Though, we might
refer to them in our ignorance as the saved, they are anything
but. Their profession and life are counterfeits of the life of the
honestly saved. The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints
declares that those who are of this kind were never recipients of
the persevering work of God's grace, were not sealed by the Holy
Spirit, and did not receive at anytime the cleansing, redemptive,
and recreative work of Christ.
The doctrine of the
perseverance of the saints maintains that those who overcome the
world—those who abide in Christ—until they die and are taken up to
heaven are the saved. They are the ones who persevere. Any who do
not persevere simply were not saved for they did not experience
the saving grace of God, were not conformed to the image of
Christ, and were not forgiven of their sins. Therefore, it stands
to reason that they as well never possessed eternal life—for
eternal life is eternal.
The plain fact is that
Scripture encourages believers to work in righteousness as they
reflect the glory of their Lord. And Scripture offers security for
those who have this work of grace alive in them. Those who claim
belief but do not live righteously are persuaded to fear for their
place and are invited to pursue God with all their hearts, minds,
and souls that they might rest in the security of God's grace.
In light of 1 John 1:9's
admonition to confess sin for faithful and just forgiveness, the
question is often asked whether a true believer, unconfessed,
might not be in danger of perdition. Yet, while confession of sin
before God is integral to the obedient Christian life and no true
Christian will go for too long in aggressive rebellion against the
confession of sin, believers are always going some duration
without confessing their sin. Even if it is only the time period
between the sin and one's immediate regret for and confession of
that sin, there is still a period of unconfessed sin. We do not
believe that this unconfessed sin can keep the true child of God
from receiving that which God has claimed is his inheritance and
has sealed in him with the Holy Spirit. We do believe that
unconfessed sin will forge a breach in one's earthly experience of
the joys of heavenly life, but not that unconfessed sin can mar
the surpassing grace of God. If this were so then every believer
would be in danger of perdition at the time of his death for even
as Christians, we recognize that we sin constantly in thought and
deed.
Better to
cast your seed...
A commonly referenced
proverb to highlight the evils of masturbation frequently mistaken
as a biblical admonition is typically phrased as, "It is better to
cast your seed in the belly of a whore than to spill it on the
ground." The fact is, though, this is not anything to be found in
the pages of Scripture. We get this question fairly often and have
been trying to track down the origin of the saying, but alas, with
no luck. While not certain of the phrase's exact origin, it does
seem to be a false extrapolation of Genesis 38 and the story of
Onan, Tamar, and Judah.
According to Ancient Near
Eastern culture, it would have been the responsibility of Onan to
impregnate his dead brother's wife that his brother's line might
continue. Selfishly, Onan did not wish any of his offspring to
bear any name other than his own; and so while he did, in fact,
take up the responsibility of sexual relations with his brother's
wife, he would not ejaculate inside her but instead practiced the
withdrawal method of birth control. God punished Onan for his
wickedness and greed by putting him to death (and not, as is
popularly believed, for masturbating). The rest of the narrative
features the wife, Tamar, posing as a prostitute and seducing
Onan's father, Judah. By him, she conceives and bears a son from
whom Christ would descend. And God does not strike Judah or punish
him in any way in the narrative.
So it appears that some
cynic had taken the veneer of the tale and crafted a wry
commentary that has come to be known as actual Scripture
(unfortunately). In the end, the admonition is far from biblical
and has nothing to do with masturbation.
Spare the rod, spoil the
child
Despite
popular opinion, the famous saying, "Spare the rod, spoil the
child," cannot be found anywhere in the Bible. The saying,
however, should not be considered invalid as there are verses that
promote a similar concept.
Proverbs 13:24
He who withholds his rod hates his son,
But he who loves him disciplines him diligently.
Proverbs 22:15
Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;
The rod of discipline will remove it far from him.
Proverbs 23:13-14
Do not hold back discipline from the child,
Although you strike him with the rod, he will not die.
You shall strike him with the rod
And rescue his soul from Sheol.
Proverbs 29:15
The rod and reproof give wisdom,
But a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother.
To thine
ownself be true
When prompting people to
follow their conscience on matters, the oft-touted "To thine own
self be true" is occasionally cited as a Biblical recommendation.
In truth, this saying originates in the Shakespearean tragedy
Hamlet. Polonius, the older counselor of Prince Hamlet's
uncle, King Claudius, is in the midst of dispensing advice to the
prince when he speaks forth the famous line: "This above all
things: to thine own self be true" (Hamlet, 3.1.81). Among
his platitudes, he also says, "Neither a borrower nor a lender be"
(3.1.78) — another saying occasionally mistaken for Scripture.
But really how good is Polonius's advice? Scripturally, we can
only trust our conscience to guide us as far as it is being
informed by the Spirit of God. Men, of their natural selves, are
entirely corrupted; and so, to hold true to themselves would be to
choose poorly indeed. Rather, we should seek God in prayer and ask
Him to guide us in the paths of righteousness (cf. Psalm 23:3).
Do unto
others as you would have them do unto you
The biblical parallel to "Do
unto others as you would have them do unto you" is found in the
following verse: Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that
men should do to you, do ye even so to them (Matthew 7:12).
The phrase, "love thy neighbor as thyself," also bears a close
relation to the saying and is found throughout Scripture
(Leviticus 19:18;
Matthew 5:43;
19:19;
22:39; Mark 12:31;
Romans 13:9; Galatians
5:14; James 2:8; Luke
10:27).
James even refers to "love thy neighbor as thyself" as being "the
royal law" because it is the embodiment of all the laws dealing
with human relationships.
God helps
those who help themselves
The saying, "God helps those
who help themselves," came to us by way of Benjamin Franklin
(1736). Franklin himself was a deist and so he believed that God
did not play an active role in men's lives. In his point of view
if man was not able to help himself, then man was hopeless.
The Bible teaches something entirely different than the above
saying, because God makes special provision to help the helpless.
Romans 5:6, 8
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died
for the ungodly....But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in
that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Proverbs 28:26
He who trusts in his own heart is a fool,
But he who walks wisely will be delivered.
Jeremiah 17:5
Thus says the LORD,
"Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind
And makes flesh his strength,
And whose heart turns away from the LORD.
Money is the
root of all evil
This expression stems from
the biblical phrase that says, "For the love of money is a root of
all kinds of evils" (1 Timothy 6:10).
There is a big difference between the two statements. Money is
neutral and can be used either for the good or for the bad. Money
of itself is not evil, yet the love of it is the root of
all kinds evil.
Cleanliness
is next to godliness
The book of Leviticus
frequently deals with the issue of cleanliness and impurity so
that the Children of Israel would be clean as a sign of separation
from the surrounding nations. Yet in the New Testament,
cleanliness finds mention in relation to the cleansing of the
believer's life.
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive
us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
John 15:3
You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken
to you.
2 Corinthians 7:1
Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse
ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting
holiness in the fear of God.
James 4:8
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your
hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Ephesians 5:26-27
So that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the
washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself
the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such
thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.
This too
shall pass
Trials and difficult
circumstances are difficult to bear and one comfort that many have
come to share with friends assailed by trouble is the saying:
"This too shall pass." The possible origins of this are too many
and varied to review in depth here.
An adequate question for the believer to ask though is how
biblical is the comfort found in the reminder that "This too shall
pass." Really we should be focusing on the promise of what awaits
us who believe. Romans 5 reminds the believer that suffering
produces hope for the kingdom of God; if we simply take heart in
the temporary end of a given earthly trial, we are finding comfort
in the wrong thing.
God works in
mysterious ways
Though uncertain in origin
and certainly not found in Scripture (the phrase may originate
from William Cowper's hymn "God Moves in a Mysterious Way"), that
God does work in ways curious and beyond the measure of our
limited experience and conception is obvious. Deuteronomy 29:29
reminds us that: The secret things belong to the Lord our God.
The final chapters of Job present God's reprimand of Job wherein
He asks how Job could possibly understand or judge the reasons for
God's actions (Job being so far removed from God in power, wisdom,
and longevity).
And perhaps the biggest mystery is revealed us in Romans 8:28.
And we know that all thing work together for the good to those who
love God and are called according to His purpose. Though we
may not understand the purpose of our circumstances in God's plan,
we are assured that every detail will work for the benefit of the
Redeemed.
The eye is
the window to the soul
The Bible does not speak of
the eye being a window to the soul, yet it does represent the eye
as being a lamp of the body.
Matthew 6:22
The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear,
your whole body will be full of light.
Luke 11:34
The eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is clear, your
whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body
also is full of darkness.
The lion
shall lay down with the lamb
This is a popularly
misquoted passage from Scripture. From filtering into pop culture
to influencing Christian kitsch, the image of a lamb sweetly
nestled into the side of a powerful lion is one that resonates. We
are often asked from where comes this image.
The image has developed from
a different juxtaposition of animals in a couple verses from the
writings of Isaiah. In these verses, both lions and lambs appear
but are paired with other animals.
Isaiah 11:6
The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie
down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the
fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.
Isaiah 65:25
"The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat
straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent's food. They
shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain," says the Lord.
As you can see, the lamb is
both times paired with the wolf and the lion is paired with a
beast of burden (once with calves and another with the ox). Still,
the meaning behind the imagery is not really done damage by
switching the juxtaposition to include lions and lambs. One can
see with little trouble how the image became as widely popular as
it has. Not only is the image made more dramatic by replacing the
wolf with the lion, but there is already some precedent for the
comparison if one considers the lion/lamb imagery keyed in
Revelation 5.
Pride comes
before the fall
It is uncertain when or why
Proverbs 16:18 was altered for popular consumption, but the
original rendition states that pride ends in destruction.
Proverbs 16:18
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a
fall.
Miscellaneous
The
Three Wisemen
During the advent season it
is quite common to hear people tell the story of the three wise
men, who, following the Star of Bethlehem, traveled from Babylonia
on camels to present gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the infant
Jesus. This story, however, has just as much mythology as biblical
truth.
The Gospel of Matthew is the
only place in Scripture that refers to these magi. The
text is as follows:
Now after Jesus was born in
Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men
from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is he who has been
born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have
come to worship him." When Herod the king heard this, he was
troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief
priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the
Christ was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for
so it is written by the prophet:
"'And you, O Bethlehem, in
the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.'"
Then Herod summoned the wise
men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had
appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search
diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me
word, that I too may come and worship him." After listening to the
king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had
seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the
place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced
exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the
child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him.
Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and
frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return
to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
Then Herod, when he saw that
he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent
and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that
region who were two years old or under, according to the time that
he had ascertained from the wise men.
Matthew 2:1-12, 16
esv
First of all, Scripture does
not designate the number of magi. Traditionally there
were only three because that is the number of gifts—gold and
frankincense and myrrh—presented to the Christ Child. Really there
could have been any number of magi visiting Christ.
A famous hymn often sung
during the advent season is "We Three Kings" by John Henry
Hopkins, Jr. (1857). The first stanza goes as follows:
We three kings of Orient
are;
Bearing gifts we traverse afar,
Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
Following yonder star.
Though this well-cherished
song refers to the three "kings" there is no evidence which
supports that these magi were in fact kings. These
magi were wise men who were probably experts in astrology and
oneirocriticism (interpretation of dreams), such as the wise men
described in Daniel 2. Of twenty translations surveyed, thirteen
referred to the magi as "wise men" (asv,
cev, Douay-Rheims,
esv, hcsb, kjv, ncv, net, njb, nkjv, nlt, nrsv, and
rsv), five called
them "magi" or "mages" (Darby,
nasb, niv, tniv, and
ylt), J.B. Phillips
names them "astrologers," and the Message, "a band of scholars."
Another possible
misnomer is that the wise men were present at the birth of Christ
(or shortly thereafter), presenting gifts to the Christ Child in
the manger. The evangelist Luke tells us that shepherds visited
the Christ Child in the manger (Luk 2:8-20), but there is no
mention of the magi at this point. In fact it seems that
the magi could have arrived sometime later according to
Matthew's account. Matthew 2:11 states that they entered a house
(Gk. oikia) which is distinct from a manger (Gk.
phatnê). Matthew 2:16 makes reference to Herod confiscating
life from all the male children in and around Bethlehem "according
to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men." Therefore
the magi may
have arrived circa two years after Christ's birth, despite the
traditional timing of twelve days later (January 6th is
date that the magi arrived, however, this is working from
the false premise that Christ was born on December 25th).
Some accounts of the "three"
wise men are accompanied with their names: Caspar, Melchior, and
Balthasar. The earliest reference to these names is from
Excerpta Latina Barbari, which is a Latin translation of an
early sixth century Greek manuscript. The names seem to be purely
tradition as they do not have an early witness.
Something else to consider
is the origin of the wise men. Some have attributed it to
Babylonia or simply Persia based on the term magi, yet
Matthew leaves it ambiguous by stating that they came "from the
east."
As a note of interest,
Josephus, the first century Jewish historian, records several
portents or omens that foretold the war with Rome and the
destruction of the Temple in
a.d. 70.
Thus there was a star
resembling a sword, which stood over the city, and a comet, that
continued a whole year. (Josephus, War 289)
This event would have
occurred in a.d. 66,
and it is possible that Josephus merely included this incident
from the prior account of the star at Christ's birth in order to
strengthen his pro-Roman argument.
When all is said and done,
the only impeccable information which we can obtain regarding the
magi is the very words of Scripture.
The Sinner's
Prayer
Though not quite a saying in
itself, we hear tell of the Sinner's Prayer enough that it's easy
to see why some may have come to believe it of canonical
origin—and why they want to know the exact wording as found in
Scripture for the lauded prayer.
The fact is, there is
neither any specific formula found in Scripture for a Sinner's
Prayer nor is there any biblical example of such a prayer being
recommended in the salvation experience.The modern usage of the
Sinner's Prayer originates in the 19th Century and was popularized
by the experience-oriented evangelistic style of Charles Finney.
As Scripture presents it, men should repent, believe, and be
baptized. There is no mention of altar calls or sinner's prayers
or requesting for Christ to enter one's heart.
That said, we shouldn't go
as far as some and claim the Sinner's Prayer to be a bad thing. So
long as it is accompanied by belief and repentance, we should
consider the Sinner's Prayer as simply an initial instance that
honest and vital, confessional aspect of a new believer's growing
relationship with the Lord he now serves (cf. Romans 10:9-10).
Though, as has been stated,
there is no biblical formula for the Sinner's Prayer, here is a
typical example of such a prayer:
Dear Jesus: Thank You for
the sacrifice You made for me. Please forgive me for all of my
past sins. I repent of these actions, and with Your help, I will
change and not repeat them again. I know I am not worthy; but, I
willingly accept You as my Lord and my Savior, and I thank You for
Your blessings over my family and me.
Wedding Vows
Wedding vows are not
actually anything ever presented in Scripture, but the vows
typical to Christian weddings are derived from the roles and
responsibilities that Scripture places upon the husband and his
wife.
Typically, the man's vows
will reflect his responsibility as the head and covering over the
woman—his responsibility to love her unflinchingly to the degree
that Christ loves his own bride, the church. Also emphasized is
his responsibility to protect, provide for, care for, and tend to
his wife and her needs (physical, emotional, and spiritual).
Further, there is generally focus on his responsibility to lead
her and his family in the path and admonition of the Lord Jesus
Christ.
Accordingly, the woman's
vows will reflect her responsibility as her husband's helper—her
responsibility to respond to her husband's lead with love,
charity, and strength of character. Also emphasized is her
responsibility to meet her husbands needs according to her
abilities, willing helping him to fulfill his role in God's
creation. As well, there is often focus on her responsibility to
nurture her husband's faith, even as he nurtures her own.
The majority of these
principles can be gleaned from Paul's treatment of the married
couple's responsibilities toward each other under Christ in
Ephesians 5:22ff. For actual wedding vows, one may refer to one's
denominational Book of Church Order—as these often have examples
of wedding ceremonies (including vows).
The Seven
Deadly Sins
The Seven Deadly Sins,
having come under recent scrutiny at the hands of the 1995 film,
Se7en are:
Gluttony
Greed
Sloth
Lust
Vanity
Envy
Wrath
They are, though certainly sins that Scripture condemns, not to be
found in Scripture in any such grouping. The seven sins originated
in the writings of medieval theologues and have been remarked upon
by such noted personages as Pope Gregory the Great, Thomas
Aquinas, Geoffery Chaucer, and John Milton.
Also of interest is a Scriptural list that bears at least some
similarity to the historical list of seven. Proverbs 6:16-19
reveals:
These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination
to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent
blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in
running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows
discord among brethren.
Now while these are clearly sins despised by the Lord, none of
these are able to keep one from salvation if he will only repent
and believe.
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