Customer: “I want to buy some acetylsalicylic acid.” Druggist: “Do you man aspirin?” Customer: “Yes I can never remember that word…”
Most people can remember and understand simple words more easily than “jaw breaker” terminology. In our Bible the Holy Spirit has presented mind-boggling truths in “aspirin-size” words.
For example: Scripture declares that Jesus is God and man in one Person. His divine and human natures did not remain aloof from each other like two kinds of wood glued together. Nor did they melt into just one nature making Christ not quite God yet super human.
Instead, the Son of God and the Son of man share the use of each others abilities just as powerful electricity and the wires in your toaster share their individual capabilities in order to make toast. In order to produce our glorious salvation the God and human parts in Christ worked together.
But see how the Bible presents these stupendous truths in “aspirin-size” words! Is our Savior both God and man? Answer: “Unto you is born … the Lord” (Lk 2). “God was manifest in the flesh (1 Tim 1).
Did His two natures share the use of their abilities with each other? Answer: “Jesus went unto them walking on the sea (Mt 14). “But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (He said unto the sick of the palsy), ‘I say unto thee arise and take up thy couch, and go into thine house'” (Lk 5).
Did God and man in Christ accomplish our salvation by working together? Answer: “We were reconciled to God by the death of His Son (Rom 5) The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin” (1 Jn 1).
Pharmacists must study long hours in order to know precise (but long-worded) terms for simple medicines like aspirin. Our future ministers must also study long hours in order to know precise (but long-worded) terms for the great truths of Scripture.
At Immanuel Lutheran Seminary in Eau Claire, Wisconsin these dedicated young men, under the professors guidance discuss how Christ’s divine and human natures work together. Their discussion involves sentences such as: “The communication of Christs attributes in the idiomatic (individual), majestic and apotelesmatic (accomplishing) areas.”
God wants us to have well-trained pastors who guard us from the poison of false religious ideas. Yet relying on their pastor should not cause church members to shy away from studying Scripture themselves The Holy Spirit is an excellent Teacher. By using aspirin-size words He enables all Christians to search the Scriptures daily, to judge the correctness of the minister’s teaching, and to have the Word of Christ dwell in them richly.
— Pastor Robert Mackensen