View source for Text:God's Word to Women:Lesson 86

==“CAN NOT” FOR “DO NOT.”==

699.     The Greek noun, chora, means literally, “the space or room which a thing occupies.” The word is variously translated in the N. T. as “country,” “land,” “field,” “coast,” and “region.” The verb corresponding to it is choreo, and it means literally, “to make room or space.” It is used in two senses in the N. T. One makes room for a thing or person, by retreating, or withdrawing; hence it comes to mean “to pass on.” Again, one makes room beside or within oneself to receive the thing; hence, it comes to mean, “to receive, to contain.”

700.     The word is used in Matt. 15:17, “Whatsoever entereth in at the mouth passeth on,”¾see R.V.The word is used likewise in this sense, Dean Alford (rightly) holds, in 2 Peter 3:9, “Not wishing any to perish, but all to pass on to repentance.” The verbs are infinitives here, and we translate them accordingly. Paul used the verb in another sense, 2 Cor. 7:2, “Receive us; we have wronged no man.” The verb occurs in Mark 2:2: “There was no longer room for them” (R. V.). John 2:6 tells us of water-jars “containing two or three firkins apiece;” John 8:37, reads, “Ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you,” (i.e. they have not given room to it). John 21:25 again uses this same word in its infinitive form, and we translate literally, “I suppose even the world not to contain the books that should be written.” In each case the word, or words, not italicised represent choreo in the text.

701.     This word choreo occurs ten times in the N. T. We have quoted seven instances, and the remaining three are all found in the 19th chapter of Matthew. At the 11th verse we read, “All men can not receive this saying [logos, “word, teaching”] save they to whom it is given,” both in the A. V. and R.V.But the form of the verb here is the simple indicative case, third person, plural of the present active, and there is no such word as “can” in the sentence. It should therefore have been translated (as the International Commentary renders), “All men do not receive this saying,” or “teaching,”¾i.e., many reject it. The meaning is the same as expressed in John 8:37, “Ye seek to kill me because My word [logos] hath no place in you.” The form of the verb is precisely the same in the two passages, excepting in the latter it is in the singular number. In John it is declared that the logos has no place in them; in Matthew, that men give no place to the logos. . . . The result is, in the first case, murder; in the second, adultery at heart.

702.     Yet upon this misconstruction of Christ’s language¾by the adroit insertion of “can”¾is built up fallacious teaching, about “a gift of continence” being necessary to enable a single man to lead a pure life,¾a teaching which places the standard of purity for man as much below the actual standard for man and woman both, set forth in Scripture, as immorality is below morality.

703.     But what is this teaching as to a “gift” for men? Says the commentary of Patrick, Lowth, etc.: “They only can lead a pure single life, who by a special gift of God are enabled so to do.” Calvin’s Commentary says: “The gift of continence is a special gift.” Burkitt: “All men, without sinning against God, cannot abstain from marriage, but those only to whom God has given the gift of continence and grace of chastity.” Bishop Wordsworth (in a book published in 1901) declares; “Continence is as much a special charisma [gift of grace, spiritual gift] as the gift of tongues, or prophecy, or working miracles of any kind” This covert apology for the sin of uncleanness among men, in spite of God’s stern commandments to the contrary, can be found in almost every commentary of the Protestant Church.

704.     The passage is falsely applied as though referring only to the adult male. These very commentators would have been scandalized by the teaching that their wives, sisters, or daughters could not keep moral except by a special “gift.” Christ is not remarking here on the difficulty of men living chastely, as we shall show:

He has used the same sort of expression repeatedly elsewhere, as to its being “given” to some to receive His teaching, to others, not.  Matthew 13:11, 12 is an instance. His own teaching, not the disciples’ remarks, is the logos which the men do not receive. The Lord even plainly declares the precise contrary to the view that men “can not receive” by saying that some are born with a natural self-control over sensual tendencies; others have not been trusted to be self-controlled, but have been mutilated; others again practice continence “for the kingdom of heaven’s sake.” We could have no clearer demonstration that “All men DO NOT RECEIVE” this teaching of the Lord, than in the fact that theologians deny His plain statements here, by building upon them a teaching that men cannot practice self-control apart from a special, miraculous “gift” of grace.

705.     The argument on which this vicious teaching of a need of a special “gift” rests is, that the Greek word choreo signifies “capacity.” So it does; but not limited capacity. Whether the capacity be limited, expansive, or abundant depends entirely upon conditions external to the scope of meaning of the word. To illustrate: In John 21:25, it is, practically speaking, immaterial to the sense conveyed, whether we say, with the A. V., “the world could not contain the books,” or, more correctly, with the R.V.“the world would not contain the books.” And why? Because the world is inanimate, and its size arbitrarily fixed. Not because this verb means equally “could contain” or “would contain”; the latter is the proper sense here, on the evidence of the R.V. So as to the water-pots, at the Marriage Feast in Cana:  Being of the limits they are, they both “contained” and “could contain” only so much; they had limited capacity. But this is proved by the nature of the vessel, not by the use of the word choreo. But moral capacity is not limited after this fashion. No man, no matter how excellently born, is bound to live within the moral limits of his natural birth. These very theologians have no object in preaching the Gospel if they do not include the teaching that the atonement and redemption of Jesus Christ is the precise remedy for the enlargement of moral capacity,¾or, at the very least, that humanity is capable of such development, since otherwise there is no need for preaching righteousness.

706.     But does it not say in verse 12, “He that is ABLE to receive it, let him receive it?” Yes, and here, in the verb “receive” we have the remaining two uses of the verb choreo. But what of it? Is that any more than to say as Jesus did, a dozen times, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear?” Does the latter signify incapacity of a natural sort, or indifference of a moral sort? Jesus said, John 6:65, “No one CAN [using the word translated “able” in our Lesson] come unto Me, excepting it were given unto him of my Father.” Does that shut all out excepting those who receive a special and miraculous “gift of coming?” We know very well that all may come that “will come,” and we know, too, that all who stand about waiting until a special “gift of coming” is bestowed will be left outside. And so, as to this fabricated “gift of continence;” no such special “gift” has been bestowed, or ever will be bestowed, excepting in the ordinary way that all morality comes; all morality is a “gift” from God. Jesus Christ exclaims in another place, John 8:43, “Why do ye not understand My speech? even because ye CANNOT hear My word.” Does this excuse those who do not hear? Not at all, for He says again, John 12:48, “He that . . . receiveth not My words hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.” More to the same import will be found in Mark 4:11,12, 23-25; Luke 8:10; John 3:27; 12:37-40.

707.     A precisely similar manipulation of Scripture, excusing that sin which Jesus Christ condemned as heart adultery, in Matthew 5:28,¾and concerning which He plainly taught there, man must rid himself, if even at the cost of a right hand or right eye, or else go into hell fire,¾is to be found in 1 Corinthians 7:9, which reads, “If they can not contain,” whereas the original says “do not.” The meaning is perfectly obvious when the Apostle is so read,¾“If they do not behave themselves with self-control, they would better marry,”¾is the thought expressed.

==See Also==
[[God's Word to Women]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Table of Contents]] | 
[[Foreword to the 1943 Edition]] | 
[[Foreword to the 2005 Edition]] | 
[[Author's Note]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 1 | Lesson 1]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 2 | Lesson 2]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 3 | Lesson 3]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 4 | Lesson 4]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 5 | Lesson 5]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 6 | Lesson 6]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 7 | Lesson 7]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 8 | Lesson 8]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 9 | Lesson 9]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 10 | Lesson 10]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 11 | Lesson 11]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 12 | Lesson 12]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 13 | Lesson 13]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 14 | Lesson 14]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 15 | Lesson 15]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 16 | Lesson 16]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 17 | Lesson 17]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 18 | Lesson 18]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 19 | Lesson 19]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 20 | Lesson 20]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 21 | Lesson 21]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 22 | Lesson 22]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 23 | Lesson 23]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 24 | Lesson 24]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 25 | Lesson 25]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 26 | Lesson 26]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 27 | Lesson 27]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 28 | Lesson 28]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 29 | Lesson 29]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 30 | Lesson 30]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 31 | Lesson 31]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 32 | Lesson 32]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 33 | Lesson 33]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 34 | Lesson 34]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 35 | Lesson 35]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 36 | Lesson 36]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 37 | Lesson 37]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 38 | Lesson 38]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 39 | Lesson 39]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 40 | Lesson 40]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 41 | Lesson 41]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 42 | Lesson 42]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 43 | Lesson 43]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 44 | Lesson 44]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 45 | Lesson 45]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 46 | Lesson 46]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 47 | Lesson 47]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 48 | Lesson 48]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 49 | Lesson 49]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 50 | Lesson 50]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 51 | Lesson 51]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 52 | Lesson 52]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 53 | Lesson 53]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 54 | Lesson 54]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 55 | Lesson 55]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 56 | Lesson 56]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 57 | Lesson 57]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 58 | Lesson 58]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 59 | Lesson 59]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 60 | Lesson 60]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 61 | Lesson 61]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 62 | Lesson 62]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 63 | Lesson 63]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 64 | Lesson 64]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 65 | Lesson 65]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 66 | Lesson 66]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 67 | Lesson 67]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 68 | Lesson 68]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 69 | Lesson 69]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 70 | Lesson 70]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 71 | Lesson 71]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 72 | Lesson 72]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 73 | Lesson 73]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 74 | Lesson 74]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 75 | Lesson 75]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 76 | Lesson 76]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 77 | Lesson 77]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 78 | Lesson 78]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 79 | Lesson 79]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 80 | Lesson 80]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 81 | Lesson 81]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 82 | Lesson 82]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 83 | Lesson 83]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 84 | Lesson 84]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 85 | Lesson 85]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 86 | Lesson 86]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 87 | Lesson 87]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 88 | Lesson 88]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 89 | Lesson 89]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 90 | Lesson 90]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 91 | Lesson 91]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 92 | Lesson 92]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 93 | Lesson 93]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 94 | Lesson 94]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 95 | Lesson 95]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 96 | Lesson 96]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 97 | Lesson 97]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 98 | Lesson 98]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 99 | Lesson 99]] | 
[[God's Word to Women Lesson 100 | Lesson 100]] | 
[[Index of Scripture Texts]] | 
[[Dictionary]]
[[Category:God's Word to Women|Lesson 86]]