Luke 4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. With this weapon, taken from the armoury of Deuteronomy, Jesus foiled the first recorded attack of His implacable enemy and ours. It is not the voice of the Church alone that may be heard on this matter to-day. I. THE WORLD'S GREATEST TEACHERS ARE INVEIGHING AGAINST THE SPIRIT OF THE AGE, WHICH WOULD SACRIFICE MIND TO THE MOLOCH OF LUXURY. 1. "Man shall not live by bread alone," but by every scientific fact, is the evangel of Science. 2. "Man shall not live by bread alone," is the burden of Philosophy. 3. "Not by bread alone," chimes in the voice of Art. 4. "Not by bread alone," throbs in divinest music from the poet's lyre. But all these voices declare only half the truth — the negative side of it. II. THE CHRISTIAN IS THE ONLY MAN WHOSE ANGLE OF VISION TAKES IN THE GREATEST SWEEP OF THE ILLIMITABLE HORIZON OF TRUTH. "Man shall not live by bread alone," He declares, "but by every word of God." What is every word of God? 1. Science is a word of God. 2. Philosophy, in so far as she has defined, expressed, and enforced truth, has spoken for God. 3. Have not Art and Culture and Poetry voices for God? or are they merely voices of man? We hold that they are truly prophets of God. So far we have the sympathy of many minds not Christian. They say, "Here end the words of God." We say. 4. "Here begin the words of God." Revelation, especially the revelation of the Incarnate Word, is the clearest and noblest word of God, because it is addressed to the soul of man. All others are but echoes of this Incarnate Word. (W. Skinner.) Parallel Verses KJV: And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. |
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