12. The Full Mention Principle

CHAPTER TWELVE The Full Mention Principle a. Definition – that principle by which God declares His full mind upon any subject vital to our spiritual life. Somewhere in the Word, God gathers together the scattered fragments that have to do with a particular truth, and puts them into one exhaustive statement. That is His full mind concerning that truth. b. Passages that show the full mind of God.

1. Resurrection – 1 Corinthians 15 – resurrection of the Saviour and of the believer.

2. The tongue – James 3. A marvel, mystery, malice; destructive, devilish, demonized organ.

3. Restoration of Israel – Romans 11 – The Bible is full of reference to this, but Romans 11 summarizes.

4. Trials and triumphs of faith – Hebrews 11.

5. God’s discipline of His children – Hebrews 12:1-11.

6. The Church – Ephesians 1-3.

7. Principles of the Kingdom of Heaven – chapters 5-7 of Matthew. The Code of the Kingdom and the Laws that will be in effect when the Kingdom of Heaven is established on earth, are presented there.

8. The vicarious sacrifice – Isaiah 53.

9. Righteousness by faith – Romans 3:10-21.

10. Godly repentance – 2 Corinthians 7.

11. Law – Exodus 20.

12. The full panoply (suit of armour) – Ephesians 6:10-17.

13. The nature or natures of Jesus Christ – Hebrews 1, 2.

Chapter 1 – Son of God, better than the angels.

Chapter 2 – Son of man, lower than the angels.

14. The final judgment – Revelation 20. This is the Great White Throne Judgment, and is mentioned only once in scripture.

15. Last things – of this day in which we live – Matthew 24.

16. Spiritual gifts – Chapter 12-14 of I Cor. c. Illustrations of this law. These summaries may not always be complete chapters, but may be found in a verse. 1 Corinthians 1:30 – summarizes all of Christ’s work in a sentence and gives us knowledge of God, knowledge of ourselves, and knowledge of Christ.

1. Love – 1 Corinthians 13. 1 Corinthians 12, 13, 14 should always be studied together.

All through the Bible are references to the love of God for man, but in 1 Corinthians 13 we find everything that God has to say about love. Charity is the word used, but the meaning has been changed since the time when the Bible was translated. Moody once said, "This chapter ought to be read in church once a week." But we have to do more than just read the chapter; we have to live it. There is a beautiful tradition of the last days of the Apostle John: As Jesus looked into the faces of His disciples for the last time, He said, "Little children, love one another." They said, "You have told us that before." He said the second time, "Little children, remember what I have told you from the beginning, love one another." They said, "We have heard that before. Give us a new commandment." But He said a third time, "A new commandment give I unto you, that ye love one another." All the commandments are bound together in that statement, that we love not ourselves, but others.

(a) This thirteenth chapter is right in the heart of a discussion of spiritual gifts bestowed by God on the people of the church in Corinth. Chapter 12 has to do with the gifts, but chapter 13 goes on to give us something better than spiritual gifts. Chapter 12 discusses the gifts which are a manifestation of the power of God; in chapter 13 we see that love which is the manifestation of the nature of God.

(1) It is much more important for us to manifest the nature of God than to have some spiritual gift to manifest the power of God. "God is love." Of all the churches in the New Testament, the church that had the greatest number of gifts was the church at Corinth, and in the beginning of this hymn of love, Paul refers to the highest gift in that miracle-gifted church.

[a] Verse 1 – "Tongues of men and of angels." Though he spoke in a language as pure as heaven itself, words without love would he only words. Jesus Christ spoke in words that were so simple that even the poor and ignorant could understand Him, but, "Never man spake as this man." His heart was full of love. His heart was the heart of God. That is why His simplest words became sublime.

[b) Verse 2 – Prophecy. The supreme gift of this church. The gift of speaking God’s will and God’s Word, and of sharing God’s super-knowledge. Knowledge of mysteries. The privilege of understanding the revelations of God. Knowledge" – knowledge of the nature of scripture. "Faith" – the faith of one who is saved so as to work miracles-faith to accomplish the wonderful and incredible.

(2) But love is greater than faith, and all these things without love are nothing.

[a] Verse 3 – Giving of goods and body. This brings no profit in that day when we stand before Christ. Love must be back of it all. Personal sacrifice without love profiteth nothing.

[b] Message of this verse.

[1] Love must be supreme in the human heart.

[2] Love must be supreme in the human mind.

[3] Love must be supreme in the human will and life.

(3) Verses 1-3: Five of life’s most valued treasures – the things which men seek; eloquence, learning, power, benevolence, and devotion: God takes all five and throws them away when they are not prompted by love .

(4) Characteristics of love; how it works out in practice:

[a]) "Love suffereth long and is kind." If you are going to live a love life you will walk a path of sorrow. God is love, and when He walked on earth He was a Man of Sorrows. God is saying that the path of the Christian must be one of suffering. Yet in this suffering, the Christian is kind. God is love, and God suffered for us – "Love never wears out." William Tindale said, in the midst of persecution, "Take away my goods, take away my good name, yet so long as Christ dwells in my heart, so long will I love you not a whit the less." When patience is tried, love suffereth long. Love hasn’t any nerves, and is never driven crazy. Love’s patience is never exhausted. Love bore the spit in the face, the thorns on the brow, the mocking, and then Love said, "Father forgive them." Love is kind to everyone – kind in the home, kind to friends, and kind to enemies.

[b] Love is a seven-fold regulator and restrainer.

[1] "Love envieth not."

It is not jealous, and is very ignorant in the sense that it knows no envy. Envy and jealousy in the life are like rust on iron; they will wear out the one who is envious. Being jealous is a sin that is abominable and almost universal. Christian workers are not exempt. Jealousy and envy come from the flesh, not from the Spirit, just as truly as drunkenness and adultery come from the flesh. There is no other possible way to obtain victory over this awful sin except having a heart filled with love by the Spirit of God. "For envy they delivered up Christ." Envy will lead to deceit and murder.

[2] "Love vaunteth not itself." It is not boastful, never makes a parade, never tries to show off. Christ was meek and humble, and made Himself of no reputation.

[3] "Love is not puffed up" – is not susceptible to flattery. There is pride of race, pride of face, and pride of grace; and the last is the worst. Christ was meek and lowly. The more we love others, the less we will love ourselves. Be careful in keeping yourself humble that you do not give the appearance of pride in humility.

[4] "Love doth not behave itself unseemly." Not unbecomingly. Love is never loud, vulgar, nor offensive. It is always considerate of others, always courteous. Love will make a man to be a gentleman, and a woman to be a gentlewoman.

Training and breeding will not always make one to be courteous, but love is courteous by instinct. Love will cause a Christian to walk worthy of his calling.

[5] "Love seeketh not her own." Love and selfishness will never be found in the same heart. Christ pleased not Himself.

[6] "Love is not easily provoked." It isn’t touchy, and doesn’t dare a person to knock a chip off one’s shoulder. One who really loves can not be affronted or misunderstood or irritated.

[7] "Love thinketh no evil." Taketh no account of evil done it. Love, as an accountant, never takes account of the evil done to it. It does not keep books, or, if it does, Love never makes an entry. It never thinks of revenge. "Revenge is sweet" is not true. There is no sweetness in hatred. Strong translates it. "Love taketh no inventory."

[c] "Love rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in truth." Love takes no joy in sin. Love can never smile at ’the fact of sin, but will be heavy-hearted when a saint falls into sin.

[d] "Love beareth all things." Love will bear slights, neglect or insult. "Beareth" means "covereth." Love throws a mantle over the faults of others and hides their shortcomings. "Love roofeth over." The sins of the Old Testament saints are not mentioned in the New Testament. Love covers. In the Old Testament we read that Lot was a worldly man, but in the New Testament we read that he was a righteous man. God’s love has roofed over Lot’s past life. Bearing these things does not mean soft sentimentality. Christ did not hesitate to tell the Pharisees what He thought of them, but He did not criticize behind their backs. Every time He rebuked a person, He spoke to that person directly. "Love stands in the presence of fault or failure of others with a finger on the lips."

[e] "Love believeth all things." Love is trustful, not doubting. Some people doubt everybody. They think everybody else is all wrong. Love will believe all good about others. Love will be quick to impute good motives.

[f] "Love hopeth all things." Love hopes when others have ceased to hope. Love looks on the good side and discovers the good rather than the bad in man.

[g] Love endureth all things." That means to persevere with patience. Paul endured all things, because of his love. Love will be patient with the wrongs and offenses of a brother. Love believeth all things. This is the only chapter in the writings of Paul in which he does not mention the Lord Jesus, and yet He is there. Substitute "Christ" in the place of love or charity.

[h] "Love never faileth." "Falleth" rather than "faileth," in the sense that a petal falls from a faded flower. This flower, however, never fades; it blooms forever and love never falleth.

[i] But now abideth these three, and the greatest of these is love. Prophecies shall fail, tongues shall cease, knowledge shall vanish away, hut when all things pass away, love abideth. This thing that abides is the greatest gift of all. The time will come when faith no longer abides, but faith will be sight. Hope will be swallowed up in realization. The greatest of these is love, which is the oldest. Love can say, "Before faith and hope were, I am." Love was before the world; it is eternal.

2. The tongue – James 3.

Even Moses was shut out of the land because he spoke unadvisedly. In the law it says not to go up and down talebearing. Here James is speaking against idle words. Words manifest sin and ungodliness" – Be swift to hear, but slow to speak."

(a) Verse 1 – "Masters" – means teachers. Teachers are held to more strict account. This explains the word and applies it to the hearts and lives of the hearers. If you keep to the truth you are apt to be unpopular.

If there is one place where it is easier to stumble than any other, it is the tongue. "The right use of the tongue is a sign of perfection" – Luke 11:53-54. Jesus kept control of His tongue. The tongue is a bucket with which you bring up that which is in your heart.

(b) Verse 2 – If you are able to bridle the tongue, you can control the whole body.

(c) Verse 3 – It is a small bit by which the whole horse is controlled; if a man can bridle the tongue, he can control the whole body – Psalms 32:9. A horse with the bit on its tongue follows his mouth with the whole body. So the tongue can lead the whole body into sin.

(d) Verse 4 – The ship is large, but is controlled by the rudder. A horse is moved by will, a ship is moved by the wind. Watch your tongue and avoid shipwreck. A rudder is small in comparison to the ship, but it controls it. Even so, the tongue is small, but it can influence the whole body.

(e) Verses 5, 6 – Behold how great a fire a little word kindleth. You can start a forest fire with a little spark. The tongue is a fire able to destroy. Fire spreads, and the scope of the tongue is so wide it is called a "world of iniquity." There is no divine law that the tongue cannot break.

It defiles the whole body by the soot and smoke of slander. It can He, defend sin, and lead into sin. It is a hellish flame that kindles the tongue.

(f) Verses 7, 8 – The tongue can no man tame. It is a "restless" evil, disorderly and uncontrolled, fickle, unreliable, and full of deadly poison. Words may destroy anything, even the very life of the church, (gossip and slander).

(g) Verses 9-14 – Fountain, fig tree, and olive tree – none of these give two things from one, and yet from the same mouth comes good and evil speech. We have double-dealing with the tongue. The tongue can no man tame, but it can be tamed of the Spirit of God. Who can cleanse a man’s mouth and tame the tongue?