Repeat to Emphasize

I was thinking that Paul Washer would have been just loved, praised, for his message on missions from my previous church’s I attended. But the very same people would be apoplectic hearing his message to the youth group.

He pointed out in his youth message that the Hebrew way to emphasize something is different than what we do today, We capitalize, put it in bold, etc. He said the Hebrew way was to repeat something. My wife noted the line of Holy, Holy, Holy.

Psalms 119 is the 300lb gorilla of this style. It’s the equivalent of size 72 font, highlighted. One long love song about the beauty of Gods law. 150 plus verses, over and over from one angle after another. And why not, since it reveals and reflects the nature and character of God, throwing down the gauntlet and laying out the standard defining what is, justice, mercy and love. The fact that no other chapter comes even close to the emphasizing job done here says something. Or is it just a fluke?

You have Deuteronomy which means the second telling of the law.

We get four different gospels. Was fun to think about what keeps getting repeated.

Today for the first time it registered in my mind, what Paul is saying here in Acts…. But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets. Acts 24:14 (NKJV)

… believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.

Here Paul is saying that…. believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets… Was a part of the early church’s understanding, a doctrine, as understood by the sect called…. the Way.

Mr. Washer pointed out to the youth, that a common understanding believed by them, cannot be found in the bible. On the flip side, the church today needs to come to grip with things, that are in the bible . What sayeth the scriptures?