SUFFICIENY OF CHRIST #7: THE SOURCE OF THE SAINT’S SUPPLY, Part I (ODELL)

“But my God shall supply all your need, according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4:19   

We have been examining the Gospel of Pure, Free and Sovereign Grace couched in this famous verse. To date, we have answered two questions, which are, 

(1) To whom is this promise made? 

And (2) What is the extent of the promise? 

We have been blessed to discover the single answer to both questions as follows: ALL THE NEEDS OF ALL THE SAINTS OF ALL AGES are included in this text. Today, we hope to set the stage to answer the next question; What is the SOURCE of the saint’s supply?   We will approach this under three main headings: 

First, A DISCOVERY OF ANCIENT PARALLEL TRANSLATIONS; 

Second, A DISCOVERY OF WHAT THE TEXT DOES NOT SAY; and Third, A DISCOVERY OF WHAT THE TEXT DOES SAY!   FIRST: A DISCOVERY OF ANCIENT PARALLEL TRANSLATIONS. 

If these are as sweet to you as they have been to me, this approach will be well vindicated to the good of our souls collectively.   

THE WYCLIFF BIBLE of 1382. 

This was the first attempt at an English Bible from the Latin Vulgate. It reads: “Forsooth my God full-fill all your desire, after His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Yup, “FORSOOTH!” 

THE TYNDALE NEW TESTAMENT of 1526. 

This was the first English Bible translated from the original languages, being forbidden by the Roman Church. It was printed in Germany and smuggled into England. It reads: “My God fulfill all your needs through His glorious riches in Jesus Christ.” 

COVERDALE BIBLE of 1535, 

the first complete Bible in English translated from the Latin Vulgate, Tyndale’s Greek to English translation and ancient German translations. It reads: “My God fulfill all your need, according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” 

MATTHEW’S BIBLE of 1537. 

This is a combination of translations of William Tyndale and Myles Coverdale by a former Roman Catholic Priest who became a Protestant Pastor. This reads so sweetly: “My God fulfills all your needs through his glorious riches in Jesus Christ.” Beautiful! 

THE GENEVA BIBLE of 1560. 

This is the first Bible with well-defined Chapter headings and side notes by the Geneva Scholars. It too is a lovely presentation of truth, reading: “And my God shall supply all your necessities through his riches with glory in Christ Jesus.” Beautiful indeed. With respect to these lovely ancient translations of this most precious verse, it feels important to take you aside for a short journey into the history behind these. 

William Tyndale was imprisoned for 16 months, tried, convicted of heresy, strangled to death (a mark of his status as a scholar), and his body was burned Oct. of 1536. Myles Coverdale was an Augustinian Frier, who like Tyndale, fled to Antwerp only to be exiled from England not once, but several times for his efforts to translate and publish the Bible for the sake of the common man. John Rogers (associated with Coverdale) was a Roman Catholic Priest who also fled to Antwerp. Upon returning to England, when Edward VI ascended the throne, the then Catholic Queen Mary’s persecutions saw Roger arrested and tried as a heretic for his part in Coverdale’s efforts. He was burned at the stake on Feb. 4, 1555. All this occurred so we could examine such a text as Phil. 4:19 to the good of our souls. For this, we ought to be eternally grateful.   

SECONDLY: A DISCOVERY OF WHAT THE TEXT DOES NOT SAY: The reason is to attempt to eliminate from your view, all that is NOT the source of your supply, assuming you are one to whom this promise is made, i.e., “a saint in Christ Jesus.” In so doing, I trust we will discover (next lesson) the real, true and only source of the saint’s supply.   

The text does not say: “Whatever you need will come to you in response to the vibrations you are sending out due to the quality of your thought.” It does not say: “Practice the POWER OF INTENTION and thereby co-create your world your way.”   It does not say: “Get very still in the silence, look very deeply into yourself, and discover your personal spark of divinity. Be sure to meditate on the enlargement of this spark and allow it to fill you up with your god-self while picturing being surrounded with prosperity.”   Nor does our text say: “Light candles, the more the better, count beads in a kneeling posture while repeating memorized prayers.”   Nor does our text suggest that the “saint” will supply any of his own “need.” Or worse yet, the idea that a “saint” must actively help the Holy Spirit of Christ to progressively sanctify himself while adding to his faith various other virtues on the false premise that since he is accountable, he must therefore be able in and of himself, wherein he makes himself able to be blessed by Christ. This excludes all man-centered, “if-you-will-God-will” anti-Christ concepts of mind.   

Here is the lesson: The “saint” is NOT THE SOURCE of his supply. Neither does he help the source of his supply to help himself! The bottom line is, the “saint in Christ Jesus” HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SOURCE OF SUPPLY! “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”   Lord willing, we will DISCOVER WHAT THE TEXT DOES SAY, in the next lesson. 

Let us pray to that end that Christ’s dear sheep will discover their one true and only source of supply, bound up in the person and work of Jesus Christ HIMSELF.   

Dan O’Dell, only a sinner with a reason to hope. I love you. 1.04.2024