Publishing
Publishing
PUBLISHING (, fr. , a herald).It is a principle in the Divine economy for God to withdraw Himself from the perception of man, except in so far as the latter is able to receive a Divine revelation to his profit (Isa 45:15; Isa 53:1, Mat 7:6). It is not that God is unwilling to manifest Himself, but that the condemnation for rejecting the light is so great, that He is constantly withdrawing and veiling Himself from mens gaze (Joh 15:22). Thus it is that He is so frequently represented as shrouded in cloud (Exo 16:10, Lev 16:2, Num 11:25). Thus Christs Divine glory at the Transfiguration was veiled in a bright cloud (Mat 17:5, Mar 9:7, Luk 9:34); thus, too, He will come at the Last Day in a cloud (Luk 21:27). It is one of the paradoxes with which we are familiar in the Gospels, that manifestation should be accompanied by concealment, and revelation connected with mystery. Just as our eyes cannot see where all is dark, nor yet again in a blaze of brightest light, but as a blending of the two is necessary for physical vision, so is the law in the spiritual life. Complete darkness would leave us hopeless; a blaze of Divine glory would blind our spiritual faculties.
Christs childhood was wrapped in concealment. Only one incident is recorded about that period in the Gospels, and that one shows that His mother did not then understand Him (Luk 2:48 ff.). Christ was always veiling Himself throughout His ministry. He did not publish abroad the truths of His Kingdom indiscriminately. His use of parables was to avoid the casting of pearls before swine. His sayings were to a great extent allegorical. Such expressions as leaven for doctrine (Mat 16:6; Mat 16:11 f. ||), sleep for death (Mat 9:24 || Joh 11:11), cutting off the right hand (Mat 5:30; Mat 18:8 ||), the dead burying their dead (Mat 8:22 ||), the buying of swords (Luk 22:36), the undying worm (Mar 9:44; Mar 9:46; Mar 9:48), were not, of course, intended to be understood literally. All this seems to be due to His wish to spare the greater condemnation which would follow upon the greater revelation. Persons and cities who received the latter without profiting by it are specially denounced (Mat 11:23, Luk 10:15). In the explanation of the parable of the Sower a special condition of fertility was the right understanding. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear (Mat 13:9). It was a spiritual and not an intellectual perception that was required, one that depended on the state of the heart and not on the shrewdness of the mind (Mat 11:25, Luk 10:21). Christ taught people as they were able to hear (Mar 4:33, cf. Joh 16:12). He did not force new wine into old bottles. He explained the meaning of His parables to His disciples in private (Mar 4:34). Towards the end of His ministry He dispensed with parables in speaking to them (Joh 16:25; Joh 16:29). The time for concealment was past.
The same principle is observable with regard to Christs miracles. They were worked only on those who had faith (Mar 9:23). In Capernaum He did not do many mighty works, because of their unbelief. The crowd of mourners are excluded at Jairus house because they laughed Him to scorn (Mar 5:40 ||). The post-Resurrection appearances were not given indiscriminately, but to witnesses chosen before, who had shared the intimacy of temptation and suffering. Thus it was that after the performance of so many of our Lords miracles the recipients of healing grace were told not to publish the news abroad. It would only provoke calumny or misrepresentation. The Pharisees were not influenced favourably by the miracles which they saw (Mat 12:14, Mar 3:5 f., Joh 5:18; Joh 10:39; Joh 11:47, Luk 6:11) or heard of. It was only increasing their condemnation to publish the accounts abroad.
But it was especially in the healing of demoniacs that the principle received illustration (Mat 9:34; Mat 12:24). The evil spirits are anxious to publish Christs Divinity. They are not allowed to do so. There was evidently something repulsive to Christ in the knowledge possessed by the demons unaccompanied by love and reverence (Jam 2:19). Human beings, having this knowledge without corresponding affection, would become like the demons, with hardened hearts. It was the sin against the Holy Ghost which is so severely denounced (Mat 12:31). This was the reason for Christs manifestation of Himself to His disciples and not to the world (Joh 14:22). They had shown the requisite spirit of submission to the Cross. They had ears to hear.
We see, then, that it was not Christs object to reveal Himself to every one indiscriminately, but to those only who had a desire for that knowledge, together with love and reverence. The training of such recipients was gentle and gradual. Manifestation to the hardened brought with it only condemnation. Concealment implied mercy. As man had deliberately put forth his hand and tasted of the forbidden tree, so must he show by his deliberate action that he wished to taste of the tree of life, the true knowledge of God and of His Son revealed in the Incarnation (Joh 17:3).
But while we observe in our Lords ministry this principle of reserve with regard both to the mysteries of the Kingdom and the truth about His own Person, He never concealed, or wished His disciples to conceal, the saving message of the gospel. The gospel was to be published among all nations (Mar 13:10, Revised Version NT 1881, OT 1885 preached). The vb. , which is used to denote a publication such as Jesus forbade of His miraculous cures (Mar 1:45; Mar 7:36), is the same word as is constantly employed with reference to His own proclamation of the gospel (Mat 4:23 etc.) and His instruction to His disciples to proclaim it (Mat 10:7, Mar 3:14, Luk 9:2 etc.). When is used, however, in this specific sense, it is almost invariably rendered preach in Authorized and Revised Versions . In Mar 13:10, as noted above, Revised Version NT 1881, OT 1885 has substituted preach for publish of Authorized Version . See, further, Preaching, Revelation.
Literature.Isaac Williams, The Study of the Gospels; cf. also, on the confession of Christs claims by demoniacs, J. Weiss, Das lteste Evangelium; and artt. by W. Wrede (Zur Messiaserkenntnis der Dmonen), and B. W. Bacon (The Markan Theory of Demonic Recognition of the Christ) in ZNTW [Note: NTW Zeitschrift fr die Neutest. Wissen. schaft.] , 1904, p. 169 ff., and 1905, p. 153 ff.
C. H. Prichard and J. C. Lambert.