Unspeakable things in the bible

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2 Corinthians 12:1 - 5
2 Corinthians 9:6 - 15
1 Peter 1:1 - 8

These passages each contain the only three instances of the word unspeakable and have three distinct meanings...

Words which are not expressible
A gift who is not expoundable
Joy which is not explainable

2 Cor 12:4 - Unspeakable words

It is not my intention to look deeply into this passage as there are elements by Paul’s own admission that we are simply not permitted to look into. Suffice to say that the third heaven is clearly where God dwells and that there was truth which belonged to heaven, which was spoken in heaven, which was heard in heaven, but was unspeakable down here.

Unspeakable here specifically means that which is “not expressible on account of its sacredness” and I think refers to truth which Paul could not repeat due to lack of ability because they are unspeakable and lack of authority because any utterance of them was unlawful.

I want to encourage our hearts that in the midst of these strange and trying times we can take for ourselves what David wrote in Psalm 31 when he said I trusted in thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my God. My times are in thy hand. But not only are our times in his hand but also all of creation as we have in Psalm 95 For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. There are many scriptures which would remind us that God is sovereign over every age, every circumstance and every individual.

But there’s an often-quoted story of a master and his pupil. When the pupil had come to an end of his studies he turned and said, “Master I want to thank you for teaching everything you know” but the master replies “I haven’t, but I have taught you everything you know” and we can see that between God and us where he teaches us everything which we know, but not everything which He knows. It is truly remarkable that we who were once strangers, aliens and enemies of God because of our sins have been reconciled to Him on the basis of the shed blood, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and brought into the position where we can know much about God. But we cannot know everything, and even in Christ, with the word of God and the in-dwelling Holy Spirit we would have to confess that something of the truth of Isaiah 55 still applies to us that my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

So in the midst of the current crisis whilst everything is known in heaven it is perhaps not given to us to know everything down here but how wonderful to think that not only are our times in His hand but remember what the Lord said in John chapter 10 I give unto my sheep eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. So we are doubly secure; in the hands of our Saviour and God.

So, sometimes we just have to rest on the fact that it’s not given to us to know why these things happen, but take comfort in the truth that everything is given to us to know how to live through them in the knowledge that God is over all and cares for His people so we have the wonderful statement that the just shall live by faith.

2 Cor 9:15 - An unspeakable gift

In this section of 2nd Corinthians, Paul takes up the great matter of practical giving; primarily between the churches and in chapter 8 he reminds them of the wonderful truth that ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. So, in this, as in all things our Lord Jesus Christ is the consummate example for every Christian to follow. But God takes note of the fact that whilst we cannot give to the same value which the Lord gave, we can give out of the same virtue…the willingness of our minds in 8:12 and purpose in our hearts in 9:7. This isn’t the topic for this study but one further thought which I enjoyed on this subject is in 9:10 where, out of Paul’s total confidence in the grace of God, he states that in ministering seed to the sower He does so for a threefold purpose…

To give them something to know (food digested)
To give them something to sow (seed distributed)
To give them something to grow (fruits demonstrated)

..and in the current climate where perhaps our customary service is curtailed, we can still know the ever present and limitless grace of God. He still gives us seed through our reading of the word by the Spirit; and with a willing mind and purposeful heart it can still have effect through digestion, distribution and demonstration so that these three exercises, even in times like these, can provide us with sustenance and joy and allow us to bless others and glorify God.

But it’s the unspeakable gift I want to focus on in this passage and ask three simple questions in relation to it…

1 Who is the gift?

I have given away my thoughts to the answer to this question in the question itself; not “what is the gift?” but rather “who is the gift?”. Some commentators take the line that the gift may be the gospel broadly and salvation specifically, and certainly we do have in Romans that the gift of God is eternal life. But we see in chapters 8 and 9 that God not only takes note of the value of a gift but also the virtue of the giver. Indeed the Lord Himself does likewise with the widow and her two mites in Mark chapter 12 and even the judgement seat in 1st Corinthians chapter 3 presents the truth that the fire of God’s righteous judgement tries every man’s work as to what sort it is and not what size it is.

So in certain circumstances the gift and giver are inseparable. The fact that there is salvation at all is a tremendous gift to humanity, but John wrote in chapter 4 of his first epistle that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. There is no salvation without the Saviour and so it is fitting that when the Lord talks about the love God has for the world in John 3:16 He also states that the effect of this love was the giving of His Son. Similarly in Acts chapter 4 when Peter stands up, filled with the Holy Spirit and preaching mightily, he takes the line that in order for there to be salvation, there was one name under heaven given among men. Finally, John also states in chapter 4 of his first epistle that Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

So in the context of these chapters in 2nd Corinthians, we see that Paul not only deals with what is given, but how it is given, who gives it, to whom it is given and the results of the giving; so I think the gift refers to not only the subject but also the source and so the gift is God’s Son; our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul would take this up in Romans chapter 3 where he concludes that it is only through the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ that God can be both just and the justifier. We begin to see that all of the gifts and promises of God we receive are through Him, with Him and in Him…

It’s through His poverty we are rich (2 Cor 8)
It’s with Him God freely gives us all things (Rom 8)
It’s in Him we are blessed with all Spiritual blessings (Eph 1)

…and we conclude with Paul’s summary also in 2nd Corinthians that all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen.

2 Why is the gift unspeakable?

Unspeakable here specifically means “that which cannot be not expounded in full”, and surely that is true of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We have a brother in the assembly here at Kirkconnel who in his worship occasionally, and very sweetly, likens the Lord to a flawless diamond in the hands of a jeweller. The substance and perfection of the diamond are constant, but there are multiple facets to be examined. Who the Lord is can never change and is constant as the writer to the Hebrews would remind us that He is Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. But just as the Shulamite lists the individual physical attributes of her beloved in the Song chapter 5, there are many facets to our beloved which we can look at… His deity, His eternal past, His humanity, His power, His humility, His service, His sacrifice, His life, His death, His resurrection, His glory, His eternal future to name but a few.

So as we gaze on Him as it were from different directions in the word, we would have to agree that we cannot fully expound Him and we find these in the scriptures..

The Shulamite’s beloved is a picture of the Lord Jesus and like her, we would agree that our beloved is altogether lovely…and the psalmist would conclude that Thou are fairer than the children of men…His immeasurable beauty
The officers sent by the chief priests and Pharisees came to the conclusion that Never man spake like this man and in Capernaum they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught as one that had authority, and not as the scribes and the Lord Himself would state that Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away…His immeasurable words
John would state at the end of his gospel that there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written…His immeasurable life
In the garden he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast…His immeasurable anguish
On the cross He cried My God, My God; why hast thou forsaken me…His immeasurable loneliness
At Calvary he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross…His immeasurable death
From the tomb now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept…His immeasurable resurrection
From the earth And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven…His immeasurable ascension

The world talks about everyone and their “fifteen minutes of fame” and I confess I would struggle to fill even fifteen minutes but our Lord Jesus outweighs centuries of praise on earth and an eternity of praise in Heaven.

So we would agree with the hymnwriter…

But the high mysteries of His name,

An angel’s grasp transcend;

The Father only, glorious claim!

The Son can comprehend

…that only the Father can fully expound Him because only the Father can fully comprehend Him.

But, even in this, there is a challenge to us all, because although I can’t fully expound Him doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t faithfully expound Him; in my worship and in my witness and just because I cannot learn everything about Him doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t keep learning something about Him.

3 What does the gift provoke?

Quite simply; thanksgiving to God! When I contemplate the vastness of His gift to us it should cause me to thank God continually. One has written that "when we receive a gift, we do not thank ourselves for taking it but rather we thank the giver for offering it". My heart is so fickle and my mind so forgetful, but I should continue to thank God for His unspeakable gift.

1 Pet 2:8 - Unspeakable joy

Peter is writing to those who were scattered throughout various lands who had little or no contact with each other and may have been just a few saints here and there. They were in manifold temptations and were enduring the trial of their faith.

Whilst perhaps not enduring the same trials and persecutions experienced by these early believers, these are trying and uncertain times where saints up and down the land have far less contact with each other than usual and cannot meet and see fellow believers and family members as they would love to.

Against the backdrop of circumstances, Peter lists some of the gospel truths which are embraced through faith…

The abundant mercy of God
The fact that they had been born again into living hope
The truth of their pure, unperishable inheritance that never fades and secured by the power of God
The certainty of the future manifestation of all of this in a day to come

In recounting these he reminds us that there is a glorious future awaiting us.

But what about the present?

He teaches that the trial of our faith is precious, and that God highly values our endurance of such things. The value of gold can perish but God’s acknowledgement and appreciation of the trials of his people never perishes.

But from where can we draw that which we need to sustain us through these trials when we’re all scattered and on our own?

Peter brings us to our Lord Jesus Christ…

The one who in a day past purchased us
The one who in a day to come will present us
The one who currently provides for us.

We rightly feel burdened and sad at not being able to see the ones we love but in closing we turn to verse 8 and see that there is one we love whom we are not able to see right now, but we rest by faith in Him and we see from Peter that he provides something for us to sustain and encourage us in the midst of these trials. What is it?

It is a glorious and unspeakable joy and it is available to every believer. Perhaps the depth of joy is linked to the depth of love so the challenge and reward is that…

The more I learn of him
The more I live for him
The more I’ll love him

…and I’ll experience more of this unspeakable joy

Unspeakable here specifically “means that which is not explainable”. It is something which can be experienced and enjoyed but can never be explained. So the old gospel hymn is so apt here…

If I could only tell him as I know him

My Redeemer who has brightened all my way;

If I could tell how precious is his presence,

I am sure that you would make him yours today.

But I can never tell him as I know him;

Human touch can never tell of love divine;

I only can entreat you to accept him;

Come and know the joy and peace forever mine

What a Saviour we have that whilst we are saddened by events we can know unspeakable joy throughout the experience.

Every blessing,

Jim Cronie