Five Words

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“Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.” (1Co 14:19)

1. The Apostle Paul said that he would rather speak five words in the church with his understanding than 10,000 words in an unknown tongue (1Co 14:19).
   1. This got me to thinking of powerful and beautiful five-word phrases in scripture that say far more than a room full of babbling Charismatics.
   2. What follows are 10 such phrases and a short exposition of each one.
2. “There is but one God…” (1Co 8:6)
   1. This profound fact separates Old Testament religion and Christianity from nearly every other religion in the world.
   2. The LORD Jehovah is one God (Deut 6:4).
   3. The “gods” of the nations are idols (Psa 96:5) and are no gods at all (2Ki 19:18; Gal 4:8).
3. “In the beginning God created…” (Gen 1:1)
   1. This five-word phrase destroys the false doctrines of atheism, evolution, theistic evolution, and the big bang theory.
   2. This profound phrase declares that God is:
      1. eternal – God was present in the beginning before the universe existed.
      2. infinitely powerful – it takes infinite power to cause something to come from nothing.
      3. infinitely intelligent – it takes infinite intelligence to design and create our incredibly complex world.
      4. sovereign – whoever creates something has absolute control over it.
   3. The first five words of the Bible tell us that God is eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, and sovereign.
4. “Before Abraham was, I am…” (Joh 8:58)
   1. These five words prove that Jesus Christ is the eternal God.
   2. Jesus was claiming to have existed before Abraham who lived 2000 years before Him.
      1. The only way this could be is if Jesus Christ is eternal.
      2. Jesus’ human nature was not eternal, but His divine nature is (Mic 5:2; Joh 1:1-3).
      3. Jesus was declaring that He was Jehovah when He said “I am” (Exo 3:14).
5. “The Word was made flesh…” (Joh 1:14)
   1. These five words declare that God became a man.
   2. The Word is the second person of the Trinity (1Jo 5:7).
   3. The Word (the divine nature) was joined to human flesh in the womb of the virgin Mary and became the Son of God (Luk 1:35).
   4. Jesus Christ was God manifest in the flesh (1Ti 3:16).
6. “He shall save His people…” (Mat 1:21)
   1. These five words declare profound truth regarding soteriology.
   2. Jesus is the Savior and none else (Act 4:12).
   3. Jesus would (and did) certainly save particular men (2Ti 1:9; Heb 10:14).
   4. Jesus saved those who were given to Him (Joh 6:39; Joh 17:2).
7. “Christ died for our sins…” (1Co 15:3)
   1. These five words declare the core of the gospel.
   2. Jesus Christ was the perfect, sinless lamb of God who was sacrificed for our sins (1Pe 1:18-19; Joh 1:29).
   3. He was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (2Co 5:21).
   4. He bore our sins in His own body to the cross so that we could live eternally (1Pe 2:24).
8. “Thy law is the truth.” (Psa 119:142)
   1. These five words reveal the one infallible source of truth in the universe.
   2. God’s word (the Bible) is truth (Joh 17:17).
   3. “All thy commandments are truth.” (Psa 119:151)
   4. All of God’s words are right, and there is nothing froward or perverse in them (Pro 8:8).
   5. Every word of God is pure (Pro 30:5).
9. “For the LORD giveth wisdom…” (Pro 2:6)
   1. These five words tell us the origin of wisdom.
   2. Wisdom comes from God (Exo 36:1).
   3. God’s wisdom is found in Jesus Christ, who is the wisdom of God (1Co 1:24).
   4. God’s wisdom is also found in His word (Deut 4:5-6).
   5. God gives wisdom to those who truly desire it (Pro 2:1-5; Jam 1:5).
10. “Wisdom is the principal thing…” (Pro 4:7)
    1. These five words tell us what should be our top priority in life.
    2. Wisdom is the most important thing.
       1. Wisdom – 1. a. Capacity of judging rightly in matters relating to life and conduct; soundness of judgement in the choice of means and ends; sometimes, less strictly, sound sense, esp. in practical affairs: opp. to folly.
       2. Principal – 1. First or highest in rank or importance; that is at the head of all the rest; of the greatest account or value; foremost: = chief
       3. We should get wisdom with all of our getting (Pro 4:5-7).
11. “Surely I come quickly. Amen.” (Rev 22:20)
    1. These five words declare that our Lord is going to return.
       1. It will happen surely.
       2. When the time comes, it will happen quickly and suddenly (1Th 5:3).
       3. These are Jesus’ final words to us.
    2. We should desire the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
       1. We should be waiting eagerly for His return (1Th 1:10; Heb 9:28).
       2. “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” (Rev 22:20)