“For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people … But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken … Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth [trusts] shall not make haste” (Isa 28:11,13,16). Zion is Jerusalem, “Zion: the same is the city of David” (2Sa 5:7). Isaiah prophesied about the Day of Pentecost in Jerusalem with the sign of tongues—the day Peter taught precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little and there a little. He quoted a little from Joel, “But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel” (Act 2:16), and a little from David, “I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved” (v. 25), “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool” (vs. 34-35). By sound reasoning line upon line through the Scriptures, he built an airtight case for Jesus Christ as Lord and Messiah at God’s right hand, leaving his Jewish brethren with no excuse.
Through the prophet Joel, God Himself called His Son at His right hand “my Breath,” “I will pour out of my Spirit [Breath] upon all flesh … I will pour out in those days of my Spirit [Breath]” (vs. 17-18). He didn’t say “pour out” but “pour out of.” On that day in Jerusalem, God poured out of His Breath seated next to Him, “Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit [Breath] and has poured out what you now see and hear” (v. 33 NIV).
Prior to His death, Jesus spoke of His coming advocacy for us at the right hand of His Father but figuratively as the Breath: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate … But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit [Breath]” (Jhn 14:16,26 NIV), “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit [Breath] of truth who goes out from the Father” (15:26 NIV), “about righteousness, because I am going to the Father” (16:10 NIV), “Though I have been speaking figuratively” (16:25 NIV). John later affirmed that it is He that is our Advocate with the Father, “And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1Jo 2:1). And after having been seated at His Father’s right hand, He called Himself “the Breath” seven times, “hear what the Spirit [Breath] saith unto the churches” (Rev 2:7,11,17,29, 3:6,13,22).
Now that the Breath is seated at the right hand of God, blasphemy against Him will never be forgiven, “All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost [Breath] shall not be forgiven unto men” (Mat 12:31). In Antioch of Pisidia, Paul preached from the Scriptures precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little and there a little (Acts 13:17-41). But the Jews hearing him blasphemed against the Breath, “But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.” (Act 13:45-46). They forfeited all hope of eternal life. Jesus Christ advocating at God’s right hand is the Breath and blaspheming against Him leaves no hope.
Peter wrote about the gospel he preached on the Day of Pentecost, “preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost [Breath] sent down from heaven” (1Pe 1:12), “And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you” (1:25), “Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth [trusts] on him shall not be confounded … And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word” (2:6-8). When the gospel message about the Lord Jesus Christ is taught by sound reasoning through the Scriptures “precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little,” people are left without excuse—they either receive the message of eternal life, or they stumble and fall backward to their own destruction. Christ is either the foundation stone upon which we build our lives, or the stumbling stone over which we trip and never get back up.
Paul’s letter to the Romans is the greatest composition ever penned of reasoning through the Scriptures precept upon precept and line upon line “the gospel of God” (1:1), “the gospel of his Son” (1:9), “the gospel of Christ” (1:16). He quoted voluminously from the Scriptures to form irrefutable arguments by sound logic for the message he preached. This is how we know the truth about God and gospel message of salvation—by harmonizing all of Scripture through sound reasoning and logic. Christ becomes either the foundation stone “I lay in Sion a chief corner stone,” or the stumbling stone “And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence.”
Understanding Scripture 