HERE is that principle of Divine Revelation which is the most easily seen and understood of them all. It is doubtless because of the fact that this principle is so easily seen and understood that the Holy Spirit fails to give any direct statement in support of it. The student is forced to learn of the existence and activity of this principle by observation. Because of its simplicity, and the ease with which its presence may be detected, to be forced back upon observation and the collating of cumulative evidence sets before the student the minimum of difficulty.

Despite the fact that the Overlapping Principle is one of the most simple of all the principles upon which God has built His Book, it goes practically unnoticed by many a reader of the Bible, or if it is noticed its value is not recognized.

We proceed at once to the definition of the Overlapping Principle:

The Overlapping Principle is that principle of Divine Revelation wherein God employs four varieties of repetition — simple, enlarged', summarizational and explanatory.

THE four kinds of repetition named in this definition call for a word of elucidation.

Simple repetition is exactly what the term implies. For the sake of emphasis, a word, a phrase, or an entire section is repeated. When God employs simple, or naked repetition, it is as though He were saying to us, "Here is a fact, or a truth of such importance that I call it to your special and most prayerful attention. It is of vital import! Ponder it deeply and lose not its message."

When God employs what we have termed enlarged repetition, the actual word-for-word repetition disappears. By means of enlarged repetition God leads the reader of the Bible up to some outstanding and climacteric event or thought, giving certain related incidents or details. Then without warning,. He literally backs up and starts over again, leading directly up to the same outstanding event or doctrine which has just been touched upon, but shedding new light and adding new details as He moves along toward the climax. On this point the Overlapping Principle and the Progressive Revelation Principle¹ are handmaidens, each to each.

Summarizational repetition is frequently used by the Divine Inspirer of the Bible. By means of this particular phase of the Overlapping Principle God throws into brief and succinct statement some great truth or presents a resume of some special period in Israel's dramatic story with such flashing and faithful historicity as to fasten it most effectively upon the mind of the student. Summarizational repetition brings History down to an inspired syllabus and reduces great doctrines to one sweeping sentence. On this point the Overlapping Principle and the Direct Statement Principle² function in fullest harmony and thus become a striking demonstration of the Agreement Principle.³

Explanatory repetition is that particular phase of the Overlapping Principle under which God actually explains His own words, thus protecting the Word of God from spurious interpretation and the soul of the student from confusing and damaging misapprehension. By means of this manifestation of the Overlapping Principle God has anticipated and headed off many of the blasphemous false doctrines which, like wormy mushrooms, have suddenly sprung up in this, the climax hour of the Body Dispensation. Under explanatory repetition God's thought concerning His own Word is revealed. Passages which would otherwise have been exceedingly perplexing or practically devoid of meaning to the mind of finite man are made to glow and gleam with Divine meaning; knotty tangles are unravelled; genealogical difficulties are cleared up; recondite doctrines are unfolded. Explanatory repetition is God declaring that the Bible is its own inspired commentary, its own full and complete dictionary, and that consequently the Bible is self-interpreting.

Whenever the Overlapping Principle is active, there is a Divine going over some ground that has already been traversed. God's purpose where this principle is in evidence is invariably emphasis and explanation. The result of the Overlapping is either a tremendous Divine accent on the particular truth overlapped, or the revealing of fresh details of surpassing interest, or the shedding forth of helpful light on an involved problem, or the presentation of a brilliant summarization which crystallizes some blessed truth into compact clarity.

THE OVERLAPPING PRINCIPLE ILLUSTRATED BY SIMPLE REPETITION

If you are left waiting in the home of a friend and while waiting pick up a book from the library table, and find that book filled from end to end with markings and underscorings placed there by your friend, instantly the book assumes more than usual interest. As your eye leaps from underscoring to underscoring you realize you are discovering the thoughts which are nearest and most impressive to the mind of your friend. The Bible is the book which belongs to our friend. Our Friend is none other than the Lord Himself. Simple repetition is the Lord's own underscoring.

The Saviour's use of the word "verily" is an o, Islanding illustration of this particular phase of the Overlapping Principle. He uses repetitions of this word to point out utterances which to the Divine Mind are of special importance:

"VERILY, VERILY, I say unto you, He that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life" (John 5:24).

"VERILY, VERILY, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live" (John 5:25).

"Jesus answered them and said, VERILY, VERILY, I say unto you, Ye seek Me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled" (John 6:26).

"Then Jesus said unto them, VERILY, VERILY I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven" (John 6:32).

"VERILY, VERILY, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life" '(John 6:47).

"Then said Jesus unto them, VERILY, VERILY, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you" (John 6:53).

"Jesus answered them, VERILY, VERILY, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin" (John 8:34).

A glance at these passages which the Lord Jesus Christ Himself has underscored, thus thrusting them out into special prominence, reveals the great importance of each particular passage. The first passage is our Lord's most wonderful utterance on the Eternal Security of the believer; the second is a key statement on the willingness principle; the third summarizes God's attitude on duplicity; the fourth is a vital declaration concerning Jesus, the true bread ; the fifth sets forth the way of salvation; the sixth declares the hopelessness of every way but God's way; and the seventh is a crushing revelation of the bondage and ignominious servitude of the sinner. Simple repetition is God throwing the high-lights on some particular section of His Word.

When a truth is of such a character as to be particularly hard for the natural man to receive, that is likely to be the truth which the Lord uses to exhibit this phase of the Overlapping Principle. The awful truth of hell has ever been a bugbear to the natural man. Knowing how rebellious the mind of man is against this truth, our Lord Jesus shows its tremendous importance by one of the most unique examples of the Overlapping Principle in the Scripture. He gives forth an utterance about hell which is so striking and so important for lost men to face that instead of being satisfied to let it stand after one declaration, He says it again in exactly the same words. It would have seemed that surely the one repetition would have been sufficient to have given all the emphasis or underscoring necessary, but the Saviour knows the hardness and skepticism of the human heart, so in order to reveal the Divine justice and also to put man in the position where he is without excuse, the Lord utters identically the same words a third time. The three descriptive statements of the Saviour on hell are found in Mark 9:44-48. They are :

vs. 44 — "Where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched."

vs. 46 — "Where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched."

vs. 48 — "Where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched."

It is a thoroughly convincing demonstration. Jesus employed the simple repetition variation of the Overlapping Principle to bring the appalling truth about hell to the attention of needy man. Hell is a place where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched.

In God's dealing with Israel, there came an hour when the wickedness, the stubbornness, the disappointing obstinacy of that elect nation, drew forth from God through Isaiah, a judgment utterance of great import. That utterance had unusual dispensational connotation as well. After that first declaration, in moments when Israel's stiffneckedness and rebellion come into manifestation God quotes the Isaiah statement.

The occurrences of this interesting repetition are as follows. When Israel was drifting into rebellion from Jehovah under the Kings :

"And He said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.

"Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and convert, and be healed" (Isa. 6:9-10).

When Israel's rejection of His earthly ministry began to be evident to the Lord Jesus :

"And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive :

"For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them" (Matt. 13:14-15

When Israel's rejection of the Lord had come to its climax, and His crucifixion is just at hand :

"Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,

"He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them" (John 12 :39-40).

When Israel's rejection of the apostles' testimony concerning the Kingdom and the Resurrection is made clear:

"And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers,

"Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

"For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them" (Acts 28:25-27).

With what amazing fairness God deals with man. Even judgments that are fully deserved are not permitted to come until wide open warning has been given, and then that warning repeated again and again.

The Scriptures abound in examples of the constant activity of this phase of the Overlapping Principle. In one instance, in the book of Kings the Holy Spirit records a particularly important chapter (II Kings 19). When God is afterward speaking through Isaiah He leads the prophet to set forth the same things in the same language (Isa. 37). Strange it is that this remarkably interesting, immeasurably valuable, and spiritually fruitful principle has for so long a time practically been lost sight of by the students of the inspired Book.

May God open our eyes to more often and more fully detect the presence in the Bible of the Divine underscorings.

THE OVERLAPPING PRINCIPLE ILLUSTRATED BY ENLARGED REPETITION

THE ENLARGED Repetition phase of the Overlapping Principle is found actively manifest throughout the entire Bible. Where Enlarged Repetition is employed by the Holy Spirit, some climax, event, or outstanding truth is chosen as the goal point. To this goal the reader is led, only to be taken back to a new beginning and again led up to the same goal. This may occur as often as the purpose of the Holy Spirit requires. With each retracing of His steps the Spirit of God supplies new and illuminating details of the period covered or the truth discussed. In the very opening chapters of the Old Testament is an example of Enlarged Repetition which, had it been observed as an example of the Overlapping Principle, would have saved many souls from doubts and perplexities into which they have been unnecessarily plunged. In the first chapter of Genesis the story of the creation of man is briefly given. In chapter two the same story is told again with a goodly number of additional details. It is a clear example of the Overlapping Principle. But these two different narratives become a stumbling block to those who approach the Word of God without the illumination of the Spirit of God. Mrs. Eddy, the fountain head from which sprang Christian Science with all its Satanic vagaries, becomes confused upon finding this example of the Overlapping Principle, and with inimitable self-confidence declares that Genesis 1 is "scientific," but Genesis 2 is "legendary." To the ignorant and uninformed such a naive disposal of the passages may be acceptable, but to one who knows the truthfulness of the Bible, to dub any section of God's Holy Book "legendary" is blasphemous. Mrs. Eddy needed a knowledge of the Overlapping Principle (to say nothing of some other things) .

Again, the Overlapping Principle is plainly exhibited in the history of Israel's journey from Egypt to the promised land. The first account of that journey is given in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers.

When we get to Deuteronomy we find that the Spirit of God goes over exactly the same ground, giving here and there new points of interest, new light on the questions of the journey and many fresh details which had been omitted from the original account. It is but another illustration of the . activity of :the Overlapping Principle.

When God would set forth the history of His chosen people during the days of the kings and the prophets, He first tells the story in the Books of the Kings. Then along come the two Books of Chronicles, containing. the same narrative, the same characters, the same , historical unfolding, but throwing upon the screen of revelation of the Kings period fresh light together with new and important details. Beside this, the Books of the Prophets constitute another example of Enlarged Repetition, for they cover the same period that is covered by Kings and Chronicles, uncovering new and important facts concerning the whole period, and fitting into the spiritual side of the story as hand in glove. When the Spirit of God opens the eyes of the child of God to the presence and universality of the Overlapping Principle in the Bible, it becomes the explanation to many a problem, and the satisfying demonstration of the integrity and inspiration of Scripture. When the student enters the New Testament he is greeted by four separate and distinct books telling the life story of the . same blessed Saviour. Matthew tells the story of the life of Jesus setting Him forth as King; Mark tells the story of Jesus setting Him forth as Servant ; Luke tells the same wondrous tale of matchless love and grace setting Him forth as man; while John, the beloved disciple who leaned upon the Saviour's bosom, tells the same story all over again setting Him forth as God: Each .gospel narrative has details which belong peculiarly to it. Each gospel tells virtually the same story of the earthly doings, sayings and sufferings of Jesus. The four gospels constitute one of the most unique illustrations in the Bible of the Enlarged Repetition manifestations of the Overlapping Principle.

The Book of Acts and the letters of the Apostle Paul present another valuable exhibition of the activity of this principle. The opening part of Acts sets forth the ministry of Peter, but the major portion of the book is devoted to the mighty missionary enterprises of Paul. In telling the thrilling romance of Paul's missionary journeys, the Book of Acts tells the whole story from the standpoint of Israel. In Acts Paul is invariably seeking out the "synagogues" on the "Sabbath" days to deal with the "Jews" concerning the "Kingdom." This Jewish coloring remains in the Apostle's ministry to the end of the Book of Acts, until in the last chapter he turns with saddened heart from his own people, saying, "Be it known therefore unto you that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it." Paul's epistles cover much of the same period of time that is covered by the Acts. Although covering a similiar period, the epistles throw radiant light on a new and amazing phase of Paul's ministry which is almost entirely omitted from the Acts. In the Acts his ministry is to Jews ; in the epistles he ministers to a group in which there is neither Jew nor Gentile. In the Acts he has a chosen nation in view; in the epistles he has a mystical Body in view. In the Acts he Is going "to the Jew first" ; in the epistles he is getting helpful and needed teaching to the little handful who have believed his original ministry. In the Acts he goes forth with a public proclamation to a nation; in the epistles he writes back with private revelation to the few who heeded his public call. The book of Acts and the Pauline epistles, considered together, constitute a most instructive and useful illustration of the Enlarged Repetition phase of the Overlapping Principle.

The Book of the Revelation is one of the most interesting examples of the Overlapping Principle to be found in the entire Inspired Library. The first chapter of the book presents a vision of the Lord Jesus surrounded by types and symbols, all pointing to the glorious hour of the Second Coming. This first appearance of our Lord in the Revelation indicates the goal and climax of the book. The Second Coming of the Lord is the climax truth of the Revelation. As all students know, the Revelation consists of a remarkable series of visions. These visions all pertain to horrors of judgment which shall burst upon the earth in the Great Tribulation and in each case shall find their climax in the Lord's return. Each vision gives new and harrowing details of that awful dispensation of wrath and sorrow which shall come upon the earth. The character of this dispensation was plainly indicated by the Lord Jesus when He called it the "Great Tribulation." In each vision the prophetic story is swept majestically on to the same longed-for climax, — the return of the King of Kings. This continues through nineteen chapters of this much disputed book, so that the old idea that the the visions of the Revelation set forth a chronological series of events is completely exploded, and the Overlapping Principle reveals the fact that the Revelation visions depict a group of practically simultaneous judgments which shall fall upon the earth. In the Book of the Revelation alone the Overlapping Principle in its Enlarged Repetition phase is exhibited something over forty times.

An understanding of the presence and activity of the Enlarged Repetition manifestation of the Overlapping Principle in the Bible brings into demonstration the fact that the Word of God is self-interpreting and that a proper use of that Word will so illumine its own pages as to dispel every cloud and every doubt from souls that have long groped in seemingly hopeless perplexity. The Principles of Revelation, when turned about, become the principles of interpretation, and consequently become the avenues whereby the most difficult and dismaying of Bible problems may find their full and satisfactory elucidation.

THE OVERLAPPING PRINCIPLE ILLUSTRATED BY SUMMARIZATIONAL REPETITION

SUMMARIZATIONAL repetition is that phase of the Overlapping Principle which boils truth down to the smallest feasible compass. Under this principle vast sections of Israel's history are condensed into a few succinct verses and great outstanding truths of doctrine with wide extended ramifications are diminished to one pertinent declaration.

In the 78th Psalm the Spirit of God goes back to the tragic days of the plagues in Egypt. The Psalmist makes no effort to name all the plagues, but in a few striking sentences summarizes those amazing days of judgment which swept over Egypt when God was saying to Pharaoh, "Let My people go." It is an exceedingly clear example of the Summarizational Repetition phase of the Overlapping Principle. The passage follows :

"How He had wrought His signs in Egypt, and His wonders in the field of Zoan :

"And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.

"He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.

"He gave also their increase unto the caterpillar, and their labour unto the locust.

"He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycamore trees with frost.

"He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their Rocks to hot thunderbolts,

"He cast upon them the fierceness of His anger, wrath and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.

"He made a way to His anger; He spared not their soul from death, hut gave their life over to the pest ilence ;

"And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham" (Psa. 78:43-51).

The Book of Acts contains some examples of Summarizational Repetition, one of the clearest of which is found in the 13th chapter. When Paul attended the Jewish synagogue at Antioch of Pisidia, he was invited by the rulers of the synagogue to give the people any word of exhortation that he might have for them. Paul, gladly availing himself of the opportunity, began speaking in words which are an example of Summarizational Repetition. In a few graphic and eloquent utterances he covered nearly six hundred years of Israel's history. His words, as recorded, are :

"The God of this people Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high and mighty arm brought them out of it.

"And about the time of forty years suffered He their manners in the wilderness.

"And when He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, He divided their land to them by lot.

"And after that He gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.

"And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years.

"And when He had removed him, He raised up unto them David to be their king: to whom also He gave testimony, and said, I have found David tie son of Jesse, a man after Mine own heart, which shall fulfil all My will" (Acts 13:17-22).

In the doctrinal realm, Summarizational Repetition results in great truths, fragments of which are scattered from Genesis to Revelation, finding expression in one summarizing statement, usually found in the New Testament. The fact that the summarization is more likely to be in the New Testament than in the Old grows out of the presence of the activity of the Progressive Revelation Principle.

An unusually clear example of a mighty truth being reduced to one clear summarizing statement is found in II Cor. 5:21. No truth of God's word is of greater import than the truth of the vicarious death of our blessed Lord Jesus. This truth is presented in the Old Testament in every bleeding victim sacrificed on Jewish altars. The four gospels tell us the story of His laying down His life a ransom for many and when we open the Pauline epistles we find the mind of the apostle is continually turning to that death which was not only for us, but as us. This fundamental truth to which so much place is given in the inspired Book is diminished to one sweeping end comprehensive statement in the passage just cited :

"For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin ; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (II Cor. 5:21).

Could the Holy Spirit's Summarizational Repetition be more convincingly demonstrated than in this perspicuous passage? "Made sin for us" is the wondrous inspired epitome of what Jesus bore for us on Calvary. "Made the righteousness of God in Him" is the glorious standing which is graciously given to every poor lost son of Adam who accepts the Lord Jesus Christ. God's infinite grace in arranging eternal salvation for hell-doomed souls through the substitutionary work of His blessed Son on Calvary and the inexpressibly marvelous provision of divine righteousness for those who from the cradle were unrighteous is here reduced to two flashing expressions, — "made sin for us" and "made the righteousness of God in Him." Blessed summarization! The activity of such a principle of revelation in God's Word reduces divine truth to such simplicity and comprehensibility of expression as to put the deepest facts of God's grace within easy reach of the most untutored soul.⁴ There are, of course, two prerequisites to the acquisition of divine truth, — first, Berean eagerness to search the Word daily, and, second, Berean willingness of mind. Let these two prerequisites be present and the blessing of God upon the soul of the student is guaranteed.

THE OVERLAPPING PRINCIPLE ILLUSTRATED BY EXPLANATORY REPETITION

IN THE consideration of the Eighteen Principles of Divine Revelation it has been repeatedly declared that the Bible is self- interpreting. This is more or less clearly seen in the activity of every principle, but nowhere is it more plainly in evidence than in the Explanatory Repetition phase of the Overlapping Principle.

Explanatory Repetition is that phase of the Overlapping Principle under which the Holy Spirit quotes a portion of Scripture giving the explanation with the quotation. Under Explanatory Repetition we get the benefit, not only of the Holy Spirit's original statement, but the added blessing of the Holy Spirit's explanation of His own words. Not often in the whole range of literature do ^ve enjoy the privilege of reading, an authdr's exposition of his own writings. To the student of God's Word this unusual privilege is vouchsafed wherever the Explanatory Repetition phase of the Overlapping Principle is found. What joy and assurance finds happy lodgment in the heart of God's child when he reads God's words, and how that joy and assurance is augmented when he discovers that the words of God are explained by God Himself. There is mo light like Bible light on Bible problems. There is no explanation like heaven's explanation for heaven's message. The Bible contains within itself its own commentary.

In the 16th Psalm David is speaking unto God in confidence and faith. He contemplates the sorrows which shall come to those who hasten after another god. He rejoices that, as for himself, the Lord is his portion. Then comes a section in which he declares that he has set the Lord ever before his face and that he shall not be moved. Then he breaks into testimony of the gladness in his heart because God will not leave his soul in hell (Heb. Sheol) nor let God's Holy One see corruption. The last few verses of the Psalm read thus :

"I will bless the Lord, Who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.

"I have set the Lord always before me : because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

"Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory re-rejoiceth : my flesh also shall rest in hope.

"For Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption.

"Thou wilt show me the path of life : in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore" (Psa. 16:7-11).

The ordinary reader of such a passage could have no other thought than that David was speaking of himself in these impressive words. God knew how darkened the mind of man is, so in matchless grace He introduces the Explanatory Repetition phase of the Overlapping Principle and reveals the deeper meaning of this remarkable passage in Acts 2:25-31. The first words of this passage sweep aside the thought that David in the 16th Psalm was speaking of himself by the astounding declaration that David was mightily led of the Holy Spirit not to speak of himself only ('although his own experience was doubtless uppermost in his mind) but to write wondrous words of inspiration, the true meaning of which is unfolded in this sermon by Peter in Acts 2. We quote :

"For David speaketh concerning Him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for He is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:

"Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad ; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope :

"Because Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption.

"Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; Thou shalt make me full of joy with Thy countenance.

Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.

"Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;

"He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that His soul was not left in hell, neither His flesh see corruption" (Acts 2:25-31).

The Modernist, and some supposititious Conservatives, have said that the Old Testament contains no reference to the resurrection. But the Holy Spirit's exposition of David's words in the 16th Psalm is inescapable.

"He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ."

This is Explanatory Repetition. This is the Bible explaining itself. Mere man would never have dared to say the 16th Psalm was a prophecy of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but the Holy Spirit unhesitatingly declares that David was exercising the gift of prophecy, he was "seeing this before," he was predicting that Jesus would rise from the dead. The Holy Spirit knows what He meant when He inspired David to pen the 16th Psalm, hence His explanation (through Peter) of His own word (given through David) is the correct explanation, — an inspired unfoldment of an inspired truth. Thank God for Explanatory Repetition.

1) The Progressive Revelation Principle will be discussed in a future study in the series on the "Eighteen Principles of Divine Revelation."

2) See the discussion of the Direct Statement Principle in the March, 1923 number of Grace and Truth, p. 137.

3) See the discussion of the Agreement Principle in the June, 1923 number of Grace and Truth, p. 232.

4) It is the activity of the Direct Statement Principle, as well as the activity of The Overlapping Principle, which brings about these illuminating summarizing statements in God's Word. A discussion of other examples of summarizing statements occurred in "Grace and Truth," March, 1923, page 137.