Why Is the Song of Songs so Named?
Why is the twenty-second book in our Bibles called the Song of Songs (1:1), that is, the greatest ever song? First, it is not because of its tune, for the Word of God does not give us inspired tunes for any of its songs.
Second, it is not because Canticles is an acrostic for it is not, unlike Psalms 9, 10, 25, 34, 37, 111, 112 and 145. Psalm 119 is the Bible’s most famous acrostic. The first letter in each of its first eight verses is the Hebrew equivalent of “A,” with the letter “B” at the start of the next eight verses and so on through the next 20 blocks of eight verses, so that all the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet are covered in their proper order.
Third, the greatness of the Song of Songs does not lie in its length either. Not only is it not the longest song in the world but it is not even the longest song in the Scriptures. Psalm 119, the longest of the 150 Psalms, is 176 verses, occupying over 6 pages in my Bible. Canticles contains only 117 verses, almost six pages in my Bible.
The Song of Solomon is the greatest song in this world because of its subject matter, which is superbly treated. Only a song about Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, who became incarnate for us and for our salvation, could be truly called the Song of Songs! Only a song about the One who is our royal Saviour and loving husband, who laid down His life for His bride, and our union and fellowship with Him, could be identified by our heavenly Father as the greatest of all songs! Thus the Westminster Confession’s authorized Scripture proofs include verses from Canticles as concerning Christ and His church (10:1; 17:3; 18:4; cf. Westminster Larger Catechism, Q. & A. 81, 175).
All by itself, this rules out the view that this book speaks only or mainly of human love between a man (or more than one man) and a woman. Besides the two figures we wrote of three issues ago, Theodore of Mopsuestia in the early church and Sebastian Castellio in the Reformation age, who were outliers in their own day, this, sadly, is the majority view of modern “scholarship.” All contemporary liberals and a surprisingly large number of evangelicals take this man-centred view of the Song of Solomon. The inspired indicator of the right interpretation of this deeply mysterious and moving book is given in its title and first four words: “The song of songs” (1:1)! Rev. Stewart
Do Demons Have Faith?
Our question for this issue concerns James 2:19: “Maybe this could be answered in the News: ‘Why does James appeal to devils in 2:19 for his argument when he (and the Spirit) knew full well that demons cannot be saved anyway—for 1) Christ didn’t take upon Himself “the nature of angels” but of men (Heb. 2:16); 2) neither did He die for the sins of demons?’”
James 2:19 reads, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” The ordinary biblical word for believing is used in this verse and the use of that word raises the question how demons or devils can be said to believe, as well as the question why James speaks of their “believing.”
Our correspondent points out that demons will not and cannot be saved. He is correct. Scripture says so in Jude 6: “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.” They are not only not saved but are reprobate, eternally rejected by God, “reserved in everlasting chains.” Hebrews 2:16 says the same in a different way. Christ did not take on Himself the nature of angels and did not, therefore, make atonement for the sins of those angels that had fallen.
The “faith” of devils, of which James speaks, is an example of what is called in theology historical faith, a faith which knows and acknowledges the facts of Scripture, but which is not personal. A person with such “faith” cannot make Paul’s confession in II Timothy 1:12: “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” Such faith is neither personal nor saving. Missing is the union with Christ which is the heart and soul of saving faith. Such a faith is not “in” Christ.
That kind of faith is merely intellectual and a matter of head knowledge only. It is never a matter of the heart. It knows something about God but cannot say, “For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death” (Ps. 48:14). It knows of Christ but does not know Him personally. It is only an intellectual assent to the truth.
The devils of whom James speaks know that God is God, the only true and living God. It would be difficult to imagine how they could escape such knowledge, having been created in the beginning in a state of perfection in God’s presence. Indeed, in the Old Testament, Satan was still able to enter God’s presence (Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7) and was not cast out of heaven entirely until Christ ascended into heaven (Rev. 12:5-11). They know Him as God but they remain in rebellion against Him.
James 2:19 describes such intellectual knowledge and assent as faith, because it appears superficially to be a true faith. Knowledge and intellectual assent are part of true faith, though true faith is more than purely intellectual knowledge. Nevertheless, there are always those who think that having a head full of knowledge means that they are saved. James is talking about that kind of false “faith” and warning against it.
All this is not by way of denigrating knowledge. Faith is more than knowledge but knowledge is a critical part of faith. I cannot trust or believe what I do not know. If I do not know what ICHTHUS* means as a symbol of the Christian faith, I cannot possibly say I believe it or find any delight in it. Faith is not a leap in the dark, for Paul confesses, “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”
Historical faith is not the only kind of false “faith.” Scripture speaks of a miraculous faith, a faith that believes Jesus is able to do miracles but which has no use for Him as Saviour. The man healed at the pool of Bethesda, who later reported Jesus to the authorities and who had to be warned by Jesus of something worse than His paralysis, is an example of miraculous faith (John 5:1-16). So are nine of the ten lepers who were healed by Jesus (Luke 17:11-19).
Scripture also describes a “temporary” faith, a faith that appears to be real but which does not endure as true faith does. Those in the Parable of the Sower who are represented as stony ground or thorn-infested ground are an example of such faith (Matt. 13:20-22). Such cannot at first be distinguished from true believers, but in the end they forsake the way of obedience, their fellow Christians, the church, the Word of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, returning to their old sinful and unbelieving ways. They are “offended” (21) and are “unfruitful” (22). They do not endure. On the other hand, true believers hear the Word, understand it, persevere unto the end and bring forth fruit (23).
James is especially concerned with a “faith” that does not prove itself to be saving faith because it does not do good works: “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone” (2:17). Good works are always the proof (not the origin or source or basis or ground) of saving faith. Belgic Confession 24 says, “Therefore it is impossible that this holy faith can be unfruitful in man; for we do not speak of a vain faith, but of such a faith which is called in Scripture a faith that worketh by love [Gal. 5:6], which excites man to the practice of those works which God has commanded in His Word. These works, as they proceed from the good root of faith, are good and acceptable in the sight of God, forasmuch as they are all sanctified by His grace; howbeit they are of no account towards our justification.”
James presses this point by speaking of the faith of demons. Their “faith” is no better than, and no different from, a faith that is without works. It is not saving faith. James is saying, “You have a faith that is without works? How is your faith different from that of devils? Don’t you understand that what you have is not saving faith? You may think you have faith but you delude yourself. You are careless and profane and worldly, and show no evidence of having true faith. You must believe in Jesus Christ to be saved and the proof that you have believed unto salvation will be good works, such as those performed by Rahab, when she hid the spies, and by Abraham, when he offered his son, Isaac, to God. If you have true faith, you will not cater to the rich and despise the poor. If you have true faith, you will make every effort to help your poor, hungry brother and not let him go away without the things that are needful for the body” (cf. James 2:14-26).
Faith is never the reason why we are justified but faith is the way in which we are justified because true faith is in Christ. Faith puts us into Christ so that His righteousness and obedience are counted as ours (imputed to us). True justifying faith is proved by good works, for just as a branch that is grafted into a tree will produce fruit, so the believer, grafted into Christ by faith, will produce “much fruit” (John 15:4-5). On the other hand, faith without works proves that it is not in Christ and is dead. We are not saved by good works but they are an important evidence that we are saved.
Scripture speaks of the faith of demons, an intellectual and formal acceptance of the facts of Scripture, and calls it faith as a warning against dead orthodoxy, antinomianism and heresies such as Sandemanianism, which defined faith as mere intellectual assent to the truths of Scripture. Such errors are still around, and are often due to an unwillingness to speak of good works, obedience and holiness. Those who fall into such errors do not take the law and its demands seriously, and have the foolish and unbiblical notion that any talk of good works is a denial of salvation by grace alone.
James 2:19 is also a warning to those who think that a good understanding of what Scripture teaches means that one is saved, so that nothing else is necessary, and who pridefully rest in their understanding and knowledge of Scripture. Such people are often found in universities or seminaries, as well as in church pews, and are often the product of Christian homes and churches, well taught but unsaved. They have learned much but never believed unto salvation. They know Christ by name, but not as their own friend and Saviour.
May our faith be “in” Christ” and never something that is only an intellectual assent to the truths of Scripture. May we never rest in anything or anyone but Christ Himself. We are saved by faith alone, for our salvation is through grace alone and in Christ alone, and in Him we rest. Then, having been saved by faith alone, we ought also to show our faith by our works. Good works, a thorough knowledge of Scripture and a credible profession are the good and necessary fruits of saving faith. Rev. Ron Hanko
