“Not ... but ...”

 

The “not ... but ...” language construct occurs quite frequently in the Bible.  Misunderstanding its meaning has caused many problems of biblical interpretation.  The main problem is that readers tend to take the “not” part of the sentence out of context and make it into an absolute doctrine.  For example, many have concluded from the following that it is a sin for women to wear jewelry (1 Tim. 2:9-10): “Likewise, {I want} women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments; but rather by means of good works, as befits women making a claim to godliness.”  It says it right there: “Not with ...gold or pearls ...”  Is this an absolute prohibition?

Before answering this question, let us consider another example.  Jesus said in John 6:27: "Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, ...”  Is Jesus saying that we are not to eat and work for our daily bread or that eternal life is far, far, far more important than getting a good meal.  It has nothing to do with our secular jobs; there are other passages that give us instruction on that (Tit. 3:14; 1 Tim. 6:17f).

Now, let’s go back to 1 Tim. 2:9 and read it again (in italics above).  See the point?  It is one of emphasis.  Godliness is far, far, far more important than the way that we look.  But does this mean we should not look our best?  Of course not.  Those who interpret this as an edict miss the entire point of what Paul is trying to say.  It is a principle of attitude, not of fashion.  Let us explore this interesting Bible language construction in the remainder of this issue.

 

Some “Not ... But ...” Examples

 

We saw the basic principle on our cover page that the first clause in Bible “not ... but ...” expressions are not necessarily absolute.  Rather, this construction is quite often used to greatly emphasize the importance of the second clause over the first.  Let’s consider some examples that have commonly led to errors.  Remember, the principle is an emphasis of the second item over the first, not the absolute statement of the first.

Matt 6:19-20 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, ... But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, ...”

Matt 15:11 "Not what enters into the mouth defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man."

John 5:30  "I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”

Rom 2:28-29 “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh.  But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.”  (Count them — four in this passage.)

Rom 4:5  “But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness, ...”

Rom 9:16  “So then it {does} not {depend} on the man whowills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.”

Rom 14:13 “Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this-- not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way.”

1 Cor 1:17  “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, that the cross of Christ should not be made void.”

1 Cor 2:4  “And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, ...”

1 Tim 1:9  “... realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous man, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, ...”

We must add that there are some “not... but ...” expressions in the Bible where the “not” part is absolute.  The context and a comparison with other scriptures is the key to resolving the true meaning.  It is not difficult if we are willing to dedicate a little time to study the context and the overall subject (2 Tim. 2:15).

 

Ye often hear it said …

“Our works have nothing at all to do with our salvation.”

but this is often based on Paul’s statement (Titus 3:5) ...

“He saved us, not on the basis of works which we have done in

righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of

regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit ...”

 

Notice that this is a “not ... but ...” statement.  Thus, the “not” part is not necessarily absolute.  The scriptures clearly teach that we cannot earn our salvation.  But does this mean that our behavior has absolutely nothing to do with our salvation?  Some even go so far as to teach that if we do not accept this absolute, we cannot be saved.  Paradoxically, they have made this “faith only” behavior a condition of salvation, thus contradicting their own position.  We need to let the Bible resolve God’s conditions of salvation.

Study the context — go back to Titus 3:1.  Is not our behavior the very subject of this chapter?  Look at verse 3.  Is not a transformed life important?  “We once were ... but now are ...”  This salvation was not because of our righteousness, but by the mercy of God.  Verses 4-7 emphasize God’s part, which is by far, far, far the most critical part.  But verse 8 returns back to the main subject: “... that those who believed in God may be careful to engage in good works.”  There is no contradiction here, and we should see clearly that God’s part eclipses our own.  But as free-will agents, we can either yield ourselves to God’s part or not, allowing him to work through us or not.  It is a small part; but it is essential (Phil. 2:12).  Be careful.