Matthew 9:16 No man puts a piece of new cloth to an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up takes from the garment… They put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved. Oriental bottles are skins of sheep or goats. Old bottles would crack and leak, under pressure of the fermentation of new wine; new skins would expand under such pressure. The old wine-skin of Judaism had become stiffened with age, and even worse stiffened by the efforts of the rabbis to keep it in good condition. Christianity could not keep within its narrow limitations. This is the first reference of our Lord's words; but he illustrates a fact of permanent interest. I. NEW TRUTH IS ALWAYS COMING INTO THE WORLD. Practically new truth is. The critical philosopher may question whether such a thing as "new truth" is possible. Truth new to an age is possible. Truth of science may exist, but it is new when it is first brought to human apprehension. And even old truths become new when they are revived after being lost to the world for a while. What may be firmly declared is that primary truths of morals and religion must be old as humanity. The Puritan father assures us that "The Lord hath yet more light and truth To break forth from his Word." But whatever breaks forth will only be new to us. Still, the interest of each age lies in the new truth, scientific, moral, religious, that it may reach. It is said that so much is now being discovered, scientific and even biblical works that are ten years old are out of the running. Athenians ever inquired for "something new;" moderns are well-nigh surfeited with things new. Show in what senses Christ brought new truth concerning God and man. Show that the range of truth, in any age, seems new when compared with the range of truth in a previous age; though it may be really no more than the uprising into view of neglected parts of the great circle of truth. II. NEW TRUTH IS ALWAYS CALLING FOR NEW SETTINGS. The teachers of new truth want to express it in their own way. This occasions most of the controversies of our time. The conservative among us do not object to the new truth (if it is truth they cannot object to it), but they want it expressed in the terms that are familiar to them. They want the gentleman of to-day dressed according to the age of wigs and buckles. The liberty Christ claimed for himself, and for his disciples, was liberty to get new wine-skins for the new wine. And the modern Christian teacher asks permission to put his new truth in appropriate new settings. - R.T. Parallel Verses KJV: No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. |
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