The adjective ‘good’ does not form the comparative with ‘gooder’ but goes to
another root (probably from ‘boot’ e.g., ‘what boots it?’) and gives us
‘better’. In the Greek this word is either
kreisson or kreitton, the spelling
varying with locality, age and custom, but without altering the meaning. The
word occurs nineteen times in the Greek New Testament being translated in every
case except one, by the comparative ‘better’, the exception being 1 Corinthians
12:31 where the A.V. reads ‘best’ and the R.V. reads ‘greater’. The word is used
with reference to dispensational superiority in one book, namely in the epistle
to the Hebrews, where it can be looked upon as one of the key words of the
epistle (see HEBREWS for structure and general
teaching). The word occurs thirteen times in Hebrews. The great thought in
Hebrews is that of going on unto perfection (Heb. 6:1) and of realizing the
superiority of Christ to angels, Moses, Aaron, Joshua and all the Old Testament
witnesses put together.
Together with this we have a better testament or covenant, than was given at
Mount Sinai (Heb. 7:22; 8:6) which is established on better sacrifices and is
the guarantee of better promises and a better hope (Heb. 8:6; 7:19).
This better hope is related to a better country and a better city namely the
heavenly (Heb. 11:16), and the same principle that adds ‘the prize of the high
calling’ to the hope of that calling, and associates it with ‘the
out-resurrection’ (Phil. 3:11), is seen in Hebrews 11:35 where we see some
attaining to ‘a better resurrection’. (For a fuller treatment, see
PRIZE,
OUT-RESURRECTION and
PHILIPPIANS). The general trend of the
dispensations is that the one that succeeds has been better. Consequently we may
translate Philippians 1:10, ‘approve things that are excellent’ as the A.V. or
‘try the things that differ’ as indicated in the margin. This therefore is an
encouragement to the reader, an incentive ‘to go on’. If the calling announced
in the gospels is blessed, that which we find in the epistles is more so.
And if the calling in the early epistles of Paul reveals the wondrous
association of the believer with the Crucifixion, Death and Resurrection of
Christ, the Prison Epistles take us higher, until the believer is not only
‘quickened’ and ‘raised together’ but ‘seated together’ in heavenly places. It
is good, therefore, to present this fact to any newcomer to Dispensational
Truth, so that timidity or fear of losing something already held, shall not rob
them of the better things that still await the faith of God’s elect.
