# Jeremiah 31:34



## Peairtach (Dec 24, 2010)

_And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." (Jeremiah 31:34, ESV)_

This passage is sometimes used by the Baptists to defend their position that only true believers are in the New Covenant.

What is its (likely) meaning?

Is it that all God's true people in the New Covenant era have an anointing of the Spirit to be prophets, as in Joel 2:28-29:

_"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit._

and Acts 2:16-18.


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## Iconoclast (Dec 25, 2010)

Richard Tallach said:


> _And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." (Jeremiah 31:34, ESV)_
> 
> This passage is sometimes used by the Baptists to defend their position that only true believers are in the New Covenant.
> 
> ...


 
Richard.....I have seen these verses used looking forward to the NT time.To explain the Jer31 passage.


> 43Jesus answered, therefore, and said to them, `Murmur not one with another;
> 
> 44no one is able to come unto me, if the Father who sent me may not draw him, and I will raise him up in the last day;
> 
> 45it is having been written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God; every one therefore who heard from the Father, and learned, cometh to me;





> Isaiah 54
> 1Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.
> 
> 2Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;
> ...


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## Peairtach (Dec 25, 2010)

Yes. But even in modern Baptist churches (visible) not everyone knows the Lord, if by knowing the Lord we mean salvation.


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## InSlaveryToChrist (Dec 25, 2010)

John Gill understood the 'teaching' of this passage not concerning "the outward ministry of the word," but that "in heaven indeed there will be no need of it." I think Gill's view is worth considering.



> Jer 31:34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother,.... Which is not to be understood of the outward ministry of the word; in heaven indeed there will be no need of it, nor in the New Jerusalem state; but in every period of time before it. In the first times of the Gospel, persons were appointed and qualified by Christ to be pastors and teachers; and in the latter day men shall run to and fro, and increase knowledge; besides, the saints in the present state stand in need of teaching; since they know but in part, and there is room for a growth in grace, and in the knowledge of Christ: nor does this contradict brotherly teaching, or the private instructions of saints in religious conversation and Christian conference, which are very useful; but is rather opposed to pretended revelations of private men; or to the magisterial dictates of persons in public office; the word of God being the only rule of instruction in righteousness: or this may be not absolutely, but comparatively said; setting forth the abundance of knowledge under the Gospel dispensation, that, in comparison of former times, there would be no need of the means of further knowledge:
> 
> saying, know the Lord: not naturally, or as by the light of nature; but spiritually; nor in a general way, as the God of nature and providence, as a Creator, Preserver, and Benefactor; but in a special manner, as the God of grace, as the God and Father of Christ, and his people in him; not legally, but evangelically; not speculatively, but practically, and in a saving way and manner: this kind of knowledge now under the Gospel dispensation is greater than under the former; as the knowledge of God in his persons, in his perfections, in his titles and characters, and in his Son; and as to the manner of it, clearly, with open face as in a glass; and as to the persons to whom it is communicated, not to Judah only, but to men of all nations; all which is owing to a greater effusion of the spirit, as it follows:
> 
> ...


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## Iconoclast (Dec 26, 2010)

Richard Tallach said:


> Yes. But even in modern Baptist churches (visible) not everyone knows the Lord, if by knowing the Lord we mean salvation.


 
I maintain a clear distinction as it descibes in jn 6:45.......everyone who is taught of God.they heard , they learned, adult believers. Anyone else who comes physically among the called out ones, are not the people of God until,they have heard,and learned of the Father.


> 7Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
> 
> 8This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
> 
> ...


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## Peairtach (Dec 26, 2010)

> 13But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.



Absolutely. But they have to be planted in the Visible Church/Covenant Administration in order to be rooted up.



> No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, 'And they will all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me (John 6:44-45)



We have no infallible way of knowing whether those who have a credible profession of faith or their children have been really taught of God. They will be rooted up by God through church sanctions later, or rooted up by God Himself at death. 



> John Gill understood the 'teaching' of this passage not concerning "the outward ministry of the word," but that "in heaven indeed there will be no need of it." I think Gill's view is worth considering.



Well it is interesting that Gill who was a Baptist doesn't take the line that this text shows that only believers are in the New Covenant administration of the CoG.


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## MW (Dec 26, 2010)

Richard Tallach said:


> Is it that all God's true people in the New Covenant era have an anointing of the Spirit to be prophets, as in Joel 2:28-29:


 
Eph 4:11 indicates that Christ gave some to be prophets.

Jer. 31 is specifically referring to the use of "mediatorial" teaching. The priest was to teach the people in relation to the sacrifice which he offered on their behalf.


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## Peairtach (Dec 26, 2010)

> Eph 4:11 indicates that Christ gave some to be prophets.



For a time until the Bible was complete, unless you're talking about prophecy in terms of preaching. But all God's true New Testament people are prophets, priests and kings, spiritually-speaking, while these offices qua offices in the Church are ceased.



> Jer. 31 is specifically referring to the use of "mediatorial" teaching. The priest was to teach the people in relation to the sacrifice which he offered on their behalf.



Thanks for that, Matthew. Maybe you could fill out your thinking on it. To some extent kings and prophets were also mediatorial in Old Covenant Israel. In New Covenant Israel we don't have kings, prophets and priests in that sense.


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## PuritanCovenanter (Dec 26, 2010)

I would refer you to Hebrews Chapter 8 where St. Paul expounds the Passage. I would also refer you to Read John Owen's commentary on Hebrews 8.


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