I remember carrying my boys to amusement parks when they were growing up. Those are wonderful memories I have. Those young boys could certainly wear me out but we always had fun.
I recall visiting a park when my older son was barely big enough to ride the roller coaster. Once the ride began there was no getting off. He screamed the whole way. I was so afraid it was a scream of terror and was anxious to get him off at the end. But to my surprise it was a scream of delight. When we finished he was happy and excited and I was relieved.
You remember the little signs. At the entrance to the ride there was a little cartoon character cutout holding up his hand with a sign that said, you must be this tall in order to go on this ride. So my son stood up next to the little cartoon guy and he met the standard, although barely.
There is a Greek word, kanōn, with this exact meaning. The word is defined as a measuring rod or standard. I can just see the little guy holding out his hand, the measuring rod. The Greek word is found in Scripture 5 times. Twice it is translated as rule. In Galatians 6:16 we read, “And as many as walk according to this rule (kanōn), peace and mercy be upon them…”
This was Paul’s closing thoughts to the Galatians. His hope was that peace and mercy would be upon his hearers. But note, there was a qualifier. It was written to those who walked according to the (kanōn) rule, to those who met the standard. So first let’s acknowledge there is a standard.
There are several words in the Scriptures that are all interwoven in this thought. Some of these are found in the book of Galatians. The following is a brief survey of these Greek terms along with their meaning.
The gospel – 1:11 – Greek word euaggelion – means the good news
The truth – 2:5, 14 – aletheia – defined as what is true in any matter under consideration
The faith – 1:23 – pistis – a conviction of truth
The rule – 6:16 – kanon – the standard, like the measuring rod at the amusement park
Note how all the terms are interrelated. Paul was discussing a pure gospel as opposed to a perverted one in Galatians 1. In verse 5 of chapter 2 he even refers to it as the truth of the gospel. All the terms are essentially various ways of referring to the same thing.
And there is a 5th term, not found in Galatians but with a similar meaning. The word is doctrine.
Paul noted in Romans 6:16, “But GOD be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.”
Paul’s idea here was that they had obeyed the truth. They had obeyed the faith. They had obeyed the gospel. They had met the standard.
The gospel, the truth, the faith, the rule, and the doctrine are all intertwined. This is why Paul said in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of GOD to salvation…”
I realize the gospel, this body of truth, is my means of salvation. It is my “measuring rod” where entrance into heaven is concerned. Not everyone will meet the qualifications. Oh, how I want to. When my time comes, I want to meet the standard because heaven is one attraction I don’t want to miss.