William Kelly Quotes on Christ, Grace, Scripture and the Church
William Kelly was a Greek scholar who spent his life teaching the Bible to small gatherings of believers among the early Brethren. His lectures aren't built for quoting. He follows the thought of a passage step by step, and his best sentences come in the middle of a long argument. But they're worth finding: short, exact lines about Christ, grace and how to read Scripture.
Every quotation below is copied exactly from his books in TheWay Library, with the book and chapter it comes from. For his life story, see who was William Kelly. For a guide to all six books, see William Kelly books.
On grace and the gospel
Kelly never tired of the grace that saves sinners as they are.
There is nothing so humbling, and strengthening withal, as the heart's rest in God's grace toward us in Christ.
Lectures on the Gospel of Matthew, chapter XXII
God is never confounded; neither, through grace, is he that believes, because he rests upon what God is to him.
Lectures on the Gospel of Matthew, chapter I
To believe God about the death of His Son because of sin, our sin, is to take God's part against ourselves.
Lectures on the Gospel of Matthew, chapter XXVIII
Grace had touched their hearts; it made them receive and endorse God's sentence against themselves.
Lectures on the New Testament Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, Lecture VI
Man's worst sin culminated in the death of Christ who knew no sin; but in that very death He put away sin.
Lectures Introductory to the Study of the Epistles of Paul, Hebrews VII–XIII
On the cross and the believer's security
God forsook Jesus that He might not forsake us. There never can be God forsaking a Christian, or even hiding Himself from him.
Lectures on the Gospel of Matthew, chapter XX
Certainty, from God, is our portion, the moment that we see who Jesus is.
Lectures on the Gospel of Matthew, chapter XVI
The believer listens and bows to God in this world; the unbeliever will quail before God in the next world.
Lectures on the Gospel of Matthew, chapter XXV
On keeping the eye on Christ
This was Kelly's steady counsel: look at Christ, not at the church, not at yourself.
All we want is, that the eye of faith be a little open; but it is only Christ before the eye that keeps it open.
Lectures Introductory to the Study of the Epistles of Paul, Philippians
There is nothing to divert the heart from Christ, the great High Priest in the heavens.
Lectures Introductory to the Study of the Epistles of Paul, Hebrews VII–XIII
Whatever exalts Christ and glorifies Him is that which we should delight in.
Lectures on the Book of Revelation, chapter V
To appreciate what follows, we must be subject to God's thoughts of Christ; we must go back to what God begins with; we must see and hear the Lamb.
Lectures on the Book of Revelation, chapter V
Whatever the trial may be, it is but a little offering to show what Christ is in our eyes.
Lectures on the New Testament Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, Lecture III
On faith and waiting on God
Restlessness would like to go somewhere or do something, but this is not faith. Faith proves itself in waiting for God to manifest His will.
Lectures on the Gospel of Matthew, chapter IV
It may cost ever so much, but God is not a hard master; none is so tender and loving.
Lectures on the Gospel of Matthew, chapter XVIII
But I maintain that, whatever the difficulty may be, there is always the path of God for the godly to walk in.
Notes on the Book of Daniel, chapter III
On reading Scripture
Kelly was a scholar, but he insisted that the Bible opens to a single eye, not to cleverness.
The important thing is to bear in mind, that the understanding of Scripture depends much more upon what is moral, than what is of the mind — upon a single eye to Christ.
Notes on the Book of Daniel, chapter II
Nor is it because a man is learned, that he is capable of entering into the thoughts of God.
Notes on the Book of Daniel, chapter V
He who derives his light from the word of God has a sun brighter than that at noon-day; and, therefore, just as far as he is subject to it, he will not, cannot, stray.
Notes on the Book of Daniel, chapter VII
We are all apt to find good reasons for bad things; but Daniel's eye was single, and his whole body full of light — the only means of understanding the mind of God.
Notes on the Book of Daniel, chapter I
The Church, because we are in it, has been made the centre of Scripture, whereas Christ is the true one.
Notes on the Book of Daniel, chapter X
We must always bring ourselves up to the standard of God's word — not be always correcting other people, but ourselves.
Lectures on the Gospel of Matthew, chapter XVI
On the Spirit and the church
The Holy Spirit's presence in the church was the heart of Kelly's teaching on church life.
Further, the Spirit of God was given as the indweller to each one that believed.
Lectures on the New Testament Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, Lecture VI
The great root of the mischief is the tendency to look at the church as ours, not Christ's.
Lectures on the Book of Revelation, chapter V
The only aim, as far as we are concerned, that God endorses, is that all be done to edification, and not for self-display.
Lectures Introductory to the Study of the Epistles of Paul, First Corinthians
No matter how truly a man has a power which comes from the Holy Ghost, he is not always to use it; more than this, he is bound to use it in obedience to Christ.
Six Lectures on Fundamental Truths Connected with the Church of God, Lecture III
Thus it is, that love, divine love, reproduces itself in those that the Lord is not ashamed to call His brethren.
Six Lectures on Fundamental Truths Connected with the Church of God, Lecture III
The true difference is, whether we are gathered to the name of Christians merely, or to the name of Christ.
Six Lectures on Fundamental Truths Connected with the Church of God, Lecture VI
Where to read more Kelly
The easiest way into Kelly is his Lectures on the Gospel of Matthew, the source of many lines above. If you're studying prophecy, his Notes on the Book of Daniel are shorter than his Revelation lectures and a good place to begin. All six books are on the William Kelly author page, and our reading guide explains each one.