What is the law of first mention?

Answer

The principle of first mention is a guideline that some people use for studying Scripture. It suggests that, to comprehend a specific word or doctrine, one should locate the initial occurrence of that word or doctrine in Scripture and examine that passage. The rationale behind this principle is that the first mention of a concept in the Bible is the most straightforward and unambiguous; subsequent teachings are then built upon that foundation. Therefore, to gain a comprehensive understanding of a significant and intricate theological concept, Bible scholars are encouraged to begin with its “first mention.”

Here is an illustration of applying the principle of first mention: the first reference to blood in the Bible is in Genesis 4:10, where God questions the murderer Cain, saying, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.” Based on this initial mention of blood, one can infer that blood symbolizes human life. Later, we discover that God’s justice demands the shedding of blood (life) for murderers “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man.”, (Genesis 9:6). By connecting the concepts of blood and judgment, we witness God executing the firstborn of Egypt but sparing the Israelites who mark their doors with the blood of a lamb (Exodus 12:1-13)—this introduces us to the concept of a substitute, where an animal’s life is given in place of a human sinner’s life. Subsequently, God instructs Moses in constructing the altar: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul” “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes an atonement for the soul.” (Leviticus 17:11).

Blood that makes an atonement for the soul.” , (Leviticus 17:11). Moving to Isaiah 53:5, we find a prophecy of a Substitute for all sinners: “But he was pierced [i.e., He bled] for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” In the New Testament, John the Baptist calls Jesus “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29;see also Revelation 5:6—surely a bloody lamb). Jesus was insistent that His purpose in coming to earth was to shed his blood (life) for all people (Mark 8:31-33;10:45). The Epistles further explain: “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” «And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. », (Hebrews 9:22); “The blood of Jesus . . . purifies us from all sin” «but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. », (1 John 1:7).

Genesis, the book of beginnings, naturally contains many “first mentions,” including the foundations of these doctrines and concepts: divine omnipotence, creation, paradise, marriage, family, sin, sacrifice, atonement, angels, prayer, judgment, covenant, government, death, burial, etc. When asked about marriage, Jesus pointed to two “first mention” passages: “Haven’t you read . . . that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and m

Other and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’?” (Matthew 19:4-5; cf: Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:24).

As we can see, the law of first mention has some value in the science of hermeneutics. The rules of hermeneutics for studying Scripture may range from a few to a dozen or more, depending on the scholar or teaching institution, but the law of first mention is consistently included. Studying all the Bible has to say about a particular doctrine, including its initial mention, is commendable. “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” «Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. », (2 Timothy 2:15).

When following the law of first mention, we must be careful to also follow the other rules of hermeneutics. We cannot ignore context, for example. The fact that the first mention of a serpent in the Bible (in Genesis 3) is associated with Satan doesn’t mean that every mention of a serpent in the Bible should be interpreted as satanic; the serpent on the pole in Numbers 21:9 is a type of Christ, according to John 3:14.

One of the weaknesses of the law of first mention is the difficulty of knowing what comes “first” sometimes. Are we to look at the Scriptures strictly chronologically? According to the order of the books as we have them now? Or according to the order of the books as found in the Hebrew Bible?
The law of first mention is not a hard-and-fast rule, but it can be a useful guideline for in-depth Bible study, as long as it is applied in conjunction with the other rules of solid hermeneutics.