TO CORRESPONDENTS

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 21, 1868

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

F. GOULD. An exposition of 1 Cor. xiv, 34, 35, is given in Review No. 4, Vol. xxviii, p. 28, June 26, 1866.

A. BISBEE. We understand the sin against the Holy Ghost to be attributing the work of the Spirit to the agency of Satan, for the purpose of avoiding the truth. This we learn from the circumstances under which Christ spoke the words recorded in Matt. xii, 31. Christ had performed a notable miracle. All the people were amazed. It must in some way be accounted for. It was evident enough that it was wrought by the power of God. But to acknowledge this, would be to confess Christ the Son of David, and the promised Messiah. This the Pharisees would not do. There was no other alternative but to attribute the wonderful work to the power of Satan; and this they did, rather than to acknowledge the truth. Christ first refutes on logical principles their impious claim, and then pronounces his fearful denunciations against the sin against the Holy Ghost, which is doing just what they had done, attributing work which was plainly enough the work of God, and which they undoubtedly knew to be such, to the agency of the Devil, in order to avoid the cross of humbly acknowledging unpopular truth.

An explanation of Rev. iv, 4–6, will be found in Thoughts on Revelation, pp. 75–79.