To Correspondents

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 23, 1870

To Correspondents.

J. M. GALLIMORE: We understand Paul to be speaking in 1 Cor. 7:29–31 in reference to special duty in view of the shortness of time, not against the possession of any of the things he there names. That is, so far as regards our duty in view of the nearness of the end, a man should be as though he had neither wife nor possessions; nor cause of weeping nor cause of rejoicing. In other words, he should let none of these things stand in the way of his doing his duty. In the parable of the supper recorded in Luke 14:15 and onward, we read of the excuses that were made by those who were bidden to the supper. One had bought a piece of ground, and another five yoke of oxen, and therefore wished to be excused; and another had married a wife, and therefore could not come. They all let these things prevent their receiving the Heaven-sent message. This they should not have done. The first should have received and heeded the invitation just as readily as though he never had owned a foot of land, and the second, as though he had never seen an ox, and the third, as though he had not married a wife. And this we understand to be the import of Paul's exhortation in the passage under notice. We are not to cease to do with the things of the world; for he speaks in verse 31 of using the world. But we must not abuse it; that is, put it to a wrong use, and let it get in the way of our progress to the kingdom.

As regards conversion, most persons are able to state the exact time when, after powerful conviction of sin, they first felt the assurance of pardoning love, and acceptance with God. Others are not so, whose experience is probably no less genuine, and their conversion no less thorough.

Respecting politics there may be some local issues where a person can work effectually with the ballot against evil, as for instance intemperance, or some form of official corruption. But with politics, as a whole, we think the less Adventists have to do, the better.

P. W. BAKER: We do not understand that there is any prohibition in the Scriptures of the judicial oath, lawfully administered. We are forbidden to swear falsely, as in Ex. 20:16; Lev. 6:2; 19:12, &c. We are forbidden to bind ourselves by an oath to the performance of anything, as in Matt. 5:33–36; Jas. 5:12; for we have no control over our own life, or the events of time. We are forbidden to use the name of God irreverently, as in Ex. 20:7. But our Lord answered the high priest under oath, Matt. 26:63, 64; and Paul frequently called God to witness to the truthfulness of his assertions; which is all that is done in a judicial oath. Rom. 9:1; 1:9; 2 Cor. 1:23; 11:31; Gal. 1:20; Phil. 1:8; 1 Tim. 2:7, &c.

S. HASKELL: We cannot tell the price of the book you name.

C. L. PALMER: Thank you for calling our attention to the expression in answer to M. S. Merriam, under the heading, To Correspondents, in REVIEW No. 8. We designed to say, instead of “certain proportion of the crops,” “certain portion of the crops,” without regard to the whole amount the farm might produce.

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH: We have not the Hebrew letters to illustrate Dr. Clarke’s criticism on the jot and tittle of Matt. 5:18; and as much of its force depends on the presentation of the characters, perhaps it would be best to defer it, until such time as it shall be thought best to obtain them.