Question Corner

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Oct 21, 1913

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 40, No. 41.

“IF YE WILL INQUIRE, INQUIRE YE.”

This Inquirers’ Department is conducted for the purpose of helping those who are studying the Bible. The answers are oftentimes only suggestive. They are never to be considered infallible, only as they agree with the infallible Word. The writer who may answer these questions does not consider that his opinion is infallible. He will simply give the best that he has, and plead with the inquirer to search the Word. Such questions only will be answered as, to the editors, seem to minister to the good of the readers and to the mission of the paper. We can not answer repeatedly in the same volume questions upon the same scripture. The name and address must accompany question, not for publication, but as an evidence of good faith, and that answer may be made by letter if deemed advisable. No letters are answered which do not contain the name of the writer. It is well always to enclose stamp for reply.

4204 — Who Were the Jews?

Of what race were the Israelites, Jews or Gentiles? and where does it explain it in the Bible? J. B. H.

The Israelites got their name from Jacob, when he wrestled with the angel and prevailed with God. The Lord told him then that his name should “be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.” Gen. 32:28. The term “Jew” primarily came from “Judah,” one of the twelve sons of Jacob; and when the ten tribes separated from the other two, those who followed the two tribes were spoken of as belonging to the kingdom of Judah. It finally came to be a term that applied to all of the Israelitish nation, without distinction. For questions of this kind, we would suggest that individuals, where they can not afford a good Bible dictionary themselves, club together as Bible students in a neighborhood, and get a few books like Bible dictionaries, concordances, and Scripture atlases, and they will find it intensely interesting to study up all such questions as this themselves. We say this, not because we are averse to helping people to understand such questions, but because we know it is the best thing for people to become student investigators.

4205 — Those Who Fall Away

Please explain Heb. 6:4-6. C. F. L.

The text referred to reads: “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame.” Another text from the same book speaks similarly upon the same subject, and they should be studied together. It reads: “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?” Heb. 10:26-29.

Some people are troubled over these texts, thinking possibly they may have reference to the ordinary backslider, who has simply grown careless or indifferent, but who in his heart has never given up the Lord, and who is continually thinking that some day he will enter His service again. And oftentimes when he begins to think seriously of taking up that service without delay, then the enemy of all souls will confront him with these texts, the same as he confronted Christ Himself with texts of Scripture, and sought to give them a wrong application. The text is talking about individuals who have actually been enlightened. They have really tasted the heavenly gift, and know from experience what it is. They were made partakers of the Holy Ghost. They tasted the word of God, and also the powers of the world to come. Their experience reached out to the depth of definite knowledge, so that they knew the positive grounds of the divine gift. And now these individuals break away from all this, and, according to the text quoted from the tenth chapter of Hebrews, they call the blood of the covenant, wherewith they had been sanctified, an unholy thing. They have despised the Spirit of grace. The text speaks of an actual falling away that leads a man to renounce things that he really knows are truth, and to treat with disrespect and despite the Holy Ghost, whose influence in all their blessed realities he has felt upon his own heart and life. And having fallen away after this manner, it can be readily seen that he has broken off from all the influences that would draw him to heaven, and has purposely and with determination placed himself beyond hope, and beyond the reach of God. The text shows that he has done this wilfully,—he has exercised his will to do the thing. But the poor backslider, in the place of exercising any will-power, has simply allowed his will to be overcome and dethroned by the persistent attacks of Satan; and to all such the Lord sends many such gracious appeals in His word, as this: “Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord; and I will not cause Mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger for ever. Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed My voice, saith the Lord. Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion.” “Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto Thee; for Thou art the Lord our God.” Jer. 3:12-14, 22.

4206 — Without My Flesh

In Job 19:26, the Revised Version reads, “And after my skin, even this body, is destroyed, then without my flesh shall I see God.” Where do they get their authority for this change? J. B. A.

By referring to the marginal reading for the same text, it will be seen that the revisers were not clear that they had full authority for making such a change, for the marginal reading is, “And after my skin hath been thus destroyed, yet from my flesh shall I see God.” Job was in the midst of great afflictions when he uttered these words. His body was being consumed away with disease, and his words are the triumph of faith rising out of and above the conditions in which he was placed. In the twenty-fifth verse he said, “I know that my Redeemer liveth, and at last He will stand up upon the earth.” Job would thus say to us, When my Redeemer stands up to vindicate my cause, even tho this flesh be completely destroyed, yet will I see Him. Resurrection power would give him the immortal body that is promised so clearly in the word of God; and even tho he would go down in death, and the body that he then possessed would be completely destroyed by the worms, yet the infinite power of the great Creator would give Job life and immortality.

If you take the reading in the text of the Revised Version in the light of other scriptures which are plain upon the subject, there is no difficulty; for Job is contending that he was not dependent for his existence upon the flesh that he then possessed, but he was dependent rather upon the power of the mighty Redeemer.

4207 — Gift of Tongues

Please explain the subject of the gift of tongues as found in 1 Corinthians 14. What does it mean by saying, “In the Spirit he speaketh mysteries?” H. G. M.

Among the gifts of God recorded in the twelfth chapter of 1 Corinthians are mentioned “divers kinds of tongues” and “the interpretation of tongues.” A “tongue” that is a gift of the Spirit of God is an intelligible thing. It speaks intelligently, whether the individuals who are listening may understand it or not. The individual who is talking knows what he says, and is saying something in some language known to earth. A very clear illustration of the Spirit’s gift of tongues is recorded in the second chapter of Acts. There were in Jerusalem, on the Day of Pentecost, doubtless most of them having been drawn there to attend the Jewish feast, people of all nationalities, and the holy city was stirred because of the events connected with the crucifixion of Christ. The story of the cross must be told, and must be understood by all these various nationalities; and when the Spirit was poured out on the Day of Pentecost, the text says, “They were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?” Acts 2:7-12. Now that gift of tongues on that occasion, which is an illustration of God’s plan, shows intelligence. It shows a need for this particular gift at this particular time, and it shows the people listening to the gospel and understanding “the wonderful works of God” as they were presented.

There are people who claim to have the gift of tongues, but there is no intelligence connected with it. It is one of the deceptive counterfeits that Satan is foisting upon the world with which to delude and destroy people. In the twelfth chapter of 1 Corinthians, note that after enumerating the various gifts, the apostle says, “But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will.” These gifts are bestowed upon individuals who will appropriately and intelligently use them, and as the need arises for such gifts. Otherwise they would not be given. They are not to be seized by individuals and exercised upon their own authority, or in harmony with their own whims.

Study closely all that God’s word says in regard to God’s gifts, and you will not be led astray. God is seeking continually to reveal the mysteries of His truth, and He asks us to base our faith upon mysteries that have actually been revealed, and not upon some mysterious something that no one can understand. We will ever be studying into the unfolding mysteries of God’s great truth; but our faith is based upon what we understand, and not upon something that is ever bewildering. There is something divinely dignified in the gifts of God, and they carry convincing power to intelligent people.

4208 — All Animals for a Purpose

Please explain the reference in the Bible which says every animal is created for a purpose. Of what use is the swine? J. B. H.

Certain animals and birds, like the swine and the turkey-buzzard, seem to have had their abilities turned in the direction of being useful as scavengers. There was no need for any such animals in the original creation of God, so the nature of these creatures must have been changed from what they were at first. We can not judge of God’s original creation by what we see at the present time. The curse of sin has been visited upon the lower animals along with man, and there has been degeneracy. The evolutionist’s theory is the reverse of what is true. It is a mistake to believe that God has created all of the varieties of animals, birds, and insects that we have at the present time. A great many of these are the result of amalgamation. For instance, God did not create a mule. By recognizing a few of these facts, we can be saved from a lot of perplexity as we study conditions in nature, where sin has been at work for so long. When the curse of sin is removed, at the second coming of Christ, then we will see nature as it came from the hand of its Author, and not until then.