Question Corner

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jul 29, 1913

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 40, No. 29.

“IF YE WILL INQUIRE, INQUIRE YE.”

This Inquirer's 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 The name and address must accompany question, not for publication, but as an evidence of good faith, and that answer may be made by letter if deemed advisable.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.

4136 — A Backslidden Class

Please explain 1 Tim. 4:3-5, especially “which believe and know the truth,” “to abstain from meats,” “for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.” C. C. and S. D. L.

We wish that our subscriber had “Questions and Answers,” the little premium book we give with the “Signs.” On pages 192 to 195 this question is very fully explained. Note, first, that the text does not apply to any one particular class, but to “some.” It does not necessarily mean that every one of them commits the same sin. It is apostasy in general.

2. The time is not “the last days,” as sometimes interpreted, but “latter times,” that is, later times than the apostle lived. Some render “later seasons,” some “subsequent seasons.”

3. All the things condemned in this passage are the results of departing from the faith,—the only true faith there is, living, personal faith, which makes life connection with God, and that which dwelt in our blessed Lord, the faith of Jesus. The true faith is not based on the doing of any particular system, or the building up of a self-righteous character by the means of fasts, or abstinence from certain kinds of food. To live aright we may abstain from this, or that, or the other thing, and that is proper; but the mere abstaining itself does not save.

4. The doctrines, or teachings, of demons are teachings contrary to the word of God, which have developed into spiritualism, and other isms, to purgatory, to an ever-burning hell, to the invocation of the saints. All these things are doctrines which originated with the father of error.

5. “Forbidding to marry” would not involve the prohibition of marriage. Neither would it include advice against hasty and unwise marriages. We see the fulfilment of the Spirit's prediction in the enforced celibacy of the priesthood in the Roman Church, and in those organizations which, under pretense of holiness, forbid all marriages of its members as fornication.

6. The word translated “meats” is “broma,” meaning food of any kind. See John 4:34; Matt. 14:15. Victuals is its literal meaning. “Commanding to abstain from foods” does not mean instruction or advice as to what foods are good, proper, or injurious. It does not say to abstain from flesh meats, or cereals, or fruit, but from food in general. It would not apply to a physician who should forbid grains and enjoin flesh, nor to a vegetarian, who should denounce flesh meats as injurious, and advise with all the ardor of his soul a diet of fruit and grains. The prophecy relates to enjoined and stated fasts as meritorious in themselves, even as the forbidding to marry; and these can be seen in plenty in the enjoined fasts in apostate Christianity. Fasts are often beneficial, if voluntary and reasonable. They are good for the spiritual, mental, and physical man, but they should be voluntary. “If ye died with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world,” says Paul to the Christians at Colosse, “do ye subject yourselves to ordinances, handle not, nor taste, nor touch, . . . after the precepts and doctrines of men?” See Col. 2:20-23. Fast if need be, but be sure it is not will-worship, self-righteousness, or from mere commandments of men.

7. God has created all that man needs for food, of every variety. Let the Christian select from that abundance, as he is able, that which will glorify God.

8. “Every creature,” meaning a created thing, whether animal, mineral, or vegetable, would, in common sense, include only the things which God gave for food. Because “every creature” is used, we would not gather that it means that men were bound to eat everything God had created, such as toads, snakes, snails, etc. Nothing that God has created for man's good and His glory is to be rejected at the command of men. Let every child of God know the truth of this, and so eat with thanksgiving.

9. “Sanctified through the word of God and prayer” would seem to limit the food to that which God had Himself given and set apart for man's use, and upon which man could with assurance pray for God's blessing. Take as the life rule in eating, and anything else for that matter, 1 Cor. 10:31. This answer is greatly condensed from the one in “Questions and Answers.” The whole point concerning all these various prohibitions, or vice versa, in such passages as 1 Cor. 8:8, 9, and in Romans 14, and so on, is that we are not to be saved by a particular abstinence from this, or that, or the other thing. It is not by any rules or commandments which men may lay down, that we are to be saved. It is not by eating any particular thing, or abstaining from any particular thing, that we are saved. We are saved only through Christ Jesus. At the same time, the one who loves God and loves His word will give heed to what God has said concerning the things that are clean and that are unclean. The prohibition was removed, but the principle abides. The prohibition was made to Israel (see Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14); but when the time came that God knew His gospel would go to all the world and would reach very many who were so environed that they could not possibly carry out the Mosaic laws, that prohibition was lifted; yet God would have us learn from it still. The swine is unclean, and unclean forever, and 1 Cor. 10:31 would shut it away from our dietary.

This is also true regarding the observance of days. The keeping of the Sabbath will save no one; the refraining from the command “Thou shalt not kill” will save no one. No works that man can do will save him. We are saved only through our Lord Jesus Christ. If we will remember that it is this one thing which the apostle is endeavoring to emphasize in all his epistles to various churches, among whom were the Jews, it will help us greatly to understand these questions. He is not saying anything against the keeping of the Sabbath, anything against the eating of proper foods. That he covers in the strongest way by such texts as we have already referred to—1 Cor. 10:31. He has told us that what God requires is obedience. “Neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision,” but the keeping of the commandments of God,—the “faith which worketh by love,” “that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” But all these things come as a result of connection with Christ, and not as links to connect us with Him. The man who is truly Christ's will obey every commandment that Christ gives, if he sees it. He will eat and drink so as to glorify God, by keeping his whole system—physical, mental, spiritual—in the very best condition.

4137 — Old Style and New

When did Russia change from the Old Style to the new? I understand she used the Julian Calendar until a few years ago. B. E. T.

In 1902 Russia changed from the Old Style to the New Style.

4138 — The Day of Change

Could you tell us what day of the week Oct. 5, 1582 was, when it was called October 15 by the adoption of the Gregorian Calendar? B. E. T.

October 5 was not any day. It would have been Friday, for October 4 was Thursday, but October 5 was called October 15, so that October 15 came on Friday. There is no change in the days of the week between the Old Style and the New Style. They are all the same. The change did not affect the day of the week in any way.

4139 — What Days?

Please explain Gal. 4:9-11. What days? S. D. L.

Heathen days. Note the context. Paul tells us in the 8th verse that the Galatians, when they did not know God, did service unto them which by nature are no gods. They worshiped the gods of the heathen. Now he says, After you have come to know God, you turn back “again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage.” Now what evidence had they shown that this was the case? “Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.” The heathen had their days, and their months, and their times, and their years, and among their days which they observed was the Sunday every week, in honor of the sun. They observed Easter; they observed the old Saturnalia from which some of the Christian revelries come. They observed various days. And these Galatians had gone back to those observances, and thus shown that they were going back into bondage. No wonder the apostle was afraid because of the labor that he had bestowed upon them. The very next chapter, however, tells what he did want of them,—to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ had made them free. What did Christ free them from?—Sin. What is sin?—The transgression of the law. What were they made free from, therefore?—Transgression. What, then, were they to do?—“For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.” Verse 6. And “this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.” 1 John 5:3.

4140 — The Two Covenants

Will you please explain Gal. 4:21-31? Does it mean that the children under the old covenant are represented as the bond-woman, and the children under the new covenant as the children of Isaac? What difference is there between the old and the new covenant? R. G.

Our inquirer is correct. The children of the old covenant are the children of the bondwoman, the children of the new covenant are the children of Isaac, or of the free woman Sarah. The children of the old covenant are in bondage, the children of the new covenant are free. The one is following the flesh, the other the Spirit. The old covenant is man's effort to save himself,—no stronger than his own promises; the new covenant is based on the promises given in our Lord Jesus Christ. Compare Ex. 19:3-8 and 24:3-8 (the old covenant formation) with Heb. 8:10-12.

Note in the old covenant that the promises are the promises made by men. In the new covenant the promises are the promises made by God. The one is man's way, the working out of his own salvation, which always leads to bondage and failure; the other is God's way. The marrying of Hagar was Abraham's or man's way of carrying out God's will. It was the plan of the flesh, and all that were born of Hagar were bondmen. The birth of Isaac by Sarah was by the power of the Spirit of God. That was God's way, and therefore Isaac was the free child, and the children of Isaac are the children of freedom.

This expresses in very brief way the difference between the old and the new covenant. See answers to other questions on the same subject.