Question Corner

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jul 7, 1909

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 36, No. 26.

[To Our Inquirers.—(1) The name and address of all who ask questions must accompany questions, not necessary for publication, in token of good faith, and that we may reply by letter if thought best. All communications will be considered confidential if so desired, and no name will be published unless requested. But we have no time to give to anonymous or unsigned epistles or articles. (2) Let the questions be to the point. Do not say, “Explain Josh. 7:1-8,” but state the thing upon which help is desired. (3) Questions can not be answered immediately in this department. Sometimes it will mean a month or more of waiting. We can not reply to the same question frequently. Read answers to other questions; you may find reply to yours. (4) Members of the Bible Band will kindly enclose stamp if answer is desired by letter. Others will please enclose ten cents. This does not begin to meet expenses oftentimes. (5) “Foolish . . . questions avoid.”]

2875.—Baptism for the Dead.

Please explain 1 Cor. 15:29. How were we baptized for the dead and what is the baptism for the dead? B. B. 228 and F. A. B.

The only true way to get a proper understanding of 1 Cor. 15:29 is to take it in connection with the context. Note the subject of the chapter. The great fact upon which Paul lays such tremendous emphasis, is the resurrection of Christ from the dead. Christ died in our behalf; because He died, we live. He rose for our justification, and because He arose, He is able to help us to the end. All who died in faith died in view of the fact that He died in our behalf and arose to intercede for us.

Connect verse 29 with verse 19, for verses 20-28 bring in a subject directly connected, but a little outside the apostle’s argument. “If Christ hath not been raised, our faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also that are fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable. Else what shall they do that are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them?” The whole meaning of the thought is that they are baptized in view of the resurrection as themselves doomed to death. Therefore the baptism for the dead is baptism of sinners doomed to death having faith in Christ who died in their behalf and who lives for their justification.

2876.—Resisting Evil.

In what respect is it that we shall not resist evil? Matt. 5:39. A. K.

First, when we are prosecuted wrongfully and unjustly. Verse 38 refers to regular judicial process in the commonwealth of Israel: “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.” God’s children should endure persecution; they are not to carry out this law. They had better suffer wrongfully than to endeavor to avenge things by their own hands, so when they are persecuted for conscience’ sake, let them not resist the evil by trying to avenge themselves.

No. 2877.—A. K.—The expression “saved in child-bearing” in 1 Tim. 2:15 refers doubtless to the child-bearing of the Lord Jesus Christ. The One who was born of woman will be the Saviour of woman.

No. 2878.—A. K.—The law of Acts 21:20 doubtless is a general term used by the Jews at that time as including all the books of Moses. The first five books were denominated by the general term of “the law.” This would include all the sacrifices, ordinances and other things connected with it. Mal. 4:4 is probably as broad a statement. It is a call for God’s people to study the system which He gave through Moses. Not that all these ordinances are binding. Many of them were local, referring to that people and that time. Many others were typical and expired by limitation when they reached the great Antitype Christ Jesus our Lord. Many others of course are moral, applicable to all times and all ages, based on the very nature and character of God Himself. But in these types of the Mosaic dispensation there are great truths which throw light upon the present dispensation. That is especially true as regards the sanctuary question, the priesthood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2879.—Let No Man Judge You.

Will you please explain Col. 2:14-17? (1) The word here is sabbaton, genitive plural. It is also sabbaton in the Septuagint in Ex. 28:10. (2) “Ordinances” is “dogma” (Greek, law, decree, etc.). The bond (See R. V.) was written in the dogma or law. (3) Verse 17 being nominative plural and neuter in Greek agrees with “holy day,” “new moon,” and “sabbath.” (4) The order “holy day,” and “new moon,” and “sabbath” is exactly as the order is in the Old Testament in some places. When that order appears in the Old Testament, does “sabbath” mean the Decalogue Sabbath or not? Would these considerations involve the claim that Paul in Col. 2:14-17 did not refer to the Decalogue Sabbath? J. J. S.

To answer the last question first, it would not in any wise affect the claim that Paul did not refer to the Decalogue Sabbath. The Decalogue Sabbath is not a “shadow of things to come.” It is a memorial of that which is past. It is the constant present evidence of God’s power to create and recreate.

The Greek word sabbaton is used for the singular in its plural form, partly for emphasis. Perhaps this can be easily seen by tracing it in a New Testament Greek Concordance. The kind of sabbaths, new moons, etc., is shown by the phrase before referred to: “Which are a shadow of things to come.” This was literally true of the feast days, the monthly festivals and the yearly sabbaths.

There is another consideration that is worthy of note in this passage that the student ought not to miss, and that is the point of the apostle’s teaching. He is speaking to Christians, those whom God has redeemed and re-created anew in Christ Jesus. They have been placed upon the true foundation of God’s word and it is the apostle’s desire that they shall be rooted and builded up in Christ and established in faith. All this is in harmony with God’s holy word. Our Lord Himself was that word personified, a commandment-keeper, and those rooted and established in Him by faith are also commandment-keepers; therefore being justified by Him, received by Him, sins cleansed by Him, let not man judge. Let not man condemn. In other words whatever men may say, do not let us feel condemned by them even tho we are not walking in the ordinances of men. God’s path of commandments upon which grace has placed us may lead us away from all the traditions of the church in the past, and contrary to all human laws in the present. Let not these things trouble us. Go forward looking to Christ and to Him alone. We are not to be led away by false philosophy, nor be puffed up by the fleshly mind, but the Christian is to hold fast the Head, and he who truly and intelligently holds fast the Head, Christ our Lord, will be a commandment-keeper, not to earn salvation, but because of the life within him.

No. 2880.—Temple of Janus.—A. K.—The closing of the temple of Janus we are told was a custom among the Romans. Janus was the god of light in heaven; according to some, a sun god. His shrine was two parallel arched gateways connected by side walls. The tradition is that King Numa Pompilius had built the shrine and ordered that the gates should be closed only in time of peace, and that only once between Numa and Augustus; namely, in B.C. 235, was this done. Augustus, the “International Encyclopedia” tells us, closed them three times during his reign. Augustus reigned from B.C. 27 to A.D. 14. His first closing of the temple of Janus was in B.C. 29 after his victory over Antony. It was later closed by him, according to “Haydn’s Dictionary of Dates,” in the years 25 B.C. and 5 B.C., the latter date showing that there was peace at the time the Prince of Peace came to this world. This is also confirmed in “Little’s Cyclopedia of Classified Dates,” under which he says: “B.C. 5 the temple is closed for the fifth time in Roman history because of universal peace.”

2881.—Revelation 20: 5, 6.

Please let me know if verses 5 and 6 in Revelation 20 are written in the original Greek. The Millennial Dawn claims them to be the work of men and not the words of God.—A Subscriber.

The fact that they are in every translation of the New Testament would certainly show that they are in the original Greek or they would not be translated as they are again and again without any question whatsoever. There is one ancient Greek copy we believe which omits, “The rest of the dead lived not again,” but that that is an omission is evident from the fact that there are different ancient copies, separate from each other, which have the words in question. Dean Alford, the noted scholar and Greek critic, in his commentary on the New Testament gives an extended note on the passage without even intimating that the text is in any wise questionable.

Rotherham’s Emphatic Translation from Tregelles’ Greek text renders: “But the rest of the dead did not live until ended should be the thousand years. This is the first resurrection. Happy and holy the one having part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no authority, but these shall be priests of God and the Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.” His third edition of the New Testament translated and critically emphasized is from the Greek text by Westcott & Hort, considered by authorities generally to be the very best. His rendering is similar to that above. And so with translation after translation. If the Millennial Dawn did not have a cause to serve it would find no trouble with the passage in particular.