Question Corner

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jul 7, 1898

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 27.

“Enquire and make search and ask diligently.”

[From time to time we will reply under this head, if deemed advisable, to such candid inquiries as may be sent us. Correspondents wishing a reply to their questions must give their full name and address, not for publication unless they wish, but as an evidence of good faith on their part, and to give us opportunity to reply by letter if deemed best. It is always well to inclose stamp. Let the questions be short and pointed, and such as may be answered in limited space. The questions will be numbered continuously.]

820. Matt. 16:19; John 20:23.

WILL you kindly explain Matt. 16:19 and John 20:23? L. E. W.

Matt. 16:19 declares that God gave unto Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven, that which would open the door to that kingdom. Peter thus interprets this: “Ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the Word of the Gospel, and believe.” Acts 15:7. He opened the Gospel to Jews on the day of Pentecost and to Gentiles at the house of Cornelius. “But what about the binding and loosing?” (1) What was given to Peter in Matt. 16:19 was in John 20:23 given to all the disciples. (2) How did they exercise this power?—By proclaiming the conditions on which binding and loosing were bestowed. They proclaimed the Gospel in power. He who accepted it was saved, who rejected it was lost. 2 Cor. 2:16; 1 Peter 2:6–8. So Jeremiah was set to build and to throw down kingdoms. Jer. 1:10. He did it by the messages of God he bore. The conditions are stated in Jer. 18:7–10. See Bible Students’ Library No. 63, “The Sure Foundation.” Price, 1 cent.

821. The New-Covenant Promises.

ARE we under the new covenant? If so, what do the promises of Heb. 8:10–14 mean?

We are under the new covenant, and the promises mean what they say, grandly, blessedly, gloriously here, but more hereafter. If our hearts are opened to God, He forgives our iniquity, blots out our sin, writes His own law in our hearts, accepts us as His children, and we know Him. That does not mean that we may not know more in Him, but it means that we do not need that any man shall introduce us to God. All who thus come into relation to Him are His people, and in the glorious coming time there will be no other people.

822. John the Baptist—Free Masonry.

WAS John the Baptist a Free Mason? If not, upon what do the members of that society base their claims? M. L.

No; John the Baptist was a Christian. We do not know to what claim you refer; but a great many Masonic claims are utterly baseless. Good authorities place the beginning of free Masonry in London, 1717. The cult has borrowed many old customs from sun-worshiping and other idolatrous mysticisms.

823. A. R.—The word Jew is supposed to come from Judah. The Sabbath was made at creation. Gen. 2:1–3; Mark 2:26, 27. Judah was born about 2,250 years afterward; but his descendants were not considered a tribe until Israel went out of Egypt 2,513 years after the creation. This is Usher’s chronology. Others give it more years. Abraham was called a Hebrew in Gen. 14:13, supposedly because he was a descendant of Eber (Gen. 11:15–17), who was evidently a noted man (Gen. 10:21, 25). The term Jew is not identical with Hebrew in its origin, tho so used now. It first occurs in the Bible in the plural in 2 Kings 16:6; in the singular, in Esther 2:5. It will be seen that in both cases it refers to those who were under the tribe of Judah.

824. Keeping a Pig.

Do you think it any harm to keep a pig till fall? We have so much milk to throw out that it would make a bad smell about the place. D.

Pigs are natural scavengers, and we know no harm in keeping them for that purpose. We do not believe that they are wholesome food, either from a scientific or scriptural view point. If some one wishes to buy a pig, we know no harm in selling. But as between the odor of some milk thrown on the ground and the odor of a pig-pen we would prefer the former. Many farmers feed their sour milk back to their cows, to their horses, or to calves. We believe it to be better to have nothing to do with those things about which we have conscientious scruples. If it is not right for us to keep hogs at all times, is it right to keep them a part of the time? It certainly is not an elevating business.

825. Matt. 10:23.

WHAT is meant in Matt. 10:23 by the words “till the Son of man be come”? F. I. H.

This is one of the double prophecies found so frequently in the Word of God. It refers first to the work of Himself and His disciples in the land of Palestine. Compare with Luke 10:1. “The Son of man be come” doubtless has reference to the close of His earthly work and the pronouncing of sentence upon that nation which rejected both Him and His messengers. See Matt. 22:41–43; 23:34–38. This proclamation of the Gospel to the Jews, their rejection of it, and the swift-coming judgment, foreshadow the spread of the Gospel in the last days, its rejection, and the judgment at the second coming of Christ. Compare Matt. 24:11–14; Rev. 14:6–14.

826. Luke 22:36; Matt. 26:52.

HOW CAN Jesus’ words in Luke 22:36 be reconciled with His words in Matt. 26:52?

Jesus’ words are always harmony. We may not always see it or hear it, but there is always harmony in the words of Jesus. We certainly can understand Matt. 26:52. It plainly declares that he whose hope is in a sword will perish with his hope. He trusts in the world; he will perish with it. Luke 22:36 is our Lord’s advice to provide for the future. While He was with His disciples in a land of peace, they had all that was needed. Now perils awaited them; let them prepare, and, above all things else, take the sword, not of earthly warfare, but “of the Spirit.” Each were to secure a sword, even to sell his garment and secure it. The disciples, thinking that He meant a carnal weapon, said, “Here are two swords.” Jesus, seeing that they did not understand Him, said, “It is enough,” say no more. But when the enlightening Spirit came upon them, it was clear. They knew naught of self-defense by carnal weapons. See Paul in 2 Cor. 10:3–5; Eph. 6:10; and Peter in 1 Peter 2:11–23; 3:13–17. This is our view of it.