p. 7 | Question Corner

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · May 12, 1898

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 19.

Question Corner

“Enquire and make search and ask diligently.”

773. Partaking of the Lord’s Supper.

Should a member in the church who is not at variance with his brethren refrain from partaking of the Lord’s supper when he knows that there are divisions in the church? 1 Cor. 11:18.

ANXIOUS INQUIRER.

The only thing that should keep us from the Lord’s table is variance with God. If we are in harmony with him, the Lord’s table is spread for us. The variance or divisions of our brethren ought not to keep us from God if our hearts are right with Him.

774. 1 Cor. 11:30. Division.

Are divisions in the church (1 Cor. 11:18) the cause of sickness, etc. See verse 30?

The cause lies back of this, in the carnality cherished in the heart. Because of carnality all the evils came, including the divisions, and improper celebration of the Lord’s supper. See 1 Cor. 3:1-3.

775. Matt. 5:23, 24. Gift and Altar.

It has respect to the center of God’s worship, anciently the Jewish altar, which stood as the symbol of the whole. It really refers to coming to Christ Jesus, and would certainly have emphatic application to such an occasion as the celebration of the Lord’s supper.

776. Rev. 2:10. “Tribulation Ten Days.”

Will you please explain Rev. 2:10? What does the “ten days” refer to? C.

The verse refers to the persecutions and trials of the early Christians; the ten days probably refer to the ten years’ persecution, A.D. 302 to 312, under the emperor Diocletian. Many Christians were then destroyed in various ways.

777. “Save the Souls of Men.”

Why in the SIGNS is the expression used “to save the souls of men,” when we believe that the soul is not a conscious entity? M. S. M.

Soul has two common meanings: (1) The personality, the whole man, as “eight souls were saved by water” (1 Peter 3:20); (2) life, as in Matt. 10:28. The word translated soul in Matt. 10:28 is that which is translated life in Matt. 16:25 and soul in verse 26. Soul always means more than mere breath, or wind. To save life or soul is scriptural language.

778. 1 Peter 1:3-5. What Revealed?

1 Peter 1:3-5. What is to be revealed in the last time? Is it salvation? or is it the inheritance? or is it both? ELBE.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” By the mercy of God and the resurrection of Jesus Christ we are begotten unto the hope of the inheritance reserved in heaven for us; we are now guarded or kept unto that salvation (Syriac, “life”) which will insure us the inheritance. It is the salvation which is to be revealed. The inheritance will doubtless follow as a matter of course. God’s children now have salvation, now have heavenly guardians, now are the sons of God, now have the glory of God, but the world can not see these blessings. There will come a time when all shall be rewarded. See 1 Peter 5:1; Rom. 8:18.

779. 1 Cor. 14:21-25.

In this passage Paul says that tongues are for a sign to unbelievers (verse 22), and later he says (verse 23) that this sign will not convince the unbeliever; but the gift of prophecy (a sign to believers) will convince the unbeliever. What is Paul’s argument? J. N. A.

God gave the gift of tongues for the evident purpose of speaking to those who do not believe, in a tongue they can understand, as on the day of Pentecost. Acts 2:7-11. The gift was for evangelistic purposes. In an assembly of the people of God it should be interpreted. See verses 4-13. But this was discouraged by the apostle. It was not using God’s gift to the best purpose nor according to His wise design. In thus speaking, the words would be meaningless to an unbeliever who observed them. But if the church came together and exhorted, instructed, prophesied in the perfect order and grace of the Spirit, the unity and power among them would affect the unbeliever, and bring him to the Lord. That is, men should not seek to talk with tongues to those who already believe. This will not edify the church (unless each speaker interprets), and would seem to the unbelieving observer to be folly. But they should seek to build each other up, and indirectly this will affect the unbeliever. Paul spoke with tongues, but it was evidently among the barbarous tribes who knew not his native speech. When in the church, he spoke the common language. 1 Cor. 14:18, 19. The object of God’s gifts is not display, but edifying. Verse 26.