p. 4 | Question Corner

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Aug 27, 1896

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 22, No. 34.

Question Corner.

“Enquire, and make search, and ask diligently.”

No. 405. The Gentiles.

Who were the gentiles? When did their times begin? And when do they end, or when fulfilled, as stated in Luke 21:20-24. A. G. N.

The gentiles were the nations outside of the Hebrews. The original words are rendered indiscriminately “nations” and “gentiles” in both Old and New Testaments. The “times of the gentiles” are the prophetic periods given by the prophets of old. See especially the book of Daniel. These periods relate to the supremacy of the unconverted nations and their oppression of God’s people. This definite time in connection with these prophecies ended in 1844. This is followed by an indefinite period to the close of probation and the second coming of Christ.

No. 406. Women in Churches.

PLEASE explain 1 Cor. 14:34, 35, in regard to women keeping silence in church: “Let your women keep silence in the churches; for it is not permitted unto them to speak; . . . for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.” How do we harmonize it with the Bible? F. L.

We do not harmonize with the Bible, it is in harmony now. We may not see the harmony, because we do not know all the circumstances, and our ear perhaps is not trained to perceive it. In the first place, the apostle Paul believed in the labor of women and in women speaking; for he speaks of those who labored with him in the Gospel, like Priscilla and Mary and Tryphena and Tryphosa and the beloved Persis and the mother of Rufus and Paul, and Julia, and the sister of Nereus and Phebe (Rom. 16: 1-15), and of the women at Philippi who labored with him in the Gospel (Phil. 4: 3). He gives instruction to the church at Corinth as to how women who pray or prophesy or teach publicly should dress (1 Cor. 11: 3-6), indicating by this that praying, prophesying, or public speaking in a proper manner would not be inconsistent. See Acts 2: 17, 18. Now we do not believe that the apostle Paul contradicted in 1 Cor. 14: 34, 35 what he previously said in the same epistle. In another passage he says, “I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man.” 1 Tim. 2: 12. She should not in an immodest, forward way, contrary to law, instruction, and custom, put herself forward. She should not usurp authority which God has placed in the hands of man. She should not altercate or dispute in public assemblies, or assert authority which belonged to another. But when the Spirit bade her speak or witness for Jesus, let her do it modestly, as instructed by the apostle. Says Hodge: “As the peculiar power and usefulness of women depend on their being objects of admiration and affection, anything which tends to excite the opposite sentiments should, for that reason, be avoided.” If one is disposed to quarrel with man’s headship in government, let him do it with the word. If there were more of this Biblical respect for constituted authority and regard for God’s order among his professed followers, there would be more reverence for God’s word among those without.

No. 407. Matt. 24:19, 20.

Does the application of these verses have reference only to the destruction of Jerusalem? or does it refer also to the last days? W. D.

They certainly did have reference to the destruction of Jerusalem, and from Luke 18:31, 32, which applies to the last days, it would seem that some of the troubles of the last days are identical with those which come at the destruction of Jerusalem. In fact, the latter was a type of the destruction and punishment of the apostate nations at the close of probation. The condition mentioned in Matt. 24:19 would be bad at any time for those who were forced to flee from their enemies and be subject to exposure.