Question Corner

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Mar 5, 1896

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 22, No. 10.

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

No. 277. A Matter of a Name.

As I UNDERSTAND, the “Seventh-day Adventists” take the Bible solely for their “rule of faith,” “guide in worship,” and pattern from the apostolic church. Then may I ask where from the Bible do they get their sectarian name? T. E. REED.

The Seventh-day Adventists take the Bible for their rule of faith. However, they endeavor to pattern by the one only Model, Jesus Christ. Were they to take a Bible name, what would it be? Where has the word of God told us as to the name we should bear? We have in the Bible the “church [or congregation] of God” (Acts 20:28; 1 Cor. 1:2), and in seven other places, of which two are in the plural, “church of the living God” (1 Tim. 3:15), “churches of Christ” (Rom. 16:16), “churches of the saints,” “churches of the gentiles,” “the church of the Thessalonians,” “of Ephesus,” “of Smyrna,” etc. The word rendered church, ekklesia, simply means a company called out, a popular meeting, a congregation, an assembly. See Acts 19:32, 39, 41, where the word “assembly” comes from ekklesia. The church of God therefore means a company or assembly of God, in contradistinction to other assemblies, used more as expressive of character than as a distinctive name. We have also the terms Israel, household of God, disciples, servants, and Christians, the last given first, perhaps, as a name of contempt. All these names are used by various religious bodies as sectarian as such bodies can be. Their name seems not to alter their character, and many of their adherents admit that there are Christians in such bodies as Methodist, Baptist, etc., as worthy to bear these names as those who arrogate them denominationally to themselves. Seventh-day Adventists claim to be Christians, or followers of Christ. They claim to be disciples, or learners of Christ. They believe that they are called out by God from the world and sin wherever found, and are therefore congregations (or churches) of God; but they believe that there are many others who are Christians, disciples, etc., living according to the best light they have. But they also believe that the time has come when two great truths should be made prominent before the world,—the seventh-day Sabbath, and the coming or advent of our Lord, around which cluster the great and vital truths of the Gospel,—and they adopted the name which would hold these truths before the world, unpopular tho they be, elicit inquiry as to the why and wherefore, and so lead the inquirer to the truth of God’s word. This, in brief, is our reason.

No. 278. Women in the Churches.

I am somewhat troubled over 1 Cor. 14:34, 35. I ask for information, especially on, “Let your women keep silence in churches,” etc. E. E. B.

Our understanding of the text is that there were women in the Corinthian church who were out of place, assuming authority to teach and rule, which was also unwomanly and unscriptural. We have thought many times that it applied to many women this side of the apostles’ day. But that it does not apply to bearing testimony for Christ, helping in his work, proclaiming his truth in womanly, Christian ways, is shown by such scriptures as Ex. 15:20, 21; Judges 4:4-9, 14, and chapter 5; 2 Kings 22:14-20; Rom. 16:1-3, 6, 12, 15; Phil. 4:3, and elsewhere. See also 1 Cor. 11:5-7, 10-15, where the apostle gives direction concerning the appearance of women who take a public part in meetings. The instruction of 1 Cor. 14:34, 35 was evidently given to correct some blameworthy disorders.

No. 279. Eccl. 3:1-8, 21; Mark 13:15, 16; Matt. 13:15; 17:20, 27; 18:8, 9.

PLEASE explain the third chapter of Ecclesiastes, “A time for all things,” especially verses 3, 4, 7, 8, and 21. Also please explain Mark 13:15, 16; Matt. 13:15; 17:20, 27; 18:8, 9. MRS. A. B.

Verses 1-8 of Ecclesiastes 3 is simply a statement of what has been and is in this world from the human standpoint. It is not written to show what is right, but what is, and that there is of itself alone no profit under the sun. Verse 21 simply asks the question, “Who knoweth?”—who knows, or can discriminate, between the spirit, or life, of the beast and man? The inference is that man of himself does not know.

Mark 13:15, 16 is literal instruction to the disciples as to how they should escape from Jerusalem when it was destroyed. They were not to linger to collect household goods or personal treasures, even as in the destruction of Sodom none of Lot’s family were to even look back. When the time came foretold in Mark 13:14; Luke 21:20, the disciples were to flee for their lives. There is a point of time in the last-day tribulation which will be similar. See Luke 17:26-37.

Matt. 13:15 simply shows what the Jews did for themselves by rejecting the truth of God and seeking their own honor. See John 5:43-47. They hardened their own heart, closed their own eyes, shut their own ears, that they might not hear what would reprove them. Christ could not therefore help them, nor can he help us if we pursue the same course. The only way to keep the heart tender, the ears attent, and the eyes open, is by faithful, humble obedience to all God’s requirements.

Matt. 17:20 means just what it says. But faith is based on God’s word, and God’s word is the revelation of his will. The doing of such a thing must therefore be for God’s glory, according to his will.

Matt. 17:27 contains this lesson, that, altho not morally bound to obey a certain law, yet we should do so if not contrary to conscience and God’s law, rather than set ourselves in opposition to the authorities. The tribute money was the temple tax. The miracle shows that God provided for the emergency.

Matt. 18:8, 9 may be plain if the rendering of the Revised Version is given: “And if thy hand or thy foot causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee; it is good for thee to enter into life maimed or halt, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into eternal fire. And if thine eye causeth thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee; it is good for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire.” It means what it says, that it is better to give up anything, dear as a hand or an eye, than to lose eternal life. The eternal fire is the fire that eternally consumes. See Jude 7; 2 Peter 2:6.