Question Corner

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Feb 1, 1910

Please Be Definite.— For instance, a question comes to us asking us to be so kind as to explain the meaning of the latter part of “the 28th verse of Hebrews.” But the question is not definite enough so that we may know what chapter is referred to. There are five chapters in Hebrews which have 28 verses or more: chapter 7, chapter 9, chapter 10, chapter 11, chapter 12. If our correspondent will tell us what chapter is referred to we will be glad to answer the question if we can.

3019.—A Continuous Ministry

How can one now baptize to any benefit? or how can divine authority be claimed, or does any one claim it, in baptism? In the time of Christ He gave His apostles the authority and power to heal the sick, and authority to pass it on to the assistants and converts; but now the line has been cut off so that no one knows. C. Q. S.

There is no question among the best of scholars but that the ministry in God’s church has been continuous all the way through. The Lord made provision for this in His instruction to the apostle Paul and the others. “The things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” 2 Tim. 2:2. The real power, however, does not rest in “apostolic succession,” in the mere laying on of hands of some persons authorized or who think they are authorized. It rests in the very message of God itself, and the evidence in that message, and the fruits which it bears. Character weighs more with God than does ritualism. In all the various Protestant denominations the ministry is traced back through other ministers, and through other denominations from which they sprang, till, if records could have been kept, it could easily have been traced back to the time of Christ; and yet Protestants have done rightly in not basing the Gospel ministry upon mere continuity of priests or ministers, but upon the call from God and the witness of His Spirit; and God has demonstrated the authority of His servants to preach the Word down to these very days in which we live, by fulfilling His promises in connection with the preaching of the Word.

Our Lord gave faithful warning when His disciples came back and said, “Master, we saw one casting out devils in Thy name; and we forbade him, because he followeth not with us.” This, Jesus told them, they should not do, for every one that was not against Him was for Him. Then, too, it would be a denial of the Lord’s commission to His children to say that His ministers do not have authority to teach now. It was He Himself who said, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Matt. 28:19, 20. Certainly God’s Word has been fulfilled.

3020.—The Seventh-Day Sabbath

(1) A writer in your paper deals with the change of the Sabbath, says the seventh day was kept by our Lord during His sojourn upon earth, and by His apostles after His crucifixion, and goes on to say that this proves the eternal and unchangeable claims of the seventh day. I claim that it proves nothing of the kind. Christian Jews of Jerusalem observed the rite of circumcision, attended the temple service long after our Lord’s ascension; they kept the seventh day and the first day of the week as well; but after A.D. 70 the seventh-day Sabbath was discontinued by them. (2) Does the editor of the SIGNS recognize Cardinal Gibbons as an authority in matters of faith? The writer in question quotes him with approval. W. B.

The things above referred to by our correspondent are only a few of the many confirmatory proofs brought forward in behalf of the seventh day. The author of the series of Sabbath articles proved conclusively from God’s law, and Christ’s relation to that law, and His testimony concerning it, that the seventh-day Sabbath is eternal. Christ’s example was confirmatory of His words; and it is the apostle John who says, “He that saith he abideth in Him [Christ] ought himself also so to walk, even as He [Christ] walked.” And Christ kept the Sabbath as one of the ten moral commandments of God. The early Christians also kept it, and continued to keep it down as late as the fourth century after Christ. In fact in the fifth century the two days were kept as sister days. Sunday was never kept in the early church of the first three centuries as a Sabbath. It was not until 1,200 years after Christ that it was ever called the Sabbath.

2. Cardinal Gibbons was cited simply as testimony to the prophecy. The prophecy made certain accusations concerning a certain power which would do a certain work. That was one side of the evidence, God’s Word; and Cardinal Gibbons and others as representatives of that power, come forward and say that they did the very work that the prophecy declared they would do. Certainly when you have a reliable witness concerning a crime, and then the criminal comes forward and confesses to the crime, his evidence is worthy of citing; and that is what we have in the testimony of Roman Catholics concerning the change of the Sabbath. Any amount of Protestant evidence could be given to the same effect.

3021.—Representation of Angels

Some time ago you recorded the criticism of a Catholic priest upon some church decorations because the angels were represented as women. While the Bible always speaks of them in the masculine gender, why then do not the illustrations in our papers correspond? Of course it is only a minor point, but it seems to me not too insignificant. M. A. P.

We have to use just what illustrations we can get; and as our querist says, some of these minor points we must pass over. Presumably no artist has ever seen an angel, or was divinely inspired to make representations of one, save those who wove the marvelous curtains of the ancient tabernacle. But these were never copied. Certain it is that when some of the angels appeared to the servants of God, as to John and Daniel, they appeared as strong and mighty beings. So they ought to be represented. In some of our later illustrations, where we have had connection with the artist and he was capable of making figures without copying, we have endeavored to correct this; but if we use copies of old paintings, this can not be done. The ideal of a picture of an angel ought to give it all the strength and dignity and power of the noblest manhood combined with all the gentleness and sweetness of woman. Very few artists meet this ideal.

3022.—Not from Man, but God

How would you explain to one who does not understand, Rom. 14:1-3, also verses 5 and 6? INQUIRER.

If we are asked questions regarding the meaning of Romans 14, we would say as we have often said in the past that the one great object, the great central thought, of that whole chapter is that man is responsible to God and not to man; in other words, that man should not judge his fellow Christian. That is the one thing that is presented over and over again. Paul is talking to Christians, to those in the faith. He is not drawing distinctions between those who believe and those who do not believe, but he is talking of Christ’s followers. Some of those were weak in the faith, some of them strong; and some of them believed that they ought to continue on in the old customs of the Jews, in the eating of the Passovers; not only the Passover lamb, but the bitter herbs that were connected with it. Some of them observed the Passover day and other annual sabbaths. Others who saw that in the light of Christ those types had passed away, were inclined to criticize the observers of these days, and condemn them, and perhaps vice versa. The apostle gives instruction to meet all these cases: One Christian should not judge another. “Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up [despite anything you can say or do]; for God is able to make him stand.” And then the climax of it all, “But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at naught thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ.” “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling-block or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.” That is the meaning of the chapter, and that is the lesson that every Christian ought to get from it.

3023.—Tithing Presents

Are we required to pay tithe on Christmas and birthday presents, etc.? Are they counted as increase? I am a music teacher and get fifty cents a lesson. If I take the car to my pupil and back, should I pay tithe on the fifty cents, or should I take out my car fare and tithe the forty cents? E. J.

If our presents are substantial presents of real worth to us in maintaining existence, should they not be considered among the legitimate increase? If they are not such as we would have purchased or such as we particularly need, I do not think that the Lord calls us to tithe what other people’s mistakes or generosity is responsible for.

Regarding the second question, the amount to be tithed would be forty cents rather than fifty cents. That is legitimate expense which occurs in obtaining the income.

3024.—“First Day” in the Greek

Can the words “first day of the week” be found in the New Testament in the Greek language? I notice in our Common Version, according to the King James translation, the words “first of the week” occur in the New Testament seven times, and the word “day” does not occur, only in the italics, which I understand to be supplied by the translators. W. H.

The word “day” is not in the Greek language; but the adjective “first” demands the supplying of a noun, and that agrees with “day” understood. See the tract, “Sabbath in the Greek,” “Bible Student’s Library,” No. 154, price one cent. This explains the matter fully, giving the Greek terms and their proper translations, with the rules for their agreement.

3025.—The Two Witnesses

Please explain Rev. 11:3-14. A. E. H.

For explanation of this Scripture see “The Great Controversy,” chapter 15, entitled “The Bible and the French Revolution.” The SIGNS will have to leave that prophecy until the study of the book of Revelation is taken up—a few months hence.

3026.—J. S. D.—Rev. 14:1-5.

The change that will take place in the 144,000, in all who are translated when the Lord shall come, will be from mortality to immortality. It is utterly impossible for any one who is mortal to understand what that will mean. We can grasp it by faith. We may apprehend, or lay hold upon it through God’s Word; but we can not comprehend it or understand it. We know this, that the changed ones will not be mortal flesh and blood, not corruptible, sinful men. In the words of our Common Version, “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body” (Phil. 3:21); or like the Revised Version, which is nearer the original, “Who shall fashion anew the body of our humiliation, that it may be conformed to the body of His glory.” Then shall this mortal put on immortality, and this corruptible shall put on incorruption. See 1 Cor. 15:50-54. Flesh and blood of the mortal is dying, decaying. The body of the redeemed will be a spiritual body, stripped of many limitations which mortals know. Further than this, we do not know.