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TO CORRESPONDENTS

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 24, 1876

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 48, No. 9.

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TO CORRESPONDENTS.

“Is it right for persons who would not wear flowers and plumes themselves to put them on the hats of their small children? S. M. W.”
We should consider it in any case inconsistent, and if the children are old enough to have pride fostered in their hearts, positively evil.
“Is it right for a man who has to work out by the day to work for a man in a tobacco field? E. B.”
It is not well for a person to do anything by which his own conscience or that of his brother is offended. To a certain extent the same questions would apply to the hop and rye fields.
“If the righteous are taken to Heaven 1000 years before the wicked are raised from the dead, what need of any further sitting in judgment in their cases, as they must have been decided, otherwise how would it have been known who should be brought up in the first resurrection? R. W.”
The further Judgment in the cases of the wicked is to determine the degree of punishment due to their sins. We understand that the cases of those who have never made a profession in Christ do not come up at all in the investigative Judgment of the sanctuary. But when it is determined how many are righteous, and are to have a part in the first resurrection, it is determined also that all the rest indiscriminately are to be left to the second resurrection. The thousand years’ work of Judgment that intervenes before that resurrection is to look over the cases of all these and determine the degree of punishment due to their sins.
“What did Christ mean when he said, ‘Before Abraham was, I am’? John 8:58. R. B.”
He meant that he was in existence before Abraham lived.
“Is it right to care for the sick on the Sabbath and take no pay for it? C. W. S.”
If a person is professionally engaged in that business, we think it would be right to receive pay for it whenever performed. For if all Sabbath work of that kind was performed free, the person would soon have his or her hands full on the Sabbath.
“Is not milk an increase on which we should pay a tithe? C. B., of Ill.”
Yes; all that is received above the actual outlay necessary to produce it.
“1. What does ‘anoint thine head’ mean in Matt. 6:17? 2. Can a Sabbath-keeper keep tavern and not break the Sabbath? M. A. G., of Vt.”
To the first we answer that Christ wished his disciples to perform their acts of devotion in a manner not to attract the attention of men. It was customary in those days, ordinarily, to anoint the head. When this was omitted it would be at once noticed. The Pharisees performed their religious acts to be seen of men. So when they fasted, they omitted the anointing, put on a forlorn aspect, and worked every way to lead men to notice them and to think that they were eminent for their piety. Christ tells his disciples to do no such thing; but when they fast anoint their heads as usual, put on no outward sign of self-mortification, but perform their acts of devotion to God alone, with an eye single to his glory, and not to be seen of men. The principle is the same now, though that particular custom is not now in use.
To the second question we answer, Yes; if they do no unnecessary work. Still we think they could find some better occupation, in which they would not be in danger of having their obligation to the Sabbath put to so severe a test.
“To whom did John refer in Matt. 3:11, as the ones to be baptized with fire? Is the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire the same? If not, what is the baptism of fire? B. F. K.”
We understand that John was addressing a mixed multitude, and set before them two conditions: a baptism of the Holy Ghost or a baptism of fire. Critics tell us that it might be translated, He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost or with fire. We understand that thebaptism of the Holy Ghost is to be experienced by all Christians. Failing to secure that, we pass on to the baptism of fire, the final destruction of all the wicked in the lake of fire.
“What does Christ mean when he says in John 11:26, ‘And whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die’? Id.”
He was speaking in this case of the time of the resurrection. Whosoever believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live, says Christ. When shall he live? At the resurrection. And whosoever liveth, that is, whosoever is alive at that time, and believeth in Christ, he shall never die, but be translated to Heaven without seeing death.