To Correspondents

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 31, 1878

To Correspondents.

Has a church a right to take in members without having an ordained officer?

Ans. In the case supposed, there would be nothing to take members to; for a church could not be considered organized without an ordained officer.

C. K. D.: The word for soul in Acts 4:32 is psuche, and may there, we think, be rendered “mind,” which is one of the definitions of that word. 1 Pet. 2:13 cannot be used to support Sunday-keeping, unless it can be shown that the keeping of that day is not contrary to the ordinance of God. Any attempt to use that text for Sunday-keeping, is an acknowledgment that that institution is only an ordinance of man.

T. M. Clark: For an exposition of the number 666, Rev. 13:18, which is the number of the beast, and the number of a man, see Thoughts on Revelation.

Why is Nebuchadnezzar called in the Bible the father of Belshazzar, when history says he was the son of Evil-merodach? D. G. W.

Ans. Evil-merodach was the son, and Belshazzar the grandson, of Nebuchadnezzar. But it is in accordance with the use of language in the Bible to call any ancestor father, and any descendant son. The Jews called Abraham their father, and Christ is called the son of David.

1. Upon what day of the week was Christ buried? 2. Upon what day did he rise? 3. How do you harmonize Matt. 16:21; 12:40; Mark 8:31?

Ans. 1. Friday, probably. 2. Sunday. 3. The expressions, three days and three nights, after three days, and on the third day, are synonymous.