What is meant by the gifts of healing, and divers kinds of tongues, as spoken of in 1 Cor. 12:9, 10? M. These gifts are special endowments of the Spirit as truly as is the gift of prophecy or the working of miracles. There are some upon whom God has bestowed the power to heal by the laying on of hands, by speaking, by touching, or otherwise. It is special, extraordinary, miraculous healing. The apostles spoke with tongues on the Day of Pentecost, in languages which they did not know, but which the people did. The need demanded it; and God supplied the need. These gifts are not constantly in exercise. They were not all with Jesus our Lord, or with Paul. God bestows them to meet the need if there are those whom He can trust with them. The consecrated skill used by doctors and nurses would fall under "helps," and the gift of "ministry." 1 Cor. 12:28; Rom. 12:6, 7. When God's children come to that place where they recognize and appreciate that the mightiest of all miracles to humanity is a regenerated, obedient heart, then God can trust them with other miracles. Then, knowing Christ formed within, they will give all glory to Him, and to the one through whom the miracle is wrought as His instrument. When the morning stars sang together, was Satan numbered as one of them? Was Christ a morning star before Satan fell? I infer from what you say on page 202 ("Questions and Answers") that when the foundation of the earth was laid, there was perfect harmony in heaven. You say on page 203 that the war in heaven continued until Christ died upon the cross. From those statements it seems to me that the foundations of the earth must have been laid before Satan sinned. How is that? E. H. M. 1. The name of the great adversary before he fell was Lucifer, "son of the morning," "day-star." Isa. 14:12, margin, also A.R.V. He was the highest of all created beings, sealing up the sum, "full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty." Eze. 28:12. "Day-star," "son of the morning," is equivalent to morning star. The only other being called "morning star" is Jesus; "I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star." Rev. 22:16. This makes two morning stars. 2. In Job 38 the Lord Himself speaks to Job. Among the questions asked him are the following: "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? . . . when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" Verses 4-7. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." When He began that work, we do not know. It antedated the six days' work of Genesis 1. But when He did begin it, when what He calls the foundations were laid, then the "morning stars sang together;" there was no discord. Then "all the sons of God," the heads and priests of different worlds (compare Job 1:6 with Luke 3:38), all shouted for joy. Adam of this world had not then yielded his dominion to the usurper. There was harmony throughout God's universe. Later Satan met with the sons of God as representing this world, yet as accuser of the brethren. That work continued till Jesus died and ascended to God. See Rev. 12:7-10. See the recent articles in this paper on Revelation 12. 3493— The Seven Churches under the First Church
- Were the seven churches of Revelation 2 and 3 church buildings or companies of God's people?
- Where and by whom was the first church built? J. A. H.
1. The "seven churches of Asia" were so many bodies of Christians. Doubtless they had places of worship. These may have been synagogs, or buildings erected by the Christians themselves. No one knows. These seven churches represent seven different phases of the Christian church from the apostles' days till the Lord's coming. 2. If by "the first church" is meant the first church building, no one knows where, or when, or by whom it was erected. They did not think so much of the buildings in those days as they did of the worshipers. The first congregation after Christ was at Jerusalem. The Catholic "Church" as such can not be said to have existed till Constantine, tho apostasy had begun even in Paul's day. 2 Thess. 2:7; Acts 20:29, 30. The first church and last church and only church is the true Bible church of Jesus Christ. 3494— The Unpardonable Sin
How is a person to know when he has committed the unpardonable sin? What is it? G. N. The unpardonable sin is the unrepentable sin. It is the utter rejection of God's means of saving from sin. It is counting the sacrifice of Christ nothing and the power of God by His Spirit as of no account. See Heb. 10:29. He who does this to the uttermost will have no repentance of sin, no true desire for salvation. Why should he care to know that he had committed the unpardonable sin? How could he know? The man who feels sorry for his sin, sorry that he has offended such a good, kind Father and Saviour, may be sure that he has not committed the unpardonable sin. The devil would be glad to drive to desperation some discouraged soul. 3495— The Battle of Armageddon
Will you please give me the attitude of Seventh-day Adventists during the battle of Armageddon? Should they fight? E. C. The warfare of the Christian, of him who follows Bible teaching, is "not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places." Eph. 6:12, margin. For this conflict "the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds." 2 Cor. 10:4. His armor is furnished him of God, that he "may be able to withstand in the evil day." See Eph. 6:13 to 18, where his armor and equipment are described. "The evil day" includes the time of Armageddon. Those who are faithful to God will not be moved by that spirit of slaughter and bloodshed predicted in Jer. 25:15-33. They will not drink of that cup of fury. They will not be led or gathered by the "spirits of demons" which gather the nations. Rev. 16:14-16. They will stand with Jesus Christ. Rev. 17:14. In that time of trouble they will be hid in Him. Joel 3:16; Isa. 26:20, 21. 3496— Names of the Lord's People
Why do the Seventh-day Adventists go by that name? And why were the disciples of the Lord first called Christians at Antioch? M. N. L. The name Seventh-day Adventists is a missionary name used to call attention to two great downtrodden and neglected phases of truth, the acceptance of which involves all others. The seventh-day Sabbath calls direct attention to the Creator of the heavens and earth; to His authority; to our obligation and duty to Him, even as to our dependence upon Him; to His blessed rest of soul; to His power to re-create and save to the uttermost. Christ's coming again is the climax of all that He has passed through, all that He has wrought for us. It is impossible for a person to accept intelligently these two things and not be an intelligent, full-orbed Christian, a child of God. Seventh-day Adventists count themselves disciples, Christians, children of God, etc., but they do not feel to arrogate to themselves any one of these names exclusively, or war with some sect which has adopted it, when God has children scattered through all divisions of the Babylon of creeds now existing. It is a missionary name. It stands for downtrodden, neglected, needed, saving truth, held by followers of Christ, who would gladly bring the same precious light to others. The followers of Christ may have been called Christians at Antioch by the outside simply to designate them as followers of Christ. There is nothing to show that they formally adopted it as a name. What is the limit of a Sabbath day's journey? How far about was it from the city of Philippi to the river? See Acts 16:12, 13. How far is Olivet from Jerusalem? See Acts 1:12. 1. A Sabbath day's journey is given by various authorities at from 3,000 to 4,854 feet, or from two thirds of a mile to nearly a mile. It is a tradition of the Jews, based, it is said by the Standard Bible Dictionary, on Joshua 3:4. It is not authorized of the Lord, and is mentioned in Acts merely to give the distance. 2. It is impossible to determine the distance walked by Paul and the believers to the place of prayer. The river of Gangites ran near the city; but that would not tell us the distance to that place of prayer. The point of nearest contact between city and river must have been too public and noisy. 3. From the eastern wall of Jerusalem to the slope of Olivet was but a short distance across the narrow valley, varying in width, of the brook Kidron. The mount itself extends about two miles. From the gate of the city to the traditional place of ascension is said to be about one half mile. It might have been twice that. These localities of ancient events are not always easily placed. 3498— Degrees of Punishment
If the wages of sin is death, if all the wicked are to be destroyed, how can there be degrees of punishment? An Interested Reader. The death includes the dying; the destruction includes the destroying. It would be impossible for two persons in this world receiving the same sentence under the same conditions, to endure it alike. One would suffer much more than the other. Man of course can not regulate this. But that Heavenly Court under Divine Direction will mete out to each one "according to his deeds," "every man according to his works," "the things done in his body." Matt. 16:27; Rev. 20:12, 13; 2 Cor. 5:10. We would not be able to do this; but we know that God is able and wise and just. Rev. 18:4: "Come out of her, My people." If persons come out of other churches in obedience to this command, to what church will they go? As Seventh-day Adventists say there is sin among them, and this being the case, is it best to stay out of all churches? G. N. Go wherever a conscience guided by the Word of God directs. Let us say this: There will never be found a perfect human organization on this earth before man is made immortal. Notwithstanding the fact that Judas was one of the twelve and yet of the devil's own, and our Lord knew it, Jesus still invited souls into His fold. It is better, always better, to have associates in the pilgrim way. God calls out and on His remnant people, not because they are perfect, but to the perfect standard. There will be apostates and hypocrites; but that, too, in the light of His prophecies is evidence of truth. See Acts 20:28-30; 2 Peter 2:1; 2 Tim. 2:16-19.