p. 2 | Question Corner by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Oct 3, 1911

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 38, No. 39.

Question Corner

By Editor

"IF YE WILL INQUIRE, INQUIRE YE."

This Inquirers' Department is conducted for the purpose of helping those who are studying the Bible. The answers are oftentimes only suggestive. They are never to be considered infallible, only as they agree with the infallible Word. The writer who may answer them does not consider that his opinion is infallible. He will simply give the best that he has, and plead with the inquirer to search the Word. Such questions only will be answered as, to the editors, seem to minister to the good of the readers and to the mission of the paper. We can not answer repeatedly in the same volume questions upon the same scripture. The name and address must accompany question, not for publication, but as an evidence of good faith, and that answer may be made by letter if deemed advisable. No letters are answered which do not contain the name of the writer. It is well always to enclose stamp for reply.

3572 — Is It Spurious?

It is said that Rev. 20:5 is not in any of the Greek versions, and is an interpolation. Is this true?

We condense from "Questions and Answers," page 15:

The earliest New Testament manuscripts are as follows: 1. The Codex Sinaiticus, now in St. Petersburg. It contains the whole of the New Testament. It was discovered by Tischendorf in the monastery of St. Catherine, on Mount Sinai, in 1859. It was written, in all probability, in the fourth century, and once contained the whole Bible. 2. Codex Alexandrinus, written in the fifth century. Contains the whole Bible. 3. Codex Vaticanus, now in the Vatican, known as No. 1209. Probably written in the fourth century. Contains the whole Bible, with the exception of parts of the New Testament, among which is the Apocalypse. 4. Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus. This is what is called a "palimpsest," the original writing of which has been erased in order to use the parchment for another. It was probably written in the fifth century, and contains about two thirds of the New Testament. 5. The Peshito Syriac version, a very old version.

Now of the above, Rev. 20:5 is found in the first, and in the second and fourth. The third does not contain the Revelation at all. The Syriac omits the passage, as does Vatican MS. No. 1160, of the eleventh century. The three oldest Greek copies which contain the Revelation at all have the text. The Emphatic Diaglott, based on Griesbach's text, has the following foot-note on Rev. 20:5: "These words were probably omitted by oversight in Vatican MS. [No. 1160], as they are found in A, B, C, tho not in the Syriac." By "A" is meant Codex Alexandrinus; by "B," Codex Vaticanus, No. 2066, of the seventh or eighth century; by "C," Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus. Finally, the best Greek text, that of Westcott and Hort, contains the passage; and neither have the Revised Versions or any of the critics, so far as we know, even questioned it. The revisers adopted for their revision the text "for which the evidence is decidedly preponderating." The clause in question is considered spurious only by those who have a doctrine to prove which the text condemns.

3573 — Husband and Wife

What are the proper relations of husband and wife to each other, as to control and direction in work, etc.?

1. Before marriage there ought to be a proper conception of what the very solemn step and contract mean on the part of both husband and wife. There ought to be sufficient acquaintance with each other and with each other's tendencies, that each party to the contract might understand somewhat of the marriage relationship, what it should mean. This, however, is not always possible. In the very nature of the case, both woman and man are on the best of behavior, in the desire of each to please the other, before marriage; and the real man or woman, among the stress and trials and conflicts of life, is not seen until after marriage.

2. There ought to be a proper conception of what the marriage vows and bond mean, in which each has pledged to take the other for better or for worse, and to love, honor, and cherish until death separates. That means mutual love, mutual forbearance, mutual patience, mutual interest. It does not mean the lordship of a husband over his wife; she is not his slave. He did not marry her that she might be such. Neither is she his plaything. She is to be a help meet for him, fitted for him; and he is to treat her as such.

3. The same is true on the part of the wife. No true-hearted woman would feel that she was to be a helpless creature, that all the burdens of life would rest upon the husband, that all the cares and provisions of life would be his, and that she was to be a mere butterfly in idleness. She ought to help to bear the burdens of life in her own way, and according to the strength which God gives.

4. As regards business and domestic relationship: Naturally, the husband would attend to the outside affairs. For instance, if he were a farmer, he would look after his own men and his own crops, and plan his own work. And yet it is always well for him to talk over these things with his wife, get her counsel and weigh it carefully, because she is interested with him in that. But the details of the work she ought to leave with him, and he ought to bear them, and not burden her with them. That is a part of his work.

5. The internal affairs of the household ought to be borne by the woman, as the outside work is by the man. In a general way, it is well for her to counsel with her husband. She should consult his tastes in regard to food, etc. He ought to arrange the inside of the house, just as far as lies in his power with prudence and economy, so that it would be convenient and handy for her, so as to make her work as light as possible. He ought to be willing that she should have just as good a stove as he does a mowing-machine, just as good a sewing-machine as he does a gasoline engine. Things should be made as convenient for her within the house as with him on the farm, and each ought to take a mutual interest with the other in the purchase of such things. But the husband should not interfere with her general management of the household. Unless she insists upon his doing it, she should be taught to do her own purchasing of food and supplies. She needs that business experience. She can do it in counsel with her husband; but a certain part of his wages, or income, should be turned over to her each week or each month, and she should manage the household on that amount which she receives, if it is sufficient; and the division ought to be so justly made that it would be sufficient, that is, if there be sufficient income at all. She would probably make mistakes, but no more than would the husband outside. His mistakes might be bigger and not so many, but after all might be a great deal more costly. But she has rights within her domestic circle which he ought to respect; and mutual respect and helpfulness in this matter would cement hearts, and tend to make home happy, much better than it would for the husband to be constantly interfering in little, petty things with his wife.

6. In large matters of business, in new plans, in broader plans, in sale or purchase of property, in the granting of deeds or mortgages, in building and furnishing a home, there ought to be mutual counsel, mutual regard, and mutual study.

Now these suggestions are given regarding normal conditions. Sometimes a wife does not know how to purchase very well, and is extravagant, and does not understand the use of money. She ought all the more, then, to counsel with her husband, and learn to overcome her weaknesses. Sometimes the husband is just as defective as a woman can be; he does not know how to use money, and is extravagant and foolish; and in that case he ought to depend upon his wife. They ought to seek God together, she helping him by cheerfulness and her woman's intuition, he helping her with his strength and encouragement. It would not hurt him to help in the heavy work in the house, if it is more than she ought to do. He ought to be just as willing and anxious that she should have help for the doing of her work, as he has for his.

Many a wife has been spoiled and health ruined by the inconsiderate treatment of a husband. Many a husband has died and left a wife without any knowledge of business whatsoever, because he has insisted in caring for it all himself. The time for the wife to learn these things is when the husband is alive and well; and she can do it better at that time than any other, in the conduct of her own household. Read Proverbs 31.

3574 — Noah and His Work

Did Noah have a set time in which to build the ark? In comparing Gen. 5:32; 7:6, 11; and 11:10, I can not get any 120 years. How is it? Was Gen. 6:3 spoken to Noah, or to some one else?

The texts cited do not cover 120 years, it is true; but there is nothing whatever to show that the Lord did not instruct Noah concerning what was to come before the 500th year of his life. The 500th year of his life is simply mentioned because at that time his sons were begotten, just the same as with the other patriarchs and their sons in the verses previous. Gen. 6:3 compared with these other scriptures would simply show that twenty years before Noah was 500 years old God told him the condition of the world — doubtless told not only Noah but told others as well. Methuselah lived until the very year of the Flood, and seems to have been a righteous man. He was told. Lamech lived until near the time of the Flood. Evidently these righteous men helped Noah, and understood that the Flood was coming.

3575 — "Ye Which Have Followed Me"

Please explain Matt. 19:28. 1. Does not the statement of Jesus, "Ye which have followed Me," imply that those who have done so have been regenerated, or born again? And if this is true, what is the force of meaning of "in the regeneration"? Does it mean that after the Saviour makes His second advent and sits in the throne of His glory, the process of regenerating man will continue for one thousand years, called the "millennial age"? and that the apostles will sit in twelve thrones ruling over the wicked nations of earth? In what way are all nations gathered before Christ? Is it not literally so, as much so as Christ sits literally in His throne?

1. "Ye which have followed Me" would indicate that those who followed Christ were truly His own children, converted men, born again.

2. According to the Bible before us, the translators understood "in the regeneration" to have reference to the time when Christ shall sit in the throne of His glory, in the re-creation of all things, when there shall be a new heavens and a new earth. "Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." The text does not pertain to the thousand years at all.

It pertains to this life only in the following of Christ, and those who suffer with Him here shall reign with Him hereafter. 2 Tim. 2:12. The judging is not used in the sense of condemning, but in the sense of ruling, of leading, of standing at the head of, even as Christ reigns; they will be subject rulers. We learn in the 21st chapter of Revelation that the capital city of the new earth has twelve foundations, and each one of those foundations named after one of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. They will have a part in His kingdom; they will be commemorated in the very city itself. There will be in that new earth peoples and nations and tribes, proper divisions in all parts of God's wonderful kingdom, and these divided into twelve tribes, after each of which a gate of the city is named; and over these twelve tribes, will be the twelve apostles. This is clear and comprehensive, it seems to us. There is absolutely nothing in the scripture to show that this is a work of regeneration which goes on through a long period of time. It does not say, Ye which follow Me in the work of regeneration, but, "in the regeneration," after the re-creation has taken place, they shall reign with Christ.

The last question seems to refer to two scriptures — Matt. 12:28 and Matt. 25:31, 32. The gathering of all nations before Christ will be when they come before Him, not only in the record which is given, but in every one of the books — the only way in which all nations could come before Him, as individuals, not only those who wake, but those who are in death. And in that judgment the separation comes. Then in the execution of that judgment, when all shall stand before the great white throne, there will be the division, the righteous with Christ in the holy city, the wicked cast out, as clearly shown in Revelation 20.

3576 — The Seed

Please explain Ps. 22:30, "A seed shall serve Him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation." Who is this seed? Is it Christ, or His followers? When does it apply?

The 22d Psalm is predictive of Christ. Read as in the Revised Version: "A seed shall serve Him; it shall be told of the Lord unto the next generation. They shall come and shall declare His righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that He hath done it." The thought of the "it" is that this story shall be told of the Lord to the next generation — this story of the suffering of the Lord Jesus, of what He did, of His work. And the seed that shall serve Him are those who receive Him by faith (Gal. 3:29), and the story of Christ shall be told to generations to come, and they will repeat it. It is simply the carrying forward of the Gospel that is meant by the "it."

3577 — Moses and Elijah

If Christ was the first man who came down from heaven, where and what were Moses and Elijah?

The text to which our inquirer evidently refers is John 3:13: "And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man which is in heaven," the context of which clearly shows that the point to which our Saviour refers is that no one has ascended up to heaven to obtain information of God's plan concerning man, and reveal it to man, but the Son of Man. Christ Jesus our Lord came down from heaven to impart to us the great things of God. No other has done this. Moses and Elijah ascended into heaven; but they did not come back to bring any message with them, or salvation for men. We read in one instance of where they did come back to talk with the Saviour. They then became examples of the resurrection and translation, when Christ shall come the second time; but that is all.