Question Corner

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · May 27, 1897

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 23, No. 21.

"Enquire, and make search, and ask diligently."

No. 576. Col. 2:20-22.

THE Revised Version thus reads: "If ye died with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as tho living in the world, do ye subject yourselves to ordinances, Handle not, nor taste, nor touch (all which things are to perish with the using), after the precepts and doctrines of men?" Christ has set you free, and "as ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him." Verse 6. Do not be carried away "through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world." Verse 8. Why, we are free in Christ, complete in his fulness. Verses 9, 10. Now if this be the case, if in Christ we die to the world, why do we act as tho we still lived in the world? why do we follow its ordinances, and expect men to say, "Touch not, taste not, handle not"? God desires his people to look to him, not to men or to the traditions and commandments of men. Man's commandments and prohibitions perish with use, as do men, but the Word of God and those who do it abide forever.

No. 577. Phil. 1:23; 2 Tim. 4:6.

PLEASE explain Phil. 1:23, margin, and 2 Tim. 4:6.

There is no marginal reading to either of these texts. The first reads: "I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better." The second reads: "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand."

What the apostle means by "departure" and "to depart," is simply leaving this present state of existence. A man in St. Louis could speak of departing six times in a week, and yet have in mind the going to a different place each time. The departure refers not to where one goes, but to where one goes from. Paul referred in both cases to leaving this present state of existence. This may be done in two ways, by death, and by a change to immortality, and translation to heaven. In 2 Tim. 4:8 the apostle refers to his death. In Phil. 1:23, he stated that he desired another thing. Either life or death would magnify Christ, yet of the two he says, "What I shall choose I wot not." Verses 20-22. But while he did not know which to choose of the two—life and death—he desired a third thing, to leave the present life and be with Christ, which is far better than either of the two. Christ's people will be with him only by a resurrection of the dead or a change to immortality. See 1 Cor. 15:51-54; 1 Thess. 4:16, 17; Matt. 16:27. "So shall we ever be with the Lord." What Paul therefore desired was the coming of Christ and translation to heaven.

No. 578. Reporting Charity.

ARE we authorized by the Scriptures to make a report of charitableness?

Yes, and no. David told what they had been able to do for the house of God, but he gave all the credit to the Lord. 1 Chronicles 29. Paul and his coworkers "rehearsed all that God had done with them" (Acts 14:27; 15:4); he also gloried in behalf of the Corinthians, and his report of their zeal provoked (stirred up) many (2 Cor. 9:2). But in all these reports the Lord alone seemed to be magnified. Jesus says, "When thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth; that thine alms may be in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly." Matt. 6:3, 4. It is always proper on proper occasions to tell what great things the Lord has done for us. There is much, too much, vain self-confident boasting of what I have done, what we have done. How do we know but the very thing we "report" as great and good and praiseworthy may be of the least account in the eyes of God; and the things which seem to us to be unworthy of notice, may in his sight be both great and worthy? "That which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God." Luke 16:15. Those mentioned by our Lord as worthy in Matt. 25:34-40 did not seem to know that they had done anything. "The labors of love given for Christ's sake if treasured by the giver as important end there; for he has all the reward he ever will have; but if he does the work for Christ's sake, thinking not of the matter afterward, angels of God gather up these incidents and cherish them as precious pearls."—E. G. W. Jesus Christ "is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption; that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." 1 Cor. 1:30, 31.

No. 579. Braiding the Hair.

Do 1 Tim. 2:9 and 1 Peter 3:3 have reference to simply braiding the hair?

Our common version has "broidered" hair and "plaiting" the hair, with a margin to the first text of "plaited." We would not understand them to refer to neat, modest braiding of the hair, but to extravagant, fanciful preparation of the hair to attract attention. Says Vincent on 1 Peter 3:3: "The Roman women of the day were addicted to ridiculous extravagance in the adornment of the hair. Juvenal ('Satire,' VI.) satirizes these customs. He says: 'The attendants will vote on the dressing of the hair as if a question of reputation or of life were at stake, so great is the trouble she takes in quest of beauty; with so many tiers does she load, with so many continuous stories does she build up on high her head. She is tall as Andromache in front, behind she is shorter. You would think her another person.' The hair was dyed, and secured with costly pins and with nets of gold thread. False hair and blonde wigs were worn." The world is living the life of Rome over again. The true rule for dressing the hair, and for all other things, is to "do all to the glory of God." 1 Cor. 10:31.

No. 580. Revelation 16.

WILL Revelation 16 have a literal fulfilment?

Yes; why not? Did not the plagues of Egypt have a literal fulfilment? They are the working out of the results of sin.

No. 581. The Day of the Crucifixion.

WILL you please explain Matt. 12:40 and 27:62, as compared with Good Friday? On what day of the week was the Crucifixion?

By some of those who contend that Jesus was crucified on Friday the three days are made to date from Thursday, when Jesus was betrayed and delivered into the hands of the powers of darkness. This includes the greater part of Friday, the whole of Sabbath, and a part of Sunday, parts of days being counted as a whole, as might have been the case with Jonah. See also Luke 24:21, where the disciples say, on the eve of that "first day," "To-day is the third day since these things were done." We have not space in this department to discuss the matter at length.

No. 582. Is It Spurious?—Rev. 20:5.

THE "Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society" says in a "quarterly": "In Rev. 20:5 the words, That the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished, is spurious. They are not found in the oldest and most reliable Greek MS., the Sinaitic, Vatican Nos. 1209 and 1160, nor in the Syriac MS." I would like your view of the above.

(1) The Revisers do not even question them. (2) The Greek text of Tregelles, and Rotherham's Emphatic Translation, based on that text, admits the expression without question. So also Alford. As to the statement that the words are not found in Vatican MS. 1209, it is sufficient to say that the Book of the Revelation is not found in that MS. Vatican MS. 1160 is of the eleventh century. The Emphatic Diaglott says: "These words were probably omitted as an oversight in Vatican MS. [1160], as they are found in A B C—tho not in the Syriac." "A" is the Codex Alexandrinus, probably of the fifth century; it contains the entire New Testament. "B" is the Codex Vaticanus, probably of the fourth century; the latter part, after Heb. 9:14, was added at a later date. "C" is Codex Ephraemi, supposed to be written in the fifth century.