Question Corner by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Sep 21, 1904

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 30, No. 37.

Question Corner

By Editor

1562.—Thou Shalt Rule. Gen. 4:7.

Please explain through the SIGNS Gen. 4:7, last two clauses, "And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him." ONE SEEKING LIGHT.

These are a part of the Lord's instruction to Cain, made much plainer by the American Standard Revised Version: "If Thou doest well, shall it not be lifted up? and if thou doest not well, sin coucheth at the door; and unto thee shall be his desire, but do thou rule over it." In other words, Cain would not be cast down, but lifted up, if he did well. Sin is represented as a beast of prey couching at the door, desiring him, and ready to spring upon him. But God's appeal to him is to do His will and so rule over the sin. Pre-eminence over Abel is not presented, but pre-eminence over sin.

1563.—Delivering to Satan. 1 Cor. 5:5; 1 Tim. 1:20.

Please explain 1 Cor. 5:5 and 1 Tim. 1:20. I would like to know how it would save a man or cause him to stop blaspheming by delivering him to Satan. W. W. S.

Read these texts in the light of 1 Cor. 5:9-13. It is better, if one will not be corrected in his wrong doing, to withdraw from him the fellowship of Christians, and leave him for a time in the master he has chosen. A sense of his own need, of his own powerlessness, will frequently bring him to repentance. So it was in the case of the Corinthian brother. He was brought to such deep repentance that the apostle found it necessary to urge the church to comfort and receive him lest he be discouraged. See 2 Cor. 2:6-11.

1564.—The Kind of Light. Gen. 1:3.

What kind of light is mentioned in Gen. 1:3, as no sun, moon, or stars were yet created? W. J. R.

Just the kind of light that pours from the sun. The sun, moon, and stars may have been created "in the beginning," when "God created the heavens and the earth." But the intervening clouds and vapors obscured these bodies till the fourth day, making the language of verses 14-18 the language of appearance. Previous to the fourth day the light was diffused by the heavy vapors surrounding the earth. But on that day God dissipated the vapors and the sun, moon, and stars shone out as tho a new creation.

1565.—"The Book of Jasher."

Where do we find the Book of Jasher, mentioned in Joshua 10:13, and elsewhere.

We do not find it, because it is not now in existence; all the so-called books of Jasher are spurious, whatsoever their claim. See Question Corner in our issues of June 1 and August 3.

1566.—"On" or "In." Matt. 6:10.

Shall we repeat the Lord's prayer "on earth" or "in earth"? What is the difference? R.

There are different translations, but the thought is the same in all. Literally, the Saviour said "on" or "upon," Greek epi. The American Revised renders, "Thy will be done, as in heaven so on earth." And this is as near a right translation as we could ask.