Which Had the Bible on Her Side?
By Mrs. E. E. Smith
MRS. JONES and Mrs. Brown were discussing the meaning of Christ's words, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill." Matt. 5: 17. Mrs. B—: Mrs. Jones, don't you believe that "fulfill" means, to put an end to? Mrs. J—: Most emphatically not; I believe that "fulfill" means, to do, to obey. Mrs. B—: I believe that it means, to fill full, to put an end to, and that when Christ fulfilled the law, He put an end to it. Mrs. J—: What rule, then, did Christ give to the Christian to live by? Mrs. B—: He gave us two new commandments; namely: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind;" and, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Mrs. J—: Believing this, and believing that "fulfill" means, to put an end to, read James 2: 8, saying "put an end to" instead of "fulfill," and see what you think. Mrs. B— (Opening her Bible to the place): "If ye put an end to the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well." (After laughing a little) That won't do. I see that "fulfill" does not mean, put an end to, or we would do well to put an end to one of the new commandments. Mrs. J—: What does it mean? Mrs. B—: It means, to do, to obey that new commandment, I know. Mrs. J—: Now, believing that fulfilling means obeying, read Rom. 13: 8, using "obey" instead of "fulfill." Mrs. B— (Turning to the place): "Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath obeyed the law." Mrs. J—: To know what law we obey in doing this, read verses nine and ten. (Mrs. B— reads. In these verses are cited some of the Ten Commandments.) Mrs. J—: Suppose now we keep the whole of this law, and offend in just one point, are we guilty? Read what the Lord says in James 2: 10, 11. Mrs. B—: "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For He that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law." Mrs. J—: He that said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God"; and He also said, "My covenant [or law] will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of My lips." Ps. 89: 34. (Turning to Matt. 5: 19) "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven." Now what about the leaders who break the fourth commandment and teach men so? (Mrs. B—, smiling, awaits the answer.) Mrs. J—: This is what the Lord says to His people (reading from Isa. 3: 12): "O My people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths." So remember: "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." This text is in Isa. 8: 20; and the law it speaks of, says, "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." Mrs. B—: Yes, I know it does; but if we count Monday the first day, we have Sunday the seventh day. Mrs. J— (After a moment's silence): What is the subject of the minister's sermon every Easter Sunday? Mrs. B—: The resurrection. Mrs. J—: Does he not tell his people that Sunday is called the Lord's day because on that day Jesus arose from the dead? Mrs. J—: Then you know that Sunday is the first day of the week, and Saturday the seventh. And you just said, too, that you knew the Bible says the seventh day is the Sabbath. Now show me one place between its lids authorizing the change from the seventh to the first day. (Silence. What reply could there be? "For whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever.")