With Our Inquirers by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Jul 29, 1908

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 34, No. 31.

With Our Inquirers

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 which, 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 The name and address must accompany question, not for publication, but as an evidence of good faith, and that answer may be made by letter if deemed advisable.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.

2568.—The Son of Man.

Why did Christ our Saviour call Himself the Son of Man?

M. M.

Simply and solely because He was the Son of Man. "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that thru death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil." "Wherefore in all things it behooved Him to be made like unto His brethren." Heb. 2:14, 17. "And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us." John 1:14. He became our kindred that He might redeem; one with mankind that He might suffer, sympathize with them; truly the Son of God, and truly the Son of Man. Therefore, He reveals Himself to us as the Son of Man that we may know His divine, infinite sympathy with us in all our needs.

2569.—Commanding to Abstain from Meats.

Please explain 1 Tim. 4:1-5.

G. T.

We have probably had not less than a score of inquiries recently regarding this scripture. Because of the many inquiries we present the following extended explanation. We hope that it will suffice for at least a whole year to come. Here is the text quoted from the American Standard Revised Version: 1. "But the Spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons; (2) thru the hypocrisy of men that speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron; (3) forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by them that believe and know the truth, (4) for every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it be received with thanksgiving; (5) for it is sanctified thru the word of God and prayer." 1. The text has not special reference to the last days. It relates to later times than apostolic, to the great apostasy which had in Paul's day already begun, and would continue. Acts 20:29, 30; 2 Thess. 2:7. 2. It does not necessarily refer to one special class which does all these things, but to "some," among whom all these things should be done. It predicts apostasy in general, with particular characteristics or evidences of its manifestations. 3. All these things herein condemned are primarily the result of departing "from the faith." The only true faith there is, is living, personal faith, that which makes life-connection with God, that which dwelt in our blessed Lord, "the faith of Jesus." "The faith" does not relate to "body of doctrine." That idea is a fruit of the apostasy, a justification of lifeless formality. This faith is not that which is based on the doing of any particular order, or the building up of a self-righteous character by the means of fasts or abstinence from certain kinds of food. The great Gospel truth is that "the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy, in the Holy Ghost." 4. The doctrines, or teaching, of demons are teachings contrary to the word of God. Primary among these is that old word of the serpent, "Ye shall not surely die; . . . ye shall be as God." Gen. 3:4, 5. Out of that has grown the doctrine of natural inherent immortality, eternal torment, universal salvation, ultra-Calvinism, purgatory, intercession of saints, prayers for the dead, and works of supererogation. The system of human merit has been built up on just such a foundation: that Christ's offering, work, and power are not sufficient, but that these must be supplemented by men. 5. And all these are the fruits of hypocrisy. One of the fearful denunciations which fell again and again from the lips of Him who "knew what was in man" was that of "hypocrites," applied to the Jewish nation. Yet they boasted of their good works, and laid upon others heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, in ceremonial exactions and numerous fastings and ablutions. The same hypocrisy was even more evident in the apostasy. Departing from God's plan and substituting the human, covering inward sins with the cloak of hypocrisy, became ever more manifest as the centuries of apostasy rolled on. Under such influence conscience soon becomes hard and speechless. 6. "Forbidding to marry" would not involve the prohibition of marriage. Neither would it include advice against hasty and unwise marriages. We see the fulfillment of the Spirit's prediction in the enforced celibacy of the priesthood in the Roman Church and in those organizations which, under the pretense of holiness, forbid all marriage of its members as fornication. 7. The word translated "meats" is broma, meaning food of any kind. See John 4:34; Matt. 14:15. In that latter text it is rendered "victuals," its literal meaning. "Commanding to abstain from foods" does not mean instruction or advice as to what foods are good, proper, or injurious. It does not say to abstain from flesh-meats or cereals or fruit; but from food in general. It would not apply to a physician who should forbid grains and enjoin flesh, nor to a vegetarian who should denounce flesh-meats as injurious, and advise with all the ardor of his soul a diet of fruit and grains. The prophecy relates to enjoined and stated fasts as meritorious in themselves, even as the forbidding to marry. These can be seen in plenty in the enjoined fasts in the Roman Church. Fasts are often beneficial if voluntary and reasonable; they are good for the spiritual, mental, and physical man; but they should be voluntary. "If ye died with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why as though living in the world," says Paul to the Christians at Colosse, "do ye subject yourselves to ordinances, Handle not, nor taste, nor touch, . . . after the precepts and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will-worship, and humility, and severity of the body; but are not of any value against the indulgence of the flesh." Col. 2:20-23. Fast if need be, but be sure it is not will-worship, self-righteousness, or from mere commandments of men. 8. God has created all that man needs for food, of every variety. Let the Christian select from that abundance, as he is able, that which will glorify God. 9. "Every creature," meaning a created thing, whether animal, mineral, or vegetable, would in common sense include only the things that God gave for food. Because "every creature" is used, we would not gather that it meant that men were bound to eat everything that God had created. Nothing that God has created for man's good and His glory is to be rejected at the command of men. Let every child of God know the truth of this, and so act with thanksgiving. 10. "Sanctified thru the word of God and prayer" would certainly seem to limit the food to be used to that which God had Himself given and set apart for man's use, and upon which man could with assurance pray for God's blessing. This much for 1 Tim. 4:1-5. The food set apart for His children by the All-wise Father is another matter which each one must find out for himself. There will be articles in this paper, there are articles continually in health magazines, which tell us what the best foods are. But the final decision must rest with the individual soul. Let him choose for God. "Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Cor. 10:31. Let His Spirit guide. Bring all appetites in subjection to Him, and be guided, not by man-made rules and ordinances, but by the word of God and sanctified common sense.

2570.—The Tithe.

Is Num. 18:26 authority for the tithe that the workers pay, or is it authority for the tithe of the tithe that the conferences pay? It seems to me that it can not be authority for both at the same time. Was the tithe of the tithe in Israel given to Aaron paid before or after the distribution of the tithe to the Levites. What, in our organization, takes the place of Aaron?

P. S.

The law of the tithe, due from the individual to God, is, we believe, Biblical, without question. God tests men in time and means. In time God asks one-seventh part, and God names the seventh part which is to be rendered to Him; namely, the seventh day. Man is tested in means by the Lord's asking of him one tenth of all his income. He who acknowledges God in time and property, according to God's directions, will truly acknowledge God in everything. The laws on tithing, extending beyond the individual in Israel, was the general law of the tithing system adapted to that people, and the conditions under which they labored. The individual paid his tithe to the Levites, the Levites paid a tithe of the tithe which they received to the priests. They paid the tithe of their tithe, of course, after they received their tithe from the people, because the tithe paid by the people was the income of the Levites, and they could not pay the tithe of their income until they had received it from the people. The tithe of the tithe of the Levites went to Aaron. Now it is utterly impossible for any system which comes later, to adapt itself in every respect to the tithing system of Israel, neither does God ask it. We know of no Scripture law which will demand that one conference should pay the tithe to the General Conference, or that any one organization should pay the tithe to the conference in which that organization is. These things have been adopted by the Seventh-day Adventist denomination as the carrying out of the principle of the tithe, making it equitable, and thereby furnishing a simple, easily understood, and easily operated plan for the support of the Lord's work. Certainly, it is not out of harmony with the Scripture, and is advantageous and methodical. In that system as carried out among us, the workers will stand in the place of the Levites. The tithe which is paid by the workers will be parallel to that paid by the Levites; and special things in God's great general work take the place of Aaron the priest; and yet, as before stated, there is no law demanding this, only the great general principle which underlies the whole tithing system and the need of having uniformity and effectiveness in the carrying forward of the work of God. While some things are not matters of law, they are matters of principle, and are expedient in the best sense. So God has left His church to regulate itself in many minor affairs.

2571.—One Body.

What is the meaning of 1 Cor. 10:17?

J. H. S.

The passage reads: "Seeing that we, who are many, are one bread, one body: for we all partake of the one bread." It is the communion service of which the apostle is speaking that better represents God's people, who are called the body of Christ. He simply carries out the figure farther in the 17th verse, "Seeing that we who are many are one bread, one body." As the margin of the Revised Version reads: "One loaf, one body, for we will partake of the one bread or life." The thought is the oneness of God's people and the life communion that there ought to be between them in Christ Jesus.