Answers to Correspondents.
By Uriah Smith
QUERY.—Does the Greek for the words “grieve” [Eph. iv, 30] and “quench” [1 Thess. v, 19] admit of the same difference of signification as the English? ANS.—The Greek for grieve is “lupeo,” meaning to occasion grief or sorrow. Quench is from “sbennumi,” signifying to extinguish, quench; by metonymy, to restrain, obstruct, impede, hinder. QUERY.—Bro. Smith: I noticed in the Review for Feb. 3, 1859, under the head “To Correspondents,” on last page, the following: “In regard to the 144,000, it is only by connection with corrupt churches that persons become defiled in a spiritual sense, But the church of God is a pure church. It is to be presented to God ‘without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.’ Eph. v, 27. None need be afraid of a connection with this church.” “Church of God!” “This church!” What church do you wish your readers to understand this to be? the Sabbatarian—or those who observe the ten commandment law? Will you be so kind as to answer my question in the Review.
Waterbury, Vt. ANS.—We said the church of God. And our remarks were applicable to whatever class of people constitutes that church. We spoke of the church of God in the abstract, without reference to any particular body. This was definite enough, and rendered the above query uncalled-for. But if any persons should have the curiosity to know how we regard the body with which we are connected, we will leave it to them to judge whether a person, with any desire of salvation, would be likely to maintain a connection with those whom he regarded as the church of God, or with those whom he looked upon as apostates and transgressors. E. Inman: You mistake in understanding us to endorse the view that the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt, and accompanying events, before and after, are types to be fulfilled in the history of the church in these last days. The correspondent to whom we replied held this view, and took the position that we were now in the time corresponding to Israel's sojourn in the wilderness, and that consequently 40 years would intervene between the tenth of the seventh month, 1844, and the coming of the Lord. Our remarks were designed to show that according to his own premises, this could not be so; for the sojourn in the wilderness did not take place till after the deliverance.