55 
 
 Difficult 
 Bible 
 
 Questions 
 
 Answered 
 
 THE CHRISTIAN HERALD 
 BIBLE HOUSE.NEWTORKD 
 
Class 
 
 Book 
 
 Cop}TightN°_ 
 
 COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 
 
555 
 
 Difficult 
 
 Bible Questions 
 
 Answered 
 
 A Book 
 
 of Reference 
 
 for All 
 
 Denominations 
 
 
 
 '9»4 
 
■ Ss 
 
 Copyright, 1914 
 
 BY 
 
 THE CHRISTIAN HERALD 
 NEW YORK 
 
 DEC 19 1914 
 
 
 
 
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FOREWORD 
 
 THIS volume is the outcome of Biblical research 
 covering a period of almost a quarter of a cen- 
 tury, and represents the combined labors of care- 
 ful and painstaking scholars, pastors, professors and 
 theologians of all denominations. Their investigations 
 have been conducted along the lines followed by the 
 ablest orthodox expositors of the present day. To the 
 average student and Bible reader, it will be found a 
 valuable means of reference, and a source of constant 
 edification, enlightenment and education. 
 
 The contributors to the book have not merely 
 traveled along the ordinary highways of Biblical litera- 
 ture; they have found in rarely trodden footpaths and 
 byways much that is valuable and known only to the 
 few. They .have carefully weighed and tested their 
 authorities and, with infinite labor, have here set down 
 only that which has appealed to them as worthy of 
 preservation and likely to be of service to earnest Bible 
 students everywhere. It is humbly hoped that the 
 book will be found worthy of a place on the student's 
 table as a companion to the Bible, since it serves to 
 shed the light of the best modern interpretation upon 
 a very large number of obscure passages, many of 
 which are liable to be misunderstood by the ordinary 
 reader. It is supplementary to the Sacred Book in 
 the sense that it presents, from trustworthy sources, 
 more or less difficult of access, much that is in the 
 nature of corroborative evidence. It also gives, in 
 
 ~> 
 
Foreword 
 
 many instances, rendering's of difficult passages with 
 a closer and truer relation to the original text. 
 
 In the domain of practical everyday Christian liv- 
 ing, and particularly in dealing with problems that are 
 constantly arising for consideration, it will be found 
 especially helpful. Many of the questions with which 
 it deals are such as are familiar to the average man 
 or woman, and they will find in it material aid toward 
 their solution. In the pages of The Christian Herald 
 these questions, and others of a similar character, 
 dealing with matters of faith, personal conduct and 
 Christian living, have been frequently discussed. 
 
 In view of the steadily growing interest in all forms 
 of Bible study, and with a sincere desire to be of 
 service to the multitudes who yearn to know more of 
 God's Word, and to place at their disposal a means of 
 real help which we are led to hope will be welcomed 
 and appreciated, the present volume is respectfully 
 submitted by the compiler. 
 
 A. T. S. 
 
Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 FACTS ABOUT THE BIBLE 
 
 1. Who Wrote the Various Books in the Bible? 
 
 Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy 
 — Moses (scholarly opinions differ here, but so far no 
 thoroughly convincing arguments have been advanced 
 to disprove the Mosaic authorship of large portions of 
 these books) ; Joshua — Joshua (also ascribed to 
 Phineas, Eleazar, Samuel and Jeremiah) ; Judges — 
 ascribed by Jewish tradition to Samuel; Ruth — un- 
 known; I and II Samuel — unknown (probably the 
 work of Samuel, Nathan and others) ; I and II Kings 
 — unknown; I and II Chronicles — probably Ezra; 
 Ezra — probably Ezra ; Nehemiah — Nehemiah ; Esther 
 — probably Mordecai, or Ezra; Job — uncertain (has 
 been attributed to Moses, or Job) ; the Psalms — David, 
 Moses, and others; Proverbs — Solomon and others; 
 Ecclesiastes — formerly ascribed to Solomon, now 
 thought by many to belong to a later period ; Song of 
 Solomon — Solomon ; Isaiah — Isaiah ; Jeremiah — Jere- 
 miah; Lamentations — Jeremiah; the remaining books 
 of the Old Testament were written by the prophets 
 whose names they bear, with the probable exception 
 
2 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 of Jonah ; Matthew — Matthew ; Mark — Mark ; Luke — 
 Luke; John — John; Acts — Luke; Romans to Phile- 
 mon — Paul; Hebrews — unknown (has been ascribed 
 to Paul, Luke, Apollos, Barnabas) ; James — James ; 
 I and II Peter— Peter; I, II and III John — John; 
 Revelation— John. 
 
 2. Inspiration of the Bible. 
 
 The question is asked, "How can I know that the 
 Bible is inspired?" Even in this late day, when the 
 number of Christians has multiplied from a mere hand- 
 ful to four hundred and seventy millions, or fully one- 
 fourth of the entire population of the globe, there are 
 people who doubt the inspiration of the Bible. At 
 different times during the last twenty centuries assaults 
 have been made against the Sacred Book, which Glad- 
 stone termed the "Impregnable Rock of Holy Scrip- 
 ture," but without avail. It has a firmer hold on the 
 hearts of men than in any previous age. Mr. Moody, 
 the greatest of American evangelists, was once asked 
 whether he regarded the Bible as inspired, and his 
 answer was brief and to the point : "I know the Bible 
 is inspired," he said, "because it inspires me !" There 
 are countless thousands who will echo this answer and 
 whose lives have been transformed by the same in- 
 spiration. Not only the great religious scholars, but 
 the masters of secular literature regard the Bible as 
 unapproachable in its high standard of expression, its 
 magnificent imagery, the transcendent nobility of its 
 rhetoric, the authority with which it appeals to the 
 hearts of men, the universality of its application and 
 the power it exercises over the souls of men. It bears 
 within itself the evidence of inspiration, and wherever 
 
Bible — Facts About the Bible 3 
 
 it is known and read and its precepts followed, its in- 
 fluence is uplifting and inspiring. The theory of in- 
 spiration does not exclude, but rather implies, human 
 agency, however. "Holy men of God spake as they 
 were moved by the Holy Spirit." (II Peter 1:21). 
 
 3. What Is Higher Criticism? 
 
 The ordinary study or criticism is directed to find- 
 ing out the meaning of the passages, their correct 
 translation and their significance and bearing on doc- 
 trines. The higher critics go above and back of all 
 that, applying to the books of the Bible the same 
 tests and methods of examination as are applied to 
 other ancient books. They try to find out who were 
 really the authors of the books and when they were 
 written and whether any changes have been made in 
 them since they were written. This latter question they 
 try to solve by a close examination of the text. When 
 they find, for example, such an expression as "There 
 was no king in Israel in those days" (Judges 17:6), 
 they conclude that that sentence was inserted as ex- 
 planatory, by some one w T ho edited the book after the 
 contemporaneous historian had finished it. Or to take 
 an example of a different kind : There is a statement 
 in Psalm 51:16 that God desires not sacrifice, while 
 in the nineteenth verse it is said that he will be pleased 
 with sacrifice. The explanation the higher critics give 
 is that probably the latter verse was added later, by 
 some priest who did not wish the people to cease bring- 
 ing sacrifices. The best scholars of the present day 
 believe that many of the conclusions reached by the 
 higher critics are erroneous, and that others are mere 
 guesses for which there is not sufficient evidence. 
 
4-5 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 4* What Are the Proofs of Bible Authenticity? 
 
 "Can we prove the authenticity of the Bible by out- 
 side evidence ?" is a frequent question. The authenticity 
 of the Bible is being proved by the old records on 
 monuments, by tablets recently deciphered, and by 
 discoveries in Bible lands. That is if by authenticity 
 you mean its historical truth. As to inspiration, the 
 best evidence is its effects. The man who loves the 
 Bible and tries to conduct his life according to its 
 precepts is a better man for the effort. The Bible- 
 reading nation advances in the best line of civilization, 
 caring for its poor and afflicted, and becoming in all 
 ways better. Another evidence of its being inspired is 
 the revelation it gives a man of himself, holding a 
 mirror to his gaze by which he recognizes himself. 
 Another evidence is its survival. No book was ever 
 more violently attacked, no book was ever more mis- 
 used, yet it has outlived the attacks of foes and the 
 faults of friends and is read today more widely than 
 ever. These are a few of the reasons for believing it 
 came from God. 
 
 5. Can We Find Any Reference to Christ in Con- 
 temporaneous Secular Writers ? 
 
 Yes. There are references to Christ in connection 
 with Christians, by several historians. Tacitus, who 
 was praetor under Domitian in A. D. 88, only fifty- 
 eight years after the Crucifixion, refers to Christ 
 (Annal XV :44) . Pliny the younger, who was tri- 
 bune in Syria about the same time, also refers to him 
 (Epistle X:97). There are also references in Lucian, 
 who lived about the middle of the second century. 
 He states explicitly the fact of Christ having been 
 
Bible — Facts About the Bible 6 
 
 crucified. Suetonius and Eusebius also refer to Christ. 
 Besides these evidences, there was the persecution 
 of the Christians under Nero, which is recorded by all 
 historians. Nero died A. D. 68, only thirty-eight years 
 after the Crucifixion. It is therefore clear that there 
 were many Christians before that time. How could 
 the sect have come into existence without a founder? 
 If you saw an oak growing in a place where there was 
 no tree fifty years before, you would suspect that 
 some one had planted an acorn there, and if four men 
 told you how, when and by whom it was planted, you 
 would be prepared to believe them. So there is good 
 reason for believing the Gospel narratives, when you 
 read in secular history of the existence of the Christian 
 Church fifty years after the Crucifixion. Their stories 
 are a credible explanation of a well-established fact. 
 
 6. Does the Bible Teach Science? 
 
 It is not a scientific textbook, nor was it written to 
 teach science, but religion. The discrepancies between 
 the story of creation as given in the Bible and that 
 given by the scientists are very much such as we should 
 find in two descriptions of a great battle, if one of them 
 was written by a clergyman who knew nothing of mili- 
 tary tactics, and the other by a military expert who 
 knew nothing of religion. The important fact for us — 
 the fact that is of more momentous interest than all 
 the discoveries of science — is that God made the uni- 
 verse. For this knowledge we are not indebted to 
 science, which has not yet attained it, but we do get 
 it from the Bible. A person who wants to know the 
 latest discoveries of science as to geology and as- 
 tronomy, should study the recent books of science; 
 
7 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 but if he wants to know the way to God and eternal 
 happiness, he should go to the Bible. Each has its 
 own sphere. 
 
 7. Why Should We Believe the Scriptures? 
 
 Some people answer this query by saying that the 
 reason is found in the fact that the Bible is the only 
 book handed down to us through the ages. That is 
 not the best answer. Some ancient writings, like the 
 Vedas, for instance, are almost as ancient as the Bible. 
 And many tablets and monuments are in existence 
 containing words written as long ago as the writings 
 of the Scriptures. There are many powerful argu- 
 ments for the Bible, but the greatest is that every 
 person who will really study it finds that it does tell 
 the truth about the human soul. When a man reads 
 in an arithmetic that two and two make four, he does 
 not stop to ask himself why he should believe the 
 arithmetic. He knows instinctively and intuitively 
 that the arithmetic is telling him the truth. So when 
 an honest man studies the Bible he finds it full of 
 truths about himself. The Bible tells him he is a 
 sinner, and he knows that is true. The Bible tells 
 him about God, and he finds in his heart a deep con- 
 viction that just such a God exists. The Bible offers 
 forgiveness, and the man knows he needs it. Step by 
 step, and point by point, the Bible shows the man what 
 he is and what he needs and points the way to find- 
 ing the fulfillment of his needs and desires. People 
 find in the Bible help for bearing their trials, power 
 to resist temptation, assurance of immortality and 
 friendship with God. A man who never saw the 
 Bible before, when he reads of God in it, realizes that 
 
Bible— Facts About the Bible 7 
 
 he always needed and longed for God, but did not 
 know how to find him till the Bible showed him the 
 way. Particularly does it show him how to find God 
 in Christ. That, after all, is the supreme mission of 
 the Bible — to lead men to Christ. But, again, taking 
 the Bible as literature, we find that it hangs together, 
 that it bears within itself the evidence that it is true. 
 Start with the writings of Paul. Here is a level- 
 headed, highly educated, practical man who has left 
 to the world's literature certain letters to groups of 
 friends. These letters tell about Paul's personal knowl- 
 edge of Christ, his personal friendship for him, his 
 personal endeavors to forward the work of Christ 
 which he had formerly antagonized until Christ him- 
 self appeared to him and set him right. Paul tells of 
 becoming acquainted later with men who had known 
 Christ in the flesh — Peter, James, John and others. We 
 find that these men also wrote about Jesus, John writ- 
 ing three letters and a narrative of his life; Peter 
 writing two letters, and apparently giving much of 
 the information to his nephew Mark, who wrote an- 
 other version of the life of Jesus. Luke, another 
 friend of Paul, and probably also a personal friend of 
 Jesus, wrote another version of his life and wrote the 
 history of what his apostles did through his power 
 after he had risen from the dead and gone back to the 
 heavenly world. These were all good, honest, intelli- 
 gent men. We may believe what they wrote about 
 Christ and his salvation, just as we believe what Caesar 
 wrote about the Gallic Wars. Further, we find that 
 Christ came from a people whose history is recorded 
 in the books of the Bible and whose prophets uttered 
 messages from God. Peter connects the messages of 
 
8-9 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 the prophets with those of himself and the other 
 •apostles in II Peter 3:2: "That ye may be mindful 
 of the words which were spoken before by the holy 
 prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles 
 of our Lord and Saviour." The Bible holds together 
 about the person of Christ as the great divine-human 
 document which reveals him to the world. 
 
 8. Has Bible History Been Substantiated ? 
 
 Yes, to a very notable extent by investigations in 
 Bible lands. Excavations of ancient Babylonian tablets 
 have corroborated the Biblical story of the Flood. 
 The discovery of Assyrian inscriptions has proved the 
 identity of Sargon, one of the greatest of the kings 
 of that nation (see Isa. 20:1-4) ; identification of the 
 site of Nineveh and of the Tower of Babel or "Birs 
 Nimrud." Many facts concerning kings, nations, cities 
 and events have been brought to light in these ancient 
 records of brick, stone or papyrus, confirming Scrip- 
 ture history. 
 
 9. Were the Gospels Written by the Men Whose 
 
 Names They Bear? 
 
 Presumption based on internal evidence is in favor 
 of that theory. There has been no serious question 
 as to the authorship of Matthew. Mark is supposed 
 to have derived his knowledge of the events he 
 recorded from Peter. Our knowledge of Peter's char- 
 acter leads us to believe that if he undertook to write 
 a Gospel it would be such an one as the Gospel accord- 
 ing to Mark. Such an expression as that in Mark 
 14:72, "When he thought thereon he wept," implies 
 an intimate knowledge of him such as would be writ- 
 
Bible— Facts About the Bible 10 
 
 ten by Peter himself, or by a close associate. The 
 introduction to Luke's Gospel shows that many Gospels 
 were in existence when Luke wrote, and as he knew of 
 them, he may have availed himself of the material 
 they contained. His remark about writing "in order" 
 suggests compilation. The authorship of the fourth 
 Gospel has been hotly disputed, chiefly because some 
 critics held that the writer of Revelation could not have 
 written the elegant and cultured Greek of the Gospel. 
 The majority of the commentators now, however, are 
 in favor of the belief that John wrote it. 
 
 10. When Were the Gospels Written? 
 
 The genuineness of the four Gospels rests upon 
 better authority than that of any other ancient writ- 
 ings. It is the general conclusion of the most eminent 
 scholars that all four were written during the latter 
 half of the first century. Before the end of the second 
 century they were in general use and acceptance as 
 one collection. They are mentioned by Tertullian, in 
 a book written about A. D. 208, as being the work of 
 two apostles and two disciples of apostles. Marcion 
 also mentions their apostolic origin. Origen (who 
 lived A. D. 185-253) refers to them as "the four ele- 
 ments of the church's faith." Theophilus, Bishop of 
 Antioch (A. D. 168), also mentions the Gospels in his 
 writings, and Jerome tells us that Theophilus arranged 
 the four into one work. Tatian (who died about A. D. 
 170) compiled a Harmony of the Gospels. Justin 
 Martyr (A. D. 99-165) gives many quotations from 
 the Gospels. Many other witnesses might be cited to 
 the same purpose. None of the original manuscripts 
 are now in existence. 
 
11 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 11. Curiosities of the Scriptures. 
 
 In the Bible the word "Lord" is found 1,853 times. 
 The word "Jehovah" 6,855 times. 
 
 The word "Reverend" but once, and that in the 9th 
 verse of Psalm ill. 
 
 The 8th verse of the 97th Psalm is the middle verse 
 of the Bible. 
 
 The 9th verse of the 8th chapter of Esther is the 
 longest. 
 
 The 35th verse of the nth chapter of St. John is 
 the shortest. 
 
 In the 107th Psalm four verses are alike: The 
 8th, 15th, 2 1 st and 31st. 
 
 Ezra 7:21 contains all the letters of the alphabet 
 except J. 
 
 Each verse of the 136th Psalm ends alike. 
 
 No names or words of more than six syllables are 
 found in the Bible. 
 
 The 37th chapter of Isaiah and 19th chapter of II 
 Kings are alike. 
 
 The word "girl" occurs but once in the Bible, and 
 that in the 3d verse of the 3d chapter of Joel. 
 
 There are found in both books of the Bible 3,538,- 
 483 letters, 773,693 words, 31,373 verses, 1,189 chap- 
 ters and 66 books. 
 
 The 26th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles is the 
 finest chapter to read. 
 
 The most beautiful chapter is the 23d Psalm. 
 
 The four most inspiring promises are John 14:2-6, 
 37 ; Matthew 1 1 :28 ; Psalm 37 14. 
 
 The 1st verse of the 50th chapter of Isaiah is the 
 one for the new convert. 
 
Bible— Facts About the Bible 12 
 
 All who flatter themselves with vain boasting should 
 read the 6th chapter of Matthew. 
 
 All humanity should learn the 6th chapter of St. 
 Luke from the 20th verse to its ending. 
 
 12. Symbols of Christ and Christianity 
 
 "What symbols are used for both Christ and his 
 people ?" is a frequent question. There are six symbols 
 used for both Christ and his people. 
 
 i. A Branch. For Christ, in Is. 11:1-4, "A 
 branch out of his roots shall bear fruit," and "with 
 the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked;" in 
 Zech. 6:12, 13, Heb. 3 :i-4 2 Is. 4:2, Zech. 3 :8, Jer. 23 15, 
 33:15, 16. For his People, John 15:5, "Ye are the 
 branches;" Is. 60:21, "The people also shall be all 
 righteous, the branch of my planting;" also, Rom. 
 11 :i6, Ps. 80:11, 15. 
 
 2. Light. For Christ, In John 8 :i2, Jesus spake, 
 "I am the light of the world ;" also, in John 9 15, Luke 
 2 :32, and I John 1 :5, "God is light." For his People. 
 Phil. 2:15, "Among whom ye are seen as lights in the 
 world," Matt. 5:14, Eph. 5:8, Acts 13:47, Is. 42:6, 
 Prov. 4:18. 
 
 3. A Stone. For Christ in I Pet. 2:4, 6, 7, 8, 
 "A living stone," "A chief corner-stone," "the stone 
 which the builders rejected," "a stone of stumbling;" 
 also, Ps. 118:22, Eph. 2:20, Matt. 21:42. For his 
 People. I Pet. 2 :5, "Ye also as living stones are built 
 up a spiritual house;" also, Eph. 2:21, 22. 
 
 4. A Temple. Used for Christ in Rev. 21 :22, 
 "And I saw no temple therein for the Lord God the 
 Almighty and the Lamb are the temple thereof ;" also, 
 John 2 rip, 21. For his People. I Cor. 3 :i6, 17, "For 
 
13 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 the temple of God is holy which temple ye are," and 
 I Cor. 6:19, II Cor. 6:16. 
 
 5. A Sun. For Christ. Ps. 84:11, "For the Lord 
 God is a sun and shield;" also, Mai. 4:2, Rev. 21 123, 
 22:5. For his People. Judges 5:31, "Let them that 
 love thee be as the sun;" also, Matt. 13 143. 
 
 6. A Star. For Christ. Rev. 22:16, "I am the 
 bright and morning star," II Pet. 1 :I9, "Until the day 
 dawn and the day-star arise in your hearts;" also, 
 Num. 24 \iy. For his People. Dan. 12 :i-3, "And they 
 that be wise shall shine," "and they that turn many to 
 righteousness as the stars for ever and ever." 
 
 13. What Are the Sacred or § Symbolical Num- 
 bers? 
 
 There are certain numbers employed in Scripture 
 that are known as sacred or symbolical numbers. 
 Among these are seven (perfection), as the triune 
 symbol of deity and the four quarters of the earth; 
 forty, a "round number," signifying duration, distance, 
 quantity; ten (completeness) ; five, as used in offerings 
 etc. ; four, related to the quarters of the globe, the 
 shape of the holy of holies in the temple, etc.; three, 
 symbol of supreme divinity; twelve, which derives its 
 significance from the twelve tribes and which has been 
 called the "square number," the "zodiacal number," 
 the "apostolic number." 12x12 means, symbolically, 
 fixity and completeness, and taken a thousand-fold, it 
 gives the grand multiple of 144,000 (otherwise a 
 countless multitude), one thousand symbolizing the 
 world wholly pervaded by the divine — a world re- 
 deemed ! 
 
Bible— Facts About the Bible 14-15 
 
 14. Why Is Seven Used More than Any Other 
 
 Number? 
 
 The symbolism of "seven" should be traced back to 
 the symbolism of its component elements, "three" and 
 "four," which represent divinity and humanity. Hence, 
 "seven" represents the union between God and man. 
 Among the Persians, the Greeks, the ancient Indians, 
 the Romans, and all nations where seven days in the 
 week were recognized, the influence of the number 
 seven prevailed. It was called by Cicero "the knot 
 and cement of all things," because in "seven" the 
 spiritual and natural world were comprehended in one 
 idea. Some writers claim that the Hebrews borrowed 
 it from their heathen neighbors. The Sabbath, being 
 the seventh day, suggested seven as the appointment 
 for all sacred periods. The seventh month was ushered 
 in by the Feast of Trumpets; seven weeks was the 
 interval between the Passover and the Pentecost, and 
 so on, recognizing seven as the symbol of all con- 
 nected with the Divinity. 
 
 15. What Significance Attaches to the Frequent 
 
 Use of Forty? 
 
 It is not merely an arbitrary period or a "round 
 number," but is chosen to convey the sense of fullness. 
 Some of its prominent Scriptural uses are : Moses was 
 forty days on the mount (Ex. 24:18, etc.); Elijah, 
 strengthened by angel food, fasted for forty days (I 
 Kings 19 :8) ; the rain of the flood fell for forty days 
 (Gen. 7 :i2) ; Noah opened the window of the ark after 
 forty days (Gen. 8:6) ; the spies spent forty days in 
 searching Canaan (Num. 13:25) ; Moses twice fasted 
 
16-17 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 and prayed for forty days (Deu. 9:18-25); Ezekiel 
 bore the iniquities of Jucfah forty days (Eze. 4:6); 
 Nineveh was allowed forty days to repent (Jonah 3 14) ; 
 the Israelites wandered forty years in the wilderness 
 (Num. 34:33); Goliath defied Saul's army for forty 
 days (I Sam. 17:16); forty days was the period of 
 embalming (Gen. 50:3); the Lord fasted for forty 
 days (Matt. 4:2, etc.) ; the arisen Lord was seen for 
 forty days (Acts 1:3); the Jews were forbidden to 
 inflict more than forty stripes (Deu. 25 13). It is note- 
 worthy that Jerusalem was destroyed forty years after 
 Christ's ascension, and tradition says Jesus was forty 
 hours in the tomb. Lent lasts for forty days, as does 
 also quarantine. St. Swithin betokens forty days' rain, 
 while many ancient laws concerning physicians, 
 knights, husbands, wives, widows, sanctuary privileges, 
 fines, etc., all cluster about this number. 
 
 16. Who Compiled the Old Testament? 
 
 It is claimed that the books of the Old Testament 
 were collected and arranged under the supervision 
 of Ezra, though modern scholarship disputes the claim. 
 The epistles of Paul to the various churches were col- 
 lected and incorporated with the other epistles and 
 the Gospels and Revelation into one book during the 
 first half of the second century, and as we learn from 
 Eusebius, were in general use soon after the year 
 300 A. D. 
 
 1 7. What Are the Omitted Books of the Bible ? 
 
 The excluded books are known as "Apocrypha," 
 and are as follows : I Esdras, II Esdras, Tobit, Judith, 
 several chapters of Esther which are found neither 
 
 14 
 
Bible— Facts About the Bible 18 
 
 in the Hebrew nor the Chaldee, The Wisdom of Solo- 
 mon, The Wisdom of Jesus, son of Sirach, or Ec- 
 clesiasticus, Baruch, The Song of the Three Holy Chil- 
 dren, The History of Susanna, The History of the 
 Destruction of Bel and the Dragon, The Prayer of 
 Manasseh, I Maccabees, II Maccabees. They were 
 excluded by the early Christian Church on the ground 
 that they were of doubtful authority and not tending 
 to spiritual edification. This decision has never been 
 reversed, although in some periods of the Church's 
 history a number of the apocryphal writings were pub- 
 lished in smaller type after the regular books in the 
 Bible. At one time the volume of apocryphal writings 
 was even larger than the genuine, but very many of 
 them, being rejected, quickly perished. 
 
 18. What Are the Famous Songs of the Bible? 
 
 The great songs of the Old Testament, besides the 
 Psalms and certain metrical passages in Job, are: 
 Lamech's Sword Song, Gen. 4:23, 24; Noah's Song, 
 Gen. 9:25-27; Moses' and Miriam's Song, Ex. 15 :i- 
 
 19, 21 ; War Songs, etc., Num. 21 114, 15, 17, 18, 27-30; 
 Moses' Prophetic Song, Deut. 32:1-43; Song of De- 
 borah and Barak, Judg. 5 :2-2i ; Samson's Riddle Song, 
 Judg. 15:16; Hannah's Magnificat, I Sam. 2:1-10; 
 David's Song of the Bow, II Sam. 1:19-27; David's 
 Song over Abner, II Sam. 3 :33, 34 ; David's Thanks- 
 giving, I Chron. 16:8-36; Hezekiah's Song, Isa. 38:10- 
 20; Jonah's Prayer Song, Jonah 2:2-9; Habakkuk's 
 Prayer Song, Hab. 3 :2-i9; and the four original songs 
 in the New Testament: Luke 1 .'46-55; Luke 1 :68-8o; 
 Luke 2 :i4 ; Luke 2 :20-33« 
 
19 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 19. Who Was the Author of Revelation? 
 
 "Was the Book of Revelation written by the same 
 John who wrote the Gospel and the Epistle ?" This 
 question has been long disputed by scholars. Dionysius, 
 in A. D. 240, was one of the earliest to express a doubt. 
 It was attributed to John Mark, the companion of Paul 
 and Barnabas and the author of the Gospel of Mark ; 
 to John the Presbyter, to Cerinthus, and others. The 
 majority of German scholars agree with Luther in 
 denying that Revelation was written by the apostle. 
 On the other hand, there is internal evidence of John's 
 authorship. His description of himself is in the man- 
 ner of John. The apostle was the only man of prom- 
 inence of that name who was banished to Patmos. 
 The addresses to the seven churches of Asia show a 
 knowledge of them consistent with the fact that the 
 apostle was their overseer. On the whole, therefore, 
 there seems good reason to believe that it was written 
 by the Apostle John. The differences in the style of 
 the Gospel and the Revelation, which are very marked, 
 doubtless first gave rise to the doubt of the apostolic 
 authorship. These are accounted for by the age of the 
 author and by his perturbation of mind under the ex- 
 citement of the visions. 
 
20 
 
 OLD TESTAMENT PERSONS 
 AND THINGS 
 
 20. What Were the Meaning and Result of 
 Abraham's Sacrifice ? 
 
 The story of Abraham will ever be an important 
 one, and particularly that part of it dealing with the 
 memorable doings at the place .he named "Jehovah- 
 jireh," where, as related in Genesis 22, he showed his 
 wonderful obedience to God. Whatever may be con- 
 jectured to the contrary, the record in Genesis is clear 
 and unmistakable. It was a test of Abraham's faith 
 in God. Some critics want to know why, if God is 
 all knowing, he should have said to Abraham: "For 
 now I know that thou fearest God" (Gen. 22:12). 
 The problem of foreknowledge is an extremely diffi- 
 cult one, and discussion about it is usually fruitless. 
 God in this case speaks of the test of Abraham as 
 though it had been an experiment. He proved him 
 and found him firm in faith and perfect in obedience. 
 It was in obedience to the Lord's command that he 
 stood ready to offer up his son Isaac, and not be- 
 cause he himself had chosen such a sacrifice, in order 
 to be like his idolatrous neighbors, who offered up 
 their children to Moloch. Genesis 22 ,2 dismisses this 
 latter suggestion altogether. 
 
 The immediate effect of Abraham's successful test 
 was the great blessing which God bestowed on him 
 (verse 16), which, together with God's covenant, made 
 
21 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 Abraham the most important Biblical character and 
 his name better known than that of any other human 
 being on earth. All the promises to Abraham have 
 been fulfilled, except the return of his descendants 
 to the promised land. His seed is past all reckoning. 
 Not only have all the Jews been his offspring, but 
 Christians as well are in a sense his spiritual children. 
 Their faith in Christ brings them into his family and 
 makes them heirs of the promises made to him. The 
 land of Canaan was promised to his seed forever. 
 Since they are not in possession of it now we must 
 believe they will return, as many other prophecies also 
 declare. The promise was, however, not made to 
 Abraham alone, but to him and his seed, which includes 
 Christ — to the literal Israel and also to the spiritual 
 Israel. The complete fulfillment of the covenant 
 awaited the coming of Christ, "the seed," concerning 
 whom it was made. See Galatians 3 :i6. 
 
 21. Did Abraham See God in One of the Three 
 Men Who Visited Him? 
 
 There is doubtless difficulty in reconciling the 
 passage in Genesis 18 with the statement in John 1 :i8, 
 that "No man hath seen God at any time." Authorities 
 regarded the Genesis passage as relating to one of the 
 "theophanies" of the Old Testament; that is, a real 
 appearance of God to man. It is believed, however, 
 that these appearances were of Christ the Son, rather 
 than God the Father. The New Testament teaches 
 that Christ existed co-eternally with the Father, and 
 it is not inconceivable that he would at times take the 
 appearance of humanity when he wished especially to 
 make himself known to men. This explanation rec- 
 
Old Testament Subjects 22 
 
 onciles all these occurrences with the statement of 
 John that no one has seen God; that is, God the 
 Father. Christ is the personal manifestation of God 
 to man. 
 
 22. How Are We to Interpret the Miracle at 
 Ajalon? 
 
 The passage in Joshua, ioth chapter, describing the 
 miracle of the sun and moon at the time of the battle 
 in the vale of Ajalon, has been much discussed. Some 
 commentators hold that it is a passage in which the 
 inspired historian departs from his narrative to in- 
 troduce a highly poetic quotation, in other words, a 
 poetical figure of speech, not to be interpreted literal- 
 ly — as though one might say that "God and all nature 
 fought on the side of Joshua." Again, the reference 
 to the poetical book of Jasher as the source of this 
 passage lends color to this explanation (see verse 13). 
 Others prefer the literal view, regarding it as a miracle 
 in which the hours when sun and moon were both 
 visible (the sun on the heights of Gibeon at noon and 
 the moon in the valley) were extended into a whole 
 day, or twelve hours of light (see Macdonald's Priri- 
 cipia and the Bible), the continued radiance of both 
 orbs lighting the battleground. Still another inter- 
 pretation is that the sun and moon were heavily ob- 
 scured by storm clouds (see verse 11), and that 
 Joshua's prayer was that they should withhold their 
 light and that the gloom or semi-darkness of the 
 storm might last until the battle was fought, giving 
 the Israelites the advantage of a surprise with smaller 
 numbers, the strength of which the enemy could not 
 properly estimate. 
 
23-24 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 23. Did Adam and Eve Actually Eat Fruit, or 
 
 Is the Saying a Parable? 
 
 The only source of information is the Bible narrative 
 and it contains no intimation that it is to be under- 
 stood otherwise than literally. Theologians who have 
 preferred to regard the narrative as a parable or alle- 
 gory have usually been led to do so by the suggestion 
 that the eating of fruit which was "good for food/' 
 and "pleasant to the eyes," and was moreover within 
 reach, was an offense too venial to have been justly 
 visited with a punishment so severe and far-reaching. 
 The objection, however, is not well founded, because 
 it ignores the main point involved. The gravity of 
 the offense consisted, not in the act itself, but in the 
 fact that Adam and Eve in committing it were con- 
 sciously and wilfully violating God's explicit and 
 emphatic command. They were punished for dis- 
 obedience. Even if we should hold that it took some 
 other form than the actual and literal eating of fruit, 
 the principle is the same. There is no valid reason 
 for rejecting the Bible narrative or putting any other 
 construction on the words than is there implied. 
 
 24. Was Adam a Red Man? 
 
 Adam means "red" and so also does the word 
 Edom, both having relation to the ruddiness of flesh 
 and the color of the clayey soil. (See Gen. 2:7.) 
 Some commentators hold that Adam, the first man, 
 was probably of the complexion of the Arabs, or 
 Edomites, ruddy though dark, while others take a 
 different view. No definite theory can be formed on 
 this subject. 
 
Old Testament Subjects 25-26 
 
 25. What Language Did Adam and Eve Speak? 
 
 There are many mundane things beyond the reach 
 of present human knowledge and the site of Eden 
 and the language of our first parents are among the 
 number. Some philologists have ventured the con- 
 jecture that the primeval language must have been a 
 simple vocabulary whose formation is indicated in 
 Gen. 2:19, and which was strictly limited to the nat- 
 ural requirements of our first progenitors; in other 
 words, signs and sounds apprehensible by the senses. 
 All agree that speech, or the power of expressing 
 emotions, or desires, was coeval with the creation 
 of man. The earliest monuments and inscriptions yet 
 discovered do not reach as far back into antiquity 
 as the confusion of tongues at Babel (about B. C. 
 2200), previous to which (Gen. 2:1), the Biblical 
 record states that "the whole earth was of one lan- 
 guage and one speech, " although probably there were 
 many variations and dialects, each containing some 
 element of the original tongue. Man's first utterances 
 were probably what philologists term a "physical lan- 
 guage," limited to the expression of simple needs and 
 afterwards expanded to meet man's growing expe- 
 rience with his own nature and the world around him. 
 
 26. What Became of Aaron's Rod? 
 
 It was preserved in the tabernacle and, according 
 to Paul (see Heb. 9:4), it was kept in the Ark, beside 
 the two tablets of stone and the pot of manna. There 
 is no mention of any other receptacle. The statement 
 in I Kings 8:9 implies that by Solomon's time these 
 relics had disappeared. It is possible, however, for 
 a different interpretation to be placed on Deut. 31 :26, 
 
27-32 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 which may mean that the rod was kept beside the Ark, 
 and not within it. 
 
 27. What Was the Name of Cain's Wife? 
 
 The name of Cain's wife is nowhere mentioned in 
 the Bible. Arab traditions are preserved in one of 
 which she is called A sura, in another Save, but these 
 are not seriously regarded by scholars. 
 
 28. Who Was David's Mother? 
 
 Her name is not given in Scripture. The reference 
 to Abigail, one of the members of Jesse's family, in 
 II Sam. ly :2$, is frequently misunderstood. The 
 Nahash there mentioned is either another name for 
 Jesse or it refers to Nahash, king of Ammon, 
 one of whose wives afterward became the wife of 
 Jesse, as stated in the chronicles of the Jewish 
 Church. 
 
 29. Who Named Eve? 
 
 Adam bestowed upon his companion the name of 
 "Eve" (Gen. 3:20). 
 
 30. Egypt — Date of Great Famine in: 
 
 Began approximately 1875 B. C. 
 
 31. Egypt — When Did Joseph Come to? 
 
 Believed to be about 1895 B.C. 
 
 32. Ham: The First Negro. 
 
 Ham, one of the sons of Noah, was the progenitor 
 of the negro race (see Gen. 9:18-27). 
 
Old Testament Subjects 33-36 
 
 33. Jacob — Date of His Journey to Egypt: 
 
 About 1874 B. C. Date of his death, 1857 B. C. 
 
 34. How Many Walls Had Jerusalem? 
 
 There were three walls about Jerusalem. The first 
 was built by David and Solomon; the second, enclos- 
 ing one of the northern sections of the city, was built 
 by Uzziah, Jotham and Manasseh, and restored by 
 Nehemiah ; the third was built by Herod Agrippa, and 
 was intended to enclose the hitherto unprotected 
 suburbs which had grown out from the northern part 
 of the city. According to Josephus, who is not al- 
 ways thoroughly reliable, the circumference of the city, 
 evidently including all the sections enclosed by the 
 three walls he describes, was thirty-three stadia, a little 
 less than four English miles. 
 
 35. What Is the Origin of the Name "Jew"? 
 
 The appellation "Jew" is derived from the patriarch 
 Judah, and was originally applied to all members of 
 that tribe and also to subjects of the separate kingdom 
 of Judah, in contradistinction to the seceding ten tribes, 
 who retained the name of Israelites. During the cap- 
 tivity and ever since, the term "Jew" seems to have 
 been applied indiscriminately to the whole race. 
 
 36. Who Were the Kings of Judah in Succession ? 
 
 The names of the kings of Judah in their canonical 
 order are: Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, 
 Jehoram, Ahaziah, Athaliah (queen), Joash, Amaziah, 
 Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, 
 Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, Zedekiah. 
 
37-40 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 37. What Was Manna? 
 
 It is supposed that the manna of the Israelites was 
 a saccharine exudation of a species of tamarisk, the 
 sap of which was set flowing by an insect. Several 
 trees yield manna, as the flowering ash of Sicily and 
 the eucalyptus of Australia. In India a sweet exuda- 
 tion comes from the bamboo, and a similar substance 
 is obtained from the sugar-pine and common reed 
 of our own country. 
 
 38. What Is the Meaning of "Mizpah"? 
 
 Mizpah, or Mizpeh, was the name of several 
 localities in Old Testament history. The word means 
 "a watch-tower/' and in literature the whole of the 
 beautiful remark made by Laban to Jacob (Gen. 31 149) 
 has been included in its meaning: "The Lord watch 
 between me and thee when we are absent one from the 
 other." 
 
 39. Who Was Moses 5 Ethiopian Wife? 
 
 Commentators hold that the Ethiopian (or Cushite) 
 woman mentioned in Num. 12 as the wife of Moses, 
 against whom Aaron and Miriam complained, was 
 Zipporah. Their opposition is believed to have been 
 caused by jealousy of her relatives and their influence. 
 
 40. What Became of Moses' Rod? 
 
 There is nothing to show what became of Moses' 
 rod. Aaron's rod, however, is said (in Heb. 9:4) to 
 have been preserved in the sacred Ark of the Jews 
 along with the tables of the law and the pot of manna. 
 
Old Testament Subjects 41-44 
 
 41. What Was the Name of Potiphar's Wife? 
 
 Her name is not given in the Bible, although it has 
 been preserved in tradition. The Koran gives her 
 name as Zuleika, and certain Arab writers call her 
 Rail. 
 
 42. What Two Bible Chapters Are Alike? 
 
 The two chapters in the Bible that are alike are 
 II Kings 19 and Isa. 37. Both are regarded as the 
 work of Isaiah, relating a series of events which in 
 one book are placed in their proper .historical setting 
 and in the other find their true place among the 
 prophecies. 
 
 43. Was Sarai a Relative of Abram? 
 
 In Gen. 20:12 Abram speaks of Sarai as his half- 
 sister, the daughter of the same father, but not the 
 same mother. The common Jewish tradition referred 
 to by Josephus {Antiquities 1, 6, 6) and also by 
 Jerome, is that Sarai was identical with Iscah (see 
 Gen. 11:29), daughter of Haran and sister of Lot, 
 who is called Abraham's "brother." 
 
 44. What Is the Meaning of "Selah"? 
 
 The word "Selah," which occurs a number of times 
 in the Psalms, was a musical or liturgical sign, whose 
 meaning is unknown. Some regard it as a pause in 
 the music, to mark a transition in the theme or com- 
 position. It seems to have no grammatical connec- 
 tion with the sentence after which it appears, and has 
 therefore nothing to do with the meaning of the 
 passage. It was a note to the singers of the psalm, 
 
45-47 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 or to those who were accompanying the singing with 
 instruments. 
 
 45. What Was the Fate of Amalek? 
 
 The Amalekites were a wicked, oppressive, war-like 
 and cruel people. They were powerful and influen- 
 tial and possessed cities in the south of Canaan. (See 
 I Sam. 15:18; Judg. 10:12; Num. 24:7.) They were 
 the first to oppose Israel (Exo. 17:8) ; Saul overcame 
 them (I Sam. 14:48); David invaded their land (I 
 Sam. 30:1-2), and what was left of them was com- 
 pletely destroyed during the reign of Hezekiah (I 
 Chron. 4:41-43). 
 
 46. Who Were Called "The Children of Lot"? 
 
 The Ammonites were so called (Deu. 2:19). They 
 were a cruel, covetous, proud, reproachful, vindictive, 
 superstitious and idolatrous nation (see Amos 1:13; 
 Zep. 2:10; Eze. 25:3, 6; Judg. 10:6; Jer. 27:3). 
 Their chief city was Rabbah (II Sam. 12:26-27), 
 where they were governed by hereditary kings (II 
 Sam. 2:20-21). They had various encounters with 
 Israel. With the Philistines they oppressed Israel for 
 eighteen years (Judg. 10:6-9). Saul suceeded against 
 them as did David, and Joab overcame them (I Sam. 
 11:11; II Sam. 10:7-14). Solomon intermarried with 
 them and introduced their idols into Israel (I Kin. 
 11:1-5). 
 
 47. Who Were the Amorites? 
 
 They were one of the seven nations of Canaan and 
 were governed by many independent kings (Josh. 5:1; 
 Josh. 9:10). They originally inhabited a mountain 
 
Old Testament Subjects 48-49 
 
 district in the south (Num. 13:29), but later acquired 
 an extensive tract from Moab, east of Jordan (Num. 
 21:26, 30). They had many strong cities (Num. 
 32:17, 33). They were profane, wicked and idola- 
 trous (Gen. 15:16; Josh. 24:15). They interfered 
 with Israel (Num. 21 :2i) at times, again were peace- 
 ful, but were finally brought into bondage by Solomon 
 (I Kin. 9:2021). 
 
 48, Where Was the First Altar Built? 
 
 In Genesis 8:20 we find the first reference to an 
 altar, namely that one on which Noah offered his 
 sacrifice to God for deliverance from the danger of 
 the Flood. Armenian tradition says it was built on 
 Mount Ararat. 
 
 49. What Language Was Spoken at Babel? 
 
 The tower of Babel is always an interesting sub- 
 ject for discussion. Philologists are divided concern- 
 ing the language spoken before the "Confusion of 
 Tongues" at Babel. What little we know of it is 
 learned at second-hand from the testimonies of clas- 
 sical authorities. The Babylonians called the locality 
 of Babel "Barsip" (the Tower of Tongues). A French 
 expedition to Mesopotamia found a clay cake or tablet, 
 which showed that the language at some indefinitely 
 remote period was written in the form of signs and 
 hieroglyphics; but even this was probably long after 
 the dispersion at Babel. What universal language was 
 spoken by prehistoric man thousands of years ago will 
 probably never be definitely known. It may have 
 been Babylonian or Arabic in character, but this is 
 mere conjecture. Supplementary to the Bible record, 
 
50-51 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 there are many traditions preserved concerning the 
 Tower and its fate, and these mostly claim for it a 
 Babylonian origin, holding that Babylonia was the 
 cradle of the human race. The site of the tower, 
 according to modern opinion, is identified as Birs 
 'Nimrud, a huge mound covering gigantic ruins and 
 situated at Felujiah in Mesopotamia; but this identifi- 
 cation is by no means certain. 
 
 50. What Was the Cause of the Babylonian 
 
 Captivity ? 
 
 The political cause of the captivity was the repeated 
 revolt of Judah against the power of Babylon. Re- 
 lying on the help of Egypt, the king broke his promise 
 of fidelity and refused to pay the tribute he had 
 promised to pay. The prophets uttered many warn- 
 ings against this suicidal course, and still more against 
 the idolatry and accompanying immorality which pre- 
 vailed. They assured the nation that, beset as Judah 
 was by dangers from her powerful neighbors, she 
 would be safe, if only she would be faithful to God. 
 But the king and people were continually forsaking 
 him and turning to evil courses, until at last God gave 
 them up to their enemies. This was the spiritual cause 
 of the captivity. The neglect of the Sabbatic years, 
 mentioned II Chronicles 36:21, was only one of many 
 provocations. The writer mentions it incidentally, to 
 show that what the people would not do voluntarily, 
 was done when they were carried away and the land 
 rested seventy years. 
 
 51. Why Was God Angry With Balaam? 
 
 You need to read the entire story in Numbers 22 to 
 get a complete idea of the situation. Balaam was in the 
 
Old Testament Subjects 52-53 
 
 first instance forbidden to go. That answer should have 
 been sufficient for Balaam, but when the princes came 
 with alluring offers of gifts and office and honors, he 
 bade them remain to see whether there might be any- 
 fresh instructions. He obviously hoped that permission 
 would be given. He showed his ignorance of God's 
 ways in supposing that Barak's gifts and promises could 
 make any difference to God's decision. His answers 
 to the men also showed that he would like to comply 
 if God would let him. Probably, too, God read in his 
 mind an intention to pronounce the curse for which 
 Barak was willing to pay. Hence the warning by the 
 way, which would brace up his wavering resolution to 
 utter the word of the Lord even if it was disagreeable 
 to Barak. 
 
 52. In What Language Was the Message on 
 
 the Wall to Belshazzar Written? 
 
 The words, as they are found in Daniel, are pure 
 Chaldee, and if they appeared in the Chaldean charac- 
 ters on the wall, might have been read by any person 
 present who understood the alphabet of the Babylonian 
 language. Authorities differ as to the language in which 
 the famous Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin appeared. 
 Dr. Hales suggests that it may have been in primitive 
 Hebrew; Josephus implies that it was in Greek. An- 
 other explanation is that while the observers may have 
 been familiar with the language, its meaning or signifi- 
 cation may have been hidden from them, until explained 
 by the prophet. 
 
 53. What Are the Essential Facts About Cain? 
 
 The Genesis narrative tells us that the Lord had no 
 respect for Cain's offering, as he had that of Abel, his 
 
53 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 brother's. The reason for this must have been a wrong 
 spirit in Cain (Gen. 4:3-7). Verse 7 states: "If thou 
 doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou 
 doest not well sin lieth at the door." There have been 
 many interpretations suggested for the last part of this 
 verse; but whatever translation may be given the spe- 
 cific words, the whole narrative implies that the trouble 
 with Cain was with his motive. He did not come 
 humbly, worshipfully, as Abel did, and probably his 
 offering was less costly, less of a real sacrifice. Again, 
 it has been thought that in the acceptance of the animal 
 sacrifice and the rejection of the fruit sacrifice there was 
 a suggestion of the fact that sin requires death for an 
 atonement. Abel's was the first of the long line of offer- 
 ings for sin in which blood was shed, culminating in the 
 sacrifice of Christ's body on the cross. 
 
 The mark upon Cain has been a fertile subject of 
 conjecture among Biblical scholars. Some hold that it 
 was probably a sign given to Cain as assurance that no 
 man should kill him, but the nature of the sign, and 
 whether it was something perceptible to others, are 
 left in uncertainty. One commentator suggests that it 
 may have been an aspect of such ferocity that he be- 
 came an object of horror and avoidance. 
 
 Lastly, the question is asked about the land of Nod, 
 to which Cain was banished after the murder of Abel 
 and where he found his wife. The land of Nod means 
 simply "land of exile." We may gather from Gen. 
 4:14-15 that at the time referred to, the human family 
 had multiplied considerably. Cain's wife was doubtless 
 some blood relative, probably a sister. An ancient 
 Arab tradition states that her name was Azura. From 
 the account in Genesis, we may conjecture that al- 
 
Old Testament Subjects 54-55 
 
 though only four persons are mentioned in the sacred 
 narrative up to this point, the human race had increased 
 rapidly (Josephus says that the Jews held a tradition 
 that Adam had thirty-three sons and twenty-three 
 daughters). Cain's fear of punishment may therefore 
 have been directed toward his own relatives. 
 
 54. How Many of the Children of Israel Entered 
 
 Canaan ? 
 
 The number of adults over twenty years of age who 
 left Egypt is stated in Exodus 12 137, at about six 
 hundred thousand. Allowing the normal proportion of 
 children to such a host we may infer that the total 
 number was probably between one and two millions. 
 Three or four months later, when they were at Sinai, 
 a more careful count was made and the number of 
 adults is then given (Ex. 38:26) at 603,550. Two 
 years later another census was taken and the number 
 is stated (Num. 2:32) at exactly the same figure, but 
 as the Levites were not included and there were 
 22,000 of them, we may assume that by that time the 
 adults numbered about 625,000. Thirty-eight years 
 later, immediately after a pestilence had swept away 
 large numbers and just before entering Canaan, an- 
 other census was taken. The figures are given (Num- 
 bers 26:21) at 601,730, which shows a slight decrease. 
 Of these only two — Joshua and Caleb — were left of 
 the adults who crossed the Red Sea. With these 
 exceptions, the entire adult generation died in the 
 wilderness. 
 
 55. What Was the Sin of the Canaanites? 
 
 The Canaanites were descendants of Ham (Gen. 
 10:6) and comprised seven distinct nations (Deu. 
 
56 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 7:1). Though great and mighty (Num. 73:28) they 
 were idolatrous, superstitious, profane and wicked 
 (Deu. 29:17, Deu. 18:9-11, Lev. 18:21). They had 
 many strong cities (Num. 13:28). Israel was warned 
 against making league or intermarrying with them or 
 following their idols or customs (Deu. 7 :2 ; Jos. 23 :i2 ; 
 Ex. 23:24; Lev. 18:26, 2y). They were partially sub- 
 dued by Israel (Josh. 10, Josh. 11, Judg. 1). Some 
 of their descendants were still found in the time of 
 Jesus (Matt. 15:22; Mark 7:26). 
 
 56. Is It Possible to Approximate the Date of 
 the Creation? 
 
 An ever fruitful topic is the date of Creation. The 
 chronology which one finds in the marginal columns 
 of many of the older Bibles, notably in the Authorized 
 Version of King James, is not a part of the Bible it- 
 self by any means. It is the work of Archbishop 
 Ussher, an illustrious prelate of the Irish Church, who 
 lived 1 580- 1656. His chronological labors were di- 
 rected towards affording an idea of the time that 
 elasped between certain events in recorded history. 
 For this purpose he took the year 1 A. D. — the begin- 
 ning of the Christian era — as his starting point, and 
 reckoned backwards as far as reliable recorded his- 
 tory afforded good working ground. He reckoned as 
 far back as 4,000 years before Christ, and then finding 
 no more available material in the form of history, 
 either written or inscribed, he had necessarily to stop. 
 He did not by any means imply, however, nor are his 
 figures interpreted by Biblical scholars to mean, that 
 he had reached the point of Creation. On the contrary, 
 he had simply gone as far as recorded history enabled 
 
Old Testament Subjects 56 
 
 him to go. The Mosaic books in the Old Testament 
 did not claim, in any sense, that the world was created 
 in 4000 B. C. The first line, first verse, and first chap- 
 ter of Genesis distinctly tells us that "in the beginning" 
 God created the heaven and the earth. Moses was 
 educated at the court of Egypt and imbibed all that 
 was worth learning of the Egyptian civilization, which 
 was old even at that date. But before Egypt there 
 had been still older kingdoms and civilizations. Any 
 one looking up the history in any good encyclopedia of 
 Babylonia, Phoenicia, Chaldea and other ancient na- 
 tions will form some idea of the great antiquity of that 
 portion of the world's history which has not yet been 
 definitely written. In the last century, the world has 
 yielded up many of its secrets to excavators, and con- 
 secrated scholarship has made unquestioned discov- 
 eries, which are accepted by all the churches, showing 
 that recorded time must now be pushed back to a pe- 
 riod at least 2,000 years earlier than Ussher's computa- 
 tion. How far beyond this we have to travel to get 
 at the date of Creation is as much a conjecture as ever. 
 Science tells us that countless ages may have passed in 
 the early stages of the world's geological development ; 
 and even before man appeared on the scene. It is true 
 that scientists differ in this as they do in many other 
 things, but the essential fact remains that the world 
 is far older by many thousands of years than our 
 forefathers supposed. We have better light on the 
 subject than they had, and yet in no vital sense does 
 that light conflict with the words of Scripture "in the 
 beginning." In the New Testament also the same 
 identical language is used at the opening of John's 
 Gospel, chapter 1, verse 1, "In the beginning was the 
 
57 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 Word." Thus we see in both dispensations, the old 
 and the new, a recognition of the fact that the date of 
 the world's creation is far beyond man's computation. 
 
 57. What Time Was Consumed in the Work of 
 Creation ? 
 
 Many have asked: "How long did it take God to 
 create the world and what was the order in which the 
 various beings and things were brought forth?" There 
 are many theories propounded concerning Creation. 
 Some interpreters contend that the Bible account 
 should be taken as meaning literal days, while others, 
 remembering that a day is as a thousand years in God's 
 sight, interpret them as meaning periods of indefinite 
 duration. This problem has been a theme of endless 
 discussion and science is powerless to decide it. The 
 first three days of Creation comprise the inorganic era 
 and the last three days the organic era. The first two 
 chapters of Genesis are repetitive of the story of Crea- 
 tion, the first seven verses of chapter 2 reciting more 
 briefly what was already stated in the first chapter in 
 a somewhat different literary form. As to the order 
 in which Creation proceeded, we have nothing else to 
 guide us than Genesis and the order there given is: 
 first day, light (general) ; second day, earth and water 
 divided; third day, land and water outlined and 
 vegetation created; fourth day, light (direct); fifth 
 day, lower animals created; sixth day, mammals and 
 man created ; seventh day, rest. 
 
 As to the length of time between the Creation of 
 Adam and of Eve, that is one of the disputed points 
 on which no one can speak conclusively. Theorizing 
 
Old Testament Subjects 58 
 
 is futile and traditions (such as some found in Jewish 
 literature) do not avail. 
 
 58* Was David Justified in Ordering Solomon 
 to Have Joab and Shimei Executed? 
 
 Dean Stanley, strange to say, avers that in the order 
 given to Solomon (I Kings 2:5-9) King David "be- 
 queathed a dark legacy of long cherished vengeance/ 1 
 Dr. Terry's view seems more probable, that "this dying 
 charge was not the offspring of personal revenge, but 
 a measure of administrative wisdom." "David," says 
 Wordsworth, "does not mention among Joab's sins 
 that which caused him personally the most poignant 
 grief, the murder of Absalom." He dwells on the 
 fact that Joab had treacherously slain Abner and had 
 also assassinated Amasa, shedding the blood of war in 
 peace. Shimei had blasphemously insulted the royal 
 majesty of Israel. David, it is true, had sworn to 
 spare Shimei, but this oath was not binding on Solo- 
 mon. David seems to feel that he had been too lax in 
 punishing crime. His own guilt, though repented of, 
 may have made him feel that the son of Zeruiah, in 
 particular, was too strong for him. Hence this charge 
 to Solomon as keeper of God's law and guardian of 
 the kingdom's safety. In one sense, the execution of 
 these men may be looked upon as an act of retributive 
 justice (they being the enemies of the king), yet 
 in the view of some commentators, the personal vin- 
 dictiveness that David cherished in the matter, and the 
 absence of a disinterested purpose to secure justice 
 and the welfare and security of Israel, his kingdom, 
 call for condemnation of David in his instructions to 
 his son. 
 
59-61 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 59. Were Daniel's Companions in the Lions' 
 
 Den His Brothers? 
 
 In Dan. i :6 the companions and Daniel are spoken 
 of as the children of Judah. This means of the tribe 
 of Judah. There is no evidence that they were 
 brothers in the sense of blood relationship. Shadrach 
 was the Chaldee name of Hananiah, the chief of the 
 "three children, " or young men of the tribe of Judah, 
 who were Daniel's companions. He was taken captive 
 with Daniel and a number of others at the first inva- 
 sion of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar about B. C. 606. 
 All four were young men of kingly bearing of the 
 royal tribe of Judah and of superior understanding or 
 education. Meshach was the Chaldee name given by 
 the Babylonian court to Mishael, and Abednego was 
 the name similarly bestowed on Azariah. 
 
 60. Who Were King David's Wives? 
 
 He had a number of wives, but those that are known 
 chiefly to history are Abigail of Carmel (I Chron. 
 3:1); Michal, the daughter of Saul (II Sam. 3:13); 
 and Bathsheba (I Chron. 3:5). 
 
 61. Why Was David "A Man After God's Own 
 
 Heart"? 
 
 This question has often been asked, both by scoffers 
 and the serious. David, it is true, had fallen into deep 
 sin many times ; but his struggles, his remorse, his 
 repentance, his efforts at reparation — these also must 
 be considered. He lived in a rude and warlike age. 
 His whole life, as one biographer says, was "the faith- 
 ful struggle of an earnest human soul toward what 
 was good and best — a struggle often baffled, yet never 
 ended." This was the character of the man who was 
 
Old Testament Subjects 62 
 
 illustrious as soldier, shepherd, poet, king, prophet; 
 who kindled patriotism, united Israel, and made it a 
 great nation, and who drove out the worship of strange 
 gods in the land. In view of all the blessings that 
 came to the Hebrew race through David's reign; in 
 view also of "the oath sworn unto David," and of the 
 many evidences of his repentance and his trust in God, 
 as expressed in the Psalms, his career must be re- 
 garded as a whole rather than judged of by specific 
 acts, if we would try to find out how David in any 
 degree merited the commendation which the sacred 
 historians accord him. 
 
 62. From Whom Were the Edomites Descended ? 
 
 They were descendants of Esau. They inhabited a 
 fertile and rich country specially given to them (Deu. 
 2:5; Gen. 27:39). Their country was traversed by 
 roads though it was mountainous and rocky (Num. 
 20:17; Jer. 49:16). They were governed by dukes 
 and later by kings (Gen. 36:15-30; Num. 20:14). I n 
 character they are said to have been wise, proud and 
 self-confident, strong and cruel, vindictive, idolatrous 
 and superstitious (Jer. 49:7, 16, 19; Eze. 25:12; 
 II Chron. 25:14, 20; Jer. 27:3). They inhabited the 
 cities of Avith, Pau, Bozrah, Teman and others. 
 Though they were implacable enemies of Israel, it was 
 forbidden to hate them (Deu. 23:7) or to spoil, and 
 they might be received into the congregation in the 
 third generation (Deu. 23 :8). Saul made war against 
 them and David conquered them (I Sam. 14:47; II 
 Sam. 8:14). They took refuge in Egypt and returned 
 after David's death (I King 11 :i7-22) when they con- 
 federated with Israel's enemies only to again be over- 
 
63-65 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 thrown (2 Chron. 20:10) but finally aided Babylon 
 against Judah (Psa. 137:7, Oba. 11). 
 
 63. What Became of Elijah's Body? 
 
 The bodies of Elijah and Enoch were doubtless 
 changed or transformed as Paul describes in I Cor. 
 15:51, 52 — the verses immediately following the well- 
 known passage, that flesh cannot inherit the kingdom. 
 They were changed into spiritualized bodies like in 
 some degree that with which Christ rose from the 
 dead. His resurrection body seemed to be made of 
 flesh, but it was clearly different from that which he 
 possessed before his death. All the redeemed, the 
 saints who have died before Christ's coming and those 
 who are alive when he comes, are promised these new 
 "celestial" bodies for the heavenly life. These are 
 the views of commentators who have discussed the 
 subject. 
 
 64. Was There Rain Before the Flood? 
 
 Read Genesis 2 4-6. This, according to some geol- 
 ogists, indicates that the earth, being then in a cool- 
 ing condition, had no rain; and. they also affirm that 
 there may have been none until the great precipitation 
 at the Flood cleared the atmosphere, and established 
 new conditions. (See chapters 8 and 9.) Of course, 
 these are merely scientific speculations or conjectures, 
 but they are not opposed to Scripture. 
 
 65. What Was the Population of Earth Before 
 
 and After the Flood? 
 
 All the information we have in Scripture concerning 
 the population of the earth before the Flood is con- 
 tained in Genesis chapters 4, 5 and 6. It is made 
 
Old Testament Subjects 66-67 
 
 clear in Gen. 5 14 that Adam had a numerous progeny. 
 Jewish tradition says he had thirty-three sons and 
 twenty-three daughters. Chapter 5 :i tells of the in- 
 creased population. There must have been intermar- 
 riages. This is the view generally accepted by com- 
 mentators, as the only reasonable explanation, where 
 no other light can be had on the subject. The only 
 record we have of the repopulation of the world after 
 the Flood is that found in Genesis, ninth, tenth and 
 eleventh chapters. 
 
 66. Was the Rainbow Visible before the Flood? 
 
 There is no recorded evidence that a rainbow was 
 visible from the earth before the Flood. Some com- 
 mentators hold that the conditions described in Gen- 
 esis 2 :6, "But there went up a mist from the earth," 
 etc., lasted until the atmospheric change wrought by 
 the Flood and that the rainbow was a natural conse- 
 quence of such change. This, however, despite the 
 fact that scientific support is claimed for such view, is 
 merely conjecture. The Bible (Gen. 9:13-17) is very 
 clear to the effect that God established the rainbow at 
 that time as "the token of the covenant" between Him 
 and mankind and hence we need no conjecture. 
 
 67. How Soon After Adam's Fall Did Idolatry 
 
 Begin ? 
 
 Adam and some of his descendants as late as the 
 time of the Flood, are believed to have lived under a 
 revealed system, in which, through their patriarchs and 
 otherwise, they had a knowledge of God sufficient for 
 their condition. Afterwards there arose the nature- 
 worship, called Fetishism, consisting of the setting 
 
68-69 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 up and worshipping of animals, trees and stones, etc. — 
 an idolatry invented by those who for their sins had 
 been forsaken of God (Romans 1:28). There is no 
 distinct mention in the Bible of any idols prior to the 
 time of the Flood, but it is reasonable to suppose that 
 idolatry was one of the abominations for which that 
 terrible punishment was visited on the earth. The first 
 positive indications of idolatry which appear in history 
 are found in the worship of Set or Sitekh (equivalent 
 to the Hebrew Patriarch, Seth), to whom divine honors 
 were paid by the Egyptians. Some Jewish writers in- 
 terpret Genesis 4:26 to mean that Enos, the son of 
 Seth, was the originator of idolatry in that he paid 
 divine honors to the host of heaven instead of to God 
 alone. 
 
 68. What Is Known of the Hittites? 
 
 They were descendants of Canaan's son Heth. 
 One of the seven Canaanitish nations, they dwelt in 
 Hebron and were governed by kings (Deu. 7:1 ; Gen. 
 23:2, 3, 19; I Kin. 10:29). Their land was promised 
 to Israel and it was commanded to destroy them; but 
 Israel did not destroy them entirely (Deu. 7:1, 2, 24; 
 Josh. 14:13 ; Judg. 3 :5). Among their prominent per- 
 sonages were Ephron, Ahimelech and Uriah (Gen. 
 49:30; I Sam. 26:6; II Sam. 11:6, 21). Esau, Solo- 
 mon and many other Israelites intermarried with the 
 Hittites. They were a warlike people and made many 
 conquests. 
 
 69. What Is Known of the Hivites? 
 
 They formed one of the seven nations of Canaan, 
 descended from Canaan (Gen. 10:15, 17). They dwelt 
 
Old Testament Subjects 70-71 
 
 near Lebanon. The Shechemites and Gibeonites were 
 affiliated with them (Judg. 3:3; Gen. 34:2; Josh. 
 9:3-7). Esau intermarried with them. Their land 
 was promised to Israel and it was commanded to 
 destroy them (Deu. 7:1, 2, 24). In the reign of Solo- 
 mon, a remnant of the Hivites was made tributary to 
 Israel (I Kin. 9:20, 21). 
 
 70. Who Were the Ishmaelites? 
 
 They were descendants of Ishmael, Abraham's son, 
 and were divided into twelve tribes (Gen. 25:16; 
 Gen. 16:15, 16). They were also called Hagarites, 
 Hagarenes and Arabians (I Chron. 5:10; Psa. 83:6; 
 Isa. 13:20). They were governed by kings, were rich 
 in cattle and dwelt in tents (Jer. 25:24; Isa. 13:20; I 
 Chron. 5:21). Though they were the merchants of 
 the East and traveled around in large caravans (Gen. 
 37:25; Job 6:19), they were frequently lawless and 
 would waylay and plunder travelers (Jer. 3:2). After 
 harassing Israel, they were overcome by Gideon (Judg. 
 8:10-24; II Chron. 5:10; II Chron. 26:7). It would 
 seem that later they became more peacefully inclined, 
 as they sent presents to Kings Solomon and Jehosha- 
 phat (I Kin. 10:15; II Chron. 17:11). 
 
 71. When Did the Change in Jacob's Spiritual 
 
 Nature Occur? 
 
 It began at Bethel but the change there was ex- 
 tremely slight. Jacob regarded his vision there very 
 much as a business arrangement. If God would help 
 him and give him bread to eat and bring him 
 back safe, then God should be his God and he would 
 give him a tenth of all. At Jabbok the crisis was much 
 
72 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 more far-reaching. He realized there his danger and 
 his need of a blessing. He no longer bargained with 
 God, he saw that his own strength was futile, he was 
 a humble suppliant for God's favor. From that night 
 on he was a different man, by no means perfect, but 
 far better than before. 
 
 72. Did Jephthah Really Offer Up His Daughter 
 As a Sacrifice ? 
 
 Both the Authorized and Revised Versions leave the 
 question in doubt, and commentators have been divided 
 in opinion as to whether she was sacrified or doomed 
 to live the life of a recluse. Human sacrifices are an 
 abomination unto the Lord. A new reading or trans- 
 lation which several notable scholars have urged as 
 the correct one is : "It shall surely be the Lord's or 
 I will offer up to him a burnt offering." Hebrew 
 scholars declare this to be the more accurate render- 
 ing. (See Judges 11:30, 31, 39.) It changes the as- 
 pect of the case and makes Jephthah to say practically 
 that if the first living thing that came forth from his 
 house to meet him was one that would be unacceptable, 
 then a burnt offering of an acceptable character would 
 be substituted. This would lead to the conclusion that 
 the daughter was not sacrificed, but condemned to a 
 life of perpetual virginity and a burnt offering offered 
 up in her stead. Several eminent writers, including 
 Joseph Kinchi, Ben Gerson and Bechai (Jewish au- 
 thorities) and a number of Christian authors, held that 
 instead of being sacrificed she was shut up in a house 
 specially prepared by her father and visited there by 
 the daughters of Israel four days in a year as long 
 as she lived. In support of this theory it is pointed 
 
Old Testament Subjects 73-75 
 
 out that the Hebrew term employed to express Jeph- 
 thah's vow is the word neder, which means a "conse- 
 cration" and not che-rem, which means "destruction." 
 
 73. Why Do the Jews Face the East When 
 
 Praying ? 
 
 In Jerusalem, the Jews always turned their faces 
 toward the "holy hill" of the temple while praying 
 (see Dan. 6:10; II Chron. 6:34). The Samaritans, on 
 the contrary, faced Mt. Gerizim. In the court of the 
 temple, the Jews in prayer faced the temple itself (see 
 I Kings 8:38) to the Holy of Holies (see Ps. 5:8). 
 Daniel, while praying in exile, opened his window to- 
 ward Jerusalem (see Dan. 6:10). Modern Jews in 
 Europe and America customarily face the East in 
 prayer. It was a custom among the early Christians 
 to face the East but that has long been discontinued. 
 Mohammedans face in the direction of Mecca. 
 
 74. Will the Jews Be Restored to Palestine at 
 
 Chrises Second Coming? 
 
 Students of prophecy are not agreed on the subject. 
 The majority infer, from various passages, that they 
 will be restored before the coming of Christ in the! 
 second stage of that coming. The first stage is thought 
 to be in the air to summon those Christians who are 
 looking for him, to meet him (see I Thess. 4:16, 17). 
 The second stage is after the great tribulation when 
 he comes to reign. 
 
 75. How Often Was Jerusalem Destroyed ? 
 
 The Holy City has been captured and recaptured 
 many times by contending forces. In several of the 
 sieges it has been partially ruined, but in at least four 
 
76-77 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 it has been practically destroyed, the first about 1400 
 B. C, when captured by the tribes of Judah and Sime- 
 on ; the second in 586 by Nebuchadnezzar ; the third in 
 170 B.C. by Antiochus Epiphanes; the fourth, and 
 doubtless most terrible, in 70 A. D., by Titus. The 
 city was restored by Hadrian in 135 A. D., and since 
 then has changed hands many times. It now belongs 
 to Turkey, and has about 60,000 inhabitants. 
 
 76. Why Was the Temple Built in Jerusalem? 
 
 In II Sam. 24:16-25 we learn how the threshing 
 floor of Araunah came to be chosen for the site of an 
 altar of commemoration and sacrifice. Moreover, 
 Scripture and Jewish tradition unite in pointing to that 
 threshing floor as the spot upon which Abraham pre- 
 pared to offer Isaac (although some eminent authori- 
 ties have disputed this). Read also the account of the 
 purchase of the site from Oman (Araunah) in I 
 Chron. 21:26-28; and in the next chapter (I Chron. 
 22:1, 9, 10) which shows how David had a divine 
 revelation that his son should build the temple there. 
 
 77. Who Was Job? 
 
 According to leading* commentators, Job was a 
 personage of distinction, wealth and influence who 
 lived in the north of Arabia Deserta, near the Eu- 
 phrates, some 1800 B. C. His life was patriarchal, his 
 language the Hebrew of that early day, when it was 
 interspersed with Syriac and Arabic. He lived before 
 Moses. His book is probably the oldest book in the 
 world. It is now interpreted as a public debate in 
 poetic form, dealing with the Divine government. 
 It abounds in figurative language. The "day" men- 
 
Old Testament Subjects 78 
 
 tioned in Job 2:1 was one appointed for the angels to 
 give an account of their ministry to God. Evil is per- 
 sonified in Satan, who also comes to make report. The 
 question to Satan and his response are simply a dra- 
 matic or poetic form of opening the great controversy 
 which follows. 
 
 78. Did God Give Job into the Hands of Satan 
 to Be Tempted ? 
 
 "Tempted" is scarcely the word to use in that case. 
 Job was tried or tested. The question was what his 
 motive was in serving God. Satan with his natural 
 doubt about any one having pure motives, asserted 
 that Job served God only for what he gained by it, 
 and that if his property was taken away from him, he 
 would curse God. So Job was put to the proof, to see 
 what he would do under trial, and whether he was 
 really as disinterested as God believed him to be. The 
 object of the author appears to have been to correct 
 a false view of adversity, which view was prevalent in 
 his time. People had the idea that severe calamities 
 were punishments dealt out by God because of sin. 
 When a man of good moral character, therefore, was 
 in trouble, people suspected that he had sinned secretly, 
 and that God was punishing him for it. It was often 
 a cruel and unjust suspicion. In writing this descrip- 
 tion, the author evidently was trying to eradicate it. 
 After reading such a book, a man who saw another in 
 trouble, instead of despising him as a sinner, might 
 say, "Perhaps he is being tried as Job was," and so 
 might sympathize instead of blaming him. Our con- 
 cern should be to learn the lesson the book was de- 
 signed to teach, rather than to discuss the question 
 
79-80 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 whether it is history or parable, for that question can- 
 not now be authoritatively answered. 
 
 79. Did God "Blot Out" the Day on Which Job 
 
 Was Born? 
 
 This question is doubtless prompted by the ancient, 
 tradition or superstition that we have less days in Feb- 
 ruary than any other month, as Job was born in Febru- 
 ary. This of course is a fallacy. There was no 
 February in the time of Job, 1520 B. C. The months, 
 or divisions of time, were not as we have them now. 
 The year of the Jews consisted of twelve lunar months 
 of twenty-nine and thirty days alternately, a thirteenth 
 being from time to time introduced to accommodate it 
 to the sun and seasons. Let it be noted that while Job 
 cursed his birthday, he did not curse his Maker, so 
 why should the Lord drop a day on account of a little 
 weakness in his servant, who, despite his great suffer- 
 ings, never uttered any reproach against the Author 
 of his being? Our months as at present, we have from 
 the Romans. With those people February had orig- 
 inally twenty-nine days in an ordinary year, but when 
 the Roman Senate decreed that the eighth month 
 should bear the name of Augustus, a day was taken 
 from February and given to August, which had then 
 only thirty, that it might not be inferior to July, named 
 in honor of Julius Csesar. 
 
 80. Are the Speeches of Job's Friends to Be Re- 
 
 garded as Inspired ? 
 
 This question is answered authoritatively in the 
 book itself (see Job 42:7), where God is represented 
 as saying, "My wrath is kindled against thee and thy 
 
Old Testament Subjects 81 
 
 two friends; for ye have not spoken of me the thing 
 that is right." One gets a clearer idea of the book by 
 regarding it as a symposium on the problem of suffer- 
 ing, each speaker being a representative of a school of 
 thought. Each speaker keeps to the same aspect of 
 the subject but all agree in regarding unusual suffer- 
 ing as an evidence of unusual sin. They imply 
 that in Job's case, he being outwardly so good a man, 
 his sin was aggravated by hypocrisy. This was unjust, 
 because, as we learn by the first chapter, it was pre- 
 cisely because he was so good a man that his affliction 
 came upon him. The author of the book evidently 
 wished to administer a warning to the people of his 
 time against being uncharitable in their inferences. 
 
 81. Is the Book of Job a Real History or a 
 Dramatic Allegory? 
 
 Job is believed to have been a real personage — a 
 type of the earliest patriarchs, a man of high intelli- 
 gence and great faith. The story is cast in dramatic 
 form. Professor S. S. Curry, of Yale and Harvard 
 Divinity Schools, thus outlines it : the place, a hill out- 
 side the city ; a rising storm, flashing lightning, rolling 
 thunder and a rainbow ; the speakers, God, the patri- 
 arch Job, his friends, and Satan ; the theme, the 
 mystery of human suffering, and human existence. ,, To 
 which may be added, a sublime faith in the divine 
 wisdom, righteousness and justice. The book of Job 
 is regarded by the highest Bible scholarship as a spir- 
 itual allegory. The name Job is derived from an Ara- 
 bic word signifying "repentance," although Job him- 
 self is held to be a real personage. (See Ezek. 14:14 
 and James 5 :ii.) 
 
82-84 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 82. Why Did the Wicked Kings of Judah Let 
 
 Their Sons Pass through Fire? 
 
 It was a heathen form of worship to Molech, Mil- 
 corn or Chemosh, which the Israelites had borrowed 
 or adapted from the Moabites and Amnonites. Human 
 sacrifices were made in high places to Molech. The 
 chief interpreters Jarchi, Kimchi and Maimonides 
 wrote that in the worship of Molech, the children were 
 not burned, but were made to pass before two burning 
 pyres as a purificatory rite. It is quite clear, however, 
 that in many cases lives w r ere actually sacrificed (see 
 Psalm 106:37, 38; Jer. 7:31). It was assumed that 
 by this rite the victims were purged from dross of the 
 body and attained union with the deity. 
 
 83. Who Were the "Lost Tribes"? 
 
 The "lost tribes," so-called, were the Jews carried 
 into captivity by Shalmaneser (II Kings 17:6), and 
 chiefly belonging to Israel or the ten tribes. Many 
 theories as to their location and their descendants have 
 been ventilated, and they have been successively located 
 (by ingenious investigators) in Hindustan, Tartary, 
 China, Africa, Great Britain and among the aborigines 
 of North America. More reasonable conjectures hold 
 that while some returned after the exile, and others 
 were left in Samaria, many remained in Assyria and 
 afterward joined with the Jews in forming colonies 
 throughout the East, so that, in a certain sense, they 
 shared the ultimate history of their brethren of Judah. 
 
 84. What Secular Evidence Have We of the 
 
 Fate of Lot's Wife? 
 
 The pillar which is mentioned in the story concern- 
 ing the fate of Lot's wife, in Genesis 19, is referred 
 
Old Testament Subjects 85 
 
 to by a number of writers. Josephus (in Antiquities 
 I, ii, 4) wrote that it still remained in his day, and 
 he had seen it — L e., the peculiar formation of crum- 
 bling, crystalline rock associated by tradition with the 
 event. Clemens Romanus, Irenaeus and Benjamin of 
 Tudela also wrote of the strange formation as visible 
 in their day, but later writers stated that it had ceased 
 to exist. It is related that, by a singular coincidence, 
 Lieutenant Lynch, who led an American exploring 
 party around the Dead Sea, found on the southwestern 
 shore, at a place called by the Arabs Usdum, a pillar 
 some forty feet high, composed of salt crystals, capped 
 with carbonate of lime, which he assumed to have been 
 detached by the action of the winter rains upon the 
 rock-salt hills. Professor Palmer claims in one of his 
 books to have seen this same formation, which the 
 Arabs, in their usual manner, had connected with the 
 Bible story, although it is not at all certain that the 
 locality is identical with that indicated in Genesis. 
 Several commentators hold that the geological charac- 
 ter of the rocks and the prevalence of salt crystals 
 justify the conclusion that the Bible passage might be 
 interpreted to mean "like a pillar of salt," and that 
 the body of Lot's wife "had become fixed for a time to 
 the soil by saline or bituminous incrustations." 
 
 85. Who and What Was Melchisedec ? 
 
 It is in the fourteenth chapter of Genesis that Mel- 
 chisedec is historically presented to us. The incident 
 and its record, although so brief, and standing in such 
 singular isolation from the thread of the history which 
 it interrupts, is not only in itself most striking and 
 interesting, but also in its typical teaching profoundly 
 
85 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 instructive. How suddenly and altogether unexpect- 
 edly does Melchisedec here appear before us — a most 
 kingly and majestic form, yet clad in priestly robes, 
 and with the mystic emblems of eucharistic offering — 
 bread and wine — in his hands. We see those priestly 
 hands raised in blessing; we observe the great patri- 
 arch, Abraham — the father of the faithful and the 
 Friend of God — bowing before the mysterious priest- 
 king, and presenting to him the tithes of all his spoil ; 
 and then, as abruptly as it appeared, the vision passes 
 away, and for nearly a thousand years the voice of 
 inspiration utters not again the name of Mechisedec. 
 Then, however, in an ecstatic Psalm of a most dis- 
 tinctly Messianic character, and descriptive of our 
 Lord's exaltation in the day of his power, we meet 
 with it once more in the solemn declaration: "The 
 Lord hath sworn and will not repent, thou art a priest 
 forever, after the order of Melchisedec (Ps. 110:4). 
 Again, something like a thousand years pass away, and 
 then, once more, the writer of the Epistle to the He- 
 brews take up the subject of this mysterious personage, 
 who, "Without father, without mother, without gene- 
 alogy, having neither beginning of days, or end of life ; 
 but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest 
 continually" (Heb. 7:3) ; and on the two brief refer- 
 ences to him, above given, which are all that the 
 Scriptures contain, founds an argument to show the 
 superiority of Christ's priesthood, as being "after the 
 order of Melchisedec/' to that of Aaron, or Levi, which 
 it had superseded. 
 
 Who was Melchisedec ? Much labor has been wasted 
 in attempts to answer the question. Later Jewish tra- 
 dition identified him with Shem ; and it is certain that 
 
Old Testament Subjects 85 
 
 that patriarch was not only alive in the days of Abra- 
 ham, but even continued to live till Jacob was fifty 
 years old. (Compare Gen. ii:ii with verses 12:26, 
 21:5, 25:7-26.) According to others he belonged to 
 the family of Ham, or of Japheth; and it has been 
 said that this is necessarily implied by the language 
 of the Apostle when drawing a parallel between Mel- 
 chisedec and Christ, he says that our Lord belonged to 
 "a tribe of which no man gave attendance at the altar." 
 Some, again, have suggested that he was an incarnate 
 angel, or other superhuman creature, who lived for a 
 time among men. Others have held that he was an 
 early manifestation of the Son of God ; and a sect, 
 called the Melchisedecians, asserted that he was "an 
 incarnation of the Holy Ghost." But, in all these 
 conjectures, the fact has been strangely overlooked that 
 the reticence of Scripture on the point is typical and 
 significant, for, could it be determined who Melchise- 
 dec really was, it could no longer be said that he was 
 "without father, without mother, without genealogy" ; 
 which statement is to be understood, not as implying 
 that he was not a natural descendant of Adam, but 
 that he designedly appears and disappears in the 
 sacred narrative without mention either of his parent- 
 age or death. 
 
 There can, however, be no question that, whoever 
 Melchisedec may have been, he was an eminent type 
 of Christ. This is placed beyond doubt, not only by 
 the language of the 110th Psalm — the Messianic char- 
 acter of which has ever been recognized by Jews and 
 Christians alike — but especially by the argument of 
 the Apostle, in the seventh chapter of the Epistle to 
 the Hebrews, in the course of which there occurs the 
 
86-87 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 explicit declaration that he was — in the various re- 
 spects mentioned — "made like unto the Son of God." 
 
 86. Who Were the Moabites? 
 
 They were the descendants of Lot and were neigh- 
 bors of the Amorites on the opposite side of the River 
 Arnon (Num. 21 113). They were governed by kings 
 and possessed many great cities (Num. 21 :28-3o; Is. 
 15:1; Num. 23:7). They were proud, arrogant, idol- 
 atrous, superstitious, rich, confident and prosperous. 
 They were mighty men of war (Is. \6:6yl Kin. 11 :?; 
 Jer. 27:3; Jer. 48:7, 11, 14). The Amorites deprived 
 them of a large part of their territory (Num. 21 :26). 
 The Moabites refused to let Israel pass through their 
 country and were so greatly impressed and alarmed 
 by the multitude of the Israelitish host that, with 
 Midian, they sent Balaam to curse it (Num. 22 to 24). 
 Subsequently, Israel was enticed into their idolatry and 
 even intermarried with them. They were always hos- 
 tile to Israel until Saul subdued them (I Sam. 14:47) 
 and were later made tributary to David and the Jewish 
 kings (II Sam. 8:2-12; II Kin. 3:4), but finally joined 
 Babylon against Judah (II Kin. 24:2). 
 
 87. Why Did Moses Strike the Rock? 
 
 The account in Num. 20 very clearly shows that 
 Moses disobeyed the divine command in striking the 
 rock as he did. For the moment he apparently lost 
 his faith, and his temper as well. He had been ex- 
 plicitly instructed to "speak unto the rock" (verse 8) 
 instead of which he addressed the people in hasty and 
 passionate words and smote the rock twice. (See Ps. 
 106:32, 33.) His whole attitude betrayed his doubt, 
 
Old Testament Subjects 88 
 
 not of God's power, but of his will to help a people 
 who had been rebellious. Further, Moses was irrev- 
 erent (see verse 12) in that his language and bearing 
 detracted from the sanctity of the occasion and was 
 therefore displeasing to God. He had been entrusted 
 with a great enterprise and his perfect obedience to 
 and implicit faith in God were indispensable. As the 
 result showed, his failure involved serious conse- 
 quences for the whole nation. 
 
 88. What Was the Dispute Over Moses' Body 
 Between Michael and Satan? 
 
 The passage in Jude 1 :g referring to the dispute 
 between Michael and Satan over the body of Moses, 
 is regarded by Vitringa, Lardner, McKnight and other 
 distinguished commentators as symbolical, "the body 
 of Moses" being intended to represent the Mosaic law 
 and institutions (see Zech. 3:1), in the same manner 
 in which modern Christians call the Church "the body 
 of Christ." According to others, it has reference to a 
 Jewish legend connected with the secret burial of the 
 great lawgiver (Deu. 34:6). The Tar gum of Jonathan 
 attributes the burial of Moses to the hands of angels, 
 led by Michael as the guardian of Israel. Other views 
 set forth in the Hebrew books are that Satan disputed 
 the burial, claiming the body because of the blood of 
 the Egyptian whom Moses slew, and because of the 
 leader's sin at Meribah. Having "the power of death," 
 he opposes the raising of Moses' body again for these 
 reasons, but the latter's visible presence with Enoch 
 and Elijah at the Transfiguration gave evidence of 
 Michael's triumph, and was also a pledge of the coming 
 resurrection. Josephus, the Jewish historian (in Anti- 
 
89-90 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 quities 4:8), states that God hid the body of Moses, 
 lest it should be worshiped by the people. 
 
 89. Did Nebuchadnezzar Literally Eat Grass? 
 
 We do not know any more on the subject than is 
 related in the Bible. The natural inference from the 
 narrative is that the king was temporarily deprived of 
 his reason, and insane people often do things as un- 
 natural as eating grass. There is nothing improbable 
 in the Biblical statement. On the other hand, some 
 authorities suggest that the narrative means nothing 
 more than that the king left his palace and the cares 
 of state and lived the life of a peasant for seven years ; 
 or, as we might say, vegetated in rural seclusion ; but 
 the plain statement of the text is that generally ac- 
 cepted. Daniel 4:35-37 indicates that he became, at 
 least outwardly, a believer in the true God. 
 
 90. What Were the Dimensions and Material 
 
 of Noah's Ark? 
 
 According to the directions in Genesis 6:15, the Ark 
 was 300 cubits long, 50 cubits broad and 30 cubits 
 high. Bible students have been greatly puzzled over 
 the length of the cubit, which seems to have varied 
 greatly in ancient times. It is evident, however (from 
 Deu. 3:11), that it was taken as a measure from the 
 human body, and may have been either from the 
 wrist to the end of the third figure, or the entire length 
 of the lower or forearm, from the elbow to the wrist, 
 or even from the elbow to the finger-point. One au- 
 thority, Celsus, says the cubit was identified with the 
 ulna, or under and larger of the two bones of the arm. 
 The Egyptian cubit, which the Hebrews may have 
 
Old Testament Subjects 90 
 
 taken, measured six hand-breadths and the Jewish 
 rabbins (as the Mishna states) assigned six hand- 
 breadths to the Mosaic cubit, while Josephus says a 
 cubit was equal to two spans, the span being equal to 
 three hand-breadths. Ezek. 40:5, 43:13 speaks of the 
 cubit "which was a cubit and a hand-breadth" which 
 was the Babylonian cubit. It would thus seem that 
 the Ark, though its size cannot be confidently stated, 
 was a very spacious vessel, probably exceeding 500 
 feet in length, fully 85 feet broad and over 52 feet 
 high. In 1609 Peter Jansen of Horn, in Holland, 
 built a vessel of these proportions and found that it 
 would stow fully a third more cargo than ships of 
 its size built in the ordinary manner. It had 3,600,000 
 cubic feet of space, and after nine-tenths had been 
 assigned for food storage there was still room for 7,000 
 pairs of animals, each with 50 cubic feet of space. It 
 was, in fact, a huge floating storehouse, rather than 
 a ship. 
 
 As to the materials of which the Ark was built, we 
 find in Genesis 6:14 that Noah is told to make an ark 
 of "gopher" wood. There are various conjectures as 
 to what kind of wood this was. Bunsen holds that it 
 was a wood found only in Egypt; Dietrich believes it 
 was a heavy reed-like growth ; Gesenius affirms that 
 it was pine, fir or cedar, and Bochart says cypress. 
 Chaldee translators declare it to have been the sissu, 
 a dark-colored wood of Arabian growth and highly 
 valued. A majority hold to the opinion that cypress 
 was meant, on account of its enduring qualities. 
 
 As to the time occupied in building it, much has 
 been said but little of real worth. The only Bible pas- 
 sage supposably referable to this question is Genesis 
 
91-92 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 6:3. This passage is variously interpreted. By some 
 it is held to refer to a shortening of human life; by 
 others it is interpreted as meaning that the period stated 
 would be further granted as a respite — an opportunity 
 for repentance — failing which the divine presence (the 
 Shecinah, which had hitherto continued at the gate of 
 Eden) would be withdrawn from the world on ac- 
 count of its wickedness. The best answer is that 
 nowhere is it stated in the Bible how long Noah was 
 engaged in building the Ark. The Lord had offered 
 a respite of 120 years, after the warning to the human 
 race (see I Peter 3 120; II Peter 2 15), and it was dur- 
 ing this period that Noah, who was a "preacher of 
 righteousness," not only labored in the work of awak- 
 ening the people to the enormity of their sin and of 
 urging them to repentance, but also used a portion of 
 that period in preparing the Ark for the emergency 
 that would arise, if the people did not listen to his cry 
 for repentance. 
 
 91. What Were the "Bitter Herbs" Used at the 
 
 Passover? 
 
 Since endive, chicory, wild lettuce, or nettles, were 
 important articles of food to the ancient Egyptians, it 
 is likely that these were the bitter herbs of the Pass- 
 over feast, more especially so, as they are at the present 
 time eaten by the Jews in the East. 
 
 92. Were the Patriarchs Really As Old As the 
 
 Bible Record States? 
 
 Some of the "higher critics" claim that the ancient 
 calendar of the antediluvians made the year really a 
 month, or lunar period. Others, with somewhat more 
 
Old Testament Subjects 93 
 
 reason, assert that a year was a season of growth equal 
 to three of our months. Hensler and Hufeland, two 
 German authorities, claim that the patriarchal year 
 was three months till Abraham's time, eight months 
 till Joseph's time, and thereafter twelve months. One 
 eminent Bible scholar has pointed out that if we accept 
 the monthly year theory, Mahalaleel's sixty-five years 
 before the birth of his son Jared would m!ake him a 
 parent at five years and three months of our reckon- 
 ing; Enoch would be the same age when his son 
 Methuselah was born, and the ages of the other patri- 
 archs at the birth of their children would be equally 
 preposterous. Of course, such conclusions absolutely 
 condemn the monthly year theory. Conditions among 
 the antediluvians were totally different from those af- 
 ter the Flood. There had been no rain, and the sun 
 and planets were not visible ; in the moist atmosphere, 
 growth was greatly stimulated and all natural condi- 
 tions tended to animal and vegetable longevity, pre- 
 cisely as the Bible indicates. Besides, as that period 
 produced animal types of giant proportions, created 
 for strength and endurance, the analogy of nature 
 would seem to demand that man should bear some har- 
 monious proportion to his surroundings. Genesis 6:4 
 (first clause) clearly implies this. Age and stature, 
 not only human but otherwise, became greatly dimin- 
 ished after the Flood. 
 
 93. Was Pharaoh Drowned in the Red Sea? 
 
 All the evidence is against the theory that he was 
 drowned in the Red Sea. Some very interesting in- 
 formation, furnishing striking confirmation of the 
 , Bible narrative, has recently been obtained, by deci- 
 
93 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 phering the inscriptions on ancient Egyptian monu- 
 ments. From these it appears that the Pharaoh who 
 "refused to let the people go" was named Menephthah. 
 He was the youngest son of the great Pharaoh, Ram- 
 eses II, the Pharaoh who oppressed the Hebrews and 
 ordered the killing of the male infants, and whose 
 death is mentioned in Exodus 2 123. Menephthah was 
 an old man, at least sixty, when he came to the throne, 
 and was constitutionally timid and feeble. He joined 
 with him in the government his brilliant son Seti, a 
 young man resembling in person and character his 
 grandfather, the great Rameses. Seti was virtually 
 king though his father, Menephthah, was king in 
 name. The Bible alludes to Seti as "the firstborn of 
 Pharaoh who sat on the throne" (Ex. 12:29). This 
 young man's tomb has been found, and a record of his 
 achievements, showing him to have been a great gen- 
 eral and administrator. But his name does not appear 
 in the list of the Pharaohs and the inscription on his 
 tomb shows that he never became king, but died sud- 
 denly, while still only a prince. The Bible tells us 
 how he died. It was on the night when the angel slev^ 
 the firstborn. Menephthah, as we know by the Bible 
 narrative, pursued the Hebrews. He had no son now 
 to take command as on former occasions. He was 
 then an old man eighty-two years of age. What more 
 likely than that, when he saw the Israelites descend 
 into the Red Sea, he should send on his army and stay 
 behind himself, not caring at his age, and at night, to 
 undertake so perilous a journey. The Egyptian records 
 state that once before, on the eve of battle, when he 
 should have led his army, the old man had a conven- 
 ient vision, ordering him not to enter the battle but to 
 
Old Testament Subjects 94 
 
 give the command to his son. He doubtless excused 
 himself on this occasion and so saved his life. A par- 
 allel case of a father and son reigning simultaneously 
 is found in Belshazzar, who, though exercising kingly 
 functions, does not appear on the list of kings. He 
 was associated in government with his father, Nabon- 
 nidus, and, like Seti in Egypt, died before his father. 
 
 94. What Is Meant by "I Will Harden Pharaoh's 
 Heart"? 
 
 This expression in Exodus 7 13 has been a stumbling- 
 block to many. There is a point reached by those who 
 have long persisted in wicked courses which is known 
 as judicial blindness, a point at which — God's re- 
 straining spirit being withdrawn — they become unable 
 to distinguish right from wrong or good from evil. 
 They grow hardened and morally incorrigible. (See 
 Mark 3:5; Rom. 11:25; II Cor. 3:14; Eph. 4:18.) 
 Under such circumstances, the offender turns even 
 blessings into sin by abusing them, and unless over- 
 taken by some great adversity, continues in his course, 
 blind to consequences. This was doubtless the case 
 with Pharaoh. Egypt had sinned deeply, and so long 
 as its rulers were unchecked by some stronger power, 
 they would continue to sin. Pharaoh, long accustomed 
 to the abuse of power, steeled himself against all sense 
 of justice and mercy, and this the "permissive act of 
 providence" allowed, in order that the culminating 
 punishment should be the more severe. In other 
 words, Pharaoh was permitted to go on in his sin, in 
 order that his fate might be made an awful example 
 to the whole world. 
 
95-96 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 95, If God "Hardened" Pharaoh's Heart, Was 
 
 It Possible for Him to do Otherwise than 
 He Did? 
 
 The true interpretation is that the divine message 
 of warning and the plagues which followed were the 
 occasion of Pharaoh's heart being hardened. Thus 
 the expression which has been translated as "har- 
 dened/' is, in Hebrew, "strong/' implying that the in- 
 fluence of the events had been to make the king's heart 
 stubborn or rebellious. (See Ex. 7:13, 14, 8:19, and 
 9:35.) Elsewhere in the same narrative the Hebrew 
 expression is capable of being translated "made heavy" 
 (as in Ex. 7:14 and 8:15 and 32, also Ex. 9:34). The 
 passage in Exodus 7:23, which may be rendered as in 
 the Authorized Version, and also as "he (Pharaoh) 
 set his heart even to this," expresses the condition of 
 Egypt's ruler, who had set his face like a flint against 
 Jehovah, and was alternately depressed and defiant, 
 but not repentant. 
 
 96. Who Were the Philistines? 
 
 Their origin is nowhere expressly stated in the 
 Bible; but since the prophets describe them! as "the 
 Philistines from Caphtor" (Amos 9:7), and "the rem- 
 nant of the maritime district of Caphtor" (Jer. 47:4), 
 it is probable that they were the "Caphtorim which 
 came out of Caphtor," and who expelled the Avim 
 from their lands and occupied them (Deu. 2:23), and 
 that they were the Caphtorim mentioned in the Mosaic 
 genealogical table among the descendants of Mizraim. 
 There is equal authority for believing Caphtor to have 
 been the island of Cyprus, or a land somewhere be- 
 tween Egypt and Ethiopia, or a part of Northera 
 
Old Testament Subjects 97-97A 
 
 Egypt. Some have claimed that Caphtor and the 
 modern island of Crete are identical ; but the best 
 authorities do not agree with this conclusion. 
 
 97. Who Wrote the Book of Proverbs? 
 
 Some ancient authorities, rabbins and others attrib- 
 ute the book to Solomon; others hold that it has a 
 composite origin and is the work of a number of writ- 
 ers. The ablest modern critics hold the latter opinion. 
 It is probable that Solomon was the author of the 
 portion beginning with the first verse of the tenth 
 chapter and ending with the sixteenth verse of the 
 twenty-second chapter. As we learn from the first 
 verse of the twenty-fifth chapter, the collection of 
 proverbs extending to the end of the twenty-ninth 
 chapter was also attributed to him, but was not com- 
 piled until 250 years after his death. The remainder 
 of the book appears to be composed of six portions by 
 different hands at different periods. One of these is 
 the introduction, which occupies the first nine chap- 
 ters. This was probably written by the man who 
 compiled the whole book, but whose name is unknown. 
 
 97A. Who Composed the Psalms? 
 
 The Book of Psalms (which is the Psalter of the 
 Hebrews) has many authors, the principal one being 
 David. Some are attributed to Hezekiah, Josiah, and 
 Zerubbabel, two (the 72d and 127th) to Solomon, 
 several to the Levites and the Asaphites, one, at least, 
 to Jeduthun, eleven to the sons of Korah, one to 
 Ethan (Psalm 89), while many are of uncertain 
 authorship. Moses is given by tradition as the author 
 of Psalm 90, being the only contribution of which his 
 
98-99 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 authorship is reasonably certain. The Psalms cover 
 a period of a thousand years. They were composed at 
 different remote periods, by various poets ; David, the 
 most prolific contributor, being indicated as the author 
 of seventy-three Psalms in the Hebrew text and eleven 
 in the Septuagint. 
 
 98. What Figure Is Conveyed by the Words 
 
 "Rachel Weeping for Her Children"? 
 
 The passage in Matthew 2:18 relates to the Baby- 
 lonian captivity. Rachel, the wife of Jacob, and 
 mother of Joseph and Benjamin, is figuratively repre- 
 sented as rising from the tomb and lamenting over 
 the loss of her children. Ramah in Benjamin was a 
 scene of pillage and massacre in Jeremiah's time (see 
 Jer. 31 :i5), and hence is chosen by the prophet in his 
 figurative scene of lamentation. 
 
 99. What Was the Width of the Red Sea at the 
 
 Point Where Israel Crossed? 
 
 It is generally held by a majority of writers and 
 travelers that the passage was made at Ras Atakah 
 Point, about six miles south of Suez, and opposite the 
 southern end of Jebel Atakah. At Ras Atakah, the 
 land runs out in the form of a promontory for fully 
 a mile into the sea beyond the regular shore line. 
 Beyond this, there is a shoal for nearly a mile more, 
 over which the water at low tide is usually about 
 fourteen feet deep. Beyond this, and before the true 
 channel or center is reached, there are two other com- 
 parative shoals ; the channel itself is somewhere about 
 fifty feet deep and three-quarters of a mile wide. There 
 is another succession of shoals on the eastern shore. 
 
Old Testament Subjects 100-101 
 
 The distance from shore to shore is about five and 
 a half miles. 
 
 100. Whence Came the Queen of Sheba? 
 
 It is supposed by well-informed authorities that she 
 came from Yemen, in Arabia Felix. In Matthew 
 12 142 she is referred to as the "Queen of the South," 
 who came from "the uttermost parts of the earth/' a 
 term applied by the ancients to southern Arabia. Not 
 improbably she was a lineal descendant of Abraham, 
 by Keturah, whose grandson, Sheba, peopled that part 
 of the then known world. The Arabic account of this 
 queen gives her the name of Bilkis or Yelkamah, a 
 monarch of the Himyerites ; but their account is prob- 
 ably more legendary than accurate as to detail. 
 
 101. What Problems Did the Queen of Sheba 
 
 Put to Prove the Wisdom of Solomon? 
 
 The Bible here gives us no clue but tradition has 
 preserved some of the questions which she is said to 
 have put to Solomon to test his wisdomi. These, we 
 believe, are principally found in the Talmudical writ- 
 ings. It is said she introduced a party of children all 
 dressed alike, and asked the king to tell which were 
 boys and which girls. King Solomon ordered vessels 
 to be brought that the children might wash their 
 hands. The girls rolled up their sleeves, but the boys 
 plunged their hands into the water at once, and were 
 easily detected by the king. The queen next ordered 
 her attendants to set before Solomon a number of 
 beautiful bouquets and asked him to indicate which 
 were the real flowers and which the false. Solomon 
 ordered the keeper of his gardens to bring in a hive 
 
102-103 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 of bees, and they almost instantly settled upon the 
 natural flowers and began to extract the sweets from 
 them, leaving the artificial flowers untouched. Other 
 traditions illustrative of Solomon's wisdom are told 
 by the ancient writers. 
 
 102. What Was the Sin of Saul— 1. Sam. 13: 
 
 13, 14? 
 
 His chief sin was disobedience. Samuel, the recog- 
 nized representative of God in the nation, had com- 
 manded him to wait till he arrived in Gilgal, saying he 
 would come in seven days. Saul did not wait till the 
 end of the seventh day, thereby showing an impatient 
 and disobedient spirit. God demands that men obey 
 Him implicitly. "To obey is better than sacrifice/' 
 Samuel said to Saul on another occasion of his dis- 
 obedience. Probably, also, Saul had no right to con- 
 duct the ritual of sacrifice. As to Samuel's doing so, 
 he may simply have ordered it done, directing Eleazar 
 the priest to conduct the ceremony; or his office of 
 prophet may have given him the authority to act also 
 as priest. Furthermore, though not a descendant of 
 Aaron, he belonged to the priestly tribe of Levi. 
 
 103. Why Were "Shepherds" an Abomination 
 
 to the Egyptians? 
 
 The reason of the Egyptian hatred of the shepherds 
 is a historic one. The Hyksos or Shepherd Kings, hun- 
 dreds of years before Joseph's time, had invaded and 
 conquered Lower Egypt and ruled the Delta, although 
 they never occupied the whole country. They came 
 from the East and were probably Arabians, and are 
 represented as having been a cruel and arrogant race, 
 
Old Testament Subjects 104 
 
 who subjected the Egyptians to great hardships. (See 
 Gen. 46:34.) They were finally driven out of the 
 country by a coalition of forces under several kings. 
 They were probably called Shepherds because of the 
 simplicity of their life, which was largely pastoral and 
 semi-barbaric. Manetho, the Egyptian historian, says 
 that they were the builders of Jerusalem, but his refer- 
 ence is probably to the Canaanites rather than the 
 Jews. Some writers suggest that they were the pro- 
 genitors of the Bedouins, and that the Amalekites, 
 Midianites, and other hostile nations who opposed the 
 Israelites after the Exodus were also descended from 
 the stock of the expelled Shepherds. It is not improb- 
 able that the Philistines may also have been a branch 
 of the same Shepherd family. 
 
 104. Who Were the Sidonians? 
 
 These people were descendants of Sidoa, a son of 
 Canaan, and were formerly a part of the Phoenician 
 nation (Matt. 15 :2i, 22\ Mark 7:24, 26). They dwelt 
 on the sea-coast in the cities of Zidon and Zarephath 
 (Josh. 11 :8; I Kin. 17:9; Luke 4:26), and were gov- 
 erned by kings. In character they were careless, idol- 
 atrous, superstitious, wicked and unpenitent (Judg. 
 18:7; I Kin. 11 :5; Jer. 27:3-9; Matt. 11 :2i, 22). Their 
 business was commerce and of course they were skill- 
 ful sailors (Is. 23:2; Eze. 27:8). They supplied the 
 Jews with timber, who in turn supplied them with 
 provisions (I Chron. 22:4; Acts 12:20; Eze. 27:17). 
 Although they were hostile and oppressive to Gocf s 
 people, Solomon and Abijah intermarried with them, 
 and Israel followed the Sidonian idolatry (Judg. 10:12; 
 Eze. 28:22-24; I Kin. 11 :i, 16:31). 
 
105-106 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 105. What Is Known of Sodom Outside the 
 
 Bible? 
 
 Comparatively little. Sodom was a small but popu- 
 lous country, and according to Josephus (Antiquities, 
 chapter 9, book I) was rich and flourishing, with five 
 kings controlling its affairs and with a certain degree 
 of ancient civilization. Doubtless they were idolaters, 
 but they had an opportunity, through the presence of 
 Lot and his household, of knowing the true God. In 
 chapter 11, book I of the Antiquities the historian tells 
 of their great wealth and pride, their injustice toward 
 men, their impiety and peculiar vices. So persistent 
 were they in wickedness that the overthrow of their 
 chief city and the destruction of the people came upon 
 them as a punishment. 
 
 106. Can Any Spiritual Lesson Be Drawn from 
 
 Solomon's Song? 
 
 Undoubtedly, as from every other part of the Bible. 
 The difficulties in regard to it arise from the various 
 views as to its plan and purpose. No less than sixteen of 
 these have been advanced by expositors. Three only, 
 however, have commended themselves to any large 
 number of Bible students. One of them regards it as 
 the yearning of God's people, when separated from the 
 Temple and the ordinances of the Jewish service. A 
 second view is that it represents, under the image of 
 an intense love, the relation of Christ and his people. 
 Paul uses the same symbol in Eph. 5 122-23. This 
 was evidently the view taken by the men who put the 
 headings to the chapters in the King James Version 
 of the Bible, which headings have been discarded in 
 the Revised Version. The third view is the literal, 
 
Old Testament Subjects 107-108 
 
 which is taken by modern scholars and is growing in 
 favor. It is that the poem celebrates the trials and 
 triumph of a country maiden, who when carried away 
 from her humble home and her rustic lover to become 
 an inmate of the king's harem, rejects with scorn the 
 magnificence and luxury offered her and remains 
 faithful to her lover, with whom she returns. The 
 lesson is obvious. It is the lesson of a fidelity to truth 
 and righteousness which no offer of wealth and luxury 
 can disturb. 
 
 107. Where Was the Twelfth Tribe at the Time 
 of the Jewish Kings? 
 
 Rehoboam reigned over one and Jeroboam over 
 ten. (I Kings n :3i-35, 12 :2i.) The tribe of Levi was 
 not counted because it had no land possessions (Num. 
 18:20-24), except cities for dwellings, with their out- 
 lying fields for pasturage (Num. 35:1-8). The tribe 
 of Joseph was divided into two parts, Ephraim and 
 Manasseh, which are usually spoken of as two distinct 
 tribes. But in this division Joseph seems to have been 
 counted as but one tribe, making Jeroboam's ten. Al- 
 though Rehoboam at first retained only Judah, most 
 of the tribe of Benjamin soon joined his kingdom. 
 Simeon and Dan also became part of the kingdom of 
 Judah. 
 
 10& What Was the Real Sin of Uzzah? 
 
 The sin of Uzzah (I Chron. 13 :g, 10) and its sudden 
 punishment have been a subject of much discussion. 
 None but priests of Aaron's family (that is, of the 
 priest's household) were permitted to touch the Ark. 
 Uzzah was of a Levitical family. In the house of his 
 
109 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 father, Ablnadab, the Ark had rested for twenty years. 
 When Uzzah put forth his hand to prevent the Ark 
 from falling he was smitten, Josephus explains, be- 
 cause he touched it, "not being a priest." Others, 
 however, have taken the view that Uzzah's sin was 
 not that of laying unordained and unconsecrated hands 
 upon the Ark in a moment of excitement, but rather 
 — if the real reason lay in this direction at all — because 
 he recklessly and sacrilegiously appropriated to himself 
 powers and privileges which he well knew belonged 
 to higher persons. One commentator writes: "The 
 whole proceeding was disorderly and contrary to the 
 distinct and significant regulations of the law which 
 prescribed that the Ark should be carried on the 
 shoulders of the Levites (Ex. 25:14), whereas it was 
 here conveyed in a cart drawn by oxen. Besides, it 
 should have been covered. There seems to have been 
 no priest in charge, and it would appear that the sacred 
 vessel was brought forth naked to the common gaze." 
 Uzzah as a Levite should have observed and remedied 
 these things, but his growing familiarity with the 
 mysteries of the Jewish religion had made him careless, 
 and the punishment came upon him at a time when it 
 would most effectually check the evils among the peo- 
 ple. That it had this effect is evident from I Chron. 
 25:2-13. 
 
 109. Did the Witch at Endor Really Raise the 
 Spirit of Samuel? 
 
 Much has been written on the question whether, in 
 the scene at Endor, an imposture or a real apparition 
 appeared. Eustathius and a majority of the early 
 Christian fathers held the former opinion, and repre- 
 
Old Testament Subjects 110 
 
 sent it as a deception of the evil one ; Origen held the 
 latter view. It should be remembered that Saul, at 
 the time was forsaken of God and that, rendered des- 
 perate by his sins, he had recourse to this woman, who 
 in the Hebrew writings is described as "a mistress of 
 Ob" or a necromancist (not a "witch") who obtained 
 a living by pretending to have intercourse with spirits, 
 while the Greek writers describe her as a ventriloquist. 
 Josephus, the Jewish historian, describes her as one 
 of a class of fortune-tellers who had been banished by 
 the king. Saul's highly wrought nervous condition at 
 the time, combined with the fact that he himself saw 
 no vision or spirit, but simply listened to and accepted 
 the necromancer's description of an aged man of god- 
 like appearance, should be taken into consideration, 
 and these facts doubtless influenced the early fathers 
 in reaching the conclusion that the wretched king had 
 been the victim of an imposition. 
 
 110. What Is the Real Meaning of the Visions 
 Described by Zechariah? 
 
 The chapters containing the visions are chiefly con- 
 cerned with the hope founded on the approaching end 
 of the seventy years, which, as Jeremiah predicted, 
 would be the period of the captivity in Babylon. These 
 are the meaning of the visions, according to some in- 
 terpreters: The flying roll, a huge book with wings, 
 contained the record of sin and curse. The prophet 
 sees it flying from the Holy Land, destroying on its 
 way the houses of the thieves and perjurers. The 
 woman in the ephah (5:5-11) represents the principle 
 of evil and of temptation. She, too, like sin and the 
 curse, must be removed from the land, and she is 
 
110 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 carried away to the land of Shinar, which the Jews 
 regarded as the fit abode of wicked things. The char- 
 iots of the winds (6:1-8) are God's messengers com- 
 missioned to avenge Israel. The black horses go north, 
 that is to punish Persia; the dappled, south, that is 
 against Egypt; and the white, west, that is against 
 Greece, then becoming formidable. The horses of the 
 fourth chariot have a general commission for any part 
 of the world in which enmity to Israel might develop. 
 
111-112 
 
 NEW TESTAMENT PERSONS 
 AND THINGS 
 
 111. How Was the Apostles' Creed Formulated ? 
 
 t According to one ancient writer who quotes from 
 tradition, it was Peter who contributed the first sen- 
 tence — "I believe in God the Father Almighty" ; John 
 added — "Maker of heaven and earth" ; James — "And 
 in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord"; Andrew — 
 "Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the 
 Virgin Mary"; Philip — "Suffered under Pontius Pi- 
 late; was crucified dead and buried"; Thomas — "He 
 descended into hell ; the third day he rose again from 
 the dead"; Bartholomew — "He ascended into heaven 
 and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Al- 
 mighty"; Matthew — "From whence he shall come to 
 judge the quick and the dead." The other clauses were 
 contributed by James (son of Alpheus), Simon Ze- 
 lotes, Jude and Matthias. It should be remembered, 
 however, that neither Luke nor any ecclesiastical writ- 
 er before the fifth century makes mention of an assem- 
 bly of the apostles to formulate a creed, and the early 
 fathers never claimed that the apostles framed it. Its 
 date and the circumstances of its origin are uncertain. 
 
 112. Did John Write the Last Chapter of His 
 
 Gospel ? 
 
 We know that it has been asserted by some critics 
 that this chapter must have been added by another 
 
113 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 hand, because the evangelist concluded his work in the 
 previous chapter. This, however, is not accepted by 
 sound scholarship, for the reason that it is not unusual 
 in the New Testament w r ritings and in other good 
 books, for authors to insert supplementary matter, to 
 which class the chapter in question clearly belongs. 
 There is no evidence that John's Gospel was ever 
 known in the early Church without this chapter. John, 
 it is true, refers to himself in the third person ; but he 
 did so also in chapter 19:35 in practically the same 
 terms as in 21 124. The best commentators agree as 
 to the genuineness on prima facie evidence. 
 
 113, What Were the Locusts That Became the 
 Food of John the Baptist? 
 
 Some writers think it may have been the common 
 locust or green grasshopper, which, when prepared and 
 dried, tastes somewhat like a shrimp. Many ancient 
 authors mention them as food. Diodorus Siculus refers 
 to a people of Ethiopia, who were called acridophaghi, 
 or locust eaters. Porphryius says that whole armies 
 have been saved from starvation by eating locusts. 
 Aristotle and Aristophanes assert that they were rel- 
 ished by the Greeks, and Layard, the discoverer, found 
 evidence that they were eaten in a preserved state by 
 the Assyrians. Later commentators, however have 
 conjectured that the "locust" mentioned in Mark's 
 Gospel as being the food of John the Baptist, was 
 the carob, the fruit of a tree of the locust family, which 
 is a sort of sweetish bean, in pods, much used by the 
 poorer classes. 
 
Old Testament Subjects 114-115 
 
 114. What Is Known of Joints Birth and Early 
 
 Training ? 
 
 He was of the priestly race by both parents, his 
 father, Zacharias, being a priest of the course of 
 Abijah, and Elisabeth a descendant of Aaron. Of the 
 first thirty years of his life, the only history we have 
 is contained in a single verse, Luke i :8o. But it is a 
 reasonable presumption that he received the Jewish 
 ecclesiastical training of that period. He was the 
 chosen forerunner of the Messiah (Luke i 76). Dwell- 
 ing alone in the desert region westward of the Dead 
 Sea, he prepared himself for his work by discipline 
 and constant prayer. One of his instructors, Banus 
 (mentioned by Josephus, the Jew T ish historian), tells 
 how he lived with John in the desert, eating the sparse 
 food and bathing frequently by day and night. At last 
 (about A. D. 25) John came forth from his hermit-like 
 seclusion in the wild mountainous tract in Judea lying 
 beyond the desert and the Dead Sea, and took up the 
 work of his real office, preaching repentance and bap- 
 tism, and attracting great multitudes. 
 
 115. Was John the Baptist Sentenced to Death 
 
 Before the Dance of Salome? 
 
 While there is no record to prove it, the presumption 
 is that Herod, in his mind, had already condemned John 
 on political grounds as one whose existence endangered 
 his position and authority, but his awakened con- 
 science and the fear inspired by John's teachings 
 restrained him. He had kept John in the prison of 
 Machaerus nearly a year when the Salome incident 
 occurred, which gave Herodias her opportunity to be 
 revenged upon the Baptist, who had rebuked both her 
 
116-117 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 and Herod for their sinful relations. It cannot be 
 asserted that Herod would have executed John had 
 not the king been caught by his pledge to Salome. On 
 the contrary Mark 6 126 tells us that he "was exceeding 
 sorrowful." 
 
 116. When Did John the Baptist Die? 
 
 The date is somewhat difficult to determine with any 
 degree of reliability. The first Passover of Jesus' 
 ministry is believed to have occurred in A. D. 27. His 
 baptism at John's hands took place immediately before 
 that time. John's imprisonment in the tower of 
 Machserus in all probability began in A. D. 27 and in 
 the first half of that year, but Herod's unwillingness 
 to put him to death may have delayed the climax until 
 the beginning of A. D. 28. Tradition says he was buried 
 in Samaria. 
 
 117. Was John the Baptist Elijah? 
 
 The statement in the affirmative is m>ade a number 
 of times in the New Testament. (See Matt. 11:14, 
 17 no-12 ; Mark 9 :i2, 13. See also Mai. 4 15.) But some 
 of the ablest commentators hold that we must interpret 
 the connection figuratively, and that there is no reason 
 for believing that this means any more than that he was 
 the new Elijah of his time, a rugged prophet, like 
 Elijah in temperament, habits and speech, unafraid 
 even of kings. He himself said distinctly that he was 
 not Elijah (John 1:21). The sense in which the 
 expression was used is made clear in Luke 1 117: "He 
 shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah." 
 In the narrative of Elijah's appearance at the trans- 
 figuration there is no suggestion that he was John the 
 
New Testament Subjects 118-120 
 
 Baptist, whom all the men present had known and 
 seen, and who had only recently died. One of the 
 things that distinguishes the philosophy of the Bible 
 from that of uninspired teachings is that it never con- 
 fuses or obscures personal identity. Each soul has a 
 distinct personality, which can never be merged or 
 changed into another. 
 
 118. John the Baptist's Place in Prophecy. 
 
 "Who was the last prophet of the old dispensation?" 
 John the Baptist came as the forerunner of Christ, and 
 so may be considered the last prophet of the old dis- 
 pensation. Christ said: "All the prophets and the 
 law prophesied until John" (Matt. II :I3). Otherwise, 
 if you regard him as belonging to an intermediate dis- 
 pensation, the last would be the prophet called Malachi, 
 the writer of the last book in the Old Testament. It is 
 not certain that Malachi was his name, as the word 
 may be translated, "My messenger." 
 
 119. Why Was Twelve the Number of the 
 
 Apostles? 
 
 All of the twelve disciples were Jews. Their num- 
 ber was doubtless fixed upon after the analogy of the 
 twelve tribes. They were mostly Galileans, taken from 
 the common people, and some at least had been dis- 
 ciples of John the Baptist. (See Matt. 12:25; John 
 1:35; Matt. 19:28.) 
 
 120. Have We a Historical Record of the Deaths 
 
 of the Apostles? 
 
 The records of their end are found in traditions pre- 
 served by the early Church. Matthew was martyred 
 
121-122 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 in Ethiopia; Mark in Alexandria, Egypt; Luke was 
 hanged on an olive tree in Greece ; John, after many 
 perils, died a natural death in Ephesus; Peter was 
 crucified in Rome, head downwards; James the Great 
 beheaded at Jerusalem ; James the Less beaten to death 
 with a fuller's club in the temple grounds; Philip 
 hanged at Hieropolis ; Bartholomew flayed alive ; 
 Thomas slain with a lance at Coromandel ; Jude killed 
 with arrows ; Simeon crucified in Persia ; Andrew cru- 
 cified ; Matthias stoned and beheaded ; Barnabas stoned 
 to death by Jews at Salamis ; Paul beheaded at Rome 
 under Nero. 
 
 121. If Paul Had Not Expected a Resurrection 
 
 Would He Have Lived a Self-indulgent 
 Life? 
 
 No, he was not that kind of man. In the passage 
 in I Cor. 15:32 he is considering the attitude of an 
 opponent, and is stating such an argument as might 
 be made by one who believed there was no life beyond 
 the grave. In effect he says : "A man who does not 
 believe in immortality might naturally say, in consid- 
 ering such a life as mine, that it is folly. Instead of 
 fighting with beasts as I did at Ephesus, and enduring 
 all kinds of hardship and persecution, it would be bet- 
 ter for me if I simply enjoyed the good things of life. 
 Such a man could never be persuaded to become a 
 Christian, if there was no prospect of a future life. 
 
 122. Is It Known Who Were Paul's Parents? 
 
 The name of Paul's parents are not given in the 
 Scriptures. The only mention of his blood relations 
 is in Acts 23:16 and Rom. 16:7, 11, but whether 
 
New Testament Subjects 123-124 
 
 Andronicus, Junia and Herodion were really relatives 
 or simply friends is an open question. 
 
 123. What Are the Dates of the Pauline 
 
 Epistles ? 
 
 According to the best authorities the epistles of Paul 
 were written at about the following times : 
 
 Romans 58 A. D. at Corinth. 
 
 I Corinthians 57 A. D. at Ephesus. 
 
 II Corinthians 58 A. D. at Philippi. 
 
 I Thessalonians 52 A. D. at Corinth. 
 
 II Thessalonians .... 52 or 53 A. D. at Corinth. 
 
 Philippians 61 A. D. at Rome. 
 
 Colossians 63 A. D. at Rome. 
 
 Ephesians 63 A. D. at Rome. 
 
 Galatians 58 A. D. at Corinth. 
 
 Philemon 63 A. D. at Rome. 
 
 I Timothy 65 A. D. in Macedonia. 
 
 II Timothy 6j A. D. in Rome. 
 
 Titus 66 A. D. in Macedonia. 
 
 124. What Do We Know of Paul's Personal 
 
 Appearance? 
 
 All we know of it, from his own writings, is found 
 in II Cor. 10:10, which indicates that he did not 
 possess the advantage of a distinguished or imposing 
 presence. His stature was somewhat diminutive, his 
 eyesight weak (see Acts 23:5 and Gal. 4:15) nor did 
 he regard his address as impressive. Much of this 
 personal criticism, however, may have been the out- 
 come of the apostle's desire to avoid magnifying him- 
 self or his own talents. A fourth century tablet repre- 
 sents him as venerable-looking and dignified, with a 
 
125 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 high, bald forehead, full-bearded, and with features 
 indicating force of character. One ancient writer says 
 Paul's nose was strongly aquiline. All the early 
 pictures and mosaics, as well as some of the early 
 writers (among them Malalus and Nicephorus) agree 
 in describing the apostle as of short stature, with long 
 face, prominent eyebrows, clear complexion and a 
 winning expression, the whole aspect being that of 
 power and dignity. The oldest known portrait is the 
 Roman panel of the fourth century, already referred 
 to above. 
 
 125. What Was the Cause of the Dispute Be- 
 tween Peter and Paul at Antioch? 
 
 "When Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him 
 to the face, because he was to be blamed," wrote Paul 
 in Gal. 2:11. In view of this statement of Paul, some 
 have questioned whether we may regard both Paul 
 and Peter as having been acting under inspiration. 
 The question of inspiration is not involved in the 
 incident that took place at Antioch, when Paul rebuked 
 Peter for his inconsistency. It is simply a question of 
 human weakness. While under the influence of cer- 
 tain High Church Jewish-Christians, who came from 
 James, Peter withdrew and separated himself from) 
 the Antioch Christians, "fearing them of the circum- 
 cision." The result was that Barnabas, and doubtless 
 many others, were affected by his example, which be- 
 came a scandal in the community. To save the Church 
 from an apostasy, Paul took Peter to task for his con- 
 duct and rebuked him openly, as his conduct was an 
 attack on Gospel liberty. The writings of Paul and 
 Peter that have found their way into the New Testa- 
 
New Testament Subjects 126-127 
 
 ment Canon are, beyond doubt, inspired, but to say 
 that every word they uttered during their Christian 
 lives was inspired is what we do not believe. Paul 
 and Peter had human weaknesses and limitations, like 
 other men. But when they wrote authoritatively under 
 the guidance of the Holy Ghost, they were kept free 
 from errors and mistakes, and in this way were 
 inspired. 
 
 126. Was Paul Familiar with the Scriptures? 
 
 It is made clear in Acts 27 that Paul was familiar 
 with "all the learning of the Greeks." Tarsus, his 
 native city, was a famous seat of learning and philo- 
 sophical research, and he probably had the advantage 
 of training in its schools. The son of a Pharisee and 
 trained from boyhood to the pursuits of a doctor of 
 Jewish law, he presumably was instructed in the ele- 
 ments of Rabbinical lore, including of course the 
 Jewish Scriptures. These are the inferences of those 
 writers who have studied his life career. This could 
 not apply to the New Testament writings as we now 
 know them, for they were only in the making, and 
 must have been very incomplete ; but it is a fair pre- 
 sumption that in his later career, as an apostle, he was 
 not ignorant of such writings as may then have been 
 in existence, dealing with the events of Jesus' life and 
 ministry. There was no New Testament, in the mod- 
 ern meaning of the term, in Paul's day, and could 
 not have been, for obvious reasons. 
 
 127. What Part Did Paul Have in the Stoning 
 
 of Stephen? 
 
 Paul, at the time of Stephen's martyrdom, was more 
 than a mere spectator; he was an active assistant. 
 
128 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 There is nothing in the Scripture to show that before 
 his miraculous conversion, he had shown or expressed 
 regret at his participation in Stephen's death. On the 
 contrary, he had become, and was, up to the moment 
 when he was stricken down, one of the bitterest and 
 most relentless persecutors of the Christians. (See Acts 
 26:10, 12.) What he may have thought, in his own 
 heart at times, of his share in the tragedy, or what 
 influence it may have had upon him, can only be a 
 matter of surmise. There was nothing to outwardly 
 reveal that he brooded over it or that he repented at 
 all, before his own transformation. 
 
 128. Was Paul Ever Married? 
 
 There is no evidence in the New Testament to show 
 that he was ever married, and commentators have held 
 that various passages in which he urges celibacy, show 
 him to have remained single by choice. But this is 
 only an inference. Others take the opposite view, 
 pointing out that at the age of thirty, he was a member 
 of the Sanhedrin (Acts 26:10) ; as such he "gave his 
 vote" against the followers of Jesus. Being the 
 youngest of the judges, he was appointed "judicial 
 witness" of the execution of Stephen. According to 
 Maimonides, and the Jerusalem Gemara, it was re- 
 quired of all who were to be made members of 
 that Council that they should be married, and fa- 
 thers of families, because such were supposed to 
 be more inclined to merciful judgment. (See Life 
 of St. Paul, by Conybeare and Howson, volume 1, 
 chapter 2.) 
 
New Testament Subjects 129-131 
 
 129. What Were the Dates of Paul's Mission- 
 
 ary Journeys? 
 
 Paul's introduction by the sacred historian (when he 
 was a witness of Stephen's martyrdom), is supposed 
 to have been about A. D. 36. At that time he was 
 probably between thirty and forty years of age. His 
 conversion took place A. D. 37. He left Damascus 
 A. D. 37. First missionary journey undertaken A. D. 
 44; his second, three years later, and his third, four 
 years after the second. 
 
 130. When Did Paul Go to Rome and How Long 
 
 Did He Stay? 
 
 According to the best available information, the 
 shipwreck occurred in the year 56 A. D., and late in 
 the autumn of that year Paul reached Rome as a 
 prisoner. The length of his stay is uncertain. Acts 
 28 130 says two years, and the author probably knew. 
 It is probable that Paul was then set at liberty and 
 made another preaching tour, going farther west than 
 before. He was afterwards again seized and taken 
 back to Rome. How long a time elapsed between his 
 second arrival and his execution there no one knows. 
 
 131. Did Paul Baptize? 
 
 He answers this question himself (I Cor. 1:17). 
 He implies that he had something better to do. Christ 
 sent him not to baptize but to preach the Gospel. The 
 value of baptism in the case of the Corinthian converts 
 was that it was a public profession of their faith — it 
 placed them on record. This result would be attained 
 whoever administered the rite, and, therefore, Paul 
 relegated the duty to some other Christian. After he 
 
132-133 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 left, the Corinthians began to think there was some 
 special significance about it, and for this Paul reproves 
 them. 
 
 132. Did Peter Go to Rome? 
 
 There is nothing in the book of Romans to indicate 
 Peter's presence in Rome at any time, but that is 
 merely negative evidence. If he ever visited Rome, 
 it was probably during the last year of his life, 
 although Eusebius in the Chronicon says he visited it 
 in A. D. 42. Jerome also mentions Peter's visit to 
 Rome. Catholic writers assert that he was there for 
 a number of years. There is no evidence of the fact in 
 the New Testament books. It is generally accepted, 
 however, that he was in Rome in his last year when 
 he became a martyr as our Lord predicted (John 
 21:18, 19). Dionysus of Corinth writes that Peter 
 and Paul suffered martyrdom in Italy together. 
 Irenseus confirms his presence in Rome. Caius, 
 Origen, Tertullian and others bear similar testi- 
 mony. 
 
 133. Was Peter Converted Before His Denial 
 
 of Christ? 
 
 Peter was a man of resolute character, bold and 
 decisive. He was easily the leader of the twelve. 
 Honest-hearted and warmly attached to Christ, he 
 believed himself immovably loyal; yet in the hour of 
 temptation he proved unstable and weak. Jesus knew 
 his heart and warned him against over-confidence in 
 his own loyalty. "I have been praying for thee," he 
 said, "that thy faith fail not." He needed this divine 
 strengthening. His faith had failed once before in a 
 
New Testament Subjects 134 
 
 crisis (see Matt. 14:29), and what he needed to con- 
 firm him now was the "power from on high" which 
 would come later. The tempter was to sift all the 
 disciples, and Jesus foresaw Peter's weakness, but he 
 was preserved from falling by this special intercession. 
 His case shows, perhaps more completely than any 
 other in the New Testament, the weakness of the 
 natural and the strength of the spiritual man. Even 
 at the moment of his denial of Christ, it needed but a 
 glance from the eye of his Lord to make him instantly 
 repentant. After the enduement with the Holy Ghost, 
 he stood forth as the leader of the apostles, faithful 
 unto death. 
 
 134. What Was Paul's "Thorn in the Flesh"? 
 
 It referred to some bodily affliction affecting him 
 individually and physically, but not his work as an 
 apostle. In Gal. 4:13, 14 he refers to it as an "infirm- 
 ity of my flesh" — some form of bodily sickness which 
 had detained him among the Galatians. It was proba- 
 bly something that caused him acute pain, and also 
 some degree of shame, since it "buffeted" him (I 
 Pet. 2:20). There have been many conjectures as to 
 its real character. Some have imagined it to be blasphe- 
 mous thoughts, and others, remorse for his former 
 life; but the most probable view is that it was an 
 affliction which caused him physical annoyance, possi- 
 bly a disorder of the eyes, or some nervous ailment. 
 At all events, we are assured that it was so persistent 
 and recurrent that he speaks of it in terms of apology 
 and mortification. 
 
135-136 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 135. For What Purpose Was Judas Chosen as 
 
 a Disciple? 
 
 He was attracted, as the others were, by the preach- 
 ing of the Baptist or by his own Messianic hopes. It 
 can be imagined, however, that baser motives may 
 have mingled with his faith and zeal. He must have 
 possessed some qualifications, probably plausibility 
 being one, and he may even have excelled the rest of 
 the twelve in business ability. Again, he may have 
 joined the twelve in all sincerity, and yielded to temp- 
 tation only when he found the handling of the money 
 made him covetous. It was evident that Jesus knew 
 from the beginning what Judas would do (John 6:64). 
 Volumes have been written in the futile effort to 
 explain why Judas was chosen. 
 
 136. In What Sense Was Judas a Devil? 
 
 Little is known of the life of Judas before his ap- 
 pearance among the apostles. He was probably drawn 
 by the Baptist's preaching, or by his own ambitious 
 hopes of the coming of a Messianic kingdom, in which 
 he might play an important and lucrative part. He 
 -seems to have declared himself a disciple of Jesus, as 
 the others did, and as he was intrusted with the 
 finances of the little company, we may judge that he 
 enjoyed a measure of confidence, although this seems 
 to have been undeserved. (See John 12:6.) That 
 Jesus himself knew the heart of Judas from the begin- 
 ning is made clear from the text. (See also John 
 6:64-71.) Our Lord knew his inmost thoughts. He 
 knew Judas to be deceitful and treacherous. He knew 
 of his criminal confidences with the priests, which 
 culminated in the betrayal. (See John 18:3-5.) The 
 
New Testament Subjects 137-138 
 
 act of betrayal was not the outcome of a sudden im- 
 pulse at the Last Supper, but was the closing scene in 
 a long career of deceit and treachery. Judas was 
 probably ambitious, and like several other apostles 
 believed that Jesus would set up an earthly kingdom in 
 which he himself might have an influential part. Of 
 his early history before his name appears in the list 
 of the apostles, nothing is known. The name "Iscariot" 
 is variously explained, some writers holding that he 
 was so called because he belonged to Kerioth in the 
 tribe of Judah. 
 
 137. How Did Judas Die? 
 
 Several explanations of the apparent discrepancy 
 between Matt. 27:3-10 and Acts 1:18, 19 have been 
 offered. The first, with relation to the death of Judas, 
 is that the word translated as "hanged" in Matt. 27 :5 
 is capable of a different interpretation, i. e. y death by 
 a sudden spasm of suffocation, which might have been 
 accompanied by a fall before the spasm spent itself. 
 Another suggestion, which has been made by some 
 eminent scholars, is that the work of suicide was but 
 half accomplished when, the halter parting, Judas 
 fell with the result stated in Acts 1 :i8. 
 
 138. Was It Repentance or Remorse That Drove 
 
 Judas to Suicide? 
 
 All we know is what the Scripture tells us. It may 
 have been remorse, or chagrin over the failure of his 
 plans, but it could hardly have been repentance. It 
 was suggested by DeQuincey, with some plausibility, 
 that in betraying Christ, he was seeking to precipitate 
 a crisis, out of which he expected to see Christ emerge 
 
139 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 triumphant. He thought Christ would use his mirac- 
 ulous power to save himself, and when in danger of 
 death, would declare himself King, and would set up 
 his kingdom, in which the disciples would hold high 
 office. When he found that Christ intended to submit, 
 he perceived that his scheme to force his hand had 
 failed, and he was overwhelmed by the catastrophe he 
 had precipitated. The suggestion is not sustained by 
 the conception we gain of him in the Gospels, but it 
 is possible to imagine an ambitious and avaricious 
 man acting in that way; if, as is possible, he was 
 impatient with Christ, who had powers so great and 
 yet was so slow to use them to advance his own inter- 
 ests and those of the men who had left all to follow 
 him, he may have tried this scheme. The suggestion, 
 however, is pure conjecture. No one has been able 
 to analyze satisfactorily the character of Judas. 
 
 139. Were the Apostles Converted Before the 
 Day of Pentecost? 
 
 Jesus had said, many things to and about His dis- 
 ciples before his death,^ which indicated that they were 
 converted men: "Rejoice, because your names are 
 written in heaven," Luke 10:20; "Now ye are clean 
 through the word that I have spoken unto you," John 
 15:3; "Ye know him" (the Spirit of truth), "for he 
 dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." In the last 
 verse he distinguishes them from "the world." The 
 world, he said, cannot receive the Spirit; but the 
 Spirit was already with the disciples, and was to come 
 into their hearts in greater fullness, as he did on the 
 day of Pentecost. In the high-priestly prayer Jesus 
 said : "I pray not for the world, but for them which 
 
New Testament Subjects 140 
 
 thou hast given me; for they are thine;" 'They are 
 not of the world, even as I am not of the world;" 
 "Thine they were, and thou gavest them me ; and they 
 have kept thy word," John 17:9, 14, 16, 6. Although 
 Peter was a converted man, he fell into sin and denied 
 his Master. It is the common experience of justified 
 Christians that, while they do not habitually sin, they 
 slip occasionally into transgression. But after the 
 fullness of the Spirit had been received on the day of 
 Pentecost, Peter and the other apostles stood firm. 
 This also has been the experience of many Christians 
 since the apostles' time, who have found, in a larger 
 blessing, sanctifying and keeping grace. Jacob's ex- 
 perience was the same. Before his blessing at Jabbok, 
 he had met God at Bethel and received the promise: 
 "I will not leave thee" (Gen. 28:15) ; God had spoken 
 to him again, while he dwelt with Laban (Gen. 31 13- 
 11) ; the angels of God met him at Mahanaim (Gen. 
 32:2). But after the experience at Jabbok, or Peniel, 
 he lived to the end of his days a purer, higher spiritual 
 life. 
 
 140. Was the Gift of Tongues Retained by the 
 Apostles Until Their Death? 
 
 The endowment of the "gift of tongues" was ap- 
 parently continued to the Christians during the apos- 
 tolic age. Jesus before his ascension breathed upon his 
 disciples and said. "Receive ye the Holy Ghost." Fifty 
 days after the crucifixion, the disciples received special 
 power, when the Holy Ghost came upon them. It was 
 to be a sign — to belong to only a few — the apostles 
 and evangelists — and with this gift they went forth 
 to preach to the nations. Later, Paul wrote that he 
 
141-142 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 "spake with tongues more than all." In I Cor. 13 :8, 
 however, we see that "tongues'' were already ceasing, 
 as belonging to the past. Many times since then the 
 question has arisen whether the gift of tongues was 
 continued to succeeding generations. The attitude of 
 the early Church, neither to quench nor forbid them 
 (see I Thess. 5:19), yet not to invite or excite them, 
 was a safe one. If they were of God, the fact would 
 make itself apparent; if they were simply hysterical 
 jargon, they would quickly subside. Throughout 
 Church history, there were many spurious instances. 
 Irenaeus wrote of some in his time who spoke with 
 tongues, but Eusebius hardly referred to the subject, 
 and Chrysostom mentions it only to discourage what 
 he considered as an ecstatic indulgence of doubtful 
 spiritual profit. 
 
 141. Were Any of the Disciples Married? 
 
 Very little is known regarding the domestic rela- 
 tions of the apostles beyond what is disclosed in the 
 Gospels. Matt. 8:15 clearly implies that Peter was 
 married. Bartholomew is said by tradition to have 
 been the bridegroom at the wedding at Cana, and 
 Philip is mentioned by Clement of Alexandria as hav- 
 ing had a wife and children. Nothing definite can be 
 asserted concerning the others, although they are 
 generally assumed to have been unmarried. 
 
 142. Who Were the Essenes? 
 
 A small community of Jews in the time of Christ, 
 who led a pastoral life and did not marry. They held 
 their goods and took their meals in common, strictly 
 observed the Sabbath, prayed before sunrise with their 
 
New Testament Subjects 143-146 
 
 faces to the East, bathed daily in cold water, never 
 swore, sacrificed no animals, and believed in immor- 
 tality without a resurrection of the body. 
 
 143, Who Were the Gentiles? 
 
 Gentiles, which means simply "peoples," was a term 
 applied indiscriminately by the Jews to all other nations 
 than themselves. After a time it acquired a hostile 
 meaning, as the Jews gradually drew themselves apart 
 as a "holy nation." The term is used of "Galilee of 
 the Gentiles," where some five nations other than the 
 Jews were represented; the "Court of the Gentiles" 
 outside the Temple area; the "isles of the Gentiles," 
 etc. 
 
 144. Who Were the Pharisees? 
 
 The Pharisees were a Jewish sect deriving their 
 name from a word which means "separate" or "dis- 
 tinct." They were disciples of the Jewish sages, who 
 held themselves aloof and claimed to keep rigidly the 
 Mosaic laws of purity. They had many religious 
 observances and believed in a future life of rewards 
 and punishments. 
 
 145, Who Were the Sadducees? 
 
 The Sadducees were a sect of free-thinkers, differ- 
 ing greatly from the Pharisees on many points. They 
 rejected the oral law and the prophets and only ac- 
 cepted the Pentateuch, and Josephus says they denied 
 the resurrection from the dead. 
 
 146. Who Were the Herodians? 
 
 The Herodians were a class of Jews in the time of 
 Christ, who were partisans of Herod, either of a 
 
147 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 political or religious sort, or both. It appears that 
 when the ecclesiastical authorities of Judea held a 
 council against the Saviour, they associated with them- 
 selves the Herodians, and sent an embassy to Jesus 
 designing to trap him in his speech. As tetrarch of 
 Galilee, Herod Antipas was the ruler of the province 
 which was Jesus' home, and the Jews doubtless argued 
 that Herod would be pleased if they could convict 
 Jesus of being a rival claimant to the crown. The 
 Pharisees were a Jewish sect who held rigidly aloof 
 from other sects, claimed to be free from every kind 
 of impurity and united to keep the Mosaic laws, to 
 which they gave the closest study. They were fre- 
 quently denounced by our Saviour for their self-right- 
 eousness and their assumption of superior piety. The 
 Sadducees were another sect, originally a religious 
 body, but which had developed into a body of free- 
 thinkers. They rejected the oral law and the prophets, 
 but believed in the Pentateuch ; they denied the resur- 
 rection and they held different views from other Jews 
 on various other important points while claiming to be 
 the most aristocratic and conservative of all the bodies. 
 
 147. What Is Known of the Early Life of the 
 Author of the Epistle of James? 
 
 Nothing authoritative. He was probably brought up 
 with Jesus and the other children in the Nazareth 
 home. It is believed that he did not become a follower 
 of Christ until after the resurrection. Christ seems 
 to have appeared specially to him, and as Paul men- 
 tions the fact (I Cor. 15:7) we may presume it was 
 generally known, though it is not related in any of 
 the Gospels. James was a strict Jew before becom- 
 
New Testament Subjects 148-150 
 
 ing a Christian, and was highly esteemed among the 
 Jews for his piety. It looks as though he never quite 
 shook off his Jewish ideas (Gal. 2:12), and his epistle 
 shows that he could not cordially endorse Paul's way 
 of stating the Gospel. 
 
 148. Was It a Whale That Swallowed Jonah? 
 
 Nowhere in the book of Jonah are we told that the 
 fish that swallowed Jonah was a whale. In Matt. 
 12 140 the word "whale" is used, but the revised ver- 
 sion gives "sea monster" in the margin. There is 
 absolute proof that sea monsters large enough to swal- 
 low a man have been found in the Mediterranean and 
 other seas. 
 
 149. Who Were the Karaites, or Readers? 
 
 They were a small remnant of the Sadducees, "the 
 Protestants of Judaism/' formed into a sect by Anan- 
 ben-Daniel in the eighth century. They rejected the 
 rabbinical traditions and the Talmud, and accepted the 
 Scriptures alone. The origin of their name is uncer- 
 tain. Some of the sect exist in the Crimea, Poland 
 and Turkey. 
 
 150. How Long Did Lazarus Live After Being 
 
 Raised from the Dead? 
 
 There are no authoritative data on the subject. An 
 old tradition, mentioned by Epiphanius, says that 
 Lazarus was thirty years old when restored from death 
 and that he lived thirty years thereafter. Still another 
 tradition declares that he traveled to Southern Europe, 
 accompanied by Mary and Martha, and preached the 
 Gospel in Marseilles. 
 
151-153 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 151. Who Was Lydia? 
 
 She is mentioned in Acts 16:15 and was a resident 
 of Thyatira, a city celebrated for its purple dyes. She 
 seems to have been a business woman, engaged in the 
 sale of dyed goods, and she evidently had an extensive 
 establishment, as she was able to accommodate the 
 missionary party. She was a proselyte to the Jewish 
 faith, but became a believer under Paul's ministry. 
 
 152. Was Mary, the Mother of Jesus, of the Tribe 
 
 of Judah? 
 
 It is not proved, except inferentially. The Jews, in 
 constructing their genealogical tables, reckoned wholly 
 by males. Some of the best modern authorities, how- 
 ever, observing all the rules followed by the Hebrews 
 in genealogies, have reached the conclusion that in 
 Zorobabel the lines of Solomon and Nathan unite, 
 and that Joseph and Mary are therefore of the same 
 tribe and family, being both descendants of David in 
 the line of Solomon and that both have in them the 
 blood of Nathan. David's son, Joseph, has descent 
 from Abiud (Matt. 1 113) and Mary from Rhesa (Luke 
 3 :2j), sons of Zorobabel. The genealogies of Matthew 
 and Luke are parts of one perfect whole; the former 
 bearing the descent of Mary and Joseph from Solo- 
 mon — the latter the descent of both from Nathan. 
 
 153. Who Were the Parents of Mary? 
 
 Many scholars are of opinion that she was the daugh- 
 ter of the Heli mentioned in Luke 3 123. As the Jews 
 reckoned their genealogy by the male side only, it was 
 customary to set a man's son-in-law down as his son. 
 This would account for Joseph being described by one 
 
New Testament Subjects 154-156 
 
 evangelist as the son of Jacob and by the other as the 
 son of Heli. Apart from that theory there are no data 
 for ascertaining the parentage of Mary. 
 
 154. How Many Marys Are There in the Bible? 
 
 The Marys spoken of in the New Testament are: 
 Mary the mother of Christ, Mary Magdalene, Mary 
 the sister of Lazarus, Mary the wife of Cleophas (John 
 19:25) and Mary the mother of John (Acts 12:12). 
 
 155. Who Are the Nestorians? 
 
 They are the descendants of a sect of early Chris- 
 tians, named after Nestorius, a theologian of the fifth 
 century A. D. They claim also to be descended from 
 Abraham, and sometimes call themselves Chaldeans. 
 They are probably the oldest of the Oriental churches. 
 They are found in Persia, in India, East Indies, Syria, 
 Arabia, Asia Minor, and even in Cochin China, the 
 principal settlements, however, being in and near 
 Persia. They believe Christ to be both divine and 
 human — two persons, with only a moral and sym- 
 pathetic union. They do not believe in any divine 
 humiliation nor any exaltation of humanity in Christ. 
 They acknowledge the supreme authority of the Scrip- 
 tures and believe they contain all that is essential to 
 salvation. The main body of Nestorians is nominally 
 Christian, but it is a lifeless Christianity. They have 
 no images, but they invoke the Virgin and the saints 
 and are ignorant and superstitious. 
 
 156. Who Were the Nicolaitanes ? 
 
 Though they are mentioned in Rev. 2:15 it is not 
 positively known, but from the context it would appear 
 
156 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 that they were people who abused Paul's doctrine of 
 Christian liberty, which they turned into license. It 
 is supposed that Jude 4 refers to them. They appear 
 to have attended the heathen rites and shared in the 
 abominations there practised. Some suppose them to 
 have been followers of Nicolas of Antioch, but if so, 
 they falsely claimed that he taught such things. It 
 is more probable that the name, if relating to a person 
 at all, has been confused with some other Nicolas. 
 
157-158 
 
 WORDS AND TERMS 
 
 157. What Significance Has the Word "Abba," 
 
 as When It Precedes the Wotd "Father" ? 
 
 "Abba" is the Hebrew word for "father," in the 
 emphatic or definite state, as "thy father." Its use 
 in referring to God was common among the Jews; 
 but in order that it might not seem too familiar or 
 irreverent, the New Testament writers gave it the two- 
 fold form, which has become a recognized phrase ins 
 Christian worship. It is as though they said : "Father, 
 our Father." 
 
 158. What Are We to Understand by the Battle 
 
 of Armageddon, Referred to in Revela- 
 tion? 
 
 Armageddon is the name given to the last great 
 battle to be fought in the world's history, in which 
 the whole human race is arrayed on one side or the 
 other. It is to be the final struggle of Antichrist. 
 When it will be fought no one can tell ; but that there 
 will be a great struggle we are assured. Before that 
 day comes "many false prophets shall arise and lead 
 many astray . . . iniquity shall be multiplied and 
 the love of many shall wax cold." There are to be 
 false Christs, false teachers doing signs and wonders, 
 and leading astray "even the elect if such were pos- 
 sible." It is to be preceded by a period of apostasy, 
 in which the authority of the wicked one will be fully 
 
159-159A Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 demonstrated, with the assumption of divinity and the 
 demand for universal worship as God. In the present 
 stage of the conflict between good and evil, when 
 mighty forces are arrayed on both sides, we can see 
 the foreshadowing of the fierce struggle that is to 
 come; but we may rest assured that righteousness 
 will triumph in the end. (See the parallel passage 
 in Joel 3:2-12.) Armageddon is "the mountain of 
 Megiddo," west of the Jordan, a scene of early his- 
 toric battles and the place that would naturally suggest 
 itself to the mind of a Galilean writer to whom the 
 place and its associations were familiar. 
 
 159. What Is Meant by the "Prince of the 
 Power of the Air"? 
 
 It refers to Satan (Eph. 2:2), the "prince of evil/' 
 who assails men on earth with trials and temptations. 
 The word "power" is used here for the embodiment 
 of that evil spirit which is the ruling principle of all 
 unbelief, especially among the heathen. (See I Tim. 
 4:1; II Cor. 4:4; John 12:31.) 
 
 159 A. What Is to Be Understood by Being 
 "Baptized for the Dead"? 
 
 Beuzel translated the familiar passage in I Cor. 
 15:29 thus: "Over the dead/' or "immediately upon 
 the dead," meaning those who will be gathered to the 
 dead immediately after baptism. Many in the ancient 
 church put off baptism till near death. The passage 
 probably referred to some symbolical rite of baptism 
 or dedication of themselves to follow the dead even to 
 death. Another view held by some expositors is that 
 it was a custom to baptize certain persons with the 
 
Words and Terms 160-162 
 
 names of the dead, in the hope that they might inherit 
 their spirit and carry on their work. 
 
 160. What Is the Baptism of Fire? 
 
 It has been variously interpreted to mean : ( I ) the 
 baptism of the Holy Spirit, (2) the fires of purgatory, 
 and (3) the everlasting fires of hell. Modern theo- 
 logians take the view that the baptism of fire and that 
 of the Holy Ghost are the same, and that it may be 
 rendered "baptized with the Holy Ghost through the 
 outward symbol of fire/' or "as with the cloven tongues 
 of fire/' referring to the Pentecostal baptism. 
 
 161. Have Automobiles and Airships Been the 
 
 Subject of Biblical Prophecy? 
 
 Nahum 2 14 has been quoted as referring to auto- 
 mobiles, but this appears to strain the meaning of the 
 passage, which was written as a direct prophecy of the 
 destruction of Nineveh. The verse describes the mad 
 rush of those in chariots to escape the enemy. Isa. 
 60:8 has been thought by some to be a reference to 
 the coming use of airships, but here again the direct 
 meaning is obvious, that in the time of Judea's pros- 
 perity ships shall flock to her shores as doves to the 
 windows of their dovecotes. Hab. 1 :8 might be 
 thought to presage manflight, but the figure is used to 
 express the terrific haste with which the Chaldeans 
 shall come against Judea. 
 
 162. What Is Meant by the "Beast and His 
 
 Mark"? 
 
 The Seer of Revelation appears to have had his 
 visions in the form of a series of scenes, as in a pan- 
 orama. Almost at the close (Rev. 14:9) he saw the 
 
163 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 beast you refer to. It is evidently identical with the 
 beast described by Daniel (7:7). It is representative 
 of the power which is said to have throughout the 
 world's history opposed God. It appears in John's 
 narrative in a series of forms, and is sometimes iden- 
 tified with a persecuting church, and sometimes is the 
 civil power. At the culmination of its career, John saw 
 it as the great Antichrist, who is yet to arise, who 
 would attain to such power in the world that he would 
 exclude any many from office and from even engag- 
 ing in trade, who did not acknowledge him. Only 
 those who bear the mark of the beast can buy or sell 
 in that time. This mark may be a badge to be worn 
 on forehead or hand, or as some scholars think, merely 
 the coins to be used in business, which will bear Anti- 
 christ's title symbolized by the number 666. 
 
 163. How Was the Brazen Serpent a Type? 
 
 "As the serpent was lifted up in the wilderness, so 
 must the son of man be lifted up." These were the 
 Saviour's words. Jesus' death on the cross was an 
 uplifting, and in this sense it is compared to the up- 
 lifting of the brazen serpent. In both cases the remedy 
 is divinely provided and there is another striking 
 similarity: As death came to the Israelites in the 
 wilderness by the serpent's sting and life came by the 
 uplifting of a serpent, so, in redemption, by man came 
 death, and by the death of the God-man in the like- 
 ness of sinful flesh comes life eternal. In the first 
 instance the cure was effected by directing the eye to 
 the uplifted serpent; in the other, it takes place when 
 the eye of faith is fixed upon the uplifted Christ. 
 
Words and Terms 164 
 
 164. Were the Giants Mentioned in Genesis 6:4 
 the Descendants of Angels, As Some 
 Fanciful Interpreters Claim? 
 
 This has been answered by a notable authority as 
 follows: "Gen. 6:1-4 forms the introduction to the 
 story of the Flood. All races have preserved the tra- 
 dition of a flood; whether it was universal or local is 
 a moot point. The Jewish Scriptures leave the in- 
 vestigation of natural phenomena to human research. 
 The Bible is not a scientific treatise. Its sole concern 
 is religious and moral. Its aim is to justify the ways 
 of God to man, and to show that natural phenomena, 
 being controlled by God, are in harmony with divine 
 justice. Hence, before relating the story of the Flood, 
 Holy Writ sets forth the universal corruption which 
 justified the destruction of the human race, with the 
 exception of one family. Chapter 6:1-4 describes the 
 violence and immorality prevalent in the antediluvian 
 period. Mankind had, in course of time, fallen into 
 two divisions — the classes and the masses. The masses 
 were the common multitude of toilers, the ordinary 
 'sons of men/ The classes were the 'supermen/ 'the 
 sons of God/ 'the mighty heroes/ The latter formed 
 the aristocracy; they were the ruling class, the chil- 
 dren of judges and princes. Small in number, they 
 were physically strong and mentally vigorous, and 
 had, moreover, appropriated a large portion of the 
 wealth of the then known world. They should have 
 used their power and position for the benefit of their 
 kind, and set an example in chastity, temperance, self- 
 restraint, justice and kindliness. Instead, they gave way 
 to unbridled lust, to indulge which they resorted to 
 
164 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 violence. They saw that the daughters of men (i. e., 
 the common folk) were fair, and they took (i. e., 
 by force) whomsoever they chose/ This abuse of 
 power was punished by the destruction of the race. 
 'The Eternal said: My spirit shall not abide in man 
 forever.' The Hebrew word may mean 'abide as a 
 sword in a sheath'; or it may mean 'contend with 
 man' — the higher with the lower nature — the spirit of 
 heaven with the body formed of dust and its instincts, 
 of the earth, earthy; or it may mean 'My spirit shall 
 not rule in man.' The struggle is too severe. 'Since 
 he is but flesh, his days shall be one hundred and 
 twenty years.' On account of the moral infirmity in- 
 cident to human nature, time will be given for repent- 
 ance. If the opportunity is not taken, destruction 
 will follow the respite. Nephilim literally means 'the 
 fallen.' On the principle of lucus a non lucendo, the 
 term refers to the men of gigantic stature who existed 
 in ancient times. They were the mighty men who 
 yielded to licentious passions. The children of these 
 illegitimate unions were also, for some generations, 
 Nephilim of gigantic stature, famed for their physical 
 and mental development, but morally degenerate. They 
 were the renowned heroes of old — the mighty warriors, 
 like the berserkers of the northern sagas." 
 
 Another view is that "the sons of God" were the 
 Sethites, who had mantained in some measure the 
 filial relationship to God, and who now intermarried 
 with the Cainites, who had been spiritually disowned 
 on account of their godlessness and unbelief. All the 
 evidence leads to the conclusion that the whole ar- 
 raignment of wickedness upon the earth related to 
 beings of flesh and blood (see Gen. 6:3) and not to 
 
Words and Terms 165-166 
 
 supernatural beings, who, we are elsewhere told dis- 
 tinctly, have no distinction of sex and never marry (see 
 Luke 20:35, 36). In this view, which seems to be 
 the correct one, the appellation "sons of God" refers 
 to men's moral and in no sense to their physical state. 
 There are many passages elsewhere that bear out this 
 belief. (See Acts 17:28; Ex. 4:22, 23; Deut. 14:1; 
 Hosea 11 :i, etc.) 
 
 165. What Is Meant by "Casting Out Devils ?" 
 
 The question has been the subject of dispute for 
 many generations. The plain meaning of the narrative, 
 however, seems to us to be that Satan had gained ab- 
 solute possession and control of the afflicted persons 
 and that Christ evicted him by his superior power. It 
 seems to us impossible on any other assumption to 
 satisfactorily explain the words of exorcism Christ 
 used, the words uttered by the afflicted persons and 
 the effects which followed. The symptoms described 
 very closely resemble those of some forms of epilepsy 
 and insanity of our time. Science, however, does not 
 now ascribe the affliction to demoniacal possession. 
 Nevertheless some of the patients do occasionally dis- 
 play a degree of malignity and cunning which could 
 scarcely be exceeded if they were really possessed by 
 the devil. 
 
 16& What and Where Is the "Kingdom of 
 God?" 
 
 There are several senses in which the word "king- 
 dom" is used. It may be taken in general terms as 
 the kingdom which is set up in the heart (as Christ 
 told the Pharisees, Luke 17:21, "The kingdom of God 
 
167-168 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 is within you") and the kingdom which is set up in 
 the world (see Daniel 2:44) and the kingdom Christ 
 will establish at his second [coming (II Timothy 
 4:1), and there is the kingdom in heaven where God 
 reigns. In the first of these senses we enter the king- 
 dom at conversion when we give our allegiance to 
 Christ. 
 
 167. What Is Being "Baptized Unto Death"? 
 
 The passage in Rom. 6:3, 4, 5 implies that those 
 who have gone through this experience have formally 
 surrendered the whole state and life of sin, as being 
 dead in Christ. Verse 4 is more accurately interpreted 
 "by the same baptism which makes us sharers in his 
 death we are made partakers of his burial also," thus 
 severing our last link of connection with the sinful 
 condition and life which Christ brought to an end in 
 his death. Possibly immersion was alluded to in this 
 verse as symbolical of burial and resurrection. Verse 
 5 is self-explanatory. 
 
 168. In What Sense Is the Believer "In Christ"? 
 
 The reference is exclusively to the relation of the 
 believer to the risen Lord, and expresses a peculiar 
 spiritual connection. Rev. David Smith, the distin- 
 guished theologian, defines it as a spiritual way of four 
 connecting links, viz.: (1) Christ for us (see II Cor. 
 5 :2l), which is substitution ; (2) We in Christ (II Cor. 
 5:7; Rom. 6:11), which is justification; (3) Christ in 
 us (Rom. 8:11; II Cor. 13:5; Gal. 2:20), which is 
 sanctification, and (4) We for Christ (II Cor. 5:10), 
 which is consecration. This is the condition of Christ's 
 true disciple. He stands in the world as representa- 
 
Words and Terms 169-170 
 
 tive and witness-bearer for Christ. It is not merely 
 a question of his own salvation ; Jie must be a shining 
 light to guide others, and must live the Christ-life, 
 under whatever circumstances he may be placed. One 
 who lives the Christ-life and all of whose thoughts, 
 acts, influences and hopes are centered on carrying on 
 the work of Christ, and who is guided by his will, 
 can be said to be truly "in Christ/' 
 
 169. What Is It to Be "Risen with Christ"? 
 
 Paul had described himself as having been crucified 
 with Christ (Gal. 2:20). He was dead to the world 
 through the death of Christ, dead to sin, to worldly 
 ambition, and to all the worldly principles and motives. 
 But he might have been asked, "Was he really dead ?" 
 and, in Col. 3:1, he answers that, like Christ, he had 
 received a new life, having been raised with him, as 
 he had been crucified with him. This was the resur- 
 rection life by which he had become transformed, and 
 was a new creature in Christ Jesus. It was this that 
 Augustine meant when he was greeted by a dissolute 
 companion of his youth, whom he had passed on the 
 street without recognition. "August, it is I, do you 
 not know me?" He replied: "I am August no 
 longer." Having become a Christian (risen with 
 Christ) he had abandoned all his old life with its 
 companions and associations. 
 
 170. What Is the Bible Definition of a Chris- 
 
 tian? 
 
 A Christian is (1) one who believes in Jesus Christ 
 the divine Son of God, and that through his life and 
 atonement we have everlasting life; (2) the Christian 
 
171-172 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 through his fellowship with Christ receives the adop- 
 tion of a child of God (see I John 3 :2 and 5 :i) ; (3) 
 he enters into fellowship and communion with God. 
 See Heb. 2:11, 16; I John 1 13; Prov. 18:24. (4) He 
 is sanctified and separated. See Rom. 1 17; I Pet. 1 :i4, 
 15; I Thess. 5:23. (5) He is a soldier. I Tim. 6:12; 
 II Tim. 2 13, 4. (6) He is an heir of glory. Rom. 
 8:17; Gal. 3:29; Gal. 4:7; Titus 3:7; I Pet. 1:3, 4. 
 
 171. Who Were the First Christians? 
 
 See Acts 11:26; 26:28 and I Peter 4:16 which make 
 the earliest mention of the term "Christian" being used 
 to distinguish this from other religious sects. Thus, 
 though the three Magi or Eastern princes, who came, 
 led by the star, to worship the infant Christ (see Matt. 
 2:1-5), and the shepherds who also worshiped (see 
 Luke 2:15, 16, 17) and the aged Simeon and Anna 
 (same chapter) doubtless believed, they were not Chris- 
 tians in name ; nor does it appear that either the divine 
 nature of the Master or his mission were clearly com- 
 prehended until John the Baptist proclaimed him as 
 Messiah. His disciples were literally the first Chris- 
 tians, being both believers and followers. The first 
 Christians known as such by name, were those of the 
 church founded by Paul and Barnabas at Antioch about 
 A. D. 34. The term "Christian" is said to have been 
 first used in the Episcopate of Evodius at Antioch, 
 who was appointed by the Apostle Peter as his own 
 successor. 
 
 172. When Was the First "Church" So Called? 
 
 The word "church" is first applied by Luke the 
 evangelist to the company of original disciples at Jeru- 
 
Words and Terms 173 
 
 salem at Pentecost (Acts 2:47), an( i 1S afterwards 
 applied in Acts, Epistles and Revelation to the whole 
 Christian body or society, as well as the sanctified of 
 God (Eph. 5:27), and to those who profess Christian 
 faith under pastors (I Cor. 12:28). It was also ap- 
 plied to early societies of Christians in cities and prov- 
 inces (Acts 8:1), to Christian assemblies (Rom. 16:5), 
 and to small gatherings of friends and neighbors in 
 private houses (I Cor. 11 :i8 and 14:19, 28). In those 
 early days and for a long time afterward, there was no 
 distinctive body and certainly no denomination; the 
 church was simply an appellation describing groups of 
 believers anywhere. Later, these groups were organized 
 into congregations and districts and parishes were 
 defined. Then they were called "Christians," the first 
 use of this appellation being at Antioch. The Romanist 
 claim to priority is an old one, but it does not stand the 
 test of history. The title "Catholic Church" (meaning 
 the "church universal") was originally given to the 
 Christian Church on account of its not being confined 
 to Jews but embracing other nationalities. The 
 earliest use of this title was about 166 A. D., whereas 
 the Roman Catholic Church as such did not come into 
 existence until several centuries afterward, when the 
 original church divided in consequence of the rivalry 
 between the bishops of Rome and Constantinople. 
 
 173. Who First Fixed the Date of Christmas 
 Day on December 25th? 
 
 There does not seem to have been any special ob- 
 servance of the nativity until the celebration in the 
 Eastern Church (or Greek Christian Church) in A. D. 
 220. The Western (or Latin) Church began to cele- 
 
174-175 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 brate it about a century later. Both adopted the uni- 
 form date about A. D. 380. There are some writers, 
 however, who affirm that it was solemnly celebrated 
 among the early Christians in the second century. 
 Chronologists disagree as to the exact year of the 
 nativity, but the majority believe it was B. C. 5. The 
 celebration was at first held on January 6, but toward 
 the end of the fourth century it was changed to Decem- 
 ber 25. The Christmas tree, it is said, was first used 
 in Europe in the eighth or ninth century, and was 
 introduced by a German or Hungarian princess. 
 
 174. How Are We to Understand the Act of 
 
 Creation? 
 
 "Creation" means, in the orthodox sense, that God 
 of his own free will and by his absolute power, called 
 the whole universe into being, evoking into existence 
 that which before was nonexistent. See Rom. 4:17; 
 Ps- 33-6, 9; Heb. 3:4; Acts 17:24; Acts 14:15; Ps. 
 102:5; Jer. 10:12; John 1:3; Rev. 4:11. It is need- 
 less to speculate on these matters. If we concede the 
 absolute power of God, we must accept his power both 
 to create and annihilate, as stated in the Scriptures. 
 There are many problems which the finite mind can- 
 not wholly grasp and which must be accepted by faith 
 or left alone. 
 
 175. What Is Demoniac Possession? 
 
 Whether or not there are evil spirits and the fact 
 of demon possession has often proved baffling to 
 believers. Ephesians 6 :i2, for instance, is a recognition 
 of the existence and power of evil spirits. It is in- 
 timated that there are kingdoms of evil, ruled by 
 
Words and Terms 175 
 
 wicked beings, which are fighting the powers of good. 
 Against these forces the Christian, protected by the 
 armor of God, is called to fight The expression "in 
 high places/' or as translated in the margin, "heavenly 
 places," may mean in the "upper air," as some interpret 
 it, or as others hold, that even in the highest Christian 
 experiences we are subject to temptation (which is, 
 of course, the case), and that we must contend with the 
 evil spirits for the possession of these high places in 
 the spiritual world. 
 
 Although many rationalistic teachers have held that 
 the Biblical cases of demon possession were nothing 
 more than forms of epilepsy, violent hysteria, lunacy 
 and other kinds of permanent or temporary mental 
 derangement known at the present day, nothing has 
 been actually proven which discredits the Scripture 
 accounts and statements. Specialists today recognize 
 the existence of recurrent mania, which sometimes 
 assumes a destructive character. The Bible recognizes 
 a form of lunacy different from demon possession. See 
 Matt. 4:24. We know there are evil persons who, 
 while alive in the flesh, do harm to others. Some have 
 the definite experience of feeling themselves impelled 
 to do wrong by an influence outside their own minds 
 or bodies. Some present-day cases of insanity are 
 really cases in which there are features that furnish a 
 close parallel to demon possession. It is only fair to 
 state, however, that present-day theological opinion 
 is divided on the subject. It is certain that the belief 
 in demon possession was held in early Christian times, 
 and for long ages thereafter, and included at one time 
 almost every form of mental disorder. On the other 
 hand, it is urged that it is just as rational to believe in 
 
176-177 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 devils as to believe in angels. Angels are a race of 
 personal holy beings ; demons a race of personal vicious 
 beings, both existing in a form other than human and 
 corporeal. 
 
 176. In What Sense Was Man Created in the 
 
 Divine Likeness? 
 
 Man's likeness to God, referred to in Gen. 1 '.26, is 
 the great fact which distinguishes him from the rest 
 of creation. He is a "person" with power to think, 
 feel and will, and with the capacity for moral life and 
 growth. Still further, at the beginning, man had not 
 only the capacity for moral life, but his moral disposi- 
 tion was such that he loved God, loved the right, and 
 hated the wrong. The tragedy of the fall reversed this. 
 Man was still a person and still had the capacity for 
 righteousness, but his spirit was so changed that he 
 feared and distrusted God, and, to a greater or less ex- 
 tent, loved the evil and disliked the good. Jesus came 
 to undo this calamity and to restore us to a moral like- 
 ness to God. 
 
 177. What Is Meant by the "Elect"? 
 
 "Elect" is a term variously applied. It sometimes 
 meant the ancient church, and the whole body of bap- 
 tized Christians ; again, it was those elected to baptism ; 
 and still again, it was the newly baptized who had just 
 been admitted to full Christian privileges. Further 
 it is applied to those especially chosen for the Lord's 
 work, like his prophets and evangelists, and to those 
 who had undergone tribulation and even martyrdom. 
 It has been applied to the whole Jewish people as 
 chosen of God. Finally, it is applied to individuals 
 
Words and Terms 178 
 
 who, not of their own merit, but through God's grace, 
 through Jesus Christ, are chosen not only to salva- 
 tion, but to sanctification of the spirit and who are holy 
 and blameless before the Lord. They are individuals 
 specially chosen out of the world to be heirs of salva- 
 tion and witnesses for God before men. This is not 
 of works, but of free grace. In a general way, the 
 "elect" are the sanctified — those chosen to salvation 
 through sanctification of the spirit, as explained in 
 Peter 1 :2 and similar passages. They are the special 
 vessels of the Spirit chosen in God's good pleasure to 
 carry out his purposes. This election is of grace and not 
 of works (see Rom. 9:18, 22, 23). In all ages such 
 men have been evidently chosen by the Lord as his wit- 
 nesses. This choice is at once an expression of his 
 sovereignty and his grace. Paul himself was so chosen. 
 On the other hand, it should not be forgotten that 
 salvation is by grace. The whole subject of election 
 has been one of acute controversy for ages and has 
 given rise to many differences of opinion. The atti- 
 tude of Christians with regard to the Second Coming 
 should be one of prayer, expectancy and constant 
 preparation. 
 
 178. What Is Meant by "Saved, Yet As by 
 Fire"? 
 
 The apostle in I Cor. 3:15 speaks of mistaken teach- 
 ings and concludes that the man whose work was not 
 of genuine character, who had been seeking worldly 
 gain and popularity and not trying to win and build up 
 souls, would lose the reward which would be given 
 to the preacher who built on the foundation of Christ, 
 "gold, silver, and precious stones." The unprofitable 
 
179-180 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 worker's work he likens to wood and stubble which 
 would not stand the day of judgment. Even though 
 his soul should be saved, he would miss the reward 
 promised to the faithful worker, while his own work, 
 being false, will not escape the destruction. 
 
 179. What Is Meant by "Strange Fire"? 
 
 The "strange fire" mentioned in Lev. 10:1, 2 is un- 
 derstood to mean that Nadab and Abihu, instead of 
 taking fire into their censers from the brazen altar, 
 took common fire which had not been consecrated, 
 and thus were guilty of sacrilege. They had witnessed 
 the descent of the miraculous fire from the cloud (see 
 chapter 9:24), and they were under solemn obligation 
 to use that fire which was specially appropriated to the 
 altar service. But instead of doing so, they became 
 careless, showing want of faith and lamentable irrev- 
 erence, and their example, had it been permitted to pass 
 unpunished, would have established an evil precedent. 
 The fire that slew them issued from the most holy 
 place, which is the accepted interpretation of the words, 
 "from the Lord." Besides, the two young priests had 
 already been commanded (or warned) not to do the 
 thing they did (verse 2). They had undertaken to per- 
 form acts which belonged to the high priest alone, and 
 even to intrude into the innermost sanctuary. See the 
 warnings in Ex. 19:22 and Lev. 8:35. 
 
 180. What Was the Forbidden Fruit? 
 
 There have been many interpretations of the Fall, 
 and the books on the subject would fill a small library. 
 The majority of the early Christian fathers held the 
 Mosaic account to be historical, and interpreted it 
 
Words and Terms 181-182 
 
 literally, believing that an actual fruit of some kind, not 
 definitely known, was eaten by our first parents. A 
 few early writers, Philo among them, regarded the 
 story of the Fall as symbolical and mystical, shadowing 
 forth allegorical truths, and that the serpent was the 
 symbol of pleasure, and the offense was forbidden 
 sensuous indulgence. Whatever the "fruit" may have 
 been, its use was plainly the violation of a divine pro- 
 hibition, the indulgence of an unlawful appetite, the 
 sinful aspiration after forbidden knowledge. Profes- 
 sor Banks, several years ago, while traveling in the 
 region of the Tigris and Euphrates, found in a little 
 known district a place which the natives declared to 
 be the traditional site of Eden and a tree (name and 
 species unknown) which they believed to be the suc- 
 cessor of the original tree of knowledge, and it was 
 venerated greatly. It bore no fruit. 
 
 181. What Are the Spiritual Gifts? 
 
 For an enumeration of the spiritual gifts see Acts 
 11:17; I Cor. 12 and 13; I Peter 4:10. The gift of 
 healing is held by some denominations as having be- 
 longed exclusively to apostolic times, while others claim 
 that it is granted even now to those who have sufficient 
 faith. 
 
 182. What Is a "Generation" ? 
 
 "Generation" is used in a variety of senses in the 
 Scriptures. In some cases, it means a period of limit- 
 less duration; in others it means the past (Isa. 51 :8), 
 and still others the future (Ps. 100:5) \ again, it means 
 both the past and future (Ps. 102:24). In Gen. 6:9 
 it means all men living at any given time. In Prov. 
 
183 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 30:11, 14 it refers to a class of men with some special 
 characteristics, and in Ps. 49:19 it may be interpreted 
 to mean the "dwelling-place." A generation, in mod- 
 ern phraseology, means thirty to thirty-five years, 
 but there is no instance of the word being used in this 
 particular sense in the Bible. Thus, "the book of the 
 generation of Jesus Christ" is a genealogical record 
 extending back to Abraham. In I Peter 2 :g it means 
 an elect race. 
 
 183. What Was the "Gift of Tongues"? 
 
 It is understood to have been not only the power of 
 speaking various languages which the speaker had not 
 previously studied or acquired, but also the power to 
 speak a spiritual language unknown to man, uttered in 
 ecstasy and understood only by those enlightened by 
 the Holy Spirit. Paul, in I Cor. 12 :io, is writing not to 
 depreciate this gift, but to warn the Corinthians not to 
 be led away by unprofitable or doubtful manifestations 
 of it. Even in those early days of the Church, the lead- 
 ers had difficulty in controlling the tendency to fanati- 
 cism among its adherents. The gift of tongues at Pente- 
 cost was given because of a great and urgent need. It 
 is supposed by some authorities to have been speaking 
 so that under the direction of the Holy Spirit it sounded 
 to the ear of every auditor as though it were his own 
 mother-tongue. There were many nationalities repre- 
 sented in the throng, but no confusion or misunder- 
 standings. The gift of tongues on this particular occa- 
 sion was the miraculous method employed to bring into 
 the Gospel fold the strangers from other lands. The 
 lesson is that God is not the author of confusion, and 
 he never gives a message to his children that is unin- 
 
Words and Terms 184 
 
 telligible. Any "gift" or message that is incapable of 
 being understood is not of God. We should try the 
 spirits by this simple but decisive test. 
 
 184. What Does "God's Image" Mean? 
 
 In discussing spiritual things, to be right, no one can' 
 go beyond the word of Scripture. The Bible tells us 
 that God gave to man a living soul. In this sense he 
 was in the image of his Maker in his dispositions, 
 temperament and desires, and in his obedience to the 
 divine will; but this condition was forfeited through 
 sin. It could only be said thereafter of those who 
 walked uprightly before God and were inspired of him, 
 that they were "his offspring." (Matt. 13:38; Mark 
 7:10. See John 12:36; Acts 13:10; Col. 3:6.) Jesus 
 himself drew the distinction when he told the wicked 
 scribes and Pharisees that they were the children of 
 the evil one, and this is the actual condition of every 
 one living in sin, unrepentant and unforgiven. Thus 
 while in his perfect condition man was like his Maker, 
 in a condition of sin he is no longer so, nor has he 
 any of the spiritual attributes and qualities that belong 
 to the perfect condition, or even of the pardoned sinner, 
 who has the hope through Christ of reconciliation and 
 restoration. The Bible nowhere declares that man is of 
 himself and inherently immortal. "The soul that sin- 
 neth, it shall die." When sin entered, then came physi- 
 cal decay and death ; man's first condition was lost and 
 with the continuance of sin, and unrepentant and un- 
 forgiven, he also forfeited spiritual immortality. Eter- 
 nal life is the gift of God. Paul declares that Jesus, 
 through .his Gospel, brought life and immortality to 
 
185-186 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 light for fallen man and showed the path to 
 restoration through repentance, forgiveness and ac- 
 ceptance. 
 
 185. Where Did the Jews Get the Name 
 
 "Hebrews"? 
 
 It is held by the best authorities and by the Jews 
 themselves that the name is derived from Heber, or 
 Eber (which means "from the other side," or a so- 
 journer, or immigrant). Heber was the son of Salah 
 and the father of Peleg (see Gen. 10:24, 11 114, and I 
 Chron. 1:25). Abram was the first to be called a 
 Hebrew (Gen. 14:13), presumably in the immigrant 
 sense. The name is seldom used of the Israelites in 
 the Old Testament, except when the speaker is a for- 
 eigner, or when the Israelites speak of themselves to 
 one of another nation. Some writers have held that 
 Hebrew is derived from Abraham (Abrai), but this 
 explanation is not generally adopted. 
 
 186. What Was the "Heresies" of Apostolic 
 
 Times ? 
 
 The Greek word translated "heresies" in Gal. 5 :20 
 means either an opinion or a party. As used in the 
 New Testament it stands for an opinion "varying from 
 the true exposition of the Christian faith" (as in II 
 Peter 2:11), or a body of men following mistaken or 
 blameworthy ideas, or, as a combination of these two 
 meanings, "dissensions." This latter definition "dis- 
 sensions" is the rendering given by Thayer in this 
 passage. The American revision translates the word 
 "parties," leaving, however, the expression "heresies" 
 as the marginal reading. The three last words of the 
 
Words and Terms 187-188 
 
 verse, "strife/' "seditions/' "heresies," are, in the 
 American revision, "factions, divisions, parties." 
 
 187. What Is an Indulgence? 
 
 An "indulgence" is a spiritual bill of health or offi- 
 cial act of pardon granted by the Church of Rome. 
 It has no warrant in Scripture. There are indulgences 
 to ease the way of souls out of purgatory, indulgences 
 for the living, permitting them to eat meat on holy 
 days ; indulgences for the forgiveness of past sins, and, 
 in Spain at least, and probably in other countries, in- 
 dulgences for those who have committed crimes, by 
 which they are relieved of the responsibility of their 
 acts. Indulgences are usually purchased with a fee, 
 although in some cases they are granted in considera- 
 tion of undergoing some form of penance. A recent 
 illustration is the distribution of indulgences during the 
 Eucharistic Congress in Vienna, where they seem to 
 have been granted free to many people as a reward for 
 their loyalty and devotion to the Catholic Church on 
 that occasion. 
 
 188. What Is Meant by "Because Thou Hast 
 
 Left Thy First Love"? 
 
 These words (in Rev. 2:4) were addressed to the 
 Christian believers at Ephesus. The "first love" does 
 not refer to any person or influence other than Christ, 
 but simply means that the Ephesians had lost the in- 
 tensity of their affection and zeal for Christ. The 
 Ephesian Church had had special opportunities and 
 blessing. Under Paul's ministrations its members had 
 received the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:1-6); 
 the apostle had resided with them for three years (Acts 
 
189-190 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 20:31) ; he had later written to them what is perhaps 
 his most spiritually exalted epistle. Their experience 
 of love for Christ had been warm and keen. In his 
 message sent them through John the Master is reprov- 
 ing them for having allowed their love for him to grow 
 weak and cold. 
 
 189. How Did Satan Receive the Name "Lu- 
 
 cifer"? 
 
 There have been at different times various inter- 
 pretations of the famous passage in Isa. 14:12: "How 
 art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the 
 morning ! how art thou cut down to the ground, which 
 didst weaken the nations !" "Lucif er" means "light- 
 bringer," and has also been translated "son of the 
 morning," "morning star," "brilliant," "splendid," 
 "illustrious." Tertullian and Gregory the Great in- 
 terpreted the passage in Isaiah as referring to the fall 
 of Satan, and, since their time, the name "Lucifer" has 
 been almost universally held by the Christian Church 
 to be an appellation of Satan before the fall. Dr. 
 Henderson, a famous commentator, simply interprets 
 it "illustrious son of the morning," and holds that it 
 has no reference to the fall of the apostate angels. 
 Some later authorities claim that the passage has a 
 prophetic reference to the fall from power of the great 
 and illustrious King of Babylon, who surpassed all 
 other monarchs of his time in splendor. 
 
 190. What Were the "Marks of the Lord Jesus" ? 
 
 It was a practice to brand slaves with their owners' 
 initials. A slave by showing the brand proved to whom 
 his service was due and that no one else had a claim 
 
Words and Terms 191 
 
 upon him. The marks of the Lord Jesus which Paul 
 bore (Gal. 6:17) were the scars received in his service 
 — the marks of the rods with which he was beaten and 
 the wounds he received in fighting with wild beasts. 
 He showed them as evidence that he belonged to the 
 Lord Jesus. 
 
 191. Who Were the Magi? 
 
 These wise men were from either Arabia, Meso- 
 potamia, Egypt, or somewhere else in the East. "East" 
 is not to be understood in our wide, modern sense, but 
 referred to those countries that lie to the east as well as 
 north of Palestine. Thus, Persia is referred to as the 
 "East" (Isa. 46:11). While it is true that the Gospel 
 account does not state the number of wise men, but 
 simply says they were from the East, many ancient 
 traditions have been preserved from the early days of 
 the Christian Church, among them one which states 
 that there were three Magian princes, and gives their 
 names as Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar, who came 
 with a large retinue of servants and camels. Magism 
 is supposed to have originated in Chaldea and thence 
 spread to the adjacent countries. The Magians are 
 believed to have been originally Semitic. Among the 
 Greeks and Romans they were known as Chaldeans. 
 Daniel sympathized with the order during his exile, 
 and probably became one of their number. They be- 
 lieved in God, hated idolatry and looked for a Messiah. 
 The latter fact alone would almost be regarded as con- 
 clusive evidence of their Semitic descent. There are 
 no absolute data, however, for asserting it positively. 
 For many generations the Magi has looked for the ful- 
 
192 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 fillment of the prophecy contained in Numbers 24:17 
 ". . . there shall come a star out of Jacob . . ." 
 and when the light as guiding star indicated the 
 direction of Judea they knew the prophecy had been 
 fulfilled. "His star" can be interpreted as "his sign." 
 Whatever form it assumed, it was sufficiently marked 
 as an astronomical phenomenon to claim attention. 
 Some writers have contended that it was visible to the 
 Magi alone; others hold that it was a heavenly light, 
 standing as a beacon of glory over the manger; still 
 others, that it was the luminous figure of an angel. 
 Tradition asserts that "the star" guided the Magi both 
 by day and by night. The infant Saviour was probably 
 over two months old when the visit of the Magi took 
 place. They had seen the phenomenon of the star 
 long before their arrival in Jerusalem, two months 
 after Jesus had been presented in the temple, and it 
 was some time after this that the Magi arrived in 
 Jerusalem and went thence to Bethlehem to worship 
 him and offer gifts. It must have taken them many 
 months to accomplish the journey from their own coun- 
 try to Palestine. The Magi brought the first material 
 Christmas gifts when they presented their love offer- 
 ings. 
 
 192. What Did Paul Mean by "The Revelation 
 of the Man of Sin"? 
 
 Paul evidently believed that immediately before the 
 second coming of Christ there would be fierce tempta- 
 tion and persecution (II Thess. 2:3). Christ referred 
 to the same event (see Matt. 24:20-25). The man of 
 sin is the Antichrist or Pseudo-Christ, who is to de- 
 ceive many. He is described in Rev. 13:11-18. 
 
Words and Terms 193 
 
 193. When Was the Sabbath Changed from 
 the Seventh to the First Day of the Week ? 
 
 The New Testament indicates that the Jewish 
 Christians held both days holy. Paul evidently 
 preached in the synagogues on the Sabbath, but it was 
 on the first day of the week that the Gentile Chris- 
 tians met to break bread (Acts 20:7). This second 
 sacred day was called the Lord's Day to distinguish it 
 from the Sabbath, and was probably the only one ob- 
 served by the Gentile converts. There is a hint of 
 their being called to account for observing that day 
 only, in Col. 2 :i6, where Paul bids them pay no heed 
 to their critics. The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, 
 written certainly before the year 100 A. D., speaks of 
 the Lord's Day and refers to it as a day of holy meeting 
 and the breaking of bread (chapter 14). The primi- 
 tive Christians everywhere kept it so solemnly. Pliny, 
 the historian, refers to this fact in his letter to Trajan 
 about A. D. 100. Justin Martyr (A. D. 140) describes 
 the religious worship of the early Christians, their 
 sacramental observances, etc., on the "First Day." 
 Other early writers who make clear and unmistakable 
 reference to the Lord's Day are Dionysius of Corinth, 
 Irenseus of Lyons (who asserted that the Sabbath was 
 abolished), Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Origen, 
 Cyprian, Commodian, Victorinus, and lastly Peter of 
 Alexandria (A. D. 300), who says: "We keep the 
 Lord's Day as a day of joy because of him who rose 
 thereon." These evidences cover the first two cen- 
 turies after our Lord's death and indicate that the 
 Lord's Day is an institution of apostolic sanction and 
 custom. All grounds of doubt are swept away by 
 
194 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 the fact that Constantine in an edict issued in A. D. 
 321 honored that day by recognizing it as one sacred 
 to the Christians, and ordered that business should be 
 intermitted thereon. Finally, the Council of Nicsea 
 (A. D. 325) in its official proceedings gave directions 
 concerning the forms of Christian worship on that 
 day, and the Council of Laodicea (A. D. 364) en- 
 joined rest on the Lord's Day. Thus by apostolic 
 usage, by law and custom, by imperial edict and by 
 the highest councils of the early Christian Church 
 the change has been accepted and approved. 
 
 194. What Is the Distinction between Sabbath, 
 Sunday, and Lord's Day? 
 
 The word "Sabbath" is derived from the Hebrew 
 "Shabua," meaning "seven/' or a heptad of seven 
 days. It was employed to designate the seventh day 
 of the Jewish week (from sunset on Friday to sunset 
 on Saturday). Under the Christian dispensation the 
 day of rest is changed from the seventh to the first 
 day of the week, in memory of Christ's resurrection, 
 and its true designation therefore is neither Sabbath 
 (which is the ancient Jewish term) nor Sunday 
 (which is the heathen appellation, L e., "the day of the 
 sun"), but "the Lord's day." It is not with us, as 
 with the Jews, a day of rest and absolute abstention 
 from all employment, but a day of spiritual recupera- 
 tion and religious activities in a thousand different 
 directions, and a period of withdrawal from secular 
 pursuits. Under the Mosaic law, one might not walk 
 beyond a certain distance, nor light a fire, nor even 
 carry a handkerchief. With us it is rather a day of 
 celebration and glad Christian work, wholly unham- 
 
Words and Terms 195-196 
 
 pered by the ancient restrictions and obligations which 
 were designed to apply to a different age and dis- 
 pensation. The use of any one of the three terms — 
 Sunday, Sabbath or Lord's Day — is, however, with 
 most people, rather a matter of habit than of principle, 
 as the historical facts are thoroughly well established. 
 
 195. What Are We to Understand by the "Se- 
 
 cret Place"? 
 
 The "secret place" (see Ps. 91:1) is interpreted as 
 meaning "the covert" of his tabernacle — "the beatitude 
 of the inner circle, or secret shrine, to which that 
 select company of the faithful have access, and where 
 they may taste the hidden wisdom." One commentator 
 writes that this passage applies "to those who are more 
 at home with God than other Christians, and who are 
 also more alone with God. In this inner circle the 
 childlike spirit is made one with the will and the love 
 of the almighty Father. It is a security and a refuge 
 against whatsoever may await us in this world or 
 elsewhere, and those who belong to it bear on their 
 countenances the seal that they are free from fear 
 of evil and that they have gained the victory over 
 terror and dismay." In brief, it is only those who 
 live closely to God who find those divine attributes 
 which to others are majestic and overpowering, trans- 
 formed into a sure shelter and a joy that lifts all care 
 forever from the soul. 
 
 196. Who Were the "Sleeping Saints"? 
 
 The "sleeping saints" (see Thes. 4:14 and Matt. 
 2 7 : 5 2 > 53) are held to be Old Testament believers who, 
 having served the Lord faithfully according to their 
 lights, and who looked forward to the promise of the 
 
197 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 Messiah's coming, were quickened at the moment of 
 Jesus' death, although they did not come out of their 
 graves until his resurrection. The opening of the 
 graves was symbolic proclamation that death was 
 ''swallowed up in victory" ; and the rising of the saints 
 after Jesus' resurrection fittingly showed that the 
 Saviour of the world was to be the "first" that should 
 rise from the dead. (See Acts 26:23 ; Col. 1 :i8; Rev. 
 
 i:5.) 
 
 197. Who Are We to Understand by the "Spirits 
 in Prison"? 
 
 The passage in I Peter 3:19, 20 is one which has 
 been much discussed. It is generally interpreted as 
 meaning that the preaching to the spirits "in prison" 
 implies not the preaching of the Gospel, but the 
 announcement of Christ's finished work. Nor does 
 it imply a second day of grace. The spirits were 
 clearly those of the Antediluvians. The passage, how- 
 ever, is mysterious and has puzzled Bible students in 
 all times. Peter is the only Bible writer who men- 
 tions the occurrence, whatever it may have been, so 
 that there are no other passages to shed light upon it. 
 The apostle was speaking in the context of the opera- 
 tion of the Holy Spirit and it has been generally 
 thought by Augustine among the Fathers and by Dr. 
 Adam Clarke and other modern commentators that he 
 referred to the Antediluvians as having, like others 
 who lived before Christ, been under the Spirit's in- 
 fluence, though they repelled it. In that case his 
 meaning would be that Christ .had from the beginning 
 been preaching through, or by, the Spirit, to men in 
 all ages, as he preaches to men now by his Spirit 
 
Words and Terms 198 
 
 through his ministers. Other theologians, Dean Al- 
 ford among them, contend that somewhere in the uni- 
 verse these Spirits were imprisoned and that Christ 
 preached to them in the interval between his death and 
 resurrection, though that view is surrounded by other 
 difficulties which are obvious. The reference is inci- 
 dental and does not practically concern us so much 
 as does the lesson Peter is enforcing, that through 
 the Holy Spirit we are enabled to live to the spirit and 
 not to the flesh. 
 
 198. What Does the Word "Spiritual" Really 
 Mean? 
 
 The word is one which Christians ought to guard 
 zealously in religious phraseology. There is a recent 
 tendency to use the word in a loose sense, giving it 
 merely its philosophical or scientific meaning rather 
 than its real Bible and theological significance. In 
 secular phraseology the word means : relating to spirit, 
 rather than to matter. Many varying shades of mean- 
 ing grow out of this basic idea : one poet may be 
 more spiritual than another; one artist than another; 
 one musician than another. In this sense the word 
 implies a relation to thoughts, emotions, impulses, 
 connected with the soul of a man rather than his 
 body. But the Christian use of the word is distinctive. 
 It is given as the third definition of the word in the 
 Standard Dictionary : "Of or relating to the soul 
 as acted on by the Holy Spirit." An apt quotation 
 from Henry Drummond is given : 'The spiritual life 
 is the gift of the living Spirit. The spiritual man is 
 no mere development of the natural man. He is a 
 new creation, born from above. " In Christian phrase- 
 
199-200 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 ology, then, a man is spiritual as he is possessed, filled 
 and dominated by the Holy Spirit. 
 
 199. What Was the Purpose of the "Tree of 
 
 Knowledge" ? 
 
 The tree of knowledge of good and evil (Gen, 
 2 :8) was designed as a test of obedience by which 
 our first parents were to be tried, whether they would 
 be good or evil; whether they would chose to obey 
 God or break his commandments, and the eating of 
 the fruit of the tree revealed to them their new con- 
 dition as sinners under divine displeasure. 
 
 200. What Is Known Concerning the "Tree of 
 
 Life"? 
 
 Gen. 2 :g and 3 :22, 24 tells practically all that we 
 know of the "tree of life," although a vast amount 
 of speculative literature has appeared on the subject. 
 Various references to the "tree of life" elsewhere in 
 Scripture show that it was regarded as the means pro- 
 vided by divine wisdom as an antidote against disease 
 and bodily decay. Access to it was conditioned upon 
 our first parents obeying the injunction against eat- 
 ing the forbidden fruit of the "tree of knowledge," 
 which was the test of obedience. Certain Hebrew 
 writers have called the two trees "the trees of the 
 lives," holding that the wondrous property of one in 
 perpetuating physical life and conferring perennial 
 health was in direct contrast with the other, the "tree 
 of knowledge," which was sure to occasion bodily 
 suffering and death. "The tree of life was, in short, 
 a sacramental tree," writes one commentator, "by 
 the eating of which man, in his state of innocence, 
 kept himself in covenant with God." 
 
Words and Terms 201-202 
 
 201. What Is It to Be "Unequally Yoked"? 
 
 The passage in II Cor. 6:14 may have a wide inter- 
 pretation. "Unequally yoked" may mean bound to- 
 gether with one who is alien in spirit, although it 
 might also mean that the disparity in culture or pos- 
 sessions, the difference in race, or in religious belief, 
 are to be regarded as insurmountable barriers. In 
 early Israelitish times, marriages with heathen were 
 forbidden; so in Christian times, unions of believers 
 and infidels, or unbelievers in any form, were to be 
 avoided. Righteousness and wickedness cannot pull 
 in the same harness, and as our first duty is to God, 
 we should put away from us all avoidable contact that 
 would hinder its performance. Paul in the passage in 
 question clearly had in mind the union of believers 
 with unbelievers. 
 
 202. Who Are the "Witnesses" Who Surround 
 
 the Believers? 
 
 They are probably the worthies referred to in Heb. 
 11 chapter, whose triumph through faith are recalled. 
 The word "witnesses" (Heb. 12:1) has two meanings 
 and it is not certain which of the two the writer of 
 the epistle had in his mind. A witness may be a spec- 
 tator, or he may be one who testifies as in a court of 
 justice. If the word in this passage is used in the 
 former sense, it implies that departed and glorified 
 saints are observing the trials and victories of the 
 Christian on earth. If the word refers to a testifier, 
 it means that the Christian has good reason for mak- 
 ing the effort mentioned in the passage, because of 
 the testimony of the Old Testament saints cited in the 
 previous chapter. 
 
203 
 
 JESUS' LIFE AND DEATH 
 
 203. Does the Doctrine of Jesus' Divinity De- 
 pend on the Miraculous Conception? 
 
 Even if the doctrine of the miraculous conception 
 were abandoned, it would be difficult, if not impossible, 
 to account for the facts of Christ's life, by any other 
 theory than that of his being the incarnation of God. 
 If you regard .him as man, you must explain how he, 
 a plain peasant, trained as a carpenter, brought up in 
 an obscure Oriental town, could live such a life as 
 he undoubtedly lived, and give utterance to truths 
 which have thrilled the world for nineteen hundred 
 years. Besides this he spoke with authority, making 
 claims to a higher nature, which if he did not con- 
 sciously possess that higher nature, would be false 
 claims. His whole life was consistent with his divin- 
 ity, andj therefore, even persons who reject his mirac- 
 ulous conception, have good ground for believing him 
 to be divine. It is the only theory that explains such 
 a life. There is no need, however, to reject the doc- 
 trine of the miraculous conception. The more you 
 study the life of Jesus, the less you will be surprised 
 to learn that the promise of God through the prophets, 
 of the union of divinity and humanity, was literally 
 fulfilled in him. 
 
Jesus' Life and Death 204-205 
 
 204. Was Christ Born in the Year 1 or in 5 
 
 B.C.? 
 
 As we are told in the Gospels that Herod was liv- 
 ing and slaughtered the children after Jesus was born 
 (see Matt. 2 :i6), and as it is claimed by chronologists 
 to be a matter of record that he died in 750 U. C, 
 which corresponds to B. C. 4, it is obvious that Jesus 
 was born before that date. Then, on the other hand, 
 he was born after the decree for the census (Luke 
 2:1) was issued. From Tertullian we learn that the 
 decree was issued in 748 and the enrollment began 
 in 749 U. C, which corresponds to B. C. 5. Thus the 
 birth is fixed by those two occurrences. 
 
 205. Is There a Real Conflict in the Evangelists' 
 
 Genealogies of Christ? 
 
 The purpose of publishing the Saviour's genealogy 
 was to show that he had descended from David. 
 If the genealogy of Mary had been given, it would 
 have carried no weight w r ith the Jews, as they would 
 not admit the divine conception, and regarded Joseph 
 as the head of the family. It was necessary, on their 
 account, to show that Joseph had descended from 
 David. It really, however, includes the others, as 
 the descendants of David were so proud of their dis- 
 tinction, and of the Messianic promise involved, that 
 no man of that family would take a wife of any other 
 family. Mary, undoubtedly, therefore, was descended 
 from David. The theory has been propounded and 
 supported by Weiss and other scholars that the 
 genealogy of Luke is that of Mary. Luke says (3 -.23) 
 that Joseph was the son of Heli, whereas Matthew 
 says (1 :i6) that he was the son of Jacob. It is sug- 
 
206 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 gested that Luke's statement should read, "who was 
 the son-in-law of Heli," that is, married the daughter 
 of Heli. Luke traces the descent through David's son 
 Nathan, while Matthew traces it through Solomon. 
 Even that explanation, however, has its incongruities, 
 of which there is no clear explanation. The fact that 
 Mary before her marriage went to Bethlehem to be 
 taxed or registered (Luke 2:5), would indicate that 
 she was of David's house. It is noteworthy, too, that 
 Christ's claims to Messiahship were never challenged 
 on that ground. If there had been any flaw in his 
 pedigree, the Jews would have seized upon it without 
 a doubt, because the prophecies clearly stated that 
 Messiah would be descended from David. 
 
 206. Who Were the Brothers of Jesus? 
 
 The brethren of Jesus are named in the New Testa- 
 ment as James, Joses, Simon and Judas. In Matt. 
 12:46; Matt. 13:55; John 2:12, and Acts 1:14 they 
 are generally understood to be proper brothers, all 
 being named together conjointly with the mother of 
 Jesus, and the same is inferred from John 7:5. Some 
 of the early church writers, however, held that they 
 were merely relatives or cousins (sons of Mary the 
 sister of Jesus' mother), it being a common custom 
 to call all immediate relatives, nephews, cousins and 
 half-brothers, by the general designation of "brothers" 
 or "brethren." Further, the early fathers of the 
 church held that Mary, the mother of Jesus, had no 
 other children. The question still remains open 
 whether they were not the sons of Joseph by a former 
 marriage, and therefore half-brothers to Jesus. On 
 the other hand Matt. 1 :25 and Luke 2 :j favor the 
 
Jesus' Life and Death 207-208 
 
 view that they were brothers and that Jesus was the 
 "first-born. " Sisters of Jesus are also mentioned in 
 Matt. 13:56 and Mark 6:3, but their names are not 
 given. Much has been written on the subject with- 
 out positive determination, although most modern 
 commentators hold to the opinion that the "brethren" 
 in question were the sons of Joseph and Mary, and 
 that Mary's mother's sister had two sons, named James 
 and Joses. 
 
 207. Is There a Rational Explanation of the 
 
 Star of Bethlehem? 
 
 There was a remarkable conjunction of Jupiter and 
 Saturn about that time, which must have been a very 
 brilliant spectacle, and which would be very impressive 
 to astrologers. It might lead them to the belief that 
 some mighty potentate was born, and probably to 
 make inquiry as to such birth. The fact, that would 
 doubtless be known to all Orientals, that the Jews 
 expected a Messiah, may have led the Magi to Pales- 
 tine. Their inquiry for "the King of the Jews" seems 
 to imply that it was there they expected to find such 
 a being as the conjunction portended. The difficulty, 
 however, is to explain the star going before them 
 (Matt. 2:9). As they traveled westward, it might 
 have had that appearance, but not so definitely as the 
 account implies. Another explanation is that it was 
 possibly a meteor divinely directed. 
 
 208. Did the Parents of Our Lord Take Him 
 
 After His Birth to Jerusalem or to Egypt? 
 
 According to some, the accounts in Matthew and 
 in Luke do not agree. But there is really no discrep- 
 
209 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 ancy. After the birth of Jesus, the parents remained 
 at Bethlehem until the time arrived for presenting the 
 Babe in the Temple, being the end of the days of 
 purification. After the presentation, Joseph and Mary 
 with the child went to Nazareth, adjusted their affairs 
 and returned to Bethlehem, where they were dwelling 
 — no longer in a stable but in "a house" — when the 
 incident of the Magis' visit occurred. These wise men 
 had first gone to Jerusalem, whence they were directed 
 to Bethlehem. After their visit Joseph was warned 
 by an angelic messenger and the flight into Egypt 
 followed. To get a clear idea of the order of events, 
 the records of the four evangelists must be taken as 
 a whole, as one records incidents which another omits. 
 Thus Mark and John contain nothing relative to the 
 childhood of Jesus, while Matthew and Luke taken 
 together, give a clear outline of these events, though 
 Luke omits all reference to the return to Bethlehem 
 and the journey into Egypt, the latter of which Mat- 
 thew relates with considerable detail. In no sense did 
 any one of the four evangelists intend to present a 
 complete chronological record of the Saviour's earthly 
 life, but each designed rather to supplement what the 
 others had written. 
 
 209. How Could Jesus, Being Already Perfect, 
 Increase in Wisdom? 
 
 The statement in Luke 2:52 is explicit and there 
 is no reason for doubting it. Jesus was subject to 
 human conditions and limitations so far as the divine 
 nature could be subjected, We read of His being 
 weary, of his being hungry and thirsty, and we are 
 assured that He was tempted in all points like as we 
 
Jesus' Life and Death 210 
 
 are, which all show that in His physical nature He 
 was human. Doubtless He would be educated like 
 other boys, and probably His consciousness of divinity 
 would be gradual, and possibly not complete until the 
 forty days in the desert. His questioning the doctors 
 in the Temple (Luke 2:46) is supposed by some 
 authorities to have been not catechizing them but to 
 obtain information. 
 
 210. How Old Was Jesus When He Began to 
 Understand the Nature of His Mission? 
 
 Although one cannot trace with any degree of pre- 
 cision the various stages of development of the con- 
 sciousness of his mission, it is evident from the Gos- 
 pel record that it must have begun early and gradually 
 increased to complete appreciation as manhood ap- 
 proached. We are told that even in childhood he "grew 
 and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom/' and 
 the "grace of God was upon him." (Luke 2:40.) In 
 youth we find him questioning and expounding to the 
 rabbis in the temple and "increasing in stature and in 
 wisdom and in favor with God and man." His won- 
 derful knowledge, his amazing questions and his dis- 
 cerning answers to the elders must have become more 
 and more accentuated during the passage of these 
 early years, and we may gather that Mary had already 
 premonitions of the future career of her Divine Son, 
 since she pondered over and "hid all these things in 
 her heart." There are indications that seem to war- 
 rant the conclusion that long before the opening of 
 his public ministry, Jesus was absorbed by the thought! 
 of the mission to which he was destined. He knew 
 his Father's business and did it, and he frequented 
 
211 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 his Father's house. His life and surroundings in 
 Nazareth brought him in contact with a simple, earnest 
 people and with sorrow and suffering. These were 
 years of character-building and development. They 
 bore fruit when the time was ripe for his public minis- 
 try and prepared him for the baptism at John's hands. 
 This was the last act of his private life and the first 
 that marked the beginning of his public mission, when 
 the heavenly voice proclaimed him as the "Beloved 
 Son" and the Baptist bare record that he was the Son 
 of God. 
 
 211. Why Is Christ Described As a High Priest 
 After the Order of Melchizedek? 
 
 The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews, whether 
 Paul or some other person, was showing the superiority 
 of Christianity to Judaism. It too had its priest and 
 sacrifice. The Jew might answer that Christ could 
 not be a high priest as he did not come of the tribe of 
 Levi, to which the priesthood was confined. The 
 answer is that there was another order of priesthood — 
 that of Melchizedek, which Abraham recognized (Gen. 
 14 :2o) by paying him tithes. Christ belonged to that 
 order as the Psalmist had predicted (Ps. 110:4), an( i 
 Levi, through his ancestor, had thus indicated his 
 superiority. It is an argument that would have weight 
 with a Jew. It is a curious fact, that among the 
 recently discovered Tel el-Amarna tablets, are letters 
 from one Ebed-tob, King of Uru Salim (Jerusalem), 
 who describes himself as not having received the 
 crown by inheritance from father or mother, but from 
 the mighty God. We know nothing of Melchizedek 
 beyond the scanty references in Genesis, but this tablet 
 
Jesus' Life and Death 212-213 
 
 appears to intimate that the ancient Kings of Jerusa- 
 lem claimed this divine right. 
 
 212. As God, How Could Jesus be Weary, Hun- 
 
 gry and Thirsty? 
 
 In his divinity, no ; but in his humanity he could be 
 all of these. Scripture tells us that in his human 
 aspect he was "in all things as we are." What we 
 have in the Gospels is the report by his hearers of 
 what he said. As John tells us (21:25), it is a very 
 imperfect and meagre report, but sufficient for the 
 purpose the writers had in view. At the same time, 
 it is doubtful how much of the Godhead Jesus may 
 voluntarily have laid aside when he became man. Paul 
 says (Phil. 2\J, R. V.) that "he emptied himself," 
 from which we infer that ... order fully to enter into 
 human feeling he divested himself of such qualities as 
 would have kept him from feeling hunger, etc. It 
 behooved him to be made in all things like unto his 
 brethren, and he could not be that unless he temporarily 
 relinquished some portion of his divinity. 
 
 213, Why Was Jesus Baptized? 
 
 The Saviour evidently ranked baptism as one of 
 the acts inseparable from his Messianic calling (see 
 John 1:31). By being publicly baptized he entered 
 into John's community, which was introductory to 
 his greater Messianic work. Further, it w T as the means 
 of revealing himself to the Baptist and through him to 
 the people. John was the forerunner of the Messiah, 
 and it was especially fitting that he should personally 
 serve at Jesus' consecration to his Messianic work, 
 and assist at the beginning of his public career. 
 
214-216 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 214. Did Christ Make Wine at the Cana Feast 
 
 or Was It Grape Juice? 
 
 The fact that the ruler of the feast pronounced the 
 miraculous wine "the best," showed that it was really 
 wine, but we are not justified in concluding that it was 
 alcoholic or intoxicating. There has been endless dis- 
 cussion on this point, but we are satisfied that divine 
 power never gave any gift to man that would degrade 
 or hurt him. 
 
 215. What Was Jesus' First Sermon? 
 
 Luke tells us (Luke 3:23) that Jesus was about 
 thirty years of age when he began his ministry. Dur- 
 ing his sojourn in Galilee (chap. 4, v. 14) he had al- 
 ready spoken in the synagogues. Mark 1 :i4, 15 men- 
 tions these instances, though very briefly, and so also 
 does John 2:11. His first recorded sermon is men- 
 tioned in Luke 4:16-28. It was on the Sabbath day, 
 and he took his text from the prophet Esais. He had 
 passed through his forty days' preparatory vigil in 
 the wilderness and was filled with the Spirit, and ready 
 for his work. 
 
 216. Did Christ Sing Any Hymns? 
 
 While there is no record of such a thing in Scrip- 
 ture, or anywhere else, it does not seem improbable. 
 See the passage in Matt. 26 130 and Mark 14 126. The 
 closing hymn here referred to was probably the chant 
 called by the Jews "the great Hallel," and which con- 
 sists of parts of Psalms 115, 116, 117 and 118, these 
 parts being sung at the close of the Passover. "It is 
 hardly conceivable," writes one commentator, "that 
 
Jesus' Life and Death 217-218 
 
 the eleven disciples should have been singing to cheer 
 their sorrowing hearts and that their Lord should have 
 stood silent beside them." 
 
 217. Was Jesus Really Tempted As We Are? 
 
 Unquestionably he submitted to all the liabilities of 
 the human condition; we are told expressly that he 
 "was in all things as we are." The appeal of the 
 tempter was to his ambition, and the purpose, as some 
 commentators conclude, was to excite in his mind the 
 desire for worldly power and dominion. Even his own 
 followers had cherished visions of an earthly kingdom. 
 The question whether he could by any possibility have 
 yielded has often been asked, but it is one that must 
 remain unanswered. To say that it was impossible 
 would imply that he was not wholly subject to human 
 conditions and temptations ; while to admit its possi- 
 bility would make him less than divine. The incident 
 shows to us that while the vision of sudden power may 
 have been alluring, it could not move him from the 
 fixed and beneficent purpose of his great mission, 
 which was to establish his kingdom in the hearts of 
 men by love and sacrifice, and by the example of his 
 perfect humanity. Contrasted with such a kingdom, 
 all the glory of worldly pomp and power are trivial, 
 transient and unsatisfying. 
 
 218. Could Jesus Sin? 
 
 The Christian Church has always held that Christ 
 was absolutely free from sin. This is in accordance 
 with the explicit teachings of Scripture, which states 
 that he was in all things "as we are, yet without sin." 
 (Heb. 4:15.) He is also described as the Holy One, 
 
219 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 the Just and Righteous (Acts 3:14, 22:14; I Peter 
 3:18; I John 2:29, 3:7). See also I Peter 11:21, 22; 
 I Peter 1 :ig; II Cor. 5 :2i and other passages. One of 
 the earliest of Church councils (A. D. 451) formulated 
 the doctrine of his sinlessness thus : "Truly man, 
 with a rational soul and body, with like essence with 
 us as to his manhood, and in all things like us, with 
 sin excepted," and this has remained unchanged as 
 the accepted Christological doctrine of the Christian 
 Church. Whether he could not sin has been much 
 discussed. Doubtless he could have yielded; but 
 the fact remains that he did not yield to temp- 
 tation and continued to the end an example of 
 perfect purity and sinlessness — the condition of man 
 before his fall. 
 
 219. Did Satan Own the Kingdoms Which He 
 Offered in the Temptation? 
 
 No; Satan did not own them. But it is still true 
 that they were in his hands to offer to Christ ; he had 
 usurped them. At Creation, Man was placed in the 
 Garden of Eden as lord over all. "Thou hast put all 
 things under his feet," was true of the first Adam (see 
 Ps. 8:4-9), while it will only be carried out perma- 
 nently under the second Adam. (See I Cor. 15:25; 
 Eph. 1 :22; Heb. 2:6-9.) But when Adam listened to 
 Satan and fell, he transferred his allegiance, and 
 through that Satan became the "prince of this world." 
 (See John 14:30; 16:11 ,-18:36; Luke 22:53; II Cor. 
 4:4). The consequence of this has been that the em- 
 pires of the world have been truly delineated as wild 
 beasts. (Dan. 7:3.) It was universal empire Satan 
 
 
Jesus' Life and Death 219 
 
 offered to Jesus, but which he refused to take from his 
 hand. When Satan said, "to whomsoever I will I give 
 it" (Luke 4:6), the Lord did not deny it, but was 
 content to go on in the path of obedience until the 
 time should come for the Father to give it to him. 
 (Matt. 11:27.) Then "the kingdoms of this world 
 shall become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his 
 Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever" (Rev. 
 11 -.15). The fact that "the powers that be are ordained 
 of God" Rom. 13:1, does not conflict with this. God 
 did put authority in the hands of Noah, Gen. 9 :6, but 
 this has been usurped by Satan, through the willing- 
 ness of man to be led by him. The fact that the devil 
 has so much to do with the affairs of men in the world 
 is a proof of this. On the other hand, the kingdoms 
 and glory of the world were not his to give. He has 
 no valid claim or right to anything in God's material 
 universe. "The earth is the Lord's and the fulness 
 thereof." The temptation of Christ in the wilderness, 
 according to the best critical authorities was of a 
 subjective character. That is to say, it was a mental 
 appeal to do wrong. It was a phantasy, a deception, a 
 sham. This is the way Satan tempts us, and Christ 
 was in all points tempted as we are. Satan does not 
 need to take us up on a high mountain to show us the 
 kingdoms of the world. He can put a mental picture 
 before us. When we are tempted to do as he bids us 
 and think that certain things will come to pass, we 
 soon discover that the devil has deceived us. When he 
 speaketh a lie he speaketh of his own, for he is a liar, 
 and the father of lies. His tempting promises of glory, 
 greatness and prosperity are all false. Obedience to 
 him, in the end only pierces the soul with many sor- 
 
220-221 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 rows. He makes the thief believe that his acts will 
 never be known. But God says, "Be sure your sin 
 will find you out." The sensualist, who gratifies his 
 lust, in the end becomes a moral leper. Lastly, he 
 makes the sinner believe a lie that he may be eternally 
 ruined. 
 
 220. What Became of the Nine Lepers Who 
 
 Did Not Return After Being Cleansed? 
 
 The inference to be drawn from the Gospel narrative 
 (Luke 17:11-19) is that the nine, being healed merely 
 in body, were so elated and overjoyed with their new- 
 found health that they ungratefully forgot the source 
 of their restoration, whereas the one leper who re- 
 turned, had learned the deeper lesson of Christ's divin- 
 ity, and had experienced that inner cleansing and 
 clearness of spiritual vision which, after the first 
 exuberant outburst was over, brought him back grate- 
 ful and loving to the Saviour's feet to pour out his 
 thanks. The nine are not again mentioned. 
 
 221. In What Kind of a Body Did Moses Ap- 
 
 pear at the Transfiguration? 
 
 Probably the spiritual body, to which Paul refers 
 (I Cor. 15:44). It is difficult for us to conceive of 
 such a body because we are so accustomed to recognize 
 the soul only as it manifests itself through the senses. 
 But it would be rash to conclude that the soul is de- 
 pendent on the physical senses for its powers. It may 
 have, or may acquire after the death of the body, new 
 and perhaps superior means of communicating thought 
 and feeling. 
 
Jesus' Life and Death 222-223 
 
 222. Were There Two Anointments by Two Dif- 
 
 ferent Marys, She of Bethany and Mary 
 Magdalene? 
 
 There have been many conflicting interpretations of 
 the Scripture narrative concerning Mary of Bethany 
 and the woman spoken of in Luke 7 137. The majority 
 agree that there were two anointings, one during 
 Jesus' Galilean ministry (Luke 7), the other at Beth- 
 any before the last entry into Jerusalem (Matt. 26, 
 Mark 14, John 12). There is not the slightest trace 
 in the Scripture story of any blot on the life of Mary 
 of Bethany. The epithet, Magdalene, seems to have 
 been chosen for the especial purpose of distinguishing 
 the one to whom it was applied from other Marys. 
 Mary or Maryam was a common name, which seems 
 to have led to misunderstanding. Some of the earliest 
 Church writers entirely reject the identification of the 
 two Marys, although it is an error into which not a 
 few have fallen. It is to be noted that Luke 7:37 
 speaks of a woman "which was a sinner," but gives no 
 name, while Luke 10:38, 39 speaks of Mary and 
 Martha as though neither had been named before and 
 without any evidence of previous reference. The 
 whole question is one concerning which no one can 
 speak with final authority although the reasonable 
 inference is, as we have said, that they were different 
 individuals. 
 
 223. What Prayer Did Our Saviour Ask at the 
 
 Last Supper? 
 
 The words Jesus employed are not recorded, but 
 the blessing pronounced may have been that which 
 was customarily asked by the head of the household 
 
224 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 at all Hebrew paschal feasts. It is in these words: 
 "Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the 
 universe, who hast created the fruit of the vine! 
 Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the uni- 
 verse, who hast chosen us above all nations, and exalted 
 us above all peoples, and hast sanctified us with thy 
 commandments. Thou hast given us, O Lord our God, 
 appointed seasons for joy, festivals and holy days for 
 rejoicing, such as the feast of unleavened bread, the 
 time of our liberation, for holy convocation, to com- 
 memorate our exodus from Egypt." As Jesus gave to 
 the Last Supper a broader spiritual significance than 
 the Passover possessed, it is probable that he gave to 
 the opening words of blessing a character in keeping 
 with his high purpose. The new Passover was not to 
 be for the Jewish nation alone, but for the whole 
 world. 
 
 224. Was Judas at the Institution of the Lord's 
 Supper? 
 
 It is doubtful whether Judas was present at the 
 institution of the Lord's Supper. He was present at 
 the foot-washing and at the early part of the feast, 
 but he could not remain after Christ spoke of his 
 imminent betrayal and showed his knowledge of the 
 identity of the guilty man. Then Judas went out, but 
 we do not know whether the breaking of the bread 
 and the blessing of the cup had already taken place: 
 from Luke's narrative it would appear that they had ; 
 Matthew and Mark, however, mention the ceremony 
 after the conversation about the betrayal, which would 
 imply that Judas was not present at the ceremony. 
 The Evangelists were concerned more about the spirit- 
 
Jesus' Life and Death 225-226 
 
 ual significance of the events of that agitating night 
 than about presenting those events in consecutive 
 order. 
 
 225. What Was the Value of the Thirty Pieces 
 
 of Silver That Judas Received? 
 
 The pieces of silver were probably shekels. The 
 value of the whole sum in our modern reckoning was 
 about eighteen dollars. Zechariah had predicted the 
 whole transaction (see Zech. 11:12, 13): "They 
 weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver and the 
 Lord said cast it unto the potter/' etc. It is not likely 
 that Judas acted from avarice only, though he was 
 fond of money. He probably meant to force Christ's 
 hand. He may have thought him backward in claim- 
 ing the kingdom, and supposed that if he was driven 
 to bay, he would deliver himself by a miracle and 
 declare himself king. That theory is confirme 1 by his 
 committing suicide when he discovered the conse- 
 quences of his act. 
 
 226. How Did the Sleeping Disciples Know 
 
 What Word Jesus Uttered in the Garden? 
 
 One of the functions of the Holy Spirit was to 
 bring all things to the remembrance or knowledge of 
 the Apostles. Though the Evangelists record most 
 fully the events they witnessed, they record other mat- 
 ters of which they could have had no knowledge 
 except by revelation. This may have been one of 
 them. But it is not stated that they slept all the time 
 they were with Christ in the Garden. The account 
 rather implies men struggling to keep awake. Christ 
 said of them that their spirit was willing. They may 
 
 10 
 
227-228 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 have heard the few words they record, though missing 
 the remainder of what may have been, and probably 
 was, a long prayer. 
 
 227. Who Was the "Certain Young Man" of 
 
 Mark 14:51? 
 
 There has been much speculation as to who this 
 young man was. It has been suggested by some com- 
 mentators, perhaps rightly, that inasmuch as he is 
 mentioned only by Mark, he was Mark, the evangelist ; 
 himself. Mark's family was prominently connected with 
 incidents of the Lord's last days and following the 
 resurrection. Thus the "upper room" where the Last 
 Supper was eaten and which later witnessed the de- 
 scent of the Holy Spirit was in the ownership of that 
 family and Mark's mother was the sister of Barnabas, 
 a wealthy Levite of Cypress. 
 
 228. Was the Pain the Saviour Suffered on 
 
 Calvary Physical or Mental? 
 
 Pain is a difficult thing to measure. The sorrow 
 of Jesus will always be one of the awe-inspiring, 
 baffling events of the world story. It is impossible to 
 read the Bible deeply, particularly after one has 
 become personally acquainted with Jesus and observed 
 the amazing power that the facts of his suffering and 
 death possess over human souls, without realizing that 
 there must have been far deeper anguish than can be 
 accounted for by the mere facts of his humiliation, 
 rejection, torture and death. If we consider the merely 
 physical pain we must acknowledge that others have 
 apparently borne as much, though we must also ac- 
 knowledge that there are almost infinite degrees of 
 
Jesus' Life and Death 228 
 
 susceptibility to pain. A wound which will cause little 
 pain to a man of a certain temperament and organiza- 
 tion may be excruciating to one of finer and more acute 
 sensitiveness. But the real agony of Jesus must have 
 been different from either physical or mental. There 
 is a sane note, a moral note in his suffering that puts 
 it altogether beyond our comprehension. Matthew, 
 Mark and Luke all record the fact that as he died he 
 cried out with a loud voice. That seems strange from 
 what we know of the dauntless courage of Jesus. Some 
 immeasurable, inconceivable suffering must lie back 
 of that cry. So also his appeal in the garden for 
 deliverance at the last hour. There must have been 
 an infinite anguish ahead to compel him to ask for 
 another way. We get the clearest hint in the grievous 
 prayer from the cross: "My God, my God, why hast 
 thou forsaken me?" There must have been some 
 definite, conscious, agonizing break in the eternal love 
 which had bound the Father and the Son together. 
 Perhaps there was deeper truth than the ancient for- 
 mulators of the creed knew in those strange words: 
 "He descended into hell." No — of all the griefs in the 
 world that of Jesus while he was on the cross and 
 while his body lay in the grave, is unique. Its depth, 
 its duration, none can know. They counted the hours 
 he spent on the cross and the hours in the grave. But 
 what eternities of spirit anguish he underwent we may 
 never know. But, praise God! they were enough to 
 shock every penitent soul that hears of it into a new 
 life, a life in which sin is hated and righteousness 
 loved, a life of which the crucified and risen Saviour 
 is the eternal Light and the never-failing hope and 
 joy. 
 
229-230 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 229. Why Was the Inscription Used on the 
 
 Cross "The King of the Jews"? 
 
 From the fact that the evangelists give us three 
 different forms for the inscription over the cross it 
 has been argued that they were not accurate in their 
 portrayal of things and events. There is, however, 
 nothing here to disturb anyone. Matthew 27:37 has 
 it, "This is Jesus the King of the Jews," using proba- 
 bly the Greek form ; St. Mark 25 126, "The King of 
 the Jews," and Luke 23 138, "This is the King of the 
 Jews," availed themselves of the Roman form, and 
 John 19:19, "Jesus the Nazarene, the King of the 
 Jews," probably employed the Hebrew form. Since 
 the four accounts of the inscription do not differ in 
 import the exact language of the insulting designation 
 is of little or no consequence. 
 
 230. How Many Hours Was Jesus on the Cross? 
 
 It is uncertain how long Jesus lived after he was 
 nailed to the cross. At the longest it could not have 
 been more than six hours. Mark says (15:25), "It 
 was the third hour (or nine o'clock), and they crucified 
 him"; and again (15:34), "And at the ninth hour 
 (3 p. m.), Jesus cried/' etc. John, on the other hand, 
 describing the proceedings before Pilate (19:14), 
 says: "It was about the sixth hour." But John was 
 probably reckoning the hours by the Roman method 
 from midnight, which, allowing for the subsequent 
 judicial farce and the journey to Golgotha, would 
 bring him into accord with Mark. Matthew also 
 (27:46), represents Jesus as being alive at the ninth 
 hour (three o'clock). Matthew, Mark and Luke, 
 
Jesus' Life and Death 231-232 
 
 referring to the darkness, say that it lasted from the 
 sixth hour (noon), till the ninth hour (3 p.m.), but 
 it does not appear to have begun until Jesus had been 
 some time on the cross. , The ancients had not the 
 means that we have of accurately reckoning time; 
 so that we cannot be certain of the hour, and it may 
 have been later than nine when Jesus was nailed to 
 the cross. He evidently did not live long after three, 
 probably not many minutes. 
 
 231- At What Hour Did the Crucifixion Take 
 Place? 
 
 Mark says (15:25) it was about the third hour, or, 
 as we should say, nine o'clock. Again, the sixth hour 
 is referred to by three of the evangelists (Matt. 27:45 ; 
 Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44), when Jesus had apparent- 
 ly been three hours on the cross. In the next verses, 
 in all three cases, the ninth hour is mentioned as the 
 time of death, which would be three o'clock. The 
 statement of John (19:14) is believed to be due to a 
 copyist's error, or to his using the Roman method of 
 reckoning. 
 
 232. Was Jesus Happy on His Way to the 
 Cross ? 
 
 We cannot suppose so, although some have held 
 that, because he was doing the Father's will, therefore 
 he must have been happy even in the midst of suffer- 
 ing. But in the narratives of the evangelists we find 
 only the impression that he was filled with sorrow. 
 From the time of the agony in the garden (see Matt. 
 26:37) till the last cry on the cross, this cloud was 
 not lifted. On the way to Calvary, together with his 
 sorrow for the people who "knew not what they did" 
 
233 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 — who were now as ready to mock and revile him as 
 they were only a short time before to joyfully acclaim 
 him — there must have been a deeper burden of sad- 
 ness for his base betrayal and for his utter desertion 
 by all of his panic-stricken disciples, even by Peter, 
 that weighed down at every step. Yet, wounded, 
 bleeding, and subjected to the worst indignities, he 
 bore it all without a murmur even while his heart was 
 breaking. He was sustained by the sense of his high 
 mission and bore his suffering with such fortitude that 
 even his enemies remarked it (Luke 23:47). Thus, 
 to the last moments of his earthly life, he was "a man 
 of sorrows and acquainted with grief/' 
 
 233. Who Were the More Guilty of Christ's 
 Death, the Jews or the Romans? 
 
 Both were guilty, although the onus of the malev- 
 olent persecution of Christ rests with the Jews. When 
 they brought him before Pilate and that official, al- 
 though representing the power of Rome, and even 
 admitting that he could "find no fault" in Jesus weakly 
 yielded to the fanatical clamor for the sacrifice, he 
 became a principal with a full share of responsibility 
 for the tragedy that followed. A stronger man, backed 
 by the Roman authority and convinced of the injustice 
 of the mob's demand, would have resolutely refused 
 to permit the innocent to suffer. History is full of 
 passages recording the nobility and justice of men 
 whose firmness checked the commission of crimes in 
 the name of law. Roman justice, even in that day, 
 was proverbial. It was therefore the duty of Pilate 
 to have executed justice as Governor of Judea. When 
 he had examined Christ and declared that he "found 
 
Jesus' Life and Death 234 
 
 no fault in him" (John 19:6), and again when he de- 
 clined to acknowledge responsibility for the "blood of 
 this just person," he was pledged by his judicial oaths 
 to execute not injustice in obedience to clamor, but 
 justice, even in the face of the whole Jewish nation. 
 Roman laws governed Judea ; the native laws, secular 
 and ecclesiastical, could only be recognized and en- 
 forced where they did not conflict with those of Rome. 
 Pilate stifled the voice of conscience, set aside the re- 
 sult of his judicial inquiry, disregarded the warning 
 of his wife, and basely consented to a murder in obe- 
 dience to Jewish clamor. The priests, it is true never 
 wavered in their demand for the Saviour's death, and 
 even warned Pilate that if he refused to order the exe- 
 cution he would not be Caesar's friend. This touched 
 the Governor's weak point: his ambition. To stand 
 well with Caesar he gratified the populace and ordered 
 his troops to carry out their wishes. 
 
 234. What Became of Pilate After He Judged 
 Jesus ? 
 
 There are various legends and traditions concerning 
 Pilate's further history. The Acta Pilati, an apocry- 
 phal work still extant, contains some of these. One 
 tradition is to the effect that the Emperor Tiberius, 
 alarmed at the universal darkness which had suddenly 
 fallen on his empire upon the day of the crucifixion, 
 summoned Pilate to Rome to answer for having caused 
 it. Pilate was condemned to death, but pleaded ignor- 
 ance as his excuse. His wife died at the moment of 
 his execution. Another tradition is that Tiberius, hav- 
 ing heard of Christ's miracles, wrote to Pilate bidding 
 him send Jesus to Rome. Pilate was compelled to 
 
235-236 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 confess that he had crucified him, and was thrown into 
 prison and committed suicide. Earth and sea refused 
 to receive his body, and it was repeatedly cast up, 
 finally being sunk in a pool at Lucerne, under the 
 shadow of Mount Pilatus. Josephus, the Jewish his- 
 torian (in Antiquities, 18 chap. 4:1), states au- 
 thoritatively that Pilate met with political disaster. 
 The Samaritans complained against him to Vitellius, 
 president of Syria, who sent Pilate to Rome to answer 
 to Caligula, the successor of Tiberius, and he soon af- 
 terward killed himself. The scene of this act is 
 uncertain. 
 
 235. Could Pilate Have Done Other than Con- 
 
 demn Jesus to Death? 
 
 Yes, as Pilate told Jesus (John 19:10), he had 
 power to release him. His difficulty lay in his own 
 bad record. If he refused to oblige the Jews in this 
 matter, they might go to Rome and accuse him before 
 the Emperor of many acts of misgovernment. It 
 would have done him no harm for them to complain 
 of his letting Jesus go. In that matter, his defense 
 that the prisoner was innocent, would have been suffi- 
 cient. But they would probably say nothing about 
 Jesus ; they would bring charges against him for which 
 he had no defense and he would lose his office. He 
 concluded that he could not afford to set them at 
 defiance, although he ought to have done so. 
 
 236. Could Christ Have Come Down from the 
 
 Cross ? 
 
 Christ had done many miracles, as when he healed 
 the blind, stilled the storm and raised the dead. His 
 
Jesus' Life and Death 237-238 
 
 remark to Peter (Matt. 26:53) that his Father would 
 give him twelve legions of angels if he asked for 
 deliverance, showed that he believed he could be deliv- 
 ered if he wished. The only reason why he had no 
 desire to come down from the cross was that love of 
 the human race held him there. He knew that his 
 voluntary sacrifice was essential to the great atone- 
 ment for the sins of the world. He had foreseen his 
 own death on the cross and on several occasions had 
 spoken of it. 
 
 237. How Many Appearances Are Recorded of 
 
 Christ After His Resurrection? 
 
 Ten: 1 Mark 16:9-11; John 20:11-18; 2 Matt. 
 28:8-10; Mark 16:8; Luke 24:9-11; 3 Luke 24:34; 
 4 Mark 16:12, 13; Luke 24 -.13-35 5 5 Mark 16:14; Luke 
 24:36-49; John 20:19-23; 6 John 20:24-29; 7 Matt 
 28:16-20; Mark 16:15-18; 8 John 21:1-24; 9 Matt. 
 28:16; 10 Acts 1 :3-8. 
 
 238. Christ's Garments— Where Did He Get 
 
 Those Which He Wore when He Ap- 
 peared to Mary on Resurrection Morn? 
 
 The question has often been asked, but never satis- 
 factorily answered. We must conclude, in the absence 
 of any Scriptural statement about the garments, that 
 they belonged to that strange mysterious life on which 
 Christ entered when he rose from the dead. That 
 they were not of the ordinary materials seems clear 
 from the Gospel narratives, which represent Christ as 
 "vanishing out of their sight" (Luke 24 131), appearing 
 among his disciples in a room the doors of which were 
 shut (John 20:19), and being seen now at Jerusalem, 
 
239-240 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 now at Emmaus, and in Galilee, at least forty miles 
 distant. Whatever the garments were, and whereso- 
 ever they came from, they were clearly not of the sub- 
 stantial kind, which would have prevented these dis- 
 appearances. 
 
 239. In What Body Did Jesus Appear After 
 
 the Resurrection? 
 
 The language of Luke 24:39 is clear and explicit. 
 The resurrection body proved that Jesus was "the 
 Son of God with power" in taking to himself the 
 same identical body which had been crucified and 
 laid in the grave, and yet which had been glorified 
 "by some such inscrutable change as took place at 
 the transfiguration." The very fact attests him as the 
 Master of life and death and as divine. He continued 
 forty days on earth after the resurrection, taking 
 again to himself that life which he had laid down, in 
 order that his followers and the whole world might be 
 convinced of the completeness of his triumph over the 
 grave and that he had not "seen corruption." He 
 ascended to heaven a spiritual body. (Phil. 3:21, 
 Col. 3 4.) 
 
 240. How Long Was Jesus in the Grave? 
 
 In Matthew 12 40 he said that he would be three 
 days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The 
 passage has long perplexed Biblical students. The 
 most probable explanation is that Christ adopted a 
 mode of expression common among the Jews, and said 
 that he should be in the grave three "evening-morn- 
 ings," which the translators rendered three days and 
 nights. The Jews also had a rule, of which there are 
 
Jesus' Life and Death 241 
 
 several examples in other parts of the Bible, that any 
 part of the onah, or period, counted as the whole. 
 Thus the interval between the crucifixion and the burial 
 on the Friday would be part of Friday, and would 
 count as one "evening-morning" ; from sunset on Fri- 
 day to sunset on Saturday would count as the second ; 
 and from Saturday sunset to the resurrection on Sun- 
 day morning as the third. The disciples evidently 
 regarded the Sunday as the third day, as is seen by 
 the conversation on the way to Emmaus, when Cleopas 
 said: "This is the third day since these things were 
 done." (Luke 24:21.) 
 
 Professor Wescott, a great New Testament scholar 
 and one of the editors of the most widely used text 
 of the Greek New Testament, held the view that cru- 
 cifixion and burial occurred on Thursday ; but practi- 
 cally every other authority disagrees with him. The 
 celebration of Friday as the day of our Lord's death 
 and burial dates back to extremely early times in 
 Church history. It is true that the expression "three 
 days and three nights" in the passage you mention 
 sounds very emphatic to our Western ears, accus- 
 tomed to the sharp distinction conveyed by the words 
 in our time and speech. But, as Dr. Whedon com- 
 ments here, "the Jews reckoned the entire twenty-four 
 hours in an unbroken piece as a night-and-day. They 
 counted the odd fragment of a day, in computation, as 
 an entire night-and-day. Our Lord, therefore, was 
 dead during three night-and-days." 
 
 241. Did Jesus Die of a Broken Heart? 
 
 That is the opinion of many who have written on 
 the subject, physicians included. It is certain that the 
 
242 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 crucifixion did not kill him, as that was a death by 
 exhaustion. Jesus was not exhausted, for we are told 
 (Matt. 27:50) that he "cried with a loud voice" when 
 he yielded up the ghost. The fact that when the sol- 
 dier pierced his side there came thereout blood and 
 water (John 19:34) indicates, according to eminent 
 surgeons, that the heart was ruptured. The most 
 probable way of accounting for the blood and water 
 flowing from a wound in the side of a dead body is 
 that the spear pierced the pericardium — or sac which 
 contains the heart—which would contain blood and 
 water if the heart were ruptured. The severe strain 
 in the Garden the night before, the intensity of which 
 was indicated by a sweat of blood, probably prepared 
 the physical nature of Jesus for the sudden collapse, 
 which caused Pilate to "marvel that he was dead 
 already." (Mark 15:44.) 
 
 242. Why Did They Cast Lot for Christ's 
 Garment ? 
 
 When the soldiers cast lot for the Saviour's gar- 
 ment (John 19:24) they had no design to fulfill a 
 prediction of the Old Testament. They had probably 
 never heard of the prophecy. They simply perceived 
 that if they tore the garment into four pieces they 
 would spoil it, and it would be of no value. It was 
 the most natural course for such men to cast lots for 
 it. The evangelist, in writing that it was done "that 
 the Scripture might be fulfilled" meant that in God's 
 providence the fulfilment took place. The soldiers were 
 unconsciously doing the thing that it was predicted 
 they would do. John was anxious to show that Christ 
 
Jesus' Life and Death 243-244 
 
 was the predicted Messiah, and he mentions this inci- 
 dent to show that the details of the prophetic writings 
 were fulfilled in him. 
 
 243. Why Did Jesus After His Resurrection 
 
 Say: "Touch Me Not"? 
 
 It was not a time for the old familiar greeting or 
 handclaspings. He had not come to renew the former 
 human associations with his followers. A great change 
 had taken place. The crown of his life-work was not 
 yet complete. He must show himself in his resurrected 
 body to his disciples before he ascends to the Father. 
 Mary evidently comprehended the significance of the 
 change and went and told the disciples. 
 
 244. Was the Ascension in Human Form? 
 
 The visible resurrection was essential as a demon- 
 stration of his victory over death. The facts of the 
 ascension are so well authenticated in numerous pas- 
 sages, that they are accepted by all denominations of 
 the Christian Church. It was a bodily ascension, visi- 
 ble to the multitudes, as far as human eye could pen- 
 etrate. What change may have occurred in the spirit- 
 ualizing of his body, in its preparation for his place on 
 God's right hand, we may only conjecture. The best 
 commentators hold that "though Christ rose with the 
 same body in which he died, it acquired, either at his 
 resurrection or at his ascension, and without the loss 
 of identity, the attributes of a spiritual body, as dis- 
 tinguished from a natural body; of an incorruptible, 
 as distinguished from a corruptible, body." See Phil. 
 3:21; Col. 3:4. 
 
245-246 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 245. What Were the Characteristics of Jesus 
 
 That Made Him So Worthy of Follow- 
 ing? 
 
 He was altogether lovely, Song of Solomon 5:16; 
 holy, righteous, good, faithful, true, just, guileless 
 and sinless, spotless, innocent, harmless (Luke 1:35; 
 Acts 4:27; Is. 53:11; Matt. 19:16; Is. 11:5; John 
 1:14; John 7:18; Zee. 9:9; John 5:30; Is. 53:9; I Pet. 
 2\22\ John 8:46; I Pet. 1:19; Matt. 27:4). He was 
 forgiving, Luke 23 :34; merciful, Heb. 2 :iy, and loving, 
 John 13:1, 15:13; compassionate and benevolent, Is. 
 40:11; Luke 19:41; Matt. 4:23, 24; Acts 10:38. He 
 was meek, lowly in heart; patient, humble and long 
 suffering, Matt. 1 1 :29, 27 :i4 ; I Tim. 1:16; Luke 22 '.27. 
 Though zealous, he was resigned, resisted temptation 
 and was obedient to God the Father, even as he had 
 been subject to his parents in his youth (Luke 2:49, 
 22:42; John 4:34, 15:10; Luke 2:57). 
 
 246. Why Is Jesus Sometimes Called the Son 
 
 of Man and Sometimes the Son of God ? 
 
 It is held that Jesus, in applying to himself the title 
 Son of Man, intended to emphasize his humanity and 
 his representative character. The Jews were looking 
 for a Messiah who would raise Israel to the head of 
 the nations ; Jesus wished to impress the disciples with 
 the fact that he was representative of the whole hu- 
 man race and not of the Jews only. Then, too, to 
 have spoken openly of himself as the Son of God 
 would have been at once to exasperate the Jews and 
 bring upon himself a charge of blasphemy, as in the 
 end it did (see John 10:36). The title, Son of Man, 
 
Jesus' Life and Death 246 
 
 was not open to that danger, as it was expressive of 
 lowliness, humility and identification with humanity. 
 In using it, however, Jesus did not withdraw his claim 
 to be the Son of God. When the High Priest put him 
 on his oath (see Matt. 26:63-65) he acknowledged 
 that he was the Son of God 
 
247-248 
 
 JESUS— SAYINGS OF JESUS 
 
 247. The Meaning of the Name "Jesus." 
 
 The name "Jesus" is the name by which the Saviour 
 is preferably known in the Gospels. "Christ" is used 
 as a proper name in the Epistles, but in the Gospels, 
 except in rare instances, such as Matt, i :i ; Mark i :i ; 
 Luke ii :ii ; John i :i/, there is found not the familiar 
 "Christ" but "The Christ." The later combination of 
 the two names, "Jesus Christ," is found only in John 
 (John 17:3) and after the resurrection (Acts 2:38, 
 3 :6). "Jesus" is the Greek form of the Hebrew name 
 "Jehoshua," or in its abbreviated form "Joshua." Its 
 variants are found in "Jeshua" and "Hoshea." "Jesus" 
 means Deliverer and the divine selection of the name 
 is indicated in Matt. 1 :2i — "He shall save his people 
 from their sins." 
 
 248. In What Language Did Christ Speak? 
 
 The common language of Palestine at that time 
 was Aramaic, a Syro-Chaldaic dialect. After the 
 Babylonian captivity it supplanted the original He- 
 brew, although the latter continued in use for ecclesi- 
 astical documents. It is reasonable to believe that 
 Christ used the Aramaic, as the people would not 
 have understood him had he spoken any other lan- 
 guage. Matthew is commonly believed to have been 
 written in Aramaic and the other three in Greek. The 
 commercial and literary language of the day was 
 Greek. Neither Luke nor John was an uneducated 
 
Jesus — Sayings of Jesus 249 
 
 man. Both would be likely to know Greek. Mark, 
 too, as a young Jew of some standing, would probably 
 know the language. 
 
 249. Why Have We Differing Versions of the 
 Lord's Prayer? 
 
 There is no absolute evidence that the prayer was 
 taught on one occasion only. Matthew reports it as 
 given during the Sermon on the Mount, and Luke 
 (who was not one of the twelve) places its delivery 
 after the close of the Galilean ministry, but mentioning 
 no time or place. Many of the best scholars regard the 
 position of the prayer in Matthew as unhistorical and 
 give the preference to Luke, although it by no means 
 follows that even he gives the original form. If deliv- 
 ered on more than one occasion, the prayer may have 
 had one form for a small group of disciples, and an- 
 other form for the whole body of Jesus' followers. 
 And this might account for the presence of a clause in 
 one version which was absent in the other. The word 
 "trespasses" may be regarded simply as a variant. 
 Furthermore, it is conjectured that Luke made certain 
 changes in the expressions of the prayer, to make its 
 meaning clearer to Gentile hearers. Cyril, Bishop of 
 Jerusalem, is the first w r riter who expressly mentions 
 the use of the Lord's Prayer in religious worship, but 
 it was not generally used in Christian churches during 
 the early days. There is no evidence that it was em- 
 ployed by the apostles. Luke omits the closing doxol- 
 ogy, and although it appears in Matthew's Gospel as 
 we now have it, it is not to be found in any of the 
 early manuscripts, and is probably an interpolation due 
 to liturgical use. 
 
 11 
 
250-252 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 250. Does Any Parallel to the Lord's Prayer 
 
 Exist? 
 
 Some commentators have claimed that the Prayer 
 is based upon expressions and sentiments already fa- 
 miliar to the Jews, and that parallel phrases may be 
 found in the Talmud, but this does not detract from 
 its beauty and originality as a whole. 
 
 251. What Is Implied in Jesus 9 Words "See the 
 
 Son of Man Coming in His Kingdom"? 
 
 This passage is frequently misunderstood. Mark 
 has the better version: "Till they see the Kingdom 
 of God come with power" (which is the more ex- 
 plicit), and Luke: "Till they see the Kingdom." Jesus 
 is believed to have had reference to the realization of 
 the firm establishment and victorious progress of the 
 new Kingdom of Christ during the lifetime of some 
 then present. He did not refer here to his second 
 coming, but to the founding and triumphant extension 
 of that work, the acceptance of which by the world 
 was to be the grand pledge of his return. 
 
 252. What Is Meant by "Poor in Spirit"? 
 
 The simple meaning of this passage (Matt. 5:3) is 
 that it is the humble soul that gets blessed. And the 
 higher a saint gets in the divine life the more humble 
 he will be. Spiritual progress which is not accompanied 
 by humility is progress in the wrong direction. This 
 is one of the distinctive points of Christ's doctrine ; at 
 the very threshold of the Christian life the Christian 
 gives up his self-confidence; he surrenders all hope 
 of making himself righteous, and gives himself to 
 Christ to be made righteous. And his highest attain- 
 
Jesus — Sayings of Jesus 253-254 
 
 ment can be expressed in the words of Paul: "I am 
 crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live, yet not I, 
 but Christ liveth in me. 5 ' 
 
 253, Did Jesus Abrogate the Law? 
 
 In Matt. 5:17-20 Jesus was explaining that he did 
 not come to abrogate but to fulfil the law — to unfold 
 its true spiritual meaning. In verse 19, the thing 
 spoken of, as commentators explain, is not "the prac- 
 tical breaking or disobeying of the law, but annulling 
 or enervating its obligation by a vicious system of 
 interpretation and teaching others to do the same; 
 so the thing threatened is not exclusion from heaven 
 and still less the lowest place in it, but a degraded and 
 contemptuous position in the present stage of the 
 kingdom of God — in other words, they shall be re- 
 duced, by the retributive providence that overtakes 
 them, to the same condition of dishonor to which their 
 false system of teaching has brought down the eternal 
 principles of God's law." On the other hand, those 
 who so teach that they exalt and honor God's au- 
 thority, shall be honored in the kingdom in due pro- 
 portion. It is therefore a rebuke to the outward and 
 formal righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, 
 who neglect the inward, vital and spiritual. 
 
 254. What Is Meant by "Whosoever Therefore 
 
 Shall Break One of These Least Com- 
 mandments" ? 
 
 The meaning of the passage in Matt. 5 :ig is : Who- 
 soever shall break, or make invalid through deliberate 
 misinterpretation, one of the least of these command- 
 ments and shall teach men so (as the Pharisees were 
 
255 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 doing), shall be called the least in the kingdom of 
 heaven. The penalty was not exclusion from heaven, 
 but the loss of the position of honor in God's kingdom, 
 which they might have enjoyed. On the other hand, 
 whosoever shall teach men to obey the law in its right 
 interpretation, looking to the glory and honor of God, 
 should be honored in heaven. It was a warning to the 
 Scribes and Pharisees that righteousness must be 
 inward, vital and spiritual, instead of outward and 
 formal. 
 
 255. What Are We to Understand by "Lead 
 Us Not into Temptation"? 
 
 God does not tempt any one. He may permit us to 
 be placed in positions where, if left to our own re- 
 sources, we would fall; but he does not tempt us to 
 evil. Eve said, "The serpent beguiled me." (See Gen. 
 3:1, 4, 5, 13.) She yielded in her weakness and suf- 
 fered accordingly (vs. 14, 15, 16). In Matt. 4:1, and 
 parallel passages, it is distinctly stated that the devil 
 was the tempter of Jesus. In I Cor. 10:13, a l so > & is 
 made clear that though God may permit us to- be 
 tempted, he is not the tempter. See James 1:13, where 
 it is emphatically asserted that God tempts no man. 
 The withdrawal of the Holy Spirit exposes us to 
 temptation, by leaving the heart open to the attack of 
 the tempter ; but nothing is more erroneous than to as- 
 sume that temptation, or the placing of any agent in 
 man's spiritual path which may cause him to fall, 
 comes from God. If this were true, he would be the 
 author of eternal ruin to multitudes who rush into sin 
 by yielding to temptation. See also Job, 1st and 2d 
 chapters, where Satan is shown as the tempter who 
 
Jesus — Sayings of Jesus 255 
 
 pleads to be allowed to test the spiritual stability of 
 the patriarch. The only sources of temptation in any 
 case are the evil spirit, the world and the flesh. Un- 
 less we are fortified by the presence of the Divine 
 Spirit, when these assail, we are especially exposed and 
 liable to fall. See further on the subject Rev. 12:9; 
 John 8 144; II Cor. 11 13 ; I John 3 :8 ; Mark 1 113 ; Luke 
 4:2; Acts 5:3; Matt. 26:41. Even when God has 
 made a trial of man's faith, he has done so in every 
 instance by the removal of spiritual safeguards and 
 leaving man to his own resources, when the tempter 
 availed himself of the opportunity. In this sense, it 
 is evident that a test is not a temptation. 
 
 Some cannot reconcile the statement that God did 
 tempt Abraham, Gen. 22 :i, with the assertion of James 
 1 113 that God tempts no man. James refers to allure- 
 ments to sin. Abraham was not tempted in that sense. 
 He was tried and tested. Temptation is a trial and a 
 test because when a man is tempted he learns his 
 strength and weakness, hence the confusion in the 
 meanings of the word. It is obvious, however, that 
 the trial may come in different ways. In Abraham's 
 case he was ordered to do something that was against 
 his nature, and the question was whether he would do 
 what he did not wish to do at the command of God. 
 James, on the other hand, is speaking of a case in 
 which a man is prompted to follow his own inclinations 
 and to commit sin. God tempts no man to commit sin, 
 but he does test our faith in him and love for him by 
 trials. Job must have been tempted to take his wife's 
 advice and curse God ; but his trials, as we know, were 
 tests of his disinterested allegiance, not such tempta- 
 tions as James refers to. 
 
256-257 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 256. Who Are the "Angels of the Little Ones"? 
 
 The reference in Matt. 8:10 has caused discussion 
 among divines in all periods of the Christian Church, 
 and is by no means satisfactorily explained. Jesus 
 seems to have lifted for a moment the veil over the 
 unseen state, and to have spoken of a matter familiar 
 to him, but incomprehensible to us. The apparent 
 meaning is that even the humblest followers of Christ 
 are ministered to by angels, who have access to the 
 presence of God himself. 
 
 257. What Is Meant by "The Children of the 
 
 Kingdom Shall Be Cast Out into Outer 
 Darkness" ? 
 
 In this passage (Matt 8:11-12) Christ was evident- 
 ly referring to the Jews. His remark was called forth 
 by a Roman officer exhibiting more faith in him than 
 had ever been done by a Jew. He therefore warned 
 his Jewish hearers that, although they prided them- 
 selves on being children of the kingdom of God, 
 through their descent from Abraham, they might be 
 excluded from the kingdom because of personal un- 
 fitness ; while others, who could not claim that illus- 
 trious pedigree, would be admitted because of their 
 personal fitness. The present application of his words 
 appears to us to be not to converted persons, but to 
 nominal Christians, who have never been converted, 
 but expect to enter heaven because they belong to 
 Christian families, have been baptized and admitted to 
 membership in a Christian church, but have not the 
 spirit of Christ and Christ's words here also apply to 
 people in Christian countries who having a knowledge 
 of the things of God, do not live according to their 
 
Jesus — Sayings of Jesus 258-259 
 
 knowledge. They, too, will see people who had not 
 their advantages admitted, while they themselves are 
 excluded. 
 
 258. What Is Meant by "Let the Dead Bury 
 
 Their Dead"? 
 
 The language employed by Christ (Matt. 8:22) on 
 the occasion in question is to be accepted figuratively, 
 as in many other instances of his teachings. He was 
 speaking of the characteristics of true discipleship, and 
 particularly referred to those w T ho permitted themselves 
 to become so entangled in worldly affairs, that they 
 persistently procrastinated in spiritual things. To these, 
 Jesus showed that all other claims were inferior to the 
 divine claim upon their energies and the paramount 
 command to "preach the kingdom of God." These 
 should take precedence even of the highest claims of 
 nature. While immortal souls are in peril, the true 
 disciple must not hesitate, but must go even at the 
 sacrifice of all he holds dear. Those who remain, be- 
 ing dead to the spiritual call, may well be relied upon 
 to fulfill all needful natural duties to the dead or the 
 dying among themselves. The disciple's duty is to 
 obey the call, leaving the consequences with God. 
 
 259. Why Did Jesus Want the News of His 
 
 Miracles Kept Quiet? 
 
 It was probably out of consideration for his fol- 
 lowers, as there might be a popular rising which might 
 lead to slaughter. The people were expecting the 
 Messiah to be a king and, if they had recognized 
 Christ, and still held that notion they would probably 
 
260-261 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 have risen in rebellion against Rome. On one occasion 
 (John 6:15), he hid himself to prevent such a rising. 
 It was safe after his death to preach him as the Christ, 
 because then the spiritual nature of his kingdom would 
 be understood ; but while he lived, it was necessary to 
 avoid publicity. Even the disciples expected that he 
 would make himself king and did not understand his 
 real purpose until after the resurrection. 
 
 260. What Is Meant by "Who Is Able to De- 
 
 stroy Both Soul and Body in Hell"? 
 
 Stier and some other writers contend that it is 
 Satan to whom Christ refers in Matt. 10:28, but the 
 context disproves this theory. The whole tenor of the 
 chapter is directed to encouraging men to trust in God 
 and -to fear offending him. Christ shows in the fol- 
 lowing verse how God's control covers all life, and 
 that without his permission no life is lost. Christ does 
 not teach us anywhere to fear Satan, but to rejoice 
 that, through himself, Satan has been overcome. In 
 this passage the contrast is between the fear of man 
 on the one hand, which might lead us to keep away 
 from Christ or desert him lest we should be persecuted ; 
 and the fear, on the other hand, of God whose power 
 is infinite in extent, and whom we should dread to 
 displease. 
 
 261. What Is Meant by "I Came Not to Send 
 
 Peace, but a Sword"? 
 
 Christ's work on the individual soul may help you 
 to understand his meaning (Matt. 10:34). The con- 
 verted soul enjoys a peace passing all understanding; 
 
Jesus — Sayings of Jesus 262 
 
 but how is it attained? The first stages of the process 
 are those of fierce conflict. See the agony, the dis- 
 tress, that the majority of men pass through when they 
 are under conviction. It is through conflict that peace 
 is attained. It is so with the evil in the world. Christ's 
 kingdom is one of peace ; but not the despicable peace 
 with wickedness and oppression. With those evils 
 there must be war. If a father wisely loves his son, 
 he does not ignore that son's bad ways ; he punishes 
 him in order to save him. You may say how do we 
 reconcile the rod in the father's hand with his love for 
 his child.. There is no need to reconcile. The rod is 
 a sign and proof of the father's love. So Christ's com- 
 ing brought a sword to smite the evil that is cursing 
 the world. 
 
 262. What Is Meant by "For I Am Come to Set 
 a Man at Variance with His Father"? 
 
 This statement (Matt. 10:35) showed the result of 
 his coming, not the purpose of it. Christ was warning 
 the people who came to him of the sufferings they 
 would have to endure, among which was this of the 
 hostility of their near relatives. Many were offering 
 themselves as his disciples who expected that he would 
 become the King of Israel, and that they would share his 
 glory, and he wished none to come with any such idea. 
 He wanted them to count the cost, and he told them 
 of the trials awaiting them if they followed him. They 
 must be quite sure that they loved him so well that if 
 their fathers or their brothers cast them off for being 
 Christians they would be faithful to Christ, even at 
 the cost of losing the love of their relatives. 
 
263-265 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 263. What Is Meant by "This Is Elias Which 
 
 Was to Come"? Matt. 11:14. 
 
 There was a prophecy that God would send Elijah 
 or Elias to turn the hearts of the people (Malachi 
 4:5). When John appeared the Jews asked him if 
 he was Elias, and he answered that he was not (John 
 1 :2i). They evidently expected that the literal Elijah, 
 who is represented as ascending to heaven without dy- 
 ing (II Kings 2:11), would be sent to earth. John 
 knew he was not that. He regarded himself as a hum- 
 ble messenger, a mere voice, with no distinction but 
 that of preparing the way. The character of his 
 preaching, however, shows that, like other messengers 
 from God, he underestimated his dignity. When Christ 
 spoke of him he settled the question definitely in the 
 passage you refer to. John, he said, was the Elias 
 to whom the prophecy referred. 
 
 264. What Are the "Idle Words" that Men 
 
 Shall Give Account of? 
 
 The passage in Matt. 12 136 means unseemly or im- 
 proper conversation, levity, slander, scoffing, boasting, 
 swearing, mocking at sacred things. The Saviour had 
 been speaking of blasphemy and of the scoffing atti- 
 tude of the Pharisees, who imputed his miracles to 
 Beelzebub. The "idle words" presumably referred 
 more particularly to their sceptical way of accounting 
 for the miracles, of which they had spoken slightingly. 
 
 265. What Are We to Understand by Christ's 
 
 Parable of the Return of the Unclean 
 Spirit? 
 
 Its first application, as the closing words show, is 
 to the Jews of that time. (See Matt. 12:43, 45.) They 
 
Jesus — Sayings of Jesus 266 
 
 were rid of the evil of idolatry., but were worse than 
 their fathers, who worshiped idols, in that they rejected 
 Jesus and finally crucified him. In modern times, the 
 same evil is seen when a nation abandons its super- 
 stitions, but instead of turning to Christ, and becoming 
 Christian, becomes atheistic. Its application to individ- 
 uals is of the same character. Christianity is positive 
 as well as negative in its effects. It forbids and con- 
 demns sin (that is negative) ; it also enjoins love, 
 kindness, service (that is positive). If, for example, 
 a man who has been a drunkard overcomes his pro- 
 pensity, that is, gets rid of his unclean spirit, but does 
 not go forward to faith in Christ, he is liable to become 
 Pharisaic and intolerant, and perhaps sceptical. In 
 that condition he is liable to fall into worse sin. The 
 throne of the soul is never empty. If Christ does not 
 rule, some evil spirit takes possession. 
 
 266. What Are the Tares Mentioned in Matt. 
 13:25? 
 
 The tares in the parable refer to the seed called 
 "darnel," a rank and widely distributed grass, and the 
 only species that has deleterious properties. It is 
 poisonous and its grains, if eaten, produce vomiting, 
 purging, convulsions and sometimes even death. Be- 
 fore it comes into the ear it resembles the wheat so 
 closely that it can hardly be distinguished from the 
 latter, hence the command to leave it to the harvest. 
 Grain-growers in Palestine believe the tares, or zuwan, 
 to be a diseased or degenerate wheat. The seed resem- 
 bles wheat in form, but is smaller and nearly black. 
 
267-268 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 267. What Was the Power Conferred on Peter 
 
 by Christ's Commission of the Keys? 
 
 The keys and the power of binding and loosing 
 referred to a common Jewish custom. When a man 
 had passed his examinations for the high position of 
 a doctor of the law, he received as his diploma, a key 
 which was handed to him with the words, "Receive 
 authority to bind and to loose/' that is to permit or 
 forbid. Having mastered the law, he could say whether 
 some act was lawful or unlawful. Peter's declaration 
 that Jesus was the Son of God was the evidence of 
 his having reached a state of spiritual faith and per- 
 ception which Christ recognized (Matt. 16:18, 19). 
 The keys may also have had reference to Peter's open- 
 ing the doors of Christ's kingdom to the multitude on 
 the day of Pentecost and to the Gentiles by preaching 
 to Cornelius. It is clear that the Apostles did not rec- 
 ognize Peter as superior to themselves. It was James 
 who passed sentence in the council (Acts 15:13, 19) 
 although Peter was present; and Paul "withstood 
 Peter to the face." (Gal. 2:11.) 
 
 268. What Is Meant in Jesus' Advice "Turn 
 
 to Him the Other Also"? 
 
 Christ's teaching in this and other passages was 
 intended to inculcate principles, rather than blind, lit- 
 eral, servile obedience. He would have his followers 
 patient, gentle, non-resistant, forbearing, submitting 
 to be wronged rather than resisting. His own example 
 in yielding himself to death, when by the exercise of 
 his miraculous powers he could have delivered himself, 
 is an illustration of his meaning. Yet he scourged the 
 traders in the Temple, and in denouncing the Scribes 
 
Jesus — Sayings of Jesus 269-270 
 
 and Pharisees he showed that he was not deficient in 
 vigor. There have, however, been many instances of 
 men literally obeying the command to turn the other 
 cheek, and in some, the effect on the striker was to 
 produce shame and humiliation greater than could 
 have resulted from a fight. There have been many, 
 too, who after painful experience have wished they 
 had submitted to a wrong instead of going to the 
 courts. (See Matt. 18:15, 16, 17.) 
 
 269. Who Are the People to Whom Christ 
 
 Referred as Being "Joined Together of 
 God"? 
 
 We may understand the remark better by reading 
 the whole passage (Matt. 19:1-12). The Pharisees 
 were trying to draw Christ into a controversy which, 
 at the time, was raging between the schools of different 
 Jewish teachers. One school contended that a man 
 was justified in divorcing his wife for any cause as, 
 for instance, if she burnt the food she was cooking 
 for his dinner. Another school held that physical 
 defects alone justified divorce. There were other 
 schools holding other opinions. Christ refused to iden- 
 tify himself with any and lifted the question into the 
 higher plane by showing the origin of marriage in 
 divine institution. 
 
 270. What Was the "Needle's Eye"? 
 
 The "needle's eye" (Matt. 19:24) was the small 
 gate or wicket at the side of the big gate at the en- 
 trance to the city wall. When the big gate closed for 
 the day, all entrance had to be gained through the 
 
271 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 small gate, and to a loaded camel, or indeed to any 
 body of considerable size, passage was impossible. 
 
 271. What Is Meant by "A Rich Man Shall 
 Hardly Enter the Kingdom of God"? 
 
 To rightly understand the full significance of the 
 passage in Matt. 19:23 read Luke 18:24-27. It may 
 be liberally interpreted: "How hard it is for those 
 who trust in riches to enter! Unless this idolatrous 
 trust and confidence in mere wealth is overcome, they 
 cannot enter" except by a miracle of divine grace, 
 which changes the heart. Jesus found no fault with 
 the young man because of his riches, since wealth, and 
 the power and influence it brings, may be made a 
 means of great blessing if used in the right spirit as 
 a trust committed to our stewardship. He found, 
 however, that the young man's wealth was to him of 
 greater moment than his eternal welfare, since he 
 could not grasp the great opportunity offered him by 
 the Master. Paul in I Cor. 6:10 also has a bearing 
 upon the love of wealth and the hard and merciless 
 means that are sometimes adopted to acquire it. 
 Where extortion begins may be defined by statute, 
 but it must really be determined by the conscience, 
 since what is a fair return in one case may be a cruel 
 extortion in another. We must carry the Christ idea 
 into our business relations, and deal not only justly 
 but generously and humanely, never making gain of 
 another's necessity, and if with all we pile up riches, 
 we are apt to rely on them to put us into heaven. This 
 was the case of the young man who came to Christ. 
 The sincerity of the young man was obvious ; yet he 
 himself felt that although he had lived a clean, moral 
 
Jesus — Sayings of Jesus 272 
 
 life, keeping the letter of the law in absolute strictness, 
 there was yet something wanting. He was not satisfied 
 with his own blameless life. It was to find out what 
 this hidden need was that he came to the Master, and 
 asked, "What lack I yet?" Jesus, reading his heart, 
 knew that his wealth stood as a barrier between him 
 and the spiritual life he craved ; that the influence and 
 social position it gave were so dear to him that he 
 could not bear to part with them, even to attain his 
 ideal of a perfect life. His riches were his idol, and 
 this the Master knew. So when Jesus in his wisdom 
 put the test, forcing the young man to choose between 
 riches and heaven — that he must himself cast aside 
 the stumbling-block in his spiritual path — he failed at 
 the crisis, turned his back upon the Master, and went 
 away sorrowful. Jesus demanded an absolute sur- 
 render of the heart and the whole life, the placing of 
 all in the scale as a heart offering. Good works could 
 not save, but sacrifice of our works and our wealth 
 brings us into a new and divine relationship as true 
 heirs to the kingdom. See Matt. 19:29, in which the 
 spiritual compensation for such sacrifice is promised. 
 The rich young ruler came very near to the kingdom, 
 but without entering in. His own estimate of his obe- 
 dience was not justified, for if he had indeed kept the 
 firsi" commandment he would have placed God first, 
 above even his much-prized earthly treasures, and he 
 would never have gone away from Christ, 
 
 272. What Is the Parable of the Laborers In- 
 tended to Teach? Matt. 20:1-6. 
 
 There has, probably, been more difference in ex- 
 plaining this parable than any other. To us it appears 
 that the incidents of it are not intended as laying 
 
273 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 down a business principle, but as a commentary on 
 the events in the preceding chapter. Peter had asked, 
 "What shall we have, therefore?" showing a bar- 
 gaining spirit. Christ shows him by this parable that, 
 not they who stipulate for reward, but they who trust 
 in God, leaving their reward for him to fix are treated 
 best. That was a prominent characteristic of Christ. 
 He craved personal trust and personal faith in him- 
 self. Where does the injustice of the householder 
 come in ? He kept his agreement with the early labor- 
 ers, who had stipulated for a penny a day. They had 
 the amount they had demanded and had no grievance. 
 The householder chose to deal more liberally w T ith the 
 others, who had left their remuneration to him, but 
 that w T as in no sense a wrong to the early laborers. If 
 an employer knows something about one of his em- 
 ployees — perhaps that he has been sick, or that he has 
 a large family — and chooses to give him a double 
 wage, is he bound to go all round his factory and 
 double the wages of every man in his employ? It is 
 the hireling spirit, the spirit of the man who bargains, 
 who resents the kindness done to another as a wrong 
 to himself, that Christ reproves here. He condemns 
 it, as he condemned the elder brother in the parable 
 of the Prodigal Son, who resented the feast to the 
 prodigal and reminded the father of his own claims. 
 Many of the first (not all) shall be last because of the 
 spirit in which they have performed their work. 
 
 273. In the Parable of the Laborers What Is 
 the Principle Taught? 
 
 This parable in Matt. 20:1-16 stands in close con- 
 nection with the preceding chapter, and its evident 
 
Jesus — Sayings of Jesus 273 
 
 purpose was to illustrate the sentiment of the closing 
 verse : "Many that are first shall be last, and the last 
 shall be first." The parable has reference to rewards, 
 and illustrates the method of their bestowment upon 
 the followers of Christ, namely, in such a way that 
 the last shall be equal to the first, and the first last — a 
 way that rewards faithfulness of service, rather than 
 length of service or the amount accomplished in the 
 service. The purpose of the parable, being under- 
 stood, it cannot properly awaken any question as to 
 discrimination in the matter of the pay of the laborers. 
 As to the transaction of the householder, as represented 
 in the parable, there was no injustice in it. He agreed 
 with the first laborers for "a penny a day," while with 
 the others no specified amount was agreed upon, and 
 he could pay them what he pleased. Further, the 
 Saviour does not necessarily approve the course of the 
 householder, and we are not required to show that it 
 was either right or wise, as an act of man toward 
 men, but only that rewards in the kingdom of God are 
 thus bestowed without reference to the time of service, 
 another and very different consideration actuating our 
 Heavenly Father in this matter — namely, faithfulness. 
 The parable was an answer to Peter's question 
 (Matt. 19:27), "Behold, we have forsaken all and 
 followed thee: what shall we have therefore ?" In a 
 word, it was a rebuke of the bargaining spirit. Those 
 who follow Christ for the sake of the reward, and not 
 from love of him, will not be defrauded. They will 
 have all that God has promised them, but they are not 
 those whom he most loves. A parent who promises 
 a child a reward for a certain service, or for good be- 
 havior, and notices that the child performs the task 
 
 12 
 
274 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 or behaves himself better than at other times, when no 
 reward is promised, does not approve of the child's 
 spirit. He does not like to* see the child doing for 
 money the thing that he does not do for love, as he 
 ought to do. Still, he keeps his promise and pays, as 
 he agreed. But the child who does cheerfully and 
 readily, as the parent requests, without any promise 
 of reward, is the one whom the parent approves. That 
 child would surely be rewarded, though no reward 
 had been promised. 
 
 The householder in the parable makes his bargain 
 with the first party of laborers. The phrase, "when 
 he had agreed with them," clearly implies negotiation. 
 With the others he made no bargain, merely giving 
 his promise to pay whatsoever was right. They trusted 
 him, and went to work. He liked the confidence they 
 showed, and he gave them more than they expected. 
 The early morning laborers had no just ground of 
 complaint. They received all they had stipulated for. 
 All through Christ's ministry he showed the same 
 spirit. He craved personal love and confidence. He 
 wanted people, above all things, to trust in him. Peter's 
 question must have chilled Christ's spirit. It might 
 have been interpreted as showing that this man who 
 Christ supposed was following him for love, was 
 there for what he could make out of it. Hence, the 
 rebuke of the parable. 
 
 274. How Are We to Interpret "The Son of 
 Man Came Not to be Ministered Unto 
 but to Minister"? 
 
 This passage in Matt. 20 :28, is the elevation of the 
 duty of Christian service. Of course Christ did come 
 
Jesus — Sayings of Jesus 275 
 
 to earth to win all men to his service, but it was for 
 their sakes rather than his own. To serve him meant 
 salvation; it was sin that kept them from their 
 allegiance to him. And he came to save them from 
 their sins. All the time he was in the flesh he gave 
 rather than accepted service. He was moved by love. 
 Even when the people would have taken him by force 
 to make him king he would not accept it. That was 
 not the kind of service he wanted. He wanted men 
 to serve himj in holiness and spiritual power. He gave 
 his body in humiliation and sacrifice in order that they 
 might be lifted up to this higher plane of service. The 
 whole message of the New Testament is that Christ 
 came to earth for the sake of mankind, not for his own 
 sake. And he taught by example the life of humility, 
 self-sacrifice and service which he wishes all men to 
 lead. 
 
 275. What Did Jesus Mean by Faith That 
 Could Remove Mountains? 
 
 This is the language of similitude and figure which 
 Jesus frequently employed to illustrate and emphasize 
 his teaching. A leading commentator writes of this 
 passage (Matt. 21:21): "From the nature of the 
 case supposed — that they might wish a mountain re- 
 moved and cast into the sea (a thing very far from 
 anything which they could be thought to actually de- 
 sire) — it is plain that not physical but moral obstacles 
 to the progress of his kingdom were in the Saviour's 
 mind." What he designed to teach was the great les- 
 son that no obstacle should be able to stand before a 
 firm faith in God — that it would enable us to over- 
 come all difficulties, if we absolutely trusted in him. 
 
276-277 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 278- Was the Man without the Wedding Gar- 
 ment Harshly Dealt with? 
 
 No; he was treated as he deserved. At a wedding 
 feast in an Oriental land such as Christ was describing, 
 the king would provide garments for his guests, suita- 
 ble to the occasion. A guest who declined to wear 
 the wedding garment and went in wearing his ordin- 
 ary attire, would be conspicuous and his conduct would 
 be an affront to the king. He would naturally be con- 
 sidered as despising the dress which the king had pro- 
 vided and preferring his own. Christ, in the passage 
 in Matt. 22:11-13, was warning his hearers against 
 trusting in their own righteousness and rejecting God's 
 way of salvation. 
 
 277. Why Should We Call Jesus "Master"? 
 
 Because he himself has told us to do so. It is a 
 very beautiful and inspiring title which Christians 
 everywhere may apply to their beloved Lord. (See 
 Matt. 23 :io.) This passage is a part of Jesus' denun- 
 ciation of the Scribes and Pharisees, who were given 
 over to formalism and regarded the letter rather than 
 the spirit of Scripture. They sought personal honors 
 and the applause of the multitudes. They carried 
 strips of parchment of Scripture texts, bound to arm, 
 forehead and side, in time of prayer, and they loved 
 to be addressed by ecclesiastical titles. Rabbi (Master) 
 was a title which they particularly affected and which 
 their whole spiritual conduct discredited. Had they 
 been true teachers and guides, instead of false, he 
 would not have reprobated them, nor would they have 
 belied the title they bore. Titles in the modern Chris- 
 tian Church are vain distinctions, except where they 
 
Jesus — Sayings of Jesus 278-279 
 
 are worthily worn. All should be brethren in Christ, 
 the highest dignitary of the church and the humblest 
 follower. Unfortunately, in every age there has been 
 a desire for ecclesiastical distinctions and, while in 
 many cases these have been merited and gladly ac- 
 corded, in others the honors were not deserved. The 
 ecclesiastical system of the Jews lent* itself to this 
 vanity to such an extent as to arouse the divine indig- 
 nation. The title "Rab" was originally Babylonian 
 and that of "Rabbi," Palestinian. It was given to 
 learned men, authorized teachers of the law and spirit- 
 ual heads of the community. 
 
 278. What Is Meant by "Heaven and Earth 
 
 Shall Pass Away"? 
 
 The expressions "heaven" and "the heavens" mean 
 not only the spiritual, eternal world, but also the 
 stars and the spaces of ether surrounding the earth. 
 Jesus used the word frequently in both these senses. 
 He spoke of "the kingdom of heaven," signifying the 
 eternal kingdom, and then spoke of the stars as "hea- 
 ven" or "the heavens" in passages like the one you 
 mention. Paul speaks of "the house not made with 
 hands eternal in the heavens." (II Cor. 5:1.) The 
 teaching of the Bible is that the material universe, in- 
 cluding the earth itself, will be transformed, but that 
 the spiritual universe will endure forever. 
 
 279. What Is the Lesson of the Parable of the 
 
 Talents ? 
 
 The parable in Matt. 25 was given to explain the 
 principle of the judgment. From one who had been 
 well endowed much would be expected, and a smaller 
 
280-281 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 result would be looked for from one who had received 
 less. Only he would be punished who had made no 
 effort to turn his talents to account. Christ probably 
 intended it to apply to every kind of gift. Men of 
 wealth, of education, of spiritual privilege, with any 
 kind of opportunity for doing good, were affected by 
 it. A man must do the best he could in his circum- 
 stances, and if he could not do as well, or as much as, 
 another who was better equipped, he would not be 
 blamed. The distinction between worldly and spiritual 
 is somewhat vague in this instance. The man who 
 gives to a starving family is not exactly doing spiritual 
 work, but it is the kind of work that this parable would 
 apply to. 
 
 280. Was the Story of the Rich Man and Laz- 
 
 arus a Parable or an Actual Fact? 
 
 It was a parable — an illustration of the kind made 
 familiar in the teachings of Christ. It is the only 
 parable in which a proper name is employed, and 
 Lazarus was probably chosen because it was a common 
 name. By some both men in the parable have been 
 considered as real personages, and one tradition even 
 gives the name of the rich man as Dobruk, while an- 
 other gives it as Nimeusis. Neither tradition is deserv- 
 ing of credit, and the best commentators agree that 
 the two characters were described by the Saviour 
 simply to illustrate two type of men. 
 
 281. Did Jesus in Any of His Parables Make 
 
 Allusion to Historical Characters? 
 
 He is thought by some to have done so in the para- 
 ble of the talents (Matt. 25). Dean Farrar points 
 
Jesus — Sayings of Jesus 282 
 
 this out as follows : "It is the only instance in which 
 we can connect a parable of the Gospel with historical 
 events. The man who goes into another country to 
 seek a kingdom is Archelaus, son of Herod the Great. 
 Left heir of the chief part of Herod's kingdom by the 
 last will of his father, altered within five days of his 
 death, Archelaus had to travel to Rome to obtain from 
 the Emperor Augustus the confirmation of his heritage. 
 During his absence he had to leave the kingdom under 
 commission to his kinsmen and servants, some of whom 
 were wise and faithful, and others much the reverse. 
 The circumstances of the succession of Archelaus 
 would be recalled to Christ's memory as he passed 
 the magnificent palace which the tyrant had built at 
 Jericho. Archelaus was absent at Rome for some 
 months. Jesus calls him a 'hard man.' The grasping 
 character of Archelaus made him unpopular from the 
 first, and the hatred felt for him was increased by his 
 deadly cruelties. The event to which our Lord here dis- 
 tinctly refers had occurred in his own infancy." 
 
 282. What Is Meant by "New Wine in Old 
 Bottles"? 
 
 Mark 2:21, 22 is designed to illustrate the difference 
 between the old and new economies, and the result of 
 mixing up one with the other. The "new wine" was 
 the evangelical freedom which Christ was introducing 
 into the old spirit of Judaism. It was as though he 
 had said, "These inquiries about the difficulty between 
 my disciples and the Pharisees, and even John's disci- 
 ples, serve to point out the effect of a natural revulsion 
 against sudden change, which time will cure and which 
 will be seen to be to the better advantage." 
 
283-284 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 283. What Is Meant by "Unto Them That Are 
 
 without, All These Things Are Done in 
 Parables"? 
 
 In the passage in Mark 4:11, 12 Jesus meant appar- 
 ently that he made the difference between his teaching 
 of disciples and of the ordinary people because of the 
 spiritual insight of the former. It was of no use to 
 give the latter the direct teaching that he gave the 
 disciples. But he taught them by illustrations to which 
 they would listen and which w T ould remain in their 
 minds. They would thus learn more than they knew 
 at the time. The meaning of the stories was not clear 
 to them then, and they probably thought there was no 
 particular moral to them, but the influence of the teach- 
 ing would be felt afterwards. Sometimes a child may 
 play at a game that may teach him geography or history 
 and his teacher is aware that the child has learned more 
 than he has any idea of. The child may be interested 
 in a fable and see nothing in it applicable to himself, 
 but in future years the moral meaning of the fable may 
 be perceptible to him. 
 
 284. What Did Our Lord Mean When He Spoke 
 
 of "The Mystery of the Kingdom"? 
 
 The word "mystery," found in Mark 4:11, 12 as in 
 certain other places in Scripture, is not used in the 
 classical sense of religious secrets or things incompre- 
 hensible, but of things of purely divine revelation — 
 matters foreshadowed in the ancient economy and then 
 only partially understood, but now fully published un- 
 der the Gospel (see I Cor. 2:6, 10; Eph. 3:3, 6, 8, 9). 
 The mysteries of the kingdom meant those great Gos- 
 pel truths which at that time none but the disciples 
 
Jesus — Sayings of Jesus 285-286 
 
 could appreciate, and even they only in part, while to 
 those without (whose hearts had not yet been opened 
 to the Gospel) they were like tales and fables, subjects 
 of entertainment rather than divine truths. Such per- 
 sons saw but recognized not, and heard but understood 
 not, for their spiritual sight and understanding were 
 judicially sealed by sin. From obdurate rejection of 
 the Gospel, and their obstinacy in preferring darkness 
 to light, they had become morally incapable of accep- 
 tance and totally indifferent. (See prophecy of Is. 
 6:9, 10, then read contrasting passage in Matt. 13:16.) 
 
 285. How Should We Interpret Jesus' Words 
 
 "The Damsel Is Not Dead, but Sleepeth"? 
 
 The Saviour's language in Mark 5 139 was as though 
 he had used the familiar figure "she hath fallen asleep" 
 — the same figure that is frequently employed in the 
 Scriptures in describing death as sleep. (See Acts 7 :6o; 
 I Cor. 15 :6, 18; II Peter 3 14.) Some have interpreted 
 the language of Mark 5 to mean that the maid was in 
 a trance or swoon ; but most commentators agree that 
 Mark 5 135 is a clear affirmation that all the signs of 
 death were evident, that the life had already fled and 
 that the reassuring words of the Master (in verse 36) 
 before he had even seen the maid, were intended to 
 strengthen the ruler's faith and prepare him for the 
 manifestation of divine power that followed. The last 
 nine verses, read as a whole, bear out this conclusion. 
 
 286. What Kind of Baskets Were Used in the 
 
 Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes? 
 
 The Gospel accounts say: "They took up what re- 
 mained over of the broken pieces twelve baskets full" 
 (Matt. 14:20). "They took up of the broken meat 
 
287 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 that was left seven baskets" (Mark 8:8). There have 
 been some differences among scholars as to the trans- 
 lation of the word (in the original) denoting "baskets." 
 In describing the earlier miracle, that of the feeding 
 of five thousand, a word is used which indicates large 
 fishing baskets made of rope, while in the narrative 
 of the later miracle, there is used a term which trans- 
 lated means smaller hand-baskets. It might w r ell be 
 asked how could the apostles have carried around with 
 them seven large fishing baskets? A comparison be- 
 tween the two accounts will clear up a seeming diffi- 
 culty. Many Jews carried small hand-baskets in 
 which they kept their food supplies free from pollution. 
 Each apostle may have carried such a small hand- 
 basket and in the party of apostles there may have 
 been one who carried a large fishing basket. This 
 large fishing basket was filled seven times and again 
 twelve times, for the phraseology used seems to indi- 
 cate that, whereas in the one instance each apostle 
 filled his small hand-basket with broken pieces, in the 
 other the one large fishing basket was filled seven times. 
 
 287. Who Was the Little Child That Jesus Took 
 Up and Blessed? 
 
 The details of these incidents in the life of Jesus, 
 have been preserved to us only by tradition. It is 
 said that the little child of whom the Saviour re- 
 marked, "of such is the kingdom of heaven" (Mark 
 9:36), afterwards became known to the Christian 
 Church as Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch. He was one 
 of the great company of martyrs who gave their lives 
 for the faith in the time of Trajan, being torn to pieces 
 by lions in the amphitheatre at Rome. 
 
Jesus — Sayings of Jesus 288-289 
 
 288. What Did Jesus Mean by Saying "Why 
 
 Callest Thou Me Good"? 
 
 The true meaning of the much discussed passage 
 (Mark 10:17) quoted is thus explained by very good 
 authority. Professor David Smith, who writes : " 'Mas- 
 ter' or 'Teacher' was the regular appellation of a Jew- 
 ish Rabbi, and it was accounted so honorable that it 
 always stood alone without qualification. It was a 
 deliberate departure from the established usage, an 
 intentional improvement on the common style, when 
 the young ruler addressed our Lord as 'Good Master/ 
 It showed that he had recognized him as more than a 
 teacher ; and when our Lord fastened upon the epithet, 
 his purpose was to elicit what his questioner really 
 meant. He said in effect : 'You have gone a long way 
 in calling me "good." That epithet belongs only to 
 God. You have recognized me as more than a teacher : 
 are you prepared to go farther, and recognize me as 
 divine?' Hence it appears that our Lord's question 
 is not a repudiation of the attribute of deity. On the 
 contrary, it is an assertion of his title to it. It is a 
 gracious attempt to bring home to that anxious in- 
 quirer, in conscious realization, the truth which he had 
 dimly perceived and was groping for." 
 
 289. Why Was the Fig Tree Blighted? 
 
 The fig tree incident related in Mark 11 113 has been 
 a subject of much controversy, and the passage in 
 Mark 11 113 has been claimed by some to be a mistake 
 in the transcription of the record as to the words, 
 "He found nothing but leaves, for the time of figs was 
 not yet." It is explained by some writers (including 
 Pliny and Macrobius) that the fig tree in Palestine 
 
290 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 produces fruit at two or even three seasons of the 
 year, and Hackett (in his Scripture Illustrations) tells 
 us that the fruit precedes the leaves. One might infer 
 from this that if a tree had leaves it might be expected 
 to give evidence at least of having had fruit. In the case 
 of this particular tree, having leaves in advance -of the 
 regular time (which "was not yet come") yet with no 
 sign of having borne fruit, it was condemned, as some 
 commentators interpret the case, because of its useless- 
 ness. Trench and several others hold that the blight- 
 ing of the precocious and fruitless tree was designed 
 to convey a rebuke to "the barren traditions of the 
 Pharisees, their ostentatious display of the law, and 
 their vain exuberance of words without the good fruit 
 of works." Still others, believe that our Lord, seeing 
 the early leaves, had a right to expect that they would 
 be accompanied by fruit. 
 
 290. Was Christ Omniscient in the Flesh? 
 
 It is reasonable to suppose that in the days of his 
 flesh Christ experienced some curtailment of divine 
 attributes. We read of his being weary, of his weep- 
 ing, of his praying, being hungry and thirsty, and being 
 tempted. We read also of his increasing in wisdom 
 (Luke 2 '.52). We infer from all these that the divine 
 nature did not have full scope for its powers in the hu- 
 man form or could only express them partially owing 
 to the obvious limitations. Christ seems to have been 
 aware of this while on the earth, for he said, "My 
 Father is greater than I." (John 14:28.) We conclude, 
 therefore, that a part of his humiliation was his vol- 
 untarily divesting himself of some part of his divine 
 nature and this may account for such a passage as 
 
Jesus — Sayings of Jesus 291 
 
 Mark 13:32. It is impossible for the human mind to 
 fully comprehend the mystery of the Trinity, but we 
 can imagine that Christ in his loving compassion, vol- 
 untarily put from him certain attributes of the God- 
 head while on earth in order that in all things he might 
 be made like unto his brethren. In what way or to 
 what extent, if at all, the incarnation limited the di- 
 vine attributes cannot be defined, and the fact of his 
 praying to his Father indicated that in the days of his 
 flesh there was a distinction between them that is 
 incomprehensible to us. 
 
 291. Does Christ's Admission that He Did Not 
 Know the Time of the End Imply that 
 He Was Not Divine? 
 
 No, the inference (to be drawn from Mark 13:32) 
 does not appear logical. We do not understand the 
 union of the two natures in our Lord's person, and 
 therefore cannot explain many of the difficulties which 
 are presented. If, however, we take the conception 
 that is given in the first chapter of John's Gospel, of 
 an incarnation, we can perceive how there may have 
 been restriction in the exercise of divine power operat- 
 ing by a human brain. The instrument would be nec- 
 essarily inadequate. The assumption of an unrestricted 
 divine nature would imply perfect knowledge in boy- 
 hood, yet we know that as a boy Christ did not know 
 all things; for Luke says explicitly (2:52) that he 
 increased in wisdom, which he could not have done had 
 he been omniscient from birth. In taking our nature 
 he voluntarily submitted to the imperfections of our 
 condition, otherwise he would not have been made 
 "like unto his brethren. " 
 
292-293 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 292. If Christ Knew All Things, Did He Not 
 
 Know that Judas Was Not a True Be- 
 liever? 
 
 Christ did not claim to know all things. He men- 
 tioned one thing that he did not know (Mark 13:32). 
 At the same time he is said to have known what was 
 in man (John 2:25), so he may have been aware of 
 the possibilities of evil in Judas, which were probably 
 not developed when he was chosen as an apostle. Christ 
 knew of his intended treachery before it was com- 
 mitted. Doubtless Judas himself, at the time of his 
 call, had no idea that he would commit such a crime. 
 Even at the last, he may have expected that Christ 
 would deliver himself by his miraculous power. He 
 was evidently horror-stricken when he learned the re- 
 sult of what he had done, as is proved by his commit- 
 ting suicide. 
 
 293. What Are the Signs Which Jesus Said 
 
 "Shall Follow Them That Believe"? 
 
 Jesus did not promise that the signs referred to in 
 Mark 16:17 should always follow. The speaking 
 with tongues, casting out devils, taking up serpents, 
 etc., were signs suitable for that age when the people, 
 being densely ignorant, expected miracles and signs. 
 Christ reproved the tendency, and on more than one 
 occasion refused to gratify them. He wanted them 
 to learn from the sign to seek spiritual blessings at 
 his hands, which were of much greater value to them. 
 We have entered into that higher and better under- 
 standing of him. It is much more wonderful to see a 
 drunkard reclaimed, a vicious man reformed, than it 
 was to see a lame man healed. The power to cast out 
 
Jesus — Sayings of Jesus 294-295 
 
 devils and to speak with tongues and take up serpents 
 would not be nearly so valuable to us as is the power 
 he gives to transform evil lives. 
 
 294. Why Did Jesus Say of John "He That Is 
 
 Least in the Kingdom of God Is Greater 
 than He"? 
 
 The passage in Luke 7 :28 is frequently misunder- 
 stood, as being spoken in derogation of John, because 
 of the doubt his messengers had implied in their ques- 
 tion (verse 20). The true meaning, as Weiss and 
 other commentators believe, is that Jesus was speaking 
 of the differences in the success of the Baptist with 
 certain classes. The common people and the publicans, 
 who had repented under John's ministry, and had been 
 baptized by him, understood the meaning of Jesus and 
 were glad (verse 29), but the Pharisees and Scribes — 
 the very class who should have been models of right- 
 eousness, had rejected and despised John. That Jesus 
 spoke with this contrast in view is made clear in verses 
 30 to 35 inclusive. He was speaking of the advance- 
 ment of the kingdom in the hearts of men. 
 
 295. What Was the Special Value and Object 
 
 of Jesus' Parables? 
 
 "But unto others in parables that seeing they might 
 not see and hearing they might not understand'' Luke 
 8:10. Dean Farrar says on this passage: "Lord 
 Bacon says, 'A parable has a double use ; it tends 
 to veil and it tends to illustrate a truth ; in the latter 
 case it seems designed to teach, in the former to con- 
 ceal/ Our Lord wished the multitude to understand, 
 but the result and profit depended solely on the degree 
 
296 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 of their faithfulness. The parables resembled the Pil- 
 lar of Fire, which was to the Egyptians a Pillar of 
 Cloud." 
 
 The truth veiled in the form of parable was with- 
 held from the people because their minds had grown 
 too gross to receive it. "Had the parable of the mus- 
 tard seed, for instance," says Dr. Whedon, "been ex- 
 plained to the Pharisees as indicating that the Gospel 
 would yet fill the earth, it would only have excited 
 their additional hostility and hastened their purpose 
 of accusing him as intending to subvert the existing 
 government." They themselves, as we learn from 
 Matt. 13:15, had wilfully closed their eyes to the Gos- 
 pel, and so its real principles must be withheld from 
 them. To some this may have been a mercy, prevent- 
 ing them from using the truth to evil purposes. To 
 others it may have been simply the penalty due them 
 for having insulted the truth and become unworthy of 
 it. While, however, the parable veiled the truth from 
 cavillers, it unveiled it to the disciples (Matt. 13:11). 
 The unreceptive people, "seeing" the narrative, saw 
 "not" the doctrine embodied; "hearing" the literal 
 parable, they understood "not" the secret meaning. 
 "The whole Gospel is a parable to him whose heart 
 has not the key." This solemn teaching is found also 
 in the law and the prophets. Deu. 29:3, 4; Is. 6:9; 
 Jer. 5 :2i ; Ezek. 12:2. 
 
 296. How Are We to Understand "Whosoever 
 Hath, to Him Shall Be Given"? 
 
 This expression (Luke 8:18) occurs in a number 
 of New Testament passages, Matt. 13:12, Mark 4:25, 
 etc. Its meaning is most evident in Matt. 25 129, and 
 
Jesus — Sayings of Jesus 297 
 
 Luke 19:26, in connection with the parable of the 
 talents, or pounds. Christ is stating in these words 
 two laws which are universal. First, a man must have 
 something to start with before he can do any work. 
 Second, if he does not make good use of what is given 
 he loses it. In other words : something never comes 
 from nothing ; neglect means loss. Every man is given 
 something to start with for working out his life plan. 
 If he neglects to use what he has he loses it. It cannot 
 be said that God takes it away from him ; the man 
 simply lets it slip through his fingers. Helen Keller 
 had very little to begin with, but she made such amaz- 
 ingly faithful use of that, that she gained much more. 
 She used and developed the sense of touch till it has 
 become almost equal to sight and hearing. But a 
 sense or a muscle unused becomes useless. A man has 
 only to stop walking and he will soon lose the power 
 to walk. It is ridiculous to say that there is anything 
 cruel about this. It is simply the law of life. And 
 the law works no hardship to any one who has a desire 
 to make good use of life. In the passage (Luke 8 :i8) 
 the law is applied to hearing. When a man hears a 
 truth he must follow it and apply it quickly. If he 
 does not he will forget it, or cease to believe it, or 
 lose it in some other way. 
 
 297. Why Did Jesus Allow Evil Spirits to Enter 
 the Herd of Swine? 
 
 According to the law of Moses, swine were unclean, 
 and any Jew owning them or using them as food vio- 
 lated this law. The destruction of the herd (Luke 
 8:26, 36) and the question of the destination of the 
 evil spirits has been well explained by Trench in his 
 
 13 
 
298 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 famous book on Miracles. He wrote : "A man is of 
 more value than many swine," and added that it is 
 not necessary to suppose that our Lord sent the devils 
 into the swine, but merely permitted them to go, adding 
 further that if those Gadarene villagers who owned 
 the swine were Jews, as may be supposed, they were 
 properly punished by the loss of that which they ought 
 not to have had at all. As for the evil spirits, it is 
 reasonable to conclude that they found a congenial 
 refuge somewhere else. With regard to their recogni- 
 tion of Jesus as divine, we have Scripture assurance 
 that "the devils believe and tremble." 
 
 298. What Did Jesus Mean by "Take No 
 Thought for Your Life, What Ye Shall 
 Eat, neither for Your Body What Ye 
 Shall Put on"? 
 
 This was a part of the "Sermon on the Mount/' 
 and Luke 12:19-34 is intended to illustrate heavenly- 
 mindedness and confidence in God's providence. The 
 particular passage quoted admonishes the believer not 
 to be too anxiously concerned or worried about things 
 that are purely temporal. It is right to make due 
 provision for our own needs and the needs of those 
 dependent upon us ; but when we have done so, we 
 should not fret and doubt and make ourselves and 
 others miserable because of our fears of coming trou- 
 ble. This applies to our food, our clothing and our 
 worldly affairs generally. All such doubts and wor- 
 ries spring from unbelief, and are after the manner of 
 the world. If we really believe and trust our heavenly 
 Father, he will provide all we need. This promise, 
 
Jesus — Sayings of Jesus 299 
 
 however, does not relieve us from the natural duty of 
 making reasonable provision, though there are some 
 people who mistakenly think so. The whole passage, 
 broadly interpreted, means that we are to do our work 
 here properly and cheerfully and to trust the Father 
 for the rest and never worry, always keeping in view 
 the greater duty of "seeking first the kingdom/' beside 
 which all other things are insignificant. Worry in the 
 sense involved in the passage is a sin against God 
 since it shows absolute lack of faith in his promised 
 providential care. 
 
 299. What Is Meant by Hating Father and 
 Mother and Wife for Jesus' Sake? 
 
 In Luke 14:26 our Lord asserts his claim to our 
 most loyal service and our supreme affection. In tak- 
 ing up one's cross to follow him, we must be prepared 
 for trials for his sake, and to break even the nearest 
 and dearest ties, if need be. He must have the first 
 place in our hearts. It may come to choosing between 
 Christ and our nearest relations. Compare Matt. 
 10 137 with the passage in Luke 14. "Hate" is not the 
 preferable word, as the passage in Matthew shows. 
 The passage in Luke obscures the true form of the 
 expression and invests it with harshness while Mat- 
 thew makes the true meaning clear, that we are to 
 love him better than all else, even those who are near- 
 est and dearest to us, and that this love must assert 
 itself loyally at the crisis, no matter what it may cost 
 us. A loyal soldier will give up all to serve his coun- 
 try ; so we too must be prepared to give up all, if need 
 be, to serve Christ. 
 
300-301 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 300. What Was Meant by the "Ninety and Nine 
 
 Just Persons Which Need No Repent- 
 ance" ? 
 
 There was a tendency among the Pharisees (see 
 Luke 15:2) to despise the sinner and make no effort 
 for his reclamation. They prided themselves on their 
 scrupulous observance of the law and on their lives 
 being free from open sin. Christ met them on their 
 own ground, and showed them that the recovery and 
 reformation of the sinner was pleasing to God. He 
 desires that none should perish, but that all should 
 forsake sin and return. They thought that as there 
 were no flagrant sins in their lives to be repented of, 
 that they were God's favorite children. Christ showed 
 them that if, as they contended, they were free from 
 such sins, their self-righteous attitude was not sa 
 pleasing to God as was the attitude of the man who 
 knew he had done wrong, and abjured it and asked 
 pardon. There was need for repentance on the part 
 of those who claimed to be just persons, as Christ 
 showed them over and over again; but he was teach- 
 ing another lesson at that time, and was proving to 
 them, that, even assuming that they were sinless, as 
 they claimed, they were wrong in the position they 
 took toward the sinner. 
 
 301. What Were the "Husks That the Swine 
 
 Did Eat"? 
 
 The husks (see Luke 15:16), were the fruit of the 
 carob tree, which is common in Palestine and is used 
 by the poor as food and for the fattening of swine or 
 cattle. When ripe, it is like a cooked beanpod, brown, 
 glossy, and filled with seeds. Children eat it readily 
 
Jesus — Sayings of Jesus 302-303 
 
 and seem to thrive on it. The carob is of the same 
 family as the American locust tree. Its fruit is some- 
 times called "St. John's bread/' as John the Baptist 
 is thought to have lived upon it in the wilderness. 
 
 302. Who Is Represented by the "Elder Broth- 
 
 er" in the Prodigal Parable? 
 
 Primarily, the Pharisees and chief priests, who were 
 scandalized by seeing Christ associate with the lower 
 classes and notorious sinners. It was a rebuke to self- 
 ishness and formalism — to those who believe they have 
 the spiritual right of way and that less worthy persons, 
 who had been basking in the divine goodness should 
 be envious or critical of the cordial welcome that is 
 extended to a redeemed sinner. The lesson applies to 
 people in our own day who have no sympathy with the 
 work going on at rescue missions, and are sceptical 
 about the conversion of evildoers. The parable was 
 a reproof to such persons, but it also conveyed a 
 weighty lesson as to the evil of sin. Although the 
 father forgave his younger son and gave him joyful 
 welcome, he said to the elder, "All that I have is thine," 
 thereby intimating that the younger son's lost patri- 
 mony could not be restored. The sinner is urged to 
 repent, and is promised pardon, but the time he has 
 w r asted, and the health he has injured, and the mischief 
 his example has done, are irreparable evils. 
 
 303. What Did Our Lord Mean by Saying 
 
 to Peter "When Thou Art Converted 
 Strengthen Thy Brethren"? 
 
 The revised version renders the passage (Luke 
 22:32): "When thou hast turned again, stablish thy 
 
304-305 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 brethren." We cannot suppose that after Peter's fall, 
 he needed conversion in the sense in which we use the 
 word. He needed repentance and restoration. His 
 words, his actions, and the intense devotion he had 
 previously shown to Christ, all indicated a man already 
 converted. He fell under temptation as Christ had 
 foreseen, but it was a backsliding which Christ for- 
 gave. At Pentecost their experience was not con- 
 version, but an enduement of power for service, notably 
 the power of speaking foreign tongues. 
 
 304. What Is Meant by the "Impassable Gulf"? 
 
 The "impassable gulf/' in Luke 16:26, is a figure 
 employed bv the Saviour in describing the eternal 
 separation of the good and the evil in the future life. 
 In his parables and discourses, in order to impress 
 upon the minds of his hearers the central objects of 
 the lessons, he invested them with such natural and 
 harmonious surroundings as the subject and the occa- 
 sion demanded; and to interpret such surroundings 
 literally would be as futile as to translate literally 
 any of the multitudinous passages, full of similar 
 imagery, that abound in Oriental oratory. 
 
 305. What Classes of Mankind Did Dives and 
 
 Lazarus Represent? 
 
 In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 
 16 119), the object was to illustrate the result of neglect 
 of duty in commiserating and relieving the sufferings 
 of others ; to show how wealth hardens the heart, shuts 
 up the springs of human sympathy and makes the 
 possessor selfish and indifferent to the wants of his 
 fellowmen. The rich man was a type of those who, 
 
Jesus — Sayings of Jesus 306 
 
 while possibly generous at times, were yet so centered 
 upon worldly pleasures and self-indulgence that all 
 else was a mere incident. Riches that are used only 
 for our own aggrandizement and gratification become 
 a curse, while the man who employs his wealth in dis- 
 pensing aid and comfort to those around him and 
 relieving the distressed is a blessing to the land in 
 which he lives. This was the distinction which the 
 Saviour drew in his parable of the division of the sheep 
 and the goats, when the King repudiated those that 
 stood on his left hand with the words: "Inasmuch as 
 ye did it not to one of the least of these ye did it not 
 to me" (Matt. 25:45). Lazarus was a type of the 
 hopeless, helpless, friendless poor who are to be found 
 all over the world, and whose lot could be greatly 
 benefited if people of means held their wealth as a 
 beneficent stewardship. Nothing can be clearer than 
 that it was the Saviour's intention to emphasize by 
 these parables the divine law of love and sympathy 
 which he came to teach the children of men by his 
 own example. 
 
 306. What Is Meant by "Easier for Heaven and 
 Earth to Pass, than One Tittle of the 
 Law to Fail"? 
 
 The law, in its literalness, endured until the time of 
 John the Baptist. After him the kingdom of heaven 
 was preached, the new kingdom whose law is love, 
 whose king is Christ, and whose members are em- 
 powered by the Spirit of Christ to keep the greater 
 and more comprehensive law of love, the law which 
 includes and intensifies all the details of the ancient 
 moral law. The law, while in Jesus it loses some of 
 
306 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 its ceremonial details, loses nothing of its real power; 
 it is no less powerful, even by the tiniest measurement, 
 than it was before, Luke 16:17. Matt. 5 117-19: Christ 
 fulfilled the ceremonial law; he kept its authenticated 
 details, and in his death all the requirements for sacri- 
 fice were satisfied and ended. While he kept the law 
 and was to fulfill it, the Scribes and Pharisees were 
 evading the law. By their interpretations and addi- 
 tions they really deprived it of authority. Jesus told 
 them they must not dodge the law but keep it. He 
 even indicated that those who kept the old law most 
 carefully, as Paul did, would be given high places in 
 the work of his new kingdom. Matt. 19 :iy : This again 
 was counsel given before the Atonement. The way of 
 life then was to seek to keep the law. Rom. 3 131 : Here 
 the declaration is made that the Gospel establishes the 
 law. Men without the Gospel had little power to keep 
 the law ; the Gospel gives them power to keep it, and 
 thus gives the law its rights, establishes it, makes it pos- 
 sible for its authority to assert itself. Rom. 8:7: The 
 carnal mind is Paul's expression for the natural, evil, 
 willful state of humanity. In that sinful, natural state 
 a man cannot keep God's spiritual law. Paul uses also 
 the term "old man" in the same sense. His teaching is 
 that this "old man" is to be "destroyed" (Rom. 6:6), 
 "put oflf" (Col. 3:8, 9; Eph. 4:22). James 2:10: 
 This verse is undoubtedly true whether it is applied 
 to law either before or after the Gospel. The judg- 
 ment of the whole law as an institution came upon 
 the man who violated any part of it; and under the 
 Gospel a man is under the same obligation to keep the 
 whole spirit of the moral law and to obey the words 
 of Christ. We dare not disobey or displease Christ. 
 
Jesus — Sayings of Jesus 307 
 
 I John 2 :3, 4 : These verses make a good climax. John 
 tells about the "perfect love," which enables humble 
 Christians really to keep Christ's law of kindness. 
 That is the great secret. Paul declares : "Love is the 
 fulfilling of the law." If we love Jesus perfectly we 
 shall not displease him by disobedience; if we really 
 love our neighbor we will do him no harm but all the 
 good we can. 
 
 307. What Is Meant by "Making Friends of the 
 Mammon of Unrighteousness"? 
 
 Probably no passage has been so often the subject 
 of dispute as this in Luke 16:8, 9. The Revised 
 Version renders it, "Make to yourselves friends by 
 means of the mammon of unrighteousness." Luther 
 thought it was a caution against avarice. Farrar re- 
 garded it as an injunction to care and faithfulness. 
 Taking account of the parable that precedes the pas- 
 sage, it would appear that Christ was showing how a 
 wicked man succeeded in getting friends at his em- 
 ployer's expense. Good men were not nearly so much 
 in earnest in their godly affairs as the worldly men in 
 their business affairs. If they used their money in 
 relieving the needs of the poor they would make friends 
 in heaven. It would not open the door of heaven, but 
 it would cause those who had been benefited to give 
 a warm welcome, thus enhancing the joy of that state. 
 Dr. William Taylor used to illustrate it thus : A man 
 whose house has been broken into naturally condemns 
 the burglar; but he would be justified in pointing out 
 to a lazy or incompetent workman, that if he had half 
 the ingenuity the burglar had displayed he would soon 
 make a fortune. We cannot imagine sorrow in heaven, 
 
308 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 but if there is any man who feels regret, it is he who 
 on earth saw his poor brother suffer for the lack of 
 money that he might have given out of his abundance. 
 In heaven he cannot ease the burden of earth, but he 
 must regret that when it was in his power he did not 
 do it. 
 
 In the passage in Luke our Lord was showing how 
 worldly people, "in their generation" and for their 
 own selfish purposes, were prudent and sagacious in 
 the worldly sense, and showed energy and determina- 
 tion in carrying out their mercenary plans, none of 
 which, however, were for God and eternity. They 
 were types of the money-makers of that day. Even 
 from them, selfish and worldly though they were, the 
 children of light might learn the lesson of concentra- 
 tion — not in relation to worldly, but to spiritual, things. 
 It should be noted also that (verse 8) it was not Jesus, 
 but the "lord" of the steward who commended the 
 latter. The Revised Version corrects verse 9, which, 
 accurately translated, reads : "Make to yourself 
 friends by means of the mammon of unrighteousness," 
 etc., implying that they, "the children of light," should 
 use money not as the steward did, for selfish purposes, 
 but in doing good to others. (See Luke 6:38 and 
 Matt. 25:34-40.) 
 
 308. When Jesus Asked: "Woman, What Have 
 I to Do with Thee?" Was He Ungra- 
 cious to His Mother? 
 
 These seemingly harsh words (in John 2:4) ad- 
 dressed by the Saviour to his mother at the feast of 
 Cana, have been a subject of much speculation. In 
 English they have a harsher sound than they have in 
 
Jesus — Sayings of Jesus 309-310 
 
 the original. Thus "woman" is in Greek a mode of 
 address used with respect and used even to those high 
 in authority, such as queens. What the Saviour in- 
 tended by this address was to call his mother's atten- 
 tion to the fact that it was his work he was doing and 
 not one in which she had any concern. He no doubt 
 used a gentle inflection of the voice, and her remark 
 to the servants showed that not only was she not hurt 
 or offended, but that she fully understood. 
 
 309. How Are We to Understand the Phrase: 
 
 "The Zeal of Thine House Hath Eaten 
 Me Up"? 
 
 The passage in John 2:17 is an expression which 
 graphically describes the tremendous and inspiring 
 enthusiasm of one who is aflame with a righteous pur- 
 pose. The disciples were doubtless surprised at the 
 courage of One whom they had regarded as so meek 
 and gentle, setting himself to a task from which the 
 bravest might have shrunk. It was a new side to their 
 Master's character, but thinking it over, they realized 
 that it was one that the prophets had predicted of 
 him. His indignation at seeing the house that had 
 been dedicated to God so prostituted made him regard- 
 less of his own safety. It absorbed him, or as John 
 says, "ate him up" — made him forget everything else. 
 
 310. What Is Meant by "Except a Man Be Born 
 
 of Water and of the Spirit"? 
 
 This passage in John 3 :5 has given rise to much con- 
 troversy and theologians are by no means agreed as to 
 its meaning. Our opinion is that Christ had reference 
 
311 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 to the topic then agitating such men as the one he was 
 speaking to. They had a ceremony by which the 
 Gentile was admitted to the privileges of Judaism, 
 part of which was baptism, which signified purifica- 
 tion from the sins of his old life. To the astonish- 
 ment of the Pharisees, John the Baptist had insisted 
 that even they were in need of baptism, just as the 
 proselyte was. But as John intimated that was not 
 enough. There was One coming who would baptize 
 with the Holy Spirit. Therefore Nicodemus would 
 understand Christ's meaning, when he spoke of being 
 born of water and of the spirit. To the new birth it 
 was necessary that a man be purified in heart, his past 
 sins blotted out, which was symbolized by the water, 
 and he must be quickened to a new life, which was 
 done by the Spirit. Both are still necessary to con- 
 version. They are called in theological parlance, justi- 
 fication and sanctification. This element of water and 
 the operation of the spirit are the subject of predic- 
 tion in Ezekiel 36:25-27. 
 
 311. What Is the "New Birth"? 
 
 It is an expression frequently used instead of "re- 
 generation/' to express the change from the natural 
 state of sin to the new spiritualized life of the Chris- 
 tian. It is dying unto sin and being born again unto 
 righteousness, a complete transformation of our moral 
 nature, a new heart. Following after conversion and 
 justification, the new birth or regeneration brings 
 about a complete change of heart (see Heb. 10:22; 
 Gal. 6:15; II Cor. 5:17; Col. 3:9; Eph. 4:22-24 and 
 other passages). 
 
Jesus — Sayings of Jesus 312-314 
 
 312. What Is the "Witness of the Spirit"? 
 
 The "witness of the Spirit" is the inward assurance 
 which the believer enjoys of his filial relation to God, 
 namely, that the Holy Spirit witnesses to and with his 
 spirit that he is a child of God, and that his sins are 
 forgiven. The immediate results of this witness of the 
 Spirit are set forth in Gal. 5 .22, 23. 
 
 313. In What Sense Is Meekness a Virtue? 
 
 It is a comprehensive virtue. It includes gentleness, 
 readiness to do good to all men, to walk humbly be- 
 fore God and man, and not to overrate ourselves; to 
 be loving as well as lowly-minded, not given to worldly 
 ambition, but zealous to yield willing obedience to 
 God's will ; quiet, self-possessed, never quarrelsome nor 
 disputatious. See Matt. 5:5; Matt. 11:29; II Cor. 
 10:1; I Peter 3:4; I Cor. 6:7; Rom. 12:19; I Peter 
 2 119-22 ; Rev. 21 -.7. Thus the meek, though the "only 
 rightful occupants of a foot of ground or a crust of 
 bread here," are the heirs of all things hereafter. 
 
 314. Why Did Jesus Give an Evasive Answer 
 
 to the Question "Who Art Thou"? 
 
 When the question was prompted by mere curiosity, 
 or when it was asked with the object of getting evi- 
 dence from his own lips for the purpose of prosecut- 
 ing him, it would have been unwise to satisfy the ques- 
 tioner. When, however, he was speaking to the 
 woman of Samaria (John 4:26), there was no am- 
 biguity: "I that speak unto thee am he." Under 
 the adjuration of the High Priest, too, he answered 
 plainly (Mark 14:62) : "Art thou the Christ the Son 
 of the Blessed ? And Jesus said, I am." 
 
315-317 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 315. What Were the "Greater Works" to Which 
 
 Jesus Referred that His Disciples Would 
 Do? 
 
 Christ always objected to being regarded as a mere 
 wonder-worker. He wanted the people to look upon 
 his miracles merely as his credentials, and to argue 
 from them that he who could do such things was sent 
 from God. The miracles were intended to lead them 
 to trust in him for eternal life. Consequently when, 
 as he said, he went to the Father and the Holy Spirit 
 was given to his disciples, they were enabled to do 
 those greater works, such as the conversions at Pente- 
 cost, which Christ held to be of a far higher order than 
 miracles (John 14:12). 
 
 316. Do Public Prayers Violate Christ's Injunc- 
 
 tion to Enter into the Closet When We 
 Pray? 
 
 No. Christ referred to the ostentatious devotion of 
 the Pharisees who chose a public place for their devo- 
 tions, with the motive that men might see them and 
 honor them as pious people (John 16:23). There 
 are many intimations in the New Testament that God 
 approves of his people meeting together for prayer. 
 
 317. What Did Christ Refer to When He Asked 
 
 Peter Whether He Loved Him More 
 than These? 
 
 Peter had made himself conspicuous by his protesta- 
 tions of affection, as when he had said (Mark 14:29), 
 "Although all should be offended, yet will not I." The 
 form in which Christ put the question would appear 
 to imply a delicate reminder of Peter's boast. Did he 
 
Jesus — Sayings of Jesus 318-319 
 
 indeed love Christ more than did the other disciples? 
 When Peter again avowed his love, Christ gave him 
 a new commission to feed or shepherd the sheep and 
 lambs (John 21 :is). A commission not of authority, 
 but of service. 
 
 318. What Did Jesus Mean by "If I Will that 
 
 He Tarry till I Come"? 
 
 This passage in- John 21 :20, 22 is frequently mis- 
 understood. John alone of all the disciples survived 
 the destruction of Jerusalem and so witnessed the be- 
 ginning of that series of events which belong to what 
 are known as the "last days" of that particular age. 
 He may thus be said to have witnessed the foundation 
 of the kingdom in men's hearts, in a greater measure 
 than any of his associates. The language of Jesus (in 
 verse 22) was not a prediction, but a question in which 
 there was, however, an assertion of his divine power 
 to dispose of human life as he willed. It has been 
 made the basis of a tradition which treats it mistakenly 
 as a prophecy. 
 
 319. What Is the Lesson Conveyed in the Pas- 
 
 sage on Footwashing in John 13:10? 
 
 The saying like the act was symbolical. A different 
 word is used in the original to express the washing, 
 in the phrase "he that is washed/' from that in the 
 other phrase about the washing of the feet. The 
 former refers to the bath, or the washing of the entire 
 body, while the latter refers to the rinsing of the feet, 
 as of one who had soiled them in walking from the 
 bath. The body having been washed, he was clean 
 every whit, when the dirt subsequently collected on the 
 feet was removed. The teaching is obvious. The 
 
320 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 Christian who falls into sin does not need another re- 
 generation, but the cleansing of these later sins. 
 
 320, Are the Verses "For God So Loved the 
 World," Etc., the Words of Christ or John? 
 
 Some scholars have thought that John wrote those 
 verses as a commentary and that they were not spoken 
 by Christ ; but the number of such scholars was small 
 and has become smaller as the discussion proceeded. 
 Their theory was based on the fact that there is a 
 change of tense in the verses in question; that the 
 phrase "onlybegotten" was a favorite one with John ; 
 and that no further interruption from Nicodemus is 
 reported. These reasons do not appear to us of serious 
 weight. The change of tense occurs only when the 
 topic requires it, and if the words are Christ's the 
 change would occur as certainly as if they were John's. 
 The phrase, "onlybegotten" was, it is true, a favorite 
 one with John, but probably because he had heard it 
 so frequently from his Master. And as to the third 
 reason, it is not likely that Nicodemus broke in on 
 that wonderful revelation, or that if he did, John would 
 interrupt it to report his questions. We cannot be- 
 lieve that Christ ended his talk with the fifteenth verse, 
 because if he had done so, Nicodemus would not have 
 heard the essential facts. Neither would statements so 
 authoritative have been made by John, unless he had 
 distinctly indicated that it was he and not Christ who 
 was speaking. The subject was fully discussed some 
 years ago and scholars so eminent as Alford, Lange 
 and Stier then expressed their conviction that the 
 whole passage, from the beginning of the tenth to the 
 end of the twenty-first verse, was spoken by Christ. 
 
Jesus — Sayings of Jesus 321-322 
 
 321, How Should We Interpret "Take No 
 
 Thought for the Morrow"? 
 
 Jesus did not have a word to say against industry or 
 prudence. His words in this instance were directed 
 against the anxiety, worry, and foreboding which afflict 
 so many people. Trust in God, he said in effect, do 
 not spoil your lives by this distressing fear. At the 
 worst, you will have clothing and food. Do not be 
 grasping or selfish, but give to those in need. Solo- 
 mon said a similar thing (Prov. II 124). The one man 
 whom Christ advised to sell all he had and give to the 
 poor, was a boastful man who wanted to be perfect. 
 Jesus saw the fault in his character and told him that 
 his way to perfection was to eliminate that fault. To 
 other men he probably gave no such advice. He laid 
 his finger on the weak place. The apostles, it is true, 
 were bidden leave all and follow him; but that was 
 necessary to the work to which they were called; yet 
 even with them Peter seems to have kept his house 
 as did John. 
 
 322. Who Are the "False Prophets in Sheep's 
 
 Clothing"? 
 
 The warning is against teachers who come, claiming 
 to be authorized interpreters of the mind of God and 
 expounders of his Word, yet who are false leaders, 
 having no spiritual light in themselves and being un- 
 fitted to guide others into the light of truth. Coming 
 in sheep's clothing implies that they present a plausible 
 exterior, their lips filled with smooth, persuasive 
 words; but they do not teach nor do they themselves 
 know the Gospel of Jesus. They teach instead a man- 
 made Gospel, and make a great show of liberal ideas. 
 
 14 
 
323 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 The "old paths" they discard for new ways of reach- 
 ing heaven. They cast doubt upon the essentials of 
 the faith and teach the doctrines of error. Any teacher 
 who does not hold fast to the cardinal points of the 
 Gospel, or who does not emphasize the divine nature 
 and the mediatorial office of Christ and his sacrifice and 
 atonement; who would exalt works above faith; who 
 belittles the importance of the revealed Word, and 
 casts doubt upon its genuineness and authority; who 
 compromises with sin and the weakness of our nature ; 
 who leads his flock to regard with doubt all that per- 
 tains to the invisible realm of faith and the super- 
 natural; who attaches more importance to the opera- 
 tions of the human mind than to all else — such a per- 
 son is not calculated to lead others in the way of life 
 everlasting. It is therefore of the very first impor- 
 tance that the pastor who is chosen for a church should 
 himself be a Christian, living the Christian life, else, 
 however sincere he may be in his efforts, he will not 
 be able to lead others aright. 
 
 323. What Is the Parable of the Ten Virgins 
 Intended to Teach? 
 
 The duty of watchfulness and unworldliness. In 
 the East, to this day, at a wedding ceremony, the ap- 
 proach of the bridegroom's procession is heralded by 
 the cry, "The bridegroom cometh," and those who have 
 been invited come out of their houses to join it, and 
 go with him to attend the ceremony. In Christ's 
 time, apparently, they were expected to carry lamps. 
 All the virgins in the parable slept while the bride- 
 groom tarried; but five of them were prepared with 
 oil to trim their lamps, and the others were not. Thus, 
 
Jesus — Sayings of Jesus 324-325 
 
 when the bridegroom came they were ready to meet 
 him, while the others were not. Professing Christians 
 would be similarly divided if Christ were to come to 
 the world now. Some would rejoice and be ready to 
 welcome him, while others, who are leading worldly 
 lives and are not cultivating Christian character, would 
 be unprepared and would be stricken with consterna- 
 tion. 
 
 324. What Is Meant to Be Taught by the Case 
 
 of the Evil Spirit Which Brought into 
 the Unguarded Heart "Seven Other 
 Spirits More Wicked than Himself '? 
 
 The corresponding passage, Matt. 12 :43~45, appears 
 to indicate that primarily the meaning applied to the 
 Jewish nation. It had repented or reformed under 
 the preaching of the Baptist, "cleaned up/' as the 
 modern phrase has it, but had not gone on as it should, 
 to acceptance of Christ and righteousness toward God. 
 The negative goodness was to be followed by a worse 
 national condition, in which the Lord would be cru- 
 cified. It is as if a nation was led to forsake idols, 
 but instead of becoming Christian became atheistic. 
 In the individual the reference is to a man weaned 
 from some besetting sin, but not taking the grace of 
 God into his heart, and replacing the love of sin with 
 love of God and holiness, leaves the heart unoccupied 
 ready for a return of the sin he had quitted, or the fall 
 into something still worse. 
 
 325. What Are We to Understand by "Many 
 
 Are Called, but Few Are Chosen"? 
 
 This is one of Christ's terse and memorable say- 
 ings, several times uttered. It is interpreted to mean 
 
326 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 that many receive the invitation of the Gospel who 
 never reach the stage of spiritual progress where they 
 can be said to be "chosen" to salvation through sancti- 
 fication of the Spirit -and belief on the truth." (See 
 II Thes. 2:13.) The "chosen" were those who were 
 set apart for special duty to become living examples 
 of devoted service. Paul was such an illustration of 
 God's sovereignty in choosing his instrument. It 
 should not be held to imply, however, that salvation is 
 forfeited, except through the fault and wickedness of 
 those who are rejected. Christ's death was all-suffi- 
 cient, and it is not the divine will that any should perish. 
 Many controversies have arisen over this passage, but 
 we can safely rest upon the language of the Saviour 
 himself, who said : "Whosoever will may come" 
 . . . . and "Him that cometh I will in no wise 
 cast out." This promise is absolute and assures us 
 that saving grace is within the reach of all who will 
 forsake sin and accept salvation through Christ. The 
 broad interpretation of the passage would seem to be 
 that while many are called, or set in the way of salva- 
 tion, the invitation alone does not save them; they 
 must themselves comply with all the conditions. Thus 
 a means is provided for the salvation of all, except 
 those who willfully reject it. This is the true grace of 
 the Gospel and it is so clear and unmistakable that no 
 human doctrine or interpretation can change it. 
 
 326. Why Did Jesus Tell His Disciples to Buy 
 Swords ? 
 
 He wished them to be forewarned of the world's 
 hostility to the Gospel. He spoke in figurative lan- 
 guage, as he frequently did, and they, misunderstand- 
 
Jesus — Sayings of Jesus 327-329 
 
 ing him, interpreted his words literally, supposing he 
 alluded to present defense. Seeing that they misin- 
 terpreted his language about the swords, he closed the 
 conversation with the words : "It is enough." His 
 healing of the high priest's servant's ear simply em- 
 phasized the fact that he had not intended to counsel 
 physical violence. 
 
 327. Was There Heartlessness in Jesus* Words: 
 
 "Let the Dead Bury Their Dead"? 
 
 No. He meant to convey that the proclaiming of the 
 Kingdom of God was more important even than to 
 bury the dead — an office which could be performed by 
 those spiritually dead as well as by one who had been 
 called to the Master's service. He did not belittle the 
 office of burial, but simply put it in contrast with the 
 more imperative duty of preaching the Gospel. 
 
 328. In What Sense Is "The Kingdom of God 
 
 Is within You"? 
 
 The words "the kingdom of God is within you" are 
 to be interpreted in the sense that those who follow 
 Christ and believe in him as Saviour, and whose lives 
 are guided by his example, have already in this life a 
 part and share in his kingdom, which is eternal. 
 
 329. What Is the "Sin Unto Death"? 
 
 It is believed to be the sin against the Holy Spirit 
 which tends toward or is destined to result in spiritual 
 death. Several commentators make it quite distinct 
 from what is known as the "unpardonable sin" — which 
 is believed to have been attributing the Spirit's marvel- 
 ous work to Satanic agencies. Alford makes it the act 
 
330-331 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 of "openly denying Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of 
 God." Such willful deniers are not to be received into 
 one's house (see II John verses 10 and n). The 
 apostle's meaning is evidently that this chief sin is one 
 by which faith and love are destroyed and the new 
 life killed by a palpable rejection of grace. When such 
 a person knowingly thrusts spiritual life from him, 
 no human intercession can avail. See James 5 114, 18; 
 Matt. 12:31, 32, as to the obstinate rejection of the 
 Holy Ghost's plain testimony to the Divine Messiah. 
 Jesus on the cross pleaded for those who knew not 
 what they did in crucifying him, not for those willfully 
 resisting grace. 
 
 330. What Is to Be Understood by Putting "New 
 
 Cloth on Old Garment"? 
 
 The new is really the unshrunken cloth which, when 
 it became wet and dried, would draw and strain the 
 old garment, making a greater rent. The meaning was 
 that at that time the most intelligent Jews, such as 
 Nicodemus, were hailing Christ as a reformer. They 
 were mistaken. His religion was not a new patch on 
 the old. The old could not be mended, but must give 
 place to his new religion. A specimen of this futile 
 attempt was seen in the struggle to force the old 
 Jewish laws on the Gentiles, which was repudiated 
 (see Acts 15 :i-2i). 
 
 331. Did an Angel Actually Come Down and 
 
 Disturb the Pool at Bethesda? 
 
 It should be noted that the evangelist, in giving an 
 account of the pool, does nothing more than to state 
 
Jesus — Sayings of Jesus 331 
 
 the popular belief (probably a legend) as he found it, 
 without vouching for it except so far as it explained 
 the invalid's presence there. Jesus simply put aside 
 as of no moment the alleged healing virtues of the 
 pool, and aroused the man's faith in that power which 
 alone could minister to his need. 
 
332-333 
 
 A CHRISTIAN'S PROBLEMS 
 
 332. Is Being Killed in an Accident a Punish- 
 
 ment? 
 
 No, it is not right even to think such a thing, and 
 it is a gross slander on God to say it. Jesus was very 
 explicit on that subject. (See Luke 13:1-5.) The 
 tower of Siloam had fallen and had killed eighteen per- 
 sons and Jesus was told of it. He took occasion to 
 disabuse his hearers' minds of the idea that accidents 
 were to be regarded as punishments. There was an- 
 other case in which the question was put to him 
 directly. He was asked who had sinned, a blind man 
 or his parents, that he w r as born blind, and he answered, 
 neither (John 9:2, 3). The whole book of Job is 
 devoted to the subject. Job's friends thought that his 
 affliction was punishment for hidden sin. God him- 
 self interferes to reprove them. It is a wicked and a 
 cruel thing to add to the affliction of a bereaved family 
 by suggesting that their loss is a punishment of the 
 dead or the living. 
 
 333. Should We Endure Uncongenial Associa- 
 
 tion? 
 
 In I Cor. 7:15 the bondage of uncongenial associa- 
 tion is meant. In Corinth, unbelievers were of a par- 
 ticularly vicious type. The newly converted Christian 
 would be pained day by day by the conduct of an un- 
 believing husband or wife. The members of the 
 church inquired of Paul whether it was their duty to 
 
A Christian's Problems 334 
 
 separate in such cases. He advised their remaining 
 together, and for the believer to try to lead the un- 
 believer to Christ. But if the unbeliever went away, 
 the believer was not bound to seek a renewal of rela- 
 tions. Let the unbeliever go. There was no compul- 
 sion in cases requiring the believer and the unbeliever 
 to live together. 
 
 334* How Can One Have Absolute Assurance 
 of Forgiveness of Sin? 
 
 The absolute inward assurance of forgiveness is to 
 be obtained by a perfect surrender of our lives to God. 
 If this is done in prayer, and without one reservation, 
 the Holy Ghost performs its part as surely as God's 
 promises stand. There is an expansion, an uplifting, 
 an inward illumination that ever after establishes an 
 assurance of forgiveness of sin to the individual soul. 
 It is "the Spirit witnessing with our spirit that we are 
 the sons of God." This is the new birth. This assur- 
 ance of God's forgiveness of sins is given in answer to 
 prayer through Jesus, and is communicated to our 
 souls by the Holy Spirit. The degree or clearness of 
 this assurance is according to our faith. Doubts cloud 
 this consciousness of God's favor. The Holy Spirit 
 imparts to the believer an assurance of pardon and 
 adoption into God's family. "Ye have received the 
 Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The 
 Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are 
 the children of God." "He that believeth on the Son 
 of God hath the witness in himself." God "that can- 
 not lie" says through the inspired apostle, "If we 
 confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us 
 our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 
 
335 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 When the conditions are fully met, faith springs up in 
 the human heart, and to believe "that my sins are for- 
 given" is without effort, the same as to breathe. Some 
 obtain "absolute inward assurance" of sins forgiven 
 more readily than others. Some souls are most trust- 
 ful. The doubting and despondent may never in this 
 life have assurance "absolute," yet even these may 
 possess "assurance." The first step to "absolute assur- 
 ance" is to believe that it is not assurance that saves, 
 but faith. We may not see the bridge over which the 
 train is safely carrying us. So faith saves, though 
 we may not feel safe. The second step is to trust 
 oneself to Christ, as a child lets his father take him in 
 his arms. The third step is to willingly do and bear 
 whatever Christ imposes. Absolute conviction will be 
 found in your own heart after you have questioned it 
 and can truthfully say these words : "I believe in and 
 love the Lord Jesus Christ, enough to lay down my 
 life, if need be, for his sake. I love him well enough, 
 to live as long as he wants me to, a life of idleness 
 or of labor, a life in prison or a life of freedom, a life 
 of suffering or a life free from all care, a life wholly 
 devoid of companionship, wealth, worldly pleasures and 
 friends. I love him well enough to go down to my 
 grave, if need be, branded by the world." When you 
 can freely give such a pledge, then you will feel the 
 blessed peace enter your heart, and God will come and 
 talk with you. 
 
 335. Was the Atonement an Old Testament 
 Belief? 
 
 The expectation of the coming Messiah, who should 
 redeem his people and should suffer for their sakes, 
 
A Christian's Problems 336 
 
 is as old as the beginnings of Hebrew nationality. 
 See Isa. 53; Zech. 11:13. The idea of propitiation, 
 reconciliation and expiation was associated with his 
 coming, and although substitution is not mentioned it 
 is implied. In connection with the sacrificial offerings 
 similar terms are sometimes used, but the broader view 
 of vicarious sacrifice, with special reference to the 
 Messianic atonement, is most fully set forth in Isa. 53. 
 The Messianic mission was the salvation of the race 
 (Isa. 11). This expectation was not wholly confined 
 to the Jewish people. The Samaritans held it; the 
 Magi knew of it ; even in the days of Melchizedek and 
 Job it was understood by inquiring souls (Job 19:25). 
 The very first recorded Scriptural allusion to it is in 
 Gen. 49:10. See also Isa. 9:1-7; Isa. 40; Micah 5:2. 
 There were periods in Jewish history during which the 
 Messianic predictions and expectations temporarily 
 ceased, but they were never wholly extinguished. It 
 should be admitted, however, that while some of the 
 Jewish Targumistic writings refer to a suffering 
 Messiah, the greater number deal with a powerful and 
 conquering Messiah. Faith in God, belief in his word 
 and a willing obedience were accounted for righteous- 
 ness in the old dispensation. See Gen. 15 :8 and Rom. 
 4 :3~6, 20, 25 and other passages. Incidentally it may 
 be mentioned that Job is supposed to have lived about 
 the time of Isaac, some 1800 B. C., Daniel 600 B. C., 
 Micah 950 B. C, Isaiah 750 B. C., Zechariah, 520 B. C. 
 
 336. Is the Efficacy of the Atonement Limit- 
 ed to Those Who Accept It? 
 
 The subject has been discussed for generations, 
 and with no practical benefit. It brings up the old 
 
337 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 and profitless question of foreordination, which is bet- 
 ter left alone. It is sufficient for us to know that who- 
 soever avails himself of the offer of salvation through 
 Christ will be saved. If the ruler of a rebellious peo- 
 ple proclaimed amnesty to all who laid down their 
 arms, it would apply to all who complied with the 
 conditions, but those who did not comply would have 
 no part in the amnesty. The limit would not be in the 
 offer but in the disposition of the people. 
 
 337. Is Celibacy Commanded in the Bible? 
 
 Certainly not, and no enforced celibacy was known 
 in the Church until long after the apostolic age. Chry- 
 sostom opposed it, Polycarp, Eusebius, Cyprian, and 
 other early writers mention priestly marriage as a 
 common thing, and in fact, during the first three cen- 
 turies there is no evidence of celibacy as a rule of 
 clerical life. The Council of Trent (1545-1563) estab- 
 lished the rule of celibacy. It originated officially with 
 the edict of Siricius, bishop of Rome (A. D. 385), 
 who argued that the reason why priests in Old Testa- 
 ment times were allowed to marry was that they might 
 be taken exclusively from the tribe of Levi ; but as no< 
 such exclusive limitation prevailed in the Roman 
 Catholic priesthood, marriage was unnecessary and 
 inconsistent with the priestly office. The Roman bish- 
 ops who succeeded Siricius sustained this contention 
 and a long line of Popes confirmed it in their decretals. 
 For centuries, however, there was a continuous strug- 
 gle over it among the Romanist clergy and many 
 lived openly in wedlock in spite of the decrees. Final- 
 ly, about the sixteenth century it became a fixed rule 
 
A Christian's Problems 338-339 
 
 of the Roman Church. It is a system which ever since 
 its introduction has given rise to many abuses. 
 
 338. How Far May People Be Compelled to 
 
 Accept Christianity? 
 
 It is the mission of Christianity to preach the Gospel 
 to all nations, but this does not imply the employment 
 of force to compel a people to adopt the Christian 
 religion against their will. In our own land, freedom 
 of worship is guaranteed under the constitution. Any 
 attempt to force the adoption of a religion would be 
 a violation of the constitution. Lawful persuasion 
 may be used, and there is, of course, no bar to dis- 
 cussion, but the individual and the community must be 
 left wholly free. The attempt to force religion upon 
 any people, and especially to force it upon any nation 
 as such with the ultimate end in view of establishing 
 a religious power in the State or nation, is in conflict 
 with Christ's own declaration that his kingdom is "not 
 of this world." 
 
 339. What Is a Spiritual Church? 
 
 In order to have a spiritual church, it is essential 
 that there should be spiritually-minded leaders, men of 
 ripe Christian experience and earnest faith, who can 
 communicate their own enthusiasm for service and 
 soul-winning to their fellow members. The true 
 spiritual church is an active, working church, where 
 the congregation vie with each other not merely in 
 living up to their privileges in the matter of church 
 attendance, but in active personal effort in their neigh- 
 borhood, drawing others under the influence of the 
 Gospel and organizing themselves for works of char- 
 
340 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 ity and kindness. An inactive church cannot have 
 spiritual growth. The church should be directly con- 
 nected with the work of home and foreign missions, 
 hospital and sick visitation, shepherding of the chil- 
 dren, keeping up the Sunday School, and doing good 
 at every opportunity. Neglect of prayer meetings 
 marks a decline of spirituality in a church which no 
 amount of social attractions will repair. The ideal 
 church is one in which every member has a share in 
 the general activities of the organization. This means 
 all, large and small, young and old, learned and ignor- 
 ant for too often the educated try to obtain an as- 
 cendency. Intellectuality is not always an aid to spir- 
 itual life ; on the contrary, there are very many cases 
 in which it has proved a barrier. One does not per- 
 ceive God through the intellect alone, and this is shown 
 in the fact that many of the most spiritual natures have 
 been found among the simple and unlearned. Intel- 
 lectual vanity and self-sufficiency — an overweening 
 confidence in the powers of the finite mind — are among 
 the strongest impediments to faith. "Ye must become 
 as a little child/' 
 
 340. Will the Whole World Be Converted Be- 
 fore the Second Coming? 
 
 There is nothing in Scripture to make one believe 
 that the whole world will be converted before the 
 Second Coming. On the contrary, we are told that 
 up to and immediately preceding that event, there will 
 be widespread apostasy and spiritual decline, with 
 false Christs and misleaders of men. We should not 
 overlook the fact, however, that the duty is imposed 
 on all Christians to spread the Gospel throughout the 
 
A Christian's Problems 341-342 
 
 world, and to do everything that lies in our power for 
 the conversion of the nations, but the complete harvest 
 can come only in God's own time. 
 
 341. Does the Rule Laid Down by James 2:10 
 
 Imply that All Crimes Are Equal in 
 Guilt? 
 
 Xo ; it means that the violation of any of God's 
 laws places the offender in the category of sinners. 
 The writer is arguing with proud, self-righteous peo- 
 ple who take credit to themselves for not committing 
 certain sins. He shows them that in committing other 
 sins that are not accounted by men so disgraceful, they 
 are nevertheless sinners against God as surely as if 
 they had committed the sins they condemn. A man 
 who tells a lie has broken God's law and in that respect 
 is under condemnation as the man is who commits a 
 murder. Xot that both are equally heinous, but that 
 both stand on an equality in not being able to plead 
 innocence before God. Both are sinners in need of 
 mercy. 
 
 342. Why Did Paul Advise Timothy to Drink 
 
 Wine? 
 
 We suppose he thought it would do him good. He 
 evidently believed that Timothy's ailment, whatever 
 it was, would be relieved by a stimulant. Perhaps if 
 Paul had known as much as modern physicians do of 
 the human constitution, he would not have given the 
 advice. Drinking habits, in our day, do so much harm, 
 that if he were alive now, we do not think he would 
 counsel a young minister to drink wine. He was too 
 
343 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 much concerned about the general good to suggest an 
 example which would be mischievous. 
 
 343. Can Evil Emanate from God? 
 
 This is a topic that has caused much controversy. 
 Evil is the negation of good. God is the source of all 
 goodness, and no evil dwells in him; but with the 
 withdrawal of his guiding and protecting spirit from 
 man, evil comes. In I Sam. 16:14, we are distinctly- 
 told that this was the case with Saul. The Spirit 
 of God had forsaken him, and then his soul was an 
 easy prey to the Spirit of Evil. He was hypochondriac 
 and his distemper was aggravated by his wicked 
 temper and his consciousness that as the result of his 
 own sin and folly he was in danger of losing his 
 throne. The passage in Is. 45 :J "I form the light and 
 create darkness ; I make peace and create evil" does 
 not refer to moral evil, but to discord or disturbance 
 in the order of the universe as a whole. Thus, as 
 light and darkness are opposites, so in the next clause 
 of the verse, peace and disorder are opposites. Evil 
 is the negation of good and distinction must be made 
 between natural and moral evil. Among natural evils 
 are wars, earthquakes, storms, plagues or whatever 
 disturbs or disarranges the perfection of natural 
 things ; whereas moral evil is thought, word or act 
 that is contrary to the revealed law of God and is 
 therefore sin. It is the peculiarity of Hebrew writing 
 to delight in contrasts. You find a long series of them 
 in Proverbs. They are always of the same nature of 
 parallelisms. Thus, in the passage in Isaiah 45, the 
 prophet used the converse of the peace he has been 
 talking of. We should say war or physical disturbance. 
 
A Christian's Problems 344 
 
 He uses the word evil in the sense of punishment or 
 misery. It is the state of the nation that he is con- 
 sidering. It serves God and is faithful to him and is 
 prosperous. The prosperity comes from God. It de- 
 serts him and disobeys him and is punished by captiv- 
 ity and oppression. They also come from God. In 
 that sense he creates the condition which they regard 
 as an evil. There is a similar argument in Romans 
 ii \22. Moral evil he never creates. 
 
 344. Does God Choose People for Destruction? 
 
 Peter was right in saying (II Peter 3:16) that in 
 Paul's epistles there were some things hard to be 
 understood. The verses in Rom. 9:15-20 are con- 
 fessedly difficult. They appear to be contradictory to 
 the conclusion which Paul reaches at the close of his 
 argument (Romans 11 132) "God hath concluded them 
 all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all." 
 Perhaps we would understand his argument better 
 if we knew more of the people to whom he was writ- 
 ing. It may have been, that among them were some 
 who had the audacity to criticize God's method of gov- 
 ernment, and Paul wanted them to realize that God 
 was not under obligation to save any who rebelled 
 against him. That fact we must admit. No man can 
 claim as a right that God shall forgive him. We know, 
 from Christ's own words and from Paul's own letters, 
 that God does forgive all who come to him in peni- 
 tence. But when a man defies him, as Pharaoh did, 
 Paul contends that God makes an example of him, that 
 men of all times may see what is the end of defiance 
 of his rule. We do not imagine that Paul meant that 
 God directly hardened Pharaoh, but that the hardening 
 
 15 
 
345-346 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 was the effect of the removal of the plagues and was 
 "permitted/' The very mercy had the opposite effect 
 on the man that it should have had. Pharaoh misun- 
 derstood it, as men now misunderstand God's long- 
 suffering, and think they will escape altogether. Our 
 side of the question is not God's sovereignty, which 
 we can never understand, but the sublime fact that 
 "whosoever will" may come to Christ and be saved. 
 
 345. Does Satan Interfere with God's Children? 
 
 Paul, in common with the people of his time, had 
 a firm belief in the interference of Satanic influence 
 in human life. Not only in I Thess. 2:18, but in II 
 Cor. 12 17, he refers to it. The "thorn in the flesh," 
 whatever that affliction was, he regarded as a mes- 
 senger from Satan. The writer of Samuel took an- 
 other view. He said the evil spirit that troubled Saul 
 was from the Lord. (See I Sam. 16:14, 18:10 and 
 other passages.) The writer of the book of Job thought 
 that the evil fortune might be the work of Satan under 
 express permission of God. The origin of evil has 
 always been a mystery and it is not solved yet. Though 
 we cannot understand it, we may be sure that vexa- 
 tions and hindrances and temptations do not come to 
 us without the divine permission, and they are in- 
 tended to strengthen the character. Paul himself said 
 that all things work together for good to them' that 
 love God. (Rom. 8:28.) 
 
 346. What Was the "Sentence of the Serpent"? 
 
 The "sentence of the serpent" as the passage in Gen. 
 3:15 is called, was a far-reaching one. The prophecy 
 concerning the posterity of the woman, who were to 
 
A Christian's Problems 347 
 
 be at enmity with the seed of the serpent, "points to 
 the continual struggle between the woman's offspring 
 and the grand enemy of God and man — the mighty 
 conflict, of which this world has ever since been the 
 theater/' between sin and righteousness. In the clause 
 in question perhaps the more accurate reading would 
 be : "I will permit enmity between thee and the wom- 
 an," etc. God is not the author of evil; but when his 
 holy Spirit is withdrawn from a man or a community 
 or a nation, evil comes and takes the place of good. 
 
 347. Who Created the Devil? 
 
 This question has puzzled theologians for ages, and 
 has occasioned discussions which have had no profita- 
 ble issue. There is no source of reliable information 
 but that contained in Scripture and that is of a very 
 meagre character. See Rev. 12 :y, 9, and II Peter 
 2 14. The inference from those and other passages 
 is that Satan was created by God as man was, that he 
 was pure and innocent, but, like man, liable to fall. 
 That he did fall and was cast out of heaven. It can- 
 not be conceived that God created an evil being, 
 though, as we know to our sorrow, he did create a 
 being who became evil. The whole subject is wrapped 
 in mystery and the Bible writers are more intent 
 on the practical question of teaching us how to be 
 delivered from the power of Satan than in giving us 
 his biography. The less we know of him and have to 
 do with him the better for us. That Satan was an 
 angel of high estate, who fell through ambition, lead- 
 ing to rebellion, is the concrete form of a history which 
 is a combination of Scripture and tradition. See John 
 8:44; Matt. 4:1-11; Matt. 25:41; Luke 8:12; Luke 
 
348 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 10:18; Acts 13:10; Eph. 6:11; I Pet. 5:8; I John 3:8 
 and other passages. In Job he is the adversary and the 
 tempter. See also I Chron. 21:1. Milton the poet 
 described him as "the prince or ruler of the demons." 
 See Dan. 7 :io and Jude 6. These passages leave much 
 unexplained and conjecture here is useless. His final 
 overthrow and punishment are predicted in Rev. 20. 
 
 348. Are We As Christians Bound to Keep the 
 Ten Commandments? 
 
 The Christian is not under the law but under grace. 
 That however does not free him from obligation. More 
 is expected of him in the way of righteousness than if 
 he were under the law. You lay down rules for your 
 child and make him obey, but when he grows to man- 
 hood he is free from your rules. Do you not expect 
 that he will behave without rules? That was your 
 object in training him, to produce in him a disposition 
 which would keep him right when he became his own 
 master. Now, which of the Commandments do you 
 as a Christian, free from law, feel that you are at 
 liberty to break? You would keep them out of love 
 for God, whether you were bound or not. As to 
 commands and injunctions of the Old Testament, 
 when the question was considered in the first apos- 
 tolic council (Acts 15 15-29) it was decided that Gentile 
 converts were not to be bound by the Levitical law. 
 Christ, also, in his sermon on the mount, said: "It 
 hath been said by them of old time," and went on to 
 say, "but I say unto you," etc., clearly regarding the 
 law as it stood to be subject to his abrogation. It 
 must not, however, be supposed that the Christian dis- 
 pensation is less stringent. The man who obeys Christ 
 
A Christian's Problems 349-350 
 
 is under obligations higher than those of the law. As 
 an example, the law forbade murder and Christ for- 
 bade the anger that leads to murder. As love is higher 
 than law, so Christ, by setting his people free of law 
 and placing them under the obligation of love, incul- 
 cated a higher morality. 
 
 349. Is the Backslider's Case Hopeless? 
 
 The passage in Heb. 6 :6, like that about the un- 
 pardonable sin, has caused much discussion and ap- 
 prehension. The description in the previous verses 
 of the persons to whom it refers, appears to indicate 
 a condition of enlightenment and of personal expe- 
 rience such as some attain who do not become true 
 Christians, but return to the world. The writer ap- 
 pears to be speaking of a fact rather than enunciating 
 a doctrine. Every Christian minister and worker 
 knows how difficult it is to win a backslider, especially 
 one who has become a scoffer. The truth seems to 
 have no effect upon them. Any person who fears hav- 
 ing fallen into that condition can disprove the theory 
 by going to Christ and asking forgiveness. Christ 
 will receive him. The very fact of his being distressed 
 about it indicates that he has not fallen beyond hope. 
 The man who has need to fear, is he who does not 
 trouble about his state. 
 
 350. Is There Any Hope for the Backslider? 
 
 See Heb. 10:26-29; John 6:37; Heb. 6:4-6, and I 
 John 1 :g. The passage in Heb. 10 refers to those who 
 sin after receiving "full knowledge" of the truth 
 (see I Tim. 2:4), and who after having been "enlight- 
 ened" and tasting a certain measure of .grace and the 
 spirit of truth (see John 14:17-29), apostatize to 
 
351 
 
 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 Judaism or infidelity. Such is not a sin of ignorance 
 or error, but the result of moral wickedness or a de- 
 liberate sin against the Spirit — a presumptuous sin 
 against Christ's redemption for us and the spirit of 
 grace in us. Having fully known the one sacrifice 
 for sin, and having a certain experience of the efficacy 
 of that sacrifice, they have now rejected it. In Heb. 
 6:4, 6, the same idea is emphasized. Such sinners 
 crucify Christ anew, instead of crucifying the world 
 (see Gal. 6:14). The passage in John 6:37 expresses 
 the glorious certainty of eternal life to those who be- 
 lieve and stand firm — those who are given him of the 
 Father and come to him with full surrender. Not the 
 simply willing, but the actually faithful ; not the wav- 
 erers, but the true and abiding, are to realize the 
 promise. In the backslider there has been no complete 
 dedication, otherwise there would be no apostasy. 
 I John 1 :g emphasizes the assurance of forgiveness 
 and acceptance of the faithful ones. Concerning the 
 possibilities of a return to Christ on the part of a 
 backslider, we can only assert that what to man may 
 and often does seem impossible, is possible with God, 
 and that his grace is boundless. Peter backslid in a 
 most grievous way, and yet was forgiven. By a miracle 
 of divine grace, the backslider, although beyond hu- 
 man hope of recall, may in God's abundant mercy find 
 refuge and forgiveness. 
 
 351. Does Every Good Thing Come from God? 
 
 It is impossible to say just what impulses proceed 
 from self and what are the direct influence of God in 
 the unconverted soul. Some impulses to kindness 
 seem purely natural, such as the instinctive care of a 
 
A Christian's Problems 352 
 
 mother for her child, which is found in beasts as well 
 as in human kind. The affection of animals for peo- 
 ple, like the affection of a dog for his master, is some- 
 times tremendously strong. While all these noble and 
 beautiful things come from God, they do not neces- 
 sarily indicate the presence of God in the soul. He 
 has planted certain admirable traits both in the in- 
 stincts of animals and the minds of men ; he also has, 
 of course, the power of communicating with men, 
 speaking to their minds and consciences by his Spirit 
 and by his Word. Reason is higher than instinct and 
 conscience is higher than both, but even conscience 
 may not mean that God is dwelling in the soul. Only 
 when it is enlightened or quickened by the divine 
 power does it become a safe guide. Conscience, there- 
 fore, is not so much the voice of God as the human 
 faculty of hearing that voice. But at conversion God's 
 Spirit comes into a man's soul. He is no longer out- 
 side, but within; mystically though actually linked to 
 the man himself. The great change then is that a 
 man finds himself loving God, eager to get his mes- 
 sages, anxious to please him. The impulses to do 
 good, instead of being vague and w x eak, become defi- 
 nite and intense. The converted man feels that God 
 is within him, making suggestions, awakening holy, 
 unselfish, beautiful desires, and giving him power to 
 carry out these good desires in vigorous and success- 
 ful action. 
 
 352. Why Do Some Passages of the New Tes- 
 tament Use the Neuter Pronoun in Refer- 
 ring to the Holy Spirit? 
 
 In the New Testament references to the Holy Spirit 
 the masculine form is used almost without exception. 
 
353 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 In John 14:26 and 15 126 the relative pronoun "which" 
 is employed, a word that in preserft-day English is 
 always neuter. At the time the Bible was translated, 
 however, the form "which" was used of persons as 
 well as things, for example: "Our Father which art 
 in heaven" (Matt 6:9) and "these . . . which 
 have received the Holy Ghost." (Acts 10:47.) As a 
 matter of fact it would not have been surprising if 
 the neuter form had crept into the translation of some 
 other passages, as the Greek word for spirit (pneuma) 
 is neuter. This makes it all the more remarkable that 
 throughout the Greek New Testament the pronouns 
 referring to this neuter word are masculine. The fact 
 of the Greek noun itself being neuter has no bearing 
 whatever on the question of personality or sex, as is 
 well understood by any one familiar, for instance, with 
 German, in which the same thing is often true. 
 
 353, Will the Jews Ever Return to Palestine? 
 
 Will the Jews return to the Holy Land, and will 
 they ever, as a nation, acknowledge Christ as the Mes- 
 siah? is often asked, and again it is sought to be 
 known how they can be God's chosen people when 
 they reject Christ. There is no doubt that the Jews 
 were God's chosen people and Paul says (Romans 
 11 :i) that He has not cast them off. In that and the 
 two preceding chapters the apostle fully discusses the 
 question. The prophets assure us that they will re- 
 turn to the Holy Land. There are predictions, dating 
 before and during the captivity in Babylon, which 
 were fulfilled when they returned under the edict of 
 Cyrus, but there are others indicating a later and per- 
 manent restoration. The passages in Isaiah 2:2-4, 
 
A Christian's Problems 354-355 
 
 Jeremiah 3:18, 16:14, 15; Ezekiel 36:24, 37:21, 25, 
 39:28, and many others have not yet been fulfilled. 
 They will probably return in unbelief but will be con- 
 verted later (see Rom. 11:26). 
 
 354. Is Justification the Same Under the Old 
 
 and New Dispensations? 
 
 Justification is the act of God and has ever been so, 
 under both the Old and New Dispensations. Under 
 the Old, those were accepted who rendered a faithful 
 and willing obedience ; thus we read, in Gal. 3 :6, that 
 Abraham believed God, and this belief (i e., faith) was 
 accounted to him .for righteousness. Under the New 
 Dispensation, Jesus "came to bring life and immor- 
 tality to light/' that is, to give us a spiritual illumina- 
 tion which would disclose to man the great scheme of 
 redemption ordained from the beginning. The con- 
 tention, therefore, that none save those who are in the 
 New Dispensation can attain immortality is untenable. 
 Besides, the evidence of Scripture itself is against such 
 a conclusion. Moses and Elijah were seen at the 
 transfiguration. Paul held that while the race, as a 
 whole, died in Adam's sin, as a whole it received life 
 through Christ's redemptive work. 
 
 355. How Can the Kingdom of God Be Estab- 
 
 lished before the Judgment Day? 
 
 The Kingdom of the Messiah, which was foretold 
 by many of the prophets and is further explained in 
 the New Testament, is a divine, spiritual kingdom, to 
 be built up in the hearts of men and ultimately to be- 
 come universal. It is described in the early prophecies 
 as a coming golden age, when the true religion should 
 
356 
 
 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 be re-established and universal peace and happiness 
 should prevail. Unquestionably, it was regarded by 
 the Jews in a temporal sense only, but the Saviour 
 himself declared it to be a spiritual kingdom, and his 
 followers look forward to its highest realization only 
 after his return. Meanwhile, it is being established 
 now; from the beginning of the Christian dispensa- 
 tion, it has progressed in the hearts of men. That 
 Jesus himself intended to convey this is made clear 
 in Matt. 8:12, 11:12, 11:28; Mark 12:34; Luke 11:9, 
 11, and many other passages which deal with the va- 
 rious phases of the same subject. Matt. 24 describes 
 the condition of the believers at the judgment and 
 their welcome to the fulness of the completely estab- 
 lished kingdom, with all its blessings and rewards. 
 
 356. Can a Christian Keep the Moral Law? 
 
 To unfallen man, obedience to the moral law would 
 undoubtedly have been within human reach, but to 
 fallen man it stands as an unattainable ideal, to which 
 he may strive, but in vain. There is none without sin 
 (I John 1 :8), and as a perfect obedience to God's law 
 implies entire sinlessness, it is obviously impossible 
 that such obedience can be rendered by mortal man. 
 But to those who are in Christ this difficulty is over- 
 come. (Rom. 4:7.) They are not under the law and 
 consequently are not to be judged by the law. (Rom. 
 6:15; I John 3:9.) Christ, by his perfect obedience, 
 and his sufferings for their sins, has satisfied the law 
 in their behalf. (II Cor. 5:21.) Thus, when grace 
 enters the heart, its sinfulness is removed. The right- 
 eousness and perfect obedience of Christ being im- 
 puted to his people, they are accepted of God. (Rom. 
 
A Christian's Problems 357-358 
 
 3:24; II Cor. 12:9.) Christians, therefore, should not 
 serve in the bondage of fear, as under the law (I Tim. 
 1:9), but in love, as under grace in Christ Jesus. 
 (Rom. 8:1-15.) 
 
 357. Does the Bible Say Anything About Life 
 Insurance ? 
 
 There is nothing in Scripture bearing on the subject 
 of life insurance, but there are various passages on 
 thrift and on making provision for old age. If you 
 turn to I Tim. 5 :8 you will find a very definite state- 
 ment on the subject. Evidently Paul did not believe 
 that any man claiming to be a Christian was justified 
 in leaving his dependent ones to be a burden on the 
 community, either during his life or afterward. There 
 are birds and other animals that give improvident 
 man a lesson by the way they lay up a store of food 
 against the winter season. Jesus in Matt. 6:31-34 
 was not rebuking thrift, but worldly-mindedness and 
 vanity. He was referring to those who pursued the 
 tilings of this life as the supreme object. He wanted 
 his followers to "take no thought (anxious care or 
 worry) for the morrow." He had no word of con- 
 demnation for attention to business, but business gains, 
 wealth, possessions, etc., are all of secondary impor- 
 tance, and worry about them springs from the heart's 
 distrust of God, and does no good, but rather evil. 
 
 358* Is the Love of God towards Man to Be 
 Interpreted Individually? 
 
 This question has often disquieted Christians under 
 affliction. It has often appeared to the godly man, 
 as it did to Job, that the children of God fare no bet- 
 
359 
 
 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 ter in the world than the wicked. But we are taught 
 in a multitude of passages in the Bible, that God does 
 know and care for the individual. Christ was very 
 explicit on the subject. (See Matt. 10:29-31.) The 
 promise in the New Testament to Christ's followers 
 is not of prosperity, but that they shall receive strength 
 to bear their afflictions and that those afflictions shall 
 work for good to them. Our prayers would be simple 
 mockeries if we did not believe in God's care for the 
 individual. The Christian, like the worldling, is sub- 
 ject to natural law and other things being equal, a blow 
 that would kill a worldling would kill him. It is often 
 difficult to understand why so many afflictions fall to 
 the righteous which the wicked escape, but God does 
 not explain these particular trials. He expects us to 
 trust him and to be assured that "he does not willingly 
 afflict nor grieve" us, and to patiently wait the revela- 
 tion which will make all things clear. 
 
 359. Does God Work Miracles at the Present 
 Time? 
 
 This is a question often asked. The arm of Omnip- 
 otence is not shortened that it cannot save. Thou- 
 sands have been restored in mind and body in answer 
 to the prayer of faith. Yet he never works unneces- 
 sary miracles. God has given us means and endowed 
 us with intelligence to use these means, and he will 
 not withhold his blessing upon their use when we ask 
 it in faith. We ask him to feed us, but we must labor 
 with our hands and not expect him to bless our idle- 
 ness nor our lack of effort. So, if we ask him to heal 
 us, we must use in faith the means he has supplied, 
 with all the intelligence he has given us. It is simply 
 
A Christian's Problems 360-361 
 
 "tempting God'' to neglect his means. Jesus himself 
 applied the clay and the spittle to the eyes of the blind. 
 Xaaman had to bathe in the Jordan. Even in the 
 healing of the soul, which is an operation of the 
 Holy Spirit, we must co-operate, and while he works 
 in us, we ourselves must work with "fear and trem- 
 bling.^ And if Divine wisdom should see fit to with- 
 hold the boon we crave in the form we ask, we must 
 submit in faith to his will, as he knows what is best for 
 us. Strength is often made perfect in weakness and 
 many things we mistakenly call evils are blessings in 
 disguise. 
 
 360. Did Paul Discourage Marriage? 
 
 In the /th chapter of I Cor., Paul had apparently 
 been asked questions by the Church in Corinth which 
 tended to disparage marriage and to regard it as an 
 undesirable state when one of the parties is an unbe- 
 liever. His long reply may be summed up in a few 
 words : "Abide in your present station, for the time 
 is short." He believed that, by remaining single, he 
 could devote himself more acceptably to his Gospel 
 work. The passage in I Tim. 5:14 is not inconsistent 
 with the other, for the circumstances of the two cases 
 were different, and in the latter he commends mar- 
 riage under certain conditions, as an antidote to certain 
 temptations. 
 
 361. What Has the Bible to Say About Mar- 
 
 riage and Divorce? 
 
 The Bible law on marriage and divorce may be 
 learned from the following passages : Gen. 3 '.24 ; Matt. 
 19:5; by Peter in Mark 10:7, 8; Eph. 5:31; Matt. 
 
362 
 
 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 19:6; Mark 10:8: Mark 10:9; Mai. 2:16; Matt. 5:32, 
 19:9; I Cor. 7:11; Matt. 19:9; Luke 16:18; Mark 
 10:11; Luke 16:18; Matt. 5:32; I Cor. 7:11; Rom. 
 7 :2 ; I Cor. 7 .-39 ; Rom. 7 :$ . ; I Cor. 7 39. 
 
 362. Does God Approve of the Marriage of an 
 Unbeliever to a Believer? 
 
 The whole question at issue is fully and fearlessly 
 discussed in II Cor. 6:14-18. This is Paul's interpre- 
 tation and it stands good today as a general rule of 
 Christian conduct. Nevertheless, we are not to judge 
 those who may ignore the injunction, for in I Cor. 
 7:14, the apostle shows how such a union may after 
 all accomplish beneficent results. From this verse to 
 chapter 7:1, inclusive, the apostle seems to forbid too 
 much social intercourse generally with idolatrous and 
 heathenish people, rather than to have in view the mar- 
 riage relation especially. In I Cor. 7:12-16, separation 
 from the unbelieving husband or wife is discounte- 
 nanced, because the believing spouse may be able to 
 sanctify — that is, make holy — the unregenerate mate, 
 and may effect conversion to salvation. In the same 
 chapter and other passages of the apostolic writings 
 marriage is encouraged without any restrictions. In 
 Gal. 5:1, and Acts 15:10, the word "yoke" is used in 
 a somewhat similar connection to that supposed to 
 contain the implied prohibition. In Phil. 4:3, Paul 
 addresses some unknown individual as "yoke-fellow," 
 and it is quite certain he does not mean his wife. But 
 if it is admitted that the text cited prohibits intermar- 
 riage between Christians and unbelievers, it must be 
 construed with reference to the conditions of sensual 
 idolatry universally prevailing at that period in the 
 
A Christian's Problems 363-364 
 
 city of Corinth. Paul was addressing a small com- 
 munity of Christians in a very large heathen city, and 
 it is as if we should advise Christians in China and 
 India not to intermarry with Buddhists and Moham- 
 medans, only more aggravated. 
 
 363. Is It Possible that the Miracle of the Incar- 
 
 nation May Be Repeated? 
 
 The word "possible" is inappropriate in such con- 
 nection, because nothing is impossible with God; but 
 when we hear of his doing something utterly inconsis- 
 tent with his ways, we know 7 that it cannot be true, 
 because he would never contradict himself. All the 
 teaching of the Bible, the Epistle to the Hebrews 
 especially, leads to the conclusion that Christ is the 
 one and final incarnation of God. There is no need of 
 another, because he fully satisfied the Divine purpose 
 and has been found to fully satisfy the need of man. 
 Many have arisen since his time, as he warned us 
 there would, who have claimed to be God in human 
 form, like some who even in recent years have made 
 such a claim ; but they were and are impostors. They 
 are deceiving many, as Christ said impostors would 
 (see Matt. 24:24), but not those who look to Christ for 
 light and guidance. 
 
 364. What Is the "Call" to the Ministry? 
 
 One of the best evidences of a genuine call is the 
 possession of those special qualifications which add 
 in marked degree to the usefulness of the Christian. 
 If, under his addresses in Sunday School, or at prayer- 
 meetings, or at mission churches God has acknowl- 
 edged his work and souls are led to Christ, there is 
 
365 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 strong reason to believe that it may be his duty to de- 
 vote all his time to preaching and pastoral work. A 
 man's own intense desire to preach and the concurrent 
 opinion of experienced Christians that his work would 
 be useful in the pulpit, are also indications. The basis 
 of all qualifications for the ministry, however, is that 
 there must be in the heart an intense love of souls, 
 consecration to Gospel service, and a sense of personal 
 acceptance, pardon and regeneration through Christ. 
 None but one who has himself traveled the road that 
 leads to the Cross can guide others along the same 
 path. See Col. 1 128; Matt. 15:14; Luke 6:39. 
 
 365. What Are the Qualifications of a Minister? 
 
 A true minister of the Gospel must possess, above 
 everything else, an intense love for Christ and a great 
 love for his fellowmen. These two qualifications will 
 necessarily give him an intense passion to save souls, 
 and this is the true secret of success. He must love 
 Christ so much and love people so much that he will 
 long to proclaim Christ's message to men and win 
 them to him. He must understand the Gospel — must 
 feel its operation in his own heart and must know that 
 "it is the power of God unto salvation, to every one 
 that believeth." He must understand that the Gospel 
 is the message of God's free grace to men by which 
 he forgives and sanctifies them, and he must know how 
 to lead men, not to try to save themselves by efforts 
 and vows, but to accept humbly God's infinite gift of 
 a present salvation. A minister should have common 
 sense and a well-balanced mind. He should have a 
 clear voice and the ability to express himself clearly 
 and forcibly in speech ; if eloquently, so much the bet- 
 
A Christian's Problems 366 
 
 ter. He should have modesty and tact, and these even 
 without much social experience, will lead him to con- 
 duct himself correctly and winsomely. His studies 
 should lead him to know more of Christ, to know more 
 of the Gospel, to know more of men, and to acquire 
 more skill in delivering the message. He must study 
 voice culture, rhetoric and some elocution — though 
 this last is dangerous, as it is apt to make a speaker 
 affected, which is fatal to real success. He must study 
 the Bible and should study theology, and psychology. 
 Special emphasis must be laid upon understanding peo- 
 ple. A technical theological education sometimes lifts 
 a man away from the people he must help instead of 
 putting him into closer touch with them. He must un- 
 derstand how people live and work and suffer and 
 think and must be sympathetic with and well informed 
 about the movements they are making toward greater 
 liberties and better social conditions. This understand- 
 ing of people, individually and in groups, will help him 
 to convince them of their need of Christ for their souls 
 and for society. He should, if possible, also have some 
 knowledge of business affairs so that in the conduct of 
 his church he will not fall into financial and legal snares. 
 
 366. How Long Have We Had a Trained Min- 
 istry? 
 
 The Bible informs us that even in the days of Sam- 
 uel there were "schools of the prophets/' in which men 
 w r ere trained for the high function of moral and spir- 
 itual teaching. The priests and Levites were trained 
 in the knowledge of the ecclesiastical law and the cer- 
 emonies. In later Jewish history, twelve great institu- 
 tions for educating priests, teachers and elders existed. 
 
 16 
 
367 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 Jesus himself passed a consideraoie portion of his min- 
 istry in instructing and training his disciples. We read 
 in Acts that the apostles imitated his example in per- 
 sonally instructing the younger disciples. John spent 
 his later years teaching at Ephesus, qualifying youths 
 for the ministry, and Mark did likewise at Alexan- 
 dria. Early Christian training schools were established 
 in Cesarea, Antioch, Laodicea, Nicomedia, Athens, 
 Edessa, Seleucia, Carthage and in Mesopotamia and 
 there were many minor institutions of the same 
 class. Thus all the evidence goes to show that even 
 from the earliest days, those who were designed to 
 convey God's message to the hearts of men were set 
 apart, consecrated, and fitly prepared. It is so today. 
 A trained and educated ministry is essential to the ad- 
 vancement of religion just as training and prepara- 
 tion are needed in other vocations. The apostles, even 
 if they had nothing more, had a course of several 
 years' personal training with the great Master as 
 their teacher before they were sent out on their full 
 mission. It is true that many converted laymen, and 
 women, too, have done and are doing noble work in 
 soul saving, but they are exceptional and the fact that 
 their labors are owned and blessed of God is not a valid 
 argument against a trained ministry, but rather the 
 reverse. With due training they might have accom- 
 plished even more. 
 
 367. Is Misfortune a "Judgment of God"? 
 
 We have no right to sit in judgment on others, and 
 when some people censoriously announce that a mis- 
 fortune which befalls a person or a community is "a 
 judgment" of God, they assume undue authority. 
 
A Christian's Problems 368-369 
 
 We are distinctly warned against judging others. See 
 Christ's teaching on this subject. Luke 13:4. 
 
 368. Has a Man Two Natures? 
 
 In Rom. 7 125 Paul says : "So then with the mind 
 I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the 
 law of sin." The argument of the preceding verses 
 has been the hopelessness of the struggle which that 
 man must fight who strives to obtain salvation through 
 the law. He is defeated by his own body, or the 
 flesh, as Paul calls it. It drags him down and forces 
 him to obey and to yield to its cravings ; so that in his 
 despair he tries, "What I would I do not; but what 
 I hate that do I." The picture is one that appeals to 
 every unconverted man's experience. His reason, his 
 pride, his manliness direct him to renounce some sin, 
 such as drunkenness or lust. He resolves, but sud- 
 denly the craving arises, and in spite of the resolves of 
 his mind — his real ego — he is swept off his feet, and 
 yields to his passion. The revelation of Christ as a 
 helper crosses Paul's mind, and he thanks God. In 
 the eighth chapter he is going to explain this at length, 
 but he halts here at verse 25, to mark the stage reached 
 by the man he is describing. "With the mind, I my- 
 self," the real ego am serving God ; w r hile with the 
 flesh, the animal nature, I am serving sin. In Romans 
 8:10 this problem is solved. Through Christ the 
 spirit is strengthened, and the flesh is controlled and 
 subdued. He is freed by the spirit of life (Romans 
 8:3). 
 
 369, Will the Negroes Be Saved? 
 
 The ablest scientists hold to the unity of the race, 
 and in this they are in accord with Scripture, which 
 
370 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 declares that the Creator "hath made of one blood all 
 nations of men, for to dwell on all the face of the 
 earth" (Acts 17:26), and that the "free gift comes 
 upon all men to justification to life." Climatic varia- 
 tions extending over long periods account for physical 
 differences. The negro is the descendant of Ham, 
 the head of one of the three great divisions of the 
 human race. He was the progenitor of the Egyptians, 
 the Cushites and the African nations, and his de- 
 scendants were the founders of great empires in Ethio- 
 pia, Babylonia, Arabia, Abyssinia and, according to 
 some authorities, in a considerable part of Asia, as far 
 as the Euphrates and the Persian Gulf. No one has 
 the slightest warrant for asserting that the negro has 
 not a soul. Christian converts from Cyrene in Upper 
 Libya were among those who were identified with the 
 formation of the first Gentile church in Antioch. Mark 
 the evangelist labored during a large part of his mis- 
 sionary career in Africa. Simon, who bore our Sav- 
 iour's cross (Matt. 27:32), was a Cyrenian and a 
 native of Libya. The Copts, who were active in the 
 early days of Christianity, were a mixed race, chiefly 
 negro. The Coptic Christian Church is one of the 
 oldest in existence and possesses some of the most 
 valuable early Christian manuscripts. 
 
 370. Do the Pauline Epistles Contain All that 
 Is Essential to Salvation? 
 
 It is quite proper to lay special emphasis upon the 
 writings of Paul, because he was especially chosen of 
 God to interpret the life and death of the Saviour to 
 the hearts and minds of men, particularly of those who 
 were not Jews. Furthermore, Paul was authorized 
 
A Christian's Problems 370 
 
 to shew that the requirements of the ceremonial law, 
 as recorded by Moses, were done away with by the 
 sacrifice of Christ. In this way it is easy to see that 
 the explanation of the salvation wrought by the atone- 
 ment is of more spiritual value than the precepts of 
 the old law of sacrifices and ceremonies, which are no 
 longer in force. The tremendous value of Paul's 
 writings lies in the fact that he shows men the practi- 
 cal, immediate way of receiving salvation, not by the 
 keeping of commandments, but by faith in the cruci- 
 fied Saviour. Granting all this, however, it is great 
 folly to say that the other parts of the Bible are unim- 
 portant. The Pentateuch is full of flashes of God's 
 presence and God's will, containing holy principles 
 which are eternal, and recording the experiences of 
 men who knew God; the historical books show God 
 working in the life of a nation ; the poetical and wis- 
 dom books give us inspiration and instruction for daily 
 living; the prophetic books give us glimpses of the 
 coming Saviour and are pulsating with direct, personal 
 messages from God to the human soul; the Gospels 
 help us to get acquainted with the Redeemer and to 
 understand the kind of life he wants us to live and his 
 hope for the world ; the Acts give us clear pictures of 
 men who were impelled by the power of the Holy 
 Ghost and challenge us to let the risen Christ work 
 through us as he worked through them; the other 
 epistles are full of spiritual help, and the book of 
 Revelation gives us visions of the life to come. All 
 are important; all help us to know Christ better; 
 all lead us to God. We must not slight these other 
 books, even while agreeing that Paul is the direct 
 
371-372 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 messenger to us Gentiles to show us the way of salva- 
 tion by faith. 
 
 371. Why Was Polygamy Allowed to the Pa- 
 triarchs and Why Is It Wrong Now? 
 
 Jesus, in speaking of certain provisions of the 
 Mosaic law on the marriage question, said: "From 
 the beginning it was not so." Matt. 19:8. He referred 
 to the original creation of one man and one woman 
 as fixing the moral law that a man should have but 
 one wife. The fact that Abraham and the other pa- 
 triarchs had more than one wife does not make polyg- 
 amy right any more than the fact that they owned 
 slaves makes slavery right. The Bible is a truthful 
 record of the lives of the people of whom it tells. They 
 did many things that were wrong; God dealt gently 
 and patiently with his people, leading them by a long 
 process of teaching and development toward the full 
 understanding of his perfect will. There was no par- 
 ticular time at which polygamy became wrong, but it 
 was the teaching of Jesus, more than any other influ- 
 ence, that showed mankind that it is wrong. In the 
 New Testament the love of husband and wife is pre- 
 sented as the highest form of love ; it is inconceivable 
 that any outsider, or third person, can enter into this 
 sacred fellowship. Polygamy means injustice to wom- 
 en ; the plural wives are outsiders, deprived, from the 
 Christian point of view, of real wifehood 
 
 372« Does God Answer Prayers? 
 
 Most assuredly he does, but his ways are not as our 
 ways. We are at best but children in spiritual things. 
 Yet there is nothing in this world so clear and so 
 
A Christian's Problems 373 
 
 well attested by Christian evidence, as that if we pray 
 with believing hearts and in the right spirit, he will 
 hear us and do what is best for us. No such prayer 
 goes unanswered. The answer may not be as we ex- 
 pected, nevertheless it will be for the best and to the 
 purpose. Says Professor Denney : "When we pray in 
 Jesus' name there is nothing which we may not ask. 
 Whatever limitations there may be, they are covered 
 by the name of Jesus itself. We must not ask what is 
 outside of that name, not included in its promise. We 
 must not ask a life exempt from labor, from self-denial, 
 from misunderstanding, from the Cross ; how could 
 we ask such things in His Name? But ignoring this 
 self-evident restriction, Jesus expressly, emphatically 
 and repeatedly removes every other limit. There is 
 nothing which the name of Jesus puts into our hearts 
 which we may not, with all assurance, put into our 
 prayers. " In his name, we can ask with assurance for 
 pardon from God; we can ask to be strengthened in 
 temptation and to be kept from falling, and restored 
 when through human weakness we do fall, for we 
 have the assurance that he will not let us be utterly 
 cast down ; we can ask for the sanctifying work of 
 the Holy Spirit in our lives. We can ask that our 
 material wants as well as our spiritual needs may be 
 fully supplied. But, in asking, we must have the faith 
 to lay hold, and when we pray with this faith, we 
 shall never pray amiss. 
 
 373. Do Prayers for the Unconverted Help? 
 
 The most definite Bible passage on this subject is 
 I John 5:16: "If any man see his brother sin a sin 
 which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give 
 
374 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 him life." The words of Paul in Acts 16:31, "Thou 
 shalt be saved, and thy house," probably mean simply 
 that if all the members of the household believed they 
 would be saved. But we have positive Scripture war- 
 rant for praying for our unconverted friends, and 
 countless incidents from present day life and earlier 
 times prove that many hearts have been won to Christ 
 through prayer. The assurance may not always come 
 that those for whom we pray will yield to God, but 
 sometimes the assurance does come very definitely. 
 Prayer for others should be personal, definite, earnest. 
 S. D. Gordon in his Quiet Talks on Prayer takes the 
 position that prayer for others, offered in the name 
 of Jesus, has the effect of driving off evil influences 
 from the persons for whom the prayer is being made. 
 It projects the personal influence of the one who is 
 praying to the one prayed for, and clears the spiritual 
 atmosphere so that the voice of God can be heard and 
 the power of God felt. Just as by talking to a person 
 one may be able to persuade him to listen and yield 
 to God, so by prayer one may influence another to 
 submit himself to God. Most important of all is love. 
 We must love ardently, steadily, those for whom we 
 pray. Love will prevent us from doing things that 
 would mar our influence over them or spoil their con- 
 ception of the religious life. If our friends know that 
 we love them deeply and constantly our words and 
 prayers will have an almost irresistible power. 
 
 374. Should We Pray for One from Whom the 
 Holy Ghost Has Departed? 
 
 Who are you, to assume to judge that such a one 
 has been forsaken by the Holy Spirit? It would be 
 
A Christian's Problems 375 
 
 a fearful responsibility to act on such a conclusion. 
 Of one thing you may rest assured: if the person is 
 at all concerned about his spiritual condition, no mat- 
 ter how deeply he has offended, that very fact is con- 
 clusive evidence that the Holy Spirit has not aban- 
 doned him, but is still striving with him. When the 
 Holy Spirit leaves a man, that man becomes careless 
 and indifferent and has no desire to pray. It is diffi- 
 cult — almost impossible — for us to understand the 
 operations of the Spirit, but you may be assured that 
 the love and compassion and long-suffering of God 
 are infinite. Christ said that he would cast out none 
 who came to him. With such an assurance, no man 
 need wait to try to solve the mysteries of the Holy 
 Spirit's work. The practical duty of closing with 
 Christ's offer of salvation is the first thing for him to 
 
 do. 
 
 375. Should We Persistently Ask for Blessings? 
 
 By all means. The three passages, Matt. 11:12; 
 Luke 11 15-10 (the parable of the friend at night seek- 
 ing loaves from his neighbor), and Luke 18:1-8 (the 
 parable of the unjust judge), all relate to the subject 
 of earnestness and perseverance in prayer. The argu- 
 ment is that if the unfriendly neighbor and the unjust 
 judge will grant the requests made to them because of 
 the petitioner's insistance, God will surely grant our re- 
 quests when he sees that we are in desperate earnest- 
 ness. Matt. 11:12, "the kingdom of heaven suffereth 
 violence, and the violent take it by force," agrees with 
 these two parables in teaching that intensity, of desire 
 and faith and effort, is required for spiritual victory. 
 Faith seems to have two phases : the quiet, restful trust 
 
376 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 in God; and the aggressive, enthusiastic, energetic, 
 insistent belief that pushes forward through all sorts 
 of obstacles and delays to the victory desired. It is 
 not because God is unjust or unfriendly that he does 
 not answer at once. But our souls are strengthened by 
 the test of waiting, and often human relationships and 
 circumstances are changed as time passes so that the 
 answer is better for the delay than if granted at the 
 first request. God wants to train giants to help him in 
 his work, giants who will believe in him and fight for 
 the right, no matter what obstacles are in the way. 
 And the saints who are strong and rich in faith ac- 
 complish most for his kingdom. 
 
 376. Is It Right to Ask for Definite Blessings? 
 
 There are many passages, such as John 16 123, which 
 warrant definiteness in prayer. Indeed, if a man needs 
 something very badly, and is sure that it would be a 
 blessing to him, he would show a lack of faith if he 
 did not pray for it. There are many, however, who 
 shrink from praying for definite blessings, after a 
 painful experience. They have prayed for some bless- 
 ing, and God has heard them, and granted their re- 
 quest, and it has proved to be a curse. Emerson said, 
 in a passage which we cannot find, but the gist of 
 which we quote from memory, that all prayers are 
 answered, therefore we ought to be very careful for 
 what we pray. A celebrated divine wrote : "There 
 are millions of Christians day by day imploring God 
 for the salvation of the whole world, and the suppli- 
 cation has never been answered. Does God, then, 
 keep his promise? Is prayer a dead failure? Does 
 God mock the Christian Church? Are we told to 
 
A Christian's Problems 377-378 
 
 bring all our gifts into the storehouse and prove him, 
 only to find out that he breaks his promise? The 
 answer to prayer is only a question of time. So far 
 from there ever having been a million prayers lost, 
 there has never been one prayer lost. God not only 
 keeps one promise, but he keeps all the promises, and 
 never since the moment we first breathed the Chris- 
 tian life, have we ever offered an unavailing prayer." 
 
 377. Why Should We Agree with Our Ad- 
 
 versary Quickly? 
 
 The passage is a part of the Sermon on the Mount 
 in Matt., 5th chapter. Jesus had been speaking about 
 quarrels between brothers, and urging reconciliation 
 of such differences in the spirit of love, before coming 
 to the throne of grace. Then (verse 25) he diverges 
 to the question of lawsuits, which were common then 
 as now, and advises his hearers to keep out of the 
 hands of the law and to escape its penalties by settling 
 their disputes between themselves. But he went fur- 
 ther than this, for his language pointed to a higher 
 tribunal, to which all must come for judgment and 
 where condemnation awaits them which can only be 
 escaped by their repentance and acceptance of divine 
 mercy. 
 
 378, Will God Give Us Anything We Ask? 
 
 In John 14:14 (which should be read in connection 
 with its surroundings), Jesus was speaking (in the 
 discourse at table after the Supper) of the way, the 
 truth, and the life, and of how his disciples might ren- 
 der acceptable service for the advancement of God's 
 kingdom on earth. He was about to leave them and he 
 
379 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 gave them the assurance that they would be endowed 
 with power, after his departure, to do the works that 
 he had done. Verse 14 gave them the assurance of 
 his continuous intercession and that their prayers 
 would be heard and answered. He had already told 
 them that they should seek first the kingdom and all 
 things would be added unto them. This verse also 
 shows his divine equality, in the words "I will do it." 
 Our own prayers should be, as far as we are able to 
 make them so, in line with God's will. There are 
 many of us who may ask for things that would be for 
 our own harm ; but if we "seek first the kingdom," we 
 have then the assurance that he will care for all our 
 other needs, supply our wants, comfort our sorrows, 
 relieve our hardships and take us safely through the 
 difficult places of life. We have a right to ask for 
 these, if we have acquired this right by belief on the 
 Son of God and by acting in accordance with the 
 divine will. See John 14:12. 
 
 379. Does God Regard Our "Little Things" in 
 Prayer? 
 
 Christ assumes toward all his followers the attitude 
 of a friend. He said to his disciples : "Henceforth I 
 call you not servants, but I have called you friends." 
 We "work together" with him as friend with friend; 
 our interests are identical with his and his with ours. 
 On this basis it is perfectly rational to believe that he 
 will give us all the help we need in the work we are 
 trying to do for him. Christ certainly knows all about 
 all the "little things" that come into our lives ; also he 
 will allow nothing to happen which will spoil or se- 
 riously hinder our work. Paul believed that Satan was 
 
A Christian's Problems 380 
 
 trying to hamper him; in one place he says definitely 
 that Satan hindered him, really prevented him from 
 getting where he wanted to go (I Thess. 2:18). The 
 right attitude is to ask God to further our tasks and 
 then heroically and patiently keep at them. We must 
 remember, too, that a certain amount of hardship and 
 suffering is really necessary to develop the most stal- 
 wart Christian character. (See Heb. 12:1-11 ; II Tim. 
 2:3; Heb. 11, etc.) The Christian must beware of 
 praying selfishly. A brave soldier would hardly pray 
 for fair weather, except as it would aid the battle. We 
 may certainly pray for strength; and the joy will come 
 as we forget self in loving and serving the Master. 
 But we should not forget that when God in his wis- 
 dom gave us eyes to see, a tongue to speak, a brain 
 to think and reason to discriminate and guide us in 
 our judgment, he meant these faculties to be of serv- 
 ice. He gives us the fertile soil, but we must do 
 the plowing and the planting. Faith in God does not 
 imply that we should look to him to do for us what he 
 has made us capable of doing for ourselves. When we 
 do our part, then we can reach out the hand of faith 
 and grasp his leading hand, which will carry us 
 through in all we cannot do for ourselves. 
 
 380. Does God Hear the Prayer of the Wicked ? 
 
 We have precedent for such a belief. A striking 
 example is that of Manasseh (II Chron. 33:18). A 
 greater sinner than he it would be difficult to imagine. 
 We can understand prayers of sinners for temporal 
 blessings being unheard ; "their sacrifice" and perhaps 
 their prayers, too, "are an abomination" (Prov. 15 :8) ; 
 but when the sinner cries to God for pardon and for 
 
381-382 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 help to quit his sins, he is surely heard. God does 
 not mock the wicked man when he bids him "seek the 
 Lord." Let the wicked forsake his way and return, 
 for he will abundantly pardon (Isa. 55:6, 7). God 
 heard the prayers of the people of Nineveh (Jonah 
 3:7-10). The way of approach to God is by repen- 
 tance and that God gives (Acts 5:31). When the 
 wicked man prays for that, he gets it; then God for- 
 gives him and he is in a position to ask for and receive 
 all other blessings. 
 
 381. Was the Prohibition against Eating Pork 
 
 Ever Revoked? 
 
 At what is known as the "first church council/' 
 described in Acts 15, the decision was definitely made 
 that Gentile Christians were not to be compelled to 
 keep the Jewish ceremonial law. The council sent a 
 letter to the new converts setting them free from all 
 these ceremonial requirements. This was the great 
 burden of Paul's preaching, namely, that we are saved 
 not by keeping the law of Moses but by faith in Christ. 
 Circumcision was the sign of submission to the Mosaic 
 law, and Paul, greatly to the displeasure of the Jews, 
 taught that this was not necessary. The vision of 
 Peter (Acts 10:9-16) while given for the purpose of 
 making him willing to associate intimately with Gen- 
 tiles, seems also to teach definitely that the Old Testa- 
 ment distinction between clean and unclean meats is 
 no longer in force. 
 
 382. When and Why Was the Sabbath Changed 
 
 to the First Day of the Week? 
 
 There is no command recorded, and probably none 
 was given to change, but the change was made in 
 
A Christian's Problems 383 
 
 celebration of Christ's rising from the dead. At the 
 first great council of the Church, when the question 
 was discussed whether the Gentile converts should be 
 required to obey the Jewish law, it was decided that 
 only four observances should be required of them. 
 (See Acts 15.) The observance of the Jewish Sab- 
 bath was not one of the four, and the Gentile Christians 
 do not appear to have ever kept it. The Rabbis had 
 made it ridiculous by a host of absurd regulations 
 about what a man might, or might not, do on that day. 
 Christ was frequently accused of breaking the Sab- 
 bath. The Jewish observance was most vexatious and 
 onerous, and the Apostles very wisely did not attempt 
 to bring the Gentiles under the bondage. The writings 
 of the early Fathers show that very early in the Chris- 
 tian era, if not in Apostolic times, the first day of the 
 week was uniformly the day of religious meeting and 
 abstinence from secular labor, thus celebrating the 
 new Creation as the Jewish Sabbath celebrated the old; 
 Several incidental allusions in the Acts show that even 
 in Apostolic times, the custom was prevalent. But we 
 do not observe Sunday as the Sabbath. It is seldom 
 a day of rest to the earnest Christian, but of holy 
 activity in his Master's service. 
 
 383. Is Suicide Wrong? 
 
 Life is a precious gift from God and should be so 
 valued. Pain and suffering are to be regarded as dis- 
 cipline. There is no Scriptural authority to justify the 
 view that we have a right to shorten or terminate our 
 existence. Suicide is a crime under human law, and in 
 the early Church it was condemned by repudiation and 
 
384-385 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 the denial of Christian burial. See Paul's advice to the 
 Philippian jailer. (Acts 16:28; also Job 14:14.) 
 
 384. Is Being Tempted a Sin? 
 
 The sin does not consist in the temptation itself, 
 but in inviting it, or yielding to it. Jesus himself was 
 tempted "in all things as we are; yet without sin." 
 Doubtless Satan, in the passage to which you refer, 
 knew that Jesus had been fasting and so tried to 
 tempt him to turn stones into bread. Again, believing 
 that the desire for worldly power might influence him, 
 he tried to tempt him by offering him the dominion 
 of the whole earth, but again failed. It is not strictly 
 correct to say that one cannot be tempted unless he has 
 wrong desires. The tempter is always ready with his 
 lures ; but, if we rebuke our own desires and repel the 
 temptation, asking divine strength to do this, the 
 danger will pass. After conversion comes regenera- 
 tion, and we are enabled to overcome sin. We may 
 still be conscious of a struggle within, but we get 
 strength to stand firm against it. The truly converted 
 man is no longer the slave or bondman of sin, but is 
 kept day by day from its power ever again having 
 dominion over him. 
 
 385. What Is the Trinity; How Is It Possible; 
 
 and What Proof Is There of It? 
 
 Are questions that have bothered thousands of 
 earnest believers. No one should feel discouraged if 
 the doctrine of the Trinity seems difficult, because as 
 must be remembered, the facts about God are so much 
 bigger than the brain of man that we cannot be ex- 
 pected in our present human state to comprehend 
 
A Christian's Problems 386 
 
 them. The orthodox faith is that God is Triune 
 in person. Christians feel by experience that God is 
 their Father, that Christ is their divine Saviour, that 
 the Holy Spirit is their Comforter, Sanctifier and 
 Strengthened The Father is a person; the Son is a 
 person; the Holy Spirit is a person; three distinct 
 persons in one eternal undivided and indivisible essence. 
 How this is possible is not beyond comprehension to 
 him that has learned to believe and know that to God 
 all is possible and all doubts may be banished by the 
 beautiful thought that to all others there is here one 
 more glorious mystery into the depths and wherefores 
 of which we are to be introduced in the happy beyond. 
 And the proof! What more convincing proof can be 
 asked than the words of him whom no one doubts, 
 the Son of God and of Man. He tells us "I and my Fa- 
 ther are one," "He that seeth me seeth him that sent 
 me." In his farewell address to his disciples he speaks of 
 the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father 
 will send in my name. At his baptism, the Father's 
 voice is heard from heaven and the Holy Spirit de- 
 scends in the form of a dove and lights upon him. Yes, 
 at the very beginning of things God speaks of himself 
 in the plural, "Let us make man after our image," while 
 all the while "the Spirit of God moved upon the face 
 of the waters." Truly proof sufficient for all who 
 would believe. 
 
 386. Is Trouble Sent As a Punishment? 
 
 The Bible does not teach that all trouble comes from 
 God as a punishment. It recognizes the fact that 
 trouble is in the world, and, while it has some very 
 definite things to say about it it does not attempt to 
 
 17 
 
387 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 give a complete solution of the whole problem. He- 
 brews 12:5-11 declares that God does in some in- 
 stances, discipline or "chasten," those whom he loves, 
 but this could hardly be called punishment. (See also 
 Deu. 8:5; Ps. 94:12; John 15:2.) Sometimes, how- 
 ever, calamity is a definite punishment, as in many 
 cases during the history of Israel^ and particularly in 
 their exile. The book of Job is a beautiful explanation 
 of a form of suffering which has the double purpose of 
 disciplining the soul and glorifying God. Nothing 
 can bring such credit to God as the demonstration 
 made by a soul that trusts and praises him in the 
 midst of misfortune. Paul and the other apostles glori- 
 fied in their opportunities to suffer for Jesus' sake. 
 They rejoiced "that they were counted worthy to suffer 
 shame in his name" (Acts 5:41). They felt that he 
 had borne so much for them that they wanted to bear 
 something for him. The Bible nowhere encourages 
 people to dodge suffering; it exhorts them to bear it, 
 while at the same time it exhorts them to lessen the 
 sufferings of others, and help them bear their woes. 
 See James 1 12-5 ; I Pet. 4:12-19; Gal. 6:2. 
 
 387. Why Does Not God Save All the Human 
 Race? 
 
 It is contrary to the Divine method of dealing with 
 the human race, as we understand it, for him to use 
 compulsion with men. Apparently, his desire is to 
 have a people who, being left free to choose, volunta- 
 rily choose righteousness. He draws them, he yearns 
 over them, applies discipline, offers them his help, but 
 beyond this he will not go in this life. A man who is 
 good only because he is compelled to be good, is of a 
 
 
A Christian's Problems 388 
 
 much lower type than he who, being free to become 
 evil, seeks of his own accord to become good. It is 
 this higher type that, as we believe, God is trying to 
 produce. 
 
 388. Can an Honest, Moral, Upright Life Save 
 Any One? 
 
 People are constantly being misled in this matter 
 because they fail to understand what salvation really 
 is. Salvation is personal friendship and companion- 
 ship with God. It is hard to see how a man who is not 
 a friend of God at death will become one immediately 
 after death. Being honest and upright does not really 
 get us acquainted with God. Paul was intensely moral 
 before his conversion, but he found out later that he 
 had been an enemy of God all the time. Then, too, 
 salvation means humility and meekness. The man who 
 believes he can save himself puts himself out of the 
 kingdom of heaven by that very attitude of mind. For 
 the kingdom of heaven is made up of people with child- 
 like hearts, who have given up their pride and self-will. 
 Nor will the mere naming of the name of Christ and 
 making a public confession make the necessary change. 
 Jesus said very distinctly: "Ye must be born again." 
 It is extremely unwise and unsafe to quarrel or argue 
 with Jesus. He knows all about the human heart and 
 all about the kingdom of heaven. The only thing to do 
 is to accept his plan of salvation and let him give us 
 the new heart, the heart that is humble and obedient, 
 that is not self-confident but trustful, the heart that 
 loves God and so will feel at home in God's heaven. 
 
 Scripture and experience alike teach that it is possi- 
 ble for one to have all the outward marks of religion, 
 
389 ' Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 yet fail of possessing the real and vital thing. Saul of 
 Tarsus was a most zealous man, trying to do the will 
 of God, but after his conversion he felt that his former 
 life had been very sinful, because he had not submitted 
 himself to the will of God and accepted Christ's right- 
 eousness as his own. John Wesley's experience was 
 similar, and countless others of this and earlier days. 
 It must be remembered that it is not outward conduct 
 that makes the real Christian; it is the inner life, the 
 humility, the glad surrender to God's will, the warm 
 love felt for God and for the souls for whom Christ 
 died. It is not our good works that save us, but a 
 simple, self-forgetful trust in Jesus. This faith brings 
 the life and love which constitute religion. 
 
 A simple trust in the death of Jesus as the remedy 
 for our sin. A simple acceptance of Christ to be our 
 righteousness and our salvation will bring the joy 
 and power of a new life of real sonship of God 
 and fellowship with Christ. See Rom. 10:1-4; Phil. 
 3 :3-9. 
 
 389. Is It Possible for One to Be Saved with- 
 out Knowing It? 
 
 Among the children of Christian homes or among 
 conscientious heathen (see Rom. 2:14, 15; Acts 10:34, 
 35), there may be cases in which a soul has salvation 
 and is not definitely conscious of it. In the vast 
 majority of cases, however, since the turning toward 
 sin has been definite and voluntary, so the turning from 
 sin and the receiving of forgiveness and a new nature 
 are so definite as to be matters of plain knowledge. 
 The New Testament clearly teaches that those who 
 become converted may receive the witness of the Spirit, 
 
A Christian's Problems 390-391 
 
 assuring them that they have been born again (see 
 Rom. 8:16; I John 5 :io). Any one who wants to be 
 a Christian or hopes he is a Christian may receive this 
 assurance if he persists in trusting Christ. Our salva- 
 tion depends, not upon our feeling, but upon the un- 
 changeable fact of the atonement and upon the plain 
 promises of God's Word. When we definitely trust 
 we become conscious of certain definite changes in our 
 experience. Fear of God changes to love of God; we 
 love God's people and his work. If we continue faith- 
 ful the witness of the Spirit will be added to these 
 signs and we shall know that we are children of God. 
 
 390. What Is Meant by Transfiguration? 
 
 "Transfiguration'' signifies a change of form or 
 appearance. The forms of Moses and Elijah, when 
 they appeared on the Mount, were spiritualized. Luke 
 9:31 speaks of the subject of their converse. Some 
 commentators hold that both Moses and Elijah were 
 honored with an anticipatory resurrection, which 
 would seem to be borne out by the fact of their pres- 
 ence at the transfiguration. 
 
 391. What Is Transubstantiation? 
 
 Transubstantiation (the term applied to the change 
 of the substance of the bread and wine into the body 
 and blood of Jesus Christ at the Sacrament) is a 
 doctrine held by some, but not all, of the Christian 
 churches. The Church of England and a large number 
 of Protestant bodies hold that the bread and wine are 
 sanctified symbols. Chrysostom wrote that after divine 
 grace had sanctified the bread, "it is no longer called 
 bread, but dignified with the name of the body of the 
 
392 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 Lord, although the nature of bread remains in it." 
 Theodoret declared that the bread and wine remain 
 still in their own nature, after consecration. Augus- 
 tine taught that what they saw upon the altar was 
 bread and the cup, as their own eyes could testify ; but 
 that their faith required to be instructed that the bread 
 is the body of Christ; and he added, "These things 
 are therefore called sacraments, because in them one 
 thing is seen and another is understood. That which 
 is seen has a bodily appearance; that which is under- 
 stood has a spiritual fruit." Isidore of Seville said: 
 "These two things are visible, but being sanctified by 
 the Holy Ghost, they become the sacrament of the 
 Lord's body." Luther held the doctrine of the true 
 presence of the body and blood of Christ, saying, "The 
 bread is the body, the wine is the blood of the Lord/' 
 according to a sacramental union, but not in the man- 
 ner of transubstantiation, adhering literally to the lan- 
 guage of the Scriptures. The Catholic Church has 
 always held the doctrine of the real, corporeal pres- 
 ence. With a few exceptions, the Protestants interpret 
 the Saviour's language figuratively, and hold that 
 Jesus intended to convey to men the lesson that unless 
 they voluntarily appropriated to themselves his death 
 and sacrifice, so that they become their very life and 
 nourishment, they can have no spiritual and eternal 
 life at all. 
 
 392. Can a Wealthy Business Man Be a Practical 
 Christian ? 
 
 Jesus said it was a hard thing for a rich man to 
 enter into the kingdom; but he also showed, in the 
 parable of the talents and other parables, that riches, 
 
A Christian's Problems 393 
 
 properly regarded, and not held as a personal posses- 
 sion to be used for selfish and worldly purposes, but as 
 a trust to be applied conscientiously, may be made a 
 source of blessing. There are many men of large 
 wealth who are useful members of society and who 
 administer their means wisely and conscientiously. 
 Besides, we are not to be the judges of the hearts of 
 men. It has become a habit with many to condemn 
 wealth and its possessors indiscriminately ; and it is 
 true that there is much in the present conditions of 
 society that is open to legitimate criticism, but .honest 
 men of strict integrity can be found in every honorable 
 line of business, and an active life is as much respected 
 today as when Prov. 22 '.29 was written. A man who 
 directs his efforts mainly to the acquisition of wealth, 
 without regard to its responsibilities, incurs great spir- 
 itual danger. For the use we make of our talents and 
 opportunities we shall be held strictly accountable. 
 
 393. Is Wealth an Evil or a Blessing? 
 
 There are many passages in the Bible relative to 
 riches and its opposite, poverty. Nowhere is poverty 
 spoken of as a blessing, but rather as a trial and dis- 
 cipline ; yet wealth is to be regarded either as a bless- 
 ing or the reverse, according to circumstances. Riches 
 that are gotten and not by right can never bring happi- 
 ness or satisfaction, and therefore result in sorrow or 
 disappointment (Jer. 17:11). Christ taught his fol- 
 lowers not to lay up for themselves "treasures on 
 earth." He repeatedly warned them against the allure- 
 ments of wealth. He declared wealth to be a great 
 barrier to many — a hindrance to their eternal welfare. 
 He taught his followers to set their minds on things 
 
394 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 above, and to take no thought of amassing riches or 
 goods. Usurers, brokers, exchangers, and mere 
 money-getters — those who set their hearts on wealth 
 and made gold their god — he specially denounced. Yet 
 he never spoke, even by implication, a word against 
 the reward of honest industry, but on the contrary 
 commended it. Voluntary poverty was assumed by the 
 earliest disciples and fathers in the Christian Church. 
 There is no duty of this character specifically enjoined, 
 and we are told to "seek first the kingdom" and all 
 needful things will be added. "Neither riches nor 
 poverty" is the ideal meant for a contented Christian 
 life. This is finely set forth in the beautiful prayer in 
 Proverbs 30:8, Agur, the supplicant, being, as is sup- 
 posed, a symbolical name for Solomon. 
 
 394. How Do I Know That I Am Saved? 
 
 There are two kinds of "assurance," as taught by 
 the creeds, and both of them are matters of ordinary, 
 everyday experience by many Christians. There are 
 certain clear statements in the Bible as to the kind 
 of person a Christian is. He must bear certain signs 
 and marks and do certain things. He must love God 
 and his neighbor ; he must love the Church ; he must be 
 earnest and patient and bear the various "fruits of 
 the Spirit." Now, a person can tell whether he is doing 
 those things, whether his soul has these marks or not. 
 Added to this test, however, is the direct "witness of 
 the Spirit," the Spirit himself "bearing witness with 
 our spirit that we are the children of God" (Rom. 
 8:16; II Cor. 1 :22; Eph. 1 113). This is the voice of 
 God, assuring us that we are his. It is important to 
 remember that we should not wait for assurance, but 
 
A Christian's Problems 395 
 
 must persistently and with determination believe God's 
 word. Any one who is in doubt whether he is a child 
 of God or not should insist immediately upon beginning 
 to trust him. We become Christians by believing that 
 Christ really does forgive our sins and receive us, 
 remembering that he said : "Him that cometh unto 
 me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37). As we 
 continue to trust him we shall find ourselves manifest- 
 ing the fruits of the Spirit, and God will whisper to 
 us that we are his. 
 
 395. Why Is It Wrong to Harbor Angry Feel- 
 ings? 
 
 God forbids it (Ecc. 7 :g ; Matt. 5 :22 ; Rom. 12 119) ; 
 it is a characteristic of fools and a work of the flesh 
 (Gal. 5:20; Prov. 12:16; Prov. 14:29; Prov. 27:3; 
 Ecc. 7:9). Anger is connected with pride, cruelty, 
 clamorous and evil speaking, malice and blasphemy, 
 strife and contention (Prov. 21:24; Gen. 49:7; Eph. 
 4:31; Col. 3:8; Prov. 21:19; Prov. 29:22), and brings 
 its own punishment (Job 5:2; Prov. 19:19). Scrip- 
 ture teaches us that grievous words stir up anger, that 
 it may be averted by wisdom and that meekness paci- 
 fies (Judg. 12:4; Prov. 29:8, 15:1). We are enjoined 
 to be slow to anger, to avoid those given to it, to be 
 free from it in prayer and not to provoke children to 
 it (Prov. 15:18, 16:32; Tit. 1:7; Jas. 1:19; I Tim. 
 2:8; Eph. 6:4). 
 
396-397 
 
 CHRISTIAN LIVING 
 
 396. Can One Be Converted and Saved with- 
 
 out Baptism? 
 
 Christ commanded baptism, and we cannot under- 
 stand any person who really desires to serve him 
 neglecting to obey him in so simple a matter. Still, 
 it lowers the reverence we have for God to believe that 
 he would exclude any really repentant, believing per- 
 son from heaven simply because he had not been bap- 
 tized. The person might have been converted on his 
 death-bed, or if he was among Baptists he might die 
 between the time of his conversion and the time set 
 for administering the rite. God is not unjust, and 
 would not hold a man responsible in such circum- 
 stances. Do you suppose the thief who repented on 
 the Cross was baptized? Yet Jesus promised him an 
 entrance into Paradise. Baptism generally followed 
 conversion in the time of the Apostles, as it does now 
 generally in heathen lands. 
 
 397. Can a Person Become a Christian without 
 
 the Baptism of the Holy Spirit? 
 
 As the word is usually understood, the baptism of 
 the Holy Spirit was to confer special gifts for Christ's 
 service. We have no reason to suppose that any man 
 becomes a Christian without the influence of the Holy 
 Spirit. The question is profitless, inasmuch as God 
 gives the Holy Spirit freely. It would be impossible 
 
Christian Living 398-399 
 
 to state positively in what way the first impression 
 comes in any individual case, but we may be sure that 
 in some way the Holy Spirit's power has operated. 
 This does not relieve any one from responsibility, 
 because God is more willing to impart than men 
 are to receive ; but he does not force his gifts 
 upon men. 
 
 398. What Is the Examination Necessary to Eat- 
 
 ing and Drinking Worthily at Commun- 
 ion? 
 
 A personal self-examination of the heart. If a man 
 is conscious of hatred toward any one, of malice, of 
 sinful purposes, of sinful connections which he ought 
 to sever, but has not severed, or of cherishing any 
 feeling inconsistent with his relation to Christ, he 
 should not partake of the communion. This does not 
 imply that only perfect persons should do so. If a 
 man is honestly and earnestly striving after holiness 
 and doing all that lies in him to live consistently; 
 and sincerely deplores every failure and means to 
 strive to avoid them in the future; if he loves Christ 
 and is trusting in him for salvation, he is right in par- 
 taking of the communion although he may be con- 
 scious of having fallen into sin. (I Cor. 2:26, 28.) 
 
 399. Should All Believers Confess Christ? 
 
 Yes. There are very many good Christian people 
 who never realize the true joy that belongs to the 
 followers of Jesus, because they do not live in the 
 sunlight. Some are so exceedingly sensitive about 
 personal religion that they shrink to talk of it, even to 
 their intimate friends. Even though they believe, they 
 
400 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 yet stand "afar off"; they have not been sufficiently 
 drawn by love for the Master, or jy zeal for his serv- 
 ice, to come near enough to the Cross to feel the glow 
 that stimulates the ardent believer. When once these 
 timid souls can shake off their reticence and come 
 boldly forward and confess Christ before the world, 
 a transformation takes place. There is a very real 
 blessing which follows the confession of our faith be- 
 fore men. Jesus himself said "Every one who shall 
 confess me before men, him will I also confess before 
 my Father, which is in heaven." (Matt. 10:32.) The 
 knowledge of such recognition, following our open 
 acknowledgment of Jesus as a Saviour, gives courage 
 to the Christian and, like a loyal soldier who sees the 
 flag of his country waving above him and who salutes 
 it, his whole being thrills with zeal for service for the 
 Great Captain of Salvation. Thus, at every fitting 
 opportunity the believer should run up the flag, and 
 let the world see whom he is serving. 
 
 400. Believing in Christ. What Does It Imply? 
 
 Believing in Christ does not mean merely believing 
 that he is the Son of God. "The devils believe and 
 tremble" (James 2:19). It means true repentance, 
 contrition and an earnest desire for forgiveness, which 
 leads us to look to Christ as the only way by which 
 such forgiveness may be attained. To believe in him 
 means that we are not only to believe in his divine 
 mission and in the efficacy of his atonement for our 
 sins, but to follow in his footsteps and emulate his 
 example in all things wherever possible and to pray 
 for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives. 
 Forgiveness is granted to all those who repent and be- 
 
Christian Living 401-402 
 
 lieve and ask in faith. True repentance leads not 
 merely to conviction of sin and to sorrow for our past 
 offenses, but to a complete change in our life, i. e., a 
 turning away from sin to holiness and gradual growth 
 in grace through living near to Christ. 
 
 401. Should Believers Associate with Unbeliev- 
 
 ers? 
 
 See II Cor. 6:14; Heb. 3:12; Acts 14:2; II Peter 
 2:1, 2; also Ch. 3:3, 17. It is not intended, however, 
 that the believer should hold no communication with 
 those who are still in the darkness of unbelief, other- 
 wise he would not be fulfilling the divine command to 
 spread the Gospel, and, "show forth Christ," at all 
 seasons. He should, however, avoid all such associa- 
 tions and relationships — business, social and other- 
 wise — as would bring a discordant element into his 
 own home or business life, and thus antagonize spirit- 
 ual growth. To put such people on the level of home 
 acquaintances and intimate friends, would be very 
 likely to prove spiritually disastrous to some member 
 of your household, 
 
 402. Who Are the "Blessed" We So Often Read 
 
 About in the Bible? 
 
 They are whom God chooses and calls (Ps. 65:4; 
 Is. 51:2; Rev. 19:9) ; they know Christ and his Gos- 
 pel, believe and are not offended at Christ (Matt. 
 16:16, 17; Ps. 89:15; Matt. 11:6; Luke 1:45). Their 
 sins are forgiven and God imputes to them righteous- 
 ness without works (Ps. 32:1, 2; Rom. 4:6-9). But 
 at times they are chastened, and suffer for Christ, but 
 they are not hurt thereby as they trust in God, fear 
 
403 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 him, yes have their strength in him (Job 5:17; Luke 
 6:22; Ps. 2:12; Jer. 17:7; Ps. 112:1 ; Ps. 84:5). There- 
 fore they delight in his commandments and keep them, 
 they hunger and thirst after righteousness, frequent 
 the house of the Lord waiting for him (Ps. 112:1; 
 Rev. 22:14; Matt. 5:6; Ps. 65:4; Is. 30:18). When 
 in contact with the world they avoid the wicked, en- 
 dure temptation, watch against sin : are undefiled, pure 
 in heart, just, righteous, faithful, poor in spirit, meek, 
 merciful, bountiful and are peacemakers (Ps. 1:1; 
 Jas. 1 :i2;Rev. 16:15; Ps. 119:1; Matt. 5:8; Ps. 106:3; 
 Ps. 5:12; Prov. 28:20; Matt. 5:3; Matt. 5:31; Matt. 
 5:5; Matt. 5:7; Luke 14:13, 14; Matt. 5:9). Watch- 
 ing for the Lord, they die in him, have part in the first 
 resurrection and shall eat bread in the kingdom of 
 God (Luke 12:37; Rev. 14:13; Rev. 20:6; Luke 14:15; 
 Rev. 19:9). 
 
 403. What Is Christian Conduct? 
 
 Believing, fearing, loving, following, obeying and 
 rejoicing in God (Mar. 11:22; Ecc. 12 :i3 ; I Pet. 2 :iy ; 
 Deu. 6:5; Eph. 5:1; Luke 1:6; Ps. 33:1). Believing 
 in, loving, obeying, rejoicing in, and following the 
 example of Christ (Jno. 6:29; Jno. 21 :i5 ; Jno. 14:21 ; 
 Phil. 3:1; Phil. 4:4). Walking and living soberly, 
 righteously and godly, honestly, worthy of the Lord 
 God, in the Spirit, in newness of life, worthy of our 
 vocation as children of light (Tit. 2 :i2 ; I Thess. 4:12 ; 
 I Thess. 2:12; Col. 1:10; Gal. 5:25; Rom. 6:4; Eph. 
 4:1; Eph. 5:8). Then, when we are striving for the 
 faith, putting away all sin, abstaining from all appear- 
 ance of evil, perfecting holiness, hating defilement, fol- 
 lowing after that which is good, overcoming the world, 
 
Christian Living 404 
 
 adorning the Gospel (Phil. 1 127; I Cor. 5:7; I Thess. 
 5:22; Matt. 5:48; Jude 23; Phil 4:8; I Jno. 5:4, 5; 
 Matt. 5 :i6; Tit. 2:10), we will show a good example, 
 by abounding in the work of the Lord, shunning the 
 wicked, controlling the body, subduing the temper and 
 living peaceably with all men (I Cor. 15 158; Ps. 1:1; 
 I Cor. 9:27; Eph. 4:26; Rom. 12:18; Heb. 12:14). 
 Then, too, we will attain the Christ-like ability to sub- 
 mit to injuries and forgive them (Matt. 5:39-41; I 
 Cor. 6:7; Matt. 6:14; Rom. 12:20) and by visiting 
 the afflicted, sympathizing with others, submitting to 
 authorities, being liberal to and honoring others, being 
 contented and by doing as we would be done by (Matt. 
 25 '-36 ; Gal. 6 :2 ; Rom. 12 :io ; Acts 20 :35 ; Rom. 13 :i- 
 7; Phil. 4:11; Heb. 13:5); attain blessedness (Ps. 
 1:1-3; Matt. 5:3-1^; Jno. 15:10). 
 
 404. Is Joining the Church a Means of Salva- 
 tion? 
 
 Christ demands that his followers confess him before 
 men (see Luke 12:8, 9), and joining the church is the 
 recognized method of doing so. We are ordered not 
 to forsake "the assembling" of ourselves together in 
 the Lord's House. It places us on record. Beside 
 this, it is a means of grace. One who turns his back on 
 God's Church and his people would be a very singular 
 Christian, indeed. In associating with God's people 
 there is mutual help and reinforced service. Then, 
 too, the Christian would naturally wish to obey Christ's 
 request, that his friends would remember him by par- 
 taking together of the bread and wine. There may 
 be obstacles in the way of a Christian joining a church, 
 and we would not judge any man for holding aloof, 
 
405 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 but he should have very weighty reasons to justify 
 him in doing so. Leading a good moral life and be- 
 lieving in God are not, however, sufficient of themselves 
 for salvation. God is not pleased when men ignore 
 the way of salvation he has provided. Jesus saith, 
 "No man cometh unto the Father but by me" (John 
 
 i 4 :6). 
 
 405. Does the Bible Urge Church Attendance? 
 
 Yes. In both the Old and New Testaments there 
 are numerous passages enjoining attendance in God's 
 house as a duty, a delightful pleasure and a great 
 spiritual privilege. See Lev. 8:3; Deu. 4:10; Psalms 
 23:6; 26:8; 27:4; 84:1, 4, 10; 122:1; Neh. 13:11; 
 Micah 4:2; Matt. 18:19, 20; Acts 4:31; 15:25; Heb. 
 10:25. Take your reference Bible and look up, through 
 the marginal notes, still other references. Church- 
 going is both a duty and a privilege, and he who neg- 
 lects it misses a great blessing and much of the enjoy- 
 ment of spiritual life and growth. The Psalmist tells 
 us that a day in God's courts is "better than a thou- 
 sand." We are frequently reminded in the Scriptures 
 that it is a duty. See Heb. 10 :25 ; Psalms in :i ; Matt. 
 18 :20, and other passages. True there are other forms 
 of public confession besides that of joining a church, 
 but that is the ordinary and recognized mode. It is 
 the duty of every Christian to identify himself with a 
 Christian church, that he may make it known where 
 he stands, that he may help in advancing Christ's 
 kingdom and that his own soul may be nourished by 
 the association with other Christians. 
 
Christian Living 406 
 
 406. Is the Increase of Church Wealth and 
 Worldly Resources to Be Regarded As 
 a Healthy Spiritual Sign? 
 
 History indicates that it is not a healthy sign. The 
 periods of the church's worldly prosperity have usually 
 been periods of moral decadence. There has been a 
 tendency in such times to say, as did the church of 
 Laodicea (Rev. 3:17), "I am rich and increased with 
 goods, and have need of nothing.'' At the same time, 
 the possession of riches is not incompatible with spirit- 
 uality. There are, as we in this country have good 
 reason to acknowledge, wealthy men who consecrate 
 their wealth to God. A sincere Christian in business 
 may prosper through the principles of Christianity, 
 which conduce to industry, integrity and clean living. 
 We can imagine a church composed of wealthy men 
 being a church of great power, contributing liberally 
 to the advance of Christ's Kingdom, and doing an 
 immense amount of good in alleviating the burdens of 
 the poor. There is nothing in wealth itself to render a 
 man unfit for the Kingdom of God. It is hard for 
 him to enter, as Christ said, because human nature is 
 spt to love its wealth and to trust in it; but when a 
 wealthy man really gives himself to the Lord, he has 
 opportunities for service which do not lie within reach 
 of the poor man ; and if he uses them faithfully, he is 
 more useful, and accomplishes more good. There have 
 been such men, and there still are such men. The 
 church, like the individual, may trust in its riches; 
 and if it does, it is in an unhealthy condition ; but it 
 may consecrate its riches, and then it is capable of 
 better service. We must look to other signs to learn 
 if the possession of wealth has eaten into its soul, 
 
 18 
 
407 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 making it proud, arrogant and sordid, or helpful, 
 beneficent and compassionate, before we can say 
 whether it is the better or the worse for its wealth. 
 
 407. Is Confession a Christian Duty? 
 
 "Confess your faults one to another" James 5:16. 
 It makes the whole problem of confession simple to 
 remember that the duty is to confess to those whom we 
 have wronged. If we have done any wrong to any 
 person, we must confess it to him, and ask him to for- 
 give us. A wrong that affects no one but God and 
 ourselves needs to be confessed only to God. Often, 
 however, a public confession is helpful. Under the 
 awakening of conscience a Christian may be led to 
 feel that he has been living under false pretenses, and 
 will find a relief in saying so, and in making a new 
 start. After all, we ought not to dread confession so 
 much as we do. The Christian has no righteousness 
 of his own to uphold; his righteousness consists in» 
 trusting Christ. Paul liked to declare that he was, to 
 all intents and purposes, so far as the law was con- 
 cerned, a dead man ; he had been crucified with Christ, 
 and Christ lived in him. He had no reputation to sus- 
 tain. He liked to speak of himself as having been the 
 chief of sinners. Then, too, people are apt to be kinder 
 than we think ; our friends will not want to condemn 
 us, but help us. But, on the other hand, this is often 
 a fruitful source of cruel temptation to sensitive souls. 
 They imagine they ought to speak of things which no 
 one but God needs to know about. Remember that 
 God is never unreasonable, nor harsh. Tell him all 
 about it, and then he will tell you plainly and kindly 
 whether any other confessions are necessary. 
 
Christian Living 408-409 
 
 408. Is There Any Scriptural Authority for the 
 
 Rite of Confirmation? 
 
 The Apostle Paul is represented as confirming the 
 souls of the disciples (Acts 14:22), and again as con- 
 firming the churches (Acts 15 141) ; Judas and Silas did 
 the same thing (Acts 15:32). It does not in these 
 cases appear to have been a rite or ceremony. But 
 there appears to have been some rite of the kind in the 
 early church. The writer of Hebrews speaks (6:2) of 
 "the doctrine of baptisms and of laying on of hands." 
 He may have had reference to the laying on of hands, 
 implying the gift of the Holy Spirit, as in Acts 8:17, 
 and as Paul did (Acts 19:6). It seems to have been a 
 Jewish idea of ancient date, as Jacob thus blessed 
 Joseph's children (Gen. 48:14). The custom continued 
 in Christ's time (see Matt. 19:13), when "there were 
 brought unto him little children that he should put his 
 hands on them, and pray." 
 
 409. Is It Not Obligatory to Use Unleavened 
 
 Bread at Communion? 
 
 Nothing could be more foreign to Christ's spirit and 
 teaching than the character which certain churches 
 give to this simple meal. There is nothing occult or 
 mysterious about it. Christ was founding a kingdom 
 or society, and wished his followers to have some way 
 of showing their membership in it. He would not 
 have them forget that they were Christians. He bade 
 them join together in a simple meal, which was a com- 
 mon way of acknowledging equality and brotherhood. 
 They were to come as Christians and eat and drink 
 together in token of their being united in a commons 
 bond of love for him. It was not to be an elaborate 
 
410 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 feast, but to consist of the common constituents of the 
 ordinary meal of that time. As they ate the broken 
 bread they were to think of his body which was broken 
 for them, and as they drank the wine they were to 
 remember how his blood was shed for them. To make 
 a mass of it and invest the details with a significance 
 never intended is to miss the majestic simplicity of 
 Christ's conception and his purpose in instituting the 
 ordinance. 
 
 410. What Is Conscience? 
 
 It is the moral sense in man, by which he judges 
 between right and wrong, and which approves or con- 
 demns his conduct. A man is bound to obey it in all 
 his actions. He must, therefore, be careful to see that 
 it is guided by right principles, that it is educated, and 
 is not biased or warped by sophistry, or prejudice, or 
 by impure motives. It has a standard in the Bible which 
 should keep it true and firm. It is, however, quite pos- 
 sible for a man to do wrong conscientiously ; in other 
 words, his unenlightened conscience may mislead him. 
 Paul gives an illustration (Acts 26:9) "I thought with 
 myself that I ought to do many things contrary to the 
 name of Jesus." The revelation on the way to Damas- 
 cus changed that judgment of conscience and gave him 
 a new principle on which he acted. Peter was con- 
 scientious in his idea of food and of associating with 
 Gentiles. It took a miracle to open his eyes (Acts 
 10:28). The inquisitors were probably conscientious 
 in persecuting protestants; Calvin was conscientious 
 in burning Servetus, and the Puritans were conscien- 
 tious in executing witches. But we see now, in our 
 more enlightened age, that they erred. When a man 
 
Christian Living 411 
 
 is uncertain as to the right course to take, he should 
 pray for guidance and direction, should see what prin- 
 ciples the Bible lays down in similar matters, and then 
 let his conscience decide. He will be held responsible 
 for obeying his conscience. 
 
 411. Does Conscience Ever Approve Anything 
 That Is Wrong, if so, How Can It Be the 
 Voice of God in the Soul? 
 
 Certainly, conscience may, and often does, approve 
 things that are wrong. A conspicuous instance (as 
 already noted), is that of the Apostle Paul, who verily 
 thought that in persecuting the Christians he was 
 doing God service. Many since his time have erred 
 in the same way, while sincerely believing at the time 
 that they were doing right. Conscience is the faculty 
 of the mind which discerns the moral quality of a 
 course of conduct, and passes judgment upon it, ac- 
 cording to the standard of right and wrong which it 
 has. If the standard be wrong, the decisions of con- 
 science will be wrong. "There is a way," says Solo- 
 mon, "that seemeth right unto a man ; but the end 
 thereof are the ways of death." Conscience needs to 
 be educated ; it must rely on knowledge and reason for 
 its data; it has to avoid being warped by self-interest 
 and being blunted by its environment. Paul speaks 
 (I Cor. 8:7) of a weak conscience, that is one that 
 sees wrong where there is no wrong. As a judge, it 
 represents God in the soul, but it never exercises in- 
 fallible judgment. It needs divine enlightenment and 
 the development which comes from Bible-reading and 
 prayer. It is, however, the "voice of God" within us 
 in this respect, that it bids us do the right, so far as 
 
412-413 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 we can discern it, at any cost ; and as we obey or dis- 
 obey, it rewards or punishes with sweet approval or 
 stern condemnation. 
 
 412. Is the Voice of Conscience That of the Holy 
 
 Spirit? 
 
 The facts of experience do not bear out the conclu- 
 sion that conscience and the Holy Spirit are the same. 
 Conscience is a faculty of the soul which approves or 
 Condemns according as one has or has not done what 
 he believes to be right. By study of the Bible, prayer 
 and the counsel of Christian friends one often finds 
 that what seemed formerly to be right was in reality 
 wrong. Paul believed he was doing right while per- 
 secuting the Christians. The Hindu mother throwing 
 her babe in the Ganges believes she is doing right, and 
 her conscience approves; but when she becomes a 
 Christian she knows that such a sacrifice is wicked. In 
 all nations and times certain souls have been alert and 
 humble enough to hear the direct messages of the Holy 
 Spirit, but it is through the written Word, the message 
 of the Gospel and the knowledge of Jesus that the 
 Holy Spirit comes to be a positive and constant fact of 
 experience. The Christian tests the messages that 
 seem to come from him by the Bible, by the personality 
 of Christ, by the advice of Christian friends (see I 
 John 4). The messages of the Holy Spirit are clear 
 and positive, not hesitating and confusing. In the 
 enlightened Christian, the voice of conscience and the 
 voice of the Spirit will always agree. 
 
 413. How Can Consecration Be Accomplished? 
 
 This question of consecration is one that frequently 
 arises, yet when we stop to analyze it, it seems strange 
 
Christian Living 414 
 
 that there should be any difficulty about it. If you 
 possess anything which you wish to give to another, 
 you simply give it to him; it is just as simple as that 
 to give your whole heart and life to God. We already 
 belong to him absolutely ; in consecration we are only 
 returning what is his. This is the "one thing" lacking 
 in countless lives to give them full spiritual meaning 
 and direction. (See Rom. 12:1). The question how 
 we can take ourselves out of God's hands should 
 really be more difficult than the question how we 
 may submit ourselves to him. Remember that God is 
 always reasonable, always kind. Many of the things 
 sometimes suggested to our minds when the subject 
 of consecration is brought up are not the suggestion of 
 the Holy Spirit, but of our own minds, or of disturbing 
 spirits. There is no uncertainty about the voice of 
 God. He only asks us to obey him when he makes 
 duty clear, and has promised to give us grace and 
 power always for the duties he lays upon us. There 
 surely should be no unwillingness to submit our lives 
 to him; he can care for them and direct them much 
 better than we. Consecration becomes simple when we 
 approach the cross of Christ. We realize there that 
 he gave himself for us because we were sinners — be- 
 cause of this very unwillingness in our hearts to sur- 
 render ourselves to him. Knowing this it is not hard 
 to commit ourselves absolutely to his love, trusting him 
 to forgive our sins, to cleanse our hearts, to guide and 
 to keep us. 
 
 414, Is Conversion the Same as Regeneration? 
 
 Conversion, when the term is used theologically, is 
 the turning away from sin to God. It is the reversal 
 
415-416 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 of a man's course of life. After his conversion his de- 
 sires and aims and principles of life cease to be toward 
 enjoyment or self-gratification or worldly ambition and 
 tend toward God and holiness. Regeneration is the 
 new birth wrought by the Spirit of God upon the man. 
 Thus conversion supposes some activity on the man's 
 part, while in regeneration he is passive. As the 
 Spirit operates on the spirit of man "making it willing 
 in the day of his power/' the difference between the 
 two terms is not of moment. 
 
 415. How Is Conversion Accomplished? 
 
 By prayer, by repentance of our sins, by sincerely 
 accepting Christ as Saviour, by surrendering ourselves 
 to him in all things as our guide, and by proclaiming 
 our new allegiance and striving, with his help and in 
 his strength, to regulate our lives according to his 
 teachings. Conversion is a turning from sin to right- 
 eousness, producing thus a change in our thoughts, 
 desires, dispositions and daily lives, which is the work 
 of the Holy Spirit upon the heart as the result of sav- 
 ing faith. Conversion, however, in the sense of turning 
 from sin and accepting Christ as Saviour, is distinct 
 from regeneration, which is the work of the Spirit 
 only. 
 
 416. Are Impure Thoughts a Sign of Non-Con- 
 
 version ? 
 
 Every man has some avenue by which temptation 
 most easily besets him. His duty is to exercise special 
 vigilance at that avenue. He should study himself and 
 find out how best to deal with the temptation. It is 
 well to ascertain by recalling our periods of trial, 
 what were the exciting causes, and avoid them in 
 
Christian Living 417 
 
 future. Plenty of hard work, physical and mental, 
 the pursuit of some absorbing subject of study, con- 
 stant occupation, the avoidance of reverie, and of sug- 
 gestive books, a careful attention to diet, and, above 
 all, earnest prayer, especially whenever the evil 
 thoughts arise, are the means we should use. But we 
 must be continually on our guard against sudden 
 temptation. We have to fight our battle, and it will 
 be a hard one, but we may count on divine help, and 
 if we are really in earnest, we will win the victory. 
 We must act intelligently, as we would if we were 
 afflicted with some physical disease and were seeking 
 a cure. Thousands have fought the same battle and 
 have won it. We should not doubt the reality of our 
 conversion. That would undermine our strength. 
 
 417. Does the Bible Anywhere Prohibit Danc- 
 ing? 
 
 Not specifically, but it condemns frivolity, folly and 
 wickedness in every form. There are various points 
 of Christian behavior applicable to modern life for 
 which no specific rule or authority can be found in the 
 Bible, as social conditions have greatly changed. 
 Modern vices and indulgences have sprung up and 
 these must be dealt with by the Christian as his con- 
 science and judgment dictate. Dancing, though not 
 in itself necessarily sinful, is exceedingly apt to degen- 
 erate into sin. Had promiscuous dancing, as it exists 
 in society today, been prevalent in Bible times (instead 
 of the comparatively innocent amusement then known, 
 and the ceremonial or religious dances), it would un- 
 questionably have been a subject of denunciation as 
 sweeping as that applied to any of the vices of the 
 
418-419 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 time. The purpose of the Scriptures is to give general 
 principles for the new life and so leave us the great 
 benefit of deciding for ourselves how to apply them. 
 In modern dancing, the evil so far overbalances the 
 good that it is indefensible and should not be sustained 
 by Christians. 
 
 418. Does God Send Disease? 
 
 God governs the world by the natural laws which he 
 has established, and it would be impossible to define 
 the extent to which he uses those laws to work out 
 his providential purposes. It is probable that, in some 
 cases, where he sees that a child of his needs discipline, 
 or to be laid aside from worldly work and association 
 so as to be drawn nearer to him, he may permit sick- 
 ness to come upon him. In some passages sickness is 
 threatened as a punishment. (See Deu. 28:27, 59, 60 
 and 61.) An instance is mentioned in Acts 12 123. On 
 the other hand, it is certain that many diseases which 
 afflict humanity are the result of disregard of sanitary 
 laws, and although they may be used for the spiritual 
 benefit of the sufferer, should not be attributed to God. 
 
 419. How Can I Get Rid of Doubt? 
 
 The only way out of any form of spiritual darkness 
 is a firm faith in Christ. Spiritual darkness always 
 means that in some way or other we are doubting him. 
 We are often tempted to think that something else is 
 necessary to be done before we begin to trust him, 
 some sacrifice to make, some duty to perform, some 
 problem to be solved. But these things come after 
 faith, not before it. Of course if some positive wrong 
 has been committed this wrong must be righted before 
 
Christian Living 420 
 
 we can believe that Christ fully saves us. But where 
 no such positive wrong has been done and no clear 
 duty neglected, the first, and indeed the only require- 
 ment is to trust in Christ. Any other advice would be 
 false. "Christ died for the ungodly." There is our 
 only place of peace and light. When you believe that 
 he died for you, that he died to make possible the for- 
 giveness of your sins and the cleansing of your heart ; 
 when you believe that because he died your sins are 
 forgiven and your heart is cleansed, you will have 
 peace, and you will find the Saviour near you, with his 
 light and comfort and power. After all, it is no won- 
 der that we feel sad while we are doubting him. You 
 would feel sad if you were doubting your friend, your 
 brother, your parent. And remember that he, too, is 
 saddened by our doubt. Read some of the rich prom- 
 ises of God's Word, and refuse any longer to doubt 
 that they were written to you as well as to any other 
 of his children: Isa. 55; Ezek. 36:25-27; Matt. 5:8, 
 10; Matt. 77-n; John 7:38, 39; John 8:36; Acts 
 2:14, 16-21, 39; Rom. 6; Rom. 8:11 ; II Cor. 7:1 ; Gal. 
 3; Eph. 3:14-21; Col. 3; I Thess. 5:23; Heb. 4:9-11, 
 7:25, 99:11-14; Heb. 10:1-22, 35; Heb. 11; I John 
 3:1-9, 22\ I John 5:4; Jude 24, 25. 
 
 420. Does a Truly Converted Person Have Evil 
 Thoughts? 
 
 Thoughts of evil may enter the minds of even the 
 most saintly. So long as we are in the body we are 
 subject to temptation, and there can be no temptation 
 without a thought of the evil that is suggested. Every 
 time we hear or see or read of an evil word or act we 
 have the thought of evil. These thoughts are stored 
 
421 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 in the brain, become items in the great storehouse of 
 memory, and are apt to recur to us at any time. There 
 can be no sin in a thought itself; it is only our feeling 
 about the thought and our decision what to do with it 
 that has any moral quality. When our hearts have 
 been filled with love for God and love for people we 
 find this love making us repel the evil thought and 
 turn toward the good. It is helpful to remember that 
 what makes a thing evil is that it will harm somebody. 
 When we love people, we shall not want to harm them 
 in body, mind or soul, and the thought of love will con- 
 quer and expel the thought of evil. It is in this sense 
 that "love is the fulfilling of the law," and that "perfect 
 love casteth out fear," as well as other sinful emotions. 
 We may thus bring into captivity every thought to the 
 obedience of Christ. 
 
 421. Is It Possible to Rid Oneself of Inherited 
 Evil Tendencies? 
 
 We are not quite sure that we are justified in holding 
 our ancestors altogether responsible for our evil ten- 
 dencies. Some people like to hold Satan responsible 
 for a share. It is, however, always advisable to in- 
 quire how far a man himself is deserving of blame. 
 Probably, if it can be proved that he had nothing to do 
 with the origin of them, still he may have assisted in 
 their development. There is no doubt that he can, at 
 least, be delivered from indulging his evil tendencies, 
 even if they are not entirely extirpated. That is what 
 Christ came to do. He offers us the power we need to 
 bring our natures under subjection. The Holy Spirit 
 in the heart so reinforces the better part of our nature 
 that it gains power enough to hold the evil tendencies 
 
Christian Living 422 
 
 in subjection. They then so lose their power that they 
 cease to be a danger, and, like any other part of our 
 being that is not used, become weak. We must help in 
 working out our own salvation. We must avoid temp- 
 tation, and must be vigilant in preventing outbreaks. 
 God will help us if we are sincere, and with Almighty 
 help, what is there that is not possible? 
 
 422. What Does Faith Do for Us? 
 
 " Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the 
 evidence of things not seen" (Heb. n:i). We are 
 commanded to have faith in God and in Christ (Jno. 
 14:1; Jno. 6:29) and yet it, of itself, is the gift and 
 work of God in us, through the Holy Ghost by the 
 Scriptures and preaching and other means (Rom. 
 12:3; Eph. 2:8; Acts 11:21; I Cor. 2:5; Heb. 12:2; 
 I Cor. 12:9; Jno. 20:31 ; Jno. 17:20), causing by these 
 means of grace, repentance and thereafter conversion 
 (Mark 1:15; Acts 11:21). Through faith we obtain 
 remission of sins, justification, salvation, sanctification, 
 adoption of and access to God, the gift of the Holy 
 Ghost, spiritual light and life, edification, preservation, 
 eternal life and rest in heaven (Acts 10:43; R° m - 
 3:25; Acts 13:39; Mark 16:16; Acts 15:9; Jno. 1 :ia; 
 Gal. 3:26; Rom. 5:2; Eph. 3:12; Acts 11:15-17; Jno. 
 12:36, 46; Jno. 20:31; Gal. 2:20; Jno. 3:15-16; Heb. 
 4:3). Faith is essential to the profitable reception of 
 the Gospel ; it makes the Gospel effectual in those who 
 have faith ; it is necessary in the Christian warfare, and 
 without it it is impossible to please God (Heb. 4:2; 
 I Thess. 2:13; I Tim. 1:18, 19; Heb. 11:6). The ef- 
 fect of faith in us is to produce hope, peace, confidence, 
 boldness in preaching and testifying and, as Christ is 
 
423 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 precious to those having faith and dwells in their heart, 
 they live, stand, walk, obtain a "good report/' work in 
 love, overcome the world, resist the devil (Rom. 5:2; 
 Acts 16:34; Rom. 15:13; Is. 28:16; I Pet. 2:6; I Pet 
 2\J\ Eph. 3:17; Gal. 2:20; Rom. 4:12; Heb. 11:2; I 
 Jno. 5 14, 5 ; I Pet. 5 :g ; Ps. 27 113 ; I Tim. 4:10). There- 
 fore we should be sincere, strong and steadfast ; hold- 
 ing our faith with a good conscience and not only 
 praying for the increase, but having full assurance of 
 it (I Tim. 1 :5 ; II Cor. 8 7 ; Acts 14 \22 ; Rom. 4 :20-24 ; 
 I Cor. 16:13; Col. 1:23; I Tim. 1:19; Luke 17:5; II 
 Tim. 1 :i2). Then will we be known by our fruits, as 
 without fruits our faith is dead (Jas. 2:21-25; Jas. 
 2:17, 20, 26), and as all difficulties are overcome by 
 faith, so all things should be done by it, never fearing 
 as we are fully protected by our shield and breast- 
 plate (Matt. 17:20, 21:21; Rom. 14:22; Eph. 6:16; 
 I Thess 5:8). 
 
 423. What Is Faith? 
 
 Faith is trust. It is the gift of God, wrought in 
 the heart by the Holy Spirit, which quickens and 
 directs all our faculties toward the one object. We 
 must pray to have faith, and to have our faith in- 
 creased. It will be strengthened, too, by the frequent 
 remembrance of Christ's repeated promises that our 
 prayers to the Father, in his name, would assuredly be 
 heard and answered, if we asked in faith, and believed 
 while we asked. See Matt. 7 :y ; Luke 11:9; John 
 14:13, 15, 16; James 4:2; I John 3:22, 5:14; Luke 
 11:10. Faith has been defined as "the substance of 
 things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" 
 (Heb. 11 :i) ; it is that operation of the soul in which 
 
Christian Living 424 
 
 we are convinced of the existence and truth of some- 
 thing that is not before us, or perceptible to the human 
 senses. Every one entertains faith of some kind, which 
 he would find it difficult if not impossible to demon- 
 strate by visible means. It is the practice of faith— the 
 voluntary exercise of it — which enables us to rise to 
 the belief in those great truths which God has been 
 pleased to reveal. Paul says that "we walk by faith, 
 not by sight" (II Cor. 5 :y). Jesus himself said (John 
 20:29), "Blessed are they that have not seen and yet 
 have believed." Thus, while believing what we see 
 and comprehend may have its merits, believing what is 
 not seen and but dimly comprehended is a greater 
 merit. There are many things in nature which we be- 
 lieve, yet without being able to fully grasp them with 
 our minds ; we believe because we have the evidence of 
 others, though not of our own senses. The faith which 
 simply believes what it can see, understand, define and 
 demonstrate is not real faith at all. "No man hath 
 seen God at any time," yet all men believe in a God. 
 The things of the spiritual world cannot be demon- 
 strated by mere material agencies, but only through 
 spiritual agencies. The exercise of faith increases our 
 spirituality, enables us to comprehend things which 
 without such exercise would be incomprehensible. Paul 
 said that to the learned Greek skeptics the Gospel was 
 "foolishness." Pride of intellect is one of the greatest 
 barriers to spiritual growth. 
 
 424. Is a Falsehood Ever Justifiable? 
 
 One who makes faith in God and obedience to his 
 will the supreme rule of his life, will never find excuse 
 or justification for a lie. Man's extremity is God's 
 
425 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 opportunity and it is in such crises, when our faith is 
 put to the ultimate test, that the Almighty reaches 
 out and succors our weak nature with his Divine 
 strength and help. We are distinctly told not to do 
 evil that good may come and that all liars "shall have 
 their place in hell fire, which is the second death." 
 God can deliver those who trust in him in every conflict 
 and those who are so situated are safe according to 
 the measure of their faith. See Is. 26 14 ; Psalm 3 15 
 and 118:8; also Psalm 15. Lying in all its forms is 
 expressly forbidden by the Lord. (Lev. 19:11; Col. 
 3:9.) It is hateful to him. (Prov. 6:16-19.) It 
 shuts out the liar from heaven (Rev. 21:27), and 
 those who are guilty of it find their ultimate abode in 
 hell. (Rev. 21 :8.) A full faith, such as that of the 
 glorious men and women who have illumined the 
 world with their lives, will not hesitate to tell the truth 
 and leave the result in God's hands, trusting to the 
 Omnipotent arm for safety. 
 
 425. What Is the Effect of Forgiveness? 
 
 Some may ask: "Has God forgotten all about my 
 sins now that they are forgiven, and if so why do we 
 not forget?" God says in Is. 43:25 and Jer. 31:34 
 that he will not remember our transgressions. The 
 sense of "remember" in these passages is clearly that 
 God does not remember the sin against the sinner. The 
 account is canceled ; the sins are no longer imputed to 
 him. Since the revelation of God's plan of the atone- 
 ment, we see that the debt is paid. When a debt is 
 paid it is forgotten, though the record of the transac- 
 tion may remain in the memory of the people con- 
 cerned. In this sense God forgets our sins, but there 
 
Christian Living 425 
 
 is no reason for supposing that he undoes or limits his 
 omniscience by literally not knowing that certain past 
 events have occurred. We know of them, and God 
 cannot observe our own minds without seeing there 
 the record of our sin. There are various passages in 
 Scripture in which God recalls his forgiveness of the 
 iniquities of his people, but the remembrance is not an 
 accusation but rather a testimony of forgiveness. We 
 cannot, by the exercise of the will, make ourselves for- 
 get anything. It would be a subtle and almost incon- 
 ceivable miracle for God to disentangle from our brains 
 the memory of our sins and yet leave there the memory 
 of other acts and events of the same days and hours. 
 While we know that, in every sense of debt or blame, 
 God forgets our sins when he forgives us, it should 
 help to restrain people from sin to recognize the fact 
 that a sin once committed will probably never be 
 erased from our memory, at least in this life, and that 
 it can never be lost from the simple, truthful record of 
 the world's events. This is good for us as a reminder 
 and as a stimulant. Seeing the dangers we have escaped 
 helps us against having serious lapses. Not that we 
 are become sinless, but, thanks to the promises in I 
 John 3 19, w T e are rid of the dominion of sin, and 
 the lapses we do have are not inputed. Therefore, let 
 none despair in the thought that anything in the past, 
 great or small, can prevent them from having God's 
 peace in their souls just now. Salvation is a present 
 matter. So far as our present standing in Christ 
 is concerned it does not make any difference w r hether 
 we were converted at the time we were baptized or not. 
 The only question is : "Will we trust Christ just now to 
 
 19 
 
426 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 forgive all the sins of the past and to make us truly 
 his?" There are promises in the Bible, by the score, 
 of forgiveness for any sinner who will ask for it. 
 Murderers, thieves, drunkards, all sorts of sinners, 
 have found these promises true and received God's 
 peace in their souls. God will forgive and forget, and 
 let you start all over again now ? Cease doubting him. 
 Begin to trust him and your trouble will disappear. 
 Read Gal. 5:6; II Cor. 7:2; Is. 55:7; Is. 1:18; Is. 
 43 25- 
 
 426. Is It Right to "Fear" God? 
 
 The word "fear," as used in the Bible, has two dis- 
 tinct meanings — fear in the sense of dread or fright, 
 and fear in the sense of reverence and sincere obedi- 
 ence. It is not easy to determine which meaning is in- 
 tended for the two Hebrew words most used have both 
 meanings. In the New Testament the Greek word used 
 has more generally the sense of fright or dread. The 
 whole message of the Bible is that what God most ear- 
 nestly desires from mankind is their love. But sin keeps 
 them from loving him, so he reveals to them, through 
 conscience, and through the law, the fearful results 
 of sin. This awakens a fear which drives them to him 
 for pardon and safety. A man who is living in sin, 
 when his conscience is aroused, is afraid of the power 
 and the justice of God. After he is pardoned he feels 
 a reverence for God and the beginnings of love for 
 him. As he progresses in the Christian life all fear of 
 God, in the sense of terror, is removed. John speaks 
 of the "perfect love which casteth out fear." (I John 
 4:18.) Throughout the Christian life reverence abides, 
 but love grows more and more dominant. The won- 
 
Christian Living 427-428 
 
 derful word is "friendship." God wants us to be 
 friends of his, as Abraham and Moses were, to serve 
 him because we love him, to be glad in the gifts his 
 love bestows. Christ would like to lead us all to the 
 place where he can say to us as he said to his disciples : 
 "Henceforth, I call you not servants, but I have called 
 you friend." (John 15:15.) 
 
 427. Why Was Not Foot-washing Kept Up as 
 
 Well as the Lord's Supper? 
 
 Foot-washing in the early centuries and in Orien- 
 tal lands stood for kindly service and for comfort and 
 hospitality. A guest would wash the dust from his 
 visitor's feet, after removing his sandals, just as we 
 take a friend's coat and hat and hang them up for him. 
 Of course, the specific acts change with changing cus- 
 toms and even with climatic conditions, but the spirit 
 is the same. We want to show our friends that we 
 are willing to serve them. Christ emphasized this by 
 his performing this service (a universal one in the 
 East) for the disciples, though he was recognized as 
 their Teacher, Master and Leader. It was a concrete 
 sign of his whole message that his followers must be 
 humble, and quick to serve others. He did not limit 
 this spirit and motive to one act of life, but insisted that 
 it become the principle of action for our whole lives. 
 The courtesies and kindnesses that hosts show to guests 
 Christians must show to one another at all times and 
 in all ways, and to all whom they meet. 
 
 428. Are We to Forgive the Wrongdoer if He 
 
 Does Not Ask It? 
 
 Christ inculcates the forgiving spirit, the spirit which 
 loves even an enemy. It is the spirit he displayed on 
 
429 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 the cross when he prayed to his Father for the soldiers 
 who nailed him to the cross, though they did not pray 
 for themselves nor express contrition. Resentment 
 is forbidden, but on the other hand, we have a right to 
 expect regret on the part of the wrongdoer. He has 
 no right to assume that we shall pass over his wrong 
 as if he had never done it. If he wants our forgive- 
 ness he should ask for it; but even before he asks we 
 must be ready to grant it. In our hearts we may 
 already have forgiven him, but the outward and for- 
 mal reconciliation waits his contrition. In Matt. 18:15 
 there is an intimation that the one who has suffered 
 the wrong should seek to bring about the contrition of 
 the wrongdoer by going to him and telling him his 
 fault. If after all he withholds it, we are not required 
 to treat him as a brother, but even then we are not to 
 cherish resentment and especially not retaliation, but 
 rather to return good for evil. In Matt. 5 123, 24 it 
 would seem to have been quarrels that our Lord had 
 in mind, rather than injuries. The brother who has 
 aught against you appears to indicate a grudge, or a 
 debt, as the following verses suggest. In any case, 
 there is to be no quarrel. There must be reconcilia- 
 tion first. 
 
 42£ ■. In What Sense Is Godliness Profitable in 
 This Life? 
 
 Since God's Word declares that godliness is profita- 
 ble for the life that now is, it must affect favorably a 
 man's temporal affairs. The necessities of life are 
 promised to those who seek first the kingdom of God. 
 He who contemplates being godly for the sake of gain 
 does not know what true godliness is (see I Tim. 6:5; 
 
Christian Living 430 
 
 also Acts 8:19). Under the old covenant, godliness in 
 the nation assured national prosperity. Better bless- 
 ings are promised under the New Testament dispensa- 
 tion. Temporal prosperity is, however, still a rational 
 sequence of godliness. The higher the tone of the 
 mental and moral qualities the better the business qual- 
 ifications. Godliness demands industry, economy, hon- 
 esty, courtesy, patience, hope — all most useful in tem- 
 poral affairs. "The supplication of a righteous man 
 availeth much in its working" (James 5:16), and he 
 is permitted to pray for prosperity in temporal affairs. 
 We are encouraged to bring everything, by prayer, 
 unto God (Phil. 4:6). 
 
 430, How Can We Grow in Grace? 
 
 A fair equivalent of the word "grace" is "blessing." 
 Grace means, in the first place, the disposition which 
 God has toward us; that is, his willingness to bless 
 us ; his love and favor. It means, also, the blessing 
 received, the state or experience into which we are 
 brought by God's blessing. There is always in the 
 word "grace" the idea of something bestowed entirely 
 without merit or payment on the part of the one who 
 receives it. God's blessings are bestowed freely; we 
 do not earn them; he blesses us because he loves us, 
 because he is gracious. All he asks is that we shall 
 be willing to receive his grace. This promise to Paul 
 means that God will give him the necessary strength to 
 bear the affliction, and also, as Paul implies in the 
 remainder of the verse, that the happiness of the bless- 
 ing will balance the distress of the thorn. 
 
 To grow in grace means to advance and develop in 
 spiritual experience and power. The Christian grows 
 
431 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 in grace in the first place by growing in faith. The 
 more we believe, the more complete we entrust our 
 souls and all the details of our lives to God, the more 
 we are blessed. We grow in grace by our work for 
 God. Religious work develops spiritual muscle just 
 as physical work develops physical muscle. The more 
 we do the more we can do. Prayer, study of the Bible, 
 fellowship with spiritually-minded people, attendance 
 at divine worship and prayer services, taking part in 
 these services, will help us to grow in grace. We should 
 remember, however, that all grace is bestowed by God 
 himself; as we meet the conditions and enlarge our 
 capacity he gives us more grace, just as he gives us 
 more physical and mental strength when we meet the 
 conditions for physical and mental growth. 
 
 431. What Is "the Blessing of Giving"? 
 
 The generous heart is commended in many passages 
 in the Scripture, and especially where that generosity 
 has the poor for its object. We are told to remember 
 the poor (see Lev. 25 135 ; Deu. 15 7), to be a helper to 
 the fatherless (see Ps« 68:5; Ps. 10:14), and the widow 
 (Is. 1:17), to visit those in affliction (James 1:27), 
 and let them share our abundance (Deu. 14:29) ; and 
 many blessings are promised to those who do these 
 things. The bountiful are especially blessed wherever 
 they give to any worthy cause or person (Deu. 15 :io). 
 Remember also that remarkable promise, "He that 
 hath pity on the poor lendeth to the Lord" (see Prov. 
 19 :i7). It is a fine thing to lay up treasure in heaven, 
 and we can do this only by doing God's work with the 
 means at our disposal here. If we use his gifts for our 
 own indulgence and pleasure, it will profit us nothing 
 
Christian Living 432 
 
 in the end ; but if we apply them to his glory and the 
 benefit of our fellow beings who need help more than 
 we do, we shall then be doing his work, and shall 
 receive his approval. In II Cor. 8:12 the apostle 
 speaks of the cheerfulness and willingness with which 
 believers should give to the Lord's work. He does not 
 limit the giving to a tenth, but urges them to give 
 freely and to spare not, that their abundance may make 
 up for the lack in others. The widow's mite (Luke 
 21 :3, 4) was the largest offering, in a sense, for she 
 gave all she had, and her faith and generosity were 
 commended above those that gave far richer gifts. 
 There are many worthy people who practice tithing 
 and we would not dissuade them, and there are others 
 who do not limit their gifts to a tenth, but exceed it, 
 and they, too, are worthy of commendation. God looks 
 at the spirit of the gift more than at the gift itself. 
 There are cases in which a tenth might work hardship 
 and, on the other hand, there are many where a tenth 
 would be a small offering. 
 
 432. What Does "Loving God" Mean? 
 
 The duty and privilege of loving God become clear 
 and simple when we think of Christ. Aside from him, 
 the human conceptions of God are such that it is diffi- 
 cult to realize just what it would mean to love him. 
 But friendship for Christ can be very real and precious. 
 This is a definite part of God's whole wonderful plan. 
 He came to earth in the person of Jesus and won just 
 a few friends. These men and women loved him 
 ardently. They loved him as a companion and friend. 
 When he had gone away they loved him with the same 
 definiteness and intensity and felt that he was still with 
 
433 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 them. Paul, who had never seen him in the flesh, 
 loved him with just the same passion and fervor as did 
 Peter and John, who had seen him. And all these early 
 Christians knew that in loving Jesus they were loving 
 God. As Professor Herrmann of Marburg says : "In 
 their minds all difference between Christ and God 
 himself vanished." He was God; they knew it. And 
 as they loved him and labored for him and went toward 
 death for him, they knew that they were fulfilling the 
 old command, that had been so strange and difficult 
 before, to love the Lord their God with all their heart 
 and with all their soul and with all their mind and with 
 all their strength. This same ^experience is possible 
 today for every believer. Christ can be to every one 
 of us that ever present Friend in whose companionship 
 we delight and for whom we live and should be willing 
 to die. 
 
 433. How May We "Reflect" God? 
 
 The marginal reading in the Revised Version (II 
 Cor. 3 :i8) gives "reflecting" instead of beholding. 
 This makes the meaning much clearer. Christians 
 should be mirrors, reflecting the glory of God. Visitors 
 to the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican procure small 
 mirrors which enable them to enjoy the great paintings 
 of Michael Angelo on the ceiling without discomfort. 
 Worldly people will not look at God, but they do look 
 at us, and they should see God reflected in us, as the 
 great master's paintings are reflected in the mirror. As 
 we thus behold and reflect God we become constantly 
 more like him ("are transformed into the same image") 
 going from one glorious stage of experience to another 
 ("from glory to glory"). "Even as from the Lord 
 
Christian Living 434 
 
 the Spirit" (R. V.) means in a manner that befits the 
 character and manner of the Holy Spirit. He works 
 this transformation in us in the same perfect, adequate, 
 godlike manner in which he always works. Compare 
 Ex. 34:29-35; Ps. 34:5; Acts 4:13. Read the whole 
 of this chapter and the next, II Cor. 3 and 4. 
 
 434. How Is One to Know that He Is Living 
 Close to God? 
 
 If we ask, in the name of his dear Son, for a daily 
 infusion of strength and grace sufficient for our needs, 
 he will grant our petition. Perhaps nowhere is the 
 Christian life better expressed than in these lines from 
 Professor David Smith. He is speaking of Christian 
 duty: "The man who bravely goes his hard way by 
 and by discovers God by his side. But there is a richer 
 discovery — the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord ; 
 and it is revealed through love of one's fellow creatures. 
 Keep your heart sweet and gentle; refrain from con- 
 tention ; look with kindly and sympathetic eyes on your 
 fellow creatures, men and beasts and birds; consider 
 their griefs and sufferings, and lend them your best 
 comfort and succor. It is only as we love like him 
 that we know the wonder and glory of his love. There 
 lies the twofold secret of reconciliation, of the linking 
 of our little lives with the eternal order. Obey, and 
 you will know ; love, and the love of Christ will be shed 
 abroad in your heart. And once the love of Christ 
 takes possession of you, life will be more precious and 
 wonderful in your eyes, and you will understand what 
 St. Peter means by 'joy unspeakable and full of glory' — 
 that deep, strong gladness which comes of the persua- 
 sion that the ultimate fact in the universe is the Love 
 
435-436 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 of God in Christ Jesus our Lord, the love which died 
 on the cross for pity of the world's woe." 
 
 435. What Does Adoption by God Involve? 
 
 "And I will be a Father unto you and ye shall be 
 my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty" (II 
 Cor. 6:18). Such adoption is according to promise, 
 by God's grace, through Christ, and we take it by 
 faith (Gal. 3:7, 26; Rom. 9:8: Eze. 16:3-6; Rom. 
 4:16, 17; Jno. 1:12). Saints are predestinated unto 
 adoption and are gathered together in one by Christ 
 (Rom. 8:29; Jno. 11 '.52), whereupon they become his 
 brethren (Jno. 20:17). Our new birth is connected 
 with our adoption, the Holy Spirit is a witness of it, 
 and by leading us gives us evidence of it (Jno. 1 :i2, 
 13 ; Rom. 8 :i5, 16 ; Rom. 8 :i4). This adoption should 
 lead to holiness and should work in us likeness to God 
 and childlike confidence in God (Matt. 5:44, 45, 48; 
 Matt. 6:25-34) ; a desire for God's glory, love of peace, 
 spirit of prayer, forgiveness and mercy (Matt. 5:16, 
 7:7-11, 5:9, 6:14; Luke 6:35, 36). 
 
 436. What Is "Loving God" and What Does It 
 
 Avail ? 
 
 Love to God is commanded (Deu. 11 :i) and is, 
 indeed, the one great commandment (Matt. 22 :38). It 
 should be with all the heart, and is better than sacrifice 
 (Deu. 6:5; Mark 12:33). It is produced by the Holy 
 Ghost and engendered by God's love to us and by 
 answers to prayer (Gal. 5:22; I Jno. 4:19; Ps. 116:1). 
 Christ gave us an example of it, and it is a character- 
 istic of saints (Jno. 14:31; Ps. 5:11). Those who 
 have this love are known to God, and are preserved 
 
Christian Living 437 
 
 and delivered by him ; they partake of his mercy and 
 all things work together for their good (I Cor. 8:3; 
 Ps. 145:20; Ps. 91 114; Ex. 20:6; Rom. 8:28). When 
 persevering (Jude 21), and exhorting one another 
 (Ps. 31:23), saints will have joy, they will have a 
 hatred of sin. In their hearts will be obedience to God, 
 and he, besides being faithful to those who love him, 
 will fulfill in them his promises (Ps. 5:11; I Jno. 5 :i ; 
 Ps. 97:10; Deu. 30:20; Deu. 7:9; Deu. 13:3; Deu. 
 11:13; Ps. 69:36; Jas. 1:12). This love to God nat- 
 urally leads to love to Christ. Here again we have a 
 good example set by God himself and by the saints 
 (Matt. 17 :5 ; Jno. 5 :20 ; I Pet. 1 :8) . Such love to him 
 should be manifested in seeking, obeying, ministering, 
 preferring him to all others, and in taking up his 
 cross (Jno. 14:15; Matt. 27:55; Matt. 10:37; Matt. 
 10:38). It is characteristic of saints and an evidence 
 of adoption. Those who have it are loved by both 
 God and Christ, and enjoy communion with them 
 (Song of Sol. 1:4; Jno. 8:42; Jno. 14:21, 23; Jno. 
 16 \2J ; Jno. 14 :23) . Such love should be sincere, ardent, 
 supreme, unquenchable and "unto death" (Eph. 6:24; 
 Song of Sol. 1 7; Matt. 10:37; Song of Sol. 2:5, 8:7; 
 Acts 21 :i3; Rev. 12:11). 
 
 437. Why Should We Praise God and How 
 Should We Do So? 
 
 We should praise God because he is worthy of and 
 glorified by our praise (II Sam. 22 '.4; Ps. 22 :23). We 
 should praise him because it is due to his majesty, 
 glory, excellency, greatness, holiness, wisdom, power, 
 goodness, mercy, loving-kindness, truth and his won- 
 derful works (Ps. 96:1, 6; Ps. 138:5; Ex. 15:7; I 
 
437 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 Chron. 16:25; Ex. 15:11; Dan. 2:20; Ps. 21:18; Ps. 
 107:8; II Chron. 20:21 ; Ps. 138:2; Is. 25 :i ; Ps. 89:5). 
 Also on account of his gifts to us as are consolations, 
 judgment, counsel, fulfilling of his promises, pardon 
 of sin, spiritual health, constant preservation, deliver- 
 ance, protection, answering prayer, the hope of glory, 
 and all temporal and spiritual blessings (Ps. 42:5; Ps. 
 101 :i ; Ps. 16 7 ; I Kin. 8 :56 ; Ps. 103 -.1-3 ; Ps. 103 :3 ; 
 Ps. 71:6-8; Ps. 4o;i-3 Ps. 28:7; Ps. 28:6; Ps. 118:21; 
 I Pet. 1:3, 4; Ps. 103:2; Eph. 1:3; Ps. 104:1, 14; Ps. 
 136:25). Such praise of God is obligatory on angels, 
 saints, gentiles, children, high and low, young and old, 
 small and great, all men and all creation (Ps. 103:20; 
 Ps. 30:4, 117:1, 8:2, 148:1, 12; Rev. 19:5; Ps. 107:8, 
 148:1-10). This praise is good and comely (Ps. 33:1 ; 
 Ps. 147:1), and should be offered with the understand- 
 ing, soul, heart, with uprightness, joy, gladness, thank- 
 fulness (Ps. 47:7, 103:1, 9:1, 119:7, 63:5; II Chron. 
 29:30; I Chron. 16:4). It should be offered continually, 
 more and more, day and night, forever and forever 
 (Ps. 35* 2 8, 104:33, 71:14; Rev. 4:8; II Chron. 30:26; 
 Ps. 145:1, 2). And may be expressed in psalms and 
 hymns, accompanied with musical instruments (Ps. 
 105:2; I Chron. 16:41, 42) and as a part of public 
 worship (Ps. 9:14, 100:4, 118:19, 20). In this worship 
 we should glory, triumph, express our joy by it, de- 
 clare, invite others to it, pray for ability to offer it, be 
 embued with the spirit of praise under all circum- 
 stances, even under afflictions (I Chron. 16:35; P s - 
 106:47; Jas. 5:13; Is. 42:12; Ps. 34:3, 5I-I5; Is. 
 61:3). This praise has ever been highly thought of. 
 Thus it has been called the fruit of the lips, voice of 
 
Christian Living 438 
 
 triumph, voice of melody, voice of psalm, sacrifice of 
 praise and of joy (Heb. 13:15; Ps. 66:8, 47:1; Is. 
 51:3; Ps. 98:5; Heb. 13:15; Ps. 27:6). 
 
 438. What Is God's Pardon and to What Should 
 It Lead? 
 
 Pardon for our sins was promised to us (Is. 1:18; 
 Jer. 31:34; Heb. 8:12). There can be none without 
 the shedding- of blood and legal sacrifices and outward 
 purifications are ineffectual as only through the blood 
 of Christ is it efficacious (Lev. 17:11 ; Heb. 9:22; Heb. 
 10:4; Jer. 2:22; Zee. 13:1; I Jno. 1:7). God alone 
 can grant this pardon and does so by and through 
 Christ and his blood (Dan. 9 :g ; Mark 2 7 ; Luke 7 148 ; 
 Luke 1 :6g, // ; Matt. 26 '.28). He grants it for Christ's 
 sake, freely, abundantly, readily to those who confess 
 their sins, repent and believe (I Jno. 2:12; Is. 43:25; 
 Xeh. 9:17: Is. 55:7; I Jno. 1:9; Acts 2:38; Acts 
 10 143) . By so doing God shows his compassion, grace, 
 mercy, forbearance, loving kindness, justice and faith- 
 fulness (Mic. 7:18, 19; Rom. 5:15; Ex. 34:7; II 
 Chron. 30:18; Rom. 3 :25 ; Ps. 51 :i ; I Jno. 1 :g). The 
 result of such pardon is the forgiving, removing and 
 blotting out of transgression, the covering of, and 
 blotting out of sin and not mentioning or remembering 
 transgressions any more (Ps. 32:1, 103:12; Is. 44:22; 
 Ps. 32:1; Acts 3:19; Eze. 18:22; Heb. 10:17). This 
 great and free gift should lead us to return to God, 
 love him, fear and praise him (Is. 44:22; Luke 7:47; 
 Ps. 130:4; Ps. 103:2. 3). It should also induce us to 
 pray for it for ourselves and for others and to strive 
 to become worthy of it as the unforgiving, unbelieving 
 
439-440 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 and impenitent cannot share in it (Ps. 25 :ii ; Jas. 5:15; 
 Mark 11:26; Jno. 8:21, 24; Luke 13:2-5). 
 
 439. What Is Meant by "Devotedness to God"? 
 
 We should be devoted to God because of his mercies 
 (Rom. 12:1), of his goodness (I Sam. 12:24) and 
 because of the call with which he invites us to him. 
 The death of Christ and our redemption should be 
 compelling forces. Our devotedness should be unre- 
 served (Matt. 6:24), abounding (I Thess. 4:1), per- 
 severing (Luke 1 :74, 75; Luke 9:62), and in life and 
 death (Rom. 14 :8). It should be with our whole being, 
 thus, with our spirit (I Cor. 6:20), with our bodies 
 (Rom. 12:1; I Cor. 6:20), with our members (Rom. 
 6:12, 13), and with our substance (Ex. 22:29; Prov. 
 3:9). This devotedness we should show by loving 
 God (Deu. 6:5), serving him (I Sam. 12:24; Rom. 
 12:11), walking worthy of him (I Thess. 2:12), doing 
 all to his glory (I Cor. 10:31); bearing the cross 
 (Mark 8:34), by self-denial (Mark 8:34), and by giv- 
 ing up all for Christ (Matt. 19:21, 28, 29). 
 
 440. Does God Communicate His Will in Any 
 
 Other Way than by His Word? 
 
 We believe that there are special cases of extreme 
 difficulty in which, when guidance is sought, God does 
 reveal to his children the way in which he wishes 
 them to walk. This he does by interpositions of his 
 providence. If we ask him for guidance in our trou- 
 bles, in the name of his dear Son, he will not deny it. 
 There are some who think they receive direction in 
 dreams, or by casting lots, or by opening a Bible at 
 random and noticing the first passage that catches the 
 
Christian Living 441-442 
 
 eye. It is unwise to give heed to intimations supposed 
 to reach us in such ways. They are utterly untrust- 
 worthy and should be disregarded. 
 
 441. What Is Grace? 
 
 In theology, the word "grace" has been the hinge of 
 three great historical controversies, and it is still a 
 subject of varied interpretation. In the spiritual sense, 
 it is divine favor or condescension to mankind individ- 
 ually or collectively. In the concrete Gospel sense, it 
 is the unmerited love and favor of God in Christ, as 
 shown in the salvation freely provided for mankind 
 (see Eph. 2 :g). It may also be described as the divine 
 influence acting within the heart, regenerating, sancti- 
 fying and keeping it. Grace brings the peace and joy 
 of assurance. It is "the life of the soul, as the soul 
 is the life of the body." 
 
 442. Can the Church Heal by Faith Today? 
 
 There are several religious bodies which teach 
 faith-healing by prayer and the laying on of hands. It 
 is not general, however, among the denominations. 
 But while the divine power is as great today as in 
 the time of the early Church, and while many remark- 
 able instances of healing through faith and prayer are 
 adduced, the usual teaching in the regular denomina- 
 tions is that, in cases of sickness, we should employ 
 the remedies at hand through medical skill or other- 
 wise, and ask God's blessing on these means to effect 
 a cure. There is no passage in the Scriptures, how- 
 ever, which indicates that Christ intended the gift of 
 faith-healing to cease with the apostles. On the con- 
 trary, the inference is quite clear, throughout the whole 
 
442 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 New Testament, that this gift was to remain, in the 
 Church. We have so largely lost the gift because of 
 our lack of faith, but there are numerous incidents 
 being reported every day of miraculous healing in 
 answer to prayer in the name of Christ. That there 
 are not more cases is not proof that God's power is 
 shortened, but results are proportioned to our faith. 
 There are many instances in the Church today of won- 
 derful answers to the prayer of faith. It is well to 
 remember, however, that God has placed certain means 
 within our reach and we should employ these means 
 and ask his blessing upon them. Jesus himself never 
 said anything in disparagement of the profession of 
 Luke the "beloved physician." In James 5:15 it should 
 be noted that the writer does not say that the oil will 
 save; it is merely a symbol. The healing here men- 
 tioned in the first clause of the verse is of the body; 
 the second clause implies that the prayer of faith for 
 one who has sinned will bring forgiveness. The same 
 connection of sin and sickness is employed in Is. 
 33 :24 ; Matt. 9 12-5, and John 5 114. See also Ps. 103 :3. 
 The application is found in the next verse, which 
 speaks of repentant confession. The oldest versions 
 of this passage read, "Therefore, confess your faults 
 one to another/' showing that it must be a precedent 
 condition. This does not justify what is known as the 
 confessional, however, in the sense in which it is em- 
 ployed in the Church of Rome. There, all confessions 
 must be made to the priests. Confession, in the 
 apostolic sense, may be made to any one who is godly 
 and who can pray. It is to be an open confession and 
 not one whispered into the ear of a priest. 
 
Christian Living 443-444 
 
 443. How Can One Obtain a "New Heart"? 
 
 The sole resource is prayer and a constant striving 
 against indulgence in sin. God is able to give a new 
 heart, and when a man is sincerely desirous of obtain- 
 ing that blessing there is no doubt of its being granted 
 to him. God is more ready to bless us than we are to 
 seek his blessing. But he does not confer his gifts 
 unless they are sincerely sought. And there must be 
 proof of sincerity by co-operation. If a man prayed 
 that he might reach the top of a mountain, God would 
 not take him bodily there, but he would give him the 
 strength to climb. If you read the description of the 
 condition of a man struggling against sin in Romans 
 7, you will see that victory is obtained through the 
 power that Christ gives. This power is freely granted 
 to all who seek it, and through it any one may over- 
 come evil. 
 
 444. What Are the Consequences of Resisting 
 
 the Holy Spirit? 
 
 We are warned against the danger of resisting the 
 Holy Spirit, and Paul (Eph. 4:30) admonishes the be- 
 liever not to grieve the Holy Spirit. It is possible for 
 one to refuse to obey the call of the Spirit, yet without 
 placing himself outside of the pale of redemption. The 
 Bible itself furnishes several instances of this charac- 
 ter. We should advise any one who feels that he may 
 have refused the call at one time to take a hopeful atti- 
 tude, and to seek God's mercy and forgiveness with a 
 contrite heart, remembering that the promise of for- 
 giveness extends to "whosoever" may come. Jesus 
 saves to the uttermost, and has assured us that he will 
 not reject any one who comes to him in this spirit. 
 
 20 
 
445-446 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 We can not set limits to God's mercy, and he is at all 
 times more ready to forgive than we are to seek his 
 forgiveness. 
 
 445. In What Sense Is the Holy Spirit a Guide? 
 
 The Holy Spirit is certainly promised in answer to 
 believing prayer. (See Luke n 113.) See an account 
 of his work in John 16:7-15. But the fact should not 
 lead any one to be intolerant, or unreasonable. It is 
 conceivable that a man might be so convinced that he 
 is led of the Spirit to believe or do certain things, as 
 to make grievous errors. He might believe himself 
 infallible. The best and wisest men have in the past 
 made that mistake. The humble, childlike believer 
 seeks enlightenment and it may come to him through 
 a preacher, or through private study, but he should 
 keep his mind open to new light and should never 
 assume, because he has reached a certain conclusion 
 after prayer, that he is necessarily right. He may have 
 been misled by ignorance or prejudice. In his talk 
 with Nicodemus (John 3:8), Christ compared the 
 operations of the Spirit to the movement of the wind, 
 which could not be controlled or directed. We see 
 this sometimes in revivals where we cannot account for 
 one person being converted while another remains un- 
 moved. But we may be quite sure that whenever any 
 one sincerely desires the Holy Spirit's influence, God 
 is more ready to bestow it than we can be to receive it. 
 
 446. Should a Christian Be Joyful? 
 
 God gives joy and Christ was appointed to give it, 
 since the Gospels, which treat of him, are the "good 
 
Christian Living 446 
 
 tidings" (Ecc. 2:26; Is. 61:3; Luke 2:10, 11) and 
 God's Word affords joy (Neh. 8 :i2 ; Jer. 15 :i6). Joy 
 is promised to saints, prepared for them and enjoined 
 on them (Ps. 132:16; Is. 35 :io; Ps. 97:11 ; Ps. 32:11 ; 
 Phil. 3:1). It is experienced by believers, peace- 
 makers, the just, the wise, and discreet (Luke 24:52; 
 Prov. 12:20; Prov. 21:15; Prov. 15:23). The joy of 
 the saints is in God, Christ and the Holy Ghost; for 
 their election, salvation, deliverance from bondage, 
 manifestations of goodness, temporal blessings, supplies 
 of grace, divine protection and support and the hope of 
 glory (Ps. 89:16; Rom. 5 :ii ; Luke 1 47; Rom. 14:17; 
 Luke 10:20; Ps. 21:1; Ps. 105:43; II Chron. 7:10; 
 Joel 2:23; Is. 12:13; Ps. 5:11 ; Ps. 28:7; Rom. 5:2). 
 These being grand blessings and advantages, their 
 joy should be great, abundant, exceeding, animated, 
 unspeakable, full, constant (Zee. 9:9; II Cor. 8:2; 
 Ps. 21:6; Ps. 32:11; I Pet. 1:8; II Cor. 6:10; I Thess. 
 5 :i6) and it should be manifest in every condition of 
 life, such as in hope, sorrow, under trials and persecu- 
 tions, in calamities and afflictions (Rom. 12:12; II 
 Cor. 6:10; Jas. 1:2; I Pet. 1:6; Matt. 5:11, 12; Hab. 
 3 :i7, 18). Such joy is made complete by the favor of 
 God, by faith in Christ, the abiding in him and his 
 Word, and by answer to prayer (Acts 2:28; Rom. 
 15:13; Jno. 15:10, 11; Jno. 17:13; Jno. 16:24). When 
 so conceived and practiced, the saints will serve God 
 with gladness (Ps. 100:2). It will strengthen them 
 (Neh. 8 :io) ; they will use it in all their religious serv- 
 ices, have it in all their undertakings, and it shall finally 
 be their reward at the judgment day (Eze. 6:22; Deu. 
 12:18; Matt. 25:21). 
 
447 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 447. Is It Wrong to Judge Others? 
 
 It is a common failing in humanity to pass judgment 
 upon others and it is frequently attended by unfor- 
 tunate results. We are expressly told in Scripture 
 that judgment belongs to God. (See Matt. 7:1-5.) 
 No matter what the occasion, it becomes the Christian 
 to withhold his judgment, and particularly the open 
 expression of it, lest he should be doing an injustice. 
 There are cases, of course, where an act is so palpably 
 wrong and so obviously done with wicked purpose, that 
 we feel naturally disposed to condemn; but even here 
 we may make a mistake, unless we are thoroughly 
 familiar with all the antecedent circumstances. This 
 reservation of judgment does not relate to the operation 
 of the statute law, but to the individual. Paul tells 
 us, in Romans 14 14, that we ought not to assume the 
 right to condemn. Therefore, to tell a person that he 
 is not a Christian, if he has a ring on his finger, is to 
 assume a position to which we have no right. There 
 may be a reason for his wearing it that we do not 
 know ; it may be the gift of some relative or friend, or 
 a memorial. To men impressed with the urgent need 
 there is in the world for money to use for charity and 
 religion, it would appear a duty to give all the money 
 available to these causes and not to spend any of it on 
 personal adornment. Arriving at such a conclusion, 
 let him act upon it himself, and not hastily denounce 
 others who may have different ideas of their duty. 
 Above all, we should refrain from censorious gossip, 
 which is a fruitful cause of ill-founded and wicked 
 judgment of others. 
 
Christian Living 448-449 
 
 448. Why Is Liberality to Be Commended? 
 
 It is pleasing to God. He never forgets it. Christ 
 set an example of it and it is characteristic of Saints 
 (II Cor. 9:7; Heb. 6:io; II Cor. 8:9; Ps. 112:9). 
 This good quality should be exercised in the service of 
 God towards all men, such as saints, servants, the poor, 
 strangers, and towards enemies (Ex. 35:21-29; Gal. 
 6:10; Rom. 12:13; Deu. 15:12-14; Lev. 25:35; Prov. 
 25 :2l). It should be demonstrated by lending to those 
 in want, in giving alms, relieving the destitute, and in 
 rendering personal services (Matt. 5:42; Luke 12:33; 
 Is. 58:7; Phil. 2:30). In practice, however, we 
 should be guided by these restrictions. We should be 
 liberal without ostentation, with simplicity, should be 
 willing and give abundantly (Matt. 6:1-3; Rom. 82:8; 
 Deu. 16:10; Mat. 6:1-8; II Cor. 8:12; II Cor. 8:7). 
 Its exercise provokes others to like goodness whereas 
 the want of, while bringing to many a curse, is proof 
 of not loving God, and of not having faith (II Cor. 
 9 :2 ; Prov. 28 \2y ; I Jno. 3 :iy ; Jas. 2 : 14-16). Liberality 
 is highly commended, blessings are connected with it 
 and promises are given to those who practice it (Luke 
 3:11, 11 :4i ; I Cor. 16:1 ; Ps. 41 :i ; Ps. 112:9; Prov. 
 11:25). God's people were always noted for having 
 this virtue, as see Prince of Israel, Num. y:2; Boaz, 
 Ruth 2:16; David, II Sam. 9:7-10; Zacchaus, Luke 
 19 :8 ; First Christians, Acts 2 :45 ; Barnabas, Acts 
 4:36, 37; Cornelius, Acts 16:2; Lydia, Acts 16:15; 
 Paul, Acts 20:34. 
 
 449. How Does Christ Influence the Lives of 
 
 Men? 
 
 It is one of the most definitely and positively at- 
 tested facts of history and of present-day life that mul- 
 
449 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 titudes of people have an experience of peace, power, 
 purity and joy which grows out of their belief that God 
 as manifested in the flesh of Jesus of Nazareth died 
 for their sins. This experience is real, is tangible, is 
 witnessed to ; it makes the lives of those who possess it 
 altogether different from what they were before. When 
 we ask if such an experience was possible before Christ 
 died, the answer is very clear — No. Many Old Testa- 
 ment saints had a very beautiful and exalted spiritual 
 experience, but they could not have the experience of 
 knowing that God in the flesh had died for their sins. 
 The question of the relation of these facts to sin and 
 the deliverance from it presents some philosophical 
 difficulties, but no really practical difficulties. We can 
 be sure that if any persons found deliverance from sin 
 before Christ came they were comparatively few; but 
 now the deliverance is offered to all. A few saints may 
 have looked forward and grasped the glories of the 
 atonement by faith ; we look back upon it as a historic 
 fact and so appropriate its benefits. Again, it is un- 
 deniably true that since the incarnation men have been 
 able to get a totally new and infinitely clearer idea of 
 God than if he had not manifested himself in the flesh. 
 He has been interpreted to them in terms of human 
 life, so it is now easy for them to comprehend how 
 God thinks and acts and speaks. It is a higher revela- 
 tion than that which came through the prophets : "God, 
 who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in 
 time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these 
 last days spoken to us by his Son" (Heb. I :i, 2). It 
 must certainly be true that the experience of loving 
 Christ as a divine-human friend is different from the 
 
Christian Living 450 
 
 experience of loving God as he was revealed in Old 
 Testament times. And when, as has already been sug- 
 gested, there is added the knowledge that he died to 
 save us, there is a power and depth to the love that 
 would otherwise have been impossible. The one who 
 fully believes in Christ receives fully the benefits of 
 his life, death and resurrection. The one who doubts 
 must continue to miss them. 
 
 450. Is Fasting Necessary to Christian Living? 
 
 Fasting was voluntary in the early Christian Church. 
 It was charged by his enemies that Christ's disciples 
 "fasted not," while those of John did fast (Matt, n :i8, 
 19). Our Lord did not positively enjoin religious fast- 
 ing, and indeed he alluded in terms of censure to the 
 frequent fasts of the Pharisees. His reference to the 
 time which would come when, being deprived of the 
 personal presence of the bridegroom, his disciples 
 would fast, implied rather a season of general mourn- 
 ing than of self-denial. In the Sermon on the Mount 
 (Matt. 6:17) he recognizes the practice, but leaves the 
 frequency and extent to the individual judgment. Fasts 
 were undoubtedly observed by the early Christians 
 (see Acts 13:2, 14:23; II Cor. 6:5), but these were 
 probably a recognition of old established usage, handed 
 down through generations. When it is remembered 
 that a very large portion of the Christian Church was 
 originally Jewish, it is not surprising that fasting, 
 which was so marked a feature under the old dispensa- 
 tion, should have been handed down from age to age 
 and that it should be occasionally found to some extent 
 in the church even at the present day. That it has 
 merits, both spiritual and physical, may not be gain- 
 
451-452 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 said. A sincere fast, which while mortifying the flesh, 
 aided in concentrating the mind upon the things of the 
 Spirit, is especially adapted to certain great emer- 
 gencies. Our Saviour himself set us the example. 
 
 451. Should a Christian Marry a Non-Christian? 
 
 Paul gives direct teaching on the subject. He says 
 (II Cor. 6:14), "Be ye not unequally yoked together 
 with unbelievers/' etc. In the case of the Corinthians, 
 such a union must have been exceedingly uncongenial, 
 as the unbeliever was usually an idolater. The disparity 
 is not so marked in our day, but it is sufficient still to 
 produce a lack of real harmony. Religion should be to 
 the Christian the first and fundamental element of life. 
 To have a partner who has no sympathy with it is to 
 raise a barrier between the two which keeps them 
 separate in the highest and holiest spheres of life. Gen- 
 erally it leads to the Christian forsaking his faith. 
 
 452. How Can the Unbelieving Husband Be 
 
 Sanctified by the Believing Wife? 
 
 This probably was never designed for general appli- 
 cation. It was meant to meet very special conditions. 
 Paul, in I Cor. 7:14, was writing to Christians newly 
 won from a corrupt and debasing form of heathenism. 
 The converts were disposed to separate from their 
 pagan partners and they wrote for Paul's approval. 
 He told them not to do so. If the pagan husband or 
 wife chose to leave, there was to be no restraint. The 
 Christian must not be the one to seek separation. 
 Rather he should remain in conjugal relations in the 
 hope of saving his pagan wife (see verse 16). His 
 example and tender affection and Christian kindness 
 
Christian Living 453-454 
 
 might win her to Christianity — might be the means of 
 sanctifying her. So the believing wife might influence 
 the pagan husband. Besides, there was the consideration 
 of the children, who, if the believer remained, would be 
 brought up under holy influences. 
 
 453. Is It Possible to Be So Trained from Child- 
 
 hood Up that a "New Birth" Is Unnec- 
 essary ? 
 
 We believe that Christ's statement, "Ye must be 
 born again/' applies to every human being. The most 
 carefully trained child needs it. It is true that there 
 are many so good by nature and training, that they 
 pass through the process almost unconsciously. They 
 do not go through the sorrow and anxiety and distress 
 that precede conversion in the case of people who have 
 led openly wicked lives. They come to God as to a 
 Father, and having learned to love him from their 
 earliest years, they are changed imperceptibly into his 
 image. But, none the less, the change takes place, and 
 the child yields itself by a definite act to Christ as a 
 Saviour. These are beautiful characters, and they have 
 reason to thank God for giving them parents so good 
 and wise. They are, however, very rare. The best 
 trained child is often conscious of having lied, or 
 committed other sins which need to be forgiven, and 
 of having a nature that is prone to sin, which needs 
 to be changed by the Holy Spirit. 
 
 454. Who Is My Neighbor? 
 
 The practical question, "How shall I carry out the 
 commandment to love one's neighbor as one's self" is 
 constantly facing the Christian. In the parable of the 
 
455 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 Good Samaritan, Jesus taught that our neighbor is any 
 one to whom we can be of service. There are no limits 
 as to social standing, or creed, or race, or habitation. 
 Any one whom we can reach has a claim upon our help, 
 which is sanctioned by God himself. The teachings of 
 both Jesus and Paul are plain that a man should care, 
 with special earnestness and affection, for the mem- 
 bers of his own household. To be sweet and kind, 
 patient and helpful at home is the first neighborly duty 
 of the Christian. Then the people to whom one is 
 nearest in his daily life have the next claim upon his 
 service. He should be on the lookout for persons and 
 families who are in need and whom he can help. The 
 Christian should make his influence felt for the benefit 
 of his neighborhood, his town, and his state. Mails 
 and express routes have knit the whole world into so 
 compact a neighborhood that every one must feel that 
 the needy in any corner of the world have a claim upon 
 his charitable consideration. Needless to say the joy 
 of such service always far outweighs whatever sacrifice 
 may be involved. Matt. 19:19, 22:39; Luke 10:36, 
 37; Rom. 13:10. 
 
 455. Why and How Should We Love Our Fel- 
 low Man? 
 
 God and Christ commanded us to love man. The 
 Saviour gave us an example in doing it (I Jno. 4:7, 
 21; Jno. 13:34; Jno. 15:12; I Jno. 3:23). It is taught 
 by God and is a fruit of the Spirit (I Thes. 4:9; Gal. 
 5:22; Col. 1:8). Without it, gifts and sacrifices are 
 as nothing. Love is the great commandment (I Cor. 
 13-1, 2, 3; Matt. 22:37-39; I Tim. 1:5). This love 
 we should put on, follow after, abound and continue in, 
 
Christian Living 456 
 
 and, while provoking each other to it, we should be 
 sincere, disinterested and fervent in it (Col. 3:14; 
 I Cor. 14:1; Phil. 1:9; I Thes. 3:12; I Tim. 2:15; II 
 Cor. 8 7; Rom. 12 :g ; I Cor. 10 124 ; I Pet. 1:22). This 
 virtue should be connected with brotherly kindness and 
 should be practiced with a pure heart. We should 
 show it toward saints, ministers, our families, our 
 fellow countrymen, strangers, enemies; yes, to all 
 men! (I Pet. 2:17; I Thess. 5:13; Eph. 5:25; Ex. 
 32:32; Lev. 19:34; Ex. 23:4-5; Matt. 5:44; Rom. 
 12:14, 20; Gal. 6:10), and demonstrate it by minister- 
 ing to the wants of others, relieving strangers, visiting 
 the sick, clothing the needy, sympathizing with and 
 supporting the weak, covering the faults of others, for- 
 giving, forbearing (Matt. 25:35; Gal. 5:13; Lev. 
 25:35; Is. 58:7; Job 31:16; Jas. 1:27; Rom. 12:15; 
 Gal. 6:2; Prov. 10:12; Eph. 4:32, 4:2). This love 
 to man is evidence of our being in the light of our 
 discipleship with Christ and of spiritual life (I Jno. 
 2:10; Jno. 13:35; I Jno. 3:14). It is the fulfillment 
 of the Law, is good and pleasant, is a bond of union 
 and perfectness and necessary to true happiness (Rom. 
 13:8-10; Ps. 133:1-2; Col. 2\2\ Col. 3:14; Prov. 
 I5:i7). 
 
 456. In What Sense Is Our "Overcoming" Like 
 That of Jesus? 
 
 There is more in the statement in Rev. 3 :2i than a 
 comparison of our victories with those of Christ. It is 
 rather a statement of similarity in the whole sequence 
 of struggle, victory, and reward in the case of the 
 Christian and of Christ. He struggled, triumphed, and 
 was enthroned ; we, too, shall struggle, triumph, and be 
 
457 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 enthroned. This does not mean that at every step, or 
 necessarily at any step, our experiences shall be identi- 
 cal with his or equal to his. His struggles, his victories, 
 and his rewards are greater than ours can be. Never- 
 theless, we find it to be true, comparing this passage 
 with others, that, whatever struggles we may meet, 
 our victories may be as complete as his. (See I John 
 2 :6, 4:17; II Cor. 2 :i4, etc.) And this is true because 
 it is his very strength that is available for us in our 
 times of need. 
 
 457. What Should Be the Christian's Attitude 
 toward Pleasures? 
 
 Many Christians, especially among the young, are 
 interested in knowing what pleasures are inconsistent 
 with a Christian's life. What sacrifices in this respect 
 does God ask us to make? God does not ask us to 
 make sacrifices for its own sake. When he asks us to 
 give anything up, it is because he knows it would be 
 harmful to us to keep it. In all our thoughts about 
 God we must hold with a firm grip the great fundamen- 
 tal truth that he loves us. We cannot think rightly 
 or feel comfortable without starting here. Because he 
 loves us he wants us to be happy. He does not want 
 to take away our happiness but to give us more. And 
 he knows that we can be happy only as we love and 
 serve him. He really asks us to give up nothing, except 
 to give ourselves to him. When we realize that we 
 belong to him we also realize that certain things harm 
 us, and that certain other things may have a harmful 
 influence upon others. We are living for him, and for 
 the people for whom his Son died. All these questions 
 settle themselves quite easily then. There are many 
 
Christian Living 458 
 
 unobjectionable pleasures, but we should shun those 
 that waste precious time ; that lead to evil companion- 
 ships ; that involve acts and associations which interfere 
 with our spiritual progress ; that are inimical to health 
 or reputation, and also those that, by setting a bad 
 example, may operate as a stumbling-block to others. 
 In this way we will find more happiness in the con- 
 sciousness that we are pleasing and helping him than 
 w r e could ever have found in any form of self- 
 indulgence. 
 
 458. How May I Pray Acceptably to God? 
 
 This is a question asked by many earnest people. 
 This is the natural state of one in whom spiritual life 
 has not yet been fully awakened. Prayer, like belief, 
 is not an act that can easily be made clear to the unen- 
 lightened. If you go to God as a child to its father, 
 when you are in trouble, and ask him in simple faith to 
 help you for Jesus' sake, you will be better able to 
 understand why others believe in prayer and find it one 
 of the principal mainstays of their lives. Seek the side 
 of some aged Christian and put the question as to his 
 belief in prayer, and you will immediately receive the 
 answer that a large part of his life rests upon daily 
 communion with God, and that very many of his peti- 
 tions, presented in the name of Jesus, have been 
 answered. There are tens of thousands of good Chris- 
 tian people throughout this land who can testify to the 
 efficacy of prayer. Very many of these believers make 
 it a rule to honor God by acknowledging before the 
 world the answers to their prayers. We would advise 
 any one who doubts and who sincerely wishes to be 
 helped, to drop all argument and apply the test to his 
 
459-460 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 own case, and then give God the glory before the 
 brethren. We would not, however, advise any one to 
 pray for mere material blessings, or worldly honors, or 
 wealth or luxuries, but to pray in the right spirit and to 
 study that he does not pray amiss. Every petition 
 should be presented in Jesus' name. 
 
 459. What Does Redemption Do for Us? 
 
 "Ye are bought with a price," says Paul (I Cor. 
 6:20, 7:23). This price is the blood of Christ and he 
 was sent to effect our redemption with it (Acts 20:28; 
 Gal. 4:4, 5). And what were we redeemed from? 
 From the bondage and curse of the law, the power of 
 sin and of the grave, from all troubles, iniquity, evil, 
 enemies, death and destruction (Gal. 4:5, 3:13; Rom. 
 6:18; Ps. 49:15, 25:22; Tit. 2:14; Gen. 48:16; Ps. 
 106:10, 11; Hos. 13:14; Ps. 103:4). This redemption 
 procures for us justification, forgiveness, purification 
 and adoption through the precious, plenteous and eter- 
 nal power and grace of God (Rom. 3:24; Eph. 1:7; 
 Gal. 4:4, 5; Tit. 2:14). To those who partake of it 
 there is opened up a new life and existence, for they 
 are the property of God, a peculiar people, are first- 
 fruits of God and are sealed unto the day of redemp- 
 tion. They are zealous of good works, walk safely in 
 holiness and shall return to Zion with joy (Is. 43:1; 
 Rev. 14:4; II Sam. 7:23; Eph. 4:30; Eph. 2:10; Is. 
 35 :8, 9; Is. 35 :io). This redemption man cannot effect, 
 nor can corruptible things purchase it, but it is the free 
 gift of God by Christ. 
 
 460. What Is Regeneration? 
 
 Regeneration is being born again, and is the work 
 of the Holy Spirit, by which we experience a change of 
 
Christian Living 461-462 
 
 heart. It is perhaps better expressed as being "born 
 anew from above" (John 3:7), being "awakened" 
 (Eph. 2:1), Christ coming into the heart (Gal. 4:19), 
 "renewing of the mind" (Rom. 12:2), the "purifying" 
 (Titus 3 15). Man is not the author of his own regen- 
 eration. The change consists in the recovery of the 
 moral image of God upon the heart, leading us to love 
 him supremely and serve him as our highest end. It 
 is wholly the work of the Holy Spirit. The change is 
 in the heart and the will — in our moral and spiritual 
 faculties; and the natural faculties, being dominated 
 by the will, while they may resist for a time, ultimately 
 follow the change. The evidences of regeneration are 
 conviction of sin, sorrow and repentance, faith, love 
 and devotion to God. In regeneration we receive from 
 God, whereas in conversion we turn to God. 
 
 461. Is Regeneration Different from the Baptism 
 
 of the Holy Spirit? 
 
 They are part of one process — the work of the Holy 
 Spirit, Regeneration is the new birth by which we 
 experience a change of heart, and it is the work of the 
 Holy Spirit. Titus 3 15 speaks of "the washing of 
 regeneration." We are made members of the visible 
 Church of Christ by baptism and renewed in the Spirit 
 by the Holy Ghost. The "higher baptism," or the 
 bestowment of the Spirit upon faithful believers, often 
 differs greatly in degree, but it is identical in character 
 and is the universal privilege of all Christians. 
 
 462. Is Remorse a Discipline? 
 
 We should bear remorse until by God's grace a hap- 
 pier state of mind is produced. You remember that 
 
463-464 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 significant record (Mark 14:72) about Peter's denial 
 of Christ : " When he thought thereon he wept." When 
 you rejoice over sin forgiven, and are overcome with 
 wonder and gratitude at God's magnanimity in forgiv- 
 ing you, it is quite natural and proper that you should 
 grieve that you had ever offended a Being so good and 
 kind. The forgiveness should lead you to love God 
 more than others do, and to rejoice in his marvelous 
 goodness and mercy. It should also lead you to be very 
 watchful against relapsing into sin, and to make great 
 •exertions to render service to One who has forgiven 
 you. You should also be very tender and charitable 
 toward others. Do not let remorse incapacitate you 
 for labor, but rather operate as an incentive to service. 
 
 463. Where Is Restitution Taught? 
 
 See Matt. 5:26; Luke 16:1012; Luke 19:8, 9; Rom. 
 13 :8; Philemon 18. The Roman law (in Christ's day) 
 directed a fourfold restitution, which explains Zac- 
 cheus' statement in Luke 19:8. His generous addition 
 of "the half of his goods," though not demanded by 
 the law, was evidently heard with approval of the spirit 
 which prompted it. Moralists hold that we are bound 
 to restore the thing owed, in kind, if possible, with the 
 natural increase added. This seems to have been the 
 view adopted by the early Christian Church. 
 
 464. Is It Right for a Christian to Retaliate? 
 
 A Christian should never retaliate; nor should he 
 suffer himself to be imposed upon, when possible to 
 avoid it. Between retaliation and the suffering of im- 
 position, he should, however, accept the latter, if re- 
 taliation implies his committing any act of vindictive- 
 
Christian Living 465 
 
 ness unbecoming a Christian. Our Lord's words upon 
 the subject are plain. Read the fifth and eighteenth 
 chapters of Matthew. St. Paul says repeatedly, "Love 
 is the fulfilling of the law." Retaliation is contrary to 
 the spirit and letter of this. But while we are told to 
 love our neighbor as ourself, we are not told to love 
 him better; and self-protection, in a wise and proper 
 spirit, is a duty. 
 
 465. Should the Christian Work for Reward? 
 
 The New Testament makes it very clear that the 
 motive of our work should be love for Christ, love that 
 springs from gratitude for his salvation. But the 
 Christian is also reminded of the great rewards that 
 shall come to him in the future life if he is faithful and 
 if his work is of a high order. Study particularly I 
 Cor. 3:11-15. The thought of these rewards helps us 
 to be faithful, constant, and careful. The conception of 
 what the rewards will be varies with different stages of 
 civilization. The best idea of these rewards seems to 
 be that every good deed done is in itself the reward. 
 Somebody, was helped, was saved, was made glad, 
 was given power and inspiration for helping others; 
 these facts are eternal, and w r ill bless forever those 
 who are responsible for them, Then, too, the reward 
 implies power to do still greater things. If there is 
 joy in accomplishing things for the Master now there 
 wall be greater joy when we find ourselves furnished 
 with the new, heavenly powers for doing still greater 
 service. But more and more the Christian should train 
 himself to keep his eyes and his heart fixed on Christ, 
 eager to please him. He has called us into his friend- 
 
 21 
 
466-467 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 ship, into his fellowship, into co-operation with him in 
 his great tasks. We must not disappoint him. 
 
 466. Is a Saved Person Sure of His Salvation? 
 
 Many good men of whose salvation there can be no 
 question, have at times had doubts, and have suffered 
 acute distress. In some cases the doubts have a physi- 
 cal origin resulting from a gloomy disposition. In 
 others, they arise from too much introspection. In 
 others again, because their conscience reminds them of 
 sins not yet overcome. You must remember that you 
 are not saved because of your feelings, but because 
 Christ died for you. If you have sincerely repented, 
 and are trusting entirely in Christ to save you, and are 
 living in his strength a godly life, you have the right 
 to thank God for saving you, in spite of your doubts. 
 If you cannot take his word that those who come to 
 him through Christ have eternal life, you should ask 
 him to forgive you for doubting him. You may be 
 quite sure that he will keep his promise, whether you 
 have the joy of assurance or not. 
 
 467. What Is the Christian's Duty as to Sab- 
 
 bath Observance? 
 
 Paul gave this advice to people who were troubled 
 by legalists in his day: "Let no man judge you in 
 meat or in drink or in respect of . . . the Sabbath 
 days" (Col. 2:16). In every generation since Christ 
 and before his time, there were people who laid more 
 stress on days and forms and ceremonies than on es- 
 sentials. The Pharisees found it much easier to give 
 tithes of their kitchen-gardens than to do justly and 
 refrain from robbing widows and orphans. You as a 
 
Christian Living 468 
 
 Christian are not under the law at all. When Gentiles 
 were first admitted to the Church it was expressly 
 declared that they were not required to observe the 
 Jewish code of laws. The question came up at a 
 solemn council at which the Apostles were present and 
 was decided once for all. You will find the result of 
 the discussion in Acts 15. In the name of the Holy 
 Spirit the decision was given as stated in verses 28 and 
 29, and it was expressly stated that no other burden 
 was laid upon them. They naturally and properly 
 celebrated the day on which Christ rose from the dead, 
 not the Jewish Sabbath, with which they had nothing 
 to do, and we follow their example. 
 
 468. What Is the True Theory as to Sunday 
 Observance ? 
 
 The Sabbath was divinely ordained as a day of cessa- 
 tion from labor. In the Jewish Church, the restrictions 
 were most rigid and profanation of the day was severe- 
 ly punished. It was a day of rest, reconciliation, wor- 
 ship and religious festivity. (See Is. 58:13, 14.) Chris- 
 tian Sabbath observance recognizes the same general 
 obligation to abstain from regular vocations and to 
 devote the day largely to rest and worship. Jesus him- 
 self rebuked the slavish Sabbatic restrictions of the 
 Scribes and Pharisees, and showed them that the Sab- 
 bath was made for man, meaning that it was designed 
 and instituted for our common humanity, and to con- 
 duce to our highest good. He pointed out that there 
 were various acts which in themselves were not sinful, 
 but meritorious, and such as might be done on the 
 Sabbath. These were the works of necessity or of 
 mercy. This is the attitude of the Christian Church 
 
469-470 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 of today on Sabbath observance (Col. 2:16). It may 
 be briefly said that no labor should be performed on 
 that day which can be done on secular days, and that 
 works of charity and mercy are justified on that day. 
 We have the divine example for abstention in Gen. 
 2 :2, 3. 
 
 469. Is It 1 ossible to Get Beyond God's Will- 
 
 ingness and Power to Save? 
 
 There is none who can go beyond the reach of the 
 Divine mercy. Jesus saves "to the uttermost'' (Heb. 
 7:25). God will always hear and answer the prayer of 
 the earnest, penitent heart. Christ's offering of himself 
 was once for all who accept him ; and his intercession, 
 which is continuous, assures us that we cannot be 
 separated from his love if we take him into our hearts 
 and lives. 
 
 470. What Is the Way of Salvation? 
 
 It would probably disappoint if we answered in the 
 Scriptural way: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ 
 and thou shalt be saved." Yet that is the only true 
 answer. Stripped of theological phraseology, the way 
 of salvation may be described as committing your case 
 to Christ, much as you would commit your case to a 
 physician if you were sick, or your trouble to a lawyer 
 if you were in danger of imprisonment. "Believing on 
 him" is the complete trust you place in him and the 
 profound conviction that he can and will save you. 
 This is the decisive thing, the turning point. That 
 done, several results flow from it. One is sorrow for 
 sin previously committed and a renunciation of it for 
 the future. A second is the endeavor, in the strength 
 
Christian Living 471 
 
 that Christ imparts, to follow his example, to cultivate 
 his spirit, and to live his life of purity, holiness and 
 helpfulness. This involves prayer and submission to 
 his will in all things. Then you should join a church 
 to confess him openly. There are other matters that 
 will call for your attention as you go on, but these we 
 have mentioned are the plain, simple duties that you 
 have to do in order to become a Christian. 
 
 471. How, if God Worketh in Us, Must We 
 Work Out Our Own Salvation? 
 
 There is no contradiction in the passage Phil. 2 :i2, 
 19. It is very true that we must work out our own 
 salvation; and it is equally true that it is God who 
 worketh in us. A certain part is ours to do, which God 
 cannot do for us ; another part is God's to do which we 
 cannot do for him. In the first place we must do the 
 believing. Mr. Moody used to tell how he prayed for 
 faith until he noticed the passage : "Faith cometh by 
 hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." Rom. 
 10:17. God has given the Word; we must do the 
 believing. Again, God gives us the power, but we 
 must use it. God may give his Spirit to enable a 
 Christian to testify or to preach, but the Christian 
 must use his lips and tongue and voice. God dwells 
 in us and works in us and we have his power ; but by 
 using his power and accepting his help we increase our 
 capacity for more, we gain mental, spiritual and physi- 
 cal strength and skill for our work. Our bodily life 
 bears a perfect analogy to the spiritual life in this 
 respect; God starts our hearts beating and keeps be- 
 stowing the gift of life. In this sense he dwells and 
 works in us. But we must work and exercise that we 
 
472 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 may grow stronger and more efficient and accomplish 
 the work we find to do. 
 
 472. How Are We to Accept Christ as Saviour? 
 
 Though salvation by faith is such a simple thing, 
 many souls stumble at it. It seems too simple to be 
 true, so they go about trying to find a harder way to be 
 saved, and of course they do not find it because there 
 is no other way. This is what we should say to every 
 seeking soul : The first step toward Christ is to realize 
 what it is that keeps you away from him, that is, your 
 sin. Christ is very near you, nearer than your closest 
 friend ; but your sin separates your soul from him. You 
 must confess your sin, acknowledge that you have 
 sinned; you must repent of your sin, making restitu- 
 tion if you have wronged any one ; you must determine 
 to forsake your sin. But these things are not faith; 
 they are only the necessary steps to faith. Faith is the 
 definite belief that Christ died for your sins and that he 
 actually forgives them now. "He tasted death for 
 every man." If that is so, then he really, literally died 
 for you. It is very easy to believe Jesus if you will ; st 
 let yourself do it. Faith is an extremely simple thing ; 
 doubt is difficult. In your brain you know that he 
 died "for every man." How can you doubt, then, that 
 he died for you? You know that he died for the sins 
 of the whole world; this must include you. Nothing 
 in the history of the world is a surer, steadier fact than 
 that Christ was crucified to save you from sin. The 
 moment any one will stop doubting that fact and begin 
 to believe it he will find peace, and find Christ. "Be 
 not afraid — only believe." "Believe in the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Have you not proved 
 
Christian Living 473-474 
 
 that the way of doubt is hard and sad? Will you not 
 try now the way of trust, and find how sweet and light 
 and glad it is? 
 
 473. How Is the Distinction to Be Made Be- 
 
 tween the False Shepherd and the True ? 
 
 The test that Christ gave (Matt. 24:24) whereby we 
 may know the false prophets, and the true as well, is 
 practical for every age. "By their fruits ye shall know 
 them." The Scriptures specify the characteristics of 
 the "false shepherd" in part as follows : They serve 
 only themselves, mind earthly things, feign piety and 
 sanctity, fear persecution, respecters of persons, deceit- 
 ful workers, prophesy false peace, wrest the Scriptures, 
 deny the Lord that bought them, preferring questions 
 of vain philosophy to truths of Scripture, etc. The 
 "true shepherd" preaches the Word that is able to 
 save and build up ; he watches for souls, seeks the wan- 
 dering, reclaims in love those repelled by uncharitable- 
 ness, is willing to make personal sacrifice, sympathetic, 
 faithful in warning and reproving, tender in treatment 
 of young and burdened Christians, persevering if by 
 any means he may save souls. Thus it is grace, pro- 
 ducing character, and not talents, that distinguishes 
 the true from the false. 
 
 474. Does God Allow Satan to Punish Us with 
 
 Sickness ? 
 
 Do not make the mistake that Job's friends made, 
 of assuming that sickness, trouble, or bereavement 
 may necessarily be punishment. You will find a dif- 
 ferent theory, not in John only, but in Hebrews. The 
 writer of that epistle says (12:5-11) that chastisement 
 is sometimes to be regarded as a proof of God's love. 
 
475 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 He evidently regarded it as being inflicted by God, 
 but to be li the nature of discipline and education 
 rather than ptu?ishn ent. On the other hand, Paul said 
 his "thorn in the fles v ' was the messenger of Satan 
 (II Cor. 12:7). It does not make much difference to 
 the sufferer whether God Inflicts or permits Satan or 
 men to inflict. In either case the affliction must be 
 endured, and if it is borne with patience and equa- 
 nimity, God is pleased, because then the world sees 
 how his children love and honor him. The statement 
 often made that all sickness and affliction are sent as 
 a punishment is not true, but on the contrary, is a 
 hideous libel on God and a cruel outrage on the suf- 
 ferers. Sickness is sometimes a punishment for dis- 
 regarding the laws of nature, but it is not God's 
 punishment for sin. The book of Job was written to 
 show how false and cowardly was the theory that 
 those worst afflicted were the worst sinners. Job in- 
 sisted and God confirmed him, that we have no right to 
 infer that the afflicted man has been a heinous sinner. 
 Christ also indignantly repudiated the idea (see Luke 
 13:2-4, and again John 9:1-3). Sickness often comes 
 as a discipline to develop spirituality, to lead to greater 
 faith and patience and sometimes to give an example 
 of Christ's sustaining power. People have often won- 
 dered at the patience and endurance of the afflicted 
 Christian and have gained from the spectacle a deep 
 impression of the power of religion. 
 
 475. "Does Falling into Sin Prove that Con- 
 version Has Not Yet Taken Place?" 
 
 That is not a reliable test. Unhappily, even con- 
 verted men fall into sin at times. There is, however, 
 
Christian Living 476 
 
 this difference, that before conversion, sin occasions 
 little if any sorrow, whereas after conversion it is 
 sincerely mourned and deplored and God's help is 
 sought not only for pardon, but for strength to avoid 
 it in the future. There are many signs of conversion. 
 One is that just stated in the soul's attitude toward sin. 
 Another is love for Christ, through whom all blessings 
 come. There is, too, an intense desire to know him and 
 be like him and a complete dependence on him, and a 
 resolve that if his will is recognized it shall be obeyed 
 at any cost. There is also a change of feeling toward 
 others, especially toward all who also love Christ. The 
 soul that has been born again is full of love to men and 
 women and there is a desire to render them service. 
 These are among the most conspicuous signs of con- 
 version, but they are not always all present at the 
 beginning of the Christian life, but develop later. 
 
 476. If Past Sins Harass the Mind Is It Ev- 
 idence that God Has Not Forgiven Them? 
 
 No, it is sometimes an evidence of lack of faith. 
 But generally it arises from a very proper sense of the 
 heinous nature of our sin. Though God forgives, and 
 we rejoice in the fact and adore him for his marvellous 
 magnanimity, we cannot forgive ourselves. There is 
 a very touching expression in Mark 14:72 which inti- 
 mates that Peter's memory of his denial of Christ w r as 
 life-long: "When he thought thereon, he wept." The 
 other Evangelists speak of his weeping at the time, but 
 Mark, who probably knew him well in his later years, 
 phrases it differently. Yet, though Peter may have 
 continued to weep at the thought, he could never have 
 had any doubt as to his being forgiven. 
 
477-478 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 477. Are We Punished for Sins While Yet Here 
 
 on Earth? 
 
 It might be difficult to prove that there is direct 
 punishment, but experience proves that the results of 
 sin are often very bitter and painful. Sometimes 
 they are felt in the body, when the sins of youth bring 
 on disease which lasts all through life. They are often 
 seen in the eases of Christians who set a bad example 
 before their conversion, and they grieve when they see 
 young people, whom they led into evil, grow worse and 
 worse. The results of the sin of neglecting the training 
 of children are frequently very sorrowful. The child 
 grows up and falls into sin, and then the parent suffers 
 remorse, as he feels that if he had only done his duty 
 before it was too late, the child might have been saved. 
 In many other ways, by natural law, sin works its own 
 punishment. 
 
 478. Does Willful Sin Exclude One from Par- 
 
 don? 
 
 No; we firmly believe that there is no passage that 
 excludes him from pardon. The writer of the Epistle 
 to the Hebrews (who, by the way, was probably not 
 Paul), simply taught that there was no further sacrifice 
 for sin than that which had been offered in the person 
 of Christ. (See Heb. 10:26.) He was writing to 
 Hebrews, who, under the old dispensation, could bring 
 another sin-offering when they sinned again. The 
 Christian must revert to the cross, for there remained 
 no other atonement, and if he put that away from 
 him, he was without resource. The backslider who 
 sincerely repents is encouraged to return and is sure 
 of welcome. It is the one imperative duty he is bound 
 
Christian Living 479 
 
 to perform. Peter, who denied his Lord, was tenderly 
 welcomed. The wicked member mentioned in I Corin- 
 thians, you will see if you look to the second epistle 
 (2 :7), was to be forgiven and comforted. As a father 
 receives a beloved child, who goes to him with con- 
 fession and repentance, so God will receive the Chris- 
 tian who has fallen, but has renounced his sin and 
 humbly pleads for forgiveness through Christ. 
 
 479. How Does Religion Help One to Get Over 
 a Besetting Sin? 
 
 There is first the direct power which God promises 
 to give through Christ to those who sincerely and 
 earnestly seek it. Then, there is the subjective power 
 that comes from a soul turning decisively to God. This 
 Chalmers called "The expulsive power of a new affec- 
 tion." It is an over-mastering impulse which leaves 
 no room in the mind for the old enemy. When a man 
 falls again under the power of the sin, he need not 
 conclude that God has not given him the aid. He has 
 more reason to think that the aid was given, but not 
 used. Man must work with God in such a case and 
 must not expect to be delivered without striving, but 
 to be delivered through striving in the new strength 
 that God gives him. But above all there must be firm 
 belief in Christ and his redeeming love. A mere intel- 
 lectual belief is not sufficient. As James remarks, "The 
 devils believe." Belief in the sense of trusting, confid- 
 ing, is required. It is the kind of belief that a patient 
 has in his physician when, in a critical illness, he 
 trusts his life to a physician and calls in no other. Or, 
 as when a man charged with murder puts all his re- 
 liance on his lawyer and believes in his power to secure 
 
480-481 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 his acquittal. Or it is the belief of an outlaw who trusts 
 to a ruler who has issued a proclamation of amnesty. 
 The man who puts himself in Christ's hands for salva- 
 tion will try to resist all evil and will obey Christ's 
 commands and will seek from Christ the help he stands 
 ready to give to enable him to lead a holy life. 
 
 480. Are the Regenerate Sinless? 
 
 In the regenerate, the higher nature, as begotten of 
 God, does not commit sin (I John 3:9). This principle 
 within him is at absolute variance with sin and makes 
 him hate all sin and desire to resist it. Luther, referring 
 to this condition, wrote : "The child of God receives 
 wounds daily and never throws away his arms, or 
 makes peace with his deadly foe." His life is a continual 
 warfare against sin, but he is kept by divine power 
 from falling, although if he even momentarily permit 
 his spiritual weapons to lie idle, he will feel the sharp 
 attacks of sin. The ruling principle of his life is God's 
 law, but the old nature may sometimes rebel. The 
 passage from Hebrews 2,7 does not conflict with this. 
 The passage in Hebrews 6 was written to urge ad- 
 vancement in the spiritual life and to warn them that the 
 decline of spiritual energies would inevitably lead to a 
 "falling away" and perhaps to ultimate apostasy. The 
 warning was addressed not to the elect but to the luke- 
 warm, who had shown a temporary faith, only to be 
 followed by indifference. 
 
 481. Are Children Punished for Parents' Sin? 
 
 There is in the minds of many a misunderstanding of 
 Scripture on this point. (Ex. 20:5.) Good authorities 
 hold that it does not mean that God punishes a man 
 
Christian Living 482 
 
 for the wrongdoing of his parents, but that he is pun- 
 ished by the acts of the parents themselves. It is 
 inevitable that we should be affected by what our par- 
 ents have done. We enjoy the privileges of our free 
 country because these privileges were won by our fore- 
 fathers; we have freedom of worship because they 
 fought and suffered and died to secure it. Having re- 
 ceived good, do not we inherit evil the same way? 
 The children of a spendthrift must lack the good start 
 in life that they might have had; the son of a father 
 who has disgraced his name is under a reproach. That 
 the character, habits and wickedness of an evil parent 
 must influence his progeny is generally admitted. Nat- 
 ural laws cannot be escaped, and the characteristics of 
 a progenitor may be traced sometimes through several 
 generations. The children who were born in Babylon, 
 suffered in exile because their fathers had deserted 
 God. It is a law of the natural life that the results 
 that flow from a parent's wrongdoing are entailed on 
 his children ; but the children are not held morally ac- 
 countable for the sins of their parents. 
 
 482. Is Sinlessness Possible? 
 
 It frequently happens that confusion arises concern- 
 ing the apparent conflict of statements in the passages 
 in I John 1 :8 and 3 :g. In the first of these, every one 
 is represented as sinning, and in the latter it is clearly 
 stated that "Whoso is born of God cannot sin." To 
 suppose that none who sin are begotten of God would 
 exclude every one, as John himself admits in the first 
 passage we quote. One explanation is that the writer 
 is speaking of the divine nature implanted in the be- 
 liever. It never commits or condones sin, but always 
 
483-484 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 protests against it. A second explanation is that the 
 man who is begotten of God does not continue in sin. 
 If betrayed by his fleshly nature into sin, he repents, 
 seeks pardon, and watches against a repetition of it. 
 However high the Christian may set his ideal as a fol- 
 lower of Christ, he realizes, after all, that his efforts are 
 sadly short of the Great Exemplar and that his imper- 
 fections are beyond dispute. At the same time, he can 
 be said truly to be no longer under the bondage of 
 sin, since, having laid his burden on the Great Burden- 
 Bearer, sin is no longer imputed to him. 
 
 483. Is Every Sin Willful and Thus Every Back- 
 
 slider Doomed? 
 
 The subject is discussed in Heb. 6 :4, 5, 6, and Heb. 
 10:26, 27. In one sense every sin is willful, because 
 the sinner would not do it without the consent of his 
 will ; but the word has another meaning. It implies a 
 deliberate and intentional act, which is different from 
 an act to which a man is lured or deceived, or an act 
 which he commits under some sudden and strong temp- 
 tation. There was, for example, a marked difference 
 between the sin of Judas and of Peter. The Apostle 
 Paul, too, bade the church at Corinth restore the 
 wrongdoer who had been expelled (II Cor. 2:6-8). Be 
 sure of this, that any backslider repenting and turning 
 to God for pardon, resolutely putting his sin away, 
 will be welcomed and forgiven (See Ezek. 33:14-16, 
 and many other passages). 
 
 484. Are All Sins Pardonable? 
 
 Divine mercy extends to the uttermost. The invita- 
 tion is that "whosoever will may come." The "un- 
 
Christian Living 485 
 
 pardonable sin," which was frequently spoken of in the 
 early clays of the Church, is believed to have been at- 
 tributing the works of the Holy Spirit to the powers of 
 darkness. With this exception, there is nothing in the 
 category of human offenses that is beyond the reach of 
 divine forgiveness. "Although your sins be like scar- 
 let, they shall be white as snow," is the ancient prom- 
 ise given by God to men ; "though they be like crimson, 
 they shall be as wool." This is not to be interpreted, 
 however, as an encouragement to sin, but rather as an 
 inducement to repentance. If the sinner truly repents, 
 imploring God's forgiveness for Jesus' sake; if he 
 accepts him as Saviour and endeavors, with divine 
 help, to live thereafter a Christian life, he will not 
 only be forgiven, but will be kept from falling back 
 into sin. This is the teaching of the Gospel, and it 
 is exemplified in innumerable cases today. We have 
 many instances everywhere of great sinners who have 
 forsaken their evil ways and who are now living the 
 new life, sustained by divine power. 
 
 "There's a wideness in God's mercy 
 Like the wideness of the sea." 
 
 We have the Saviour's distinct assurance, "Him that 
 cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out." There is 
 no punishment for sins that are forgiven. "Jesus paid 
 it all." 
 
 485. Is the Unpardonable Sin Possible Today? 
 
 In ancient times, it was generally held that the un- 
 pardonable sin (Matt. 12:32) was attributing the 
 works of the Holy Spirit to Satanic agency. If there 
 be a modern counterpart of the unpardonable sin, we 
 
486 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 should think it is to be found in the case of the person 
 who uses the livery of God to- serve the devil in; who 
 enacts the role of the shepherd of the sheep, while he 
 is nothing but a ravening wolf in disguise; who as- 
 sumes the attitude, language and demeanor of a saint 
 while his exterior covers a heart black with sin and 
 foul with guilt ; who brings to the altar of God's house 
 hands that are stained with crime, and who keeps up 
 this show of religion and utters the language of Chris- 
 tian invitation while he himself is not a Christian. It 
 is a terrible picture and one which is almost unimagin- 
 able in the case of any sane and responsible person. 
 
 486. Is It Sinful to Do What One Considers 
 Wrong although There Is No Wrong 
 About It? 
 
 That is Paul's teaching, as he particularly outlines 
 and emphasizes it in Rom. 14; I Cor. 8 and I Cor. 
 10 123-33. He said himself that he did not consider it 
 wrong to eat meat which might have been offered to 
 idols (I Cor. 8:4, 8; I Cor. 10:25, 27), but that if he 
 knew of any one who might be offended by his doing 
 so he would eat no meat at all (I Cor. 8 113). In Rom. 
 14 :20 he says : "All things indeed are pure, but it is 
 evil for that man who eateth with offense" — that is, 
 for the man who eats, even though it troubles his con- 
 science. The same thought is in Rom. 14 123 : "What- 
 soever is not of faith is sin." But our reason bears 
 out this New Testament teaching; we know that it is 
 wrong for a man to do something which he believes to 
 be wrong. The whole spirit of the New Testament is 
 away from legalism and toward a spontaneous, affec- 
 tionate eagerness to please God and serve our neighbor. 
 
Christian Living 487-488 
 
 Where no command or prohibition is specified, each 
 Christian is left free to follow his own enlightened 
 conscience. To violate this is sin. 
 
 487. Is It Natural or Unnatural to Sin? 
 
 Judging by the prevalence of sin and the early age 
 at which children usually begin, we should say it was 
 natural. David seemed to have that opinion (see Ps. 
 51 :5). It was not much better before the fall. Adam 
 and Eve do not appear, according to the account in 
 Genesis, to have made much resistance to temptation. 
 The fact of its being natural accounts for a new nature 
 being necessary, as Christ explained to Nicodemus 
 (John 3:1-21). 
 
 488. How May We Win Souls? 
 
 "How can I win souls" is a frequent question from 
 beginners in Christian life. They remember the injunc- 
 tion: "He that winneth souls is wise." (Prov. 11 130. ) 
 The first impulse which comes to the newborn soul in 
 Christ is to tell some one else of the glad experience 
 and to bring some one else to the Saviour. The first 
 requisite for the work of soul-winning is to have a 
 definite experience which makes its possessor long to 
 have others share it. The most important element of 
 soul-winning is simple testimony to the grace of God. 
 There must be consistent and careful living, for it is 
 difficult or impossible to win others to Christ when 
 one's own life does not exemplify the teachings of the 
 Master. The Bible must be mastered by one who 
 would be a successful soul-winner. He must have in 
 his mind, or be able to reach quickly, passages which 
 will meet the difficulties of those whom he tries to win. 
 
 22 
 
489 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 There must be also a sympathetic study of human 
 nature. The soul-winner must understand the work- 
 ings and problems of the hearts and minds he tries to 
 reach. Then, there must be continued activity. Mr. 
 Moody made it a rule to speak definitely to at least 
 one person -about his soul's welfare every day. Above 
 all, the power of the Holy Spirit must be sought and 
 found to give wisdom and power, by which alone real 
 success in soul-winning is to be found. 
 
 489. Is a Christian Justified in Suing to Re- 
 cover a Loan? 
 
 It depends upon circumstances. If his debtor is 
 able but refuses to pay, there is nothing in Christ's 
 meaning to prevent the Christian from appealing to 
 law to recover what is justly his, after all peaceable 
 means have failed. The Revised Version of Luke 
 6:35 reads, "Lend, never despairing" (margin, "de- 
 spairing of no man"). We are to be kind to those of 
 whom we can expect no return in sort. God will repay 
 us, though man does not. "It is meant of the rich lend- 
 ing to the poor a little money for their necessity to buy 
 daily bread or to keep them out of prison; in such a 
 case we must lend with the resolution not to demand 
 interest for what we lend, as we may most justly from 
 those that borrow money to make purchases withal or 
 to trade with ; but that is not all, we must lend though 
 we have reason to suspect that what we lend we lose ; 
 lend to those who are so poor that it is not probable 
 they will be able to pay us again. This precept will 
 be best illustrated by that law of Moses (Deu. 15 7-10) 
 which obliges them to lend to a poor brother as much 
 as he needed, though the year of release was at hand." 
 
Christian Living 490-491 
 
 This is an old commentator's explanation, but it is good 
 and true. 
 
 490. Does Temptation Come from God? 
 
 Human nature is weak and temptations to wrong- 
 doing are abundant. Occasionally we hear, at a church 
 meeting, or elsewhere, some dissatisfied soul complain- 
 ing that he has been tempted and he is disposed to lay 
 the blame for his condition on the Heavenly Father. 
 Now T , God does not tempt any one. He permits us to 
 be placed in positions where, if left to our own re- 
 sources, we would fail; but he does not tempt us to 
 evil, and if we call for his aid, we will assuredly re- 
 ceive it. It is the evil spirit within us and the evil 
 influences about us that bring us into temptation. In 
 I Cor. 10:13 and James 1 :i3 it is explicitly stated that 
 while God may permit us to be tested, he is not the 
 tempter, and that he "tempts no man." The with- 
 drawal of the Holy Spirit exposes us to temptations 
 by leaving the heart open to the attack of the tempter ; 
 but nothing is more erroneous than to assume that 
 temptation, or the placing of any agent in man's spirit- 
 ual path which may cause him to fall, comes from God. 
 
 491. Is It a Sin to Be Tempted? 
 
 We are not responsible for our temptations, but for 
 yielding to and encouraging them. The sin consists in 
 asquiescence. Christ himself was tempted. God tempts 
 no man, but the evil spirit in our own hearts tempts 
 us. If you will ask God, in Christ's name, to free you 
 from these temptations and to purify your mind and 
 heart, the temptations will have no power over you. 
 They will come again and again, but will retire baffled 
 
492 
 
 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 and defeated. It is the only way. Christ's prayer 
 (taught to his disciples), is better interpreted: "Aban- 
 don us not in temptation" (the power of the tempter), 
 and not "remove us from temptation." It is a part of 
 our earthly discipline. 
 
 492. What Are Tithes? 
 
 The question of tithing has been frequently dis- 
 cussed and is ever a fruitful one. A tithe is a tenth of 
 the increase over and above all administrative expenses 
 and not a tenth of the principal. In early days, when 
 agriculture was the almost universal calling, it was 
 generally a tenth part of the produce of the land or 
 the flocks. Later it became a tenth of the profits of 
 personal industry of any character. (See Deu. 14:22, 
 28, 16:12; II Chron. 31:5, etc.) There is evidence, 
 however, that at certain times it may have meant a 
 tenth of one's entire possessions. The modern inter- 
 pretation would limit it to a tenth of the increase. 
 There are many good people who still hold that a tenth 
 of one's income should be set aside for the Lord's 
 work. Under the ancient Jewish economy, tithing was 
 regulated by a code of laws which were amplified and 
 made still more complex by the rabbins; but under 
 Christianity, the supreme law of love has been sub- 
 stituted and is applicable to the tithing problem quite 
 as well as to others. We are to give according as God 
 has "prospered us," and from a generous and loving 
 heart. One who wishes to tithe his estate should reck- 
 on on the increase in value, or number, or whatever 
 form his available assets may assume, excluding of 
 course the necessary expenses of conducting his busi- 
 ness. As to household expenses, these are elastic, and 
 
Christian Living 492 
 
 one's domestic and personal expenditures are liable 
 to increase with every augmentation of income, such 
 increase frequently being one of extravagance rather 
 than of necessity. It is quite conceivable that the 
 whole income might be thus swallowed up. But if we 
 act conscientiously, we will not "rob God" by multi- 
 plying our expenditures until nothing is left for his 
 work. "The liberal soul shall be made fat," and this 
 especially applies to the character of our gifts to God's 
 work. While we are not to devote to that work money 
 which we may rightfully owe to our creditors, we can 
 exercise self-denial in many things, so that our titha- 
 ble "increase" (or, if no increase, then our surplus 
 over and above all proper expenses) may be such as 
 to assure a liberal gift to the cause of religion. 
 
 God is a creditor, too. A very large per cent, of the 
 people of the United States are in debt. Surely, it 
 would not be right for them to stop all payments to the 
 church and to charity till they are out of debt. While 
 they and their families are getting the benefits of the 
 church they ought to pay their church dues just as 
 they pay their taxes and their rent. Your creditors 
 w r ould not expect you to neglect to pay for the food 
 which your body needs ; they should not expect you to 
 neglect to pay for your soul food. Remember, however, 
 that a tithe is required not on the gross earnings or 
 income, but on the "increase." Certain fixed charges 
 may be deducted before the earnings are tithed. What 
 items are to be included in this deduction, as well as 
 all tithing, must be left to the enlightened conscience. 
 
 When Jesus stood by the treasury, he called attention 
 to the fact that while the rich had cast in gifts of their 
 superfluity, the poor widow had done better than they, 
 
492 
 
 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 and defeated. It is the only way. Christ's prayer 
 (taught to his disciples), is better interpreted: "Aban- 
 don us not in temptation" (the power of the tempter), 
 and not "remove us from temptation. ,, It is a part of 
 our earthly discipline. 
 
 492. What Are Tithes? 
 
 The question of tithing has been frequently dis- 
 cussed and is ever a fruitful one. A tithe is a tenth of 
 the increase over and above all administrative expenses 
 and not a tenth of the principal. In early days, when 
 agriculture was the almost universal calling, it was 
 generally a tenth part of the produce of the land or 
 the flocks. Later it became a tenth of the profits of 
 personal industry of any character. (See Deu. 14:22, 
 28, 16:12; II Chron. 31:5, etc.) There is evidence, 
 however, that at certain times it may have meant a 
 tenth of one's entire possessions. The modern inter- 
 pretation would limit it to a tenth of the increase. 
 There are many good people who still hold that a tenth 
 of one's income should be set aside for the Lord's 
 work. Under the ancient Jewish economy, tithing was 
 regulated by a code of laws which were amplified and 
 made still more complex by the rabbins; but under 
 Christianity, the supreme law of love has been sub- 
 stituted and is applicable to the tithing problem quite 
 as well as to others. We are to give according as God 
 has "prospered us," and from a generous and loving 
 heart. One who wishes to tithe his estate should reck- 
 on on the increase in value, or number, or whatever 
 form his available assets may assume, excluding of 
 course the necessary expenses of conducting his busi- 
 ness. As to household expenses, these are elastic, and 
 
Christian Living 492 
 
 one's domestic and personal expenditures are liable 
 to increase with every augmentation of income, such 
 increase frequently being one of extravagance rather 
 than of necessity. It is quite conceivable that the 
 whole income might be thus swallowed up. But if we 
 act conscientiously, we will not "rob God" by multi- 
 plying our expenditures until nothing is left for his 
 work. "The liberal soul shall be made fat," and this 
 especially applies to the character of our gifts to God's 
 work. While we are not to devote to that work money 
 which we may rightfully owe to our creditors, we can 
 exercise self-denial in many things, so that our titha- 
 ble "increase" (or, if no increase, then our surplus 
 over and above all proper expenses) may be such as 
 to assure a liberal gift to the cause of religion. 
 
 God is a creditor, too. A very large per cent, of the 
 people of the United States are in debt. Surely, it 
 would not be right for them to stop all payments to the 
 church and to charity till they are out of debt. While 
 they and their families are getting the benefits of the 
 church they ought to pay their church dues just as 
 they pay their taxes and their rent. Your creditors 
 would not expect you to neglect to pay for the food 
 which your body needs ; they should not expect you to 
 neglect to pay for your soul food. Remember, however, 
 that a tithe is required not on the gross earnings or 
 income, but on the "increase." Certain fixed charges 
 may be deducted before the earnings are tithed. What 
 items are to be included in this deduction, as well as 
 all tithing, must be left to the enlightened conscience. 
 
 When Jesus stood by the treasury, he called attention 
 to the fact that while the rich had cast in gifts of their 
 superfluity, the poor widow had done better than they, 
 
492 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 for she had cast in "all her living" as a love offering, 
 and it was an acceptable one. If we are to lavish all 
 our prosperity on ourselves and our families, leaving 
 nothing for the Lord's work, may we not be "robbing 
 God"? Practically all of the difficulties involved in 
 the problem would be solved if we followed the method 
 of many Christians, who have been rich both in pros- 
 perity and good works. They gave freely from the 
 increase of their wealth which remained after absolute- 
 ly necessary business expenses were covered, making 
 the Lord a partner in all that remained. They did not 
 ask themselves how much they need give to meet the 
 requirements, but rather how fully and generously and 
 gratefully they could show their love in making their 
 gift for Jesus' sake. An offering we do not feel, and 
 which is simply of our surplus, is a gift of compara- 
 tively little worth, no matter how large the sum, while 
 one that involves self-denial and even sacrifice, given 
 with a cheerful heart, is rewarded with blessing. Still, 
 the spirit in which we give is what counts. We should 
 not plan so that our gifts to God return to ourselves or 
 inure to our material benefit. Whatever is given to 
 the Lord's work, whether administered personally with 
 our own hands or through the church or its subsidiary 
 organizations, or through any other channel, should be 
 put wholly away from us so that we cannot derive any 
 material benefit from the outlay. It is not giving to 
 the Lord at all, if we attach a string to the gift. 
 
 Kindness and humanity, the voluntary outpourings 
 of a generous heart, are always pleasing in God's sight. 
 Zaccheus was commended by Jesus no less for his 
 liberality in giving half his goods to the poor than for 
 his justice and integrity. His abounding charity cov- 
 
Christian Living 493-494 
 
 ered many shortcomings, and his obedience to law and 
 his firm hold on Abraham's faith as evidenced by works 
 were both appreciated; but it was his faith in Christ 
 as Lord that led to his salvation (see Luke 19:9, 10). 
 Even with the utmost liberality, we cannot buy heaven ; 
 yet no kind act, no generous gift, is unrewarded. We 
 should give as freely as our hearts prompt and our cir- 
 cumstances permit. All wealth is a trust to be used for 
 the highest purposes, and our use of our means and 
 influence here will unquestionably have its effect in 
 determining our reward hereafter. 
 
 493. In What Sense Are We to Understand 
 
 Scriptural "Inspiration" ? 
 
 In II Tim. 3 :i6 the statement is clear that the Scrip- 
 ture is given by divine inspiration — that the percep- 
 tions and work of the writers were divinely influenced. 
 The Holy Spirit filled the hearts of those men with a 
 message and led them to write that message for the 
 world. This is what inspiration means. The inspired 
 writers were holy men, prophets, evangelists and spirit- 
 ual leaders who lived close to God and were in con- 
 stant communication with him through prayer and 
 meditation, and who, by their hearts and lives thus 
 consecrated, were endowed with the power to convey 
 to men his Word, sometimes in one form, sometimes in 
 another. They were the chosen channels of divine 
 communication, interpreting God's purposes in authori- 
 tative language, which could be understood by those 
 for whom it was intended. 
 
 494. Did Jesus Baptize? 
 
 Whether our Lord personally baptized has been 
 doubted. The only passage which may bear on the 
 
496 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 question is John 4:1, 2, the explanation of which is 
 presumed to be that John, being a servant, baptized 
 with his own hand, while Christ as Lord and Master 
 ''baptized with the Holy Ghost," demonstrating the 
 outward symbols through his disciples. Whether he 
 baptized personally or not, the fact remains that, during 
 his earthly ministry, baptism was the accepted mode of 
 entering his service. 
 
 496. What Is the Bible Teaching about 
 Usury ? 
 
 The most radical reference to money lending is that 
 of Christ himself (Luke 6:35), "Do good and lend, 
 hoping for nothing again." But it must be remembered 
 that the words were spoken to a people very differently 
 situated from ourselves. In our society the convenience 
 of loans at interest is a benefit to lender and borrower 
 alike. If the practice of taking interest were absolutely 
 forbidden, both borrower and lender would suffer, as 
 the capitalist would be little likely to lend money if 
 he had no compensation, and the borrower would be 
 unable to get the capital he needs for carrying on his 
 business. The general tenor of Bible teaching seems to 
 be that the lender has no right to take advantage of the 
 borrower's necessities to exact more than a fair rate 
 of interest. Many loans are in the nature of a limited 
 partnership, and the borrower is simply paying the 
 lender a share of the profit he makes out of the capital 
 supplied by the lender, which is a legitimate transac- 
 tion. References to usury in the Old Testament are 
 found in Ps. 15:5; Nehem. 5:11; Prov. 28:8, and 
 Leviticus 25 '.^S~Z7- 
 
Christian Living 497 
 
 497. How Can Christians Justify War? 
 
 How do you think Joshua, Gideon, David and other 
 Old Testament saints felt about it? Do you suppose 
 they did not know of the commandment "Thou shalt 
 not kill" ? They do not appear to have found any diffi- 
 culty in reconciling their duty with it. Samuel could 
 scarcely have been ignorant of it, yet he did not hesi- 
 tate to hew a man to pieces in cold blood (I Sam. 
 I 5 : 33)? Saul was blamed for sparing him, as Ahab 
 afterwards was blamed (I Kings 20:42) for similar 
 lenity. Elijah appears to have been a good man, yet 
 he butchered 450 men (I Kings 18:40) in spite of the 
 Commandment, "Thou shalt not kill." If you insist 
 on literal obedience to the Commandment, we do 
 not see how you can justify the butcher in his trade, 
 since the Commandment (Exodus 20:13) does not 
 limit the prohibition to human life. The ablest au- 
 thorities agree that the Commandment is to be under- 
 stood in its spirit. It prohibits murder, in the sense in 
 which the word is commonly used. It does not pro- 
 hibit w^ars of defense or war in a righteous cause. 
 Men like Washington, Havelock and Chinese Gordon, 
 and Stonewall Jackson, were conscientious men and 
 eminent Christians, yet they went to war without com- 
 punction when their duty required it. On the other 
 hand war is universally acknowledged as an evil and 
 the logical outcome of evil conditions. It is the duty 
 of the Christian to make w T ar on war and to hasten to 
 bring about peace with all men. The ideal condition 
 is that which is pictured in Is. 2 14. 
 
498 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 498. Why Were Women Commanded to Keep 
 Silence in the Churches? 
 
 In I Corinthians 14:34 Paul was dealing specifically 
 with the case of a church which he himself had 
 founded. He had received intelligence from the house- 
 hold of Chloe, a pious member (see 1 :ii), that serious 
 schisms had arisen and that advice was sorely needed. 
 From other sources he had learned that the church had 
 sunk into corruption and error. Apparently four dis- 
 tinct factions had sprung up, all quarreling over their 
 respective teachers. There was much bitterness in the 
 situation, and, besides, he had learned that immorality 
 and disorderly practices had crept in; also that their 
 meetings were brought into disrepute by the women 
 appearing in them unveiled (in defiance of the common 
 usage among decent women of that time) and that 
 the feasts of the church were often scenes of gluttony 
 and excess. His epistle was written to correct these 
 disgraceful conditions, to set matters right, to rebuke 
 the offenders and to set before them all anew the es- 
 sentials of the Gospel. We can only infer, from the 
 general contents of the entire epistle, that certain 
 women who had been active in fomenting the trouble 
 had merited a share of his chastening message, which 
 doubtless produced the desired effect. Elsewhere in 
 the Epistles we find full recognition of the character 
 and abilities of Christian women, although it is un- 
 questioned that they did not in those days take as 
 prominent a part in religious affairs as they did later. 
 Thus, for instance, there is no mention of women in 
 Acts 2:16-18, but this does not necessarily imply their 
 exclusion. There are many passages in the New Testa- 
 ment which show that godly women had a good share 
 
Christian Living 499 
 
 in the activities of the early church, but it was not 
 customary for them to teach or preach (see Acts 16 -.40, 
 17 :i2, 17 :34, etc.). Paul's injunction was not intended 
 as a message to all the churches, but to the one par- 
 ticular church at Corinth, and it is a mistake and a 
 grievous injustice to apply it to women in general. 
 They have borne too noble and useful a part in the 
 progress of the Christian religion to be subjected to 
 any needless criticism that could only be based on a 
 misunderstanding as to the actual conditions in the 
 Corinthian church which rendered such a message 
 necessary. There are many instances of godly women 
 in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. 
 The ministry of Jesus was to both men and women 
 equally. Many of his most devoted followers were 
 women. They were the last to comfort him on the way 
 to Golgotha, the first to visit his tomb and the first to 
 whom he appeared at his resurrection. So why should 
 good women today be excluded from taking part in any 
 Christian activity? 
 
 499. Is It Seemly to "Make a Gladsome Noise" 
 in Worship? 
 
 Christianity is a religion less of the head than of the 
 heart, and it is not surprising that the joy of the heart 
 should find expression in songs and even at times in 
 shouting. These are the natural, unrestrained outlets 
 of a soul filled with deep religious fervor and spiritual 
 gladness. Scripture literally teems with invitations to 
 God's people to such expressions of feeling. Ezra 3:13 
 tells of the "noise of the shout of joy" at the laying of 
 the foundations of the Temple. In Psalm 33 13, the 
 congregation is urged to sing new songs and make a 
 
500 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 "loud noise," and in Is. 42:10, we read "let them shout 
 and declare his praise"; Job 38:7 relates that the 
 "sons of God shouted for joy," while Psalm 65:13, 
 describing the condition of the righteous who had been 
 blessed with prosperity, says, "they shout for joy 
 . . . they also sing." "Let them that put their trust in 
 thee rejoice," says the Psalmist (Ps c 5:11), "let them 
 shout for joy." In marked contrast is the picture in 
 Is. 16:10, of the unrighteous from whom the Lord has 
 turned his face, "There is no singing, neither shall 
 there be any shouting." Surely the Christian who 
 feels his heart overflowing with joy and gratitude to 
 God, has the best of all warrants for publishing his 
 gladness to the world, if he be so minded. We quite 
 understand, however, that there are many natures so 
 quiet and reserved that they do not relish any exuber- 
 ance and prefer to be moderate in their manifestations. 
 In a majority of cases, religious enthusiasm is a matter 
 of temperament, each kind proper in its own place. 
 
 500. What Precedent Does the Scripture Fur- 
 nish for Solos, Duets and Choir Singing 
 in Church? 
 
 In I Cor. 14:26, Paul, referring to the forms of 
 worship of the Corinthian church, wrote: "When. ye 
 come together, every one of you hath a psalm, etc." 
 This verse, especially when read in connection with 
 verse 15, "I will sing with the spirit and I will sing 
 with the understanding also," implies that certain mem- 
 bers sang alone. Tertullian and Augustine refer to 
 this custom: "Every one," says Tertullian, "was in- 
 vited in their public worship to sing unto God accord- 
 ing to his ability, either from the Scriptures or one 
 
Christian Living 500 
 
 indited by himself." These songs were often ex- 
 temporaneous. From the time of the Song of Miriam, 
 who either sang alone in response to the other women, 
 or led off their singing (Ex. 15:20, 21) there have 
 been special singers and groups of singers to lead the 
 music in the worship of God. The organization of 
 the ancient Hebrew choirs was very elaborate. (See 
 II Sam. 6:5; I Chron. chapters 15, 16, 23, 25, etc.) 
 The congregation of Israel was so enormous that it 
 was difficult if not impossible for all the people to sing 
 at once ; and the songs were learned first by the great 
 choirs and must have been sung first by them before 
 the people learned them; but there is no reason for 
 believing that all the congregation joined in all the 
 songs. Many consecrated Gospel singers are render- 
 ing acceptable worship and service to God in solos, 
 duets, quartets and choruses. One is undoubtedly 
 right in holding that such music should be really 
 spiritual, should be sung without show, simply, clearly, 
 earnestly to the glory of God. The body of church 
 singing should be by the congregation as a whole, 
 but the special solos and choir numbers also have 
 their place. 
 
501 
 
 TEXTS, FAMILIAR AND OTHER 
 
 501. What Is Conveyed in the Statement that 
 "God Is No Respecter of Persons"? 
 
 It may seem peculiar for Peter to have made this 
 statement (Acts 10:34, 35) as to the vast majority of 
 reverent minds it goes without saying. But to Peter, 
 brought up as he had been among Pharisees and Sad- 
 ducees and other religionists of the Old Dispensation, 
 whose central belief was that God was a respecter of 
 persons, the discovery of the great truth that God 
 cares for all alike, came as a great awakening. The 
 Pharisee who loved the uppermost seats in the syna- 
 gogues and greetings in the market-places; who de- 
 liberately shunned contact with a publican, a woman 
 or a Gentile, represented that self-righteous and ex- 
 clusive Judaism in which no one else counted, but in 
 which he was a favorite of the Most High. This ex- 
 clusive Judaism Peter annihilated with the one sen- 
 tence of the text, and thereby established the belief in 
 that great, universal Fatherhood which, while it is 
 all to all, is especially kind to the lowly and the meek ; 
 which watches even a sparrow and numbers even the 
 hair of our heads. And because of this universal 
 Fatherhood, everyone in every nation "that feareth him 
 and doeth righteousness" is acceptable to him. He 
 makes no distinctions of creeds, of theologies, of usages 
 and customs, of observances and differences of 
 opinions. 
 
Texts, Familiar and Other 502-504 
 
 502. In What Sense Is It True that "The Lord 
 
 Giveth and the Lord Taketh Away"? 
 
 When we use the customary phrase that God takes 
 away any of our friends from this world, it is simply 
 a familiar form of acknowledging submission to his 
 will as the Disposer of all things. Life and death are 
 in his hands. There is nothing irreverent about such 
 an expression. All our blessings come from him and 
 if trial and discipline also come we should accept them 
 in the proper spirit. We should learn to bow to his 
 will, even though it may sometimes try our hearts 
 sorely to do so. 
 
 503. What Is Meant by the Passage "Seek Ye 
 
 the Lord While He May Be Found"? 
 
 It is a wholesome warning that a probable contin- 
 gency may arise when the seeker, who postpones his 
 search, may lose his power or disposition to seek. 
 There are many instances of men who have put off 
 seeking until they have made a fortune, or done some- 
 thing else, and then the time they set, having arrived, 
 discover that business habits and long-time associations 
 absorb them. They are out of touch with God. Even 
 in church their thoughts are running on worldly con- 
 cerns. It is very rare for an old man who has been 
 indifferent, or careless, or wicked, to turn to God. Not 
 that God is unwilling to be found, but the man has 
 become incapable of seeking him. None who really 
 seek ever fail to find. 
 
 504. What Is the Parallel between Christ and 
 
 Adam? 
 
 "As by the offense of one, judgment came upon all 
 men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of 
 
504 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 one the free gift came upon all men unto justification 
 of life" (Rom. 5:18). In this passage, Paul is com- 
 paring the influence of Adam and Christ. His argu- 
 ment begins with verse 12 : "By one man sin entered 
 into the world, and death by sin." (Dr. Denny says: 
 "By Adam the race was launched upon a course of 
 sin.") Paul goes on to state that sin was in the world 
 before the written law was given, but declares that sin 
 is not counted as sin where there is no law. God does 
 not condemn a man for breaking a law of which he is 
 ignorant. But even where sin was not imputed, death 
 reigned, because death had come into the world as 
 the result of Adam's sin, and became a universal ex- 
 perience, affecting even those who broke no specific 
 and plainly stated command, as Adam did. But the 
 grace that comes from Christ is even greater than the 
 doom that came through Adam. One man sinned, 
 and many were condemned ; grace, through Christ, 
 pardons many sins. Death reigned because of one 
 man ; now abundance of life and grace reign by one, 
 Jesus Christ (verse 17). Verse 18 (quoted above) 
 sums up what has gone before. Adam's disobedience 
 made many men sinners ; Christ's obedience shall make 
 many righteous (verse 19). The law was given so 
 that sin might be revealed. Sin was in the human 
 heart, but men did not realize what it was till the law 
 came. The law showed them that they were disobey- 
 ing God. "But where sin abounded, grace did much 
 more abound;" there was sin for everybody, there is 
 grace for everybody — and more grace than sin. The 
 reign of sin brings death; the reign of grace brings 
 eternal life. 
 
Texts, Familiar and Other 505-506 
 
 505. What Is Meant by "As Many as Were 
 
 Ordained to Eternal Life Believed"? 
 
 This passage in Acts 13 148 has been much discussed. 
 Those Gentiles did not all become believers, but only 
 those in whom the preaching of the apostles had 
 awakened faith and who, being taken into the congre- 
 gation, had striven earnestly to "make their calling and 
 election sure." It forcibly reminds us that salvation is 
 the gift of God and not in any sense something we 
 can obtain by our own merit or acts ; but at the same 
 time, in order to attain this gift (which is divinely 
 ordained to all those who comply with certain condi- 
 tions), we must put ourselves in the attitude of faith 
 and belief. Further, throughout the whole Scriptures, 
 there is a pervading sense of the fact that many are 
 specially called to be saints and to perform a certain 
 work, who are obedient to the summons and yet who 
 were not in such attitude before. The case of Paul 
 is an illustration in point. He was called right out 
 of the midst of his sinful life of persecution. Some 
 commentators hold that in the case of these Gentiles, 
 God had chosen for himself certain men to become 
 witness-bearers and to be set apart for a special work. 
 Still other translators make the passage read : a As 
 many as disposed themselves to eternal life believed, ,, 
 referring to I Cor. 16:15. We may add, by way of 
 further explanation, that while the call to salvation is 
 a universal one, the call to special service is one that 
 comes only to the few. 
 
 506. Did the Baptist Doubt Jesus' Messiahship ? 
 
 John's message, asking through his disciples whom 
 he sent to Jesus, "Art thou he that should come, or 
 
 23 
 
507-508 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 look we for another ?" (Matt. 11:3), was the result of 
 impatience, almost of desperation. It must have 
 seemed hard to him that his Master should let him 
 lie so long in prison, after having been honored to 
 announce and introduce him at the beginning of his 
 mission. He tried to get Jesus to speak out his mind, 
 or at least to set his own mind at rest. The conclu- 
 sion of the incident, however, shows that his transient 
 doubts were set at rest by the message he received. 
 
 507. What Is Meant by "Buy the Truth and 
 
 Sell It Not"? 
 
 The passage in Prov. 23:23 — "buy the truth and 
 sell it not" — is not to be interpreted as meaning that 
 both the buying and selling must be wrong. On the 
 contrary, the meaning is that we should get the truth, 
 whatever it may cost us, and that we should not part 
 with it for any consideration, money, pleasure, fame, 
 etc., for it is more precious than all of these. (See 
 Prov. 4:5-7.) The inspired teacher urges us to get 
 the principal thing, the truth, wisdom, understand- 
 ing; the world's motto is: "Get riches and with all 
 thy getting get more." 
 
 508. Are Any by Nature "Children of God"? 
 
 There is a large and true sense in which all man- 
 kind are children of God. Paul could say to the 
 idolaters at Athens, "We are also his offspring." But 
 there is a higher, closer, nearer sense in which regen- 
 erated men only are God's children. John says : "To 
 as many as received him, to them gave he power to 
 become the sons of God." Speaking pointedly to be- 
 lievers, he says, "Beloved, now are we the sons of 
 
Texts, Familiar and Other 509 
 
 God." So there is no discrepancy between Paul and 
 John. The one is speaking of God's children in the 
 large human sense, while the other speaks of them in 
 the restricted, adopted sense. We have, in fact, to 
 recognize four grades of sonship. In the lowest grade 
 there is the whole human family. In the next higher 
 grade we have the regenerated children, who are really 
 children in the spirit. Then in the next grade, we 
 have the angels, who in the Book of Job are specially 
 designated the "Sons of God" (38:7). Then, highest 
 of all, in a sense absolute, unapproachable, divine, 
 we have Jesus Christ, pre-eminently God's own Son. 
 There is no need, therefore, to stumble at the doctrine 
 of the Fatherhood of God ; only we need to distinguish 
 between what is implied in the more outward and the 
 more inward relationship. 
 
 509. Why Is There No Remission of Sin with- 
 out the Shedding of Blood? 
 
 The thought of a sacrifice for sin underlies the 
 whole message of the Bible. The fact that John 3:17; 
 John 8:11, 12 and other promises do not specifically 
 refer to this does not violate in any way the broad, 
 general principle. The Bible as a whole states the 
 method by which God undertakes to save people from 
 sin. The Old Testament, in law and ceremony and 
 prophecy, looks forward to a great sacrifice that is to 
 be made, of which the sacrifice of animals is but a 
 type. The Epistles of the New Testament explain how 
 the sacrifice of Christ may be applied by faith to the 
 human soul. The Gospels tell the story of the life 
 of the Saviour and give with great detail and fulness 
 the account of his sacrificial death. He himself said 
 
510 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 distinctly of his death (Matt. 26:28), "This is my 
 blood of the new testament, which is shed for many 
 for the remission of sins." Read with special care 
 the 9th and 10th chapters of Hebrews, the 5th and 
 6th chapters of Romans ; I John 1 17, and the many 
 other passages which state clearly that salvation from 
 sin is wrought by the sacrifice of Christ. The fact of 
 the atonement underlies all the promises of Scripture. 
 It seems idle, as well as dangerous, to speculate 
 whether there may be or might have been some other 
 way of salvation. This way fits in with our knowledge 
 of nature and of life, and has been testified to by mul- 
 titudes of redeemed souls. We know that through the 
 blood of Christ salvation from sin can be found; we 
 certainly do not know that it can be found in any 
 other way. 
 
 510. What Is Meant by "Crucify the Son of 
 God Afresh"? 
 
 Heb. 6:4-6 is interpreted to refer to those who 
 having begun the spiritual life, instead of persevering 
 toward perfection, allowed themselves to fall away or 
 backslide. Such having already had knowledge of the 
 word of truth and having experienced a measure of 
 peace in the pardoning love of Christ and the bestowal 
 of the gift of the Holy Spirit (though not in all ful- 
 ness) were doubly to blame for falling away. Paul 
 did not assert that the Hebrews themselves had yet so 1 
 fallen, but he warned them that if they did not per- 
 severe in going on to perfection, they would retrograde 
 and would need to be "renewed" over again. It is 
 the deliberate apostate, however, who sins in the light 
 of knowledge and crucifies Christ anew whom he holds 
 
Texts, Familiar and Other 511-512 
 
 up as an object of execration. The elect abide in 
 Christ and do not fall away, and he who abides not 
 is "cast forth as a withered branch." The marginal 
 reading of verse 6 in the Revised Versions makes this 
 passage harmonize with the whole spirit of the Bible. 
 It is impossible to renew them to repentance "the 
 while they crucify the Son of God afresh." 
 
 511. What Is Meant by "Laying Aside Every 
 
 Weight"? 
 
 The passage in Heb. 12:1 means that we are to 
 personally apply discipline, and with divine help to 
 thrust from us all temptations to carnal and worldly 
 indulgence, which would impede our progress in the 
 spiritual race. These obstacles are of the character 
 mentioned in Mark 9:42-48; Eph. 4:22; Col. 3:9, 10. 
 In practical terms, we should include undesirable and 
 unprofitable amusements, doubtful associates, foolish 
 pride, habitual ill-nature or worry, planning things 
 far ahead, striving for social show for appearance's 
 sake, deceitfulness, gossip, profanity, exaggeration or 
 untruth — in a word, the "familiar sins," and especially 
 the one which does "so easily beset us," whatever it 
 may be. All of these act as chains and drags to hold 
 us back. 
 
 512. Why Did David Say He Had "Not Seen the 
 
 Righteous Forsaken nor His Seed Beg- 
 ging Bread"? 
 
 The psalmist (Ps. 37:25) simply stated his own 
 experience. He had never seen it. He did not say it 
 never occurred. If it did not occur in his day, it 
 does in ours. It ought not, and God never designed 
 
513-514 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 that it should. There is enough wealth in the world 
 to provide food and clothing and shelter for all, but 
 under our present system some get more than their 
 share, and others suffer and some starve. If a good 
 man, though he be the seed of the righteous, acts im- 
 prudently, or is wasteful, or speculates unwisely, God 
 does not interfere to keep him from ruin. 
 
 513. Is It Possible for One to Be O ver- right eous ? 
 
 Commentators interpret the phrase "righteous over- 
 much" (Ecc. 7:16) as descriptive of religious pre- 
 sumption ; of that self-made righteousness which would 
 lay the greatest stress upon outward performances 
 and would claim personal credit for results which 
 the true believer recognizes as the gift of divine grace 
 alone. Pharisaism, with its hypocritical assumption of 
 superior virtue, its multitudinous observances and its 
 devotion to form and ceremonial, forgetting the "things 
 of the spirit," was the type of the over-righteous. 
 
 514. How Was the Term Saint First Applied to 
 
 the Evangelists? 
 
 During the early days of the Christian Church, 
 there was no authoritative use of the word "Saint" as 
 a title. Wherever the word occurs in our New Testa- 
 ment, it simply means a "devout person," one who has 
 been sanctified and specially consecrated. After the 
 early Christian era, however, the martyrs and apostles 
 were considered as having attained to the dignity of 
 sainthood, although there was no formal canonization 
 until the ninth century A. D., when the Church of 
 Rome introduced formal canonization with special 
 
Texts, Familiar and Other 515 
 
 ceremonies. There is no definite rule in the Protestant 
 Church on the use of the title "Saint." The modern 
 Jews have their saints, as well as the Catholics, and 
 the appellation they use is "Kadosh." Their most 
 celebrated saint is Rabbi Judah Hak-kadosh ("Rabbi 
 Judah the Holy"). Protestant writers are not as con- 
 sistent as they ought to be in this matter, some apply- 
 ing the title and others not at all. The observance of 
 saints' days applies specially to the Roman and the 
 Oriental Catholic Churches. In the Russo-Greek 
 Church the observance of such days has been carried 
 to extremes and they are so numerous as to interfere 
 seriously with business. Under the influence of the 
 Church of Rome in America, saints' days are becoming 
 numerous among Catholics here also. 
 
 515. What Are We to Understand by "Time 
 and Chains Happeneth to Them All"? 
 
 You are not to take all the words of Ecclesiastes 
 9:11 as true and inspired because, as the writer shows, 
 he found out that what he said at one time was dis- 
 proved later on. He is relating his experience. He 
 was seeking happiness, with everything in favor of his 
 succeeding. At first he believed he would find it in 
 pleasure, afterward in learning, and later in other 
 ways. And he tells how he found again and again 
 that he had been mistaken. In this particular passage 
 he means that the misfortunes of life are just as likely 
 to happen to the wise and good as to the foolish. We 
 know it is so. In a railroad accident, for instance, a 
 clergyman or a philanthropist does not escape simply 
 because of his life being beneficent. 
 
516-518 Di icult Bible Questions 
 
 516. What Is Meant by "Cast Thy Bread Upon 
 
 the Waters"? 
 
 The illustration in Ecclesiastes 11:1 is taken from 
 the custom of sowing seed by casting it from the boats 
 into the overflowing Nile, or in marshy ground. When 
 the waters recede, the grain in the alluvial soil springs 
 up. "Waters" expresses multitudes, whose seemingly 
 hopeless character as recipients of charity may turn 
 out better than we anticipate, so that our gift would 
 prove at last not to have been thrown away. The day 
 may be near when we ourselves may need the help of 
 those whom we have bound to us by kindness. 
 
 517. What Does Paul Mean in Rom. 5:7? 
 
 "For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet 
 peradventure for a good man some would even dare 
 to die" (Rom. 5:7). The apostle is illustrating the 
 fact of the Atonement by the facts of everyday life. He 
 says it is hard to find one man who will die for an- 
 other, even if that other be righteous; but that for a 
 man who is really good (a stronger, warmer word than 
 righteous) some might be found who would be willing 
 to die. Then follows the keen application: Though 
 we were neither good nor righteous, yet Christ died 
 for us. 
 
 518. What Is Meant by "Where There Is No 
 
 Vision the People Perish"? 
 
 "Vision" (Prov. 29:18) means communion with God 
 and the revelation of his will. When communities or 
 nations get out of touch with God and cease to know 
 his will, they begin to perish. The Hebrew verb means 
 to become "dissipated" and "unbridled" and so perish 
 
Texts, Familiar and Other 519-520 
 
 ■ — in a word, to lose sight of moral and spiritual ideals, 
 as a nation or community. Individual Christians and 
 the organized church should be constantly seeking a 
 clearer sight of God, closer communion with him, and 
 a more perfect understanding both of his revealed will 
 in the Scriptures and his providential will in present- 
 day concerns. 
 
 519. What Is Meant by "All Things Work To- 
 
 gether for Good to Them That Love 
 God"? 
 
 This passage (Rom. 8:28) means that the events 
 of life, including things that we call misfortunes, 
 will be over-ruled to spiritual advantage. The Chris- 
 tian is not promised immunity from trouble, but 
 that his troubles will tend to make him a better 
 man. He is not encouraged to seek discipline, or 
 to act recklessly, with the idea that howsoever an en- 
 terprise turns out, it will benefit him. But if after he 
 has sought divine guidance and if after he has care- 
 fully considered a matter, it turns out disastrously, he 
 is not to be cast down, but to expect that in some way 
 God will make the disaster a blessing to him. 
 
 520. How Can "One Vessel Be Chosen unto 
 
 Honor and Another unto Dishonor"? 
 
 This passage (Rom. 9:21, 23) brings up the discus- 
 sion of the whole subject of "election." The Jews 
 seem to have gotten the idea, from their long habit of 
 exclusiveness r that God had no right to offer salvation 
 to the Gentiles. Paul is here trying to make them see 
 that God has a right to offer salvation to any one. No 
 one can dispute the fact that just as the potter has the 
 
521 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 right to form one vessel for high and honorable use and 
 another for more humble service, so God has the right 
 to create some souls for prominent and important and 
 honorable service and others for more lowly tasks. 
 However we may interpret the doctrine of election, we 
 must not for an instant forget that God is just. "He 
 is not willing that any should perish." He desires that 
 every soul should have salvation and that every soul 
 shall be fitted for successful service. 
 
 521. What Did Paul Mean by "Delivering" an 
 Offender unto Satan? 
 
 As the apostle himself states explicitly it was that 
 the offender might be saved (see I Cor. 5:5). The 
 man, a member of the Corinthian Church, had fallen 
 into grievous sin, and was living a vicious life. Paul, 
 hearing of it, decides that he must be excluded from 
 the church. He repented, as the event proved, for in 
 his second epistle Paul directs that he shall be tenderly 
 received, lest he be swallowed up by over-much sorrow 
 (II Cor. 2\j). The exclusion was leaving the man 
 without means of grace, and Paul tells the object of 
 it, namely, that the flesh, that is, the lusts and passions 
 of his nature, might be purged from him, so that his 
 soul might be saved. The casting of him out of the 
 Church meant, in Paul's mind, the giving him up to 
 punishment and the will of the enemy, not for his eter- 
 nal destruction, but for temporary chastisement. Some 
 commentators have thought that Paul's sentence in- 
 cluded the infliction of some malady, which he certainly 
 did inflict in another case (Acts 13:11), but that is 
 not directly stated. The words imply discipline that 
 
Texts, Familiar and Other 522 
 
 would render the man less under the influence of his 
 fleshly appetites. The man is put out of the church, 
 the fold of God, temporarily, on account of his wrong- 
 doing. It was probably so persistent and inexcusable 
 that the apostle despaired of Christian influences effect- 
 ing a change. He must be made to feel how wicked 
 he was, and by the church expelling him they practi- 
 cally gave him up for the time. This was probably re- 
 garded as delivering him to Satan. They ceased to 
 bring Christian love to bear upon him. In at least 
 one case, it is thought, the discipline had a good effect, 
 if, as is probable, the offender is the one referred to in 
 II Cor. 2 :6-8. 
 
 522, What Is Meant by Showing "The Lord's 
 Death till He Come"? 
 
 This passage in I Cor. 1 1 :26 has been variously dis- 
 cussed. Is it the Lord's presence, the coming to 
 take away his followers by death, or his coming to 
 judge the world that is here meant? The best exposi- 
 tors hold that the apostle clearly referred to the signifi- 
 cance of the Lord's Supper as a perpetual memorial 
 of the Lord's death, to be observed by the Church until 
 the end of this dispensation, or in his own words, "till 
 he 'come." It could not have had reference to the 
 Lord's spiritual presence, or to the believer's death, 
 as Paul implied that the "coming" would terminate the 
 observance. It must have referred to the coming he 
 describes in I Thess. 2:1-8 and other places, when 
 Christ will appear to call his waiting people to himself, 
 and afterward descend to destroy his enemies and set 
 up his millennial kingdom on the earth. 
 
523-524 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 523. What Did Paul Mean by "Caught Up to 
 
 the Third Heaven"? 
 
 Paul was familiar with the learning of his age, and 
 was a "master" in literary expression. He sat as a 
 pupil "at the feet of Gamaliel," who was celebrated in 
 the Talmudist writings as one of the seven teachers 
 to whom the title "rabbin" was given. In II Cor. 12 
 (which contains the passage in question) Paul speaks 
 of his vision when he was "caught up to the third 
 heaven." In the Jewish teaching of the time, the first 
 heaven was that of the clouds or the air; the second 
 that of the stars and the sky, and the third was the 
 spiritual heaven, the seat of divine glory. The word 
 "heavens" is used in the Bible in varying senses, which 
 must be gathered from the context, the most familiar 
 being the visible heavens, as distinguished from the 
 earth and as a part of the whole creation. (See Gen. 
 1:1.) Paul's "third heaven" was thus higher than the 
 aerial or stellar world, and cognizable not by the eye, 
 but by the mind alone. The word "world" is generally 
 used in Scripture in the purely material sense to refer to 
 the habitable earth and its people. The passages in 
 Heb. 4:3, 9:26, 9:5, 11:7, 11:38, etc., have thus ma- 
 terial significance. In John 14:2, however, many in- 
 terpreters recognize an implied recognition of other 
 worlds, the whole universe being a "house of many 
 mansions." 
 
 524. What Are We to Understand by "Work 
 
 Out Your Own Salvation"? 
 
 Grace is inactive without our will, hence the order 
 as to "work." "Fear and trembling" simply mean the 
 holy reverence which accompanies obedience (see Eph. 
 
Texts, Familiar and Other 525 
 
 6:5; I Cor. 2:3; II Cor. 7:15); not slavish fear, like 
 the terror of a mind in danger of condemnation, but 
 anxiety to do what the Lord would have us do, and 
 the realization that our own merits are insufficient and 
 we must trust him to give strength for our weakness. 
 The last clause of the sentence (verse 14) confirms 
 this interpretation. 
 
 525. What Is Meant by Being "Baptized with 
 the Holy Spirit"? 
 
 The Holy Spirit is received at conversion, but the 
 baptism with the Holy Spirit is a further enduement, 
 an experience which comes usually at some time after 
 conversion. The disciples were regenerated men when 
 Jesus told them to tarry in the city of Jerusalem until 
 they should be baptized with the Holy Spirit (Acts 
 1:4-5). This was the experience to which he had 
 previously referred as the coming of the Comforter 
 (John 14, 15, 16). God's Spirit is constantly trying 
 to get into a man's heart. He speaks to him in many 
 ways, convicting of sin, urging to repentance, etc. The 
 impressions leading to a wise and safe course of action, 
 which a man may receive before he is converted, are 
 really the messages of the Holy Spirit. God is very 
 good, and tries to help us in every way. But it is not 
 until one has become a child of God and received the 
 fullness of the Spirit that he can expect to have the 
 clear guidance of the Holy Spirit. 
 
526 
 
 THE HEREAFTER 
 
 526. Were the Jews Taught to Look Forward 
 to a Heaven or Hell? 
 
 From the first mention of the tree of life in Para- 
 dise, the eating of which would make immortal, the 
 idea of a continued existence has had a place in Jewish 
 theology. Many passages might be quoted to show 
 this belief. See the Mosaic injunctions against necro- 
 mancy, or the invocation of the dead, Deu. 18:9-12; I 
 Sam. 28; Ps. 106 :28 and other passages. Moses wrote 
 that God "took" Enoch (Gen. 5:22, 24), because he 
 had lived a pious life. David speaks of his child in 
 another life when he says, "I will go to him, but he 
 shall not return to me," (see II Sam. 12:23), Job says 
 (Job 19:26 and 2j) that he "will see God for himself 
 and not anotjher" in the future life. Ecclesiastes, which 
 doubtless echoed faithfully the theology of that day, 
 shows very clearly the belief in a spiritual life (Ecc. 
 12 -7) ; see also the allusions in the Psalms (the Jewish 
 Psalter) to expectations of reward and punishment 
 after death (Ps. 17:15, 49:15, 16, 73:24, 26, 28). 
 These and other passages which might be quoted, make 
 it certain that the ancient Jews did believe in a future 
 life; but it is equally certain that they had only dim 
 and uncertain views on the subject, and that the full 
 knowledge was not attained by any race or nation on 
 earth until Christ himself came to "bring life and im- 
 mortality to light." 
 
The Hereafter 527-528 
 
 527. Did There Exist a Belief in Immortality 
 
 before the Christian Era? 
 
 Although before the dawn of Christianity there were 
 nations who undoubtedly had glimpses of immortality, 
 it was not until Christ came, "bringing life and im- 
 mortality to life" (II Tim. 1:10), that the world be- 
 gan to realize the glorious future which was assured 
 to those that love God and follow obediently the teach- 
 ings of his Son. The Hindus, Egyptians, Chinese, Per- 
 sians, and even the American Indians, Polynesians, 
 Australian aborigines and Greenlanders believed in a 
 future life, but all more or less dimly. The ancient 
 Greeks had a clearer conception of immortality, which 
 was well defined by Socrates in his last speech. There 
 are hints of the same belief in the Jewish teachings 
 also, although they are indefinite (see Gen. 5:22, 24, 
 37:35 and other passages). Jesus lifted the veil. Some, 
 today, deny the inherent immortality of the soul, while 
 admitting that it is conferred as the "gift of God" upon 
 those who are accepted. The Church of Christ today, 
 however, teaches immortality — a future life of bliss 
 or of woe, to be decided at the judgment. The duty of 
 Christians is, as Paul urges, to strive to "win the prize" 
 and so to begin to live eternally, here and now, in the 
 realization of God's pardon and acceptance promised 
 through his Son. 
 
 528. What Does "Damnation" Mean? 
 
 Damnation, or condemnation, does not always imply 
 the final loss of the soul. Thus the passage in Rom. 
 13 :2 clearly means condemnation from the rulers, "who 
 are a terror to evil-doers." I Cor. 1 1 :2g means that 
 the offender would be exposed to severe temporal judg- 
 
526 
 
 THE HEREAFTER 
 
 526. Were the Jews Taught to Look Forward 
 to a Heaven or Hell? 
 
 From the first mention of the tree of life in Para- 
 dise, the eating of which would make immortal, the 
 idea of a continued existence has had a place in Jewish 
 theology. Many passages might be quoted to show 
 this belief. See the Mosaic injunctions against necro- 
 mancy, or the invocation of the dead, Deu. 18:9-12; I 
 Sam. 28; Ps. 106 128 and other passages. Moses wrote 
 that God "took" Enoch (Gen. 5.122, 24), because he 
 had lived a pious life. David speaks of his child in 
 another life when he says, "I will go to him, but he 
 shall not return to me," (see II Sam. 12:23), Job says 
 (Job 19:26 and 27) that he "will see God for himself 
 and not another'' in the future life. Ecclesiastes, which 
 doubtless echoed faithfully the theology of that day, 
 shows very clearly the belief in a spiritual life (Ecc. 
 12 \j) ; see also the allusions in the Psalms (the Jewish 
 Psalter) to expectations of reward and punishment 
 after death (Ps. 17:15, 49:15, 16, 73:24, 26, 28). 
 These and other passages which might be quoted, make 
 it certain that the ancient Jews did believe in a future 
 life; but it is equally certain that they had only dim 
 and uncertain views on the subject, and that the full 
 knowledge was not attained by any race or nation on 
 earth until Christ himself came to "bring life and im- 
 mortality to light." 
 
The Hereafter 527-528 
 
 527. Did There Exist a Belief in Immortality 
 
 before the Christian Era? 
 
 Although before the dawn of Christianity there were 
 nations who undoubtedly had glimpses of immortality, 
 it was not until Christ came, "bringing life and im- 
 mortality to life" (II Tim. 1:10), that the world be- 
 gan to realize the glorious future which was assured 
 to those that love God and follow obediently the teach- 
 ings of his Son. The Hindus, Egyptians, Chinese, Per- 
 sians, and even the American Indians, Polynesians, 
 Australian aborigines and Greenlanders believed in a 
 future life, but all more or less dimly. The ancient 
 Greeks had a clearer conception of immortality, which 
 was well defined by Socrates in his last speech. There 
 are hints of the same belief in the Jewish teachings 
 also, although they are indefinite (see Gen. 5:22, 24, 
 37:35 and other passages). Jesus lifted the veil. Some, 
 today, deny the inherent immortality of the soul, while 
 admitting that it is conferred as the "gift of God" upon 
 those who are accepted. The Church of Christ today, 
 however, teaches immortality — a future life of bliss 
 or of woe, to be decided at the judgment. The duty of 
 Christians is, as Paul urges, to strive to "win the prize" 
 and so to begin to live eternally, here and now, in the 
 realization of God's pardon and acceptance promised 
 through his Son. 
 
 528. What Does "Damnation" Mean? 
 
 Damnation, or condemnation, does not always imply 
 the final loss of the soul. Thus the passage in Rom. 
 13 :2 clearly means condemnation from the rulers, "who 
 are a terror to evil-doers." I Cor. 11:29 means that 
 the offender would be exposed to severe temporal judg- 
 
529-530 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 ments from God and to the censure of good men. 
 Rom. 14:23 means that such a one is condemned al- 
 ready by the Word and by his own conscience. The 
 final loss of the soul of the impenitent, however, is 
 clearly taught in many passages, including Rom. 6 123 ; 
 Matt. 25:41; Jas. 1:15; Matt. 10:28; II Thess. 1:9; 
 Matt. 25:30; Luke 16:23, 26. 
 
 529, What of One Who Lives Nobly, yet Who 
 
 Is Not a Christian? 
 
 He will not be as one who lived a purely selfish life, 
 because he will not suffer those reproaches of con- 
 science, which may be expected to torture the selfish 
 man. If, however, he has heard the Gospel and re- 
 jected it, we do not see how he can expect recognition 
 of, or reward from God on account of his good deeds. 
 Christ said emphatically, "no one cometh unto the 
 Father but by me." If, therefore, a man rejects Christ 
 and takes his stand on his own merits, he plainly inti- 
 mates that he considers his way better than God's way. 
 He makes Christ's life and death, so far as he is con- 
 cerned, unnecessary. If a man who is bringing a suit 
 in a court wilfully and contemptuously ignores the 
 rules of the court, he is not likely to be heard, no mat- 
 ter what are the merits of his case. So a man who 
 rejects Christ puts himself out of court. We are not 
 to judge, however, in such cases. 
 
 530. What Is the "Second Death"? 
 
 Spiritual, or "second death," implies "everlasting 
 punishment" (Rev. 21 :8) — -the utter lack of all spirit- 
 ual hope of restoration or reclamation. It means en- 
 tire separation from God. Death, in the destructive 
 
The Hereafter 531 
 
 sense, applies to the entire man and every part of his 
 nature. We speak even now of men as "spiritually 
 dead" while they yet live in the body, just as we 
 speak of men who may be already in the grave, as 
 "spiritually alive/' and who shall never die. Spiritual 
 death may begin even in this life. Death, therefore, 
 need not imply extinction and annihilation. One com- 
 mentator writes : "The proper life of the spirit lies in the 
 harmony and subjection of its powers and disposition 
 to the nature and will of God ; its death in contrariety 
 and enmity to him. This involves the disruption of a 
 holy and dutiful relation with the Father of spirits, 
 and by inevitable consequence a deprivation of the 
 fruits of his love and favor on which life and blessed- 
 ness depend. The whole man shall go away forever 
 from the glory and joy of God's presence," 
 
 531. What Does Death Do to the Body! 
 
 When life ceases, the body as an individual organiza- 
 tion is said to be dead ; that is to say, death is the ces- 
 sation of organic life. Matter, however, is indestructi- 
 ble; when it loses one form it appears in another. The 
 matter of which the body is composed does not perish 
 on the death of an organized being; it undergoes va- 
 rious changes which are known by the names of decay 
 and putrefaction and which are the preparation for its 
 becoming subservient to new forms of life. What be- 
 comes of the mind or thinking principle in man, other- 
 wise the soul, is altogether a matter of religious faith 
 or philosophic conjecture on which science has been 
 unable to throw the slightest light. But it should not 
 be forgotten that "there is a natural body and there is 
 
 24 
 
532 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 a spiritual body" (I Cor. 15:44). God has revealed 
 the truth in the Bible, and particularly in the historic 
 fact of Christ's resurrection, that the soul which is 
 in harmony with himself will live forever. For the 
 Scripture teaching concerning the resurrection of the 
 body read I Cor. 15, which has been recognized from 
 the earliest Christian times as the expression of the 
 Christian's faith about the future life. Note particu- 
 larly verses 35-44, 5°"54. 
 
 532. Will Our Resurrection Bodies Rise with 
 Us on the Judgment Day? 
 
 See this whole subject fully set forth in I Cor. 15th 
 chapter. A vast amount of philosophic conjecture has 
 been expended and many books have been written 
 about it; but the fact remains that nowhere is it more 
 clearly and comprehensively stated than in this chapter. 
 The belief in the resurrection of the human body has 
 apparently been fortified by the well-known passage in 
 Job. 19 126, which in the old version was mistranslated, 
 but is corrected in the Revised to read "yet without my 
 flesh shall I see God." All the evidences go to show 
 that while the body to be raised shall be such as to pre- 
 serve identity, it will be a purified, changed and spirit- 
 ualized body, with the grosser material elements re- 
 moved or so transformed as to render them fit for 
 heaven and immortality. It shall become a glorified 
 body like unto that of Christ. (See I Cor. 15:49; Rom. 
 6:9; Phil. 3:21.) The bodies of those who are alive 
 at the last day will undergo a similar miraculous puri- 
 fying transformation without death (see II Cor. 5:4; 
 I Thess. 4:15; Phil. 3:21). 
 
The Hereafter 533 
 
 533. Does a Person Go Directly to Heaven or 
 Hell after Death? 
 
 There is no passage that asserts it explicitly. There 
 are, however, passages from which the inference is 
 made. One of these is the assurance of Christ to the 
 dying thief on the cross (Luke 23 143), "This day shalt 
 thou be with me in Paradise.'' Another is the Parable 
 of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), in 
 which Dives is represented as being in torment and 
 Lazarus in Abraham's bosom, while the five brothers 
 of Dives were still alive on the earth. A third pas- 
 sage is Philippians 1 :23, in which Paul says he desires 
 to depart and be with Christ, implying that his death 
 would give him that felicity, but he prefers to abide 
 in the flesh because he can do good in the world. From 
 these passages and a few others the deduction is made 
 that there is no interval between death and the eternal 
 state; but some eminent Christians now and in past 
 times have thought that there is an interval long or 
 short, and some that it lasts till the resurrection. In 
 Matt. 22:31, 32; Mark 12:26, and Luke 20:37, 3^, 
 Christ insists that the righteous who are called "dead" 
 are still alive. The appearance of Moses and Elijah 
 with Christ at the transfiguration was an actual dem- 
 onstration of this fact. Even at the very beginning of 
 the Bible (Gen. 5:24), there is the implication that 
 Enoch continued in another life the walk with God 
 which he had begun in this. And Heb. 12 :i, including 
 all the faith heroes mentioned in the eleventh chapter, 
 states that they are alive and conscious now, witnessing 
 the conflicts of the saints still on earth. Many books 
 have been written concerning the state of the soul be- 
 tween death and the resurrection. Catholics have the 
 
534 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 doctrine of purgatory, but the early Christians held no 
 such belief. They believed that there was a judgment 
 immediately after death and a final judgment later, 
 and that in the intermediate state (not "place"), every 
 believer's soul would find a foretaste of the greater 
 joys to come. Some non-Catholic authorities have hefd 
 that the soul after leaving the body remains inert until 
 the resurrection. The best authorities, however, hold 
 that it retains its active powers, and is assigned to a 
 condition which is suited to its degree of spiritual de- 
 velopment until the final change. Dr. Tuck points out 
 that Hades, the abode of the departed, was regarded 
 by the Hebrews as divided into two sections: one for 
 the good; the other for the wicked. "Both together 
 made up the abode of the dead"; one Paradise, the 
 other Gehenna. Paradise was to the Jewish theolo- 
 gians a state of future bliss with lower and higher 
 stages ; yet it is not the final stage. See also II Cor. 
 12:4; I Pet. 3:19; II Cor. 5:6-8. On the other hand, 
 there are passages that are capable of a different con- 
 struction. See Job 7:21; Dan. 12:2; I Cor. 15:51; 
 I Thess. 4:14. In these passages, it is probable 
 that "sleep" may refer to the body and not to the 
 spirit. 
 
 534. If the Saved Go Directly to Heaven after 
 Death, Why a Resurrection Followed by 
 a Judgment Day? 
 
 In dealing with spiritual things, one must guard 
 against materialistic conceptions of the after life which 
 prevailed previous to the Messianic advent. Only as 
 associated with the physical and material is spirit cog- 
 nizant of time and place. Jesus had to use these forms 
 
The Hereafter 535 
 
 of speech in order to make his teachings comprehensi- 
 ble to the people; but on many occasions he strove to 
 raise and enlighten their minds to a clearer spiritual 
 understanding. God is Spirit, incomprehensible, inde- 
 scribable. God is in heaven, yet God is everywhere, 
 hence heaven is everywhere. See Matt. 6 133 ; Luke 
 17:20, 21; Luke 23:43 and other passages. From 
 these it must be evident that by the term "heaven" is 
 meant a state or condition of existence. Resurrection 
 and final judgment were taught in Egypt centuries be- 
 fore the days of Moses; were in a modified form in- 
 corporated in the teachings of the Hebrews, and so 
 passed down into the doctrines of the Christian Church. 
 They are an appanage of the belief in immortality, and 
 mark the boundary to which the human mind can 
 soar. But when we come to question the why and 
 wherefore, we are seeking a deeper revelation of God's 
 purposes than he has been pleased to give us. John 
 3:13 must not be separated from its preceding verse. 
 No one can explain or throw light on spiritual condi- 
 tions without having first entered into such spirituality 
 for himself or herself, neither can such teaching or 
 explanation be understood or accepted by any who 
 themselves have not so entered. This is why mate- 
 rialistic ideas of a future state still so universally pre- 
 vail. See Eph. 4 :g, 10. 
 
 535. Should a Christian Dread the Thought of 
 a Hereafter? 
 
 One who does should pray for more faith, and keep 
 the fact constantly in mind that he who has promised 
 cannot lie. Professor David Smith expresses this at- 
 titude very clearly and convincingly. He says : "If 
 
536 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 we were truly Christian, we would be less concerned 
 about this question of the hereafter, for we would have 
 a larger and braver trust in God. There is nothing 
 more calming than recognition of the fact that it is 
 not God that condemns, but sin. God is our Saviour, 
 and his thoughts towards every creature of his hand 
 are thoughts of good, and not of evil. If any perish, 
 it is in spite of him. He is the Father of us all ; and 
 when I think what has been shown us of his heart 
 by his eternal Son, our Brother and Lord, Jesus 
 Christ, I am not afraid of anything that he may do, 
 and I am well content to leave my future in his 
 hands. He will do for every child of his undying 
 affection the best that love can devise. Why 
 should we fret or fear? God knows, and he is our 
 Father/' 
 
 536. Will More Souls Be Lost than Saved? 
 
 It is impossible to answer with any degree of au- 
 thority. God alone knows who are lost or saved. One 
 factor, however, that may tend to a solution of it is, 
 that we are assured that there will come a time when 
 the whole world will acknowledge Christ's sway. As 
 the population of the world increases from year to 
 year, we may assume that at that time, whenever it 
 occurs, there will be more people on earth than at any 
 preceding period in the world's history, which will ma- 
 terially add to the total number who are saved. The 
 question is not one that is of profit. Christ did not 
 encourage speculation on the subject. When the ques- 
 tion was put to him he would not answer it, but 
 gave the questioner practical advice. (See Luke 
 13:23.) 
 
The Hereafter 537-538 
 
 537. Shall We Know Each Other in the Fu- 
 
 ture Life? 
 
 We find the assurance of heavenly recognition in a 
 number of passages both in the Old Testament and 
 New Testament. David said of his dead son : "I shall 
 go to him, but he shall not return to me" (II Sam. 
 12:23). See also the parable of Dives and Lazarus, 
 which teaches recognition. See Phil. 3 120 ; Heb. 12 :i ; 
 Matt. 17:3; Rev. 6:9, 10; Rom. 14:12; Luke 16:23; 
 Rev. 6:9, 10; I Thess. 4:13-18; Heb. 13:17; Matt. 
 8:11; Eph. 3:15. These and other passages indicate 
 the preservation of identity. We have no reason to 
 doubt that the redeemed will know each other, that 
 pure friendship begun on earth will there be perfected, 
 that we shall know the saints and our own dear ones. 
 Heaven is the Christian's fatherland, where we shall 
 see our friends and know them. 
 
 538. What Will Heaven Be Like? 
 
 Of heaven itself and the blessedness in the life to 
 come, we know only what is revealed in the Scriptures, 
 and it is not possible, from such limited knowledge, to 
 form any adequate "conception. The Bible describes 
 the happiness of heaven in general terms. See Rom. 
 8:18, 22\ II Cor. 4:17, 18. It is described as a king- 
 dom (Matt. 25 :i) ; as a place of rest; as a place where 
 knowledge will go on to perfection, and as a state in 
 w 7 hich the saints will dwell together. It will be a place 
 of complete felicity, w^here the enjoyment will be 
 heightened by friendly intercourse. It is further de- 
 scribed as having a city with everlasting foundations; 
 a place of innumerable homes (see John 14:2) ; a place 
 where we shall meet our loved ones and our children 
 
539 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 (see II Sam. 12:23; Luke 16:25). John in Rev. 22 
 tells us of the "pure river of water of life" and "the 
 tree of life with its abundance of fruits." Beyond 
 these little is disclosed ; but we have enough to assure 
 us that it is a place of great happiness (see I Con 
 2 :g) ; of blessed reunions where there are eternal youth 
 and strength and where sorrow, sighing, pain and the 
 afflictions that wound us in this life are unknown. 
 
 539. Shall We Have Work to Do in Heaven? 
 
 A life without occupation is inconceivable. One of 
 the great equipments for such occupation will be the 
 enjoyment of perpetual youth — implying strength for 
 service. Unquestionably it will be a life of intense 
 activity — a busy place, with high avocations suited to 
 the varied degrees of skill and to the endowments of 
 the redeemed. Throughout the Scriptures, all evidences 
 point to the conclusion that it is to be a life of ac- 
 tivity, progress and spiritual development on the high- 
 est lines, when we have the assurance that God is him- 
 self a ceaseless worker (see John 5:17). Besides, in 
 Heb. 1 :i4, it is clearly intimated that the redeemed will 
 be actively engaged in carrying on the Lord's work, 
 by a ministry to those who need help and consolation. 
 They serve God continually (Rev. 7:15), and doubtless 
 in a great variety of ways. "There is not the least 
 reason to suppose," writes an able commentator, "that 
 God will abolish this variety (of talent and abilities) in 
 the future world; it will rather continue there, in all 
 its extent. We must suppose that there will be, even 
 in the heavenly world, a diversity of tastes, of labors, 
 and of employments, and that to one person this, to 
 another that field, in the boundless kingdom of truth 
 
The Hereafter 540-541 
 
 and of useful occupation, will be assigned for his cul- 
 tivation, according to his peculiar powers, qualifica- 
 tions, and tastes/' This is the view now generally ac- 
 cepted by the Christian Church throughout the world. 
 
 540. What of Wives and Husbands in Heaven? 
 
 A similar question was put to Christ (Matt. 22:23- 
 30). You will see how he answered it. We know 
 very little of the conditions of life in the spirit. We 
 cannot easily conceive of life apart from the body, yet 
 it is obvious that there is such life. Christ's answer 
 to his questioners appears to imply that the material 
 relationships of life are left behind, and that while we 
 shall recognize one another, there will be such a puri- 
 fication and elevation of being that all idea of mar- 
 riage will be lost in the sublimity of spiritual life. In 
 Luke 20 127-40, Jesus was questioned on a similar topic 
 -and was replying to questions about the resurrection. 
 Marriage was ordained to perpetuate the human 
 family ; but as there will be no breaches by death in the 
 future state, the ordinance will cease and man will be 
 like the angels in his immortal nature. This immor- 
 tality, however, referred only to "those w r ho shall be 
 counted worthy." 
 
 541. How Can One Be Happy in Heaven if 
 
 He Knows His Dear Ones Are Lost? 
 
 It is difficult, in view of the very little we know 
 about heaven and the life of those admitted there, to 
 conceive of their feelings and condition. All that we 
 do know indicates a condition of happiness ; that is 
 certain. It may be that in the presence of God right- 
 eousness becomes so paramount a consideration, and 
 sin is seen to be so dreadful and heinous a thing that 
 
542-544 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 the redeemed and purified soul shrinks from it as 
 utterly loathsome, even when it exists in persons he 
 loved in his earthly life. Pure souls may seem nearer 
 to one in heaven than impure souls, though they may 
 have had an earthly relationship. Christ being told 
 that his mother and brethren desired to speak to him, 
 said (Matt. 12:50) : "Whosoever shall do the will of 
 my Father the same is my brother and sister and 
 mother/' as much as to say that spiritual likeness 
 counted for more with him than physical relationship. 
 Redeemed souls, in becoming like him, therefore, may 
 not suffer such poignant sorrow as to us now seems 
 inevitable. 
 
 542. Shall We See God in Heaven? 
 
 There are several passages in the Bible which make 
 clear statements on this subject. See Luke 1 :i9; Rev. 
 5:8, n; Jude 24; Matt. 5:8; Isaiah 33:17; Job 19:26, 
 2.7 ; I John 3 :2, and others. 
 
 543. Are There Degrees in Heaven? 
 
 There are several passages that would seem to indi- 
 cate the probability of degrees. Daniel's famous pas- 
 sage relative to the soul-winners who will "shine as 
 the stars forever" is one ; Paul implies a similar diver- 
 sity when he speaks of one star differing from an- 
 other in glory; so did Jesus in his reply to the two 
 disciples for whom it was asked that they should sit 
 at his right and left hand in his kingdom. The parable 
 of the talents also bears a kindred interpretation. 
 
 544. Will Infants Be Saved? 
 
 In the passage in Rom. 5:18 the sin of Adam and 
 the merits of Christ are pronounced as co-extensive; 
 
The Hereafter 545 
 
 the words In both cases are practically identical : 
 "Judgment came upon all men" and "the free gift 
 came upon all men." If the whole human race be in- 
 cluded in the condemnation for original sin, then the 
 whole race must also be included in the justification 
 through Christ's sacrifice. Children dying in infancy, 
 before the age of understanding or moral responsi- 
 bility, are all partakers of this inclusive justification. 
 Were it otherwise, a very large proportion of the 
 human race would have no share in this "free gift," 
 but would be condemned for sin which they never 
 committed, which is contrary to the divine characteris- 
 tics of love and justice, contrary to the apostolic teach- 
 ings, and contrary to the spirit and language of the 
 Master himself, who said of the innocent children : "Of 
 such is the kingdom of heaven." This is the general 
 attitude of theology today on this matter. Faith al- 
 ways presupposes knowledge and power to exercise 
 it, and as a little child has neither, it has no moral 
 responsibility. Even so stern a theologian as Calvin 
 held practically this view. Any other conception of 
 God would make him a Moloch instead of a loving 
 Father. 
 
 545. What Will Be the Status of Infants in 
 Heaven ? 
 
 The only pertinent passage we recall is the incident 
 of David and his infant child (II Sam. 12:23), in 
 which he expressed the belief that he would go to him. 
 Evidently he expected joy in meeting the child and ex- 
 pected recognition. Christ made an enigmatical remark 
 about the angels of children (Matt. 18:10), as if im- 
 plying that children had angels as their guardians in 
 
546 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 heaven. Then, too, he took a child and set him before 
 his disciples with the words : "Of such is the kingdom 
 of heaven" (Matt. 19 :i4). In the spiritual state, when 
 the body is left behind, there is no question of growth. 
 It is a matter of development. What condition then 
 is so favorable to a beautiful development as the at- 
 mosphere of heaven? That must be a very beautiful 
 nature, which never having sinned, has grown up in 
 heaven in such society as exists there. There is no 
 reason to suppose that the future life will be other 
 than one of progress, and this would imply progress in 
 growth in every direction. We can only conjecture, 
 'however, what that growth will mean in the spiritual 
 world. 
 
 546. Will the Heathen Be Lost? What does 
 Scripture teach on the Subject ? 
 
 The greatest minds in religion and philosophy have 
 discussed the fate of the unevangelized heathen. Jus- 
 tin Martyr and Clement held that they were called 
 justified and saved by their philosophy and their vir- 
 tuous lives under natural law. Zwingle contended that 
 the heathen who had never been evangelized would be 
 forgiven through the merits of Christ, although they 
 had never heard of him. Christ himself said (Matt. 
 11:20-24) that the wicked but ignorant people of 
 ancient Sodom and Gomorrah (who lived long before 
 the Gospel age) would be more tolerantly dealt with 
 than those who had heard the Gospel and rejected it. 
 Paul (Rom. 2:14, 26, 27) shows that those not having 
 either the law or the Gospel "may be a law unto them- 
 selves." We cannot therefore assert that the heathen 
 who died in ignorance of Christ are beyond the reach 
 
The Hereafter 546 
 
 of the Divine mercy, although we may not know in 
 what form that mercy may be extended. In every age 
 and every land God had his witnesses in the person of 
 good men and women, whose upright lives, even under 
 natural law, were a blessing to those around them. 
 Who shall say that such are not acceptable to him? 
 (See Acts 10:35.) The whole question of heathen 
 salvation is one concerning which no one has a right 
 to dogmatize. It should be left in God's hands. John 
 Wesley wrote on this subject: "We have no author- 
 ity from the Word of God to judge 'those that are 
 without'," and he also wrote, toward the close of his 
 ministry, "He that f eareth God and worketh righteous- 
 ness according to the light he has, is acceptable to 
 God." (See Rom. 4:9.) God, who will judge all, 
 will not judge unjustly. Every person will be judged 
 according to the light he has had. There is no explicit 
 statement as to the condition of the heathen who died 
 without hearing the Gospel, and there was no reason 
 why God should tell us what he does in respect to 
 them. As, however, we are told that there is no way 
 of attaining eternal life except through Christ, there 
 is abundant and urgent reason for the church to make 
 earnest effort to carry the Gospel to those who have 
 not heard it. The heathen are in God's hand ; it would 
 be presumption on our part to say what he will do with 
 them. It is sufficient for us to know that it is our duty 
 to preach the word of salvation "to every creature." 
 We can see no way in which salvation can come to 
 those who died without the Gospel ; but that does not 
 prove that, in the infinite resources of God's compas- 
 sion, there is no way. 
 
547 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 547. Does Not the Revelation of God's Love 
 Make the Doctrine of Hell Incredible? 
 
 Not in all its aspects. God has not revealed definitely 
 what kind of place the abode of the lost is, but mere- 
 ly that it is a place of weeping, gnashing of teeth and 
 intense suffering, typified by burning. The idea is 
 not inconsistent with what we know of sin here. We 
 know the kind of a life a young man will lead in his 
 premature old age if he gives himself to vice in his 
 youth. However loving his father may be, he cannot 
 save the lad from physical suffering if he persists in 
 evil courses. He can only warn him, and God does 
 that with his children. We have no ground given us 
 for expecting that God will give another opportunity, 
 although he may do so, for there are no limits to his 
 mercy; but it is an awful risk to run. Our duty is to 
 accept the opportunity that is offered now and not to 
 speculate on the possibility of there being another. The 
 terms of the offer read to us like those of a final offer. 
 We cannot conceive of God being inconsistent. The 
 punishment of the impenitent seems to be not so much 
 an infliction by God, as the result of choice on the part 
 of the sufferer. You may have seen a boy at school, in 
 spite of all warnings and all advice, neglect his lessons 
 and give his time to play and idleness. Can he blame 
 his teacher or his parents, if at the end of his school 
 life he is ignorant and is unfit for a profession? If 
 a young man voluntarily associates with men of foul 
 life and coarse manners and acquires their habits, do 
 you blame a refined lady if she excludes him from her 
 home? If a child who has been warned against touch- 
 ing a hot stove and has had the consequences explained 
 to him, avails himself of a brief absence of his mother 
 
The Hereafter 548 
 
 to lay his hand on the glowing metal, he must not 
 blame his mother when he suffers. If he is so badly 
 burned that he loses his hand, he goes through life 
 maimed because of that momentary act. We do not 
 blame the mother, or charge her with being incon- 
 sistent. All her love cannot save him from the conse- 
 quences of his own perversity. When a man deliberate- 
 ly chooses sin after being warned of the consequences, 
 and refuses the offer of pardon and regeneration, what 
 is to be expected as to his future? Still, we are not to 
 judge others, and above all we should not attempt to 
 set limits to the Divine mercy. 
 
 548. Is There Any Bible Warrant for Believing 
 in Repentance after Death? 
 
 The well-known passage "That at the name of Jesus 
 every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things 
 in earth and things under the earth" (Phil. 2:10), has 
 been construed by some to imply that there may be 
 repentance after death. It rather implies a confession 
 of Christ's supremacy and triumph. We can imagine 
 a man dying impenitent, realizing afterwards how 
 foolish as well as how wicked he has been. You re- 
 member that in the parable of Dives and Lazarus 
 (Luke 16:27, 28), the rich man was so convinced of 
 his folly that he begged for his brothers to be warned, 
 lest they, too, should be lost. James, too (2:19), says 
 that the devils believe and tremble. It is not so much 
 a question of whether there is repentance after death, 
 as whether repentance avails then. It is not for us to 
 limit the mercy of God, but there is nothing in the 
 Bible to encourage the hope of there being an oppor- 
 tunity of gaining salvation after death. Any man 
 
549 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 postponing repentance till then, runs an appalling risk 
 against which he is emphatically warned. That there 
 is no chance for repentance after death cannot be 
 absolutely proved, but the trend of Bible teaching is 
 in that direction. The passage (Ecc. 11:3), "If the 
 tree fall toward the north," etc., is often quoted in 
 proof, but the inference is not decisive. So also is 
 Rev. 22:11, "He that is filthy, let him be filthy Still," 
 etc., which is more to the purpose, but not absolute 
 proof. Another passage implying the hopelessness of 
 the lost is Luke 16:26, "Between us and you there is 
 a great gulf fixed, so that they which would pass from 
 hence to you, cannot," etc. The burden of proof, how- 
 ever, seems to be on those who contend that there is 
 opportunity of repentance after death. Where there 
 are such momentous issues at stake, a man must have 
 very positive assurance of there being the opportunity 
 before he decides to run the risk, and he does not 
 appear to us to have any ground at all. 
 
 549. What Is the Paradise Which Jesus Prom- 
 ised the Repentant Thief? 
 
 Jesus' answer to the appeal of the penitent thief on 
 the cross "gave him what he needed most — the as- 
 surance of rest and peace. The word 'paradise' meant 
 to him repose and shelter, the greatest contrast possi- 
 ble to the thirst and agony and shame of the hours 
 upon the cross." Paul speaks of degrees of heavenly 
 exaltation (II Cor. 12:3), and the religious teaching 
 of the Jews of that day taught this. The promise 
 spoken by the Saviour, however we may interpret it, 
 conveyed to the penitent the assurance that his future 
 
The Hereafter 550-551 
 
 place would be one best fitted for him, and beyond this 
 it is useless to speculate. 
 
 550. Does the Soul Exist Apart from the Body 
 
 after Death? 
 
 Paul evidently looked forward to such a condition 
 when he said that he was willing to be absent from the 
 body and present with the Lord (II Cor. 5:8). He 
 refers to the subject again in I Thess. 4:14, when he 
 speaks of Christ bringing with him before the resurrec- 
 tion them, who sleep in him. John saw (Rev. 6:10) the 
 souls of the martyrs under the altar, clearly without 
 their bodies. The parable of Dives and Lazarus (Luke 
 16:19-31) implies that the resurrection had not taken 
 place when Dives made his petition to Abraham, inas- 
 much as the five brothers were still living. The cor- 
 rected translation of the well-known passage in Job 
 19:26, makes it read, "Yet without my flesh shall I 
 see God." These are a few of the passages directly 
 implying the doctrine, though there are teachers, very 
 sincere in their belief, who put another construction on 
 the passages, and others making them harmonize with 
 the doctrine that the soul has no separate existence. 
 
 551. Will There Be a Millennium and [What 
 
 Will It Be Like? 
 
 There are some Christians who do not look for a 
 personal reign of Christ on the earth. Those who do 
 so, base their belief chiefly on such passages as Rev. 
 2o:4r6: "They shall be priests of God and of Christ, 
 and shall reign with him a thousand years." Isaiah 
 2:3, which describes the extent of Christ's dominion. 
 Isaiah 1 1 -.9, which describes the change of disposition 
 
 25 
 
552 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 in the animal creation. Zech. 14:16-21, which predicts 
 the supremacy and purity of his reign and Heb. 8:10, 
 11, promising the universal acceptance of Christianity. 
 Besides these, there are the promises to Abraham of 
 the possession by his descendants of an area they have 
 never yet possessed, and those that Christ would oc- 
 cupy the throne of David. The Scriptures do not give 
 clear or definite accounts of the conditions of life 
 in the millennium, but we infer that it will be a time 
 of extraordinary conversion, and that great multitudes 
 will be born again in a day. (See Micah 4:2; Is. 
 2:2-4.) See Rev. 20:4, 5. The apostle appears to 
 teach (I Cor. 15:35-52) that a new spiritual body will 
 be given in place of the one that has turned to dust. 
 
 552. Have Angels Wings? 
 
 There is little positive Scriptural authority for the 
 popular conception of the angelic form as endowed 
 with wings. The "angels" of the Bible, who visited 
 men, seem to have appeared in the human form, and 
 were often accepted and entertained as men until, 
 through the utterance of some remarkable prophecy or 
 the manifestation of some supernatural quality, their 
 spiritual nature was disclosed. The fact that they 
 were "messengers" of God, may have supplied basis 
 for the idea that they have wings as a means of swift 
 and ethereal progression. The winged cherubim and 
 seraphim seem to belong to a higher order of celestial 
 beings than those designated "angels," since they are 
 always represented as standing in the immediate pres- 
 ence of God in heaven or guarding his dwelling-place 
 on earth. The golden cherubim watching over the 
 mercy-seat in the ark of the covenant were four- 
 
The Hereafter 553-554 
 
 winged, so were those mighty figures under whose 
 outstretched pinions the ark was placed in Solomon's 
 Temple. Four-winged were the "living creatures" of 
 Ezekiers dream, "who every one went straight forward 
 whither the spirit was to go." Six-winged were the 
 seraphim of Isaiah's vision, who stood above the 
 "Throne of the Lord," crying, "Holy, holy, holy is the 
 Lord of hosts" — almost the same song which later 
 the four-winged "beasts" of Revelation cried day and 
 night before the Throne. 
 
 553. What Is Meant By "a New Heaven and 
 
 a New Earth"? 
 
 Rev. 21 gives a vivid description of the "'new heaven 
 and new earth." It has been a fruitful subject of 
 comment, some holding that the earth, having been 
 cursed by sin, will be redeemed, regenerated, purified, 
 and transformed by the "second Adam" and made a 
 fit dwelling-place for the righteous, where the law of 
 love shall prevail and God shall be all in all. The 
 "new heaven" is interpreted to mean the firmament 
 above us. Thus the "new creation" is interpreted to 
 mean the restoration of the physical universe as the 
 final abode of glorified, deathless and sinless humanity. 
 Others hold that the teaching is clear that the present 
 earth is to be literally destroyed, and that the promise 
 of a new heaven and a new earth will be fulfilled, as 
 he hath said: "Behold I make all things new." 
 
 554. What Is to Be Understood by the Silence 
 
 Mentioned in Rev. 8:1? 
 
 While the whole book of Revelation is of that liter- 
 ary character which may be described as mystical, 
 
555 Difficult Bible Questions 
 
 dealing extensively in types and metaphors, there are 
 occasional passages in which the writer descends to 
 simpler language for the purpose of more clearly con- 
 veying his meaning. The half hour of silence in heaven 
 at the breaking of the last seal is not to be reckoned 
 by minutes and seconds, but is purely a figure of 
 speech. It is meant to convey to the mind a long, 
 solemn pause by way of introduction to the joys and 
 activities of the eternal Sabbath rest of God'^ people, 
 which begins with the reading of the sealed book. The 
 preceding chapters have run through the course of 
 Divine action, where everything unites in a solemn 
 hush for the final act. In the ancient Jewish temple, 
 the instrumental music and singing, which formed the 
 first part of the service, were hushed immediately be- 
 fore the offering of the incense 2 so this pause im- 
 mediately precedes the adoration of the blessed spirits 
 and the angels and the imminent unfolding of God's 
 judgment. See similar figurative expressions in Rev. 
 17:12, 18:10, 19. 
 
 555. What Becomes of the Soul in the Interval 
 between Death and the Resurrection? 
 
 There are three passages from which an inference 
 may be drawn, in the absence of an explicit statement 
 in the Bible. The first of these is Christ's assurance 
 to the penitent thief (Luke 23 143) : "This day shalt 
 thou be with me in Paradise." We are not sure what 
 Paradise meant, but it was evidently a place of con- 
 scious existence, if it was not heaven itself. A second 
 passage is contained in the parable of Dives and Laza- 
 rus (Luke 16:19-31). Some allowance must be made 
 for the form of picture teaching Christ used, but he 
 
The Hereafter 555 
 
 certainly described the rich man as being conscious 
 and being able to see, hear, speak and feel at a time 
 when his brothers were alive upon earth. This in- 
 dicated a conscious existence for the soul prior to the 
 resurrection. The third passage is Paul's expression 
 of a desire for death (Phil. 1:23). He wished "to 
 depart and to be with Christ." It is not likely that he 
 would have had such a wish if he expected to sleep 
 until the resurrection. So active and energetic a man 
 would have wished to live and work for Christ rather 
 than to lie unconscious in the grave. He clearly ex- 
 pected that as soon as he died he would be with Christ. 
 These are a few of the statements from which the 
 inference is drawn that man goes immediately after 
 death to his reward and does not wait for the resur- 
 rection. It is not clear that Paul expected a resurrec- 
 tion of the body at all. He expected to receive a new 
 body (I Cor. 15:37) — not the body that was laid in 
 the grave. 
 
INDEX OF CONTENTS 
 
 No. 
 
 Aaron, His rod 26, 27 
 
 Abba, Meaning of 157 
 
 Abednego 59 
 
 Abraham, Sacrifice of 20 
 
 Abraham Seeing God . 21 
 
 Abraham, Was Sarai his rel- 
 ative 43 
 
 Abraham, Visit of three men 
 
 to 21 
 
 Accident, Being killed in, as 
 
 a punishment 332 
 
 Adam, Color of 24 
 
 Adam, Did he eat the forbid- 
 den fruit 23 
 
 Adam, Language of 25 
 
 Adversary, Agreeing with. . . 377 
 
 Airship, Prophecy about 161 
 
 Ajalon, Miracle at 22 
 
 Altar, First . . . , 48 
 
 Amelek, His fate 45 
 
 Ammonites 46 
 
 Amorites 47 
 
 Angels — Of the little ones. . . 256 
 
 Angels, Wings of 552 
 
 Apostles' Creed, Origin of., in 
 
 Apostles, Conversion of 139 
 
 Apostles, Why twelve? 119 
 
 Apostles, Deaths of 120 
 
 Apostles, Gift of Tongues, 
 
 Retention of, by 140 
 
 Apostolic Heresies 186 
 
 Ark, Noah' s — Dimensions 
 
 and materials of 90 
 
 Armageddon, Battle of 158 
 
 Associations, Uncongenial... 333 
 Atonement — Was it an Old 
 
 Testament belief? 335 
 
 Atonement — Limitations of. . 336 
 Automobile, Prophecy about 161 
 
 No. 
 
 Babel — Language of 49 
 
 Captivity at, Cause of 50 
 
 Backslider 349 
 
 Hope for 350 
 
 Balaam, Why God was angry 
 
 with 51 
 
 Balthasar (See Magi). 
 
 Baptized for the Dead 161 
 
 Baptism of Fire 160 
 
 Baptized unto Death 167 
 
 Beast, Mark of..... 162 
 
 Believer, Associating with 
 
 unbelievers 401 
 
 Signs following 293 
 
 Believing, What is 400 
 
 Believer, Wife as, sanctify- 
 ing unbelieving husband. 452 
 Believers, Witness surround. 202 
 Belshazzar, Language of mes- 
 sage to S 2 
 
 Bethlehem, Star of 207 
 
 Bible, Chapters alike in 42 
 
 Book of — Authors 1 
 
 Curiosities of II 
 
 Symbols in 12 
 
 Symbolical numbers of 13 
 
 Use of number seven in. . . 14 
 Use of number forty in. . . 15 
 
 Inspiration of 2 
 
 Authenticity of, proof 4 
 
 History of, substantiated.. 8 
 
 Omitted books in 17 
 
 Famous songs in 18 
 
 Birth New 3* 1 
 
 New, Is ever unnecessary? 453 
 
 Blessed, Who are the 402 
 
 Blessing, Wealth as 393 
 
 Blood, Shedding of, without 
 which no remission 5^9 
 
 386 
 
Index of Contents 
 
 387 
 
 No. 
 
 Body, Take no thought for . . 298 
 
 Will it rise on resurrection 532 
 
 Bread, Cast thy, on the waters 516 
 
 Cain, Facts about 53 
 
 Mark upon 53 
 
 Wif e's name . . . . , 28 
 
 Called, Many are, but few are 
 
 chosen 3 2 5 
 
 Canaan, Number of Israel en- 
 tering . . . 54 
 
 Canaanites, Sin of 55 
 
 Captivity, Babylonian, cause 
 
 of 50 
 
 Caspar (see Magi). 
 Celibacy, is it a Bible com- 
 mand? 337 
 
 Cheek, Turn to him the other 
 
 cheek 26S 
 
 Child, Little, blessed by Jesus, 
 
 Identity of 287 
 
 Chosen, Few, of many called 325 
 
 Christ, Being in 168 
 
 High priest _ 211 
 
 Influence of, on lives of 
 
 men 449 
 
 Language used by 248 
 
 Not knowing time of end. . 291 
 Omniscience of, in the flesh 290 
 Parable between, and Adam 504 
 Christ, Reference to, in con- 
 temporaneous writers... 5 
 
 Risen with 169 
 
 Christian, Can he keep the 
 
 moral law 356 
 
 Conduct of 403 
 
 Joy of 446 
 
 Keeping commandments... 348 
 
 Bible definition of 170 
 
 Christians, First 171 
 
 Christianity, Compelling ac- 
 ceptance of 338 
 
 Christmas Day, Date fixed.. 173 
 
 Church, First so-called 172 
 
 Attendance at 405 
 
 Joining of, as means of sal- 
 vation 404 
 
 No. 
 
 Church, Wealth of, signs of 
 
 spirituality 406 
 
 Spiritual 339 
 
 Churches, Women, silence in 498 
 Cloth, New, on old garments. 330 
 Commandments, Must Chris- 
 tians keep 348 
 
 Whoever shall break the 
 
 least 254 
 
 Coming, Second Conversion 
 
 whole world before 340 
 
 Confession, Is, a Christian 
 
 duty 407 
 
 Confirmation, Scriptural au- 
 thority for 408 
 
 Communion, Examination be- 
 fore 398 
 
 Unleavened bread at 409 
 
 Conscience, What is 410 
 
 Approving wrong . . , 411 
 
 Voice of, that of Holy 
 
 Spirit 412 
 
 Consecration, How, is accom- 
 plished 413 
 
 Conversion, Is, same as re- 
 generation 414 
 
 How is, accomplished 415 
 
 Of whole world before sec- 
 ond coming 340 
 
 Creation, Act of 174 
 
 Date of 56 
 
 Time consumed in 57 
 
 Creed, Origin of Apostles'., in 
 Crimes, Equal in guilt.*..... 341 
 Criticism, Higher, What is?. 3 
 Crucify, Son of God 510 
 
 Damnation, Meaning of 528 
 
 Dancing, Biblical prohibition 
 
 of 417 
 
 Daniel, Brothers of 59 
 
 Companions of, in lion's 
 
 den 59 
 
 David, His wives 60 
 
 Justification for execution 
 
 of Joab and Shim 58 
 
 Why man after God's own 
 heart 61 
 
388 
 
 Index of Contents 
 
 No. 
 
 Dead, Baptized for 161 
 
 Let the, bury their dead.. 
 
 258, 327 
 
 Not, but sleepeth 285 
 
 Death, Baptized unto 167 
 
 Repentance after 548 
 
 Second 530 
 
 What does it do to the 
 
 body? m 531 
 
 Does soul exist apart from 
 
 the body after 550 
 
 Sin unto 329 
 
 The Lord's, showing it till 
 
 He comes 522 
 
 Demoniac possession 175 
 
 Destruction — People chosen 
 
 for, by God 344 
 
 Devils, Casting out of 165 
 
 Devil, Creation of 347 
 
 Disciples, Greater works to 
 
 be done by them 315 
 
 Disciples, Marriage of 141 
 
 Disease, Is it sent by God. . . 418 
 Dispensation, New — Justifica- 
 tion is it same as under 
 
 old 354 
 
 Dispensation, Old — Justifica- 
 tion under, is it same as 
 
 under new 354 
 
 Divine likeness, How man 
 
 created in 176 
 
 Divorce, Bible teaching about 361 
 Doubt, Ridding oneself of . . . 419 
 
 Earth, New 553 
 
 Population of before and 
 
 after flood 65 
 
 East, Jews face when pray- 
 ing 73 
 
 Edomites 62 
 
 Egypt, Date of Joseph's ar- 
 rival in 31 
 
 Date of Jacob's arrival in. , 32 
 
 Date of Famine in 30 
 
 Egyptian^ Shepherds are 
 
 abomination to 103 
 
 Elias, This is, which was to 
 come 263 
 
 No. 
 
 Elect, Meaning of 177 
 
 Elijah, His body, what be- 
 came of it 63 
 
 End—-Christ not knowing 
 
 time of 291 
 
 Endor, Witch of, Did she 
 raise spirit of Samuel. . . 109 
 
 Essenes 142 
 
 Eternal Life, Ordained to. . . 505 
 
 Eve, Name 29 
 
 Evil, Emanating from God. . 343 
 
 Faith — Removing mountains 275 
 Faith-healing — Is it a lost 
 
 art? 442 
 
 Faith — What is 422, 423 
 
 Falsehood — Is, ever Justifi- 
 able 424 
 
 Famine, Great, date of 30 
 
 Fasting, Necessity of 450 
 
 Father, Hating, for Jesus' 
 
 sake 299 
 
 Fear — of God 426 
 
 Feeding, Five thousand, Mir- 
 acle of 286 
 
 Fellow-man, Loving our 455 
 
 Fig tree, blighted, miracle of 289 
 
 Fire, Baptism of 160 
 
 Saved as by 178 
 
 Strange, meaning of 179 
 
 Flood, Population of Earth 
 
 before and after 65 
 
 Rain before 64 
 
 Footwashing, Lesson of 319 
 
 Why not kept up ? 422 
 
 Forgiveness, Assurance of . . . 334 
 
 Effect of 425 
 
 Fruit, Forbidden, Did Adam 
 
 eat 23 
 
 Fruit, Forbidden, What is. . . 180 
 
 Generation, What is a 182 
 
 Giants 164 
 
 Giants 164 
 
 Gifts, spiritual 181 
 
 Given, whosoever hath to him 
 shall be 296 
 
Index of Contents 
 
 389 
 
 No. 
 
 Giving, Blessing of 431 
 
 God, Adoption by 435 
 
 Seen of Abraham 21 
 
 Why angry with Balaam ... 51 
 Children of, by nature. v . 508 
 Children of, interfered with 
 
 by Satan 345 
 
 Choosing people for de- 
 struction 344 
 
 Devotedness to 439 
 
 Evil emanating from 343 
 
 Fearing 426 
 
 Good coming from 351 
 
 His heart, David man after 61 
 
 God's Image, Meaning of 184 
 
 God — Joined together by 269 
 
 Judgment of, Misfortune as 367 
 Kingdom of, Establishing 
 
 before judgment day 355 
 
 Kingdom of, within you . . . 328 
 Kingdom of, What and 
 
 where is ...» 166 
 
 Living close to 434 
 
 Loving 432, 436 
 
 Loving, all things work for 
 
 good 519 
 
 Love of, toward man, in- 
 dividuality of 358 
 
 Pardon of 438 
 
 Praising 437 
 
 Praying acceptably to 458 
 
 Reflecting 433 
 
 "So loved the world," au- 
 thor of 320 
 
 Sons of (see Giants). 
 
 Son of, crucify, afresh 510 
 
 Will of 440 
 
 Godliness, Profit of 429 
 
 Good, Coming from God... 351 
 
 Why callest thou me 288 
 
 Gospel, Authors of 9 
 
 Dates of writing of 10 
 
 Gospels — Pauline, do they 
 contain all things needful 370 
 
 Gulf, Inseparable 304 
 
 Grace, Growth in 430 
 
 Grace, What is 441 
 
 No. 
 Heart, New 443 
 
 Heathen, Damnation of 546 
 
 Heaven, Does one go directly 
 
 to, after death 533 
 
 Degrees in 543 
 
 Seeing God in 542 
 
 Happiness in 541 
 
 Infants in 544, 545 
 
 New 553 
 
 Silence in 554 
 
 And earth shall pass away 278 
 Hell — Incredibility of doc- 
 trine of 547 
 
 Who is able to destroy both 
 
 soul and body in 260 
 
 Herbs, Bitter, Used at Pass- 
 over 91 
 
 Hereafter — Were Jews 
 
 taught to look forward to 526 
 Of one living nobly but not 
 
 a Christian 529 
 
 Is it to be dreaded? 535 
 
 Recognition in the 537 
 
 What will be like 538 
 
 Shall we work in 539 
 
 What of wives and hus- 
 bands in 540 
 
 Heresies in Apostolic times. . 186 
 Herodians — Who were they. 146 
 
 Hittites 68 
 
 Hivites 69 
 
 Holy Spirit — Neuter gender 
 
 applied to 352 
 
 Resisting the 444 
 
 As guide 445 
 
 Being baptized with 525 
 
 Husks — That swine did eat. . 301 
 
 Idolatry, Commencement of. 67 
 Image of God, Meaning of. . 184 
 Immortality — Belief in before 
 
 Christian era 527 
 
 In Christ 168 
 
 Incarnation— Possibility of 
 
 repetition of 363 
 
 Indulgence, What is an 187 
 
 Infants, Saving of 544 
 
390 
 
 Index of Contents 
 
 No. 
 Inspiration — Spiritual, What 
 
 is 2A 
 
 Of speeches of Job's friends 80 
 
 Ishmaelites 70 
 
 Israel, How many of, entered 
 Canaan 54 
 
 Jacob, Change in spiritual na- 
 ture . 71 
 
 Date of arrival in Egypt. . 32 
 
 James, Early life of 147 
 
 Jerusalem, Temple built in.. j6 
 
 Times destroyed 75 
 
 Walls of 34 
 
 Japhthah — Sacrifice of his 
 
 daughter 72 
 
 Jesus — Meaning of name 247 
 
 Date of birth of 204 
 
 Genealogy of 205 
 
 Brothers of 206 
 
 Increase in wisdom of 209 
 
 Journey to Egypt of 208 
 
 Age when began to under- 
 stand his mission 210 
 
 How could, be weary 212 
 
 Baptism of 213 
 
 Making wine 214 
 
 First sermon of 215 
 
 Hymns sung by 216 
 
 Temptation of 217, 219 
 
 Could he sin ? 218 
 
 Transfiguration 221 
 
 Anointment of 222 
 
 Prayer of, at Last Supper. 223 
 Prayer of, in Garden of 
 
 Gethsemane 226 
 
 Suffering of, Was it phys- 
 ical or mental 228 
 
 Crucifixion of, time 231 
 
 Crucifixion of, duration... 230 
 Cross of, Inscription on... 229 
 On way to Calvary, was he 
 
 happy? 232 
 
 Death of, Who was guilty 
 
 of, Jews or Romans?... 241 
 Death of, Was it of broken 
 heart? 233 
 
 No. 
 Jesus — Could He have come 
 down from the Cross ? . . 236 
 
 Casting lots for clothes of. 242 
 
 Burial — How long in 
 grave ? 240 
 
 Resurrection of — In what 
 body ? 239 
 
 Resurrection of — W here 
 did he get the garments 
 he wore at 238 
 
 Resurrection of — -Appear- 
 ances after 237 
 
 Resurrection of — Why did 
 not want to be touched 
 after 243 
 
 Ascension — Was it in hu- 
 man form ? 244 
 
 Did he baptize ? 494 
 
 Who art Thou ? 314 
 
 For His sake, hating 
 father, mother, etc 299 
 
 As master 277 
 
 Did he abrogate the law?. . 253 
 
 Marks of Lord Jesus 190 
 
 Jews — Face east when pray- 
 ing 73 
 
 Kings, succession of 36 
 
 Kings of, twelfth tribe at 
 time of 107 
 
 Name of Hebrews, obtain- 
 ing of 185 
 
 Origin of name of 35 
 
 Returning to Palestine 353 
 
 Were they taught to look 
 forward to a hereafter.. 526 
 
 Joab, Execution of 58 
 
 Job, Book of — Is it history or 
 allegory 81 
 
 Who was he ? 77 
 
 Day of his birth blotted 
 out. Was it Feb. 29th?. 79 
 
 Speeches of his friends. 
 Are they inspired ? 80 
 
 Was he given into hands of 
 
 Satan 78 
 
 John — Birth and early train- 
 ing 114 
 
Index of Contents 
 
 391 
 
 No. 
 John—If I will that he tarry 318 
 Least in the kingdom great- 
 er than 294 
 
 Last chapter, Did he write 112 
 
 John, Baptist — Food of 113 
 
 Date of death 115, 116 
 
 Was he Elijah 117 
 
 Place in prophecy 118 
 
 Jonah, His whale 148 
 
 Joseph, Date of arrival in 
 
 Egypt ; .. 31 
 
 Judah, Kings of, letting their 
 sons pass through fire. . . 82 
 
 Judas — Why an apostle? 135 
 
 Was he a devil ? 136 
 
 Death of 137 
 
 Death of, Causes of 138 
 
 Did Christ know was not a 
 
 a true believer ? 292 
 
 Was he at Last Supper ? . . 224 
 What value of thirty pieces 
 of silver received by. . . . 225 
 Judgment Day — Establishing 
 kingdom of God before. . 355 
 
 Judging — Wrong of 447 
 
 Justification under new and 
 old dispensation 354 
 
 Karaites 149 
 
 Keys, Commission of, to 
 
 Peter 267 
 
 Kingdom of God, What and 
 
 where is 166 
 
 Kingdom — Of God within 
 
 you 328 
 
 Mystery of 284 
 
 Son of man coming in his. 251 
 Children of, shall be cast 
 out into utter darkness. . 257 
 
 Kings, Jewish 36 
 
 Knowledge — Tree of, Pur- 
 pose of 199 
 
 Laborers, Parable of 273 
 
 Land of Nod 53 
 
 Language — Of Adam 25 
 
 Of Babel 49 
 
 Of Belshazzar's message.. 52 
 
 No. 
 Law — Did Jesus abrogate it? 253 
 Moral — Can Christian 
 
 keep? 356 
 
 Tittle of, not to fail 306 
 
 Law-suit — By Christian 489 
 
 Lazarus — Life of, after his 
 
 resurrection 150 
 
 Rich man and, parable of. . 280 
 Liberality — To be com- 
 mended 448 
 
 Life — Tree of, Details about 200 
 
 Moral, Can it save? 380 
 
 Take no thought for 298 
 
 Life Insurance, Bible teach- 
 ing about 357 
 
 Likeness — Divine — How man 
 
 created in 176 
 
 Lives of men, Christ's in- 
 fluence on 449 
 
 Locusts, Food of John the 
 
 Baptist 113 
 
 Lord — The, Giveth and taketh 
 
 away 502 
 
 The, Seek ye Him while 
 
 He may be found 503 
 
 Lord's Prayer — Different ver- 
 sions of 249 
 
 Parallel to 250 
 
 Lord's Day — Distinction from 
 
 Sabbath 194 
 
 Lost Tribes 83 
 
 Lot, Children of (see Am- 
 monites). 
 
 Wife of, her fate 84 
 
 Love, First, Leaving of 188 
 
 Lucifer — Name of Satan 189 
 
 Lydia 151 
 
 Magi — Who were they? 191 
 
 Manna, What was it ? 37 
 
 Mammon — Of unrighteous- 
 ness 307 
 
 Man — Dual nature of 368 
 
 Mark, Cain's 53 
 
 Mark of the Lord Jesus 190 
 
 Marriage, Approved between 
 unbeliever and believer. . 362 
 Bible teaching about 361 
 
S92 
 
 Index of Contents 
 
 No. 
 Marriage — C h r i s t ian with 
 
 non-Christian 451 
 
 Did Paul discourage ? 360 
 
 Mary — Number of in Bible. . 154 
 Was she of tribe of Judah? 152 
 
 Parents of 153 
 
 Master — Jesus so called 277 
 
 Melchior (see Magi). 
 
 Melchiesedec, Christ like 211 
 
 Who was he? 85 
 
 Meekness, as virtue 313 
 
 Meshach 59 
 
 Michael — Dispute with Satan 
 
 over Moses' body 88 
 
 Millennium — What is the. ... 551 
 Minister — Son of man came 
 
 to 274 
 
 Ministry — Call to 364 
 
 Qualifications for 365 
 
 Trained, How long have we 
 
 had ? 366 
 
 Miracle at A jalon 22 
 
 Miracles — At present time . . . 359 
 Jesus wanted His, kept 
 
 quiet 259 
 
 Of loaves and fishes, What 
 
 kind of baskets used 286 
 
 Of blighted fig tree 289 
 
 Of making wine 308 
 
 At pool of Bethesda 331 
 
 Miraculous conception 203 
 
 Misfortune — Is it judgment 
 
 of God 367 
 
 Mizpah, Meaning of 38 
 
 Moabites 86 
 
 Morrow, Take no thought for 
 
 the 321 
 
 Moses — Body of, Dispute 
 over between Michael 
 
 and Satan 88 
 
 Rod 40 
 
 Striking rock 87 
 
 Wife, Name of 39 
 
 Mother — Hating for Jesus' 
 
 sake 299 
 
 Music — In church 499, 500 
 
 Mystery — Of the kingdom. . . 284 
 
 No. 
 Name — Jesus — Origin of.... 35 
 
 Nature — Dual in man 368 
 
 Nebuchadnezzar — Did he eat 
 
 grass? 89 
 
 Needle, Eye of 270 
 
 Negro, First 33 
 
 Saving of 369 
 
 Neighbor, Who is my 454 
 
 Nephilim (see Giants). 
 
 Nestorians 155 
 
 Nicolaitanes 156 
 
 Noah — Ark — Materials and 
 
 dimensions of 90 
 
 Nod, Land of 53 
 
 Old Testament — Compilation 
 
 of 16 
 
 Ordained to eternal life 505 
 
 Overcoming — Like Jesus 456 
 
 Palestine — Jews returning to 353 
 Parables — Of Jesus, allusion 
 to historical characters in 281 
 Unto them that are with- 
 out are these things done 
 
 in 283 
 
 Parables — Of the laborers. . . 272 
 Of return of unclean spirit 27^ 
 Of man without wedding 
 
 garment 265, 324 
 
 Of the talents 276 
 
 Of rich man and Lazarus 
 
 279, 280, 305 
 
 What was their value 297 
 
 Of prodigal son 301, 302 
 
 Of ten virgins 323 
 
 Paradise — What was the, 
 
 promised the dying thief? 549 
 Passover — Bitter herbs at... 91 
 
 Patriarchs, Age of 92 
 
 Paul — Dispute with Peter 125 
 
 Marriage of 128 
 
 Baptizing by 131 
 
 Thorn in the flesh of 134 
 
 Missionary journeys of 129 
 
 Journey to Rome 130 
 
Index of Contents 
 
 393 
 
 No. 
 Paul— -Personal appearance 
 
 of <... 124 
 
 His parents 122 
 
 Dates of his epistles 123 
 
 Part in stoning of Stephen 127 
 Belief in resurrection of, as 
 a deterrent to living a 
 
 self-indulgent life 121 
 
 Familiarity with scriptures 
 
 of 126 
 
 Advice to Timothy to 
 
 drink wine 342 
 
 Pauline Gospels (see 
 
 Gospels). 
 Peter, Communion of keys to 267 
 
 Dispute with Paul 125 
 
 Peace — I came not to send, 
 
 but the sword 261 
 
 Persons — God no respecter of 501 
 Peter — Dispute with Paul... 125 
 
 Journey to Rome 132 
 
 Conversion of 133 
 
 Loving Christ more than 
 
 the apostles 317 
 
 When converted, strength- 
 en thy brethren 303 
 
 Pharaoh — Fate of 93 
 
 Hardened — C o u 1 d he do 
 
 otherwise than he did. . . 95 
 
 Hardening of heart of . . . . 94 
 
 Pharisees — Who were they?. 144 
 
 Philistines 96 
 
 Pilate — What became of?... 234 
 Could he have done other- 
 wise? 235 
 
 Pleasures — Christian's atti- 
 tude towards 457 
 
 Polygamy — Permitted to an- 
 cients only 371 
 
 Population of earth before 
 
 and after flood 65 
 
 Pork — Prohibition against 
 
 eating, is obsolete 381 
 
 Potiphar — Wife of 41 
 
 Prayers — Answer of 372 
 
 Prayers — F o r unconverted, 
 Helpfulness of 273 
 
 No. 
 Prayers — For one from 
 whom Holy Spirit has 
 
 departed? 374 
 
 Persistently asking for 
 
 blessings in 375 
 
 Asking for definite bless- 
 ings . . . 376 
 
 God granting everything we 
 
 ask in 379 
 
 To God, How made ac- 
 ceptable 458 
 
 God, hearing those of 
 
 wicked 380 
 
 Prayer, Jews face east during 73 
 Public, Does it violate the 
 injunction to enter into 
 
 the closet? 316 
 
 Prince of the power of the 
 
 air 160 
 
 Prison — Spirits in, Who are 
 
 they? 197 
 
 Prophets — False, in sheep 
 
 clothing 322 
 
 Proverbs — Author of Book of 97 
 
 Psalms — Composer of 97 A 
 
 Punishment — Trouble as 386 
 
 To be killed in accident as . 332 
 
 Rachel — Weeping for her 
 children 98 
 
 Rain — Before flood 64 
 
 Rainbow — Visible before 
 flood 66 
 
 Readers (see Karaites). 
 Redemption — What does for 
 
 _ us? 459 
 
 Red Sea— Width of, at 
 
 Israel's crossing 99 
 
 Regeneration — What is 460 
 
 Difference between, and 
 baptism of Holy Spirit.. 461 
 
 Remorse — As discipline 462 
 
 Repentance — Ninety and nine 
 
 who need no 300 
 
 After death 548 
 
 Restitution — Where is, taught 463 
 Resurrection — Why a, fol- 
 lowed by judgment day. 534 
 
394 
 
 Index of Contents 
 
 No. 
 Retaliation — May Christians 
 
 practice 464 
 
 Revelation — Author of Book 
 
 of 19 
 
 Of the man of sin 192 
 
 Reward — S h o u 1 d Christian 
 
 work for 465 
 
 Rich man — Doubt as to his 
 
 entering kingdom 271 
 
 Rich man and Lazarus — Par- 
 able of 280 
 
 Righteous — Never forsaken. 512 
 
 Over — Impossible to be 513 
 
 Rod — Of Aaron 26, 27 
 
 Of Moses 40 
 
 Sabbath — Changing of to first 
 
 day of week 382 
 
 Changed from seventh to 
 
 first day of week 193 
 
 Distinction between Sunday 
 
 and Lord's Day 194 
 
 Observance — Duty as to . . . 457 
 Observance — Theory as to. 468 
 
 Sacrifice — Of Abraham 20 
 
 Of Jephthah 72 
 
 Sadducees — Who were they? 145 
 Saint — First application o f 
 
 term 514 
 
 Saints — Meaning of sleeping. 196 
 
 Salvation — Being sure of 466 
 
 By an honest life 380 
 
 Getting beyond God's will- 
 ingness for 469 
 
 Way of 470 
 
 Working out own 471 
 
 Acceptance of 472 
 
 Of all people — Why not ac- 
 complished ? 387 
 
 Possibility of having with- 
 out knowing it 389 
 
 Working out our own 471 
 
 Samuel — Did Witch of Endor 
 
 raise spirit of 109 
 
 Sarai — Was she related to 
 Abram? 43 
 
 No. 
 Satan — Delivery of offender 
 
 *° 521 
 
 Dispute with Michael over 
 
 Moses* body 88 
 
 In referring with God's 
 
 children 345 
 
 Name of Lucifer 189 
 
 Was Job given in his hands 78 
 
 Saul — Sin of 102 
 
 Saved yet as by fire 178 
 
 Scriptures — Why believe the. 7 
 Secret place — Meaning of... 195 
 
 Selah, Meaning of 44 
 
 Serpent — Brazen 163 
 
 Sentence of 346 
 
 Shadrach 59 
 
 Sheba — Queen of — Whence 
 
 came she . . . . s 100 
 
 Queen of — What problems 
 did she give Solomon ... 101 
 Shepherds — An abomination 
 
 to Egyptians 103 
 
 False distinguished from 
 
 a true 473 
 
 Shimei, Execution of 58 
 
 Sickness — As p u n i s h ment 
 
 from Satan 474 
 
 Sidonians 104 
 
 Signs — Following believers.. 293 
 
 Silence in heaven 554 
 
 Sin — Children punished for 
 
 parents' 481 
 
 Every willful 483 
 
 Sin — All, pardonable 484 
 
 Unpardonable 485 
 
 Doing what one considers 
 wrong though it is inno- 
 cent 486 
 
 Falling into, as evidence of 
 
 non-conversion 475 
 
 Assurance of forgiveness 
 
 °i ••; 334 
 
 Harassing of past 476 
 
 Punishment for, on earth. . 477 
 
Index of Contents 
 
 395 
 
 No. 
 Sin — Willful as cause for ex- 
 clusion from pardon. . . . 478 
 Besetting, getting over. . . . 479 
 
 Is it natural 481 
 
 Sin— Man of, revelation of . . 192 
 
 Unto death 329 
 
 Sinless — Regenerate as 480 
 
 Possibility of 482 
 
 Sleeping saints — Meaning of 196 
 Sodom — Secular history of. . 105 
 Solomon's song — Spiritual 
 
 sermon in 106 
 
 Son of Man — Coming in His 
 
 kingdom 251 
 
 Soul — In death, Does it exist 
 
 outside the body ? 550 
 
 What becomes of, in inter- 
 val between death and 
 
 resurrection? 555 
 
 Souls — More lost or more 
 
 saved 536 
 
 Winning 488 
 
 Spirit — Born of, and of water 310 
 Unclean, return of, what is 
 meant by Christ's parable 
 
 of? 265 
 
 Witness of the 312 
 
 Spirits — U n c 1 e a n, entering 
 
 herd of swine 297 
 
 In prison, Who are they?. . 197 
 
 Spiritual — Meaning of 198 
 
 Gifts— What are ? 181 
 
 Suicide — Is it a wrong? 383 
 
 Sunday — Distinction from 
 
 Sabbath 194 
 
 Supper, Last — Prayer used 
 
 at 223 
 
 Swine — Herd of — Unclean 
 
 spirits entering 297 
 
 Swords — Injunction by Christ 
 to buy 326 
 
 Talents — Parable of the 279 
 
 Tares — The, What are they? 266 
 Temple — Why built in Jeru- 
 salem ? 76 
 
 No. 
 Temptation — Is it of God?.. 490 
 
 Is it sin ? 491 
 
 Lead us not into 255 
 
 Tempted, Being, Is it sin?. . . 384 
 Tendencies — Evil, Ridding 
 
 oneself of 421 
 
 Testament, Old — Atonement 
 
 in 335 
 
 Thoughts — Impure, are sign 
 
 of non-conversion? 416 
 
 Evil, does converted person 
 
 have 420 
 
 Timothy — Advice by Paul to, 
 
 to drink wine 342 
 
 Tithes — What are ? 492 
 
 Tongues — Gift of 183 
 
 Gift of — Retention of apos- 
 tles 140 
 
 Transfiguration — Meaning of 390 
 Transubstantiation — Meaning 
 
 of 391 
 
 Tree of Life, Meaning of . . . . 200 
 
 Tribes, Lost 83 
 
 Twelfth at time of Jewish 
 
 kings 107 
 
 Trinity, The . . .^ 385 
 
 Trouble, As punishment 386 
 
 Truth, Buy the, and sell it 
 
 not 507 
 
 Unequally yoked, Meaning of 201 
 Unrighteousness — M a mm on 
 
 of, making friends with. 307 
 Usury — Bible teaching as to. 496 
 Uzzah — His sin 108 
 
 Vessel — One to honor, an- 
 other to dishonor 520 
 
 Virgins — Parable of ten 323 
 
 Visions — Where no, there 
 
 people perish 5 X 8 
 
 Of Zechariah, Meaning of. no 
 
 Walls around Jerusalem 34 
 
 War, Christian justification 
 for 497 
 
396 
 
 Index of Contents 
 
 Water, Born of, and of spirit 310 
 Wealth — A blessing or evil. . 393 
 Business man having, can 
 he be practical Christian ? 392 
 Wedding garment, Man with- 
 out 276 
 
 Weight, Laying aside every. .511 
 Wife, Believing, sanctifying 
 
 unbelieving husband 452 
 
 Hating for Jesus' sake 299 
 
 Wine— Making of, at Canaan 308 
 
 Did Christ make? 214 
 
 New, in old bottles 282 
 
 Paul's advice to Timothy to 
 
 drink 342 
 
 Wise men (see Magi). 
 
 Witch of Endor — Did she 
 raise spirit of Samuel . . . 109 
 
 Witnesses — B e 1 i e v ers sur- 
 rounded by 202 
 
 Words — Idle, that men shall 
 give account of 264 
 
 Works, Greater, that disciples 
 would do 315 
 
 Wrongdoer — F orgiving, if 
 not asked , 428 
 
 Yoked, Unequally— What is? 201 
 
 Zeal — Of thine house has 
 eaten me up 309 
 
 Zechariah — V i s i o n s o f — 
 Meaning of no 
 
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