January, 1946
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Christians I have known have been Negroes. Personally, I think the Negroes are far happier with their own race. Furthermore, I am convinced that God intended that it should be so, and that the two races should not inter marry. We owe the Negroes a chance to do the best they can for themselves. We should treat them as fellow- Christians, or as those who need our Saviour, and love their souls for Christ’s sake. That is why we send missionaries to Africa. Shall we do less for the Negro who was brought as an unwilling slave from his native land? ______ QUE.: Did God predestinate the fate of Judas? If by this is meant, “Did God arbitrarily foreordain that Judas could not believe and be saved?” then our answer is, emphatically, “No!” One who knows the God of the Bible could never believe in such predestination. It was, indeed, foretold that; Judas would betray the Lord, for God knows what men will dp. But Judas was a free moral agent. What he did was of his own volition. Please note what is said of Judas in Acts 1:16-25: “Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before con cerning Judas,, which was guide to them that took Jesus ... And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou has chosen, that he may take part of this min istry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell.” Please note those last three words; they do not say that Judas by predestination fell, or by foreordination fell, but by transgression fell. That is, Judas, by his own transgression, fell. These words leave no doubt whatsoever as to the answer to this question. ^ QUE .: Please explain Daniel 1 2 :2 : “ And many o f them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlast ing contempt.” What resurrection is referred to in these verses? These words could well be applied to the two resurrections. The first resurrection, to take place before the thousand years reign of Christ, when the believers will be raised; and the second resurrection, to take place after the reign of Christ on earth, when the wicked dead shall stand before the great white throne. But my understanding is that this verse in Daniel 12:2 refers to the na tional resurrection of Israel; for the prophet is addressing Israel in the
preceding verse, speaking of the great tribulation period, also referred to by our Lord in Matthew 24. If. so, then Daniel' here refers to Israel’s national resurrection, not to the p h y s i c a l resurrection from the dead. Certainly I s r a e 1 has long been buried, nationally, among the nations of the earth. But one day she will awake. (See Ezekiel 37.) God has re peatedly stated that the national idea will awaken in Israel—and does this not seem to be literally true today? Some will awaken to everlasting life, because they will repudiate the claims of the antichrist. Some will awaken to shame and everlasting contempt, because they will become a part of the apostasy, worshiping the antichrist. ^ QUE.: What do you think of the modern versions of the Bible? I do not refer to the American Standard Version or to the English Revised Version, but to the Bible in modern speech. While some orthodox ministers and Bible students like certain modern ver sions, I do not. I much prefer going to an analytical commentary for any clarification of the text. Perhaps my reasons are not acceptable to all. The modern translations have, to me, lost a certain beauty and sacredness that I am loath to give up. Moreover, some of these versions are definitely danger ous, in that they omit many of the priceless portions which have to do with our Lord’s work ,on Calvary’s Cross. I refer to “The Shorter Bible,” particularly. And, knowing the theol ogy of other translators, who deny the virgin birth of Christ,' His atoning work on Calvary, the inspiration of the Scriptures, and many such doctrines— knowing how some of these men take their stand against orthodox Christian ity, I should be very skeptical of their interpretation of these sacred truths. Personally, the King James and •Re vised Versions are “good enough for me.” QUE .: Did Paul teach in 1 Cor. 7 that the unmarried state is better than the married? If you read the chapter carefully, you will note that Paul advocated celibacy in this chapter “only for the [then] present distress,” not for all time. And even then he did not insist upon it. In 1 Tim. 4:1-3 he expressly warns against the teaching of those “forbidding to marry,” and declares it to be the “doctrine of demons.” Paul safeguarded his teaching in this chapter with such expressions as “I speak this by permission, and not of commandment” (v.6); “But to the rest speak I, not the Lord” (v.7); and “This I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you” (v.35).
^ QUE: Please explain Genesis 6 : 2 : “ The sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all that they chose.” I take it that these “sons of God” were from the godless line of Cain. Satan is ever endeavoring to break down barriers that God has set up. God in all, ages has called His peo ple to walk the path of separation. From the very beginning, Satan’s aim has been to destroy this characteristic mark of God’s people, thus bringing about an unholy union between the saved and the unsaved. How often this occurs in marriage relationships of the present hour, and what tragedy has followed in its wake! God ever warns His people to be “separate” from the godless world. ^ QUE .: Is it right for a Chris tian to carry life insurance, Does it show a lack of faith to do so? To carry life insurance is but to make a business investment, in order to provide for one’s family in the event of death. Paul wrote, saying, “if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel” (1 Tim. 5:8). The life insurance companies do a legitimate business, in compliance with the law, and it is entirely legal, business-like, and Christian, to take advantage of this means of fulfilling one’s obliga tion to his own. If any Christian feels otherwise about the matter, then let him follow the dictates of his own conscience; to me there seems nothing contrary to Christian principles in such a business matter. ^ Q U E , : What is the Christian’ s responsibility to the Negro? I have known some professing Christians who have mistreated him. Should there be inter-racial marriages ? When it comes to the matter of a Christian’s attitude and responsibility to these people, there is only one thing the Christian can do,; as I see it—and that is to treat them as human beings for whom Christ died; to go to them with the Gospel; and to encourage them in every effort to live for Christ. Let us not forget that God’s promise to 'Abraham includes a blessing for every son of Adam: “in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” That promise was ful filled in part when God gave Christ, and will be fully accomplished through the nation of Israel in the millennial earth. The Gospel of our risen Lord is for red and yellow, black and white. Our God is “no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34). Some of the most saintly
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