I heard a minister say that he was “ strictly Pauline” in doctrine. He is very strong on dispensations. What does he mean? I do not know. I suggest you have a conversation with this brother, and find out. I hope he does not believe in Bul- lingerism, which is unscriptural. Please explain Matthew 25:1-13, the parable of the Ten Virgins. There is a difference of opinion among Bible teachers as to the interpretation of this passage. Some see in the Ten Virgins a representative body of Jews; others that they are the children of God during this dispensation. Some even declare that this parable teaches a partial rapture, that the wise virgins are the spiritual Christians and the un wise the immature believers who will not be a part of the raptured company when Jesus comes. I have stated repeat edly in these columns that I did not be lieve there was any Scripture to sub stantiate this view. The unwise virgins could not have been saved, for the Lord said to them, “Verily I say unto you, I know you not,” which could never be said to even the weakest and the most carnal Christians. However this parable is interpreted, one thing is certain: the oil is a type of the Holy Spirit, and the matter of preparedness is the theme. Can anyone who believes in Christ save his loved ones who do not? My husband is a good man, but he does not believe the Bible. Can I help him? You may live before him such a radiant Christian life that the Spirit of God may show him that Christ is real and that you possess something he does not. Paul discusses this in First Corin thians (7 :16) where he states, “ For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how know est thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?” This, subject is also taken up in First Peter 3:1-6. Do not nag, or scold your husband. Go to God in prayer for him, and live a sweet Christian life before him. That is all you can do. Will you please explain how the sheep and goat nations of Mathhew 25 either enter the kingdom or are excluded 100% on the basis of their treatment of “my brethren” ? How could one nation be 100% loving and fair to the Jews? No nation, not even Russia, could be wholly unjust to them. I agree with the questioner. The na tions in Matthew 25 are not groups as nations, but as individuals. The word for nations may well be translated, “ Gen tiles.” It is written that when JesUs was on the cross He cried, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Some J U L Y , 1 94 9
creation in all probability were angelic beings with Lucifer as their head, whose rebellion against God caused that original creation to be destroyed after which the earth was in a chaotic condition. When later on God created man, He made him the lord of creation. God then gave him a helpmeet, and commanded them to be fruitful and to replenish the earth. That Adam was the first man does not necessarily mean that he was the first being. Will the Jewish people who have ac cepted Christ live in the earthly Jeru salem or in the New Jerusalem? Do they become members of the bride of Christ? Jews who are converted to Christ in this age become a part of the body, which is the bride, of Christ. In the body of Christ there is no national dis tinction; there is neither Jew nor Gentile. In Him all national distinctions pass away. The saved during this age are all believers. I knew a mcun in another state who robbed a bank. He served his sentence in prison, and is now free, but he has never told where he concealed the money he stole. He has now been converted. Will God forgive him if he does not return the money to the bank? If he is really saved, he will do so. The Bible teaches not only conversion, but restitution, where possible. The money is not his although he has paid the law’s penalty for stealing it. The dearest idol I have known, What'er that idol be, Help me to tear it from Thy Throne, And worship only Thee. So shall my walk be close with God, Calm and serene my frame; So purer light shall mark the road That leads me to the Lamb. —WILLIAM P. COWPER Page Five
claim that God turned His face away from His Son because Jesus had been made sin, and God could not look upon sin. If God is everywhere, is He not looking upon sin all the time? When our sins were laid upon Jesus, they did the same thing to Him that they do to us: they separated Him from God. The cry “ My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” indicates that God was dealing with Jesus judicially, as a sin bearer. However, after He cried, “It is finished,” and the work of re demption was complete, He again ad dressed God as Father, saying, “ Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.” God sees every believer in Christ. He no longer looks upon him as a sinner but as one in Christ. Whenever I hear anyone closing his prayer without mentioning the name of Jesus, I feel that God has not heard that prayer. But in praying the Lord’s Prayer, the name of Jesus is not men tioned. What about this? I can understand how such a prayer might be prayed by an earnest layman, or a person in a rescue mission who was not instructed in theological pro cedures, and ignorant of his Bible. The Lord looks upon the heart. However, if a minister should pray without mention ing the name of Christ, I would con clude that he belonged to that class known as liberal theologians' who are no better than Unitarians. All prayer should properly be addressed to the Father, in the name of the Son, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. My pastor says that Adam was not the first man, but that God created a race before He made Adam. I have an idea that the questioner has misunderstood his pastor. In all proba bility, the minister stated his opinion that there was a race of beings upon the earth before man’s creation. That may be true. These were not, however, human beings. Adam was the first man. The beings that inhabited the original
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