what death he should glorify God.” This is all the Bible tells about Peter’s death. Tradition says that he was crucified with his head down, for he felt unworthy to be crucified as was his Lord. But that is only tradi tion. It may or may not have been so. We 'have no dependable historical record. SP IR ITU A L PERFECTION Q. Does Matt. 5:48 teach sinless per fection in this life? A. Matt: 5:48 reads as follows: “ Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” The word “ perfect” here and in other similar N e w Testament passages means the mature and complete Chris tian experience. It means that “ the babe in Christ” should “ grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,” giv ing an ever-increasing evidence to the world of the Lord’s saving and keep ing power. Nowhere in the Bible are we taught that we can become sin less in this life. Yet we are constant ly exhorted to grow more and more like Him who is “ altogether lovely.” Only when we get to heaven shall we be freed from the very presence of sin. T R IBU LA T IO N MO TH ER S Q. Please explain Matt. 24:19: “ Woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!” A. Matthew 24 foretells the great tri bulation period on the earth, “ the time of Jacob’s trouble,” and the Lord is speaking in verse 19 of the distress that those will be in who are with child in those days. To a certain degree the same thing is true in any war zone in any age, but how much worse it will be in that day when there shall be trouble, such as never was, “ no, nor ever shall be” !
COULD JUDAS BE SAVED ? Q. Did God predestinate the fate of Judas? A. 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 pre destination. It was indeed, foretold that Judas would betray the Lord; for God knows what men will do. But Judas was a free moral agent; and what he did, he did 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 hast chosen, that he may take part of this ministry 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. THE DEATH OF PETER Q. Does the Bible tell us how Peter died? A. In John 21:18, 19 the risen Lord said to Peter: “ Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands (this suggests cruci fixion), and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. This spake he, signifying by
CO N V ER S IO N OF D ISC IPLES Q. When were the disciples converted, before or after Christ died? If be fore, why did they not understand when He told them that He was to be crucified? A. They were converted before Christ died, some through the preaching of John the Baptist when he said, “ Be hold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1: 29). Christ told them to rejoice be cause their names were “ written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). There are several reasons why they did not understand when He told them He was to be crucified: 1. The human mind is very dull and slow to grasp spiritual things, and the minds of the disciples were no exception. 2. They were ignorant of the Scrip tures. They were so eager for Christ to set up His kingdom on earth that they overlooked the numerous proph ecies that pointed on to the cross, hoping rather for the immediate ful fillment of the even more numerous promises of the reigning Messiah— all found in their Old Testament Scriptures. The New Testament, of course, was not then written. (Com pare Luke 24:25-27, 44, 45; I Pet. 1: 10 , 11 .) 3. Again, their personal love for the Lord made them draw back at the thought of His being crucified even though they were familiar with the Old Testament sacrifices which foretold this event. However, at the close of His public ministry the disciples did seem to understand in a measure, because in Matt. 24:1-3 we find them asking questions about His return to earth. When the Holy Spirit came on the Day of Pentecost, their eyes were fully opened; and they preached sal vation through faith in Christ’s death and resurrection.
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