Q. Fresno, California -— “In 1st Timothy 3:2 where we read, “The husband of one wife,” does it mean that the min ister must not be divorced and re married?” A. Actually 1st Timothy 3 isn’t dis cussing this subject at all. The matter of divorce and remarriage is treated in such Scriptures as the twelfth chapter of I Corinthians. Here Paul tells Timo thy and the church about the qualifi cations for a minister in the midst of a very immoral society filled with poly gamists. The pagan neighbors of the Christian leader generally had many wives. Paul emphatically states that a minister should have only one wife. Q, Pueblo, Colorado— “In Romans chap ter seven there is a spiritual warfare noted. Does this refer to a believer or a sinner?” A. First of all we need to keejp in mind the fact that all believers are sinners. Some teach that this portion is a bio graphical sketch of Paul before he be came a believer; a' story of the war going on in the hearts of unbelievers. But as we rightly divide Scripture, we see' that this portion does refer to the believer. Read Romans 7 again and see the tremendous conflict in the heart of an individual. This is a graphic pic ture of a carnal Christian who fights with the old Adamic nature in his heart and life. He wants to do good but he does it not. He wants to “es chew” evil but he falls into evil ways. He fails so often. But thank God the Account doesn’t end there. Paul con cludes the seventh chapter, “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin:” Then comes the victory through Christ as chapter eight begins, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” Here is the wonderful secret of victory over ths old flesh and nature. Let us recog nize our blessed position in Christ and live according to it as we are empow ered by the Holy Spirit.
Q. San Luis Obispo, California — “I’m told that it is a sin to eat pork or any blood made from hog’s meat. Is this correct?” A. As one reads through his Bible, he sees that certain things are prohibited because they are wrong. Laws did not begin with the Mosaic covenant. For instance, it has always been wrong for one man to kill another. It was prohibited because it is inherently wrong. Other things are wrong, how ever, because of other prohibitions. There’s nothing wrong in eating pork or swine’s flesh, in itself. Paul declares | that whether we eat or whether we eat not, that, in itself, does not commend us to God. But for an Israelite in the Old Testament it was wrong because it was prohibited by God. This law on hog’s meat is specifically mentioned in Leviticus 11:7. God wanted a nation clean, separate, removed from all pag an, ungodly, unbelieving influences. Whenever they succumbed to them, as we find in the books of I and II Kings, and in the books of the prophets, God had to punish Israel for their idolatries and unspeakable corruptions. After God had achieved what He wanted, the na tion kept the line pure until the Lord Himself came. Then when Messiah Himself came, the age of grace was established. Not to be any less pure but an entirely new relationship, He declares, “Whatsoever thing from with out entereth into the man, it cannot de file him.” “That which cometh out of a man, that defileth the man” (Mark 7:18 and 20). This entire matter, how ever, evidently bothered the early church. We find their official com mandment in these words during the Jerusalem Council about 50 •A.D., “Wherefore my judgment is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: But that we write unto them, that they abstain from polutions of idols, and from forni cation; and from things strangled, and from blood” (Acts 15:19, 20). So today, eating of pork is not a sin because we are under grace and not under the Old Testament legal system. 27
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