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THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NES S
D R . T A L B O T 'S QUESTION B O X
The beloved President o Los Angeles an s we r s
f the Bible Institute of your Bible Questions.
QUE .: Is there any proof as to how long man has been on the earth ? The textbooks my chil dren use tell of prehistoric man and the Stone Age man. But what proof has a Christian as to the time man has inhabited the earth? Per haps you can refer me to some author who has presented this an swer in simple form. Let me suggest that you get our book of radio messages on “God’s Plan of the Ages.” I believe it will help you a little in your study of original man. The footnotes of the Scofield Reference Bible also give much light upon the scriptural teaching concerning th e original creation, chaos, and the reno vation of the earth. Adam was created about 6,000 years ago. The so-called prehistoric man and the Stone Age man do not prove the fairy tale of organic evolution. They rather prove the account of the first chapter of. Romans, where’ we are informed that, when men departed from God, they went into the depths of sin and degradation. This answer satisfies the Christian, who takes God at His Word. , Hundreds of textbooks used in our school system today substitute sup position for fact; fancy for theory; man’s human p h i l o s o p h y , which leaves God out, for the “Thus saith the Lord” of Holy Writ. ^ Q U E . : Does Matthew 5 :4 8 teach sinless perfection in this life? Matthew 5:48 reads as follows: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in ’-eaven is perfect.” The word "perfect” here and in other similar New T e s t a m e n't 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,” giving an ever- increasing evidence to the world of His saving and keeping power. No where in the Bible are we taught that we can become sinless in this life. Yet we are constantly 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.
^ Q U E . : Is it right to give part of one’s tithes to radio programs? Certainly it is right to support any cause which is proclaiming the Gospel of our crucified and risen Lord. One’s first responsibility, “as unto the Lord,” is to the body of believers in his own church, who have pledged them selves to take care of certain mis sionary responsibilities, both at home and in the foreign field. Yet one does not need to give all his tithe to any one church. Although we need to be very careful in our giving, lest we are deceived by those who are not true to the Word of God and the Christ of the Bible, yet I can think of no more effective way of getting the message of salvation to the world than over the air. ^ QUE .: What are we to under stand by Ecclesiastes 1 2 :7 : “ Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall re turn unto God who gave it” ? Does this passage not teach that the spirits o f all— saved and lost— re turn to God at death? This verse is understood when read in -the light of the last verse of the same chapter, as well as in the light of all Scripture: “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Eccl. 12:14). The spirits of all men, both saved and lost, return to God to give an account. This is the same teaching as that set forth in John 5:28, 29. The teachings concerning the judgments and the distinction between the judg ment seat of Christ for believers and the great white thrdne judgment for unbelievers, are given in the epistles and in Revelation. ^ ■Q U E .: Why do we read in the Old Testament that God “ repent ed” of certain things? For example, see Gen. 6 :6 . When used concerning God, “repent” in all of its forms simply means that, to man, God appears to change His mind. “Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of _ the world” (Acts 15:18). It is man who changes, or repents, which accounts for the seeming “repentance” of God.
^ ■Q U E .: Please explain II Peter 1 :2 0 , 21 and II Timothy 3 :1 6 . These remarkable verses tell us that the Word of God was written by “holy men of God” as they were “moved by the Holy Ghost.” They tell us that "all scripture is given by inspiration of God.” Of course, there is more in these verses; but this is the funda mental fact; and the practical teach ing is very evident. -But vwhat is meant by “inspiration of God” ? That is doubtless the ques tion that is in your mind. The answer is that every human author of the books of the Bible was but the instrument through whom the Holy Spirit wrote, even to the very words used. He guided the pens of these writers, so that we have the veritable Word of God. Yes, I believe in the verbal inspiration of the whole Bible! To be sure God uses the charac teristic style of the men inspired, which fact accounts for the differences in the style of writing. For instance, some epistles are distinctly Pauline; others are not. But this d o e s not change the fact that all the human authors were so fully controlled by the Holy Spirit of God that they were guarded from error concerning what they wrote. Not only did the Holy Spirit write the Bible, but He is our only Teacher of this marvelous Book. The Lord Jesus said so repeatedly in John 14-16, His last message to His disciples. The prophet had said so, long before that: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts” (Zech. 4:6). The whole Word of God teaches it. And how glad we are that "the law of the LORD is perfect . . making wise the simple,” so that even the little child can understand its message. ^ QUE .: What was the differ ence between the Jewish temple and the synagogue? These buildings differed in that the temple was the only place where sacrifices could be offered; whereas the synagogue was merely a place for reading and prayer.
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