a categorical answer. The general principle would be that believers should maintain fellowship with one another as much as possible. If there is known and open sin, it should be pointed out, following the Scriptural principles. A minister needs to be extremely careful about breaking fel lowship with any member of his con gregation. Sometimes an individual will make it impossible for such com munion to continue and in such in stances, the condition will still have to be handled with love and concern. Q. Salem, Ore. — “7 have a problem concerning the abode of the unsaved dead. Does the Bible say what condi tion they are in immediately upon death? Are they in darkness some where awaiting their trial? Does the Bible say a lost person will be alive forever, and I presume burn for ever? In Malachi 1:1 it says, ‘bum up and leave neither root nor branch .’ Does that mean what it sounds like?” A. The Bible has definitive answers to these important questions. There are three chief parts to every per son, body, soul, and spirit. Soul and spirit are often placed in the same category. There is the material as well as the immaterial part of man. At the time of death, these are sev ered. While the physical body goes to the grave, the real personality has gone elsewhere to a place of deten tion (see Luke 16:19-31). Hades is the New Testament word for this abode of the wicked dead who must await the final judgment of God. (Sheol is the Old Testament word.) (See Rev. 20:11-15). The unsaved one will be alive forever, but not alive in the sense of the saved. There is a resurrection of the just, and there is a resurrection of the unjust. The latter is a resurrection of condem nation, or as the Authorized Ver sion suggests, damnation. It is men tioned in Daniel 12, and very clearly pronounced by our Lord Jesus in- such passages as John 3:16-18, John
5:24, etc. That unbeliever will be in conscious torment, under fire, for ever. Keep in mind despite what some cults would want you to believe, that the Bible nowhere teaches the annihilation of the wicked; that is heresy. In the Word of God, we have what is known as the language of appearance. For instance, “the sun rises” ; any astronomer knows this is not actually what happens, but it is the way we look at it. No, the ungod ly will go on for eternity. That’s why this broadcast, our publication and the schools of Biola themselves are so vital. We want to snatch souls from the burning while the hour of salvation is still here. Q. Seattle, Wash. — “Should a Surtr day school challenge another Sunday school to a contest, whereby the loser pays the bill for a dinner for the winning group? Isn’t this the same as one group betting the price of a group meal?” A. Not necessarily is this the case. No one is profiting personally from such a program, but rather providing a stimulus for more people to go out and get the unchurched to Sunday school. While the objective is good and worthy, some may question whether this is the best method. Let there be agreement in the church so that in unity such a project of ex pansion for souls may be attained! Q. San Diego, Calif. — “Can a man who believes the Bible not be a Christian?" A. I t would be most sad to see any one in such a state. Keep in mind, however, that one is saved only on the basis of his personal acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour (Rom. 10:9, 10). We earnestly be lieve that the Bible is God’s Word from cover to cover. In James 2:19 we see that the de mons believe, but certainly they are not saved. It is possible to have a
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