made partakers of the Heavenly Spir it,” “tasting the good Word of God,” are not equal to the clear-cut defini tion of being saved. It is an empty profession, not possession. They were in the atmosphere but they had not been born again. You know that’s true with some people in your own church. They attend but they don’t personally know the Lord Jesus Christ. In these three verses such significant statements such as saved, born again, regenerated, partakers of the divine nature, all of which are expressions for salvation in the New Testament, are missing. The final proof of this is in verse 9, “But, be loved, we are persuaded better things of you.” There are no better things than the things of salvation. This is the only way a man can get to Heav en. These things will often precede salvation, but they don’t always even tuate in regeneration. To be convict ed is not the same as being convert ed. Q. Berkeley, Calif. — “W ha t were Isaac’s strong points in life as well as his weak ones?” A. He will stand under scrutiny. He was the miracle son of Abraham and Sarah. He was impressed early in life with the importance of spiritual things. By the time Abraham was told to take him into the mountain for the time of sacrifice, he was very submissive. He could probably have overpowered Abraham. His heart was one with his father. His married life was more exemplary than either Abraham’s or Jacob’s. He had only one wife, Rebecca. He hadn’t seen her before they married, but the Scripture tells us that he loved her, and that there was no other individ ual in the life of both of them. He had a meditative kind of life. Re member, our Lord Jesus Christ by natural heritage is not only the son of Abraham, He’s also the son of Isaac. Isaac was a man of prayer.
Bible is inspired? I mean dictated by the Holy Spirit? Or do you teach that the Holy Spirit inspired the | thought using the writer’s person ality? Matthew writes a different style from Mark’s.” A. We believe that the Holy Spirit inspires the words, using the writ- < er’s personality. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.” “Holy men of old spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” This is the ver- bal inspiration of the Bible. The very words found in the original language are those the Lord wanted to be placed there. The writers didn’t just meditate upon God and after a while put down in their own words what they thought. The Lord, the Holy Spirit, directed their very thoughts acco rd ing to their personalities. Plenary inspiration means full or complete, which is also true of God’s Word. This is the only way the very words of God Himself could be pre served without human error. Q. Portland, Ore. — “Please explain more fully Hebrews 6:U-6. Does this refer to Christians who are saved?" A. No, we do not believe that it does. This is perhaps one of the most dis puted passages in the New Testa ment. Scofield Reference Bible on page 1315 has four different posi tions suggested as to how various people look at this portion. There are those who feel that a man can be saved and then lost. How does this view hold up by those who believe one can backslide, be unsaved, and still feel that he can get another chance later on to slide forward (as well as sliding backward once again) ? This couldn’t be the meaning of this passage. Dr. C. I. Scofield used to say, “Never put against a ‘Verily, Verily’ passage, one in which there is an element of doubt.” Such terms as “once enlightened,” “tast ing of the Heavenly gift,” “being
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