emphatically deny that he ever had such revelations and claim that the doctrine was first introduced by Brigham Young in 1852. The name Mormons as applied to the Utah group is only a nickname, as they will emphatically inform you, while their real name is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The group from Independence, Missouri, is formally called The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. What did Paul mean when speaking of the “ third heaven” and Paradise, to the Corinthian Christians? Paradise and heaven are now one, and the same place. Paul said, in the passage you quote, that he was “ caught up to the third heaven.” Then he added that he was “ caught up into paradise,” evidently referring to the same event. There are three heavens mentioned in the Bible: The first, where the birds and clouds are; hence, the birds of the heav en. “ Second, there is the realm of the sun, moon and stars; hence, “the stars of the heaven.” And third, heaven is God’s dwelling place. This is the meaning of First Kings 8:27: “ But will God in deed dwell on the earth? behold the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee.” This is where Paul was “ caught up.” It is now identical with paradise. Let us remember that before the resurrection and ascension of Christ, paradise was a waiting place for the spirits of the re deemed, a part of Sheol, or Hades. When will the “first resurrection” take place? The first resurrection will take place when the church is translated, forever to be with Christ. It is also called “the resurrection of life” and “ the resurrec tion of the just.” It would be well to turn to Luke 14:14, and John 5:29. In this verse in John you will note the sec ond resurrection' is called “ the resurrec tion of condemnation.” Let us now turn to Revelation 20:4-15, where the two resurrections are contrasted in no un certain terms, and where we read that between the two there shall be the peri od of a thousand years, when Christ will reign on the earth. All New Testa ment teaching dovetails with the pas sages to which we have just referred. I would like to have John H :12 ex plained to me in your Question Box. Thank you. The verse you question reads: “ Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” Here you will find the disciples were to
do greater works than Christ because the Holy Spirit, whom Christ said He would send was not to be confined by a body to one place. The Holy Spirit could so energize believers everywhere, that the gospel could spread far more rapidly and more widely by a group of believers, than when proclaimed individually by the Lord Himself, and supported by His mighty works. This power was not in the disciples, but in the promised Comforter. The first fulfillment of this promise is found in the second chapter of Acts tell ing of the mighty power that, accom panied the preaching of Peter. While our Lord’s miracles led many to trust in Him, yet they were also the credentials of His deity in a very special sense. Someone has suggested the addi tional thought that the winning of pre cious souls is the greatest work in all the world, greater even than the feeding of the multitudes and the healing of the sick. To us is given this greatest of all privileges—that of pointing never-dying souls to Him, the only Saviour from sin. This is the greatest of all works en trusted to us. Remember this ministry is “ not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts” (Zech. 4:6). The Heart of a Missionary Will you look on this one whom the Lord has called forth To witness unto Him, east, west, south, or north? Look at him who was called from his loved ones apart. And wherefore? For answer, friend, look at his heart. E s p e c ia lly saintly, this witness? Oh, no! It was not innate goodness that called him to go. The need of the heathen—was this then the cause? No; neither was hope of men's praise and applause. What makes a man all earthly honor dismiss? God's real missionary is commis sioned by this: His affections are set upon our God above. Whose love is commanding, whose command is to love.
Dr. Louis T. Talbot Kindly enlighten me as to the meaning of the latter part of Matthew 16:19, where it says “whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven.” Every believer in Christ, in his deal ings with men, declares sins forgiven or unforgiven according to what the in quirer does with Christ. This text has no other meaning. To a man who has taken Christ as his Saviour, we bring God’s message and “ declare sins forgiven.” To the man who spurns Christ, we bring the message according to God’s Word, that his sins are retained, and that he is (according to Acts 8:23), “ in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniqui ty.” We find Peter declaring remission of sins in the household of Cornelius, in Acts 10:43: “ To him [Jesus] give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” Please explain the doctrinal differences between the Salt Lake City Mormons and the Reorganized Latter Day Saints with headquarters at Independence, Mo. The organizations of both sects are practically identical as both have a President and his Counselors, Apostles, Seventies, High Priests, Elders, Bishops, Teachers, Priests, Deacons and Patri arch. They both use the Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great Price or, The Book of Abraham, and the Doctrine and Cove nants. The Utah Mormons use the Author ized King James version of the Bible, while the Reorganized Church uses the so-called Inspired versions, which is merely Joseph Smith’s revision of the Authorized King James version. There are a few minor differences in their doctrine but the basic difference however, is in the doctrine of polygamy. The Utah Mormons claim that all the revelations concerning polygamy which they uphold and once practiced, were divinely given of God to Joseph Smith (see Utah Doctrine and Covenants, Sec. 132), while the Reorganized Church Page Six
—Wanda Howard, B iola '54 T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
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