Lord Jesus concealed it purposely so that the disciples would not be asking about dates and times. He wants us to be ready at all times. Q , Pomona, California — “I f Paul was op po s e d to requiring circumcision, why did He circumcise Timothy as is stated in Acts 16:1-3?” This question does not point up any contradiction in doctrine or meth ods of Paul. He was opposed to re quiring circuipcision in respect to re quiring this* Old Testament rite as necessary for salvation. Salvation is based only on one thing: personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ’s fin ished work as an atonement for sin. Timothy had a Gentile father and a Jewish mother who, along with his Jewish grandmother, reared him in the Scriptures. In order to obviate opposition and to allay antagonism, Timothy was circumcised, but cer tainly not as a means for salvation. Q . Santa Maria, California — “This may seem like a foolish question yet why does God tell us not to love the world when the Bible says that He Himself does love it?" A. Do not think that your question is foolish. In I John 2:15 the Christian is admonished to “love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.” The word “world” is used in several senses in Scripture. It is re ferred to as being in the arms of the evil one. We are not to love the pleas ures of this world for they are at odds with Christ and the Gospel. There are also the beauties of God’s creation in the world. These are for our enjoyment and to His praise. The sinful pleasures and wickedness are what we are to hate. Keep in mind, however, that God loves human beings all over the world. He gave His only begotten Son to save them. Here is a simple comparative: God loves the sinner while, unfortunately, too often we love the sin.
Q . Walla Walla, Washington — “How do you harmonize the statement by Jesus which begins, ‘Some of you shall they cause to be put to death,’ and that He also told His disciples, ‘Not an hair of your head shall perish?’ ” A. Luke 21:16 says in part, “And some of you shall they cause to be put to death.” That is precisely what happened. I t was thought that the ea r l y Christians were blaspheming and turning worship away from God. On the other hand in the 18th verse of this chapter we read, “But there shall not an hair of your head perish.” Christ was speaking of still another group. Some would perish and others, in God’s inscrutable providence, would not even be touched. Q . Portland, Oregon — “What did tfie scribe lack who was ‘not far from the kingdom of God?’ ” A. In Mark 12:34 we read, “And when Jesus saw that he answered discrete ly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. No man after that durst ask him any ques tion.” The scribe wanted to know which was the first and great com mandment. This man lacked the abil ity to do what he himself knew he ought to do, namely to love the Lord his God with all his heart, soul and mind. It wasn’t a question of doing the best he could. God sets the stand ards, and, in our own strength, we are constantly falling far short of them. While the scribe was right in his mind he was wrong in his life because no man has the ability to do what is commanded in the law. In addition, he was not far from the kingdom of God. But it does not make any differ ence the distance; if one is on the outside of the door, he is lost. Our Lord said, “I am the door.” We have to enter in through Him. He is the only way. Q . Leavenworth, Kansas — “The Bible says, ‘Love your enemies.’ Have we a greater enemy than Satan? Should we love him?” 28
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