that when Christ was on the cross the divine suffering was equal to that o f a soul’s torture in hell? I f so, is that not a good argument against the bittern ess that some have that Christ was willing to su ffer so much?" A. There are some very weighty mat ters here. Christ’s suffering on the cross was divine suffering because He was the God-man. It was the precise penalty that God had indicated for sin. (“The wages o f sin is death.” ) Christ, who was “deathless” in Him self, took all our sin upon Him. We immediately obviate the so called “commercial view” of the atonement. This is that if there had been just 1,000 people in the world, Christ would have died 1,000 souls worth. This is not taught anywhere in Scrip ture. The death of Christ availed for all because of the dignity and the value o f His person. If Christ had not been sinless and only a man, He could have died for only one person. In that He was God as well, however, the infinite being of His nature sufficed for an infinite satisfaction, reconcilia tion, redemption and salvation for all men. Q. King City, California — “Why do Some people on this earth seem to carry all the burdens, and others go from day to day without- a worry or a trou ble?" A. Some people are too lazy. But this is not the whole answer. Some people carry burdens because they have never learned to cast them on the Lord. The secret of a happy, joyful Christian is to trust wholly in the Lord with all of our beings and in all of our cir cumstances, rather than carrying the load ourselves. “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee” (Psalm 5 5 :2 2 ). Q . Delano, California — “Is it wrong to receive a g ift from a friend?" A. No, for this is one of the best ways of showing our love. We give our gifts to the Lord, not out of compulsion, but because we love Him. We read in Exodus 23 :8 “Thou shalt take no
gift.” But in the 1901 version it is “Thou shalt take no bribe, for a bribe blindeth every bit o f sight and per- vertet'h the words of the righteous.” In this case, as in all others, we need to look at verses in the light of their context and setting in God’s Word. Q . Vancouver, Washington — “Paul Wrote in Romans 13:8, ‘Owe no man any thing, but to love one another.’ Is it, th erefore, scriptural to buy furniture, automobiles, a home, or anything else, on the installment plan?" A. This verse has reference to that which is of a personal obligation. We are always indebted to love others. That obligation will never be paid until the Lord calls us home. We are supposed to continue to give out to those about us. This passage does not refer to the installment buying or the economy of the day. Certainly, how ever, we must have sanctified common sense in such type o f buying. Someone has well said, “We buy things we don’t need, with money we don’t have, to impress people we don’t like.” Q. Seattle, Washington — “What is meant in I I P eter 1 :20 by the words ‘no prophecy o f the Scripture, is o f any private interpretation.’ ” Dr. Charles L. Feinberg (right), dean of Tal bot Theological Seminary, meets with the president of the school's alumni. Rev. Donald Lamberson.
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