ing on the fate of those humans who died without ever having heard the Gospel of Christ?” A. This is one of the much disputed passages of the New Testament. Some, unfortunately, have built unscriptural doctrines on this passage. The verse does not mean that Jesus Christ, after His resurrection, went down to the realm of the lost and preached the Gospel, giving them another oppor tunity to be saved. There is no such doctrine in the Bible. Salvation is only available in this present life. The pur pose of Christ’s suffering was that He might bring us to God. He died in the flesh and was made alive by the opera tion of the Holy Spirit. It was in the Holy Spirit that He went and preached unto the spirits that aforetime were disobedient when the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared. Eight souls then were saved through water. The best interpretive principle is to consider the specific book by its own testimony. In the first chapter of this book we read of the salvation spoken of and sought after by the prophets. They weren’t preaching out of their own hearts, minds, or intellects, but rather through the Spirit of the Lord faithful staff members like those pictured below carry on this vital part of the Biela ministry. From left to right they are, Beth Pippin, Eugene Houston, Cola Flanders, and Mary Jo McMahon.
nation, however, as an avenue and a channel of blessing for all the world, for through them came the Messiah. God never revokes or nullifies His eter nal purpose. Q . Burbank, Calif. — “Please explain the need for water baptism in the dis pensation of grace when we receive Christ as Saviour?" A. More Christians differ on this sub ject than perhaps any other. On the two extremes, there are those who believe that one must be baptised into water in order to be saved and that this is a part of Christ’s redemptive work. On the other hand there are those who say that in this dispensa tion of grace there is noi place what soever for water baptism. We believe water baptism in this dispensation of grace is simply a symbol or an out ward demonstration to the world of an inward change of heart. It is cer tainly Scriptural to be baptised, how ever, it is not essential for salvation. Q . Meridan, Idaho — “Can you give me help on I Peter 3:18-19? What does the phrase ‘sometimes disobedient’ mean? Do these verses have any bear Can you imagine how much food it would toko to food more than one thousand hungry young people throe times a day, sown days a week! Under the able leadership ol Hr. and Mrs. Aaron Friesen,
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