A.-We have here the rejection of Christ by the Jews, who in a special sense were His own. The world was made by Him, but men, held in moral darkness by the power of Satan, did not know God when present in their midst in love. With the Jews it was snore than this, they would not have their own Jehovah come as their Messiah. Still there were some that did receive Him, and to those who did receive Him, He gave authority to become sons of God. There was no moral capability in the Jews to receive Christ any more than in the Gentiles. The v, ill of man, whether in men generally, or in the Jews specially, would not have God" come in the flesh." By any on the footing of nature Christ is simply rejected, and if any do receive Him, and thus become children of God, it is because a work of grace has already gone on in their souls. This is what is stated in the succeeding verse, very clearly, " They were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God," and therefore they received Him. It is so still. Christ being believed on by any proves the existence of a sovereign work of God already in the soul. Receiving Christ, persons consciously enter upon the knowledge of their relation to God as children. They have the authority from Christ to take and enjoy that place.
Q.-Under what form did Satan present himself when tempting Christ? Some say it was only conscience in Christ Himself?
A.-We are told nothing as to the form under which Satan presented himself when tempting the Lord. Satan is a spirit, and Christ felt and recognized his personal presence as a spirit. Distinctly recognized him as a person outside himself. He heard what he had to say, and answered him by word of mouth with scripture, "It is written," thrice over. We are not called upon to say how Satan, as a spirit, could communicate with Christ as man. All we know is, that he did. To make it conscience in Christ is blasphemy, and gives Christ a bad nature, making the temptation to be from within, from Himself through lust. We are tempted in this way, according to James 1:1414But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. (James 1:14), because we have a bad nature. Christ never was tempted " in this way. His temptations were always from Satan as a person outside Himself. Of course Christians are tempted in this way too, and in this kind of temptation they have the sympathy of Christ as taught us in Heb. 4:1515For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15).
Q.-" How do you reconcile Deut. 21:10- 1510When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies, and the Lord thy God hath delivered them into thine hands, and thou hast taken them captive, 11And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife; 12Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house; and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails; 13And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife. 14And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not make merchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her. 15If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have born him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be hers that was hated: (Deuteronomy 21:10‑15), with 7:3 and 4. They seem to be in direct opposition to each other?"
A.-The prohibition as to marriage between Israelites and other nations in Deut. 7, confines itself to the seven nations occupying the land of Canaan proper. The permission to marry a captive woman from a conquered nation given in Deut. 21, refers to nations other than those specially named in Deut. 7 The former were "far off" from the land, and did not occupy the country given to Israel for an inheritance. The different way in which the inhabitants of the one were to be treated, in contrast with those of the other, is clearly stated in Dent. 20:10-18. A little attention to the context of seemingly opposed passages in God's word, would save much misunderstanding.