4. Q-In the second and third Epistles of John, does John mean himself when he writes, "the elder;" and what is the lesson saints to-day should learn from what John says as to Diotrephes? It would seem as if those in the assembly were afraid of him, but yet kept together and continued in fellowship with him in a spirit of forbearance. H. B.
A-By "the elder" John certainly means himself. In the third Epistle, John encourages Gaius, and thus believers, at any time, to exercise hospitality to all who come in Christ's name with the truth, whether they were known or unknown previously. It has here special reference to those who go forth in Christ's name to minister the truth without any formal commission, or visible means of subsistence.
Diotrephes, who had the chief authority in the assembly—gained in what way we are not told—would have nothing to do with these itinerant, unordained, and unsalaried preachers of the gospel, and even cast out of the assembly those who received them into their houses. Gaius evidently received and helped them, in spite of Diotrephes, and John encourages him to continue to do so. It would appear as if the assembly, at least a large portion of it, while bearing with his assumed place of authority, were not with Diotrephes in refusing hospitality to these "strangers" and rejecting the apostle's letters, but they do not seem to have had any resource against him, save in continuing in the practice of the good ways that the apostle encourages Gaius in. The Lord alone could deliver them from him, and He might do it through the spiritual power of one like the apostle John coming into their midst.
Paul had the resource of a positive commission for dealing with this kind of thing, but John does not seem to have possessed this, at least he does not take this ground here, and, of course, no one could now, but the power of God by the Spirit, through the word, is sufficient now, as then, to deal with a Diotrephes. "Patient continuance in well-doing," while looking to the Lord for deliverance, would seem to be the path of saints thus tried.
5. Q. I have read that the first eight verses of Rev. 21 have reference to the eternal state, and the remainder of the chapter to the millennial, and it does seem like it, but the last few verses rather puzzle me. "No night there;" will there be no night in the millennium; and does the last verse mean that all will be saved? H. B.
A.-The first eight verses of Rev. 21 are a continuation of the subject taken up in the latter part of the previous chapter, that is, the eternal state of the lost and saved that succeeds the millennium. Then, in verse 9 the Spirit of God reverts to the millennium for the special purpose of showing the place the church, as the bride the Lamb's wife, holds during that period, and a description of it is given, as previously that of Babylon had been given. One of the seven angels shows the prophet this scene as in the previous case. "No night there" has reference to the city, and not, we apprehend, to the earth, as it seems from other scriptures there will be night and day on earth during the millennium. (Compare Isa. 66:2323And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord. (Isaiah 66:23) and Ezek. 46:11Thus saith the Lord God; The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the sabbath it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened. (Ezekiel 46:1).)
In the last verse the inhabitants of the city are in question, and their title to be there is that their "names are written in the Lamb's book of life." As to the inhabitants of the earth, we are only told that they."walk in the light of it," and "the kings bring their honor and glory unto it," as owning the heavens and the heavenly kingdom the source of it all. "The nations of them that are saved" refers to salvation from the temporal judgments on earth, not that they are individually saved from eternal judgment; on the contrary the masses of these very nations, thus saved, apostatize at the end of the millennium. (See Rev. 20: 8.)
A.-The connection of ideas in the two verses is very different, and gives the special force that attaches to the different expressions used. In the former the body is looked at as the vessel in which "the life of Jesus" should display itself in the walk and service of the believer in this world. In the latter, where it is called "mortal flesh," it is looked at in connection with actual death for "Jesus' sake," as that in which the "life of Jesus" would manifest itself in the resurrection of the believer; so the apostle adds further down, "knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus."
A.-The preaching of "Christ" is the general form of presentation, and not necessarily in contrast with that of "Jesus." Still it is probable that in the case of the Samaritans, who, though Gentiles and not children of Israel, had Jewish hopes, and were standing by profession on Jewish ground, the presentation of Jesus to them, as the Messiah anointed on high, was special and suitable, the more so as they had known Him in His humiliation as Jesus of Nazareth. In the case of the eunuch, a poor Gentile sinner, quickened by divine grace, and seeking peace, the preaching of Jesus, the Savior, was in every way as suitable as it was touching.
8. Q.-In February "Words of Faith," page 29, the "Pentateuch of David" is mentioned. Supposing the writer means that the Psalms are divided into five books, will he kindly say where the divisions occur? J. H.
A.-The first book ends with Psa. 41; the second with Psa. 72; the third, with Psa. 89; the fourth, with Psa. 106; and the fifth, with Psa. 150. A special subject characterizes each book. c. w.