Correspondence: Acts 2:17; Filthiness of the flesh/spirit; Schools; Instruments

From: Young Christian: Volume 13, 1923

Narrator: Chris Genthree

Acts 2:17; Ruth 4:7 • 4 min. read • grade level: 7

Question: When does Acts 2:17 apply? A. S.

Answer: Joel 2:28-32²⁸And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: ²⁹And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. ³⁰And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. ³¹The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come. ³²And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call. (Joel 2:28‑32) will be fulfilled in the millennial reign of Christ. In Acts 2 it is quoted to show that these men were not drunk, as was supposed, but, that the Holy Spirit was causing them to speak with tongues, that all the nations present might understand the gospel. It was of the same kind, but it was not the fulfillment of these scriptures.

Question: What is the difference between filthiness of the flesh, and filthiness of the spirit? (2 Cor. 7:1¹Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (2 Corinthians 7:1).) J. D.

Answer: In chapter 6:14-18, we have outward separation from association with the world in its religion and its ways. In chapter 7:1, we are exhorted, having these promises of God’s care over us, to cleanse ourselves, not only in our outward walk and associations, but also with regard to our relationship, with purity of thought. This is needed for communion with God, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (See also 2 Tim. 2:22²²Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (2 Timothy 2:22).)

Question: What does 1 Corinthians 7:14¹⁴For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. (1 Corinthians 7:14) mean? A. G. R.

Answer: God respects the children of believers, even where only one of the parents is converted, and expects that parent to own His name and to claim God’s promise for the children’s training and salvation. (Acts 16:31³¹And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31).)

The unbelieving parent is sanctified by the believing one. This is in contrast with the marriages in Ezra 10, and Nehemiah 13. In these, God did not own the marriages, or the children. In 1 Corinthians 7:14¹⁴For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. (1 Corinthians 7:14), God owns the marriage, and desires that the children may be trained for Him. Sanctification means the act of setting apart. Here it does not mean salvation. God does not approve of believers and unbelievers yoking themselves. It is quite wrong for a believer to engage himself, or herself to an unbeliever (Amos 3:3³Can two walk together, except they be agreed? (Amos 3:3), 2 Cor. 6:14-18¹⁴Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? ¹⁵And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? ¹⁶And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. ¹⁷Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, ¹⁸And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (2 Corinthians 6:14‑18).)

Question: Please explain Ruth 4:7⁷Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbor: and this was a testimony in Israel. (Ruth 4:7).

Answer: The shoe plucked off, and given to Boaz, expressed the man’s inability, and he gave up all claims on the estate to Boaz, which means “strength.” This is a picture of Romans 8:3,4³For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: ⁴That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:3‑4). “What the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh,” has been more than met by Christ, and what He has done.

Question: What about useful denominational schools for the children? Should we send our children into what we have separated from? N. S. C.

Answer: If it was right, and in obedience to the Word of God, that we separated from sects, to be gathered to the Name of the Lord Jesus, it would be building up what we destroyed, and so making ourselves transgressors. (2 Cor. 6:17, 18¹⁷Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, ¹⁸And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (2 Corinthians 6:17‑18); Gal. 2:18¹⁸For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. (Galatians 2:18)).

We may seem to lose some benefits for the present life, if we obey the Word, but in the end, we are benefitted by strict obedience. In 1 Samuel 15, Saul, the king, spared the sheep and oxen to sacrifice to the Lord. God rejected him as king for this; it was not obedience.

See also how God honored the Rechabites for their obedience to their father’s command. (Jeremiah 35) We are never wrong in paying attention to the Word, and obeying it.

“Thy Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee.” Psalm 119:11¹¹Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. (Psalm 119:11).

It was the path in which the Lord walked: “Obedient unto death, and that the death of the cross.”

Question: Does the Sabbath day in Genesis 2:1-3¹Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. ²And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. ³And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. (Genesis 2:1‑3) point on to the eternal state, or to the Millennial reign of Christ? (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); Col. 2:16, 17¹⁶Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: ¹⁷Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. (Colossians 2:16‑17).) A. S.

Answer: In Genesis 1:26-28²⁶And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. ²⁷So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. ²⁸And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (Genesis 1:26‑28), we see in figure Christ and the church, reigning over the earth, that is the time spoken of in Isaiah 66, when the Sabbaths will again be observed, and in Colossians 2:16, 17¹⁶Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: ¹⁷Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. (Colossians 2:16‑17), still shadow things to come.

We, as the church on earth now, have Christ, the body, or substance of all the shadows. He is our rest now (Matt. 11:28²⁸Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)), yet in Hebrews 4, we look on expecting the time when God’s rest comes, that is, the eternal state, to have our part in it, when

“All taint of sin shall be removed,

All evil done away; And we shall dwell with God’s Beloved

Through God’s eternal day.”

Question: Does the Word of God forbid us to possess musical instruments? D. C.

Answer: No. Christians are left free to be led by the grace of God which has saved them, and to be constrained by the love of Christ to live, not to themselves, but to Him who died for them, and rose again. (Rom. 12:1, 2¹I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. ²And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:1‑2).) We may use our music for the Lord, though it is first seen in Cain’s world (Gen. 4:21²¹And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ. (Genesis 4:21)), and Satan uses it to blind many. (Job 21:6-14⁶Even when I remember I am afraid, and trembling taketh hold on my flesh. ⁷Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power? ⁸Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes. ⁹Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them. ¹⁰Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf. ¹¹They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance. ¹²They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ. ¹³They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave. ¹⁴Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. (Job 21:6‑14).)

In Christian worship as found in Scripture, instrumental music has no place. “They that worship God must worship Him in spirit, and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.” (John 4:24²⁴God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24); Phil. 3:3³For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. (Philippians 3:3)).

In Israel’s worship to Jehovah as an earthly people, we find choirs and instruments, wind and stringed instruments, with timbrels and cymbals (Psa. 150), also in idolatry (See Dan. 3).

We find all kinds of instruments employed, but not in Christian worship “Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach.” (Heb. 12:13¹³And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. (Hebrews 12:13)).

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