Question: What is the meaning of “It was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator”? (Gal. 3:19).
Answer: It refers to the law being given at Sinai into the hands of Moses, who acted as mediator, to a certain limited extent, between God and man. As to angels, see Psa. 68:17.
Question: Please explain “We through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.” (Gal. 5:5).
Answer: We should think it embraces all that the believer hopes and waits for.
Question: What is the difference between prayer and supplication in Phil. 4:6? E. L.
Answer: By the latter, we understand repeated prayers for the same subject; as our Lord’s in Gethsemane.
Question:
(1) Does Mount Sion mean heaven? It is often said, “I am on my way to Sion’s hill” is it correct to say this?
(2) In what way are we come to the spirits of just men made perfect?
(3) Who are they? (Heb. 12:22).
Answer:
(1) The passage refers generally to the position of saved Hebrews in grace, instead of being on legal ground—Mount Sion thus being contrasted with Sinai. In a general way, it means our heavenly privileges.
(2 and 3) As having opened out to us the unseen world of spirits, and their abode. None of this was revealed in the Old Testament, and it is the peculiar privilege of Christians to have the veil of the land of spirits lifted, and to know what becomes of the soul after death.
Question: “Let brotherly love continue,” (Heb. 13:1), is this a continuation of the love brought over from Judaism? When was the beginning of this brotherly love that was to continue?
Answer: I do not think there is any reference to Jewish brotherly love in the passage. When the love began is not the point. It is the fact that it is not to cease.