Correspondence: Mark 9:43; Luke 9:24; Deut. 13:6-9; James 5:7

From: Young Christian: Volume 5, 1915

Narrator: Chris Genthree

Luke 9:24; Deuteronomy 13:6‑9 • 5 min. read • grade level: 7

Question 146: Please explain Mark 9:43⁴³And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: (Mark 9:43); Luke 9:24²⁴For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. (Luke 9:24); Deuteronomy 13:6-9⁶If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers; ⁷Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth; ⁸Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him: ⁹But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. (Deuteronomy 13:6‑9). M. L. E.

Answer: Mark 9:43⁴³And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: (Mark 9:43). The Lord tells them to let nothing be spared if it stands in the way of their eternal life. If it costs a hand, a foot, an eye, or anything as dear, it is better to be maimed or halt or half blind, than to go into eternal fire.

Luke 9:24²⁴For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. (Luke 9:24) is in view of Christ’s rejection. The follower must take up his cross daily. There is no profit in gaining the whole world for a moment, and then be lost for eternity. It is giving up life now in the world for eternal blessing; or saving it now, but soon to have eternal misery.

Deuteronomy 13:6-9⁶If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers; ⁷Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth; ⁸Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him: ⁹But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. (Deuteronomy 13:6‑9) is part of a subject that showed how jealous Jehovah was over Israel, lest idolatry should take their hearts from Him. They must judge the idolater.

This illustrates for us, that no teacher (1-5), nor relative, however dear (6-9), nor company of associates, is to be allowed to come between our souls and the Lord. If they are false to Christ we cannot have fellowship with them, without being untrue to Him who has bought us at the cost of His own life. How keen the enemy is to ensnare our souls, is seen in that chapter. (Also 1 John 5:21²¹Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. (1 John 5:21).)

Question 147: Please explain James 5:7⁷Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. (James 5:7), “The early and latter rain.” W. W. H.

Answer: It is God that giveth the increase. The husbandman plowed and planted and cultivated, then waited with patience for the precious fruit of the earth; the rains give the increase.

Jehovah promised these rains if the Israelites were obedient (Deut. 11:13, 14¹³And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, ¹⁴That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil. (Deuteronomy 11:13‑14)), but because of their wickedness the rains were withheld. (Jer. 3:3; 5:24³Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed. (Jeremiah 3:3)
²⁴Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the Lord our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest. (Jeremiah 5:24).) On Israel’s repentance they are encouraged to expect these rains again. Hosea 5:15; 6:1-3¹⁵I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early. (Hosea 5:15)
¹Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. ²After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. ³Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth. (Hosea 6:1‑3); also Joel 2:23-32²³Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. ²⁴And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil. ²⁵And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. ²⁶And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. ²⁷And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed. ²⁸And 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 2:23‑32), and Zechariah 10:1¹Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain; so the Lord shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field. (Zechariah 10:1), connect the fulfillment with the “Day of the Lord” when Israel is restored. James 1:1¹James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. (James 1:1) has Israel in view, and so looks on to the coming of the Lord for their blessing. The Christian waits to be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. (1 Thess. 4:15-17¹⁵For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. ¹⁶For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: ¹⁷Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:15‑17).) He looks for no signs.

On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came. (Acts 2:33³³Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. (Acts 2:33).) He formed the House of God of those one hundred and twenty, and baptized them into one body. (1 Cor. 12:13¹³For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:13).) The Holy Spirit came then, and never went away again. He is here still dwelling in every saved one, and also in the House of God. Since then everyone that believed the gospel of his salvation, has been added to that one body. The baptism of the Spirit took place then, and can never be repeated. Christ is not said to have been baptized with the Holy Spirit, nor is any individual. It reads, “By one Spirit are WE all baptized into one body.” Individuals are sealed, and so added to the body formed at Pentecost. The Gentiles are also included in this action of the Spirit. (Acts 11:15, 16¹⁵And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. ¹⁶Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. (Acts 11:15‑16).)

Joel’s prophecy (2:28-32) was not fulfilled at Pentecost, but will be, to usher in the Day of the Lord, for Israel’s deliverance. Peter quoted it to show that what was happening was not from men drunk with new wine, but like what Joel spoke of.

The church is not waiting for the kingdom with blessings on the earth, but for the coming of the Lord to meet us in the air—not on the earth. (1 Thess. 4:15-17¹⁵For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. ¹⁶For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: ¹⁷Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:15‑17).)

The woman in Revelation 12 is Israel, of whom Christ, the man child, came.

We are now in the last days (2 Tim. 3). In subjection to God’s Word increases. Paul said by the Spirit, women were to keep silence in the assembly (1 Cor. 14:34³⁴Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. (1 Corinthians 14:34)), and adds (verse 37), “Are the commandments of the Lord.” (See also 1 Tim. 2:11, 12¹¹Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. ¹²But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. (1 Timothy 2:11‑12).) They take off their hats, yet the Spirit says, Women should have their heads covered. (1 Cor. 11:5, 6, 10, 13⁵But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoreth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. ⁶For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. (1 Corinthians 11:5‑6)
¹⁰For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels. (1 Corinthians 11:10)
¹³Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? (1 Corinthians 11:13).)

Speaking with tongues is mentioned three times in Acts. The hundred and twenty spake with tongues, and were understood. The converts did not speak with tongue’s as far as we know, The Samaritans did not, nor the Eunuch, nor Saul when he received the Spirit. The Gentiles in Acts 10:46⁴⁶For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, (Acts 10:46), did, to confirm Peter and those with him, in admitting the Gentiles into the House of God. But notice, they magnified God; it was intelligent, not jabbering. Acts 19 is the other place, and there they prophesied, again it was intelligent, giving out the mind of God.

The gift of tongues is different in 1 Corinthians 14. Directions are given that such a gift is not to be used in the assembly, except someone can interpret. (Verse 28.) The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. But this new, so-called speaking in an unknown tongue, comes on those who have given themselves up to it when in their families or alone, when it can have no meaning, and some say they cannot help it. What power is behind such ways?