Correspondence

 •  5 min. read  •  grade level: 7
16. “D. W. S.,” Illinois. Your kind and encouraging letter has come to hand, and we beg to tender our best thanks for it. We cannot but deeply regret that any one calling himself a pastor should be so fearfully deluded as to hold up, as you say, such men as Socrates and Confucius. You ask us to say briefly what we think as to this. We confess, dear friend, we have neither time nor inclination for such subjects. It is enough to make the heart bleed to think of immortal souls subject to the teaching of men who can dare to occupy their hearers with heathen philosophers instead of with the precious word of God.
17. “Young Christian,” Belfast. We recognize no membership, save that of the body of Christ—no society or association save the church of God. But you must see this for yourself, in the word of God, and then you will not need to ask your question. A mere yea or nay from us could be of no value whatever to you.
19. “T. O. L.,” Dayton, Ohio. In Gal. 5:99A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. (Galatians 5:9), the apostle in speaking of bad doctrine, uses the very same form of words as, in 1 Cor. 5:66Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? (1 Corinthians 5:6), he applies to bad conduct. But the bad doctrine in question affected the very foundation of Christianity. So also in 2 John 1010If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: (2 John 10), the apostle calls upon the elect lady to shut her door against anyone who brought not the true doctrine of Christ. If a man denies Christ we cannot own him; nay, to salute him or wish him God speed, would make us partakers of his evil deeds. What is the difference between a teacher of fundamental error and one who knowingly receives him or wishes him God speed? Does the law distinguish between a traitor and one who knowingly conceals him? Could you have fellowship with a man who denies the Person or the work of Christ? Is it not very striking to notice how much more alive people are as to bad morals than bad doctrine? A scandalous liver is justly rejected; but a man may deny the deity, or the eternal Sonship of Christ, and be received and honored in the highest circles of so-called christian society. A man who picks his neighbor’s pocket is justly sent to the treadmill; but a man may blaspheme the Son of God, and yet be looked upon as a respectable Christian! How is this? Because man thinks more of himself and his respectability than he does of Christ. But then, dear friend, who would think, for a moment, of placing fundamental truth on a level with such a question as baptism, or the interpretation of a text? To do so would be the very height of folly. If a man holds the truth as to Christ, and is seeking to live according to it, we can give him the right hand of fellowship, although we may not agree with him as to baptism or many minor points. Difference of judgment on minor questions, is a proof of human weakness: but if that difference be allowed to rise into undue prominence, it is a proof of Satan’s power. When Christ is our absorbing and commanding object, all minor differences soon find their level.
20. “J. Ε. M.,” Hampstead. 1 Cor. 7:12, 25, 26, 4012But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. (1 Corinthians 7:12)
25Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful. 26I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be. (1 Corinthians 7:25‑26)
40But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and I think also that I have the Spirit of God. (1 Corinthians 7:40), is no less inspired than any other portion of holy scripture. There is no such thing as a difference in the degree of inspiration. Whether the apostle gives a direct commandment from the Lord, or his own spiritual counsel, he is equally inspired in the one case as in the other. We must distinguish between revelation and inspiration. All scripture is given by inspiration of God; but we could not say that everything given in scripture is a revelation of God. We have the sayings of all sorts of men, the words of Satan and such-like. The Holy Ghost has inspired men to tell us these sayings; but the sayings are not divine revelation. So it is in 1 Cor. 7. There were direct commandments of the Lord in reference to the subject of marriage; and there were cases as to which there was no such commandment, but the apostle gives his own spiritual judgment; we have both by inspiration. To cede, for a moment, that any one part of scripture is a whit less inspired than any other, is in reality to deprive us of the word of God altogether. For who is to draw the line? No; no, dear friend, we must jealously guard against this. We must earnestly hold fast the grand truth that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God.” If men are to sit in judgment upon the Bible, they are sitting in judgment upon God Himself; and in result they will have no Bible, no Christ, no God. This is simply what the devil is aiming at.
21. “J. Κ. B.,” Bishop Auckland. As to your first question, you cannot do better than procure a copy of the book entitled “The Sufferings of Christ.” Read it and judge for yourself. The writer to whom you refer tells you the book contains some unsound statements. We tell you it contains profound and precious truth. What are you to do? Get the book; read it carefully; compare its statements with the word of God; judge for yourself. As to your second question, if any assembly were to make it essential to communion that persons should see eye to eye on the subject of baptism, we could not own such an assembly as on the ground of the Church of God.
22. “A. A. A.” Your question is rather out of our province. You must wait on the Lord for guidance.
23. “G.,” Bromley. Mark 8:3838Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. (Mark 8:38), obviously refers to the actual coming of Christ, “in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” Chapter 9:1, on the contrary, refers to the transfiguration, which was a sample of the kingdom of God, and which some of His disciples were permitted to see.