Correspondence

• 5 min. read • grade level: 6

Question: What is the Scriptural ground for Christians to gather together on? L. C. G.

Answer: Matthew 18:20²⁰For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20). It is gathered to the name of Christ as members of His body. We are redeemed by His blood, and sealed by the Holy Spirit, and to be gathered to His name implies separation from evil, and that in the unity of the Spirit. (Eph. 4:2-4²With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; ³Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ⁴There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; (Ephesians 4:2‑4); 1 Cor. 10:16, 17¹⁶The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? ¹⁷For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread. (1 Corinthians 10:16‑17)).

Question: How are we to understand Matthew 5:34-37³⁴But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: ³⁵Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. ³⁶Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. ³⁷But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. (Matthew 5:34‑37)?

What is the thought of James 5:12¹²But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation. (James 5:12)?

What does Hebrews 7:21²¹(For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:) (Hebrews 7:21) mean? A. O.

Answer: Matthew 5:34-37³⁴But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: ³⁵Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. ³⁶Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. ³⁷But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. (Matthew 5:34‑37) and James 5:12¹²But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation. (James 5:12) refer to the habits and customs of the Jews to make vows and pledges in the name of Jehovah. The Lord teaches us not to make vows or pledges, but to be content with “yes,” or “no”. A vow made in Jehovah’s name, they could not take back. It was needless and wrong in some instances (Judg. 11:30, 31, 34-40³⁰And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, ³¹Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering. (Judges 11:30‑31)
³⁴And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter. ³⁵And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot go back. ³⁶And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the Lord, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the Lord hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon. ³⁷And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows. ³⁸And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains. ³⁹And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel, ⁴⁰That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year. (Judges 11:34‑40); Matt. 14:7-11⁷Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask. ⁸And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger. ⁹And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her. ¹⁰And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison. ¹¹And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother. (Matthew 14:7‑11)).

Hebrews 6:13-18; 7-21 refer to how God has met man’s natural unbelief, conforming His promise by an oath, and so in 7:21, Christ Jesus has an unchangeable priesthood. He is a priest forever. What assurance this gives the believer’s heart, that he will be carried all the way through to the end.

Question: Is the law (the ten commandments) the rule of life for the Christian? D. H.

Answer: The law was given from Mount Sinai to Israel only; any stranger who settled among them was also under it. It was never given to the Gentiles. Its use is to show man his wickedness. By the law is the knowledge of sin (Rom. 3:20²⁰Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. (Romans 3:20); 1 Tim. 1:9⁹Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, (1 Timothy 1:9)). It was a schoolmaster to Israel until Christ came (Gal. 3:24²⁴Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. (Galatians 3:24)).

The Lord Jesus died for sinners. And the gospel, unlike the law, goes out to every creature (Mark 16:15¹⁵And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. (Mark 16:15)). Since Christ died for all (2 Cor. 5:15¹⁵And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. (2 Corinthians 5:15)), both the believing Jew and Gentile are saved through Christ’s death, and can say, “Christ died for our sins” (1 Cor. 15:3³For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; (1 Corinthians 15:3)). Now they have life “in Christ,” and no condemnation can come to them (John 5:24²⁴Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24)). Christ is their life (Col. 3:1-4¹If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. ²Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. ³For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. ⁴When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1‑4)). They are, or shall be saved by His life—that is, by His living for them at God’s right hand (John 14:19¹⁹Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. (John 14:19); Rom. 5:10¹⁰For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. (Romans 5:10)). He is their Intercessor (Rom. 8:34³⁴Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. (Romans 8:34); Heb. 7:25²⁵Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25)). He is their Advocate, if any man sin (1 John 2:1¹My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: (1 John 2:1)). The converted Jew being dead with Christ is freed from the law (Rom. 7:4⁴Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. (Romans 7:4); Rom. 6:14¹⁴For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. (Romans 6:14)).

The converted Gentile is the same. We are to reckon ourselves dead to sin by the body of Christ (Rom. 6:11; 7:4¹¹Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:11)
⁴Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. (Romans 7:4)). The Holy Spirit now dwells in the Christian to tell him the things of Christ (John 14:16, 17, 26; 16:13, 14¹⁶And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; ¹⁷Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. (John 14:16‑17)
²⁶But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. (John 14:26)
¹³Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. ¹⁴He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. (John 16:13‑14)).

Christ is the pattern for the Christian’s walk (Phil. 1:21, 2:5; 1 Peter 3:18¹⁸For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: (1 Peter 3:18); 1 John 2:6⁶He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. (1 John 2:6); 2 Cor. 5:14, 15¹⁴For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: ¹⁵And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. (2 Corinthians 5:14‑15)). He is our goal in glory (Phil. 3:14, 20, 21¹⁴I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14)
²⁰For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: ²¹Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Philippians 3:20‑21); 1 John 3:2, 3²Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. ³And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. (1 John 3:2‑3)). Christ is our all in all (Col. 3:11¹¹Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. (Colossians 3:11)).

The Epistle to the Galatians was written specially to Christians, free from the principle of law-keeping (See also Acts 15). Our proper privilege and relationship is sons, and children of God (Gal. 4:4, 5⁴But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, ⁵To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. (Galatians 4:4‑5)). If Christ is our pattern, that is far higher.

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Gal. 5:1¹Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. (Galatians 5:1)).

Jesus our Lord is our only rule of life.

Question: What is Romans 6:3,4³Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? ⁴Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:3‑4) meant to teach us? T. E.

Answer: The question here is how sin, or the flesh which is in us, is to be treated. From verse 12 of chapter 5 we are viewed as not now associated with Adam, though in the body still, but rather associated with Christ who has passed through death. He not only died for our sins, but died to sin, and we are seen as dead to sin. “How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein,”

The lesson taught in baptism is that being baptized unto Jesus Christ we are baptized unto His death. “We are buried with Him by baptism unto death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” We are not to own the claims of the flesh; we are to reckon ourselves dead indeed unto sin; but alive unto God. Sin is not dead, but we are to reckon ourselves dead unto it; faith owns that we are really planted together in the likeness of His death, and that we surely shall be in the likeness of His resurrection; knowing this that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed (annulled), that henceforth we should not serve sin. Our old man has been crucified, but the nature—sin in us—is still there. We are to reckon ourselves dead to its claims. We are to disregard it, refuse its suggestions as unworthy of a child of God, count ourselves dead to its claims, go on living for Christ as if it was not there. We know it is there, but we can turn from it, and give our minds something good to be occupied with (see Phil. 4:8⁸Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (Philippians 4:8)). Let us never cherish bad thoughts, but turn the mind to good at once. Baptism is brought into this chapter to illustrate how we are to be dead unto sin in our behavior. We are baptized unto Jesus Christ, unto His death. Ordinarily we bury a dead body, but in baptism it is burial to be dead—that is, unto death, the death of Christ.

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