BIBLE QUESTIONS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 139, 18 July 1914, Page 13

BIBLE QUESTIONS.

(Edited by "AQUILA.")

Bible questions will be answered here if sent to the Editor of. this column, accompanied by the names and addresses of the senders.

Q. —If the story of Eden is a parable, wjiat is meant by "Far as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive» (1 Cor., 15, 22), and by "The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam (Jesus Christ) was made a quickening spirit?'' (1. Cor., 15, 45). See also Gen. 3, 20; Romans 5, 12. — H.B.M.

A. —The passages mean, for one thing, that the idea of the story of Eden being literal history was already established in the Jewish mind in the days of St. Paul, and possibly that he shared the common belief. In the Book of Wisdom, which date J before the Christian era, we read (2, 23-24): '* God created man to be immortal, and made him in the image of his own eternity. Nevertheless, through envy of the devil, came death into the world; and they that do hold of his side do find it." Paul may have believed this, or he may only have referred to it as a cominon tradition. In 1. Cor., 10-4, he says: '' They drank of the spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ." The reference is to a Jewish legend to the effect that the rock from which Moses br >ught the water followed the Israelites in their wanderings in the wilderness. Most people will be ready to smile at the legend. Yet St. Paul refers to it quite seriously. Either he believed it and was in error, or he did not believe it to be true, but referred to it by way of illustration, as I might quote what the fox said to the grapes, without believing that a fox ever spoke. St. Paul's references to Eden no more proves Eden to be historical than his reference to the rock ' 4 following'' proves that to be historical. :

Q. —If the Bible is not the "Word of God," but "only contains the word of God,'' how can one determine with absolute certainty which parts are inspired by God and which are not? To my mind the fulfilment' of prophecies would tend to prove the inspiration of those prohpecies. How, then, about the many prophecies which are not yet fulfilled, and the many other parts of the Scriptures, the writings of Moses, etc.? I. refer only- to the Old Testament writings.—H.B.M.

A.—The Bible is not a book, except in the matter of binding. It is a collection of books made from a greater number of books by the councils, or by committees of the councils of the early Church. No Protestant has ever claimed infallibility or inspiration for the councils or their committees. Some people now think that the selection was not perfect, and that the Books of Esther and the Song of Solomon, for example, ought to have been excluded and put in the Apocrypha. From that point of view the Bible is said to "contain the word of God." To go ft step further; Take the fifth chapter of Matthew, in which Christ quotes some of the human elements of the Old Testament and utterly sets them aside as not of God. It is not to be supposed that he quotes all the objectionable passages. He could not possibly have approved of the 109 th Psalm, for example. Any sensible person ought to be able to see when parts of the Old Testament are opposed to the Christ spirit, and when he sees it he ought to have the courage to treat it as Christ treated those passages which he quoted as examples. In any case, it is quite clear that Christ's view was that the.Bible contained the word of God, for he approved of some of it and disapproved of some. Q. —Will all men be saved? (1. Tim., 4, 10). F.E. A.—lt would be contrary to the whole drift of the New Testament if all were saved. It is usual to suppose that there is a connection with the eighth verse, where "bodily exercise" is mentioned, and that the reference in your text is to providential care over this life, so that wc ma\* understand " who is the preserver of all men, .specially of those that believe." Still, the word is "Soter" Saviour, which usually carries a higher meaning. q.— What is the meaning of verse 29 of the eighth chapter of Romans?—F.E. A. —The verse reads, "Whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate," etc. I must refer you to the libraries that have been written on the subjects of '' Freewill,'' ' 'Foreknowledge,'' "Predestination," "Free Grace," etc. Q. —(1) Kindly tell me how much older than "the Bible is the popular devil! (2) Is not Gen. 3, v. 4 the first sin on record? There he is a serpent.

Generation of vipers. Matt. 3-7. (.i) If the popular devil is in the Bible beyond all reasonable argument, ki idly give the passages where it occurs. Are not riches personified (Matt. 6-24)'S Ist not Wisdom personified (Prov. 3-13 to 18) ? Natural lust is represented as an old man, Col. 3-9. I have no wisJi in every case to lay all blame on one person. Tate Luke 17-1 agailast that. But suppose you left your standing outside a store while you went in.' If I took your cycle would you send both to gaol for my offence? (4) By human elements do you mean the Bible is only partly divine?' (5) If so, can you. give any passage to prove it? What injury have I to do my mortal (? moral) nature by believing**; what the writers, believed? In what way will I require to twist myself? (6) Is the Bible inconsistent with itself, if . so, where I

, J.B. . A. —(1) I do not possess his Satanic Majesty's birthday book. (2) No; the "devil and his angels" (Matt. 25, 41) —''the angels that.sinned'" (2 Pet. % 4), '' the angels who kept not their first estate" (Jude 6) appear to have precedence. (3) I have said nothing about "the popular devil." That is your phrase. The question is: "Does the Biblft set forth"a personal devil?" £ have given you some very plain passages in answer to your first question, and yet you ask the same again. The. editor of THE SUN would object to my occupying a page of paper • with the other passages. Still I will give an outline of the Bible history of Satan. First, as cited above, he sinned and fell. The prevailing opinion about the time of Christ is found in '' The Secrets of Enoch," a work of that date. "One of those in the ranks of the archangels, iliaving turned away with the rank below him, entertained an impossible idea that he should make his throne higher than the clouds over the earth, and should be equal in rank to My power. And I hurled him from the heights with his angels; and he was flying in the air continually above the abyss. . . . He became Satan after he left heaven.

His name was formerly Satanail. He conceived designs against AdamJ *'• etc. In the Bible Satan is the tempter of man, "for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers; of the darkness of this world, against spiritual - wickedness in high places."- (Ephl 6, 12). Accordingly he tempts Job_and Christ, taking the latter to the pinnacle of the temple, and to a high mountain, as no personification could be supposed to do. He hinders St. Paul (I Tlies. 2, 18). He is described as the "god of this world" (II Cor. 4, 4), "the prince of this world" (Jn. 12, 13), and the "prince of the power of the air" (Eph. 2, 2). He sinned from the beginning, but Christ came to destroy his works (I Jn. 3, 8), and Christ, on seeing some success in his work, said "I beheld Satan as lighting fall from heaven." He goes about as a roaring lion (I Pet. 5, 8), or as an angel of light (II Cor. 11, 14). He has "wiles," "devices,-" "depths" and fiery darts." But he knows his time is short (Rev. 12, 12) and he will ultimately be judged, bound, and cast into the place prepared for him. If you cannot see the difference between this consistent and invariable personal presentation, and a casual and £ . single personification of riches, ■' I can- . not help it, for it is no part .of my duty to supply what is lacking.- Yoti* i will please observe that I am not endeavouring to persuade you that there-. is a personal devil. That is fairly- £ matter of opinion. I am, dealing with, your question whether the devil is conceived of as personal in the Bible; (4) I mean precisely that. (5) The of this, like the kingdom of God, i* within you. (6) You might begin with Matthew 5, . where Christ contradicts and repeals some portions of the Bible; and then you might go on to apply liis principles to for yourself. (This column is for general interest, and not for carrying oil arguments with a few who hold eccentric opinions. The question of the personality of the devil in the Bible is therefore now closed.)