THE CHURCHES AND THE BIBLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19833, 31 December 1927, Page 12

THE CHURCHES AND THE BIBLE.

(Published by Arrangement,) t

SIN AND SACRIFICE. BY EEREAN CHRISTAPELPHIAN. The Bible is a complete volume, commencing with every good, and the introduction of sin and death into the world; concluding with the taking aWay of sin and death and the restoration of the highest good. In between the beginning and ending almost every page of the book deals directly or by inference with the above-mentioned principles. What is generally termed the law of nature is termed by God in the Bible the law of sin and death, because sin is treated of in the scriptures as a concrete physical principle ot the flesh (Letter to Romans 8:3). The churches, almost without exception, including some sections of the name at the head of this article, have no place for this truth in their teaching, as it clashes with the churches' doctrine of an immortal soul, which is no part of Christianity, as not a single reference in the whole Bible states that the soul is immortal—just the reverse, that man is a dying creature because of sin. It "can be safely said that in all the great cathedrals erected to the memory of Apostle Paul his teaching that "By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men "for that all have signed " (Letter to Romans 5:12), is rot understood, or where understood is not taught. The hope of .Christianity is based on the fact ' of . Christ's resurrection, which even in his cas.s is made subservient or subject to a resurrection of the' dead (First letter to Corinthians 15), and in no part of the Bible has God promised that the righteous should go to heaven at death. The saints do not possess a kingdom in heaven, or above it; but under it (Book of Daniel 7:27), neither shall they reign in heaven, but on the earth iJßook of Revelation 5 : 10). In the light of the foregoing the scriptural statements concerning a " body of sin" arid body of death (Letter to Romans 6:6, 7:24) are easy of comprehension, and bear out-the truth that sin and death were no part of God's creation, but had entered the world by one man's transgression. The apostle speaks of death as an enemy, the last to be destroyed (First letter to Corinthians 15, Book of Revelation 20:14). As sin and death can only exist in a living organism, the Bible declares a time when there shall be no mortal people on the earth to keep these principles in existence (Book of Revelation 20:15). From the very first, after sin had entered, approach to God had to be made by & sacrifice necessitating the shedding of blood, bearing out the other scripture that without ilio shedding of blood there is no remission of sins (Book of Hebrews 9:22). This is evident by the lives of Abel and Cain; one was accepted, the other rejected. In Christianity the one and only great sacrifice was, of course, Christ Himself (especially outlined in the Book of Hebrews). The churches, particularly one that holds to the scriptural ordinance of baptism, teach that sacrifice, or sin-offering, is only connected with actual transgression. This is fata! to a knowledge of the Bible, the significance of sacrifice again being clouded by immortal soulism Under God's law to the nation of Isiael (Book of Leviticus 12) for every case of child-birth a sacrifice of a sin-offering had to be presented. No exemption was made at the birth of Jesus Christ (Gospel of Luke 2:24), showing that He, though of Divine origin, was by being born of a woman, under the same law of condemnation of sin and death (Book ot Hebrews 5:7 (Second letter to Corinthians 5:21), from which he was saved by a resurrection. God raised him from the dead (Book of Acts 2:24). Baptism bv the aforementioned church is of no avail while holding this error. The head of another church has placed a 1*0(1fearing woman of Nazareth on a pedestal which she herself would have refused (Gospel of Luke 1: 46-47), a position that angels would not take (Book ot Revelation 22:8-9). . . . . t Tlie last great sacrifice of Chnstianuy was not offered to save immortal souls, of which the Bible has nothing to say. but " to put-away sin by the sacrifice of himself" (Book of Hebrews 9: 26). In the practical words of the Apostle^'Paul (Letter to Philippians 3:20-21) Out conversation is in heaven, from whence we look for . . . Jesus Christ, who shall change cur vile body. There shall be a resurrection of just and unjust (Book of Acts 24:15), " Wo must allappear at the iudgment seat of Christ, that each may receive the things done m whether good or bad (Second lettei to Corinthians 5: lp)- „ ... n;Mo The resurrection of which the B.ble speaks is a far more practical than immortal soulism, as it w based on ufid t rfled (I'ipd ol mSSJ »'.«) "H« made them at the beginning made them m t the Bibb ij® » pimply Kf"itfTSSU JB als ° cease to exist on the earth.