SCRIPTURE QUESTIONS by W. H. Littlejohn

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Tuesday, March 17, 1885

FromThe Review and Herald, Vol. 62, No. 11

SCRIPTURE QUESTIONS.

By W. H. Littlejohn

ANSWERS BY W. H. LITTLEJOHN.

319.—THE IMAGE OF GOD.

H. H. S.: If man is necessarily immortal because he was created in the image of God, then he is also necessarily omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent; for the three latter attributes belong to God equally with that of immortality.

For a full discussion of the subject, see “Man’s Nature and Destiny.” This work discusses every passage worthy of mention which bears on the immortality question. It should be in the hands of every Sabbath-keeper. The price is $1.50 per copy, post-paid. Send to REVIEW AND HERALD Office, Battle Creek, Mich.

320.—ZECHARIAH 13:1.

N. H. H.: I do not know that we have anything better on Zechariah than the articles by Eld. J. N. Andrews recently published in the Signs of the Times. They will be reproduced in the REVIEW soon.

321.—SON OF MAN.

J. D. C.: The title “Son of man” was assumed by our Lord because of the fact that he was born of the Virgin. He was also called the Son of God because he was begotten of God. In him were united a human and a divine nature. It was therefore fitting that titles should be applied to him which when taken together, should express this fact.

322.—BAPTIZED FOR THE DEAD.

J. D. C.: 1 Cor. 15:29 has nothing to do with the baptism of living men for the benefit of dead men. The passage presents no difficulties to those who believe that immersion is the true form of baptism, and that it symbolizes the resurrection from the dead. Paul, in the chapter in question, is dealing with the resurrection, and he substantiates the doctrine by an appeal to the nature of the act of baptism as then administered. The following paraphrase will set forth the drift of his argument: “When we were baptized, we were plunged under the water, and raised up out of the water in the likeness of the burial and resurrection of the dead. Rom. 6:5. It must be, therefore, that the dead will rise, else there was no force in the form of baptism to which we submitted.”

323.—BEHOLD HE IS IN THE DESERT.

C. D. J.: The expression, “Behold, He is in the desert” (Matt. 24:26), is not yet fully realized in Mormonism. It is not impossible that the time is near at hand when something in their history will take place which will exactly fulfill the prophecy in question. They believe that the Lord will make his advent in person at Salt Lake, and it would be a very easy matter for some impostor, under favorable circumstances, to so far deceive them that they would be willing to receive him as the long-looked-for Christ. For the sentiments of this reply, you will please hold me alone responsible.

324.—RENTING TO NON-SABBATH-KEEPERS.

J. E. S.: I see no reason why a Sabbath-keeper could not rent a portion of his house to one who does not observe the Sabbath, provided the latter should not be allowed to do anything on the premises outside of the portion he has rented, which is inconsistent with proper Sabbath observance. The same system of reasoning which would justify, in the case in question, the renting of the whole, would also justify the renting of a part, of a house.

325.—THE CATTLE OF PHARAOH.

J. E. S.: It is true that in Ex. 9:6 it is declared that all the cattle of Egypt died. It is also a fact that in the 20th verse of the same chapter it is made clear that there were some of them left which survived the plague of the murrain spoken of in the 3d verse. It is probable that the great majority of the Egyptian cattle died. This being true, it would be admissible according to Bible usage to say that they all died; since the inspired writers frequently use the word in that sense. An example of this use of the word will be found in Matt. 9:5, 6, as follows: “Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.” It is very certain from the context that Matthew did not intend to be understood as saying that without exception every person in Judea and Jerusalem was baptized of John; since that would imply the baptism of the Pharisees; whereas the majority of the latter rejected the baptism of John, as we learn from Luke 7:28, 30.

326.—THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS.

U. M.: For my views on the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, I must refer you to a series of articles which I published in the REVIEW during 1878. The question department is too limited to admit of the discussion of such a subject.