1950 Bible Studies - page 124

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BIBLE STUDIES

[3] "The faith" is not " t h e Fellowship, " though the faith should find expression in the Fellowship, just as the law was to be seen in practice in Israel in a

past day.  " The Faith " is the body of doctrine which was delivered to the saints (Jude 3).

As to Matthew 16. 19, this verse has nothing whatever to do with God’s house, but with the kingdom of heaven, which is here seen in association with the Church, the Body of Christ. In Matthew 18. 18 we have binding and loosing connected with receiving saints into and putting them away from a church of God.

Dr. Young renders this verse " shall be having been bound " and " shall be having been loosed. "--J. M.

Questions and Answers.

Question from Cardiff. --How was Jesus--said to be Mighty God (Isaiah 9. 6)--crucified in weakness ?

A n s w e r . --Christ is both God and Man, both almighty and weak. As Man He slept in the boat weary with His abundant labours, but as the Mighty God He arose and stilled the great tempest (Matthew 8. 23-27).  Paul speaking of Christ incarnate and Christ crucified speaks of the weakness of God being stronger than men (1 Corinthians 1. ). When the eternal Word, the Creator, became flesh, as in John 1. He appeared in weakness and dependence.  Human flesh is an exceedingly weak thing.  Let us ever distinguish between the two natures of Christ, divine and human, and note what Scripture says about the characteristics of each.

J . M.

Question from Kirkintilloch. --2 Corinthians 12. 21. At what time in the lives of the saints in Corinth would the " heretofore " apply ?

A n s w e r . --It seems clear that whereas Paul could recommend the restoration of the sinning brother of 1 Corinthians 5. in his words in 2 Corinthians 2. 1-11, there were others who had sinned before his second visit to Corinth (Acts 20. 2)

who showed no repentance for their conduct, and he anticipated that should he pay them a third visit he would be humbled by the sad condition of those he indicated, of whom there seemed to be many.  " Heretofore " does not refer to their condition prior to regeneration (as in 1 Corinthians 6. 11, " Such were some of you ") but since. --J. M.

Questions from London, S. E. --(1) Do verses 2-4 of 1 Corinthians 12.

refer to one incident, or are two incidents involved ?

A n s w e r (1). --I judge they refer to the same incident which happened fourteen years prior to the time that Paul was writing.

’ Question (2). --Is the " man in Christ " Paul the Apostle ? Verse 5 suggests that the writer is prepared to glory on behalf of the man in Christ, but not on his own behalf.

A n s w e r (2). --The man in Christ I understand to be Paul. This is clear, I think, from verse 7 where we have the personal pronouns of " I " and " me, " in which Paul in writing passes from the third to the first person.  When he glories on behalf of " this man in Christ, " it is another way of glorying in what the grace of God had done in his case.  In himself he had nothing to glory, and none of us in ourselves has anything to glory in.

Question (3). --Does the thorn in the flesh refer to a physical defect or does it refer to a fleshly characteristic as opposed to a spiritual one ?  The thorn is called " a messenger of Satan. "

A n s w e r (3). --The thorn in the flesh I take to be the result of the stoning at Lystra (Acts 14. 19, 20), in which time, I presume, Paul was caught up to the third heaven.  At that time the multitudes dragged him out of the city supposing that he was dead. How great was the miracle, that, as the disciples stood round him, he rose up, and entered into the city!--J. M.