Dear Bible Answermun: Please explain
Mark 7:15, which says “there is nothing
from without a man, that entering into
him can defile him: but the things which
come out of him, those are they that de.
file the man.” Mrs. G. F.. Nova Scotia.
Jesus was certainly talking here
about the things prescribed in the
Word of God as being dean and hit
to cat. This verse is qualified by other
verses in the Bible which show thie
some thines which a man can cat and
drink do defile his body, Tn Daniel
1:8 we see this to be vue: “Damel
purposed in his heart that fie wondd
not defile Domsell with the portion
of the king's meat, nov with the wine
which he drank: cherelore he ree
quested ol the prince of the cunuchs
that he might not defde himselt”
“Whether theretore ve eat, or drink,
or whatsoever ve do, do ull to the
alory of God.” I Corinthians 10:35].
It 1s obvious to all that theve are
nny things that cannot be consumed
by man to the glory ol God. One, for
instance, would be mtoxicating bev-
erages. Again, how can any man
lower the cthoicncy of his mind and
body by the use ol tobacco and sav
that it is to the glory of Gods
True it as, according to the words
ob Jesus, that «oman is defiled by his
thoughts and words, but Daniel and
others seeking to do the Lord's will
understood that the body is defiled
also by wrong eating and drinking.
Dear Bible Ansicerman: Does the Bible
say anything about gossiping and back-
biting? DPD. E. L., Newloundland.
Yes, the Bible has a erveat deal to
THE BEAST FROM THE
ABYSS
(Continued from page 15)
The Final Sign
Ihe culmmation of the process ol
resuscitation os brought to view in the
thirteenth verse ob Revelation sevens
teen: Lhese [the ten horns or nae
sav about backbiting, aid in no case
is it commendatory. “Lord, who shall
abide in Thy tabernacle: who shall
dwell in "Thy holy hill He that walk-
cth uprightdy, and worketh righteous.
ness, and speaketh the wath in his
heart, He that backbiteth not with
his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neigh-
hour, nor taketh up a reproach against
his neighbour.” Psalm 15:1-5.
Another pertnent comment is
found mn Proverbs 20:20. “Where no
wood is, there the five goeth out: so
where there is no talebearer, the strife
ceaseth,” Continuing, the writer of
Proverbs says: “The words of a tale
bearer are as wounds, and they go
down into the innermost parts ol the
hellv,” Verse 22,
Dear Bible If the dead
are unconscions in their death, how do
vou explain 1 Peter 3:18, 19, which savs:
“Christ also hath once =uffered for sins,
the just for the unjust, thar He might
bring us to God, being put to death
in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
by which also He went and preached unto
the spirits in prison.” E. HB.
Answcerman :
To whom does the pronoun “He”
in verse 18 refer: The answer 1s, to
Christ. To whom does the word
“which” refers The aswer is, to the
Spirit,
Who were the “spirits in prison’
Fhe answer is, all the souls shut up
in the worldly prison house of sm.
[twas this purpose for which He
came: Fhe Scripuare hath concluded
all under sin. that the promise by
baith of Jesus Christ might be given
to them that believe!” Galatians 3:
22. The Spirit of the Lord God is
upon Me: because the Lord hath
anointed Me to preach good tidings
unto the meek; He hath sent Me to
bind up the hrokenhearwed, tw pro
claim liberty to the captives, amd the
opening of the prison to them that
are hound.”
Satan has bound thousands multi
plied by thousands in sin upon this
carth for many centuries. he object
of Jesus” coming was to throw open
the doors of this prison house of sm,
and free the captives who all their
hives had been helpless in the bondage
of the enemy. Sin, disobedience to
God's Low, 1s the thing that puts man
in bondage to Satan.
When did Jesus preach to the spare
its in prison: Lhe answer is lound in
I Peter 3:20: “Which sometime were
disobedient, when once the longsuf-
tering ol God waited in the days of
Noah, while the ark was a preparing,
wherein few, that as, eight souls were
saved by water.”
Now the question 1s naturally asked,
Through whom did Jesus preach by
His Spirit: ‘The answer, according to
Yo Peter 2:5 and Hebrews 11:7, as
Noah: “And spared not the old world,
Lut saved Noah the eighth person,
a preacher ol righteousness, bringing
tn the Hood upon the world of the
ungodIv. “By lath Nauh, being
warned of God of things not seen as
vet, moved with lear, prepared an ark
to the saving of his house: by the
which he condemned the world, and
became hen ol the righteousness
which is by faith.”
tions of Western Europe] have one
mind, and shall give their power and
strength unto the beast.” That this is
the very List stage mm the history ol
the beast is evident
from the next
verse which states:
“These shall make war with the
Lamb, cond the aonb shall avercome
then: tor He is Tod of lords, and
King ol kings"—clearly a description
of the return of Christ in glory and
trivnnph,
The crucial question, therefore, in
the long story of the beast is whether
anvthimg like the events described in
verse thirteen of Revelation seven-
teen as transpiring in the dominion ol
the beast—\Western Furaope—uo-day,
CHRIST -- WAS HE GOD
OR MAN?
(Comtiined [rom page 3)
leper (Matthew 8:2) 0a certain ruler
(Matthew 9:18), the people with
[ime in a ship (Matthew TE38) 0 a
woman ol Canaan (Mathew 15:20
the woman whe Lavchlully served Him
(Matthew 28:9) 0 His own disciples
(Matthew 28:07: Luke 26:02) 0 a de
moniac (Mark 5:6), a healed blind
man {John 9:38), Zebedee's wile and
two sons (Matthew 200207, and a
aroup of Greeks (John 12:20) 0 Now
it Jesus Christ had been a mere man,
and not God. He would have been
guilty of a great sin in permitting
men to worship (frroskuneoy Him.
FEB RU.
RY 1950
When God the Son lefe heaven.
came to this world, and took upon
Flinwselt rhe flesh and form of man,
there was a possibility that the holy
angels night question whether they
should worship (proskuneoy Him
thereatier as God. Thao there mel
not be any doubt in their minds
about the deity of Christ alter His
incarnation, God the Father come
manded that all the holy angels
should continue to vender to the Son
the homige and worship due Hime as
a mamber ol the Godhead. “When
He hringeth in the First-begotten into
the world, He saith, And let all the
angels of God warship [proskuneo]
Him.” Hebrews 1:60 This is very sig
nthcant mv the light of the fact that
a holy angel does not consider it Taw
bul to worship (frroskunco) anv being
hit God, (Revelation 19:10: 22:8, 9)
Fherelore, Jesus is now God in
human flesh. He 1s now both God
and man, Tuonanuel (God wit us),
He as called “the Son ol man” and
“the Son of God” in the Holy Scrip
tures. The opinion that Jesus Christ
is aomere hman being and not God,
ivocontrary to what the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spivit have said
concerning Hunn To is a denial of
the testimony of the holy angels, the
prophets and the apostles. To wil
fully deny the deity of Christ. when
itis so clearly taught in the Holy
Scriptures, is anti-Christian, because
it brands God's Word as a falsehood.
15