Q. 1.-" I should like light on Heb. 6:and 10:These two chapters seem to many minds to come against the truth of Jno. 10:28. I do not believe the Holy Spirit would allow that; but I am not clear, and cannot therefore give evidence to others that the Holy Spirit does not contradict Himself. Can you help me ?"
Ans.-"Concerning the question in your letter lately received, let me first say that as in creation, which is the work of God, not one thing contradicts another, however different it may be, so in revelation, which is the Word of God, not one passage contradicts another, whatever difference there may be between the subjects treated.
"Thus in John the subject especially treated is Eternal Life, introducing Christ Himself as that in the beginning of the book; then how it is imparted in chap. 3:; a case given in chap, 4:, with effects following; then further on, fuller details as to the grace that ministers it despite the thieves and robbers, who would gladly hinder it, the eternal security of those to whom He has given it, etc., etc.
"In Hebrews, it is quite another thing. It is a development of what Christianity is as contrasted with Judaism, and a warning as to the consequence of giving up the former to return to the latter. Its present application would be to the vast profession we call Christendom, a great portion of which gives little or no sign of being real.
"They are all alike-the real and the unreal-'partakers of the Holy Ghost;' not, of course, that He dwells in them all, but in the sense that Judas partook of all the blessings in the company of Christ just the same as the other apostles, and yet he was all the time ' a thief and ' a devil.'
"In Matt. 13:20, 21, we read of a class which 'heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it, yet hath he no root in himself, but dureth for a while,' etc.; so in Hebrews such are mentioned as having 'tasted the good word of God.'
"In Matt. 7:21-23, some can say (and the Lord does not contradict them), 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name ? and in Thy name have cast out devils ? and in Thy name done many wonderful works ?' This would seem indeed abounding and final proof that they were children of God, but it is not, and the Lord answers them, 'I never knew you.' Of those who are His real sheep He says, 'I know them.' But they are not sheep, whatever miraculous powers they had, and in Hebrews such are mentioned as having tasted 'the powers of the world to come.' All these things may be, and yet the persons to whom they apply be unsaved, and therefore without ' the fruits which accompany salvation.'
" Again, in Hebrews there is no forgiveness for ' sin,' because ' sin' there is not the immoral doing of the flesh, but apostasy. It is the repetition of Rom. 1:21, with this immense difference, that in Romans it is God as Creator; here, it is God as Redeemer. Thus as the sheep in John are saved once and forever, the apostates in Hebrews are irretrievably lost, inasmuch as God has nothing else for man after the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. That known and apostatized from leaves nothing but certain damnation. It is closely allied with the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, and the 'higher critics' of the present day are hastening multitudes with themselves into this terrible sin. At every step now you meet with men who, while they continue in the so-called orthodox bodies, will tell you that they ' no longer believe' in those doctrines of atonement and the judgment of sin in which they once professed to believe. Of such, Hebrews says, 'For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace.' (Chap. 10:26-29.)
"Mark too that in Hebrews sanctification is never by the Spirit, for that is inward, and marks the sheep. It is by the blood:that is outward only, and marks, therefore, every professing person. One cannot be wrought into by the Holy Ghost without being a child of God, and such have ever been and ever will be ' kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time.' (1 Pet. 1:5.) But a man may have the most perfect creed possible, and fight hard for it too, yet finally be lost.
" But I think I have said enough on the subject. It has been, since I knew the Lord, one of many exercises of soul. It has therefore enlarged the heart, and extended the view of God's wonderful ways, and the end of this is worship in spirit and in truth. What exposes unreality stirs up and thereby the more establishes and strengthens reality." P. J. L.
Q. 2.-"In Acts 16:30, 'What must I do to be saved,' does the question indicate that the man was on legal ground ? " J. V.D.
Ans.-We should say, no. It is the cry of an awakened soul. He sees his danger, he wants to be rescued from the power of God, an exhibition of which he has just seen, and to which he realizes he is exposed. It is not a cool theological question, like that of the Pharisees in Jno. 6:2, but like the awakened cry of those convicted by the Spirit under Peter's preaching at Pentecost,-"Men and brethren, what shall we do ? (Acts 2:37.) At the same time the anxious one little dreams of the fullness of the precious answer, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Nothing to do, for all has been done.
Q. 3.-"In studying the second chapter of John's gospel, we find in the latter part of the eleventh verse, ' And His disciples believed on Him;' then again in the twenty-third verse, 'Many believed in His name when they saw His miracles;' and in the twenty-fourth verse, 'But Jesus did not commit Himself unto them, because He knew all men.' Please show the thought conveyed." J. E. M.
Ans.-The word used is the same in all three verses-"Believe" or "trust." Jesus manifested forth His glory by changing the water into wine at Cana. The result was, His disciples believed on Him. Their faith was established. This is, true faith. Next, the multitudes believed in His name when they saw the miracles which He did. This was evidently an intellectual faith,-their judgment was convinced, and in a certain way they sincerely believed in His name; but there had been no plowing up of heart, no awakening of conscience, no conviction of sin. New birth was needed, as brought out in the next chapter, in the interview with Nicodemus, who was evidently one of these intellectual believers; for he knew that Jesus was a teacher come from God,-knew it by the miracles He did (Jno. 3:2). The result is, that such an intellectual faith cannot tempt Him. He does not commit or trust Himself to them. He knew what was in man, and that those who to-day thus in a mere intellectual way believed in Him would the next day turn their backs on Him, and the next would cry out, "Crucify him!" . But if He thus is reserved toward mere intellectual believers, how different is He toward those who, like His disciples, truly believe! If we believe in Him, He believes in us :if we trust Him, He trusts us. How beautifully this is seen in His last interview with them before His death! He opens the secrets of His heart to them- " Henceforth I call you not servants, for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth; bat I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard of My Father I have made known unto you." (Jno. 15:15.) He takes them into His closet and lets, them hear His prayer to the Father-such a prayer! Nor has He changed. He still commits Himself to trust those who have trusted Him. His interests, His honor, are in our hands- left there by Him. What a proof of His confidence! and how have we answered this confidence ?
Q. 4.-"Kindly explain the word 'driveth' which occurs in Mark 1:12. Is it the same in the original as Matt. 4:1, Luke 4:1?" " J.P. M.
Ans.-Three words are used in these three passages, correctly translated in our common version-"Led up," "driveth," "led," in Matthew, Mark, and Luke respectively. There seems but little difference between Matthew and Luke (in Matthew, "Led up from Jordan into the wilderness"). Both indicate the accompanying of the Spirit. In Mark, it is "driving"-the same word as in Jno. 2:15, where He drove the dealers out of the temple. It need not be said that there is no contradiction in these:both the driving and drawing of the Spirit were true in Him, and in us. There is the impulse, a constraint, as in Paul- "Necessity is laid upon me" (1 Cor. 9:16), not at all inconsistent with " I will very gladly spend and be spent for you." (2 Cor. 12:15.) May it be ours ever to yield to both the driving and the drawing of the Spirit, as He did who was perfect in all.