Dear Mr. Editor:A brother inquires as to the meaning of 1 Peter 3 :18-20. As others are often perplexed about this, may I answer him through " Help and Food " ?

For greater clearness, I put it in the form of questions and answers.

QUES. 1.-Is the spirit referred to the human spirit of our Lord, or the Holy Spirit?

ANS.-The Holy Spirit, by which He was raised from the dead.

QUES. 2.-When did He preach by the Holy Spirit? "When once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah."

QUES. 3.-Through whom did He preach ? Through Noah.

QUES. 4.-To whom did He preach? "To the spirits [now] in prison," for refusing His testimony.

QUES. 5.-What was the result in grace of His preaching? " Few, that is, eight, souls were saved through water ;" 1:e., Noah and his family.

QUES. 6.-Are there any other scriptures that present the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit, preaching in Old Testament times?

ANS.- Yes :1 Peter 1:10, 11 and 2 Peter 1:21.

QUES. 7.-Does any scripture positively declare the Spirit would not strive with the antediluvians after death?

ANS.- Yes :Gen. 6 :3 limits His striving to 120 years ; that is, to the flood. H. A. I.

QUES. 12.-Professing Christians among whom I live assert that king Saul was once saved, but finally was lost. They do the same about Judas, saying lie must at one time have been a saved man, for he went out and preached and healed along with the rest of the Twelve, but later he lost his salvation. This does not disturb me, for I know I am saved forever; but I would like to be able to help them more.

ANS.-Your neighbors evidently do not know the grace of God. They are still in their own works, either to get or to keep salvation. It is of little use therefore to discuss with them cases which need interpretation, for wisdom to interpret aright is found only where grace is truly known. It is better to lead them in the many plain passages which need no interpretations.

God truly changed the heart of Saul (1 Sam. 10:9), but it is one thing for God to change a man's heart in view of making a king out of a lawless youth ,and quite another in view of making a saint out of a sinner. So with Judas. The Lord chose him to be an apostle in view of Ps. 41:9, referred to in John 13 :18. He also gave him, no doubt, all apostolic powers, as to the other eleven ; but to be an apostle, and to have powers for miracles, is not of necessity to be a child of God. One must be lorn of God to be that, and Judas never was born of God, as the Lord's words in John 13 :10, 11, which refer to the new birth, imply.

QUES. 13.-Is there any scripture which says that Satan is a fallen angel ?

ANS.-Yes. 1 Tim. 3 :6, correctly rendered, plainly teaches it. A correct rendering of it in the "New Translation" reads, "Not a novice, that he may not, being inflated, fall into the fault of the devil." His "fault" is described in Ezek. 28:11-17 under the figure of the king of Tyre.

QUES. 14.-When the Angel wrestled with Jacob he left Jacob lame. Was this temporary, or for all time?

ANS.-For all time, no doubt. It was the reminder of his rich blessing when his name was changed from Jacob the Deceiver to Israel the Prince. Would you like to forget throughout all eternity that you have been a poor sinner made into a saint by the death of Jesus on the cross ?