A Bible Reading on the 9th chapter oi Romans at Oakland, Calif., Sept. 1920

C. A.-What special reason is there for the strong statement that begins the chapter,"! say the truth in Christ, I lie not"-What special need is there for that ?

C. C.-In a certain sense it is like an oath, is it not? It is a strong affirmation.

H. A. I.-I suppose that Jews reading this treatise on God's salvation, as set forth in .the early part of the epistle, would be ready to charge Paul with favoring the Gentiles as against his own people, would they not?

C. C.-Yes, I think so ; and so he gives the strongest assurance that he is speaking in Christ, testifying to the truth. If he was testifying to the truth of the new revelation, introducing Christianity into the world, it was a solemn thing for Israel, as they were rejecting it and persecuting him.

C. A.-We have heard it said that the conscience is not a trustworthy witness. Here the apostle says, "My conscience also bearing me witness." Is it mentioned because of its connection with the Holy Spirit-conscience so guided ? Or why is the conscience brought in here, when we know it is not absolutely trustworthy ?

C. C.-He would have us realize that his conscience was before God. He was not speaking flippantly, but soberly, as realizing the presence of God. He was speaking from conviction of the truth, not from sentimentality.

A. W. P.-Would it not help to compare Rom. 9:i with Eph. 4:21 ? We have there, "As the truth is Jesus," but in Romans 9:i we have, " I say the truth in Christ." Has not the Holy Spirit some definite purpose in varying|these two terms, or titles? "The truth in Christ" (the Anointed) being more in reference to the Jewish people than the "truth in Jesus."

H. A. I.-"The truth in Jesus" was that which was manifest in the Man, Jesus, as He walked through these scenes. The truth was manifested in all of His ways. " Christ" means the anointed, and while He was that on earth, He has been given that place by God in resurrection. "God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye crucified, to be both Lord and Christ." And so Paul here speaks "the truth in Christ"-as in the presence of the resurrected One. As to verse 3 there is considerable diversity of judgment as to exactly what the apostle meant when he spoke of wishing himself accursed from Christ. As it depends largely on the original's meaning, we would like to have your judgment, that we might consider it.

C. C.-Well, I believe the clause, "I could wish myself accursed from Christ," to be a parenthesis; and I would read it, too, according to the Revised Version, "I was wishing myself accursed from Christ." It was in the past. So that the sentence would read:" I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh," This entire paragraph shows that he fully understood them. He understood the mind and feeling of Israel, as himself at one time having had that mind. He was then with them in their rejection of Christ. He at that time was
wishing himself accursed from Christ.

H. A. I.-That is altogether a different thought to what I have had. I have thought of Paul here taking the same ground as Moses (that is, if possible to save Israel by blotting him out of God's book, he would be willing to be blotted out), and that here the apostle meant to say that his love of Israel was such that he would be willing to do this -willing thus to be destroyed, that they might be saved ; not that he intended it fully, for he knew that they could not thus be saved, but that his love for them was so intense, that if he could save them by being accursed from Christ, he felt at times he would be willing to suffer this.

C. C,-That is what many think; but I merely give what is my judgment after considerable thought. I am well aware of eminent students of the Word looking at it differently, but by weighing it very carefully I have come to the judgment which I have expressed. As to the view you have mentioned, my difficulty is, I cannot conceive of a Spirit-filled man, even for 'a moment, wishing himself accursed from Christ.

H. A. I.-I suppose not; even to save others.

C. C.-It seems to me, then, that the apostle in this way shows that he understands the attitude and mind of Israel in their refusal and rejection of Christianity which was being established in the world.

E. A, B.-In Acts 22:20, 21 it speaks of Paul being sent to the Gentiles. We can realize what a hard thing it must have been for the Jews to take in the thought that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs in God's mercy; and Paul realizing this, puts himself in that place, and undertakes to face things from their standpoint.

H. A. I.-We know the force of that today. It is one of the first principles in helping souls to put ourselves as far as possible in their position. If a Roman Catholic is saved, it has great force when he turns to another Roman Catholic and says, "I realize your feelings; I understand your prejudice; I felt the same once. Now the Lord has opened mine eyes, and I wish you to weigh what I put before you."

C. A,-You say then, Mr. C., that this is a parenthesis. What about the punctuation ?

C. C.-Well, in the first place, there are no punctuation marks at all in the early manuscripts. They have all been put in by later editors, and it is a question of spiritual understanding as to what and where punctuation should be placed. It largely depends on the spiritual understanding of the translator.

E. A. B.-Some persons have said to me when I mentioned things like this, " Why do you change the Bible ? " It is a question between the original and what we have in the translation, that we have to consider.

C. A.-I hope no one can say," The brethren are changing the Bible."

H. A. I.-That question always arises with persons who are not familiar with translations and versions. They need to remember that the New Testament Scriptures