QUES. 3.- Please explain 1 Cor. 3:17, "If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy:for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." How "defile" and "destroy?"

ANS. – The apostle here speaks of spiritual workmen in the assembly at Corinth, which is viewed as God's habitation – His holy temple. Verse 17 speaks of an evil workman, like the "Modernist" who corrupts, or really destroys the house of God, while professing to build it. But God will destroy or "corrupt" such an one in due time; He will consign such with the unclean (Rev. 22:15). The word here translated "defile" and "corrupt" is the same word in the original.

Instructive and solemn is the whole passage, vers. 11-17. The ministry in God's house is compared to a variety of materials in building His temple, Some, like gold, is to the glory of God; some, as silver, to the salvation of men; and some, like precious stones, ennoble God's temple. On the other hand some work may be as wood which, though fair to look at, can not endure the fire of God's searching eyes. Other, like dried grass, is soon disposed of; and some, mere worthless stubble. And how much of the last three do we not see in the present day among the professed people of God! – popular subjects, oratory, music, all carnal things to attract people, by which even Christian men may think to serve God – all to be tested yet by the fire of God's holiness. But woe to the corrupter of God's truth, and so a destroyer of His temple.

QUES. 4. – Can you give us some light on Luke 14:23? The servant is commanded to "go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in." Who is the servant? and how compel?

ANS. – Although God uses men as His servants to gather sinners to the gospel-feast and to His house, none but the Holy Spirit Himself could fill the place of the servant spoken of here. Note that only one Servant is spoken of. It also explains the "compel them to come in." And the way in which He compels is by making the "poor, and maimed, and blind, and halt" so to feel their need and misery that they must seek for and find relief. Man is unable for this. It is the Holy Spirit that convicts of sin (John 16:7–11). Thus the once rebellious sinner is "compelled" to seek and find the Saviour-God.

QUES. 5.-In Isaiah 53:4 speaking of the suffering Saviour, it says:"Yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted." To what time does this refer?- when our Lord was here and the Jews railed upon Him? or does it apply to the Jewish Remnant in days yet to come?

ANS.-Why not descriptive of both?-though principally, no doubt, to the time when the godly "remnant of the unhappy nation shall be undeceived as to their long-continued blindness. Zech. 12:10-14 graphically speaks of their wonderful conversion. But prophecy usually embraces more than one special event or occasion. A marked example of this, is Joel's prophecy of the outpouring of the Spirit upon young and old in Israel "in the last days," which Peter, in Acts 2:16-21, applies to what took place at Pentecost, as a partial fulfilment of Joel's prophecy.