QUES. 6.-Why is it we have not the "Epistle to the Laodiceans" which is spoken of in Colossians 4:16? Has it been lost, or do we have it in Revelation 3:14?

ANS.-It is most probable that Col. 4:16 refers to the Epistle to the Ephesians, which, like that to the Colossians, treats of subjects so important, and for the instruction of the whole Church of God. As all was written by hand in those days, circulating letters would also relieve from much labor in writing.

Colossians 4:16 cannot refer to Revelation 3:14, as our Lord's messages through John to the seven assemblies were written much later-near the end of John's long life.

QUES. 7.-Please point out through Help and Food the difference between "sin" and "iniquity."

ANS.-Whatsoever is contrary to God is sin:"Sin is lawlessness" (1 John 3:4, J. N. D.)-that is doing one's own will, regardless of God. The A. V. rendering of 1 John 3:4 is faulty, for "until the Law, sin was in the world" (Rom. 5:13). Before the Flood, lawless man did his own evil will; so "death reigned from Adam to Moses" (Rom. 5:14)-before the law was given.

"Iniquity" is wilfully acting contrary to known law-a wilful transgression of the Law. "I said, I will confess my transgressions (of His law) unto the Lord, and Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin" (Ps. 31:5).

QUES. 8.-(a) In the expressions, "dishonoreth his head and "dishonoreth her head" (1 Cor. 11:4, 5), whose head is meant in each instance?

(6) Are all children of God constantly kept by the power of God? (1 Peter 1:5). Kindly answer through Help and Food.

ANS.-(a) The headships of each are given in verse 3. The man, typifying Christ, and woman typifying the Church as the Bride of Christ, should exemplify it to the beholding angels (ver. 10). The covering on woman's head in the assembly is a sign of willing subjection to her head (man).

(6) In His high-priestly prayer, our Lord says, "Those that Thou gavest Me, I have kept, and none of them is lost" (John 17:12). It is of this keeping unto the end that Peter speaks-"Kept by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." This "salvation" is the complete deliverance from all the dangers and trials of this present life, as we enter our Father's house on high.

QUES. 9.-I would be thankful for an answer as to the following. In "the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven," Mr. Grant says:

"The Church is as distinct from the Kingdom of Heaven as the Kingdom of Heaven is from heaven itself; yet the Church is in the Kingdom, which is wider and external to it, and stands with respect to the Kingdom as the Temple to its outer court. In the former (the Temple) the priestly family drew near and worshiped; in the other (the court) the common people of Israel came. The Kingdom answers to the outer court of Israel's sanctuary; the Church, the house of God, is the Sanctuary itself. To the Church alone belongs the breaking of bread which expresses enjoyed grace, fellowship, and relationship to one another and the Lord. The priestly family alone is a type of the Church. The common people of Israel could not draw near because they were not of the priestly family."

Are there, then, believers, children of God in our day, who are not of the Church? and not to be admitted to the Lord's table?

ANS.-Whilst the Lord's table is ideally for the whole Church, some of its members may justly be debarred from it. See 1 Cor. 5:1-5, 9-12. Even in Israel the priests could not take their place nor eat of the holy things unless they could prove their priestly birth; "Therefore were they as polluted put from the priesthood" (Neh. 7:64,65).

What you quote from Mr. Grant is quite correct. The Kingdom of Heaven is distinct from and wider than the Church. A multitude of Christians by name give no certain evidence of being children of God, and as the Lord's table is holy, the unholy or unsanctified have no title to it.

Three circles may help to show the various degrees of relationship with God, indicated I believe in Eph. 4:4-6,

An inner circle may represent the children of God by new birth-the one Body, the Church (Eph. 4:4), as the present habitation of God by the Spirit. The family of Aaron were a type of this.

The 2d circle will represent the Kingdom of Heaven, which includes the whole profession of Christian faith (Eph. 4:5), but in which are found wheat and tares which God alone can rightly separate (see Matt. 13:28-30 and verses 49, 50; also 2 Tim. 2:20, 21). Even the true children of God in such a circle have no valid title at the Lord's table until they clear themselves from evil, and from unclean vessels, thus showing that they really belong to the first or inner circle-the temple of God upon earth.

As to the 3d circle, it is only the relationship of creation (Eph. 4:6); man being made in the image and likeness of God, possesses a spiritual nature, because of which he is the "offspring of God"-it applies to man as distinct from the animal creation.