Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1904-08-04
FROM THE BACKWOODS
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e<O<Bo<D1%D%Do<BS9%DSSe
find in the News Of July l4th couch
ed in a communication written by Uncle
Joe some questions that he thinks are
very important, and thinks will prove
beneficial to many of the readers Of the
News.
want TO say to Uncle Joe what ! said
to Just One, do not claim direct in
spiration to fully qualify me to answer
biblical questions infallibly, but claim
an indirect spiritual qualification to
answer some of the simple questions
asked by him in this communication.
His first q question is "Was Judas Is
cariot given power to heal the sick, cast
out unclean spirits, and to preach the
gospel?
WHY, most assuredly he was. Let's
turn to Matt. XXI and read, when he
had called unto him his twelve discl-
pies Judas was one of the twelve, see
verse y he gave them power against
TO- ", authority over R. W unclean
spirits, to cast them out. and to heal
all manner OF sickness and all manner
Of diseases; verse Z, and as ye 60 preach
&c; verse 8, heal the sick, cleanse the
lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils,
&c"
Uncle Joe, does this not fully satisfy
you? II this is not evidence enough to
answer that question, please turn to
Mark ard chapter, and read 18th and
18th verses. think, Uncle, that the
evidence OF these two inspired witness
es is sufficient to convince any sane
mind that Judas did possess equal pow
ers and rights that the other eleven
disciples did?
Question 2. Was the Holy Ghost re-
ceived by men and women before the
day of Pentecost, and before the death
of Christ?
l conclude by careful examination
that it was not. know it was stated
in John xx:32 land when he said this,
he breathed on them, and sayeth unto
them. Receive ye the Holy Ghost, but
it dou't say that they (the disciples) al
that time received it, but in Acts ii:4
that they the disciples were all filled
with the Holy Ghost and began to speak
with other tongues as the spirit gave
them utterance.
This was forty days after the death
of our Saviour, and my honest convict
ions are that people did not receive il
before that day His disciples did pos
sess superhuman or divine powers, bu
it was given them by their leader anC
Master while he was with them, anC
not by the powers of the Holy Ghost
1t appears from the sacred record tha
there are three separate and distinc
personages in the Godhead: the Father
the Son and the Holy Ghost, and wnil'
our Saviour was with mis- people herr
on earth the other two were in heaven
He says IF 20 not away the Comfort
er will not come unto you. but If l de
part will send him unto you. John xvi
:. Also in another place he says, "AnC
| will pray the Father and he shall Civ,
you another Comforter that he ma,
abide with you forever" John xiv:lG
Now we find in Acts ii:3-4, where he dit
come. May we all search the script
ures carefully and prayerfully, and fin,
for ourselves answers to these very i'm
portant questions.
Third question. Who is the Ange
Gabriel that stands in the presence 0
God?
This question no one can answer fron
Holy Writ. Man may soar out on tn
wings of human Imagination and elm
to the very highest pinnicle of his ora
torical splendor, and shout aloud an
proclaim this, this wonderful messeu
. ger of God is such or such man, or th
spirit OF some certain great and goo
man of God, whose spirit has been cal
ed and clothed with the authority t
bring tiding of good and warnings G
evil TO fallen man. But alas! this hig
; and wonderful imaginary knowledge O
this wonderful character falls deep in
the dark recesses Of ignorance when W
look through our sacred volume and or
ly find that he (Gabriel) only stands t
represent the power or mighty strengt
of the Great | Am. Often he appear
in the form or likeness of man. Sc
=, Daniel viii;l6 and ix:21, also Luke i'll!
90, to warn them, or to bring promise
of good to them.
Uncle Joe asking this question re
minds me Of a question l freouentl
hear asked to-wit; Who was the mott
er OF the only begotten son Of the Fatl
er? 1t is none Of our business or th
Lord would certainly have told us. w
may surmise all we wish, and it prof
a eth us nothing. Better take up th
time that we spend surmising and il
Z vestigate Carefully and prayfully d
y our duties as Christians, and drink /
e the wonderful and simple truths ths
= are made plain and be so strengthene
thereby that we may be able
work out our salvation with fear an
y trembling before God.
e His 4th question is "If the Hol
/ Ghost was here before the death
10 Christ what was the comforter whic