The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-07-03
BIBLE STUDIES
OF BROOKLYN
TABERNACLE
nv PASTOR RUSSELL

Sins Never To Be Forgiven.-Mark ILL.,
20-35.
This is the condemnation, that light is
come into the world and men loved dark
ness rather than light. because their deeds
were evil."--John Iii, 10.
John the Baptist declared of Jesus, He
must increase, but must decrease After
John was put into prisop Jesus ministry
became more and more public, especially
through the numerous works performed
by Him. The multitudes followed the
Great Teacher, and His friends became
sollcitous for Him.
The Scribes and Pharisees considered
themselves the representatives of the Jew
ish orthodoxy and qualified to pass upon
ev erything theological; and indeed the
public waited for their message, saying,
Have any of the Scribes and Pharisees
believed on Him." Hence Jesus declared
that these representatives OF divine things
were doubly responsible, for they would
neither enter into dscipleship themselves,
nor would they permit the public to be-
come His followers If they could pre-
vent 1t.
That Jesus did many miracles could not
on many occasions cast out demons could
not be denied. The Scribes explained this,
however, by saying that Jesus had coll
fusion with Beelzebub SATAN, and that
by his power He was able to cast out
demons But Jesus answered that If 1t
was true that satan had turned reformer
and was opposing his own minions, the
demons, then it proved that his Kingdom
would soon fall.
he 60 OF n tndav raIfpf0tla syS-
TENS practice faith healing Is claimed to
be a mark of divine approval, on the
strength of our Lords words. Yet We
have. in opposition to their claims, to re-
member that those who claim to exercise
this power very generally deny the very
existence of the gospl of Christ. Some
of them deny that man Is a sinner, and
declare that there is no such thing as sin.
Practically all of them deny the redemp-
tive value of Christ's death; that He will
come again and establish His kingdom
and through 1t bring to mankind the
promised blessings of restitution to hui
man perfection-to all that was lost in
Eden and redeemed at Calvary.-Acts Ill,
1921.
There is only one answer to make to
the claim that these faith healings prove
the truth of these various antagonistic
doctrines, and that answer is the one
which Jesus here states. II their faith
healing power be not of God 1t must be
of the adversary; and If 1t be OF the adj
yersary it proves that he is upholding false
and contradictory doctrines, and that the
collapse of his dominion is nigh. This
view is more and more impressing itself
upon Bible students.
disappearing the Holy Spirit
Addressing the Pharisees, who charged
Him with being satan's prime minister
1.-l hot al a ~
ner of sin and blasphenly which men COM
nit are forgivable, except one kind. and
this kind can never be forgiven-blas-
phemy against the Holy Spirit. The Saw
| Tor did not mean that the Scribes had
said something against the Holy Spirit OF
| God in an abstract way, but apparently
they had perceived that our Lords teach
| ings were pure. holy, helpful. eievauns
to His hearers. honoring to God, and that
! He spake as never man spake; but after
all these evidences of Jesus holiness and
! relationship to God they called Him a
relative and representative of satan.
| Jesus did not say that the Scribes and
Pharisees had committed the sin of BIAS
| phemy against the Holy Spirit. Some OF
| them may have done so, and others OF
| them may have been partially in ignor-
ance Of what they did; and the sir
against the Holy Spirit could not be COM
| nitted in ignorance. 1t would be a wilfu
attributing of holy things to an unho1y
power or source.
| Our Lord did. however. give the warn
| ing reproof that those who could thus
see the righteousness of HIS teachings
and how He glorified God in His words
and actions, and who could then imput<
all of this to satan. must be to a consid-
| cradle extent perverse in their hearts
and If so. they would be in great danger
| of eternal condemnation, the sentence oil
the second death; they would be LIKE