The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-02-08
EvERYBODY'S Bible BOX.

O-From the parable of the Rich
Man and Lazarus, and from the ex-
pressionS of Revelation where it
speaks of souls being slain,' and also
from the Lords words to the thief on
the cross, it seems to me that the
Bible teaches that the soul does not
cease to exist at death, but continues
on in a state of consciousness. In view
of these Scriptures; how can it be
said that it is the soul that enters into
death? IL. So
Answer-Since all of the plain, lit
eral expressions of the Bible declare
that the soul that sinneth it shall die;
the wages of sin is death; the wicked
shall God destroy; they shall perish as
the brute beast made to be taken and
destroyed; that Adam as a living soul
diSobeyed the Lord, and that it was his
soul that went into death, and not
merely his body, nor the breath of
life; and since life is the gift of God
and that it will be given only to those
who accept the Lord Jesus as their
Savior and come into harmony with
the Divine will; and since the Bible is
the inspired word of the Creator and
therefore cannot be contradictory; we
are forced to the conclusion that the
above Scriptures referred to have been
misunderstood. 1t is only by misinter-
pfeting the parallels, the symbols OF
Revelation and the Lord that any
seeming basis is found for the teach
ing of the consciousness of the soul
after death. In the Lords words to
the diving thief, place the comma after
the word today and it will be a
sensible statement in harmony with
all the rest of the plain teachings of
the Bible.
On Hebrews ii, 10, II. we read;
For it became Him to make
the Captain of their salvation perfect
through suffering" How could Jesus
Christ be perfected when He never
was imperfect? Gawrence.)
Answer.-Your question implies i'm
possibility, but the text quoted indi-
Gates that 1.-The Captain" must have
been imperfect in some way. In what
way, then. was our Lord imperfect!
The Scriptures assure US that he was
.'holy harmless undefiled, separate !
from sinner" (Hebrews vii, $50 He !
was in all points tempted as we are. |
yet without sin. ''Who did not sin, |
neither was guile found in his mouth
Il Peter ii, 22.) The test was evident |
ly that of obedience, not that our Lord !
was ever disobedient to Gods will. |
The record is that in his pre-existence
he delighted to do the will of his Faith |
err. but it remained to be proved. DEM
onstrated, under new conditions, ana
these the most unfavorable and diff |
cult possible, whether he would con-
tinue IoyaI and faithful. If it could be
demonstrated thai his Fathers VIII
was his will, then he could compel the
obedience of the ransomed race Thus
in Hebrews W and 9, we read that
though he were Son, yet learned he /
bedience by the things which he suf-
fered, and being made perfect INA
tured by tests) he became the author
of eternal salvation unto all them that
obey him.
O.-Is the doctrine of predestination
taught in the Scriptures: and is it true
that some were predestinated to be
saved to heavenly glory, while others
we're equally predistinated to an eter-
nity of misery? (Calvin.)
Answer-Yes; predestination is clear
Y taught in the Scriptures, as express
ID in the language of the Apostle:
For whom He did foreknow, He also
lid predestinate to be conformed to the
mage of His Son. that he might be the
irstborn among many brethren Gro
mans viii 29). Here it is distinctly
stated that a class was foreknown, and
what the lord predestinated was that
he members of this class should all
De comformed to the likeness of His
son. That is to say, that. all who
heirs with Christ of the Heavenly
,fories, must develop Christlike char
letters, as it had been Divinely fore
arranged that Christ was to have asso-
dated with him many brethren of
whom he would be the "firstborn."
This Scripture does not necessarily
IMPLY that individually the members
# this class were predestinated. The
Bible nowhere teaches that God pre-
ESTIMATED any to eternal torment.
body and soul' properly cover the
,eipp of man M. ShO1l1d fe ssRodv. |