Heidi McCandless - Procrastination.  Every one of us deals with this to some degree.  In some situations it doesn’t make much difference, in others, it can change the course of your life!  I almost missed the most important thing ever because I was too slow to realize how important it was.  I’m speaking of course of my own life – eternal life that is.

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Golden Lampstands of Iowa

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Sarah Stickfort

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Joel Hovey

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Stephen Vance

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Som evangelicals act as though "women keeping silence" is outdated. What is the Biblical message of 1 Corinthians 14" TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 14?

Some claim Paul (1 Cor. 14:34)" TARGET="_blank">1 Cor. 14:34) legislated temporary cultural adjustments, not intended as mandates for the whole church period. The immediate context, however, recognizes these as the Lord's commandment. The directive is as clearly a commandment, and as strong, as any other in the epistle. To set it aside would give liberty to depart from other guidelines regarding, for example, remembering the Lord (chapter 11) and exercising gifts (chapter 14). Few evangelicals would be willing to do this. The only way that women's keeping silent in the church becomes outdated is by rejecting the whole epistle.

J. Beattie

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Is it scriptural to teach that when we come together to remember the Lord, our worship should be directed to the Father only, and that even hymns addressed to the Lord Jesus should not be sung? 

Our Lord when censuring certain leaders in Matthew 15:9," TARGET="_blank">Matthew 15:9, applied to them the words of God through Isaiah, “In vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” And there are many rules being laid down in connection with worship to-day, regarding which the last clause of this quotation might fittingly be used; since they are nothing else than “the commandments of men.”

Of such the teaching referred to in the question is a typical example; for there is no command whatever in the Word of God to the effect that the Son should be excluded from worship. On the other hand, there is the statement that “All men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father”; and also many examples of worship directed to Christ, such as Hebrews 1:6;" TARGET="_blank">Hebrews 1:6; Matthew 2:11;" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 2:11; Matthew 28:9,17;" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 28:9,17;  Luke 24:52," TARGET="_blank">Luke 24:52, etc.

If it be objected that none of these examples has reference to a breaking of bread meeting, we ask the objector to point out where in the Scriptures is the word “worship” at all used in connection with such a meeting? It will then be possible to consider what special limitation, if any, is placed on our worship in that connection.

W.R.

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How can we deal with in-law problems?

It is important always to remember that you and your in-laws are all children of God and loved by Him so much that He gave His Son for each of you. We are commanded in 1 John 4:11," TARGET="_blank">1 John 4:11,12 to love one another, thus proving the reality of our salvation. If problems have developed between believers, the Lord Jesus taught in Matthew 18:15" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 18:15 that we should discuss and clear up the problems privately. If that doesn't work (verse 16), then one or two brethren with spiritual wisdom and experience should be invited to give unbiased advice. Every effort should be made to avoid involving others in the assembly.

Sometimes the problem is that parents have been so accustomed to the subjection of their children in the home that they forget that their married "child" is now a member of a new family with the husband as the head. The situation should never be left to fester and become worse, or it can develop into strife not only within the family but also in the assembly

A. Joyce

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What is the meaning of 2 Samuel 3" TARGET="_blank">2 Samuel 3: 33: “Died Abner as a fool dieth?”

Probably the thought is: “Did Abner die like an inexperienced fool, who knew not how to defend himself?” And the intended answer is, “No, he fell victim to a deceitful wicked plot.” Compare verse 27, in which the unsuspicious nature of Abner stands in marked contrast to the suspicions Joab had expressed concerning him in verse 25. Notice, too, that he was slain in the last place where it might have been expected he would be, in the gate of Hebron which was a city of refuge (Joshua 20:7)," TARGET="_blank">Joshua 20:7), as well as being the residence of king David at that time.
Yet there is no doubt that Abner did really act as a fool on an earlier occasion, when he made the unwise choice of chap. a. 8, 9 for Ishbosheth and against David, and did so deliberately though he well knew (see chap. 3. 9, xo) what the mind of God in the matter was.

W.R.

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Does the title "El" apply only to any singular Person of the Trinity, or does it apply to the Trinity as being One in nature and essence?

(See Mr. Newberry’s Study Bible note on the Divine titles).

It seems that Mr. Newberry’s note is correct and instructive as far as it goes. Though El is a singular form (but not of Elohim, which is Eloah), I do not think it necessarily expresses a single Person of the Holy Trinity, though this is true in some cases (e.g. Immanu—El, with us— God). It means a “mighty one,” or simply “might,” and even any deity; but is used often too of the true God. The special emphasis of the word is the Divine Unity, whereas that of Elohim is plurality in Unity.

It is hardly ever used in prose writings without some adjunct or attribute, as Mr. Newberry’s references show.

Almighty God - ElShaddai;

the Everlasting God,—El-’Olam;

a jealous God, El-qanna’, and so on.

El-Elohe-Israel, is a special name of God—”God the God of Israel.”

The word is however much more frequent in poetical books such as the Psalms and Job—and sometimes with the definite article— “The God”; see Psalm 18:32" TARGET="_blank">Psalm 18:32—”The God girdeth me with strength”; Psalm 68:21" TARGET="_blank">Psalm 68:21—”The God shall wound the head of His enemies”; Job 8:3" TARGET="_blank">Job 8:3— “Doth the God pervert judgment?”—where the thought represented seems to be the True God. There are gods and gods, gods many and lords many, but our God is THE GOD—the only God. Perhaps the true key to the use of the word is that it may mean simply “a god”. The adjunct or attribute shows that the One True God is meant.

W.H.

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What is demon possession?

Demon possession is the act of a demon, a fallen angel, an agent of Satan, moving into the body and mind of a human being.  
Christ spoke of this type of possession in Matthew 12:44" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 12:44 and Luke 11:25" TARGET="_blank">Luke 11:25…

Matthew 12:43-45" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 12:43-45  When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.  (44)  Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.  (45)  Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

Christ was correcting a problem with empty religion of the Pharisees.  A person who is under the control of Satan is described in Ephesians 2:1-2" TARGET="_blank">Ephesians 2:1-2 as someone following the course of this world - unbridled sinful living, ungodly thinking, lust-filled passions, no limits, sensual, greedy, animal-like, selfish passion.

Ephesians 2:1-2" TARGET="_blank">Ephesians 2:1-2  And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience--

Eventually, a person in this state may grow weary of this type of life and seek reformation and religion.  But a man who is reformed, but not reborn (as in born again) is not truly a Christian.  The key phrase in this passage is verse 44 "unoccupied".  The Holy Spirit is not a resident in his heart.  He is therefore eventually going to return to his Satanic-driven lifestyle and be even more enslaved to his habits.

Other Examples

There are a number of examples of people who were possessed by a demon, but none of them were believers.  The demoniacs of Gadara (Matthew 8:28;" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 8:28; Mark 5:2)" TARGET="_blank">Mark 5:2) are them most startling examples of demon possession.  These show us the extreme change that came upon them once Christ had driven the demons from them.  These were not mere problems such as "demons of depression" or "demons of mental illness" or "demons of alcoholism", but true possession of a demonic spirit.

Demons may enter the body of an unbeliever and take control of his thoughts and emotions but the Christian is protected from Satan and his angels because he is indwelled by the Holy Spirit (1 John 4:4;" TARGET="_blank">1 John 4:4; Ephesians 1:13-14;" TARGET="_blank">Ephesians 1:13-14; Colossians 1:13-14)." TARGET="_blank">Colossians 1:13-14).

Shad David Sluiter

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Is preaching the same as prophesying?

I presume the questioner is referring not so much to prophesying in the sense of foretelling, as to prophesying as forth-telling. Certainly foretelling the future was not exactly preaching. Forthtelling was a distinct gift in the primitive Church, enabling those who possessed it to communicate direct revelations from God. It was one of the sign- gifts, and was necessary to the Church in the absence of the complete Canon of Scripture. It was a miraculous gift, and was a sign to believers (see 1 Corinthians 14:22)." TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 14:22). “He that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort” (verse 3).

Apostles and prophets were foundation gifts and exist no longer to-day, except in their work in the Holy Scriptures, which they were used to give us. Preaching is a very broad term. Probably the man who prophesied preached, but to-day the term is applied to delivering an address to believers or to proclaiming the Gospel. We have the gifts of evangelist, pastor and teacher with us still, but neither of them is to be confounded with this gift of prophecy.

W.H.

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