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Book messages «Collected Works of Watchman Nee, The (Set 1) Vol. 07: The Christian (5)»
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Question and answer box (4)

Issue no. 7

  All who have biblical and spiritual questions may write to the editor. We, of course, will try our best to answer. Forgive us for not answering unprofitable questions.

The new heaven and the new earth

  Question: "At the time of the new heaven and the new earth, the people of the nations outside the city will be transferred from the millennium. At that time, they will still have the flesh and will not be free from weaknesses. This is why the leaves of the tree of life are for the healing of the nations." What is the scriptural basis for such an interpretation? (Wang, Peking)

  Answer: There are two ways to interpret the Bible. The first is by clear proofs in the Bible; the second is by the clues in the Bible. In this case, we have to consider the clues in the Bible. Revelation 21:3-7 divides the people in the new heaven and the new earth into two kinds: peoples and sons. According to verse 3, peoples means ordinary people of the world, who are the nations in verse 24. Sons are the people in the church, because only those in the church receive the spring of the water of life and overcome. (Compare this with the overcoming in chapters two and three.) From reading Matthew 25:31-46, we know that the sheep in the nations will be in the millennium. After reading the prophecies of the Old Testament prophets, we know that in the millennium both the Jews and the nations will still be in the flesh (because they will still have birth and death and so forth). After the millennium, the Bible records that there will be no death in the new heaven and the new earth (Rev. 21:4). However, the Bible does not say that the bodies of the people of the nations will be changed. The Bible only says that when the Lord receives the saints, the saints will have their bodies changed (Phil. 3:20-21; 1 Thes. 4:16-17; 1 Cor. 15:52). The people of the nations do not have this promise. Therefore, when they enter the new earth, they must still have the flesh. Since they still have the flesh, they also have weaknesses. This is why the Word of God says, "And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations" (Rev. 22:2).

A burden in the heart

  Question: Please answer this one question for me. The year before last, in a revival meeting I received the Holy Spirit who operates in my heart for His work. The day before that day, He led me to cry out loudly for forgiveness. I confessed many sins before many people. The next day, after listening to a speaker talking on the joy of receiving the forgiveness of sins, I prayed and thanked the heavenly Father for His great mercy. Suddenly, I became uncontrollably happy and could not stop laughing. In the evening, after a bath, during the evening prayer, I suddenly had a special sensation: I felt a soothing feeling as if I had received the ointment of joy, and I was full of happiness. This happiness did not leave me no matter where I went and what I saw. (Though I do not feel this happiness now, peace is still always with me.) Since then, there has been a great change in my heart. There often is a "gust of air" in my heart seeking release. Sometimes I feel that it is hard to release this air. At other times I feel at ease to release it. When I feel at ease to release it, the feeling of ease is like saying "Amen." This, I believe, is the fulfillment of Romans 8:23 or 24. (When I pray, I am more released.) But some say that this is a sign of the dissatisfaction of the heart and spirit. Others say this is the grieving of the Holy Spirit. But I still believe that I am right. In spite of this, I would like to ask you about it.

  Answer: My dear Mr. Fu-Ho in the Lord, peace to you! I received your letter. May God Himself lead you in His grace! What you call "a gust of air" is just a kind of heavy feeling that a believer often experiences. This heavy feeling can come from one of two sources. One is from the Holy Spirit, and it is called a "burden"; the other is from Satan and is called a "weight." When the Holy Spirit gives us this heavy feeling, He is giving us a burden in our heart. This is with two purposes: (1) that we would preach the gospel, and (2) that we would pray for others. After you have preached what He wants you to preach, He will remove this heavy feeling from you. After you have prayed what He wants you to pray, He will also remove this heavy feeling from you, and you will feel as if the air has been released from you. But if He wants you to continue to pray for a certain person or a certain matter, He will cause this heavy feeling to remain in you. Saints who have this kind of experience are beginning to experience co-working with the Lord. Heavy feelings may also come from Satan. A weight from Satan is not like a burden given by the Holy Spirit. What Satan gives is a kind of pressure, putting the saints under an indescribable oppression, making them sad for no reason at all. When Satan oppresses the saints, they feel uneasy either sitting up or lying down. They do not feel right either to walk or to stop, to speak or to be quiet. They do not feel right either to pray or to read the Bible. It seems as if they are lost as to what to do; the heart is depressed and impatient, as if there is an unspeakable, indescribable oppression. It seems as if the heart is being tied down by some mysterious force — what you perhaps would call "the gust of air." Because your letter was short, I cannot say for certain whether your heavy feeling is from Satan or from the Holy Spirit. However, you should try to differentiate between the two. The heavy feeling from the Holy Spirit is with a purpose; it causes us to be concerned for certain persons or certain matters, to pray for them, or to preach the Lord's gospel to them. Satan's heavy feeling is not like this. It comes when you are unaware. It makes you feel grievous suddenly and for no reason at all. Satan takes you as his target; he has no other aim except to disturb you. The heavy feeling from the Holy Spirit is with a purpose; He lets you know what it is that you are burdened for. The heavy feeling from Satan is purposeless. It leaves you feeling lost, and wondering why you feel this way. Therefore, if your heavy feeling is from the Holy Spirit, you should cooperate with the Lord faithfully and should not mind the flesh. If it is from Satan, you should (1) recognize that it comes from Satan, (2) be resolved not to be oppressed by it, and (3) resist him by prayer or by calling. The best way of resistance is first to invoke the victory of the cross and then to speak audibly, "The precious blood of the Lord covers me." "I will not be oppressed by the enemy." "Satan, get away from me quickly." "Hallelujah, the Lord has won the victory," and so forth. Sunshine will break through the darkened, cloudy sky. Please write again and let me know how you are doing.

Lending money for interest

  Question: How should we interpret the parable in Matthew 25:27? (Lai, Chingliu)

  Answer: The talents in this parable are the gifts of the Holy Spirit. "Deposited my money with the money changers" (v. 27) means to pass on to one or two people the gift you have received from the Holy Spirit and to let them work, so that you can receive some interest indirectly. When the Lord comes back, you can recover "what is [the Lord's] with interest."

The corpse

  Question: What does Matthew 24:28 refer to? (Lai, Chingliu)

  Answer: At the time of the great tribulation, Christ will be in the air, while Antichrist will be on the earth. The two will be at a standoff with one facing the other. The saints will be taken to the Lord. Hence, the Body of Christ will be united with Christ in the air. Antichrist also has his followers; they will be united with him on earth and will become his corpse, because they are men dead in sins. This will stand in opposition to the Body of Christ. These two will also be at a standoff with one facing the other. The vultures signify sin or judgment. Where the followers of Antichrist will be, there will be sin and judgment also.

Justification by works in James

  Question: Are Ephesians 2:8 and James 2:14 talking about two separate things: one about saving ourselves, and the other about saving others? If both refer to the same thing, are they not contradictory? Please correct me. (Lai, Chingliu)

  Answer: Ephesians 2:8 and James 2:14 are both about ourselves. We are saved through faith. This is proven by the entire Bible without controversy. But we should know that the justification that Paul speaks of is different from the justification that James speaks of. We have received two justifications. Paul in Romans 4 speaks of the truth of justification by faith, whereas James in James 2 speaks of the reason for justification by works. One thing can be used as a key to understand these two justifications: the history of Abraham as quoted by both Paul and James. Paul's quote of Abraham's history in Romans 4 was for proving the truth of justification by faith, and it is recorded in Genesis 15, whereas James' quote of Abraham's history in James 2 was for proving the reason for justification by works, and it is recorded in Genesis 22. Paul talked about the time before Abraham had a son, when he believed that God would give him a son. James talked about Abraham's obedience to God in offering Isaac as an offering. Abraham's first justification lies in his faith in God giving a son. His second justification lies in his offering of Isaac. Abraham was justified twice; so are the believers. We are first justified by faith, and then we are justified by works. Unfortunately, many Christians only receive the first justification. However, to fail in the second justification does not mean that a person has lost the first justification. The first justification depends entirely on the Lord Jesus. The second justification is obtained after receiving the first justification through appropriating the Lord's good works. In Romans 4 and Ephesians 2, Paul annulled work entirely. James in his Epistle emphasized both faith and works; he never annulled faith. From this we see that faith is the foundation of justification. Furthermore, the salvation and justification mentioned in James 2:14 are not justification and salvation before God. What this verse is saying is that in man's eyes, without good works, a Christian will not be considered righteous even if he attributes everything to faith in God. Please read verse 18. James did not say that God will not save or justify, because as soon as a person believes in the Lord Jesus, God will save him and justify him (Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 3:22, 24, 28; 4:4-5). However, the world will criticize such a person's faith (James 2:18). Hence, James 2 is merely telling us man's view. The purpose of James' Epistle is to exhort people to " become doers of the word and not hearers only " (1:22). Furthermore, what he mentioned was merely a man's evaluation. Hence, words such as "Can that faith save him?" "Faith...is dead," and so forth, refer only to what people see in a believer and to the result of truth in man's eyes. They do not refer to the soul. We should know that we are first saved, then we perform good works. We do not perform good works first and then become saved. After we are saved, we spontaneously perform good works. But those who merely perform good works will never be saved. "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved" (Acts 16:31).

Temptation

  Question: The devil tempted Adam by using a snake. But in Matthew 4:1-2 what did the devil use to tempt the Lord Jesus? (Wu, Kiangsi)

  Answer: Satan has not the slightest place in the Lord Jesus (John 14:30). Hence, he could not tempt the Lord Jesus the same way he tempts us. He probably appeared in person when tempting Him.

Salvation by faith

  Question: If a person is not at all saved by works, and if faith is the only condition, why then were the people in Matthew 7:22-23 cast out? They preached and healed and must have known the Lord Jesus also. Paul said believing in the heart and confessing with the mouth brings in salvation. Why then are they cast out? (A son of repentance)

  Answer: When we read the Gospels, the most important thing is to not confuse eternal life with the kingdom of the heavens. Eternal life is different from the kingdom of the heavens. The entire Gospel of John proves that eternal life is obtained by believing. The kingdom of the heavens is obtained by works (Matt. 11:12, etc.). Eternal life means that we are saved from perdition. The kingdom of the heavens is the heavenly portion of the millennium. (The earthly portion is for the Jews and the Gentiles.) The kingdom of the heavens is where the saints rule as kings with the Lord Jesus in the millennium. This is a prize to be gained through works. Those in Matthew 7:22-23 will not lose their eternal life, but they will lose the kingdom of the heavens; that is, they will not be able to rule with the Lord for a thousand years. The Lord said He did not know them, because at that time and place, He could not know them. This is like a judge whose son has broken the law. While he is judging his son, he cannot recognize him as his son. Workers of lawlessness in the original means "those who do not keep the law," or "lawless ones," or "those who do not act according to rules."

Justification by faith

  Question: The slaves who received the talents seem to have received the grace of salvation already. Why were their talents taken away from them later when they did not gain any more, and why did they have to end up gnashing their teeth? It seems that eternal life is related to works. I would like very much to accept the word of justification by faith, but I would like to understand more about it. Please help me. (A son of repentance)

  Answer: The talents in Matthew 25 refer to the gifts of the Holy Spirit and not to salvation, because there cannot be different grades of salvation implied by five talents, two talents, and one talent. Even though the slaves in Luke 19 all received a mina, if the first mina refers to salvation, then the minas that were gained should also refer to salvation. If so, how can you explain the ten minas and the five minas that were gained? Therefore, the talents cannot refer to salvation. They refer to gifts, because the gifts of the Holy Spirit can be increased by our working faithfully. These gifts were given to the disciples when the Lord Jesus departed from this world. What the slave loses is the gift of the Holy Spirit, not eternal life. Furthermore, we have to know that Matthew 25:14-30 and Luke 19:11-27 refer to the same judgment. There are four judgments recorded in the Bible: (1) the cross, which has passed; (2) the judgment in the air concerning the conduct of the believers; (3) the judgment on the earth concerning the nations; (4) the judgment of the great white throne for the resurrected dead people. The judgment mentioned here must be the second, the judgment in the air concerning the conduct of the believers. This judgment is covered in detail in 1 Corinthians 3. Verse 15 says that even though a believer's works shall be burnt, " he himself will be saved." Therefore, although that slave will lose the prize, he himself will still be saved. As to why there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, there are two reasons: (1) he sees that others have gained the Lord's heart, and (2) he has wrongly judged the Lord (Matt. 25:24). The destiny of this kind of slave is the outer darkness outside the cloud of glory in the air for a thousand years.

Going into the capital and keeping the feast

  Question: The Lord's brethren advised Him to go into the capital to keep the feast because it was an important occasion. The Lord answered that His time was not yet come and asked His brethren to go. Then He went up in secret. Why? (Pao, Nanking)

  Answer: This verse is recorded in John 7. The Lord's brothers (1) did not believe in Him (v. 5), (2) were wrong in their advice (v. 4), and (3) did not really want the Lord to go into the capital to keep the feast, but were asking Him to make a show of Himself in the capital (v. 3). Therefore, the Lord did not listen to them. Moreover, the death of the Lord Jesus was according to an appointed date (Dan. 9:26). At that time, the Jews were looking for an opportunity to kill the Lord (John 7:1). If the Lord had not been careful, He would not have died on the cross, which was a Gentile method of punishment. The method of the Jews was stoning. His brothers thought that the Lord had no need to be afraid of the Jews and that He should take the feast as an opportunity to enter the capital and display His great talent. This was the urging of Satan, and our Lord did not take heed to it. Verse 10 gives other reasons. The Lord did not go in public; neither did He go in secret, but "as it were" in secret. He was careful, because the Jews could kill Him on the way up, thus keeping Him from reaching the capital and causing Luke 13:33 not to be fulfilled. He went later because (1) His time had arrived, (2) His brothers being gone, He could go alone quietly without being noticed, and (3) John wanted to show that He is God and that God cannot be directed or taught by man. Herein lies a lesson: The Lord knew that He should go into the capital, yet until the Father had instructed Him, He would wait for the right time. When He went to the capital, He did not do so because of His brothers' words, but because of the Father's commandment. We should learn from this.

The church

  Question: We advocate that there should not be denominations. This is very scriptural. But without large meetings, there will not be a general acquaintance with each other among the saints. Therefore, a suitable place, the organization, and other matters of the large meetings need to be discussed. (Pao, Nanking)

  Answer: I am afraid the term denomination that you used will cause misunderstandings among many. Actually, what we advocate is not that there should be no denominations, but that there should be no sectarianism. Indeed, this is very scriptural. I have carefully read through the charters of every major denomination. I feel strongly that they have not shed all that was handed down from the Roman Catholic Church. Most of the rules and organizations in these churches are traditions from man and were created by man. The cardinal principle of Protestantism is that the church does not have any authority and that only the Bible has authority. But the work of the Reformation under Luther's hand did not reach perfection. Lazarus was resurrected, but his hands and feet were still bound by grave clothes, and his face was still bound about with a napkin! I, for one, believe the Bible with my whole heart. To me, the Bible is the highest court. Whatever is shown in the Bible, we do not have the slightest right to doubt, even a little. The Holy Spirit knows how the church should be organized. He has revealed the matter completely in the Scriptures. However, some in the church feel that the church organization revealed in the Bible is immature and that there should be a better and more complete organization in this age of progression. Actually, this is to follow the same road that the Roman Catholic Church has taken. These are but haughty people who despise the will of God. Today, the churches in China are in a transitional period. Many talk about indigenous churches, but to be indigenous without being scriptural is not the will of the Lord. What good is it simply to have an empty name of the "Church of Christ in China"? May the Lord make us faithful in this age of apostasy. (As to the organization of the church, please read the entire fourth issue of this paper.)

The third heaven and paradise

  Question: Please explain in detail 2 Corinthians 12:2-4. What is "in the body" and "outside the body"? (Pao, Naking)

  Answer: Since the Bible does not state clearly, it is not definite whether Paul is talking about himself or others; but it is likely that he is talking about himself. Paul says that fourteen years ago this man was caught away to the third heaven and received extraordinary experiences. The expressions "in the body" and "outside the body" refer to Paul's uncertainty about whether this person's spirit went to heaven only, or the person went to heaven with his body. To be "in the body" means to be with the body; to be "outside the body" means to be in spirit only without the body. "Paradise" and the "third heaven" are two different things. Paradise is in Hades, at the center of the earth. Here it mentions being caught away into Paradise, which is different from being "caught away to" the third heaven. Moreover, this man "heard unspeakable words" in Paradise, not in the third heaven. What Paul was saying was that this man had received special experiences in heaven and had heard unspeakable words under the earth. Although he had received such grace, he should still humble himself (v. 5b). How all those who have received special gifts should humble themselves!

Compelling

  Question: If someone uses Matthew 5:39-42 to compel me until I can no longer bear it, how should I deal with it? (Pao, Nanking)

  Answer: We should keep the Sermon on the Mount literally word for word. All that we can keep, we should keep. But this is nevertheless not a law. When the cross of the Lord does a deep work in man's heart, keeping these words will seem to be a natural thing. There will not be a time when we "can no longer bear it," because there is 1 Corinthians 10:13. If we believe this verse, the Lord must open the way.

A camel going through a needle's eye

  Question: There is no such thing as a camel passing through a needle's eye. The same is true regarding a rich man entering into the kingdom of the heavens. If that is the case, what hope is there for a rich man? Please show me the deeper significance of this parable. (Pao, Nanking)

  Answer: There is a difference between eternal life and the kingdom of the heavens. To receive eternal life is what we ordinarily speak of as being saved. Entering into the kingdom of the heavens is to rule with the Lord in the millennium. The Bible does not say that the rich cannot receive eternal life. All those who believe on the Lord Jesus as their Savior have eternal life, but it is not so easy to enter into the kingdom of the heavens and to rule with the Lord. One must forsake all and pick up his cross and follow the Lord. I am afraid there is not such a thing as a rich man entering into the kingdom of the heavens, because if a rich man enters into the kingdom of the heavens, he will not be a rich man any longer. (Some feel that the needle's eye here refers to a gate in Jerusalem, but this is man's thought.)

The Ten Commandments

  Question: The Ten Commandments in Exodus 34 are different from the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. Exodus 34:28 says clearly that Jehovah wrote these commandments with His finger. Why is this? (Liu, Shantung)

  Answer: There is no clear record of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 34. The Ten Commandments are only recorded in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. Exodus 34:10-26 are not the Ten Commandments, but God's speaking outside of the Ten Commandments. If we read carefully verses 27 and 28, we will know that there is a difference between "these words" in verse 27 and "the words of the covenant" in verse 28. "These words" in verse 27 refer to the words in verses 10-26; they are what God ordered Moses to write down. "The words of the covenant" in verse 28 refer to the Ten Commandments and were written by God Himself (Deut. 10:2-4). God made the covenant with the people of Israel (Exo. 34:27) according to the words of verses 10-26. The words of the covenant are the Ten Commandments (v. 28). From this we know that the words in verses 10-26 are not part of the words of the Ten Commandments; they are merely words according to which God made the covenant (Ten Commandments) with the people of Israel. We know that Moses went up to the mountain twice. The first time, God wrote the Ten Commandments on two stone tablets and gave them to him (Deut. 5:22). Later, because the people of Israel sinned, Moses broke the tablets. When he went up to the mountain the second time, the Bible says: Jehovah "wrote upon the tablets as He had done the first writing, the ten words" (Deut. 10:4). The Ten Commandments that Moses received twice on the mountain are completely the same without any difference. Deuteronomy 5 is a recount of Exodus 20, whereas Deuteronomy 10 is a recount of Exodus 34. Deuteronomy 10:4 clearly proves that the Ten Commandments received in Exodus 34:28 are the same as those in Exodus 20. Therefore, our conclusion is that the Ten Commandments received in Exodus 34 are the same as those received in Exodus 20, but they were not itemized. As to the words in 34:10-26, they are merely God's words besides the Ten Commandments that Moses recorded.

God or Satan

  Question: Second Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicles 21 record the same incident. Second Samuel says God moved David to number Israel, but 1 Chronicles says that Satan did it. The number of men that drew the sword is different in these two records also. How are these explained? (Liu, Shantung)

  Answer: Dr. Gaebelein said that 2 Samuel 24:1 can be translated as "the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel and permitted David to be moved." Hence, 1 Chronicles states directly that Satan moved David, whereas 2 Samuel tells of God's stand concerning David's being moved, that He permitted David to be moved by Satan. Therefore, the two portions are not contradictory. Hence, the story should be as follows: The anger of God was kindled against Israel; Satan took the opportunity to move David to sin, while God allowed this to happen. As to why God was angry toward Israel, we find no clear record about this. On the second matter, the number of men who drew the sword, the records are as follows in the two books: Second Samuel says, "There were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men" (24:9). First Chronicles says, "All they of Israel were a thousand thousand and a hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword" (21:5). What 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles speak of are two different things. Second Samuel tells the number of valiant men who drew the sword, whereas 1 Chronicles records the number of men who drew the sword. Dr. Scofield said, "Some discrepant statements concerning numbers are, however, found in the existing manuscripts of the Hebrew Scriptures. These are most naturally ascribed to the fact that the Hebrews used letters in the place of numerals. The letters from Koph to Tau express hundreds up to four hundred. Five certain Hebrew letters, written in a different form, carry hundreds up to nine hundred, while thousands are expressed by two dots over the proper unit letter: e.g., the letter Teth, used alone, stands for nine; with two dots it stands for nine thousand. Error in transcription of Hebrew numbers thus becomes easy, preservation of numerical accuracy difficult." (See footnote on 1 Corinthians 10:8 in the Scofield Reference Bible.) We should know that God is not responsible for mistakes in copying. For instance, on page 2057 of the Chinese Union Bible, the word gathered was misprinted as marry [translator's note: the Chinese characters for these two words are very similar]. In Numbers 3:35 the name of Merari was also misprinted. These are proofreading mistakes for which God is not responsible. Can we say that the Bible is in error because of these mistakes? May God bless you and lead you away from putting your trust in the unbelieving tune of the absurd higher critics.

Adam and Eve, and Solomon

  Question: Are these three people saved or lost? (Liu, Feng Village)

  Answer: We do not have to worry about whether dead persons are saved or lost, because God is just, and with Him there is no respect of persons (Rom. 2:11). However, these three are probably all saved. God made coats of skins (Gen. 3:21), which represent the salvation of the Lord Jesus, for Adam and Eve, so they are saved. Solomon is a type of Christ. Of course, he cannot possibly be lost.

Leaven

  Question: Concerning the leaven which is mentioned in Matthew 13, one group says it represents sin; another group says it represents power. Which is right? (Liu, Feng Village)

  Answer: In the Bible leaven has never represented anything good (Matt. 16:11-12; Mark 8:15; 1 Cor. 5:6-8). Leaven represents sins and erroneous teachings. The three measures of meal being wholly leavened does not represent the power of the gospel changing the whole world, because in this very chapter the Lord Jesus said that the world will never change. Within the world there will be "tares" and "foul" things until the day of judgment. In the Bible there is no place for the social gospel and for believers who wish to improve the world. The world will get worse day by day until the Lord comes.

Parables

  Question: By reading Matthew 13:10-15, one is led to believe that the purpose of using parables is to make the speaking difficult to understand. Ordinarily, people use parables to make the speaking easy to understand. Which is right? Which is wrong? (Tsui, Anhwei)

  Answer: In the first twelve chapters the Lord Jesus suffered the rejection of the Jews; so from chapter thirteen the Lord Jesus began to reject the people of Israel. In this chapter, the Lord distinguished His disciples from the Jews. His eyes were already looking at the church. Using parables here, the Lord was trying to make His disciples (the future church) understand the mysteries of the kingdom of the heavens (v. 11) and at the same time cause the Jews to hear but not understand and to see but not comprehend. By using parables, He was not trying to make it difficult for all men to understand the truth, only part of the audience. Therefore, the question of which is right does not exist.

The outer darkness

  Question: Matthew 25:30 says to cast out the useless slave into the outer darkness. Is this darkness hell? Was that useless slave a believer? Do the believers go to hell because of not working? (Tsui, Anhwei)

  Answer: We know that all three kinds of slaves will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. The judgment seat of Christ will be in the air, where the believers will be caught up (1 Thes. 4:16-17b). Hence, these believers will be in the air, and the outer darkness will be outside of the air. For this reason, the outer darkness will not be in hell. By reading Psalm 18:9 and 11, we know that thick clouds and darkness will enclose His glory when Christ descends to the air. So, the unfaithful slave will not be cast into hell, but he will be thrown into the darkness outside of the mid-air. This slave is a believer. Believers who do not work cannot rule with the Lord and will be in the outer darkness.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit

  Question: What is the proof that one is baptized in the Holy Spirit? One school uses speaking in tongues, as mentioned in Acts 10:46 and 19:6, as the proof of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Another school uses the fruit of the Spirit as the proof. Which of the two schools is right? (Liu, Feng Village)

  Answer: The Bible does not say what the proof of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is. The proofs mentioned above are all man-made. In Acts there are many records of men being filled with the Holy Spirit, but speaking in tongues is only mentioned three times. This proves that not all those who were filled with the Holy Spirit spoke in tongues. Speaking in tongues is only one of the many gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:4-10). "The same Spirit operates all these things, distributing to each one respectively even as He purposes" (v. 11). Hence, not every believer receives the gift of tongues. The fruit of the Spirit proves whether or not we have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. To purposely seek after the speaking in tongues can lead to a counterfeit of an evil spirit. We must be careful about this.

Disciples at ephesus

  Question: Were the twelve disciples in Acts 19 saved before they received the Holy Spirit? (Liu, Feng Village)

  Answer: The Bible calls them disciples (Acts 19:1); disciples are Christians (11:26), those who believe in the Lord Jesus (Matt. 28:19). Ephesians 1:13 tells us that those who believe in the Lord Jesus are already sealed with the Holy Spirit. Therefore, these twelve disciples already had the Holy Spirit. What they had not received was the Spirit of resurrection and of Pentecost. The only Spirit they had not received was the outpoured Spirit (Acts 19:2). This does not mean that they had not received regeneration and the sealing of the Holy Spirit. These had already been saved (Eph. 1:13).

The Spirit of Christ

  Question: Romans 8:9 says that if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not of Him. Is this man saved? (Liu, Feng Village)

  Answer: Of course he is not saved. But everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus as the Savior is of Christ and has the Spirit of Christ. Every saved person has the Spirit of Christ.

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