BIBLICAL NOTES AND QUERIES.

REV. C. I. SCOFIELD, D.D.

R. D., Baltimore.

James iv. 5 should be rendered (as in R. V. margin), "Or think ye that the Scripture speaketh in vain: the Spirit which He made to dwell in us yearneth for us even to jealous envy."

The thought is that the indwelling Spirit wishes us utterly for God; and is jealous of every distraction which gives us a divided heart.

E. O., White Plains, N. Y.

The Scriptural place and extent of woman's ministry is an ever-recurring question. It is to be answered only by giving full place and honor to all the passages. Do Paul's words of inhibition, 1 Cor. xiv. 34, and 1 Tim. ii. 11, 12, forbid all public ministry to Christian women? Clearly not. (1) The four daughters of Philip the Evangelist had the gift of prophecy (Acts xxi. 8, 9), and this gift, in New Testament times, as in previous dispensations, implied a far wider ministry than the foretelling of future events. "He that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort." I Cor. xiv. 3. That Philip's daughters did.

(2) In 1 Cor. xiv. 5 Paul expresses the wish that "all" at Corinth might prophesy. Indeed, he could not wish for less after Pentecost, which Peter (Acts ii. 16) declared to be "that which was spoken by the prophet Joel: and it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh and your sons, and your daughters shall prophesy."

(3) Furthermore, in the same chapter (1 Cor. xiv.), verse 31, "Ye may all prophesy"; as might be inferred from the description in verses 23-26 of a normal gathering of "the whole church" in Corinth. "All prophesy," "every one hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue," etc. The apostle has already, in I Cor. xi. 5, stated in express terms that a woman may pray and prophecy. He does not deny the right, but only regulates its exercise. So much is clear; and were it not for 1 Cor. xiv. 34, and 1 Tim. ii. 12, no one would ever have dreamed of excluding woman from this

her plain right. But no passage of Scripture is to be interpreted by itself, nor so as to contradict other passages bearing upon the same subject. In other words, the two inhibiting passages are not to be so construed as to blot out all that had been said from Joel down concerning woman's ministry in this dispensation. What, then, do they mean?

(4) In the light of the other passages, and of the extreme disorder into which the Corinthian church had fallen, as the Epistle everywhere reveals, 1 Cor. xiv. 34, 35, means that the women (literally, "wives"), if they would "learn" as to anything mentioned in the public testimony of those prophesying, must not "speak" out to the confusion and disorder of the gathering, but ask their husbands quietly at home concerning the matter. To push the passage beyond the evident thought of the apostle in the whole of chapter xiv., namely, the bringing into order and decorum of the riotous public worship of the Corinthian church, would be to push it utterly beyond its contextual limitations. (See 1 Cor. i. 11; iii. 3; iv. 18; xi. 4-7, and the entire 14th chapter.)

(5) It remains to interpret 1 Tim. ii. 11,12. Here other gifts, not mentioned in First Corinthians, come into question-teaching and ruling. Praying, prophesying, witnessing, are not in question. The word for teaching means "teaching with authority." This is forbidden to woman. The authoritative declaration or formulation of doctrine-creed making and the like—is expressly forbidden to woman. So, also, is rulership in the church of God. And the reason given is that to permit such ministry to woman would be an inversion of the divine ordinance of the subordination of the woman. The bearing of this upon the much disputed question of woman's ordination should be obvious. Unfortunately, the church has largely lost the true thought of ordination, which, biblically, is always to eldership, that is, to rulership.

In a word, the whole of ministry is open to woman, except the authoritative declaration of doctrine. She must not make unseemly disturbances in the public meetings of the church, and she may on no account receive ordination to the eldership. The passage which you quote from Rom x. 15 has no reference whatever to human authority or "'ordination."

HINTS AND HELPS.

CONDUCTED BY D. L. MOODY.

The following benediction upon an infant is credited to an aged Arabian and contains a lesson for us all: "My child, as you came into the world weeping, while all around you smiled, may you so live that you may leave the world smiling, while all around you weep."

It is an easy thing to sneer at that which is sacred and it requires no wisdom to ridicule what is holy. On one occasion, it is reported, that a sneer at religion was made in the presence of James Russell Lowell, who silenced the speaker with the following reply: "When the microscopic search of skepticism, which has hunted the heavens and sounded the seas to disprove the existence of a Creator, has turned its attention to human society, and has found a place in this planet where a man can live in decency, comfort and security, supporting and educating his children unspoiled and unpolluted; a place where age is revered, infancy respected, womanhood honored and human life held in due regard, when skeptics can find such a place ten miles square in this globe where the gospel of Christ has not gone and cleared the way, and laid the foundation, and made the decency and security possible, it will then be in order for the skeptical literati to move thither and ventilate their views. But so long as these very men are dependent upon the religion they discard for every privilege they enjoy, they may as well hesitate a little longer before they seek to rob the Christian of his hope and humanity of its faith in that Saviour who alone has given to man that hope of life eternal which makes this life tolerable and society possible, which robs death of its terrors and the grave of its gloom."

"Behold, I lay in Zion, for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation." Isaiah xxviii. 16. Virtue and morality are necessary to complete and adorn the superstructure; but when they are laid at the bottom of all, they will prove but a quicksand.-Samuel Davies.

To live through Christ is the greatest of mercies; to live for Christ is the most delightful service. To live through Him is the thing most needful; to live for Him the thing most reasonable.

"Lord, all my desire is before Thee, and my groaning is not hid from Thee." Amongst the wild waves that surge upon the sea of our heart's thoughts and desires, many a billow rises and falls again before it can find its way to break upon the shore in spoken prayers. But God can understand these, and not one of them is lost.

The godly man's prayers are his best biography, they are his most exact portrait.

You may obtain a more intimate knowledge of David in his Psalms than in the Book of Kings. Somehow the soul seems to expand before God as a flower beneath the rays of the sun.

CHRIST THE TRUE LIGHT.

"This is the true light which lighteth every man" that goeth out of the world. Many of you, I know, are glad to hear this. Many long years lie between you and the time you came into the world, but only a hand-breath separates you from the time you must go out of it. And you are glad to hear that "this Light" can penetrate with His beams the blackest recesses of the "dark mountains," along the slopes of which you are rapidly descending, that it can dissipate the mist of the "swelling flood," and illumine your way right into the other world. And I will tell you another thing "this is the true Light, which lighteth" the world into which you are going. "And the Lamb is the light thereof."—J. J.

Ejaculatory prayer is like the rope of a belfry--the bell is in one room and the handle or the end of the rope which sets it ringing, in another. Perhaps the bell will not be heard in the apartment where the rope is; but it is heard in its own apartment. Moses laid hold of the rope and pulled it hard on the shore of the Red Sea, and though no one heard or knew anything of it in the lower chamber, the bell rang loudly in the upper one till the whole place was moved, and the Lord said, "Wherefore criest thou unto Me?"-J. J.

We may liken time to a vast bridge, one end of which rests on the past eternity, while the other is supported by the endless eternity to come the ages intervening forming the span. But the keystone is the Incarnation: here is the uniting power; here is the fulness that gives strength and symmetry and grandeur to the whole. It is this that keeps the structure firm, and prevents the centuries and the ages from tumbling into ruin.

We have it not in our power to choose our own Creator, but we have it in our power to choose our own God. And it is important whom we choose, as the image of the God we serve will be reflected in us.

Faith is the amen of the soul to all that God has testified in His Word.

There is plenty of room in heaven for ever for all those who make room for Christ here on earth.

CHRISTIAN GREATNESS.

The beginning of greatness is to be little; the increase of greatness is to become less; and the perfection of greatness is to be nothing.

When a man regards a sin as small he is on the way to see no sin as great.

Repentance is medicinal on earth, but becomes wormwood and gall hereafter.

Providence, like Hebrew, must be read backwards. All God's works are inexplicable till you reach the end.

Christ's Four Visits to Bethany:

I. As the gracious Teacher. Luke x. 38. II. As the sympathizing Friend. John xi. III. As the suffering Saviour. John xii. IV. As the ascending Lord. Luke xxiv. 50, 51.

An interesting Bible study may be found in noting where God has used the foolish and weak things to accomplish great ends. Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt with no other visible power than a dry stick; Gideon routed an army with the rattle of broken pitchers and candles and Joshua destroyed a city with rams horns. The same is true in regard to the men whom God has used and it may be truly said that the Lord has always a great place for a man who is willing to do small things.

Satan does not care how often you go to religious meetings on Sunday if you do some mean thing on Monday.

A clergyman once told his bishop that he could preach and think nothing of it, and the prelate replied that the parishioners were of the same opinion. Work done easily, service which costs nothing, will have little come of it.

Begin the day by pleading with God for men, and then go forth to plead with men for God.-C. H. Spurgeon.

Love and truth are attributes of God, and without them no service is acceptable in His

sight. Many men emphasize the one at the expense of the other, and either fall into grievious error themselves, or become as stumblingblocks to others by their denial of the very first principle of Christianity in their lives. It has been well said: Love without truth is sentimentalism; truth without love is harshness.

Four Incorruptible Crowns Purchased by "The Crown of Thorns."

I. Crown of life. James i. 12.

II. Crown of righteousness. 2 Tim. iv. 8.
III. Crown of rejoicing. 1 Thess. ii. 18.
IV. Crown of glory. 1 Peter ii. 4.

Sin can not be concealed from God. The eternal sensitiveness of love discovers sin far more surely than the eternal vigilance of justice ever could do. ***

Thank God for that sensitiveness of divine love which permits our defeat, if thereby we be saved from worldly corruption. * * *

No rush to battle will atone for sin in the tent. Possibly no man was more eager for the fray than was Achan, but God counts power to fight as nothing if the tent be defiled. You may be prominent in the pulpit, on the platform, in the forefront of aggressive movements; while God measures service not by activity in battle, but by what He sees in the home.***

Then, God never swerves from His purpose. The defeat at Ai was a token of love to Israel no less certainly than was their victory at Jericho. No history in holy writ is more prophetic of love's triumph than the words of sternest wrath and the deeds most terrible in punishment of evil. If God were such an one as man, then would He excuse that devilish habit which you hide from others and yet cherish. Because God is love, in the infinite and eternal sense of that word, He never can condone or excuse sin in any one. The infinite pity of His heart, the eternal love of His nature, the everlasting riches of His compassion -these are the things which smite and burn, with relentless fury, the principle of sin which has brought wounds, woe and sorrow upon the whole human race. His love to man is a fire in which nothing but purity can live. There is, therefore, no contradiction in the statements that "God is love" and "Our God is a consuming fire."-G. Campbell Morgan.

COMFORT FOR THE SORROWING.

It is a painful thing, this pruning work, this cutting off of the over luxuriant shoots, in order to call back the wandering forces into the healthier and more living parts. In religion it is described thus: "Every branch in me that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." The keen edge of God's pruning-knife cuts sheer through. No weak tenderness stops Him whose love seeketh goodness, not comfort, for His servants.— F. W. Robertson.

Out of my selfish self, O, lift me up!
To live for others, and in living so

To be a blessing wheresoe'er I go;

To give the sunshine and the clouds conceal,
Or let them but the silver clouds reveal.

Out of my lonely self, O, lift me up!
Though other hearts with love are running o'er,
Though dear ones fill my lonely home no more,
Though every day I miss the fond caress,
Help me to join in others' happiness.

Out of my doubting self, O, lift me up!
Help me to feel that Thou are ever near-
That, though 'tis night and all around seems drear,
Help me to know that, though I cannot see,
It is my Father's hand that leadeth me!

-Anon.

In the persistence of our Lord's purposes, and the constancy of His love, we have great comfort. His ways are long. His plans are not affected by the events which break our years. What we name death is a change in our life, not in His intention or promise. We are to keep this in mind, that we may understand Him and order our thoughts wisely. One of our greatest mistakes is in attempting to confine His promises within the brief spaces of our life. It is not the highest doctrine, but it is a serviceable principle- the doctrine of waiting. Let us be honorable with God, and be still while His work is incomplete.-Alexander McKenzie.

I cannot always trace the way
Where Thou, Almighty One, dost move,
But I can always, always say,

That God is love.

When mystery clouds my darkened path,
I'll check my dread, my doubt reprove;
In this my soul sweet comfort hath,
That God is love.

Yes, God is love:-a thought like this
Can every gloomy thought remove,
And turn all tears, all woes, to bliss,
For God is love.

-Anon.

The Prophet Isaiah foretold the mission of the Messiah as one of comfort and healing (Isaiah lxi. 1). The wealth of blessing contained in this promise was doubtless unappreciated at the time; but looking at the prophecy from the Christian's standpoint there are multitudes who have experienced its fulfillment in their own lives. A recent Welsh writer has thus called attention to the Christian's attitude to death as compared with the faithful worshipers of God before the coming of Christ:

"Not only does the Good Shepherd lead us through life, but He goes before us through death. 'Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for Thou art with me; Thy rod, and Thy staff, they comfort me.' Death in the Psalmist's days was surrounded with greater terror than in ours. Notice the name whereby the ancient saints designed it-the Valley of the Shadow; and in the bottom of the valley was a deep, dark river, rolling wildly down to the Dead Sea. Very cold was the water of the River of Death; the rays of the sun had never kissed its angry waves, for the sun lay so low down the horizon, and the sides of the valley were so deep and precipitous, that the light was warded off. And in the dark the sheep had to cross it; nevertheless they cheered a little when they felt the crook and heard the voice of the Good Shepherd. I have, however, a new story to tell you-the Valley of the Shadow no longer exists. The Sun of Righteousness has climbed up the slopes of the sky, and is now shining full upon the valley. The people who sat in darkness saw a great light; and to them who sat in the valley of the shadow of death light is sprung up.' The sun lights the glen, and its rays warm the waters. David was obliged to cross in the dark; but we shall cross under the shining of the Sun; and more, the Sun has taken off the chill. And if you still fear and tremble. I should not be surprised if the Shepherd caused the flood to subside that the timid sheep might cross in safety. When Mr. Fearing lay a-dying, Bunyan says that 'the water was lower than it was ever seen before.' The Shepherd caused the water to subside that the fearful saint might not be terrified overmuch And remember, when the unbeliever dies, he dies along the river-his soul is swept for ever downward by the violence of the current. But when the believer dies, he dies across the river; he just plunges into the flood to wash the wool, and then emerges the other side perfectly white and clean.

'Tis but a little space.

The narrow crossing of a slender stream; 'Tis but a veil which winds might blow aside. Yea, these are all that us of earth divide From the bright dwelling of the glorified, The land of which I dream.-H. Bonar,