For the Study and Defence of the Holy Scripture
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Vol. 87 No. 1,025 March 2017 TESTIMONY For the study and defence of the holy Scripture 89 Reflecting on the Lord’s sufferings Also in this issue: A literal serpent—how to decide 84 A prickly defence mechanism 101 Review: the Holy Spirit and the believer today 104 The importance of little words 114 Contents TESTIMONY Publishing Editor: JEREMY THOMAS. 22 Kingswood Close, Kings Norton, Birmingham, B30 3NX. Tel. 0121 444 6810; email: [email protected] Contents Section Editors: DAVID BURGES. 7 Whitehead Publishing Editor’s column An unbiblical review Drive, Wellesbourne, Warwick, 81 CV35 9PW. Tel. 01789 842692; Holiness (Review) email: [email protected] 7. Shapen in iniquity Jeremy Thomas 104 Science; Archaeology Joe Harding 82 The work of God on men’s EDWARD CARR. 46 New Street, hearts Eve, temptation and the Donisthorpe, DE12 7PG. 1. Introduction serpent Tel. 01530 271522; Stephen Green 108 email: [email protected] Colin Byrnes 84 Exhortation The letters of John Thomas Iron sharpens iron (3) 88 SHAUN MAHER. 5 Birch Court, to Alexander Campbell (5) Doune, FK16 6JD. For the joy set before him Reg Carr 109 Eric Marshall Tel. 01786 842996; 89 Pertinent pronouns (1) email: [email protected] Watchman Ehud: the handicapped Geoff Henstock 114 warrior? The time of Jacob’s ERIC MARSHALL. The Pines, Jonathan Cope Ling Common Road, Castle 93 sojourning Rising, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, Evidence, reason and faith Mary Benson 116 PE31 6AE. Tel. 01553 631279; 9. The New Testament email: [email protected] Seventy Gentile nations approach to faith (2) Exposition Geoff Henstock 117 Kel Hammond 95 JOHN NICHOLLS. 17 Upper The words of the wise Trinity Road, Halstead, Essex, CO9 Science update 2. Eat thou honey 1EE. Tel. 01787 473089; email: Recent news from the Mark Vincent 119 [email protected] world of science Reviews David Burges Jewish scenes 99 3. Turkey: ‘beehive’ houses, JEREMY THOMAS (see above) Principles, preaching and problems World watchman Haran Shaun Maher 102 Jeremy Thomas VI GEOFF HENSTOCK. 13 Alpha Crescent, Panorama 5041, Testimony books S. Australia. Tel. 8277-0730; email: [email protected] Australia Editor; Prophecy Articles for publication Articles to be considered for publication are welcome and should be Testimony website: forwarded to the Publishing Editor (in Australia, the local editor) in the http://testimonymagazine.com first instance. Publication of articles in the Testimony does not presume editorial endorsement except on matters of fundamental doctrine, as defined in the Birmingham Amended Statement of Faith. V “What woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!’ In the same way, TESTIMONY I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Lk. 15:8-10, NASB). Cover picture: “The Lost Coin,” Parables series, Emily Honey Publishing Editor’s column ARLY FEEDBACK on the alternative plan https://www.dropbox.com/s/jnh7xncr0s9vne0/ for the daily reading of the Scriptures, Bible%20reading%20plan.pdf?dl=0 if it’s re- Ewhich was published with the December quired. I’m grateful for the mistake being pointed 2016 magazine, has been interesting. I’ve been out. “Open rebuke is better than secret love” pleasantly surprised by the number of readers (Prov. 27:5), and the discovery of a fault creates who have been in touch, via email or face-to-face, the opportunity to acknowledge and correct it. to let me know that they’re following the plan this year. The comments received so far have Letter-writing been positive. One correspondent put it like this: The feedback I’ve mentioned enables me to say “I have long felt that, whilst the Bible Com- something about letter-writing more generally. panion ensures reading the Bible through at As time permits, I like to look through back least once a year, it does so at the expense of issues of the magazine, including those from the continuity which is needed when reading many years ago. Long train journeys are good for some of the more ‘difficult’ books—for exam- this! One noticeable change in the content of the ple, Ezekiel and Revelation . The alternative magazine is the shortage of correspondence that plan does overcome the problem and thus comes my way. The Testimony used to have a very may lead to a better personal understanding lively ‘Your Letters’ section, and it was often the o f S c r i p t u r e .” case that more letters were received than it was That was certainly the hope when the reading possible to publish. Letters and emails received plan was offered, so it’s encouraging if readers these days are relatively few. I think it would be are finding this to be the case. If enough written good for the magazine generally, and of benefit to feedback is received, it may be possible to publish readers, if this declining trend could be reversed. a selection later in the year, if the Lord will— I’ve mentioned this issue (and the submission I’ll try and issue a reminder in a few months’ of articles for publication) from time to time, time. Alternative views on the plan are equally but few have ‘taken the bait.’ So I take the op- welcome. portunity to renew the invitation. Contentious In the event, the production of the plan didn’t correspondence is much less likely to benefit go entirely to plan. One eagle-eyed reader has readers, of course, and editorial policy requires kindly pointed out that the version issued in De- doctrinal compliance with the Birmingham cember failed to include Romans 8! I apologise for Amended Statement of Faith. But the scope for this. Those following the plan will, of course, be correspondence is vast. Letters could take the able to insert the missing chapter easily enough, form of questions for readers to offer answers to, but an amended version can be downloaded at comments on issues affecting the Brotherhood, Testimony, March 2017 Contents 81 observations gleaned from our daily reading willing. Other material currently to hand for of the Bible, feedback on articles appearing in eventual publication includes articles on the the magazine—the list goes on and on. Even cherubim, the judges of Israel, Lamentations (a an adverse opinion on an article that has been neglected book), and a short series entitled “How published can be put to good use if it’s offered we got our Bible.” All these should reach the ‘front constructively, in the spirit of Christ, and accepted of the queue’ in due course. with the attitude of teachableness which ought to Readers may wonder why it sometimes takes characterise genuine seekers after truth. a long time for articles submitted to make it into Please will readers give this some thought? It print. There are many factors that influence the would be a tremendous blessing if ‘Your Letters’ make-up of the magazine each month, which again became a lively and productive section of includes the material available (obviously), the the Testimony. need to try and produce a balance of material, and my own wish not to have too many series * * * * * running at the same time. At the moment, the In other developments concerning the magazine, need is for one-off articles. Readers are encour- it’s good that Brother Mark Vincent has been able aged to contribute. to put finger to keyboard again, this time via his Finally, I’m conscious that it’s been quite some new ten-part series on Proverbs, “The words of time since I expressed the hope of being able the wise,” which commenced last month. Looking to commence a series of articles on ‘reasons for ahead to later in the year, a good deal of work believing.’ The delay has been due simply to the has already been done in preparation for the pressure of commitments. I would like to try 2017 Testimony Special Issue, and this remains and get this project started in earnest before on schedule for publication in May/June, God much longer. Contents Exhortation Holiness 7. Shapen in iniquity Joe Harding T POINTS in our spiritual progression it childbirth and human intimacy. This notion sits hits us. We are born bad: “they that are in strangely with a Creator who made us this way. Athe flesh cannot please God” (Rom. 8:8). Allowing for the positive health benefits of per- Nothing we can do ourselves will change this sonal hygiene (“none of these diseases,” Ex. 15:26), natural state. Salvation is a gift of God. For David, it is still a fair question: what is God trying to such a thunderclap of realisation came after his teach us by such strictures? sin with Bathsheba: From the above verse it would seem that the “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin very act of conception renders the man and did my mother conceive me” (Ps. 51:5). woman unclean. The delivery of the child renders Perhaps the following gives a useful clue: the woman unclean for different time periods, “The woman also with whom man shall lie depending on the gender of her offspring. We with seed of copulation, they shall both bathe came into the world as the result of a ‘defiling’ act, themselves in water, and be unclean until the and from this it is not a great leap of definition to even” (Lev.