Question.—Please explain: "Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou be like unto him. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit."—Prov. 26:4,5.
Answer.—When talking to any one who speaks foolishly, do not talk foolishly in return. You dishonor yourself. In the second case: "Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit," would signify that you do him a service if you show him the folly of his position, thereby kindly helping him to a proper attitude of mind.
ARCHANGEL SIGNIFIES HIGHEST ANGEL
Question.—Is there, or will there be more than one Archangel?
Answer.—To speak of Archangels (plural) would be contrary to the Scriptures. The word archangel signifies highest angel, the prefix arch meaning the same as chief; for instance, the chief of the fire department. In the twelfth chapter of Daniel we read (vs. 1), "And at that time shall Michael [the Archangel] stand up, the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people." In the Hebrew the name Michael signifies One who as God, or like God. That One who is "like God," we understand to be the great Messiah, the Lord Jesus Himself. "Michael will stand up"—that is, Messiah will stand up, "Who standeth for the children of thy people"—that is, He will stand up for Israel. But He will also stand up for the Church, which is His Body, and for all who are in harmony with God, and all who will be in harmony with God. This will include all mankind during the Millennial Age. "In due time" they may be released from the bondage of corruption and death, and brought into full harmony with God.
Question.—May we have a concise statement in which you differentiate between "Ransom" and "Sin-Offering"? Answer.—The word "Ransom" signifies "corresponding price," and indicates one feature of the Divine arrangement for man's recovery. As by a man sin entered into the world, so the recovery would be by a man's redemptive work.—I Cor. 15:21,22.
The term "Sin-Offering" is used to represent the modus operandi by which this Ransom price will be used [R5050 : page 202] for the recovery of mankind. It shows the actual application of the Ransom price on behalf of mankind in securing their release from condemnation and in permitting the glorious New Covenant arrangement to go into effect.
The Ransom price has nothing whatever to do with the method by which that price will be applied. When our Lord Jesus died, He laid down a sufficient price, but the application of that price is not yet completed. The grand outcome of the redemptive work will be seen in the end of the Millennial Age, when as a result of the application of the Ransom price there will be Christ and the Bride on the divine plane, the "Great Company" on the spirit plane, the "Ancient Worthies" in their perfected condition and the whole world of mankind restored to the perfection lost in Eden.
Question.—Why is the term "New Creation" applied to the Church?
Answer.—The Scriptures tell us that our Lord was the Beginning of the Divine creation, the First-born of every creature, the First and the Last; that the Heavenly Father never created any other being; and that by our Lord all things else were made. In other words, the Father's power was exercised through His Only Begotten Son. According to the Scriptures, man was the last of [R5051 : page 202] the creations in God's image. But the Heavenly Father has purposed the creation of an order of beings higher than any that has been made, and has arranged that His Only Begotten Son shall be the One to occupy the highest position in that New Creation.
"For the joy that was set before Him" our Lord endured the cross, despised the shame, and then sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Originally, He was the first creation. Now He was the second creation—the new creation, in contradistinction. And the entire Church has been invited to come up to this highest place, to be associated with Christ, to be partakers of the divine nature. But in order to attain to this high position, to be with Him, they must become dead to the earthly nature and its interests, its aims and its projects, and alive with Him beyond the veil. Jesus is the Head of this New Creation, of which the Church is the Body. We do not understand that the "Great Company" will be a part of the New Creation. Only the "Little Flock" will have the honor of being members of Christ's Body.
Eventually, when the Divine Plan shall have reached its consummation, there will be Jehovah, the Head over all things and the Head over Christ; next will come our Lord and the Church which is His Body; then will come the various orders of angels, and lastly mankind. As the Apostle in his letter to the Ephesians tells us, "In the dispensation of the fulness of times, God will gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in Heaven, and which are on earth, even in Him."—Eph. 1:9,10.
SIN-OFFERING AND SIN-ATONEMENT
Question.—What is the difference between Sin-Offering and Sin-Atonement?
Answer.—The term "Sin-Offering" relates to the presentation of something sacrificially, as an offering or sacrifice, on account of sin and on behalf of the sinner. It thus relates, not only to the work of the Lord Jesus in His own person during the work of His ministry of three and a half years, when He offered up Himself, but also to Him as the High Priest when He offers up the members of His Body, during this Gospel Age. The entire work is sacrificial; and since this offering is on account of sin, it is, therefore, a sin-offering. The sin-offering must be complete before the result can be applied.
When our Lord ascended up on high, He completed His own personal work; and on account of the merit which He possessed He was enabled to become the Advocate of the Church—those who become the members of His prospective Body. Since He intends to make application of that merit for the sins of the whole world, after He has offered in sacrifice the members of the Church, He therefore delays the matter of the presentation of the Sin-offering merit until the entire offering has been completed—until the Church shall be with Him in glory; for "if we suffer [with Him] we shall also reign with Him."—2 Tim. 2:12.
The expression "Sin-Atonement" may be used in respect to any part of the work of making satisfaction on account of sin. Strictly speaking, however, the term Sin-Atonement applies to the satisfaction of Justice on behalf of mankind. Man has been condemned; Justice executed a sentence, and in order that man may be released, Justice must be satisfied.
Let us not in any sense of the word confound Sin-Atonement with Sin. After sin has been atoned for, then the sinner will be given an opportunity to return to the original perfection in which Adam was created and from which he fell. The Sin-Atonement, therefore, will be completed when Christ shall have presented His merit on account of the entire world. But the results of sin will not be fully removed until the end of the thousand years of the reign of Messiah.