Summary of May PCD Activity
From Cecil Maranville: The Personal Correspondence Department sent out 115 responses in the month of May. We are in the process of breaking in three pastors to help us answer questions, in addition to their pastoral and many other duties. We welcome Peter Hawkins, Harold Rhodes and Phil Sandilands to the team!
We received high praise from one visitor who noted after receiving our reply that other religious websites had not even bothered to acknowledge her questions, much less send an answer! On the opposite end of the spectrum, a person who read our articles on baptism wrote us a blistering email for our “cocksureness” that there is only one correct method of baptism.
Marriage problems dominated the type of counseling the department did this month. One person wrote a lengthy explanation of a truly sad situation and asked if the Bible allowed for divorce under the circumstances. Of course, we do not give or even imply “a decision” in such cases, but we did summarize what the Bible says, as he requested, and directed him to our published article on the subject.
A wife who wants to preserve her marriage relationship asked for advice on how to forgive her philandering husband, in spite of the fact that he refuses even to consider changing his behavior. It was difficult to offer this long-suffering woman any hope of preserving the marriage. We had to point out that the nature of this covenant relationship requires the commitment of both parties in order to succeed. Of course, we also directed her to the material that we have on how people can save their marriage.
In a similar situation, a wife wrote of a husband who is doing everything possible to insult and demean her. As much as one can tell simply by an email, it seems that the husband is trying to drive the wife into divorcing him. In the meantime, she, too, is seeking advice on how to save the marriage. We responded with advice similar to what we gave to the previous woman.
A man who was been in a relationship with a woman for several years and has a family with her, but who has never married, would like our opinion on whether “it is even necessary” to obtain a legal marriage. We explained that the biblical teaching shows that it is necessary, although it is possible that the statutes where they live would define their current relationship as binding as a common-law marriage. If there is no such statute where they live and/or if they do not qualify under it as “married,” we advised that they marry as soon as possible. The need to do so in order to obey God, as well as to set the right example for their children and those who know them.
A person in an apparently non-Western culture sought advice about a long-distance relationship. Because he and the young woman with whom he is involved (who is a high school student) have already been intimate, they consider themselves “married.” Because he is so far away from her, he is concerned that he might lose her affection. He is also concerned that her family might reject him. He asked for our advice so he could succeed in all areas on the pathway he has begun! Our answer required a great deal of explaining and tactful correction.
In a similar vein, it is difficult to provide some people with the help that they seek. A person asked for a Bible verse that says the Sabbath begins at sunset Friday and ends at sunset on Saturday. Of course, since “Friday” and “Saturday” are names invented by man and not used in the Bible, there is no such verse. (We were able to answer the question, but without providing a verse that mentions Friday and Saturday.)
A mother asked for our help in convincing her son that he should take Communion, lest he endanger the possibility that he will go to heaven. Our answer required some unraveling of her understanding and introducing her to some new concepts. Another person wanted to know if we will remember our loved ones after we go to heaven. On the same general topic, a person asked how many levels there are in purgatory and heaven. One reader asked for the best way to explain the Trinity. And another explained that he was dedicated to doing everything necessary in order to be able to speak in tongues but had been unable to do so. He wanted our help. Another questioned whether we go to church on the Sabbath or “on Sunday, according to the Fourth Commandment.” In all of these situations, the help we provided was not the help that was expected!
Some people helped answer their own questions. A person described her experience of being baptized as a baby. She wrote (apparently after reading some of our baptism articles) that she does not believe the baptism was valid. She asked if it is necessary for her to be baptized again. Another person wrote that he was baptized at such a young age he barely remembers the experience. He, too, asked if rebaptism would be necessary. He was also concerned about rebaptism causing him to end up receiving “two Holy Spirits.” We were able to confirm the supposition that they both had about the need to be baptized again, and we pointed them in the right direction. (Also, we assured the man that he was not in danger of receiving more than one Holy Spirit!)
A reader asked if it is possible that people are transported to various locations by “spirit travel,” as some people claim. Another reader asked our “theological qualifications” for explaining free will. A woman who will be conducting a tithing Bible study for her church requested guidelines and supporting verses for her class. Someone asked us if it’s possible that the Gospel writers ever met each other. (If you don’t know, the right thing to do is to ask!)
Finally, we knew what this person meant, but how he worded his question sounded unusual. He wrote: “Which of the 10 Commandments is lying?”