Romans 15:4 tells us to profit from the miscues of the past, but, sadly, history often repeats itself because folks learn slowly. There are basic patterns in the drama of error we mortals pursue. It is truly wonderful, therefore, that Christ Jesus set a noble, perfect example for us to follow, an example that helps us escape the pitfalls of the past. Let us notice a few things we ought to detour around on the road of life.

The mistake of Adam and Eve: Their basic blunder was to choose the easy route instead of the correct way. But that decision was extremely costly as it brought sin and death into the world (Rom. 5:12) and separated man from God (Isa. 59:2). According to 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 the very same dilemma occurs often in our own way! It pays in the long run to diligently "go with God," even if the challenge seems greater (1 Cor. 15:58).

The mistake of Ahab: In 1 Kings 21 we learn of a king who coveted another man's possession. The outcome of these passions was the murder of Naboth and the acquiring of a beautiful vineyard. But, Ahab did not live long enough to enjoy the treasure improperly obtained. In 1 Kings 22 we read of dogs licking up royal blood by the pool of Samaria - the blood of Ahab, a man who thought he could fool God (Gal. 6:7). Many today live and act as though they can fool the Creator - but they are mistaken (Num. 32:23).

The mistake of Robbing God: In Haggai 1:6 and Malachi 3:8 we learn of the tragedy in the lives of those who stole from Jehovah. When people act so unwisely, they actually steal from themselves the abundant blessings God wanted them to have! When we fail to give cheerfully and liberally unto the cause of the Redeemer (2 Cor. 9:6-11) we remove much of the joy and adventure from our relationship with the One who gave all for us (2 Cor. 9:15). Conversely, generous, purposeful giving opens the window of heaven, hedges us about with the providence of God and makes each day a closer step into the heart of Jesus who gave Himself for our sins (Gal. 1:4).

The mistake of Martha: In the last paragraph of Luke 10, we read a fascinating passage that is extremely pertinent to our daily conduct. It deals not with overt shame and wickedness. It actually calls for discerning, perceptive analysis. The verses in this exciting section of Scripture hit at one of our very own weaknesses. Do we put our approval on things that are excellent (Phil. 1:10), or do we choose, far too often, those matters that are temporal and defiantly ask: "Well, what is wrong with it"? Really, faithful Christians ask instead: "Is this the best thing I can do to glorify God?" There will be a lot of people in hell who wasted their earthly moments wandering around in the futility of lesser things when they could have known the beauty of holiness.

"For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope" (Rom. 15:4).

THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER

We cannot over impress the importance and reasonableness of the habit of prayer.

1.) The importance of prayer may be seen by what Christ said about it. It would take reams of paper to record and emphasize all that Jesus had to say about prayer, but we notice a few terse statements that He made. In Matthew 5:44 Jesus said, ". . . Love your enemies and pray for them that persecute you. . . ." In Matthew 6:5 Jesus said, "And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are; for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the comers of the streets, that they may be seen of men. . . ." And in the next verse He said, ". . . when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret. . . ." From statements like these we see that Jesus emphasized the importance of prayer and directed His children, not only that they should pray, but how to pray. In Matthew 6:9 Jesus said, "After this manner therefore pray ye. . . ."

Jesus taught that prayer is not just for a favorite few-preachers and elders-but that it is for every child of God. In the denominational world, especially among Catholics, people have been led to believe that the priest holds the key to heaven and that the people must go to him and have him unlock the door of mercy. Jesus taught that His disciples had the right to say, "Our Father, who art in heaven. . . ." Every disciple has a right to go to God in prayer. Of course, he must do this in reverence, because "hallowed is His Name" and thus, with reverence and respect he goes to God and not Mary in prayer.

In the prayer that we commonly call the Lord's prayer, or in the instruction that Jesus set forth as the manner of prayer, we find that there are two major divisions. The first half has to do with the characteristics of God, His wish, and His will. The second half has to do with the necessities of human life: sustenance, relations, keeping, and discipline. This should be remembered as we pray for our daily bread because this involves the law of God that provides daily bread. When we pray for the sick or for our daily bread we must be within the limits of God's law. Prayer was not designed to nullify God's law. God has not promised to answer our prayer for daily bread and at the same time ignoring the laws that govern daily bread. The laws of our daily bread are a part of His providence and a part of God's great law. When we pray for the sick, it is wrong for us to ignore the rules that God has set up for the health of our bodies and the restoration of the health of our bodies. We should recognize, however, that we do not learn the laws of agriculture and health from the Bible but from an agricultural school and medical school. The laws that have been discovered in the agricultural schools are the laws that God made, and they have been found through scientific study. The Bible is not a book of medicine, and when medical science discovers certain laws that heal, protect, and preserve our bodies they discovered God's laws. To ignore these scientific laws in our prayers is to reject the wish and the will of God. When men pray for the sick and ignore the rules and regulations that God has set up for our bodily care, they ignore God and His plan of prayer. Today, men who set aside the gospel and ask God to save them directly from heaven without obeying the great commission reject God. When men set aside the laws that govern the healing of our bodies and ask God to heal them without the laws that He has set up for this purpose, they ignore God.

Much of the prayer life of the disciples of Christ is private. We often pray in public, but the large part of our prayer life is private. In prayer, we need much privacy, directness, and simplicity. Even prayer for the sick is just as efficacious in the home as it is in the bedroom with the one who is ill. We believe in praying for those who are sick, but it is a mistake to pray for a man who is ill and then refuse to do for him what should be done. If you are praying for a loved one who is sick, and who is half-way around the world; you cannot touch him, you cannot go into the room where he is, but your prayer for him can be just as efficacious as if you were kneeling beside his bed. Certainly those on the scene and in connection with him must do that which is within their power in order for the will of God to be carried out.

2.) The importance of prayer may be seen by what Christ did about it. Mark says, "And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose up and went out, and departed into a desert place, and there

prayed." And again he says, "And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray and continued all night in prayer" (Lk. 6:12-13). We know that when He came to the grave where Lazarus was, the one whom He raised from the dead, one of the first things He did was to pray. The night He instituted the Lord's Supper, according to Matthew 26:36, He gave thanks, or prayed. Before He faced the cross He went out into the garden, taking with Him Peter, James, and John, and there prayed three times that the cup might pass from him. Also, we find that while He was on the cross, according to Matthew and Luke, that He cried out to His Father and said, "My God, why hast thou forsaken me!" And concerning the people who crucified Him He said, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." Thus, we see He prayed in the morning, in time of suffering and sorrow, on the mountain, in the night, at the grave, and in the face of death. He not only preached and taught about prayer, but prayer made up a big part of His life even though He was the Son of God.

3.) The things for which Christ prayed shows us the importance He attached to prayer. We learn to pray by observing the things for which Christ prayed. We learn to pray by noting the times that He prayed.

Christ had a great decision to make in selecting His apostles, and before this He spent all night in prayer (Lk. 6: 12-16). When the faith of His disciples was in the balance and He knew that they would be tested and sorely tried, He prayed that their faith would not fail (Lk. 22:32). He was mistreated, slandered, and wrongfully used by people in this world, but for those who wronged Him, He prayed (Lk. 23:34). When He was about to leave this world and to go back to His Father, He prayed that His Name might be glorified. In John 17 Jesus prays for Himself, for His apostles, and for all people of the world, even those who are yet unborn, that they might come to believe on Him through the Word spoken by these apostles. In this, we see how He prayed for sinners and for their salvation. He did not pray for a direct operation of the Spirit, but that all men may believe on Him through the word of the apostles.

From these things there are some lessons that we may learn about the importance of prayer. To many of us, prayer is simply an emergency device. We pray only when we are in trouble. To some of us, prayer serves as a source to gratify our selfish needs. We pray for those things that bring us comfort and peace of mind, and forget about making a real sacrifice for those who suffer and are lost. Some try to use prayer to nullify the laws of God, to set aside the gospel, which is the power of God to salvation. Some try to set aside the laws of health and expect God to heal them without those laws. To others, prayer is used as an ultimatum-making demands of God. And again, to some it is simply a device with which we open and close a service. We begin the service with prayer, and we close the service with prayer, but it is not designed simply as an opening or closing device. It is a most sacred privilege to pray, and its importance can be seen by what Christ said about it, what Christ did about, and the things for which He prayed. We ought to pray and to pray always, but God cannot do much for us until we get to the end of ourselves.

A few years back the Christian Chronicle contained a report of a survey done by Abilene Christian University professors David Lewis and Carly Dodd on youth and the church. The article contained data which reflected how various groups felt about some aspects of the Lord's church. A wide discrepancy was shown between Junior and Senior High groups and preachers and elders on some subjects. For example, in response to the statement "It really doesn't matter what particular church someone belongs to as long as he/she loves God," 100 percent of preachers surveyed disagreed and only 44 percent of high school students disagreed. The data from this research is frightening. What are we teaching our teens?

One portion of the survey listed the things teens found most "boring" about the church. The answers, listed in order of priority of the responses, were given: (1) Sermons; (2) Elders; (3) Bible classes; (4) Worship services; (5) Rehearsed prayers; (6) Talking things "to death"; (7) Old and outdated hymns; (8) Services too solemn. Why is it that teens find the four most "boring" things about the church to be sermons, elders, Bible classes, and worship? Can the blame be placed on the church leaders? It is possible that some church leaders have not shown the kind of leadership that is vitally important to the growth of the local congregation. But could another cause be more at the root of the problem? Could it be that teens have not been properly taught, both in the home and in the church?

Some may wish to correct the problem by addressing its symptoms. If teens find sermons boring, then make them more entertaining. Or, as seems to be the trend in some youth rallies, do away with sermons altogether, substituting dramatic performances for them. If hymns are too old and outdated, thus boring to one segment of the congregation, then change to a new and innovative worship. But these changes do not address the real problem. In fact, they only add to the real problem. The real problem is lack of spiritual teaching. Superficial changes only entrench the spiritually bored in their spiritual immaturity. Compromise and unauthorized change will not solve the problem.

To be sure, preachers, elders, Bible class teachers, and those who lead in worship must make sure that they are fulfilling their responsibilities with determination, sincerity, and preparation. How can a preacher expect his audience not to be bored with his sermon if he has done a shoddy job in preparing it? But when sermons and classes are Bible-centered, thoroughly prepared, and delivered to the best of the preacher's/teacher's ability, then those who still find them boring must turn inward to find the reason.

This is where teaching comes into play. Have our teens been taught what it means to be a Christian? Have they had parents who have shown them, both in word and example, what it means to have Christ at the center of their lives? Spiritual maturity in Christian young people must begin at home. Parents under the old law were commanded to teach their children diligently (Deut. 6:4-9). Christian parents are instructed to bring up their children "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Eph. 6:4). Parents who desire to see their children grow to be faithful Christians must exercise the same leadership that the mother and grandmother of Timothy exercised in teaching him. Paul told Timothy, "And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim. 3:15). If the same could have been said of the teens surveyed in the study, would the results have been the same?

But what about the role of Bible classes? What do young people learn in Bible class? Another interesting (and disturbing) piece of information revealed in the study was that the youth ministers surveyed showed much closer correlation with the teens than with the preachers and elders. Is there a connection between the fact that only 44 percent of high school students disagreed with the statement "It really doesn't matter what particular church someone belongs to as long as he/she loves God," and the fact that only 35 percent of youth ministers surveyed disagreed with it? Are those whom the church hires to work with young people teaching those young people to love Christ and His church? Are they teaching them the Bible and helping to instill within them respect for it as God's authority? If the figures given in the study are accurate, the answer must be "No."

So where does the answer lie? Should churches strive to change their practices, disregarding the authority of Scripture, in order to suit the desires of the disgruntled? Certainly not. Parents and teachers alike must work diligently to teach young people to love and know the Scriptures. But this in itself is not enough. A generation of young people able to repeat hundreds of Bible facts could be brought up. But if these same young people were not able also to apply these Bible principles and live lives that were truly affected for good by God's Word, then no real solution would have been reached.

Why were such disturbing results obtained in the study? Why are we losing our young people? Perhaps it is because we have not taught them.

Can You Get To Heaven From Here?

"Excuse me, can you give me directions to heaven?" Most, pointing upward, would answer, "It's up there." Actually, to get to heaven one must go down (into the waters of baptism, Acts 8:38), then up (out of baptism, Rom. 6:4), and proceed forward (on the Christian racetrack, Heb. 12:1; Phil. 3:13-14). Can you get to heaven from here? Yes!

Because of the love of Christ. Jesus' love made our trip to heaven possible. He gave up heaven (for a time), that we might enjoy it (forever). "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich" (2 Cor. 8:9). He died that we might live. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8). He demonstrated love that we might know the unknowable (Eph. 3:19). He loves us and wants us to come live with Him (John 14:1-3). That is why we can go to heaven. Thus, "We love him, because he first loved us" (1 Jn. 4:19).

By obeying the gospel of Christ. Jesus gave a plan by which sins might' be forgiven. Sin is the only thing that will keep us from heaven (Rev. 21 :27), and since all sin (1 Jn. 1:9), we must all obey (Heb. 5:9). To enter the road to heaven, one must ford the waters of baptism (Mk. 16: 16). This entrance is further restricted to those mature enough to understand the gospel (Jn. 6:44-45), convinced enough to strongly believe in Christ (In. 8:24), convicted enough to forsake a sinful lifestyle (Lk. 13:3), and courageous enough to publicly confess faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9-10). Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power? Are you washed in the blood of the lamb? Why not today?

By being a member of the church of Christ. When Jesus comes back, He is taking only those to heaven whom He has added to His church (Acts 2:47; I Cor. 15:20-24). He only has one (Matt. 16:18; Eph. 4:4). Sadly, there will be many surprised people on Judgment Day who thought they were right, but were mistaken (Matt. 7:21-23). Every false church will then be uprooted and destroyed (Matt. 15: 13). For this reason, it is important to become a member of the church you can read of in the Bible (cf. Rom. 16: 16). One becomes a member of the church of Christ when he is baptized (Gal. 3:26-27) and remains in it as long as he lives as Jesus commands. This includes worshiping correctly (In. 4:24) and regularly (Heb. 10:25), working for Christ (In. 9:4), having Christ's disposition (Phil. 2:5), and being molded into the image of Christ (Gal. 4:19). Are you a member of Christ's church?

By forsaking the world for Christ. Two masters are competing for our affections, Satan and Christ. No heart is big enough for both (Matt. 6:24). Only those who forsake the world (Satan's domain) can go to heaven (1 Jn. 2:15-17). This means we must deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world (Tit. 2:12). It means we are not conformed to this world but transformed into His image (Rom. 12:2) and have crucified selfish desires (Gal. 2:20). No one can go to heaven who practices worldliness. Popular worldly sins include: drinking (Eph. 5:18), fornication (Heb. 13:4), dancing (Gal. 5:19-21), immodest dress (1 Tim. 2:9), drugs (Rom. 6:13), and covetousness (Col. 3:5). Giving up worldly pleasures is such a small price to pay for heaven's joys. God gets no pleasure in saying "no" - He does so only for our good: "No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly" (Psa. 84:11). We must love Him and trust His judgment. Have you given up the world for Christ?

If you really want to be with Christ. It is not easy to walk the lane marked "life" (Matt. 7:13), but it is possible (Phil. 4:13; 2 Tim. 4:6-8). Only those who expend strenuous effort will make it beyond the pearly gates (Lk. 13:24). It is worth giving all that we have (Matt. 13:46). Is your heart set on going to heaven? If you died tonight, would you go there? Are you packed and ready to leave? You can get to heaven from here! Serious Bible study is the key and not emotional feelings and bias.

Difficulties Not Contradictions

Ted J. Clarke. Mammoth Spring, Arkansas

Enemies of the Bible commonly assert that it is "full of contradictions." Even supposed friends of the Scriptures sometimes contend for occasional contradictions in historical matters, while claiming inerrancy for strictly religious teachings. Bible believers may admit that difficulties exist with our present text and understanding, without admitting that actual contradictions were a part of the original sacred writings. The Scriptures claim an inerrancy for themselves which does not allow for actual contradictions (2 Tim. 3:16-17; I Pet. 1:10-12; 2 Pet. 1:19-21; In. 10:34-36; et al.).

Difficulties can be found in the text of the Bible. 2 Peter 3:16 speaks of some things that Paul wrote as "hard to be understood," but these are never spoken of as contradictory to the rest of the Bible. Difficulties can also arise from (1) improper translations; (2) copyists' errors; (3) faulty hermeneutics; (4) our own ignorance or lack of sufficient information, part of which may be due to the condensed nature of large sections of Scripture; and, (5) perhaps the largest number of difficulties are manufactured by those who wish to destroy the Bible's teaching. However, these difficulties can be solved and do not mitigate against the divine inspiration of the Bible. Anyone who asserts that actual contradictions exist in the Bible and were present in the original manuscripts strikes at the very heart of the nature of the Bible as the inspired Word of God. If the Bible has errors in it, then it does not live up to its claim to be the Word of the all-powerful, all-knowing God. Or, one could say that this supposedly omnipotent, omniscient Deity could not preserve His Word from corruption. In either case the absolute truthfulness of the Scriptures would be compromised, and we would have no infallible standard by which to guide our lives. We could only guess which parts of the Bible were true and which were false. Thankfully, God did give us a completely trustworthy Book!

Difficulties can be resolved, while contradictions cannot be.. This is a crucial difference between the two terms. A contradiction exists when a person, place, or thing is said both to be and not to be, at the same time in the same place and in the same way. Two statements about a person, place, or thing are not contradictory just because they differ. They are contradictory only when both cannot be true regarding the same thing, in the same place, and at the same time. For example, God is charged with being capricious because He said in Genesis I :31 that His creation was "very good," while in Genesis 6:5-7 he portrays mankind as corrupt and is ready to destroy the world. Obviously, God's differing attitudes are not a result of His whimsical nature, but of drastic changes in the nature of things between these two times.

A contradiction may be "apparent," meaning that it appears to be real, but actually is not. Unless we know someone to be a liar, there is a principle of charity that attaches to one's statements-spoken or written. J.W. McGarvey properly notes, regarding these alleged contradictions, "If, on any rational hypothesis, we may suppose them both to be true, we cannot rightfully pronounce them contradictory. We are not bound to show the truth of the given hypothesis; but only that it may be true. If It is at all possible, then it is possible that no contradiction exists; if it is probable, then it is probable that no contradiction exists; and the degree of the latter probably is measured by that of the former" [Evidences of Christianity, Part III (Nashville: Gospel Advocate Co., 1964), p. 31ff]. Anyone rejecting a

proposed solution to an alleged contradiction must show that it is either impossible or improbable. One cannot reject possible solutions simply because he does not want to believe it, due to prejudice against the Scriptures. Those who would do so demonstrate that they are less concerned with truth than acrimony.

The fact that hundreds of alleged contradictions in the Scriptures have been shown to have real or probable solutions should fortify us against the worry that any actual contradictions will ever be found which destroy faith in God's inspiration of the Bible. "God. . . cannot lie" (Tit. 1:2).

Elders Need Encouragement Too

There is a growing disregard for elders. This is symptomatic of our day where human wisdom is substituted for divine revelation. I want to say something on the other side.

I appreciate elders because this is God's plan (1 Tim. 3:1-7; Tit. 1:5-9). The one who fails to respect elders fails to respect God's Word and God's way. I cannot be faithful to the Bible and disregard elders.

I appreciate elders because of the responsibility they accept. No men on earth have a greater responsibility than elders. The President of the United States with all of our problems does not bear the responsibility of elders. Elders are responsible for carrying the gospel to every creature (Matt. 28: 18-20; Mk. 16: 15-16). But that is not the end of the elders' responsibility. They must watch after souls. They will have to give an account of the souls that are under their oversight. I appreciate the man that is willing to accept the responsibility of an elder.

I appreciate elders because of the time they give to the Lord's work. While others are free to use their time in various ways, elders must use much of their time in fulfilling their duties. There are meetings where time must be given to planning the work, dealing with problems, and many other things. This requires a great deal of time. I appreciate the man who is willing to take the time necessary to do the work of an elder.

I appreciate elders because they work with the least encouragement of any people I know. I've often wondered how long I would continue to preach if I received criticism as elders do with so little encouragement. Few people in any congregation think to give a word to encourage elders. I appreciate men that will give years of helping the church grow, struggle with its problems, accept criticism, receive little or no encouragement, and continue to do its work.

I appreciate elders because of their families. First, they have done a good job in training their children and in building a stable marriage. My hat is off to the man who has a family that makes it possible for him to serve as an elder. I appreciate elders because of the sacrifices they make so that they can serve. Time that might be spent with his family is often used in doing the work of the Lord. I appreciate families that are willing to allow the husband and father to spend the time that is needed in dealing with problems, planning the work of the church, and being concerned about the welfare of people that are under the eldership's oversight.

Questions and Answers

Editor's note: Periodically our readers have biblical questions about which they desire biblical answers. In response to that need, we intend to devote this page to these questions. Our answers will be given by various writers in the Lord's church. If you have a question you would like for us to consider, please mail it (Words of Truth, 1501 6th Ave., Jasper, AL 35501), e-mail it (sixthavenue@tds.net), or fax it (205-302-0595). We hope you enjoy this page.

Question: "What is the baptism of fire? Do you think Christians should pray for it?"

Answer: Let's go to the Bible for an answer. Please study the following:

1.) John the Baptist promised that Jesus would administer two baptisms-Holy Spirit baptism and the baptism of fire. "And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier that I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire" (Matt. 3:10-11). The apostles would receive the overwhelming measure of the Holy Spirit's power on Pentecost (Lk. 24:48-49; Acts 1:4-5; Acts 2:1-4); the unrepentant Pharisees and Sadducees would receive the penalty of hell at the final judgment.

2.) The baptism of fire is "hellfire." His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will bum up the chaff with unquenchable fire" (Matt. 3:12.) It is clear that John was referring to "hell fire" (i.e., eternal destruction) in this passage. H. Leo Boles observes: Is it credible that "fire" should have one meaning in the first and third verses, and an entirely different meaning in the second? We must conclude that "fire" has the same meaning in verses ten, eleven and twelve. With this conclusion, we must believe that two baptisms are mentioned here; that two classes are to receive the baptisms; and that one class is to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the other class the baptism of fire. "Fire" as used here cannot be taken as a symbol of the Holy Spirit; this would be a confusion to say Christ would "baptize in the Holy Spirit and in the Holy Spirit." Where fire is used in a literal sense in the Bible, it invariably sets forth God's divine judgment upon sin; where it is used in a figurative sense it represents the process by which evil is removed, and destruction. No sound principle of interpretation admits of representing the same truth under a literal and figurative form in the same connection [H. Leo Boles, "Holy Spirit and Fire," The Holy Spirit-His Personality, Nature and Works, pp. 304-305].

3.) Jesus will administer the baptism of fire when He comes again. "And to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power" (2 Thess. 1:7-9.) "So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth" (Matt. 13:49; cf. Rev. 20:14-15; 21:8).

No. Christians should not pray for the baptism of fire. Rather, they should endeavor to avoid it. For a further study of this subject, go to: www.christiancourier.com/questions/baptismFireQuestion.htm - Mike Benson, Evansville, Indiana

Question: In Romans 12:20, what does the expression, "Thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head" mean?

Answer: Romans 12:20 says in its entirety, "Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head." The verse is an exact quotation of Proverbs 25:21-22 in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament). An understanding of the background of

this expression helps. Adam Clarke writes: it is very likely that the latter clause of this verse. . . is a metaphor taken from smelting metals. The ore is put into the furnace, and fire put both under and over, so that the metal may be liquefied, and, leaving the scoriae and dross, may fall down pure to the bottom of the furnace. . . . It is most evident, from the whole connection of the place and the apostle's use of it, that the "heaping of the coals of fire upon the head of the enemy" is intended to produce not an evil, but the most beneficial effect; and the following verse is an additional proof of this. The coals of fire are symbolic of emotional pain, which will be the direct result of our kindness. Burning coals heaped on a man's head would be expressive of intense agony (Barnes' Notes). It is important to note, however, that our intention isn't to cause him pain for pain's sake, but rather in hopes that he will be moved to repentance. We don't "get back at our enemies," but rather hope to "get through" to them and save their souls. - Chuck Webster, Jasper, Alabama

Are You Really Living Like Christ?

Gary Colley, McMinnvil/e, Tennessee