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¡d e a d e r ¡R e a c tio n The King’s Business in Israel A September, 1951, copy of The King’s Business in the YMCA Library of Jeru salem motivates this letter. Miss Matilda • Alexander was in the YMCA Library when I read The King’s Business. The man whose message I heeded was Pastor Harry Rimmer. I am eager to hear from him. A Chris tian man and wife . . . shared with me their home and board and fellowship. They were my first real experience with people who wanted themselves to be known as Christians, not Gentiles. R a b b i A b r a h a m Z eo i F reed Jerusalem, Israel Notes o f Appreciation I thank God for such a magazine. It is such a blessing these days to read the latest news in the light of the Bible. W il l ia m F y f f e Bloomington, Ind. We have written to you telling how very much we enjoy The King’s Busi ness. Our interest in and love for it is constantly increasing. We do not claim to read it “from cover to cover,” for we have so many good books—and the Book of books—papers and magazines, it is a physical impossibility to read all. D r . a n d M r s . C. H . W r ig h t Fredericktown, Ohio The King’s Business gets better and better each month, and I cannot express a choice because every writer or con tributor to its pages are all equally good, and so very, very helpful to me. M r s . I d a M a e B oeppler Oakland, Calif. How blessed it is to receive a maga zine like The King’s Business each month! So many wonderful articles are in it. I cannot tell you how much they mean to me. M rs . V a u d e a n H . S m it h Fort Worth, Texas We look forward to receiving The King’s Business. It is like getting a let ter from home, and one way we can keep in contact with so many Biola students. We especially like Biola Fam ily Circle. May the Lord bless all of you there as you labor for Him. F r a n k L. S tr ad ley Seward, Alaska We receive The King’s Business each month as a gift from a California friend and enjoy it very much. F a y e C u m m in s Taylors, S. C. We are absolutely thrilled with our new magazine The King’s Business. M r . a n d M r s . J u a n S c h w e n d e n e r Canas Valley, Ore. (Continued on Page 28) APRI L, 1 9 5 2
B U S I N E S S
Official Publication of The Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Incorporated
Louis T. Talbot, D.D.
Betty Bruechert Managing Editor
William W. Orr, D.D Associate Editor
Editor in Chief
Copyright, 1952, The King’s Business No part of this magazine may he reproduced without permission All Rights Reserved
Vol. 43
APRIL, 1952
No. 4
EASTER NUMBER Reader Reaction ........................................................................................... 3 Editorially Speaking .................................................................................. 4 Dr. Talbot’s Question Box ....................................................................... 6 Christ’s Resurrection and Glory, Arthur HedXey ................................ 7 A Contemporary Paul, Margaret A n d erson ........................................... 9 A Jew Finds the Messiah, Daniel R o s e ................................................... 11 Inside Hollywood, Dorothy Clark H a s k in ........................... 13 We Taught the Dyaks -to Tithe, J. Arthur Mouw , .............................. 15 Biola Family Circle .................................................................................... 13 Junior King’s Business: Easter Above the Clouds Theresa G u s ta fson ................................. 19 The Destiny o f the Christless Dead, R. A. Torrey ....................... 20 The Work and the Workers, William W. O r r ...................................... 22 “ Ye Which are Spiritual,” John E. B o ehm er ........................................ 23 Biola in A s i a ................................................................................................. 24 Young People’s Topics, Chester A . Padgett ........................................ 25 Book Reviews, Donald G. Davis ............................................................. 29 The Bible in the News, William W. O r r ................................................. 30 Sunday School Lessons, Homer A . Kent, Allison A r r ow o o d ........... 31 Object Lessons, Elmer L. W ild e r ............................................................ 37 Picture Credits: Cover, Don Knight, San Francisco, Calif.; p. 20, Armstrong-Roberts, Philadelphia, Pa. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION— “The King’s Business’' is published monthly; $2.00, on« year; $1.00, six months; 20 cents, single copy. Clubs of three or more at special rates. Write for details. Canadian and foreign subscriptions 25 cents extra. It requires one month for a change of address to become effective. Please send both old and new addresses. REMITTANCES— Payable in advance, should be made by bank draft, express, or post office money order payable to “The King’s Business.” Date of expiration will show plainly on outside wrapper or cover of magazine. ADVERTISING— For information, address the Advertising Manager. 558 South Hope Street Los Angeles 17, California. MANUSCRIPTS— “The^ King's Business’* cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to manuscripts mailed to us for consideration. Entered as second*class matter November 7, 1988, at the Post Office at Los Angeles, Cali* fornia, under the Act of March 8, 1879. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in the Act of February 28, 1925, embodied in paragraph 4, section 638. P. L. and R., authorized October 1, 1918, and November \8, 1988. ADDRESS: The King’s Business, 558 So. Hope St., Los Angeles 17, California. Page Three
tory. No doubt or fear filled His heart as He faced the future. His Father had things well in hand. No attempt on the part of man could frustrate the divine plan. His confidence was later reassured by many infallible proofs which were witnessed by hundreds of surprised fol lowers in His post-resurrection ministry. He had risen as He said. It is a radi ant fact. “ Ye shall live also,” presents a radiant faith. The promise of resurrection life was not kept to Himself. He shared it with His followers through a radiant faith. Through a faith in the crucified and risen Saviour His disciples of the first century and believers of the twentieth century may have the same assurance of life after death as was manifested in Christ. It is with this reassurance that the Christian today can face the future with out fear or doubt. His is the Radiant Fact—“ I live.” Ours is the Radiant Faiths—“ Ye shall live also.” —John L. Mitchell, Th D. Favorite Bible Passages o f 25 Famous Americans A RECENT week in February was designated as Brotherhood Week in which it was suggested that people everywhere stress the fundamental re ligious idea that persuasion and good will, rather than force, make for better and happier living. As a contribution to this week, Collier’s presented a two- page spread of the favorite Bible pas sages of 25 famous Americans includ ing our President, our Vice President, Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, Bernard Bar uch, General Eisenhower and others prominent in national life. It is exceedingly interesting to note the Bible passages which these people, high both in ability and natural wisdom, present as their favorites. A revealing cross-section of the attitude of the American people is seen in the verses which they have chosen. Of the 25 pas sages, ten were from the Old Testa ment, and 15 from the New. Of the 15 New Testament quotations, five were from the Sermon on the Mount and one from a related passage in Mark. Two choices were from the 13th chapter of First Corinthians and only two from any of the 14 epistles of Paul. It n »l~o significant that of the 25 choices the name of Christ is mentioned but once and while a number chose verses containing the teachings of Christ, in no instance was there any reference to the death of Christ. If we read our Bible aright, the great est truth appearing on its pages is that while men and women are sinners and hopelessly condemned before the bar of God’s justice, still there is an unbeliev ably wonderful salvation available to those who by simple faith place their
the honored dead are there. Whether you go beyond the Rio Grande, or into the heart of the moun tains of Peru, to the summit of the Andes, or the hills of India or China; as the odor of incense reaches your nos trils, you realize that these people are worshiping amongst the tombs! But the leaders of these false cults enjoy a fat profit by keeping these people ignorant. How wonderful when the true mis sionaries of the Cross, representatives of the Church of the Living God, can bold ly face the world, and proclaim the most wonderful message ever given man, viz., “He is not here, he is risen.” It has been, and is, the imperishable faith of the Church throughout the Christian era, that our Lord, having risen as the first-fruits from the dead, entered as our forerunner in mansions of greater glory prepared for Him, and likewise for us all. Let us continue to proclaim the only message of eternal hope: “ Because I live, ye shall live also.” This is the certain faith of the be liever. This is the great hope of Easter morning. — Rev. Ral-ph C. Scoville A Radiant Fact and a Radiant Faith T HE resurrection of Jesus Christ was not an unexpected accident. It His devout followers, but to Him and His Father it was part of a necessary plan. Christ anticipated this great event on several occasions in the presence of His disciples. One of these was in the Upper Room when taking His disciples into His confidence, He said: “ Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also” (John 14:19). “ Because I live,” presents a radiant fact. The resurrection of Christ has been called the most corroborated fact of his
If A THOUSAND necessary facts may precede the conjunction, “if,” but ignore the one conditional item follow ing it and all is lost. “And IF Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins” (1 Cor. 15:17). That such a person as Jesus Christ once lived upon the earth is a settled question. That He died is, of course, not only a natural assumption but also a recorded fact. So far we are not on controversial ground. But with the third Scriptural recorded item, “ He rose again,” we face opposition from many quarters. To the naturalist this cannot be. To the liberal- ist it serves no purpose. The irreproach able character of Jesus with His match less teachings are more or less accepted. Some may go farther and believe in the Deity of Christ, and even accept the doctrinal statement that “ Christ died for our sins,” both of which are essen tial and necessary for salvation, yet, they are made null and void without the resurrection. We can make it stronger still. With perfect faith in all that the Scriptures have to say about the person and work of Christ, such faith is vain and worthless without the resurrection. More, personal faith must believe in and appropriate the account of the resurrec tion or the sin question remains unset tled. “Ye are yet in your sins” and in that state there is no hope. Our liberal- ists had best take heed for they are not only without hope themselves but are leading others to reject the essential item that supports all other facts in the plan of salvation. —Frank E. Lindgren, D.D. He Is Not Here L UKE 24:6 gives us the first Easter Message, “He is not here.” Earth’s most famous shrines of pilgrimage are spots esteemed sacred because they en tomb the ashes of those whom count less mortals have reverenced, loved, crowned and worshiped. Why? Because
might have been an amazing surprise to
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
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confidence in the death, burial and resur rection of Jesus Christ. The entire Bible heads up in this magnificent truth that Christ died for sinners. As a matter of actual fact, no one can ever enjoy the benefits of any of God’s grace without first coming through the door of the substitutionary work of Christ on Cal vary. There is no doubt but that such an approach to God absolutely forbids any inclusion of pride or human attain ment. All of these must be left on the outside and sinners, in order to receive the incomparable benefits of salvation, must approach a holy God on the simple basis of absolute unworthiness. Or if it be argued that the approach to choosing a favorite Bible passage be on the basis of a born-again experience, it is scarcely to be doubted that the most transcendent truth on the pages of the Bible concerns the miraculous indwelling of a Heavenly Guest within the heart of the Christian. Unbelievable as it may appear, it is nonetheless true that the ,Spirit of God, the Third Person of the Trinity, dwells forever in the newly- cleansed heart-temple of every born- again believer. His ministry there is to supply divine wisdom, power and guid ance for every one of life’s needs. The Christian need never be without succor at any time because of the Spirit’s om nipotence. There is no greater truth for Christians, on the pages of the New Testament than this. And yet, in the choice of Bible pas sages by famous Americans, the name or ministry of the Spirit is never re ferred to. If this were to be an indica tion of heart belief on the part of these who chose, it could be reasoned that they knew little or nothing of the unique and absolute indispensable min istries of the' Spirit in their lives. In all fairness, it should be pointed out that perhaps the choosing was done on the basis of a passage which is dear and precious and not concerned so much with belief or doctrine, but it would seem that to those whose lives had known the benefits of the cleansing power of the blood of Christ or those who were in daily dependence upon the Spirit of God that some mention would be made of these most important factors of the spiritual life. Prayer in the Public School T HE PRESS has contained a num ber of news items in the past sev opening public school sessions with pray er. Particularly in New York state quite a verbal battle has been going on over the State Board of Education and numer ous opposing groups. Usually a com promise has been worked out in favor of making a prayer and a suitable pray er offensive to no religious group has been suggested. On the outside this would seem like a notable thing to do and the recognition of God at the beginning of a school day ought to be an attainment in itself. The
establishment of a habit in the hearts and lives of children might carry through their entire lifetime and it has been argued that it is also a thing which is quite consistent with our American tradition and religious heritage. On the other hand, prayer is not a subjective exercise but rather a petition addressed to the God of the universe. When it comes to the matter of impor tance, prayer should first be pleasing to God, whether anyone else is pleased or not. Petition is being made for peace and blessing from the God who in the beginning created all things and who daily maintains this universe by the word of His power. The real question before us is whether or not the prayer is acceptable to Him, not whether it is a compromise prayer pleas'ng Protes tants, Catholics and Jews. Otherwise, it is so much wasted energy and in reality an affront to God Himself. The Scriptures lay down some very definite principles about prayer. Our Lord on one occasion utterly discounted ostentation in prayer. Just before the cross, the Lord added a new note to the doctrine of prayer by stating that hence forth all prayer was to be made in His Name. There is no reason at all to be lieve that God will either hear or an swer prayer which does not come to Him on the basis of the finished work of Christ on the cross. The dearest thing in all the universe, according to God’s estimate, is the precious blood of His Son. If an intercessor either consciously or unconsciously circumvents the sacri fice of Calvary, he might just as well save his breath, for the prayer has no value whatsoever. We seriously question the eternal effi cacy of such perfunctory prayer. On the other hand, there is tremendous need for those who both believe in Christ and who love the souls of lost men to earn
estly, definitely and persistently beseech the throne of grace with their petitions. Prayer is never measured on the basis of fine phrases or repetition. Rather, its essence is simple earnestness and the correct approach. Let Christian parents consistently teach their children to ap proach God in the way which He Himself has planned. Rose Bowl Easter Sunrise Service A GAIN this year, an hour-long serv ice from 6:00 to 7:00 Easter morn ing will be held in the famous Rose Bowl of Pasadena. Along with the tra ditional lovely Easter music by a huge choir, three speakers will share the time usually granted to a single speaker. The first will be Dr. Louis T. Talbot, Presi dent of the Bible Institute of Los An geles, who will speak on the subject, “ Christ Opened the Tomb.” Following Dr. Talbot, Dr. W. T. Purkiser, Presi dent of Pasadena College, will speak on the theme, “ Christ Opened Their Eyes.” The third speaker of the morning will be Dr. Wilbur M. Smith, Professor of Eng lish Bible at Fuller Theological Semi nary, whose subject will be “ Christ Opened the Scriptures.” It is understood that the service will be broadcast over a large radio network and will be televised for Pacific Coast audiences. The Rose Bowl, scene of many a football classic, seats 100,000 persons. Another Promotion As we go to press, word reaches us that Dr. Harry Rimmer, the well-known Bible teacher and scientist, went to be with the Lord March 19. Details of his life and ministry will appear in our next issue.
eral months relative to the matter of
Rose Bowl Speakers
Prominent participants in the fourth annual Rose Bowl sunrise service from 6 to 7 a.m. Easter morning are shown above, viewing announcement. They are left to right: Dr. Louis T. Talbot, of Pacific Palisades, president of Bible In stitute of Los Angeles; Dr. W. T. Pur kiser, of Altadena, president of Pasa-
dena College; and Dr. Wilbur M. Smith, of San Marino, professor of English Bible at Fuller Theological Seminary. Delegations from local churches are ex pected to attend, and local singers will appear in the massed choir of 300 select voices. Admission and parking are free.
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of utter trust and dependence upon Him. Read Hebrews 12:3-11 for God’s Word on this matter. “Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth. . . . But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.” If a man lives in sin and is not chastened, even though he may profess to be a Christian, according to this from God’s Word, that man is not a son; he is a bastard, and a hypocrite. In the November King’s Business we have said, “ Trials may embitter those who do not love God, but they burn up the dross in the Christian as he lets his all-wise Father mold and shape his life . . . Sometimes God permits one of His saints to be an example to an ungodly world of the sufficiency of God’s grace. Such was Job—an ex ample before Satan, angels, men and demons. His example has encouraged thousands to trust God, even when they could not understand why they were called upon to suffer.” Nothing gives one a more sym pathetic understanding of the need of those in sorrow than does sorrow itself. It is a training school for those who would serve others who are in distress. “ The God of all comfort . . . com- forteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God” (2 Cor.l:3,4). No! Decidedly, no! The angels were created angels. We were created human beings. These represent two entirely different orders of God’s creatures. An gels are spirit-beings; we are flesh and blood. And in the resurrection, we shall be “flesh and bone,” even as the risen Christ was in His glorified body. (See Luke 24:39.) The holy angels are our servants, “ministering spirits” unto us who are the “heirs of salvation” (Heb. 1 :14)_. We are sons, members of the household of God. Our Lord Jesus, when He became a Man, was made for a little time “lower than the angels . . . that he might taste death for every man,” and “ lead many sons unto glory” to a position higher than the angels—“heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ” (Heb. 2:5-18; Rom. 8:17). “ What a wonderful Saviour!” If we love God in this life, shall we be angels in heaven?
could it be said that he lifted up his “ eyes, being in torments” ? How could he speak of the “finger ” of Lazarus, who was in paradise ,' and of his own “ tongue” ? The spirit has a form, just as the body has a form. And the form of the spirit is, in all probability, the form of the body. It is true, the dead, whether in Christ or out of Christ, are disem bodied spirits. The Scriptures, however, imply that, while they are without a body, yet they do not miss the body. In other words, they are not conscious of disembodiment. This is implied in Second Corinthians 12:2. There Paul tells us that he was caught up into the third heaven; whether in the body or out of the body, he could not tell. If he was out of the body at the time of that experience, he was not conscious of it. This sheds a great deal of light upon the present disembodiment of the dead; and this is the explanation of the rich man’s speaking of his “ tongue” and of Lazarus’ “ finger.” It explains also the Scripture reference to the rich man’s “ eyes,” in the passage to which we refer. What is the meaning of Luke 22:32? This is a well-known passage of Scripture, and when properly under stood is full of blessed comfort to the children of God in their manifold temptations. However, the word “ con verted” often keeps a believer from en joying the intended comfort, because it is not generally known that “ conver sion” is used in the Bible not only of our first turning to God which is salva tion, but may be used also of any sub sequent turning back to God after a time of backsliding. The word is used in the latter sense here, for we are told of Peter’s salvation in Matt. 16:16, 17 and in John 1:41, 42. In these passages also it is implied that Peter was saved, for the Lord speaks of his faith, “ But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not.” A believer can be regenerated or born-again only once, but he can be converted many times, for every time he backslides and turns again to God he is converted to God. Peter was a backslider here and so was David in Psalm 51, and he cried to the Lord to restore unto him not his salvation, but the joy of his salvation. Peter’s experi ence here and David’s experience in Psalm 51 throw light upon each other, for both men were backsliders and needed to repent or turn back to God. James, in verse 19 of chapter 5, refers to the same experience. T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
Dr. Louis T. Talbot
What is meant by being “ baptized for the dead" as written in First Cor inthians 15:29? This is an important question for the Mormon doctrine is built upon an er roneous interpretation of this text. They claim that baptism is absolutely essen tial to salvation, and that if one should die unbaptized, a friend here on earth could be baptized as his proxy, the credit for this act being applied to the dead man. This is the Mormon inter pretation of the text, “baptized for the dead.” Of course there is not a vestige of Scripture in Corinthians, nor in any other part of the Bible to substantiate such a perversion of the truth of God’s Word. Paul’s argument all through the fifteenth chapter of First Corinthians is that Christ is risen from the dead, and because He lives, we too shall live. The resurrection of Christ is the foun dation stone of Christianity. Without it our faith is vain, and we are still in our sins. In the resurrection of Christ God demonstrated the sufficiency and the efficacy of the redemption price that our Lord paid when He died on Calvary. There are many scriptural reasons showing why Christians suffer afflic tion. We have discussed in these columns many times, why God some times has to chasten, or “ child-train” us, but you ask why do those who live in close fellowship with the Lord some times know the depths of sorrow? As a parent should train a child through discipline, so also our heavenly Father often has to “ child-train” us. We are so slow to learn! And sometimes—not al ways—He has to allow sorrow and suffering to bring us back to the place Can you explain why some of God’s most devout children seem to have so much suffering?
If the rich man of Luke 16:19-30 was in Hades as a disembodied spirit, how
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C i j r t ë t ’ g E e ó u r r e c t to n anb <ëloty By Arthur Hedley* W HY were the Apostles so astounded at the resurrec tion of Christ, and so enthusiastic over it that they bore witness to it on every possible occasion? They to awe, reverence and worship. The deity of His Master was proved beyond all doubt, and from his heart came that great confession “ My Lord and my God” (v.28). Something Even Greater
had seen the dead raised during the ministry of their Lord, and the raising of Lazarus after he had been in the grave four days. It was an amazing miracle, yet they seem to express no astonishment, and no mention is made of these miracles in any of their addresses or epistles. When Paul refers to the resurrection in Ephesians 1:19, 20 he uses such emphasis and energy of expression, as if he were laboring under the greatness of his theme and lacked words to express the magnitude of his conception. What is the explanation of Peter’s enthusiastic witness to Christ’s resurrection in the early days of the church and the extraordinary strength of Paul’s language? Thfe answer is to be found in the unique character of our Lord’s resurrection. Whenever Peter or Paul refer to Christ’s resurrection, they invariably associate it with His ascension and exalted position in glory. In respect to those whom our Saviour raised from the dead, it seems they returned to the places left vacant by their death, and carried on as before until old age and decay crept on and death claimed them a second time. It was truly a great experience to be raised from the dead, but we have no evidence that any remarkable change was witnessed in their after conduct. There is no reason to believe that Lazarus received any enlargement of his intellectual powers, or that his moral life rose to any extraordinary height of grandeur after his resurrection. He moved among men as before, and in those days when the public mood was so fickle, his return to life from the dead would be regarded as a nine-days’ wonder. Christ’ s Resurrection Vastly Different Now the resurrection of Christ was something vastly dif ferent from anything that had ever happened before since the creation of man. It was not the return to a life inter rupted by death, but the beginning of a new life under new conditions. Within the silence and secrecy of the tomb, unseen by any human eye, God, by a great creative act, restored life to that crushed and mangled body of our Lord, which had been drained of its life blood. It is well to notice that the Apostles always refer to our Lord’s resurrection as a direct creative act of God (Acts 2:32, 3:15, 4:10, 13:30). When our Lord eventually appeared to His disciples He was so transfigured that they failed to recognize Him at first (Luke 24:16; John 20:14; 21:4). Such a change had taken place in His body that bolts and bars proved no obstacle to Him. “When the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you” (John 20:19). But it was the same human Christ though His body was transformed and His face transfigured, for He made Himself known by the wounds in His hands and His side (v.20). When the skeptical Thomas saw these wounds, his doubt gave place
But it was something even greater than the resurrection which explains the language of the Apostles in their reference to it. The resurrection was unexpected, and the death of Christ had meant the end of all their hopes and ambitions. They had been looking forward to the day when Christ would reveal Himself to the world in some spectacular way as the King of the Jews. They looked for ea/rthly power and glory, and anticipated great rewards. The death of Christ had shattered their hopes. But now there was given to them such an amazing revelation of Christ’s Person, position and power, that their previous conceptions and anticipations faded into insignificance. They saw with the eye of faith, their Lord seated not on an earthly throne, as they had expected, but at God’s right hand, exercising dominion over angels and authorities and powers (1 Pet. 3:22). With His ascension there was an expansion and exaltation of Christ’s power. In His earthly life, our Lord lived in absolute dependence on the Father. There was an immeasurable distance between the earthly humiliation to which our Lord submitted Himself and His pre-existent glory (John 17:5). Now, in His exalted position, He who took upon Himself the form of a servant is Lord over all. Paul saw Christ exercising a real effective sovereignty over all worlds, seen and unseen. “ Far above all principality, and power, and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come” (Eph. 1:21). Even before His as cension our Lord told His disciples of the honor conferred upon Him. “ All power is given unto me in heaven and earth” (Matt. 28:18). He spoke as one who was about to rule and reign, and who knew that He would have power to do it. It is the transcendent position to which God had raised His beloved Son which explains the difficulty of Paul to express in language the mighty power of God. To raise the despised, crucified Jesus of Nazareth to be the sovereign Lord of Heaven, was something so transcendently great that it was beyond the human mind to comprehend it fully. God’s Amazing Power Available To Believers Paul believed that the amazing power which God wrought in Christ was available to believers by faith. He realized what mighty things could be wrought if he and his converts grasped the significance of the miracle of Christ’s sover eignty and would lay hold of the omnipotent power of God. In his intercession for his Ephesian converts, he prays that they may know “what is the exceeding greatness of his power . . . which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places” (Eph. 1:19, 20). They had already experienced, in some measure, the power which had raised Christ from the dead to a position of exaltation and power.
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They had been dead in trespasses and in sins, and had been quickened by God. They had been raised from a life of sin to sit with Christ in the heavenly places (Eph. 2:5, 6). An amazing miracle of grace had been wrought in these Ephe sians, for they once practiced the grossest sins of paganism. But we, too, who were dead in trespasses and in sins, have experienced the quickening of the Holy Spirit and now we dwell with Christ. Thè union between Christ and those who, through faith and the power of. the Holy Spirit are one with Him, is so intimate and complete that in His resurrection, in His enthronement at the right hand of God, in His exer cise of authority, power and grace, they rise to new and diviner levels of life. The joy and the glory of the Lord are theirs. The power which raised Christ from the dead and placed Him far above all principality and power has raised us from the death of sin and made us alive unto God and unto right eousness: If we could grasp the glorious truth that this same mighty power could be ours in a fuller measure, and that through claiming it by faith we could rise to greater heights of holiness, love and power, then we would leave behind us the old life of weakness, failure and defeat. Why do we live such barren, defeated lives with such a mighty God behind us, with such resources at our disposal? When we claim this power through faith then miracles will begin to happen, our lives will be transformed, there will be that in our preaching and teaching which will influence our hearers as never before. The great God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ whom He raised from the dead and exalted to be a “ Prince and a Saviour” (Acts 5:31), waits to quicken us anew and to enable us to live a radiant, triumphant Christian life. He wants to reveal to us, in the living present, more of the glory which is already ours in Christ, through His resur rection and exaltation. Perhaps, if our own imagination were radiant with the splendors of our glorious inheritance in Christ; if the gospel on our lips were thrilled with passion of the exalting hope of reigning with Christ as well as touched with the pathos of His sufferings and death for our salva tion, and if our lives revealed more of the “ power of His resurrection,” then weary and troubled hearts that now listen to the gospel with languid interest would be filled with sudden rapture of wonder and joy, and realizing vividly the infinite possibility of a life in Christ, would surrender themselves fully to Him. *Of Dunstable, Beds., England
Calbarp I saw, against a purple sunset sky, The Cross that held the Christ on Calvary; And from His pale lips passed a human cry, “My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” I saw His precious blood for sinners shed A royal vesture o’er His quivering form; The nail-pierced hands, the thorn-encircled head, And then the darkness of the coming storm. I saw Him die— the Son of God— His eyes Raised to the heavens beyond the skies; His head dropped low, and then great peace and blest, For Him who had no place wherein to rest. But lo! God’s voice above the tumult break, Resounding clear o’er tempest and o’er quake I heard, and all the trembling world with me; I saw God’s hand across the storm-torn sky; It pointed to the Cross; “Thus did He die, To gain eternal life, O soul, for thee.” (Written by an inmate of Minnesota State Penitentiary about 40 years ago). Wfjep Witty CJjrisit
Jftrôt €aöter Margaret K. Fraser
Into the gloom the Lord went first, To open “a new and living way.” For us Christ has endured the worst, To share with us, eternal day. God's children face death unafraid, It’s hurt and sting brought to an end, Who trust in Christ, dread not the shade; This enemy becomes a friend. Their house of clay Christ’s own forsake, With spiritual eyes His face to see; Into a better world they wake, Part of a heavenly company. Although the loved one’s voice is still; It is but a glorious waking sleep! Delivered now from every ill, They dwell with angels— why thus weep? Grieve not that these have changed their state They now are present with their Lord; To know their joy, we still must wait: To dwell with Christ— what rich reward.
Glad angel throngs announced His holy birth, When Christ, the Saviour, came from Heav’n to earth That He might carry out His Father’s plan, And shed His precious blood for sinful man. How joyful Heaven’s hosts must then have been, When He had fully paid for all our sin, And they could hear the voice of God’s own Son, Proclaiming, “ It is finished — it is done!” Oh wond’rous joy of that first Easter Day! An angel came and rolled the stone away From empty tomb, and Heav’n rejoiced that He Had conquered death, and rose in victory. I know that there was rapture up above, And joy within the Father’s heart of love, When He came Home, with nail-scarred hands and feet — His travail o’er, redemption’s work complete. Page Eight
—Blanton W. Jones T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
A CON TEM PO RARY P A L L
By Margaret Anderson
leaders of Norway, who is also an author of renown, having written several books that have been translated into the Eng lish language and are widely circulated.
1 ^ \ R . ROOD,” a tall young man 1 began, as he stepped forward •*-'* to greet the guest speaker at the close of the gospel service, “Did you know that you were my grand-dad?” “ Come now—you must be mistaking me for someone else!” “ Oh, no, I’m not! You said in your message that you were the spiritual father of our pastor. Well, I consider Pastor Wally my spiritual father. Doesn’t that make me your spiritual grand-child?” Similar experiences have been almost everyday occurrences to Dr. Paul Rood as he has traveled from place to place. His greatest delight has been to meet those whom it had previously been his privilege to win for Christ. Dr. Rood’s life-long passion has been to preach the Word to every nation. “ I want souls with me from every part of the world,” he declares. In. this desire he has succeeded to a great extent, for in his travels here and in other lands, he has proclaimed the salvation of Christ in Wales, Ireland, Scotland, England, France, Belgium, Sweden, Norway and Denmark; in Can ada and Alaska; in Panama, Costa Rica and Jamaica; and in our own country in all but four of the states of the Union. Dr. Rood has made two trips to Eu rope. On his first trip in 1946 he traveled under the auspices of the Mission Coven ant Church, which, next to the State Church, is the group that has the largest number of members in Sweden. While in Sweden it was his unique privilege to attend the Sodertalje conference, a con ference similar to the Keswick Confer ence in England. Here Dr. Rood learned to know Prince Bernadotte, then 96, who was the conference leader. This humble man of God preached the gospel and dealt individually with people about their relation to God. When Dr. Rood visited the Covenant Church in Nassjo, he examined a large bound book called “ Spiritual Birthday Book,” which contained the testimonies of many prominent Christians. Prince Bernadotte had written: “ Saved in the Norwegian Sailor’s Church in Amster dam in 1885. It was a Sunday service and the text was Matt. 8:1-13. Thank you, Lord, for Your wonderful grace!” His wife, Princess Edda Bernadotte, had written: “ Jesus met me in England during the spring of 1884 and saved me. He has been faithful and has kept me all these years even though I have often failed Him.” These testimonies were dated November 7, 1945. The two interviews that Dr. Rood cherishes most from his visit to Norway are especially significant. One was with Professor Hallesby, one of the spiritual APRI L, 1 9 5 2
“ From Dr. Carl Hanson, professor of logic and philosophy at North Park Col lege, I learned how to reason and think. He truly influenced my habits of study and concentration upon a task. “ From Dr. Dixon, former pastor of Moody Church and later pastor of Spur geon’s Tabernacle in London, I learned that though a gospel message could ap peal to the mind, it must also warm the heart. Truly he was my ideal!” Dr. Paul Rood was born in Barnum, Minnesota. Later the family moved to Duluth and then on to Portland, Oregon. For a short time he attended Sunday school in Duluth and it was there that the first seed of God’s Word, sown by faithful teachers, found lodgment in his heart. Being the oldest of eight children, at the age of fourteen, Dr. Rood had to quit school and go to work. One day a fellow-worker in a factory asked Paul if he were a Christian. Paul answered in the affirmative. “ But are you a born-again Christian?” and Paul had to admit that he was not. For a whole month he lived under the weight of severe conviction. Then one evening he chanced into a small neigh borhood church which was conducting re vival meetings. The preacher used as his text, “ Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” Paul responded to the invitation to accept Christ that night and almost immediately, though he had previously been interested in political affairs, God called him to be a statesman for Him! Dr. Rood enjoys telling about one of his first preaching services. One evening when his folks were away, Paul gather ed fiis three sisters for a gospel service. Dynamically he preached to the girls on the text, “ The Prodigal Son!” When he finally dismissed the meeting, he an nounced another service to be held the very next time his folks went away. “H’m,” one of the girls chided, “ You don’t have to think you are so good. There are only three of us here, and two of us are sleeping!” Recognizing his need for adequate training, Dr. Rood entered North Park College in Chicago and was graduated in 1911. In 1932 he was the recipient of Wheaton College’s Doctor of Divinity degree. In 1940 he received his L.L.D. from John Brown University. Dr. Rood met his wife, Neva Nystrom, while he was serving the Covenant Church in La Grange, Illinois. She was the church organist and he lived in her home! It is difficult to tell whether it was her culinary skill or her musical ability that finally won him to her. A swift appraisal of his physical stature and the former is assumed. Mrs. Rood Page Nine
Dr. Paul Rood
It is said that Madame Chiang Kai-shek at one time purchased a hundred copies of his book, “ Prayer,” to give to her friends. An audience with King Haakon had been arranged by friends. Dr. Rood was most graciously received by this man so greatly loved and respected by the Nor wegian people. Dr. Rood sensed a real concern for spiritual things and recog nized the king as an able student of the Bible. Wherever Dr. Rood has traveled he has been privileged to minister to Child Evangelism groups as well as to Youth for Christ gatherings. When in Europe in 1950, Dr. Rood, as secretary of the Committee on Evangelism at the Youth for Christ International Convention, wrote the manifesto adopted by the con vention. Because Dr. Rood likes to give credit where credit is due, he mentions four men, particularly, who have influenced his life. He says, “ Dr. W. B. Riley was a Christian war rior, an able debater and defender of what he thought was right. Yet he was always a courteous gentleman. It was Charles Trumbull, former editor of the Sunday School Times, who taught me the human side of the Christian life. Trum bull was an intellectual giant who stressed the victorious life. I am indeed grateful for the years of fellowship we enjoyed.
pray about various matters of mutual concern and in a short time the Christian Business Men’s Committee of Chicago, the first of its kind, was organized. Dr. Paul Rood was President of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles 1935-1938. It was during that time that the Inter national Child Evangelism Fellowship was organized at the Bible Institute by Irvin J. Overholtzer. Another one of Dr. Rood’s presidencies included this organi zation. Dr. Rood declares, “ If I had my life to live over, I would specialize in child evangelism. One can deal with twenty adults and win one— but with twenty children and win nine teen.” In 1928, while pastor of the Turlock, California, Covenant Church, Dr. Rood was elected to succeed Dr. W. B. Riley, Minneapolis, Minnesota, founder of the Christian Fundamentals Association and its first president. That night Dr. Rood could not sleep. He tossed in the aware ness of his own inadequacy. But God gave him James 1:5—“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and up- braideth not; and it shall be given him,” and he accepted the position. In 1938 he left his other work to devote all his time to this ministry. Dr. Rood has written extensively, editing the quarterly magazine, The Christian Fundamentalist, books, tracts and pamphlets. Two of his books, “ Let the Fire Fall” and “ Can We Expect a World-Wide Revival?” definitely serve to emphasize his deep spiritual concern for the world and the church. Dr. Rood has ample reason to be proud of his children. His sons, Woodrow and Don, are ministers; one son, Rodney, until recently, was field secretary to the mayor of Los Angeles, and is now asso ciated with the State Republican organi zation. It may be that it will be his lot to see the fulfillment of his father’s
dreams politically! Dr. Rood’s two daughters, Bonnie and Pauline, are Christian mothers, serving God in that capacity. So often Christian servants are so oc cupied winning others that they neglect the spiritual welfare of their own chil dren. This has not been true in the Rood home. Four of his children testify that though they decided for Christ in evan gelistic campaigns in their father’s church, they realize his consistent Chris tian living and consecrated prayer life prepared them for such decisions. “ Dad led me to Christ when I was only eight years old,” Pauline the young est relates. “When I was just a little girl, I loved to go into his study and have long talks with him. Often I found him on his knees in prayer. It was at one such time that Dad made plain the necessity of my accepting Christ per sonally. Together we knelt and I received Him into my life.” Some time ago Dr. Rood suffered a slight stroke, from which he miraculous ly recovered. But because of his impa tience to be about the Lord’s work, he began filling his engagements too soon and was again laid low. This time his throat was affected so that he has had difficulty eating and speaking. Though he is able to eat normally now, he is still not able to speak audiby. Abiding faith and trust in Christ continue to emanate from his life. Isaiah 26:3 has become especially precious to him during these months of trial. Because of his continued illness and the difficulty of finding a successor to Dr. Rood, the World Christian Funda mentals Association has merged with the Slavic Gospel Association. In appraising the life of this modern Paul, the entire Christian world joins in saying, “He has fought a good fight, he has kejit the faith!” and “ Because of him . . . many believed on Jesus.”
Dr. Paul Rood and Swedish Evangelist John Carlstig
is a charming woman, who in a real sense has shared her husband’s ministry in that so often she has had to be alone while he was in some distant land preaching the gospel. Dr. Rood held successful pastorates in Covenant churches in Ogden Park, Chicago, South Chicago, Broadway, Min neapolis, Seattle, Turlock, California and in Lakeview, Chicago. It was in the office of the Lakeview Church that the Slavic Gospel Association was founded by Peter Deyneka. Dr. Rood was present and was elected president of the organization. Mr. C. B. Hedstrom, the first presi dent of the Christian Business Men’s Committee International, liked to refer to Dr. Rood as the grandfather of that movement. Two years before the World’s Fair in Chicago, Dr. Rood called a group of business men together to discuss the evangelistic challenge the fair afforded. The men continued to meet together to
National Conference of Örebro Missionary Society at Rattvik Sweden
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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
A Jew Finds The Messiah
By Daniel Rose as told to Anne Hazelton
PART II
® HE battle in my heart went on —day after day and night after night; ten days and nights of such torture as I had never expected to endure soon sapped my strength. Though my sister Carrie, at my own insistence, had stopped reading the passages from the Old Testament to prove to me that Jesus of Nazareth was in deed and in truth the long- awaited Messiah of Israel, I could not forget the beauty of the words she had read. “He is despised and rejected of men; A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: And we hid as it were our faces from him; He was despised, and we esteemed him not. “ Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: Yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. “ But he was wounded for our trans gressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: The chastisement of our peace was upon him; And with his stripes we are healed.” The pathos of her beautiful voice, reading those words, which I presumed at first to be from the New Testament, had stirred me more deeply than I cared to admit. I was utterly amazed and confused when I learned that Carrie had been reading from the Old Testament, from the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah in our own Bible. For the first time I acknowledged that chapter could speak of none other than Jesus of Nazareth. Was He in truth our Messiah ? Day by day I grew more desperate. I could not sleep; nor could I eat. “ I must do something,” I whispered to myself late one evening. “ I cannot go on suffering the tortures of Hades like this. Either I must accept Christ, or reject Him. I cannot remain neutral. The issue must be decided tonight. I cannot go on like this.”
Jewish scroll containing Deut. 6:4 with background of Jewish flag and Star of David. Last month Mr. Rose told how he had been reared in a religiously orthodox Jewish home in which the laws and ceremonies of Judaism were strictly fol lowed. But one Sunday evening when he and Selina, his wife, were on their way to the theatre, the sound of music com ing from a church they were passing pulled at him until he suggested they go in. Daniel Rose loved music and it was that which drew him to toss all objections and restraints of race and religion aside and to enter a Christian church. Though he joined in the singing, wherever the Name of JESUS CHRIST appeared in a hymn, he quickly covered it with his fingers and remained silent until the congregation had sung past that Name he had been taught to hate. Daniel Rose and his sister had married sister and brother and the four of them were very close in their family, business, and social lives. Daniel’s world rocked, one day, when a letter from his sister told him of her joy in finding the true Messiah, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Elohim Himself. He did not renounce her, as she had expected he might, but replied: “ You are old enough, Carrie, to know what you are doing. But as for me, I was born a Jew and I will die a Jew.” Imperceptibly, however, the pleasures of the world began to be less attractive. When Carrie came to visit him, she tried to tell him more about her conver sion but Daniel would not listen. But when she fell ill and he thought she was dying, he was willing to do any thing for her, even to acquiesce in her request to kneel by her bed and accept the Messiah, Jesus Christ, as his Saviour. But even as he knelt and forced his stiff lips to follow in that faltering prayer, he knew in his heart that he was bargaining with God for his sister’s life. Carrie was healed, but still Daniel knew no peace of heart; he was under such deep conviction he could neither eat nor sleep.
I went to my room, closed the door, and dropped to my knees. “ Oh, God,” I cried, “ the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, I do want to know the truth. I cannot sleep . . . I cannot face another day without know ing the truth. If Jesus Christ is Your Son and my Messiah, I will accept Him, but show me the truth!” Like a flash, God’s Spirit bore wit ness with my spirt, and the truth was borne upon me with deep conviction that Jesus Christ truly was the Messiah for whom every faithful Jew waits, and I accepted Him then and there as my Saviour from the penalty of all my hated sins. The flood-gates broke, and my soul was released from hell! I arose shouting and praising His Name. The bands of sin had been snapped asunder, and I was born into the king dom of God—one of His children—no longer a tool of Satan and a slave to sin. I was free, forever free, from the penalty of sin and death. “ For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord,” was one of the verses Carrie had quoted so many times after reading from the Old Testament prophecies of His coming that I had no trouble in remembering it now though I had tried to reject it at the time she gave it to me. For years the Gift had been waiting for me, but I had been turning my back upon Him. Now I had received Him, and He was mine. My shouts of praise rang through the house and brought Selina and Car rie hurrying to my room in some alarm. Carrie knew immediately when she saw my face that the great transaction had really taken place this time. I was no longer trying to bargain with God—not even for peace. I had truly found Jesus Christ to be the Messiah and High Priest, the Saviour who saves His people from their sins, and finding Him the peace had come, a deep and abiding peace which the world could never give, nor take away. Selina was more moved at my experi ence than she admitted at the time and
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