*The Commencement address replaces Dr. Chase's editorial for this month
according to an unwritten but def inite code of theological protocol. I am not attacking the expression of the gospel in language that is meaningful to people, nor am I casting aspersions on a genuine concern for people. I am alarmed, however, at the trend toward be ing polite — to error — which rel egates the gospel to the category of another human opinion. It is not fashionable today to be dog matic about anything, even a mes sage which claims to be absolute truth from God about forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Paul re minds us, "Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." This strong warning says that the content of the gospel is not subject to revi sion, and that it is not determined by the pressures of current con sensus. Toleration, which is foreign to Paul's words, is too often the essence of dialog. We are not seek ing ultimate truth; we have it. The "what" of the gospel determines the "how" of evangelism, and there is no place for compromise or cowardice. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved" is still God's message to 20th century man, and it is a mes sage to be preached, proclaimed, witnessed to. "Christ sent me to preach the gospel" has an author itative ring about it which does not come through if you say, "Christ sent me to dialog the gospel," or "to workshop the gospel," or "to seminar" the gospel. And yet, in spite of what I have said, I am for dialog as long as it is conducted in the manner in which
I want to speak today concern ing mirages which have appeared on the scene of contemporary Christianity which will lure you as you walk down the road of your life and ministry. Like all mirages these are particularly attractive when viewed against the back ground of monotonous surround ings. What causes a mirage? I would not dare say this on my own so this seems to be an appropriate time to introduce one of those scholarly quotes so necessary to a commencement address. The en cyclopedia says: " all mirages are formed by hot air near the surface of the earth." The first mirage is one of a re structured presentation of the gospel through dialog. Dialog is a very fine word to express the idea of a conversation between two per sons. Would to God there were more dialog between redeemed and unredeemed people. But one has some misgivings concerning the content and intent of dialog as it is often practiced and promoted today. The intent seems to be to explore each other's viewpoint in order to discover areas of mutual agreement and interest, and in the process impress each other with one's knowledge, scholarship and broadmindedness. The content of such intent often omits a straight forward statement of the gospel which is, after all, the only message which can really help the unre deemed person engaged in dialog. Sometimes in dialog, the gospel is reworded in order to make it seem to communicate more mean ingfully to the 20th century men tality. Usually dialog is conducted
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