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THE KING’S BUSINESS
dates for the Lord’s return, and this in spite o f our Lord’s own plain warning that it is not for us “ to know times or seasons which the Father has_ set within His own authority” (Acts 1 :7). Doubtless men who have been prominent in Pre-millenar- ian circles have thus attempted to set dates and have thus brought reproach on Pre- millenarianism as a whole. The setting of dates when it gets hold o f a man seems to be a sort o f obsession. In a recent con versation with a much honored and beloved brother who has come under the power of this date-setting mania, in answer to our insistence upon the plain teaching o f Acts 1 :7, he attempted to reply by the remarka ble interpretation o f Acts 1 :7 that it did not forbid the setting o f dates in the mat ter, but that it taught that there were cer tain times and seasons that the Father had put within His own power, and it was not right to set dates in regard to those times and seasons, but there_ were other times and seasons that the Father had not put in His own power, and it was all right to set dates regarding those times and seasons. O f course this is a possible interpretation o f the Authorized Version, but it is an. abso lutely impossible interpretation, as every Greek scholar knows, o f the Greek passage, and it is a forced interpretation even o f the English. When we read, or listen to some o f the vagaries o f some o f the Pre-mille- narians we are not at all surprised that it is opposed, and even bitterly opposed, not only by some o f the Methodist brethren, but by many o f the brethren in other
churches as well. Doubtless another thing that causes very determined opposition to Pre-millenarian teaching and Pre-millenar- ian teachers, is that so many Pre-millenar- ians make a hobby o f their doctrine. The truth o f the Pre-millenarian position is precious to the writer o f this editorial, but there are-many other things taught in the Bible beside the Pre-millennial Coming o f our Lord, and it is not enough to teach the truth; it should be taught in Scripture pro portions; and to be everlastingly harping on just one truth, no matter how true it is, and no matter how precious it is, does harm and not good 'and even serves to bring that truth into reproach and disrepute. In these days when the very foundations o f faith are being undermined, even in professedly Christian circles, true Christians certainly cannot afford to divide on a question §o sec ondary as the exact time o f our Lord’s return. A ll who believe in the entire Bible as the W ord o f God, and in the real deity o f our Lord Jesus; who believe in His sub stitutionary atonement, His actual resur rection -from the dead and His virgin birth; who believe what the Bible teaches about the certainty and awfulness and eternity o f future punishment, ought to stand shoulder to shoulder and fight together against the forces o f the enemy. All the great truths mentioned above are now being assailed; they are being assailed even in professedly Christian pulpits. W e cannot afford to divide from brethren on secondary ques tions.
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