Members of Biola’s drama team view Hong Kong.
DECEMBER, 1969 / Volume 9 / Number 12
MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE BIOLA FELLOWSHIP
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CONTENTS
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INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE 3 THE TRINITY ............................10 Lehman Strauss RESURRECTION ........................ 13 BIBLICAL PROPHECY .............16 THE GREAT TRIBULATION ..20 Lloyd T. Anderson PANEL DISCUSSIONS ............ 23
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ON THIS MONTH'S COVER Under the direction of Mr. Clyde Cook, Biola’s Drama Team traveled last summer throughout India and the Philippines presenting the evangelistic play, “Revolt at the Portals.” Members of the cast look over the city of Hong Kong, (left to right) Glen Thomas, Lynette Peterson, Janet Brown, Robbin Baker, Ken Nunn, and Sue Wallis. Second Class postage p a id in L a M irada, C alif. Printed in U.S.A. by Church Press, Glendale, Calif. Address: Biola Broadcaster, 13800 Biola Ave., La Mirada, California 90638.
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P art I I T is sad today to hear some theo logians and preachers, who should know better, attack or question the inspiration of Scripture. They would seek a compromise in saying the Bible “contains” the Word of God, rather than accept the positive truth that the Bible is the Word of God. While this Book has been given to us through human penmanship, unques tionably it is the Word of God. Every true Christian should study the Bible with the view to gaining true knowledge about God; and spiritual growth in Christ. This is not option al, but obligatory. We need this incomparable Book for such things as a right under standing of the origin of the uni verse and man, the great redemptive work of God culminating in the ad vent of the atonement, and the as cension and the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We need the Bible to teach us how to live right as well as how to prepare for death and eternity. The Bible is our one standard Textbook, our safe and sane rule of faith and practice, our final court of appeal. We must obey the command, “Study to show thyself ap proved unto God” (II Tim. 2:15). Too long has the Bible been misrep resented. Millions of young people have been brainwashed by infidels and atheists who have never taken the time nor the trouble to attempt to understand the Bible. The Bible is criticized and condemned by those who know the least about it (I Cor. 2:14). The m ost serious and intense struggle in which the Christian Church has ever engaged in is the
war over the Word of God. If this war ever could be lost, our faith and hope in God would be destroyed and every witness for Christ would like wise be destroyed. The Apostle Paul warned of this onslaught to come (Acts 20:28-30; II Tim. 3:1-13). Carefully should we follow the ex hortation, “Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them, and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures which are able to make th e e wise u n to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (II Tim. 3:14-17). If the Bible is confined to human thought, why is there only one such Book? Whatever man has produced in the past he has reproduced with improvements. Many attempts have been made to paraphrase and revise the Bible, but no man has ever at tempted to write a Bible of his own. God has revealed Himself in nature, to be sure, but such a limited revela tion has in it no solution to the prob lem of evil nor does it give assurance of life after death. Man needs the Bible, God’s true and complete rev elation. First of all, what do we mean by inspiration? Neo-orthodoxy would have all Christians abandon the scriptural teaching of inspiration, turning to rationalistic thought for contemporary hypothesis. We start properly with the Bible to find an an swer to our question. Any court will recognize that a man has a right to testify in his own behalf. Because the Bible is the Word of God, it can not lie. One of the best-known pas sages is II Timothy 3:16, “All scrip- 3
Modernist teachers reject such a view. They foolishly claim that ver bal inspiration is synonymous with mechanical dictation. How can we know God’s thoughts if we don’t have His words? It is illogical for a person to expect he can find inspira tion in one’s thoughts without the words of the person who thinks those thoughts. How can we consider in spiration to be a collection of unin spired words which would ever con vey inspired thoughts? As a profess ing Christian, how could anyone think it incredible that God should so speak? The Bible itself claims to be the Word of God. I’m not suggesting that there’s no disclosure from God apart from the Bible. It’s not necessary to use words to impart revelation. “The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth His handiwork” (Psa. 19:1). Such a primary disclos ure of God in His works falls far short of the knowledge we receive through the fuller revelation in God’s words. The former discloses His pow er while the latter reaches beyond to the revelation of His purpose and future plans. The Bible is not mere ly a work of God; the Bible is the record of the words of God. Let’s look at a few verses: “I will raise them up a prophet. . . and will put my words in his mouth” (Deut. 18:18). Moses wrote, “And God spake all these words.” Again in Exo dus 35:1, “These are the words which the Lord hast commanded.” It was David who penned under sacred guidance, “The spirit of the Lord spake by me and his word [not his thought] was in my tongue” (II Sam. 23:2). Jeremiah was assured by Joseph, “Behold, I have put my words, [not thoughts], in thy mouth” (Jer. 1:9). Inspiration extends to the very words of Scripture. I am not sug gesting that God dictated every word, but rather that He guided the writers in the choice of their words.
ture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for re proof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” The word inspira tion appears only twice in the Eng lish Bible. The earlier reference is Job 32:8. The five words, “given by inspiration of God” are the transla tion of one Greek compound term meaning “God-breathed.” It is found only here in the New Testament and is designed to make the reader aware of the fact that every writing to which the name Scripture can be giv en, actually was breathed out by God. Consequently it has the stamp of di vine' origin and authority. Metaphor ically, th e scriptures a re God’s breath. Modern theories of inspira tion would have us give the larger role to man and the lesser role to God. But, you may be absolutely cer tain that all Scripture is the product of the divine breath of the Almighty. We assert with firmness and finality that this greatest of all books owes its very existence to the direct crea tive work of the Lord Himself (Matt. 4:4). On one occasion Christ said to the Jews, “The Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35). He was tell ing us that the Word of God cannot be fragmentized. It can never be an nulled or set aside. Unless all Scrip ture is inspired, none of it can be. The Bible claims for itself, and rightly so, total inspiration. Not only was Scripture “God-breathed,” but also the very Creation came into being the same way (Psa. 33:6; Gen. 2:4; Job 33:4). Let us lay hold of this fact; it will help and strengthen us as we move along in our daily living. P art II W hen we consider the magnitude of scriptural inspiration, it is impossible to hold too high a view. The inspiration of the Bible extends to the very words themselves, which is what the Word of God teaches. 4
The Bible is fully inspired in all parts and in all respects. I believe in the inspiration of every word of the original text of Holy Scripture. The writers were infallibly guided in their choice of subject matter and the words used to record their sub jects. Such guidance of the Holy Spirit over the human penmen does not extend to other writings but rather excludes all of them as unin spired. Of the Bible it must be said that all is thus inspired, even the jot, which is the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet, and the tittle, the small ornamental mark in .that alpha bet, distinguishing one letter from another (Matt. 5:18). The Bible is the only God-given authoritative rev elation which gives to man an infalli ble rule of faith and practice. This, by the way, is a conviction I penned as a young pastor 30 years ago. If anything, I feel even stronger today about the subject. There is a distinction between in spiration and revelation. Inspiration is that activity of God whereby He imparted certain information to cer tain men of His own choosing for the express purpose of committing that information to writing. Revela tion, while closely related to inspira tion, is essentially the communica tion of that information. It has to do more with the mold or method of pre senting and preserving the imparted knowledge. So, revelation is the act or process of imparting knowledge while inspiration guarantees its ve racity (II Pet. 1:20, 21). Scripture is not the result of any man’s per sonal and p r iv a t e investigation. Knowledge contained in the Bible is not to be found in man. The Scrip tures do not owe their origin to human initiative, investigation, or imagination. The Holy Spirit antici pated scoffers and critics concerning divine inspiration. At the same time, human instru mentality is fully recognized. Set- apart men of God spake as they were
moved by the Holy Spirit. The hu man penmen did not choose writing as a career. Paul testified in Galatians 1:15, 16, “It pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me.” For this reason the Apostle could say concerning the Gospel he preached, “For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Gal. 1:12). All the writers of Scripture were the human attendants through and to whom God could reveal His thoughts. Peter tells us that the writers were “moved by the Holy Ghost.” This simply means that they were controlled and carried along by the Spirit Himself. When Moses wrote of the creation of the heaven and the earth, it would have to be inspired; he wasn’t present then nor was any other man. This illustrates the as pect of revelation. God set apart a man to whom He could reveal a truth which was known only to Him. The writers were not mere passive auto matons whose own gifts and abili ties lay dormant. Man, unaided by God, could not have written the Bible. Paul knew this great fact when he was directed to write, “Which things we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” He never took credit for what he spoke concerning divine rev elation. He knew the Holy Spirit had given the words. Our Lord gives us an interesting statement, recorded by Mark and Luke. In Mark 12:36 we find, “For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.” In Luke 20:42, 43, we have a simi lar statement: “And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, the Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my
right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.” You see, in Luke’s account the quotation is attributed to David, but Mark’s account includes the fact that David spoke by the Holy Ghost. Both statements are correct. The words which David spoke originated with God; He was their author. On the other hand, the Lord spoke them by the mouth of His servant David. The Bible is not a record of the thoughts and ex periences of the human writers, but it is itself the very word of God re vealed by God Himself to those men. Jesus said to Peter. “Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 16:17). Perhaps questions arise in our minds about inspiration. We may not be able to answer them now. All that God requires is that by faith we ac cept humbly the truth He has given. The media of inspiration has not in any way robbed the Word of God of its perfection. P art III I T is important to underscore the inerrancy of the Bible. Since God has spoken through the Scriptures, it follows that He has expressed Him self accurately. Inspiration and in errancy are inseparably linked to gether. There is no point in claiming inspiration for the Scriptures if they are liable to mistakes. To say that there are errors in the Bible is to say that there are errors in God Himself. Liberal or modernistic theologians judge the Bible inerrant in so far as man sees inerrancy. They assume a half-way position and often relegate evangelicals as holding to “a super stitious bibliolatry.” But the Bible, and not man, must be its own judge. It’s blasphemous to say that the original Scriptures have in them errors of any kind. It is the only Book in all the world that is divinely 6
inspired. The reason why it’s appro priately called the “Holy Scriptures” is because it is sacred. All of Holy Writ is the Word of God. To say that the Word of God is in the Bible is a half-truth which could apply to a lie. The Bible is the record of what God actually said, not what fallible human beings thought He said. This is not to say that there aren’t some acknowledged difficulties to be faced. It was Dr. W. A. Criswell who rightly declared, “From the begin ning to ending there is not a word or a syllable in the Word of God that has contradicted or ever will contradict any true, substantiated, scientific fact.” True science and the Bible are never at odds. The atom that revolutionized man’s thinking in the 40’s has been here from the beginning of creation. Man only re- cently employed its use. Radio and television sound and picture waves have been here from the beeinning, but only in recent years have we discovered them and learned how to use them. When modem opinion seeks to undermine the foundation of historic Christianity on such bases, they are entirely erroneous, and un scientific. For a moment, let us consider some of the problems which may be of concern to some sincere people. In Matthew 27:9 a quotation is attrib uted to Jeremiah, but upon close examination it seems to have been taken from Zechariah 11:13. The question might be, “Did Zechariah appear in the original text and some copyist erred unintentionally, sub stituting the word Jeremiah?” We do not know. Whatever the correct solution, I refuse to accept the as sertion that Matthew was not in spired, or that he made a mistake by attributing to Jeremiah that which was actually from Zechariah. Another suggestion comes in II Kings 8:26, where it is stated that King Ahaziah was 22 years old when
our country. The school was founded by Ebenezer Wheelock, an ordained clergyman, who wanted to establish a school where Indians of New Eng land could be trained in the truths of the Gospel. He was first president of Dartmouth from 1769 to 1779. His son followed until 1815. A later pres ident, at the school’s centenary cele bration, pointed out, “Dartmouth College was conceived in the fervor of piety, born in the throes of a great missionary zeal, dedicated at birth to Christ, cradled the first year in revival, and stands wedded to re ligion until death!” A still later pres ident, Nathan Lord, further declared, “We have based our entire philoso phy of life on the belief in the literal accuracy and inerrancy of the Holy Writ.” Of the first 15 classes gradu ating from Dartmouth, sometimes as many as five-sixths of the class en tered the ministry. By the mid- 1800’s, still nearly a quarter of its graduates went into the ministry. Says one of its historians, “The as tonishing thing was that of these preachers, graduating from 29 con secutive classes at Dartmouth, the majority were converted during their college years.” As late as 1886, the catalog of Dartmouth College includ ed the following statement, “A Bibli cal exercise, systematically arranged, is to be attended by each class on Monday morning. For the present, the subject in the Freshman year is the Historic Origin of the Bible; for the Sophomore year, New Testament History; in the Junior year, the Development of the Church as Ex hibited in the Acts of the Apostles; in the Senior year, Old Tesament History from the Creation to the En trance into Palestine (with special reference to inspiration and the his toric and scientific relations to the Holy Scriptures).” We will surprise no one by say ing that conditions in Dartmouth today are a far cry from those times. As a school of academic learning, it 7
he began to reign. However, in II Chronicles 22:2 it is recorded that he was 42 years of age when he as cended the throne. Which portion of Scripture is correct? Could it have been a human error on the part of the copyist? Without intention, in fact taking utmost care, such still occurred. The age given in II Kings 8:26 is in all probability the correct one. You might wonder why I cite these two alleged discrepancies. The rea son is simply to acknowledge that there are some minor problems to be faced. The Bible makes no attempt to gloss over what, on the surface, appears to be a contradiction. These problems are not new. They were faced by the early church fathers and reformers. Yet those men didn’t cast aside their belief in biblical inerran cy. No Christian need hesitate to accept, in its entirety, the Bible as the inspired and infallible revelation from God. It has been stated many times in different ways that the Bible needs no defense. As one giant of the faith said in illustration, “It’s not neces sary to defend a lion. Just simply release him and he’ll defend him self.” This, in some such manner, is true of the Bible; it needs to be released, read, preached, and taught. Frankly, it is disappointing to hear questions raised against Biblical in- erancy, voiced by men who are rec ognized Christian leaders. This is a graphic sign of the times in which we’re living. The Word of God is in destructible. Some years ago, Dr. Wilbur Smith published an article entitled, “The Need for a Vigorous Apologetic in the Present Battle for the Christian Faith.” He warned against an in different attitude toward antagonism to the Word of God. To illustrate the fearful consequences of such indif ference on the part of Christians, he related what had happened at Dart mouth, one of the great colleges of
no doubt ranks high. But as to ful filling its original purpose, there is nothing of that purpose or concern. We’re not singling out one school because it is the only one with such a background, but rather because it represents the majority of America’s old historic institutions of higher learning. It is a sad and tragic situa tion which exists. The student daily paper at Dartmouth published the following: “Dartmouth has always been considered a liberal college. Graduates and under-graduates alike take pride in the freedom of thought that is permitted here. On the reli gious question, it is only to be ex pected that Dartmouth shows a large percentage of atheists and agnostics. Dartmouth is proud of her disbeliev ers.” What a commentary on the times in which we’re living! We have seen that there is a continuing ex hibition of such a growing trend throughout the world. Scores of col leges and universities, founded upon God’s Word, and built with the money contributed by Christian peo ple, are today repudiating the Bible and what it teaches. There is vital need for a vigorous defense in the battle over the Bible. I urge upon you to get back to the Word of God. Do some Bible reading for the spiritual growth of your own life and to make you an effective wit ness for the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible itself is the one message that quickens faith today. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Rom. 10:7). P art IV E ven though critics through the centuries have waged a relentless battle against the Bible, it still re mains indestructible. Psalm 119:89 rightly testifies, “Forever, 0 Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.” That’s enough for me! Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible. Its outstanding feature 8
is that all but six of the 176 verses speak directly about the Word of God. The statement here is that God's Word was established in heav en before God revealed it to man. This is the only Book that is eternal. That which holy men wrote on earth is a copy of what God had already written in heaven in eternity past. This shows its permanence. Isaiah was moved to write, “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God shall stand for ever” (Isa. 40:8). The same Holy Spirit likewise in spired Peter when he borrowed from Isaiah to reiterate this vital truth (I Pet. 1:23-25). As far as its evil treatment is concerned, man may criticize, ridicule, and bum copies of the Bible, but it stands because it is imperishable (Matt. 5:18, 24:35). We, as Christians, need not be surprised at the remarkable preser vation of the Scriptures. God Him self guarantees the keeping of His Holy Word. There is no other ex planation of this wonderful Book’s survival through the many centuries of time. Then, have you ever considered the work of scribes? The story of the transmission of the Scriptures is a miracle in itself. In the beginning, the sacred text was transmitted through handwritten copies. Both the Hebrew text of the Old Testa ment and the Greek text of the New Testament have been preserved with remarkable purity. The scribes were keenly aware of the fact that they were handling a sacred and precious revelation. They were trained to ex ercise the greatest care. They count ed not only the words, but also the letters, making note of how many times each particular word and let ter occurred. If an error was detect ed, the entire sheet would be de stroyed and the scribe would begin again. They knew they were handling God’s truth to man. The rule was that the copyist was to pronounce
bring me the Book.” At once, the young man went for Sir Walter’s Bible. It’s true; there is but one Book. Last eve, I paused beside the black smith’s store And heard the anvil ring the vesper chimes. Then, looking in, I saw upon the floor Old hammers worn with beating years of time. “How many anvils have you had,” said I, “To wear and batter all these ham mers so?” “Just one,” he said, and then, with twinkling eye, “The anvil wears the hammer out, you know.” And so I thought, the anvil of God’s Word For ages skeptics blows have beat upon. Yet, though the noise of fallen blows was heard, The anvil is unharmed; the ham mer’s gone.
each word aloud before writing it. Never was even a single word to be written from memory. No other writ ten work of ancient times has been transmitted with such care and ac curacy as the Word of God. Modem scholars, who have spent many years in study and research, are agreed that the copies of the original docu ments have been handed down with substantial correctness. Incontrover tible evidence shows us how God’s Word has triumphed over all hazards and hardships. Apocryphal or spuri ous books were omitted from the canon of Scripture. What is truly God’s Word belongs in God’s Book. We can’t overlook the wiles of Satan who has sought to destroy the Bible. Paul warned the believers at Ephesus that they would be facing the wiles of the devil (Eph. 6:11). The word “wiles” means methods. Our evil foe is characterized by cun ning, deceit and trickery. He seeks to infiltrate the good and the holy with the bad and the unholy. Every scheme of destruction which man’s unregenerate mind could conjure has been brought against the Bible. Dur ing the early Christian era, some of the most cruel and merciless persecu tions were meted out to men and women who held sacred the Word of God. Men fling themselves against the Bible with all their fury. But instead of their breaking the Book, the Book crushes them. Bibles have been burned and tom to pieces, but God’s Word remains triumphant. In our world of darkness and despair, the Bible shines forth as the scintil lating light to lead men aright. The Bible is the one beacon of hope in the night of man’s sin. When the poet and novelist, Sir Walter Scott, lay dying, he said to his son- in-law, “Please, bring me the Book.” There was some uncertainty because his father-in-law had a large library. The question came, “Sir, which book?” Scott answered immediately, “My son, there is just one Book;
Dr. Lehman Strauss discusses ra dio messages with Dr. J. Richard Chase (left), Academic Vice Pres, of Biola, and Mr. Donald W. Ranson (right), Director of Radio for the organization. 9
by Dr. Lehman Strauss
THE TRINITY
in the realm of the supernatural. This is a distinctive feature of Chris tianity. Paul summarized this by saying, “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory” (I Cor. 2:7-10). Consider but a few of these hitherto unrevealed truths. There is the mystery of the incarnation (I Tim. 3:16); the mystery of the Rap ture of the Church (I Cor. 15:51. 52) ; the mystery of lawlessness (II Thess. 2:7); and the mystery of Babylon (Rev. 12:5). None of these, even though properly explained, will mean anything to a rationalist or an atheist. Even the natural man, who has never received Christ as Saviour, cannot figure them out, for they are spiritually discerned. There are some who object to the doctrine of the Trinity, saying that it involves a belief in three Gods. On the contrary, the fact is that the Biblical doctrine of the Trinity stands exactly opposed to the idea of three Gods (Deut. 6 :4). God is spir it. Therefore He does not consist of parts, nor is He susceptible to any such division. Many things in the world, such as electricity, are real and important but they cannot be fully understood. The existence of electricity, however, doesn’t depend upon man’s understanding of it. In every area of life, we’re called upon to accept facts which cannot be fully explained. Do we set aside the doc trine of the Trinity merely because man’s finite mind cannot fully un derstand it? This is unthinkable. The Trinity is at the very heart of Chris tian truth. It is the center from which all tenets of our faith radiate.
P art I O NE OP THE MOST DIFFICULT and controversial doctrines is that of the Trinity. The Bible itself never attempts to prove God’s existence although throughout Scripture it is assumed or inferred. The very open ing statement of the Word gives un mistakable clarity, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). God’s existence is the necessary ground and condition of the existence of everything else. The knowledge of God’s existence is universal for He Himself has put the evidence of this basic and essential truth in every man. In addition, God is knowable (Rom. 1:19, 21). He can be accepted readily by an unpreju diced mind. When one considers such a subject, the finite comes to grips with the In finite. The depths of these truths are immeasurable. While the actual word Trinity does not appear in the Bible, the teaching of it is amply set forth. Early church fathers declared, “We worship God in Trinity, and Trinity in unity, nei ther confounding the person or sep arating the substance.” The West minster Shorter Catechism says, “There are three persons within the Godhead,- the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory.” Other professions of faith are very similar, such as the Augsburg Confession. Having such masterful definitions available, I cannot escape the fact that in some of its aspects the Trin ity is a mystery. We must remember, however, that the human mind sees mystery in everything that appears 10
Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. And you cannot find God, the first person, apart from the redemptive work of God the Son, the second person, and know the con victing and converting work of God the Holy Spirit, the third person. If you would have a secure place in heaven and be delivered from the di vine wrath to come, then turn to God at once through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. P art II I N CONSIDERING such an important "study as the Trinity, it is vital to concern ourselves with what the in spired Scripture has to say on this subject. It is, you see, exclusively a truth of divine revelation and not human reason. The God of the Bible is the only true God, “I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God” (Isa. 44:6). Pause for a few moments and look up some of these key verses, asking the Holy Spirit to illumine your th in k in g : Exodus 20:3; I Corinthians 8:4; James 2:10. Then, the Word tells us God is alive today: Joshua 3:10; Psalm 42:2; Jeremiah 10:10; Daniel 6:26; II Corinthians 6:6; I Timothy 4:10. The next thing we learn of our Heavenly Father is that He is a per sonal God, possessing self-conscious ness and self - determination. The scope of His knowledge is unlimited: Proverbs 15:3; Hebrews 4:13. God alone knows the future even before the beginning (Isa. 46:10). The doctrine of the Trinity rightly holds that God exists as three Per sons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are revealed from the very first verse of the Bible (Gen. 1:1), where we see the plurality of Persons in the Godhead. The word that is used is plural, which is fur ther evidenced in v. 26, “And God said, let us make man in our image after our likeness.” The one speaking 11
Entertaining wrong ideas on this subject causes all of theology to be imperiled. Any departure from the doctrine of the Trinity is an aposta tizing from the faith (I Tim. 4:1). It is not possible to place in true per spective the work of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit apart from the trinitarian system of theology. Every religious or theo logical system which denies the Trin ity has failed to give the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit their proper place in the divine plan of salvation. These groups and individ uals drift away from the Bible as man’s final authority. Each Person in the Godhead must be seen as He is presented in Scripture. I say again, any theological system which de tracts from any of the Three Persons of the Godhead is a perversion of the historical Christian position as re corded in the Bible. The doctrine of the Trinity is important because of the influence of the extreme liberal position of Unitarianism. The doctrine of the Trinity in no way detracts from the unity of God. It is not necessary to reject one in order to believe the other. Failure to accept this will lead to the rejec tion of the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. Unitarians, Jews, and all oth ers who are anti-trinitarian, do not believe that Jesus Christ is God. Yes, the Christian idea of the Trinity is vitally necessary to the salvation of man and the enrichment of the Chris tian’s life, as well as the peace of mind that the human heart seeks. Faith in the death of God the Son, and the coming of God the Holy Spir it into the believing sinner’s heart, according to the plain teaching of Holy Scripture, furnishes assurance of salvation and the forgiveness of sins. If there were no Trinity, man’s state in sin would have been hope less. You and I need the God of the Bible: the world needs the God of the Bible. There is a tri-personal God, revealed in the Bible: God the
Baptist, the fact of the Trinity was clearly set forth (Matt. 3:16, 17). You see, the unity of God does not conflict with what the Scriptures teach about the tri-personality of God. Those who attack the Bible should also oppose such verses as Genesis 2:24, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” This doesn’t mean that the husband loses his iden tity or the wife hers. The suggestion is a composite intellectual, emotion al, and spiritual unity established in the marriage. Even in man, created in the image of God, there is both unity and plurality. The Christian agrees with the Jew, Mohammedan, and the Unitarian in their belief in the Unity of God. There is only One. But, as believers, we have infinitely more. The fact of the tri-personality of God cannot be challenged by an honest and unprejudiced mind. The triune God has exercised Himself in the giving of the Holy Scriptures, all Three Persons appearing in the ac tivity of inspiration (II Tim. 3:16; I Pet. 1:10, 11; II Pet. 1:21). The most thrilling aspect, however, is the fact that the triune God exer cises Himself in the believer by His indwelling presence (Eph. 4:6; Col. 1:24; I Cor. 6:19). The 10th chap ter of John shows that our security and safe-keeping in eternal salva tion are assured through the Trin ity (John 10:29). Other passages likewise give us this assurance (Eph. 1:13; 4:30). Finally, I want to point out the important fact that all Three Per sons in the Godhead are active in delivering the sinner out of death unto life. Have you been saved? Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your only Saviour and hope for heaven? If you do not, come to God at once through faith in Christ. Be lieve on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved!
is not addressing angels because we read in the next verse, “So God cre ated man in His own image.” Here is a conversation and council within the Trinity. God the Son was also active in creation. The same truth occurs in John 1:1, referring to Christ, “Without Him was not any thing made that was made.” Without question, the Three Per sons in the Godhead are called God (John 6:27; Rom. 1:7; I Cor. 8:6; Gal. 1:1; Eph. 4:6; I Pet. 1:2). At the same time, we are faced with the truth that Christ, the Second Per son of the Trinity, is likewise God (John 1:1, 14; 10:30; 20:28; Col. 2:9; Tit. 2:13; Heb. 1:8, and many others). When Jesus Christ was born of the virgin Mary, God was mani fest in the flesh (I Tim. 3:16). The third fact is that the Holy Spirit is also God. All of the attri butes of deity are ascribed to Him such as eternality (Heb. 9:14), om niscience (I Cor. 2:10, 11), omnipo tence (Lk. 1:35), and omnipresence (Psa. 139:7-10). In Matthew 28:19, we have the proper formula for a church ordinance. “Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” The same tri-personality of God is seen in the apostolic benediction, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all, Amen” (II Cor. 13:14; I Cor. 12:4- 6). The Trinity is shown us in the announcement of our Lord’s birth. Read the accounts in both Matthew and Luke. “Mary was found with child of the Holy Ghost.” “And the angel answered and said unto her, the Holy Ghost shall come upon Thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be bom of thee shall be called the Son of God.” All Three Persons in the God head were working. When our Lord Jesus was baptized by John the 12
RESURRECTION
by Dr. Lloyd T. Anderson
human race with him. But the Sec ond Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ, made His cataclysmic appearance, born of the virgin Mary, in order that the human race in bondage to sin, could be delivered. Keep in mind that Paul is referring exclusively to Christians, who by personal faith in the Lord, are possessors of eternal salvation. Notice the verb in verse 22, “shall we be made alive.” That is properly translated, as John Wesley points out, “to make alive so as to remain alive.” Every time that word is used in the New Testament, it refers to believers. Those who die in unbelief, without the Lord Jesus Christ, are raised in a future day to die the second death. Christians are raised to die no more. In verse 23 we have the order of the resurrection which suggests a military movement, as though sev eral divisions of our great army are moving out to battle in prearranged ranks. First, it will be Christ Him self, as Commander-in-Chief. Then there are those who belong to Him, who represent all who have been redeemed. Only those who are “in Christ” are raised to life everlast ing. There is not just one general resurrection. After the millennium, at the Great White Throne judg ment, all who have not trusted Christ will be consigned to everlasting con demnation in hell. In verse 23, “at His coming,” can be interpreted only as signifying a literal and personal return. In the original it stands for an actual arri val and presence. This corroborates the testimony of other Scriptures that our blessed Lord is returning, not only to establish His kingdom, 13
P art I T here is no more fascinating study than the subject of what will transpire in relation to the true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ when the Rapture of the Church takes place. We find much informa tion on this matter in I Corinthians 15:51-58 and I Thessalonians 4:13- 18. When I was converted back in Minneapolis, this subject was espe cially meaningful. The pastor who led me to the Lord had on his wall a plaque with a motto of but two words: “Today, perhaps.” I have never forgotten his challenging per sonal testimony: “Every serm on , every prayer, and every thought brought to my consciousness is relat ed to the fact that the Saviour could return at any moment . . . perhaps today.” Such a view should be char acteristic of every born-again child of God. In I Corinthians 15:20-23, the Apostle Paul has had as his theme the wonderful truths of the resurrec tion. He draws a striking contrast between Adam on the one hand, and Christ, the Second Adam, on the oth er. The fifth chapter of Romans gives us a similar passage showing how that, because of Adam’s sin, all men likewise are sinners (Rom. 5:12). But the blessed truth is that Christ leads the way in resurrection, even as Adam led the way in death (I Cor. 15:22). Just as all who are con formed to the likeness of Adam are going to perish, so all who are con formed to the likeness of Jesus Christ will live forevermore. The Sec ond Adam reverses what was done by the first Adam. The first Adam was catapulted into sin, and the whole
years and is known as the Tribula tion. During this time the anti-Christ will be revealed, and the battle of Armageddon will culminate in the Lord’s visible return in glory and victory. These periods of time are tremendous in scope and deserve our careful observation. What a won derful time awaits the believer as together we are looking for that blessed hope! P art II I N the study of prophetic events, one of the most thrilling things for the believer to contemplate is Christ’s coming for His Bride, made up of every true born-again believ er. In I Thessalonians 4:13-19 we have one of the most reassuring por tions of Scripture which bears on this subject. Read and re-read it. Commit it to memory. Let your own heart be excited with such thrilling words of earnest expectation. At the hour of our Rapture the living and the dead believers together shall meet the Lord in the air. In 1572 when John Knox was dy ing, the famed Scottish Presbyterian asked his wife to read from I Corin thians 15, which is a parallel pas sage to I Thessalonians 4. She read to him God’s mighty revelation con cerning the resurrection of Jesus Christ as well as of every believer. When she had finished, he comment ed contentedly, “Is that not a com fortable and comforting chapter?” So it is to everyone who trusts in the Saviour. There are other Scrip tures which deal with the resurrec tion with such force and fulness as these. These marvelous truths are absolutely central to our Christian faith. You see, “If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain” (v. 14). It is interesting to note that the subject of the Lord’s return filled exclusively the minds of the early Christians. So it should be with us
but also to judge both the quick and the dead. In verses 24 to 26 we find the por trayal of Christ ruling in His au thoritative dominance. The reference is to the period between the Lord’s return for the resurrection of be lievers, including the Rapture of the New Testament Church, and His mil lennial reign on earth. We would emphasize the word “reign.” “For he must reign (which means rule) till he hath put all enemies under his feet.” Now, before we examine that emphatic declaration, we must step aside to dwell on the importance of the little word them in verse 24 in relation to the prophetic program at this particular point. Briefly, the is sue is this: As we have seen in our studies together, Paul is concerned with the resurrection and the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. About that there is absolutely no question. Three successive stages are listed, and quite clearly there is an interval between the first two. The first event is Christ’s resurrection from the dead (verse 20), which has already taken place. Right now we’re living in the period between that wonderful hap pening and the hour when all be lievers, living and dead, will be raised in His likeness. This will come at the end of the age of the Church. Then, we ask ourselves, “Does the Word of God suggest a gap between the coming of our Lord for His own and the consummation of all events ?” Many commentators pass over the subject in silence, as if it were of little significance. It is vital to study verses 23 and 24 together. Even down through verse 28, we find a group of temporal participles or ad verbs of time, as we would call them in English. They have real impor tance since this relates so intimately to prophetic truths. We believe there is a period of time between Christ’s coming for His Bride and the estab lishment of His reign. This inter mediate period consists of seven 14
today. These saints of the first cen tury regarded the resurrection as well as the return of Christ as suc cessive stages in one great act of the divine drama. Just as the resurrec tion cast its influence throughout the remainder of history, so the return of Christ casts its influence back over the same period of time. The age of the Church, which began on the day of Pentecost, will conclude when Jesus Christ comes in the air to receive His own unto Himelf. You see, today we live between the poles of resurrection and return. Only at Christ’s coming will we fully under stand what the resurrection involves. Certainly a portion of Scripture like this should be our principal concern as believers when it comes to the days in which we’re living. From verses 20 to 28 of I Corin thians 15 we have three important divisions: the resurrection and giv ing of life (20-23), the reign and rule of Christ (24-26), and the res toration (27, 28). This is the pat tern to keep in mind for this section. In Paul’s day there were those who denied the possibility of resur rection. We find the same in this present hour. Paul successfully points out that such a denial cannot con ceivably be true. In verses 13 to 19 of this hallmark chapter, the Apostle paints a deliberately gloomy picture of what life would be like if Christ had not risen from the dead. In con trast to that dreadful supposition, he indulges in what has been described as a joyous outburst. In effect he’s saying, “Don’t worry! The awful hypothesis is simply not true. Thank God, Christ really is risen from the dead!” As we consider the resurrection, we can look at a passage in the Old Testament, such as Leviticus 23:9- 12. Here we have a beautiful picture through the first sheaf of barley, of Christ’s b e in g o u r “Firstfruits.” This is not by mere coincidence. It is a divine provision because God
ordered it so. The typology of the Old Testament as it is revealed and fulfilled in the New is intentional. As the first ripe ears of wheat in the Old Testament were a specimen or a sample of the whole crop, so Christ, Paul is telling us, is the representative of the new humanity. He is the earnest of all who have been born again. He is the evidence or the pledge of our resurrection as believers. Only those who trust in Jesus Christ are said to fall asleep in Him. The convincing testimony is the same as in I Thessalonians 4:14. In Acts 26:23 and Colossians 1:18 Christ is called the firstborn from the dead. Revelation 1:5 refers to Him as the first begotten of the dead. Incidentally, those whom our Lord raised from the dead in the days of His earthly ministry (the nobleman’s daughter, the widow’s son, and Lazarus) were all raised only to die again. He rose to die nevermore. While they were restored to earthly life, Christ was raised to heaven. This is why uniquely He is the firstfruits. What spiritually-en riching truths on which our minds can profitably dwell! Dr. Lehman Strauss, well- known Bible teacher and confer ence speaker, has written a number of books, the latest of which is entitled “The Prophe cies of Daniel." A verse-by- verse commentary on this im portant prophetic book of the Old Testament, this volume will be helpful to both pastors and laymen. Copies are available at your book store. The cost is $4.95.
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by Dr. Lloyd T. Anderson
BIBLICAL PROPHECY
P art I C onsidering puture events in the world, it’s important for the be liever to realize that the Word of God speaks most eloquently on the subject. In fact, it’s the only true revelation man has of things which will transpire in days ahead. For this study we are considering the 24th chapter of Matthew. Someone has referred to this time as the “unfold ing of the ages.” How reassuring to recognize that God has a program which will be completed from be ginning to end! Throughout the world today we find unprecedented anxiety, fear and perplexity. Crisis follows crisis. The human race gropes feverishly and desperately for an apparently unat tainable solution. Is midnight truly at hand prophetically? God Himself, the Creator and Sovereign of the universe, tells us that things must get darker before the Son of Kight- eousness, the Lord Jesus Christ, re turns. Yes, it is the Bible that alone, through its prophetic declarations, can offer man the only possible un veiling of the future, in addition to bringing the message of eternal life. Yet man fails and even refuses to turn to this one source of desperate ly needed information. It can only be explained by the deluding power of the devil. Even Christians are often tragically guilty of neglect, denying to themselves the precious and powerful message of the sure word of prophecy. I can remember across the years, as a pastor in Oregon, how I would tune in to hear Dr. Louis T. Talbot sounding the note of prophetic truth and warning over these Biola broad casts. The school’s message has al ways had as a part of its emphasis 16
the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. This present evil age (Gal. 1:4) is fast approaching the end of the era which began with man’s rejection and crucifixion of the Son of God. There will never be peace on the earth until He, who is the Prince of peace, comes again. There may be someone reading these lines who has similarly rejected Jesus Christ. You then have chosen the devil, as the ruler of this age, rather than the Saviour of the world. Although God is supreme and sovereign over all, the devil himself is still the god of this age. Jesus foretold that the world would get worse and worse. This is why, for example, that there must always be wars and rumors of wars. The wonder is not that these are perilous times. The wonder is that the grace, love and patience of God have not been exhausted long ago. Satan and sin may appear to have succeeded temporarily in thwarting the realization of God’s divine program. The inescapable fact still remains that Almighty God has always been in complete control. Have you ever made a spiritual de cision for the Lord Jesus Christ, opening your heart to say, “Blessed Saviour, in the midst of the perplex ity of this hour, I need you as my Saviour” ? Turn to the Word of God for your strength and guidance. You will never go into the presence of God except by coming through Jesus Christ, His Son (John 14:6). Thousands of books have been written about future events and pro phetic subjects. If the authors are truly Bible-believing godly men who love the Saviour, there is much that we can learn as we share their ef forts for the Lord. Make certain, however, that what you’re reading is
based wholly upon the Word of God, and not just someone’s opinion of a fragmented portion from Scripture. It’s important to realize that fully a fourth or more of the Bible deals with the study of prophecy. Why not encourage your pastor to talk about coming events and biblical prophecy ? There’s never been a more important time to do it. All Scrip ture, being the inspired Word of God, is needful and profitable to us. Make it a point, for your own life, to use every opportunity to study this subject in its broadest as well as its specific measure. Your own life will be enriched unspeakably there by. P art II W E can BE grateful that our Lord Jesus Christ Himself made it crystal-clear on numreous occasions that He is coming again. The entire Bible gives ample proof and docu mentation to this fact. It is well to dwell on this subject for prophecy always gives one the right perspec tive for the hour in which he is liv ing. Too often are our minds rather occupied with mere temporal things rather than that which is eternal. Future events predicted in Scripture are powerful telescopes bringing in to full focus the heavenly destiny and blessings of God’s children. Proph ecy, in addition, begets comfort and peace for the trusting heart. Charles Haddon Spurgeon rightly pointed out, “The Christian is by no means immune to suffering, trials, afflic tion, tears and bereavement. But viewed in the light of the prophetic Word, how much do these tribula tions lose their sting!” Further, biblical prophecy always inspires consecration to Jesus Christ. One of the causes for worldliness on the part of Christian people is the almost complete neglect of prophetic truth. If a believer is constantly waiting and expecting the return of his Lord from heaven, he will want to
separate himself from the things of this world to avoid being ashamed at the coming of Jesus Christ. Proph ecy should always inspire a sacri ficial life for Jesus Christ. The night of judgment is fast approaching; we must be about our Master’s business. There are many precious souls to be won to Christ. Knowing something of the awesomeness of eternal perdi tion for the unbeliever should make us all the more burdened to seek others for the Saviour. It is sad to know that some people avoid prophecy because they feel they can’t understand it. This is what the devil would like to have us think. Would the God of love and grace offer to unveil the future and then deliber ately make the message beyond our comprehension? Absolutely not! Rev elation, the last book of the Bible, is the unveiling of the coming glori fication of the Son of God. It is the climax and consummation of all the prophetic Word of God. There is a special blessing promised to those who will take time to read and study it (1:3). This is not to say that prophecy will yield its wonderful truth to the casual or careless read er. The natural man will never begin to comprehend the message. The hon est and humble child of God, who prayerfully studies to show himself approved unto God, will find illumi nation through the indwelling pres ence of the Holy Spirit. But the motive must always be proper. God has never promised to reveal His truths just to satisfy a simple idle curiosity. As a matter of fact, proph ecy is one of the great ministries of God, the Holy Spirit. Prophecy un f o l d s the world’s greatest theme: the glory of Jesus Christ. This is the over-riding sub ject in the Bible’s first prophetic message found in Genesis 3:15. Look that up and see there God’s promise of the coming Redeemer. When Christ went to the cross, He crushed the head of the tempter, even though 1 7
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