, The Bible Family Magazirve F orever , 0 L ord , T hy W ord is S ettled
I n H eaven PSALM 119 :89
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VOL. XIV
NO. 12
Q DECEMBER 1923 < 5 )°
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LEADING ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE
The Deeper Meanings of Christmas........... ..............- ....... ......................Dr. John M. Maclnnis How Do We Know that Jesus is the Son of God? —-........................- -.......... -......Dr. Cortland Myers How Science Changes Front__ ...Dr, Leander S. Keyser The Virgin Birth a Necessary Fact___Dr. W. B. Hinson The Mastership of Christ____ .......„Dr. William Evans The Fundamentals..............„„Dr. James David Burrell
LOOKING FORWARD A Few of the Good Things Coming in January
The Bible Contrasted with Other Religious Books........(Pentecost) Why I Believe in the Virgin Birth and in the Resurrection_(Speer) The Seal of Jesus Christ to the Old Testament Scriptures................ ...................(Bickersteth) Signing His Name.......................... ............ .......... (Brookes)
T ^ e ^ ^ i i t e ^ ^ f o r d ( ^ n s e p a r a W ^ J ^ T h ^ L m n ^ ^ ^ r d THY WORD IS TRUTH john -17-17 I AM THE TRUTH john -14-6
Christ’s Call to Christian Men of Means!
By Your Acceptance of Jesus Christ A S Y O U R S A V I OU R AND LORD God Has Constituted You a Steward
“Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards th a t a m an be found faithful.” (1 Cor. 4:1, 2 ).
Time, Talents and Treasure are All God’s Gifts
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TH IS MAGAZINE sta n d s fo r th e Infallible W ord of God, a n d for its g re a t, fundam ental doctrines. ITS PURPOSE^ is to stren g th en th e faith of all believers, in all th e w o rld ; to s tir th e ir h e arts to engage in definite C h ristian w ork; to a cq u ain t them w ith th e v aried w ork of th e Bible In stitu te o f Los A ngeles; a n d to w ork tijr harm ony an d fellow ship w ith them in m agnifying th e p erson an d w ork of o u r L ord Jesu s C hrist, and th u s h asten H is com ing. Volume XIV December, 1923 Number 12
Table of Contents
Editorials Page The Celestial Charm of Christmas..................................................... .............131 Trifling with Term inology........... ,...................................................................131 The New PapalP ropaganda........................................................................ 132 The Challenge of the Christian Champions of China................................132 More Changes AmongScientists...................................................... 133 Call to P rayer............................................................................... 133 Contributed Articles The D eeper Meanings of Christmas— Dr. John M. Maclnnis.................134 How Do We Know that Jesus is the Son of G o d ?— Cortland Myers..I 35 How Science Changes Front— Leander W. Keyser.................................. 136 The Virgin Birth a Necessary Fact— W. B. H inson................................137 Power an d 'A c ts of the Holy Spirit— A. Reilly C opeland ......................138 The Mastership of Christ—William Evans.............................................. 139 The Fundamentals— David James Burrell....................................................140 As the S tars Forever and Ever— Elizabeth Sharp..................................... 174 The Fam ily Circle— Fo r Fellowship and Intercession....................................... 141 Our Young People— Comments on C. E. Topics................ ....................... .....142 The Children’s G a rd en ..™ .......................................... ......1 4 3 Pointers fo r Preachers and Teachers........................................ ...............................144 Evangelistic Work and Experiences..................... 145 International Series of S. S. Lessons....................................................................... 148 The Whole Bible S. S. Lesson Course...................................................................15 8 Current Comment ..........................................................................................................171 Best Books ....................................... ........................... ................................................172 Dr. T . T . Martin—-Evangelist, Author, Lecturer................................................. 173 The Chosen People, the Land and th e Book................................... .................. 177
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LYMAN STEWART The loving, loyal layman. On Friday, September 28, 1923, a man pillowed his head upon the bosom of Jesus and went to sleep— but Heaven was enriched by the presence of a princely saint whose lip and life bore constant testimony to the power of an unchanging, un flinching faith in the W o rd of God. Mr. S tewart was a business man, and an outstanding illustration of what a business man— in a new adventure— with limited means— bu t with a purpose steadfastly fixed, can accomplish. Every country on the globe has been blessed by his gifts and his prayers. A further appreciation of the ministry of this marvellous man will be given in the January issue.
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THE CELESTIAL CHARM OF CHRISTMAS The story is old, and some of us are old, but the charm of the Christmas story never grows old. There are the shepherds, tending their flocks, uncon scious of what is to come to pass, when suddenly the angel of the Lord, in glistening glory, bursts upon them with the most marvelous message ever given to human ears: “ Christ, thè Lord—a Saviour—is born
Saviour, who came and made His home here for a few years and then fulfilled the purpose of His Christmas coming by pouring out His blood on the cross that we might have the higher, happier, Heavenly joy of look ing for Him to come the second time, and from the open heavens call us with a shout do meet Him in the air! God pity the robbers who seek to take away from young and old the joy of a real Christmas celebration, and let us pray that their eyes may be opened, and their hearts opened, and their homes opened to Him
u n t o you !’’ and then, out from the clouds of heaven, same the angelic hosts praising God a n d saying (not singing) “ Glory to G o d in t h e highest, a n d on earth, p e a c e to me n o f g o o d will.” Just a few mo ments ! J u s t a b a n d of humble men! But j u s t like God! R e a d y o u r Bible ! Search the Scriptures ! Man n e v e r invented that story. And if that s t o r y is true, then the ac count of the Vir gin Birth is true, and the promise of Gen. 3:15. “ And I will put e n m i ty between thy seed and her s e e d ; it s h a l l bruise thy head, and thou s h a l t bruise his heel. ’’ awaits fulfillment. What a p o o r kind of Christmas it m u s t be for those who have no real, Virgin-bom
who is K i n g of kings and Lord of lords. God make it a joyful Christmas Day—if He tarry! TRIFLING WITH TERMI NOLOGY T h e v i s i b l e c h u r c h is com posed of the-com mon people. They are the royal heirs of Christ. T h e y a r e t h e h a r d - h e a d e d , h a r d working s a i n t s who have l i t t l e time for specula tions;' S u p p o s i tions, or veneered v e r b o s i t y o f words. T h e y may be deceived s o me times by the semi- n a r y sophistry, but not a l l the time. T h e y are plain people and they w a n t plain speech. They want to know what the minister m e a n s when he speaks of the ‘^divinity of Jesus C h r i s t . ” D o e s he m e a n that He was con
As the Waters Cover the Sea A nnie Johnson F lin t. C lifton Springs, N. Y.
T here is w ra th and ru th in th e w orld to -d ay , th ere is m erciless h ate an d woe, A nd e a rth is shaken w ith m arching ho sts w here th e huge b a tta lio n s go. She m ay n o t cover th e h eaps of slain a n d the dead u n buried lie, T here is d eath on th e lan d and d eath on the w ave and d eath in th e clouds on high. F o r the kings of th e w orld a re all a t strife an d th e ir arm ies fight o r flee, A nd violence covers th e face of th e e a rth as th e w aters co v er th e sea. T ake heed, ye ty ran n o u s kings of e arth , fo r y o u r doom is n e a r a t hand, L ong have ye drenched th e w orld w ith blood and long laid w aste th e land. T hough ye b o lt y o u r doors an d b a r y o u r g ates an d stren g th en y o u r o u ter wall, Though ye se t y o u r th ro n es in th e m id st thereof, y e t shall y o u r kingdom s fall; F o r th e R uler of kings h a th se t H is K ing upon H is holy hill, A nd y o u r counsels all shall com e to n a u g h t an d y o u r w ra th shall w ork H is will. H e will sweep y o u r refuge of lies aw ay a n d find y o u r hiding place, A nd y o u r h e arts shall m elt and y o u r s p irits fail a t th e ligh tn in g of H is face, F o r the m o u th of the L ord h a th spoken it an d who shall say H im n a y ? H e will w eaken th e h e arts of th e terrib le ones an d rob them of th e ir prey, He will break th e sw ords of the m ighty m en an d s h a tte r th e ir shining spears, H e will loose th e b an d s of th ë p risoners an d free them from th e ir fears, H e will reign in ju stice an d rule- :.n love an d w ars shall cease to be, A nd th e glory of God shall co v er th e e a rth a s th e w aters cover th e sea. Awake, arise, Ô Israel, from the d u st w here thou h a st lain, Long h a st th o u w ept beside th é dead and m ourned am ong th e slain. P u t on th y b eautiful g arm en ts an d tu n e th y h arp anew, F o r th e m o u th of the L ord h a th spoken it a n d the w ord of th e L ord is tru e : The Sun of R ighteousness shall rise w ith healing in H is w ings, Like th e chaff of the sum m er th resh in g floor shall be th e pride o f th e kings. From th e ends of th e e a rth H e w ill ,g a th e r thee a n d b rin g th y so n s from far, From the d esert place, H e w ill lead thee o u t w here th e riv ers of w a ters are. He is castin g up the highw ay now w here H is redeem ed shall tread , And thou s h a lt com e w ith songs of jo y a n d g arlan d s on th y head. Thou sh alt en ter iifto th y land w ith peace a n d th y foes bow down to thee, A nd th e glory of God shall cover th e e a rth as th e w aters co v er th e sea. B reak fo rth in song, ye m ountains, an d sh o u t ye m ourning e a rth ; Be joyful all ye little hills an d clap y o u r hands in m irth, F o r the m outh of th e L ord h a th spoken it an d it shall com e to p ass; T here shall be rain in his season a n d th e fields be clothed w ith g rass. The c ed ar tree and th e fir shall sp rin g w here now th e b rie r grow s, The w aste and desolate w ilderness shall blossom a s th e ro se; T here shall be pools w here th e parched ground lies, fo r th e day of redem ption nears. A nd p a st th e endless seem ing strife of th e endless seem ing years T here shines th e vision of peace to com e in the age th a t is y e t to be, W hen the glory of God shall cover th e e a rth a s th e w aters cover th e sea. Look up, O chu rch of th e living C hrist, fo r H is com ing draw eth nigh, W atch fo r th e gleam of th e M orning S ta r in th e d ark of th e e aste rn sky. H ark to H is voice: “Behold I com e“ a n d an sw er: “Even so.“ # Till th y pulses th rill to th e joy of it am id th is w orld of woe. L ift up th y head, fo r th e B lessed H ope, like a bow in th e cloud, appears, C om fort y o u r h earts, fo r th e L ord will com e, a n d H is h an d sh all d ry y o u r te a rs. Sorrow an d sighing shall flee aw ay an d sin no m ore shall be, W hen the glory of God shall cover the e a rth a s th e w aters cover th e sea.
Saviour; who have no real, Heaven-given message; who have allowed Satan to rob them of the joy that the shepherds had, and who—in turn—rob their chil dren of the real story of God’s gracious gift to the home in Bethlehem, and to every other home where faith rises above superstition and above sordid criti cism, and tells the old, old, story of the God-child, the
ceived by the Holy Ghost and born of a Virgin? that He was God manifest in the flesh—very God of very God; (John 3 :13) “ And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven," even the Son of man which is in heaven.” and if so, why not say so? Why keep the poor sheep queered with question marks ?
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When did it become a sign of sincerity to avoid the plain path of integrity, compromise with conscience and lead the sheep into the. swamp in place of the green pastures and still waters ? If such a man has a conscience, why not be consis tent, and if no longer in sympathy with the statements of Scripture, come out boldly and say so like a man, and then start something of his own? We will not promise to give our blessing to the new movement, but will assure him of our prayers. Give up strategy and play the game straight. Be a man! THE NEW PAPAL PROPAGANDA Collier’s International Weekly has kindly sent to this office an advance proof of an article, headed “ The Peace of the World” which embraces an interview with “ his holiness, Pius X I” (we use no capitals) by Samuel Crowther. With the article is a request that, if used, a copy be sent to Mr. Crowther for his file. Now, it is impossible to use the whole article. In the first place, we have no room for long articles, and in the second place, :we have a purpose in our work,— that of exalting the Lord Jesus Christ, and no man, even if that man is a pompous pope. We do, however, desire to give a few excerpts from the "two-page article which carries with it a picture of the “ Deity dictator” and his bell-ringer, Cardinal Gasparri. It is npt our intention to cast any reflection upon either of these two gentlemen, for they are the crea tures of an ecclesiastical system which is being imi tated by the leaders of so-called evangelical bodies, who are ruled by and whose business is largely run by petty popes. In his description of the Vatican, Mr. Crowther says: “We waited for a time in a room hung with tapestries, and then one of the Pope’s secretaries, in Roman purple, came in to say that his holiness was on schedule with his appointments. (He receives his Secretary of State each morning at nine, and such other secretaries and heads of congregations as have official- business, and some times this delays him on unofficial appointments). We were taken on'through a throne room, a fair-sized chamber where the Pope receives ambassadors and royalty. It was here that he received the King and Queen of England on their recent visit. It was here the Benedict XV received President Wil son when he came to Rome in 1919. (Note by Editor—■ And where Theodore Roosevelt refused to go to kiss a ring or worship a man in the Vatican.) We were told that on entering the study we should genuflect (bow in worship) at the door, and then, having crossed the room to where the Pope sits at his desk, kneel on both-knees while he gave us his ring to kiss. This is the Invariable procedure and applies equally to Catholics and Protestants; anybne who does not care to pay this honor, does not see the Pope. It is not .personal; it is a homage to an office. The Pope is not a person— he is an office, and the homage has nothing to do with any religion, Catholic,, Protestant and Jew alike give it.” So the pope is an office! Well, well; we thought he was a real man. Why not have an effigy there and save the time of the pope? We suppose Mr. Crowther means by “ the office” the Roman Catholic church which has been so widely and gloriously used in Spain, France, Italy, Austria, and in Mexico, Central and South America! How those countries magnify the glory of an office which denied for centuries the right of any individual to have God’s Book in their hand!
What is the purpose of this article? Is it-intended to invoke worship of an office with a history of terror and ignorance and superstition ? God forbid. The article goes on to say: “One does not ask the Holy Father questions. He can not be interviewed in the ordinary sense. No sovereign may be.” Of course not. It would be very embarassing if some questions were put to him. He is a sovereign, is he? Well, praise God, in the United States of America we worship no pope; potentate or politician. We have an open Bible and we are ready to die for it and for its propagation. Here, the President kisses the Bible, not the pope’s ring. The article, which is largely made up of stories and pictures of the pope and his papal secretary and pal ace, culminates in advice as-to how we should settle the indemnity matter of the nations, suggesting that the United States should take Germany as its creditor for a portion of what France, Belgium and Italy owe us, and then the light begins to break into our dark ened souls. We begin to understand what it is all about. Well, we would like to suggest a solution. Why not sell out the Vatican palace, and let the millions which are, uselessly held there be given to the United States as part payment for the debt of the countries named? Why not let the pope “ Sell all that he has and give to the poor?” That’s Scriptural, but there is no Scrip tural foundation for a political-ecclesiastical system, such as the Roman Catholic church, of which the pope is the head. We’ll never bow the knee to man, We’ll never kiss his ring; We have no need of Vatican, Christ, only, is our King. So, rally round the old Book, boys, No matter what they say; The Book so full of countless joys, Let’s rally every day. THE CHALLENGE OF THE CHRISTIAN CHAMPIONS OF CHINA The Bible Union of China had its origin in Kuling, China, in the summer of 1920, when Dr. Griffith Thomas, repre senting the Milton Stewart Trust Fund, delivered addresses on the Bible to the various conferences organized by that Trust Fund. Commencing with a few hundred members, the Bible Union has now reached a constituency of 2,200 mission aries. Various missionary bodies have attempted to deny that there has been any departure from the evangelical faith upon the part of their missionaries, but here are 2,200 evangelical missionary witnesses in an organization which is an outstanding testimony that their denial is false. If there are no representatives of the evangelical church in China who are dishonest and disloyal, why these wit nesses? The Bible Union of China was formed for the purpose of uniting the loyal men and women in opposition to those who have proven untrue and unfaithful to the evangelical test. A denial of facts so definitely known is, of itself, a sub terfuge on the part of the officials of the various Boards to evade facing facts well known to missionaries on the fields, as well as to many in the homeland.
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The writer has had unusual advantage in obtaining facts concerning the schools and missionaries on the foreign fields, as he has had, also, concerning conditions in our homeland. Why should there be any question concerning the regions beyond when here at home theieneniies of the Bible are rampant in their denial of God’s Word? The leaders know these facts, but seek to evade the truth and avoid acknowledging it, for fear the contributors to Foreign Mission work will begin to ask questions which they do not want to answer. Here is a statement from a missionary who has been for seven years in China: “Modernism is insidiously and openly being propagated ip China. This is a known fact. * * * * The books trans lated for use in the grammar and high schools were often permeated with the most ‘advanced’ and modernistic teach-, ings of the West, and— in addition— a message was at times being preached, not of salvation through Christ’s atoning blood, but salvation through works as a part of and the result of social service.” Another of the young missionaries belonging to the Bible Union testifies: “There are a few who would deny some of the things that we hold to be fundamental teachings, viz: the Deity of Christ, the Virgin Birth, the Blood Atonement, the trust worthiness of the Scriptures,— and who substitute for the Gospel the Social Gospel a gospel without power because it denies the Lord who bought us.” Why waste words? We want all our readers to know the facts. There are missionaries in China, representing evan gelical churches, who are false to the faith, and the savings of godly men and women are being used to support them. If there was but one missionary of this kind he or she should be ordered back and his or her name should be broadcasted as a traitor to the most holy cause; but it is not one, but many! Will the good people of our land whose money is being used for this unholy purpose, sit idly by and consent to the fraudulent use of the sacred funds, or will they rise up in their wrath and condemn such actions? Why hope or pray for God to do things if we fail to do our part? The Bible Union of China has 2,200 voices of protest against any Foreign Missionary Board that pays a salary to men and women who represent the devil on the field. MORE CHANGES AMONG SCIENTISTS In line with Dr. L. S. Keyser’s article in this issue on the changing views of the scientists, we find an article in a recent number of The Sunday School Times by Ernest Gor don. He shows that the temperance people of our country had to fight alcohol for many years against what Professor Forel called official science.” Twenty years ago a com mittee of fifty, composed of leading university presidents, medical professors, and liberal theologians, were insisting on “the food value of alcohol.” ; Dr. W. W. Keen, who re cently published a book in favor of evolution, once cir culated a petition among scientists to have the beer can teen restored to the United States army. The Christian and temperance people had to work against all this “sci entific” propaganda. Who was right in this case? “As a matter of fact,” says Mr. Gordon, “the official scientists have quite as often been mistaken as any other group.” Then he quotes the following paragraph from a recent French summary of scientific investigations: “The history of all science warns us that the simplest discoveries have been rejected a priori as being incom patible with science. Medical anesthesia was denied by Mejendie. The action of microbes was contested for twenty
years by all scientists of all the academies. Bouillaud de clared that the telephone was but ventriloquism. Lavoi sier said that stones cannot fall from the sky, for there are no stones in the sky. The fcirculation of the blood was only admitted after forty years of sterile discussion. In a lec ture in 1827 at the Academy of Science, Girard asserted ft to be folly to suppose that water could be led to the upper floors of houses by pipes. In 1840 J. Mueller declared that the speed of nerve impulse could never be measured.” All of this proves that scientists should be modest in making assertions; also that scientists, as a rule, are as conservative and reactionary as any other class. CALL TO PRAYER Let every evangelical church set apart NEW YEAR’S EVE for a WATCH NIGHT SERVICE. Let every Christian, either at home, or in their church gathering, unite their hearts with the hearts of thousands of believers all over our land, for a REAL REVIVAL. In five years’ time the number of Watch Night suppliants for world-wide revival of the Church has increased from less than a hundred to many thousands; and that God hears the united simultaneous pleading of His interceding children is evidenced by the following figures: During January, the month immediately following the Watch Night of Prayer, A TOTAL OF 13,604 SOULS were reported to the League as having accepted Christ as their personal Saviour, whereas during each of the following three months (when there was no such entire day or night of simultan eous intercession) the number reported was as follows: February, 2,347; March, 2,745; April, 5,947. One short season of SIMULTANEOUS PRAYER, 13,604 souls! Three months of DESULTORY PRAYER, only 11,039 souls! Is there a lesson here for the Church to learn? Will God hold His people guiltless for their failure to “continue with one accord in prayer and supplication” ? What of the thou sands of churches which might be experiencing revival and the hundreds of thousands of souls which might be penitently pressing their way into the kingdom, were there united, believing prayer? Oh, for “a new thing” every where— a Church in continuous, simultaneous prostration before God! Hearest Thou the Summons?
OUR LIGHT AFFLICTION 2 Cor. 4:17 Since God hath given us no rules, But principles alone, He makes this life a training school, For our Eternal home. And if our pain have no release, Life be one constant worry, God’s purpose is to much increase, Th’ “Exceeding weight of glory.” So if our tears should frequent fall, And. struggle be our story, Let us like God at once recall The Eternal weight of glory.” ^ Our God is far too kind to spare A single pang of sorrow, Should that diminish or impair, The glory of to-morrow. Howard W. Pope. From leaflet published by B. I. C olportage as- sociation. , .
The Deeper Meanings of Christmas Dr. John Murdoch Maclnnis Teacher of Philosophy of the Christian Religion Bible Institute of Los Angeles
ness of sin and through the cross He h igh ly 'exalted His anointed one and gave to Him the name which is above every name. Men will always endeavor to get rid of the real Christ mas story in one way or another but there can be no reason able doubt as to the issue of this conflict. The story is a part of the life of God and is interwoven with the life of redeeming love. Let us note a few of its most vital and deeper meanings— 1. Its deepest and most essential meaning is that God is seeking man. The essence of religion is not that man is seeking God, but that God in Christ is seeking man. “The Son of man came to seek and to save.” That is the heart of the Christmas story and it is supernatural. Christ is God seeking men. If He did not come as Luke says He did come, how did He come? It is beside the mark to say that He came in ordinary generation.” In ordinary generation men are created. Jesus was not created. He came. That is not ordinary— that is supernatural. To take that story out of the life of the world would be to rob it of the heart of redemption. 2. The Christmas story is the story of the 'deepest meanings and possibilities of redeemed human life. Jesus in His humanity was the expression of what God wants men and women to be. He demonstrated the unspeakable glor ious possibilities of God’s man. We stand amazed in the presence of its outstretching powers and glory. In Christ it is unveiled as the battle ground of two worlds in which, by His grace, righteousness moves through sacrifice to victory. The last great note in the Christmas anthem is “we shall be like Him.” He lived His life within the sphere of human life and in this way pointed out something of what God has made possible by making man in His own image. Christmas means that God came in the likeness of man. It is not man becoming like God, but God becoming in the likeness of men in order that He might make men like Himself. In the unveiling of God we have man re vealed and redeemed. 3. The Christmas story means that in this sublime stoop of the Godhead, God has come so near to us that He is touched with all the feelings of our infirmities. This means that there is at least one heart in the universe that understands us perfectly. If the virgin birth story is not true how did God come into this intimate touch with us? This movement of identification in which God lifts men from sin into the life of freedom is the flaming heart of history. Christmas is not a mere day but an eternal fact. To remove its glowing story would be to rob history of its life and glory and to take the glow from our greatest literature, to impoverish art and silence the sweetest notes in the world’s greatest music. But it shall never be. Kingdoms may rise and fall and the world orders change, (Continued on Page 187)
OMiil time ago for a brief moment the world was startled and astonished by the announcement of the fact that the Soviets had resolved to destroy the Christmas story and to this end that they had really issued an edict forbidding men to teach the story to the children in Russia. Think of it! The world without the Christmas story! Impossible. But why should they want to get rid of it? What harm has it done? Think of the joy it brings to millions of lonely hearts during these Christmas days. If it should be wiped out, what oould men put in its place? The Christmas story is the Virgin birth story of Matthew and Luke’ There would be no Christmas were it not for that story. That IS the Christmas story— the story of how God came into this dark, sad and suffering world in order that we might understand Him and that He might lift us out of the loneliness and death of sin into the joy and glory of His life and purposes. The world without that story would be a world without light and without hope— a world without a sohg. The endeavor to get rid of this story of the redeeming reign of God is not a new thing. It is a part of the con flict of the ages—man’s endeavor to get rid of the rule of God and of His anointed one. The Psalmist understood something of the conflict when he painted that wonderful picture in the second Psalm— There you have the agitated, restless and rebellious leaders of men coming together in an effort to rid themselves of the government of Jehovah and His anointed. Over against this restless activity you have the calm and confidence of the eternal throne and its declaration of purpose— “I have set my king.” That is past— that is the action of the eternal purpose. “Thou shalt break them”-—that is still future but it declares the victory already determined— That is the issue of the Christmas story. There is no shadow of doubt as to what it shall be. It has its roots and power in the heart and throne of the Eternal God. Then again we have the same conflict and issue sub limely pictured in John 1:1-15. Here we have the outshin ing of the life of Deity through incarnation. “The word was God— and the Word became flesh.” In this movement in the life of God you have the outshining of light which was opposed by darkness. But the darkness was not able to overcome it. “The darkness down takes it not” (Greek). Here again the victory of love in its Christmas stoop is . assured. Once again the conflict and its issue is stated in connec tion with Paul’s sublime statement of the stoop of the Godhead in redeeming action. (Phil. 2:5-11). Here again the order is Incarnation, Conflict in the Cross, and victory in Exaltation. The cross on its manward side was the en deavor on the part of the Soviet spirit to defeat Christmas and its purpose of redemption; but God overruled the mad
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How DoWe Knew! That Jesus is the Son of God? Rev. Cortland Myers, D. D. XL. D.
Rome. The whole catalogue of them lived and died for this truth concerning Christ that He was the Son of God. Heaven had an announcement to make as well when Christ came. The shepherds had the message from the angels when they came and announced His coming as the Son of God. When He was baptized and began His ministry on the banks of the Jordan the heavens opened and the voice of God was heard on earth saying: “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” Then on the Mount of Transfiguration the disciples were paralyzed when that voice was heard again on earth saying: “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” Now the question is this. Can that claim be substanti ated? It was made by Him. It was made by Heaven. It was made by His disciples. It is the heart of the Bible. Can the claim be substantiated? First of all, yes by His sinless, perfect life. The Ideal Man Suppose you were asked to write the life or to make a picture of an ideal man. You would have a task on your hands. You have never lived with one yet. I can ask any wife and she will tell me “no.” You have never seen him walk along the roadway of this world. Your imagination could reach its limit and you would never yet make a pic ture satisfactory to your fellowmen of an ideal man. He. has never lived. The world has had many great men. Moses was a great man but he had his faults. David was a great man but he had serious faults. Socrates was a great man but he made many mistakes and errors. You could ask them all and every one of them would say: “If you talk about an ideal man, it is not me. I know myself better than anybody else. I know my weaknesses and defects and I am not the ideal man.” The better a man is usually the more humble he becomes and he declares in all his humility, “I am so far away from my own ideal.” But there were men in history who have written the story or made the picture of an ideal life. One of them was a Frenchman and the other was an Englishman. Victor Hugo made his picture of Jean Valjean and you can read it a hundred times and never tire of the picture. He wrote concerning the peasant class and he depicted there some thing that has lived In the lives of men ever since he wrote it. Lord Tennyson was a fine specimen of manhood himself and he drew a picture from the royalty class. He made the picture of King Arthur, a man who rendered service for his fellowmen, a man who lived on the high level and was always the example of truth and sincerity. When these two men who have been best known for writing an ideal life looked at their records both of them declared they got the source of their inspiration and their idea from the one Ideal Man who ever lived on this planet and the world has always passed the verdict on Hugo’s Jean Valjean and on Lord Tennyson’s King Arthur as being only a poor rep resentation after all of the ideal Person Jesus Christ Him self. Then when we have discovered the fact that there has lived in this world a perfect life, a perfect human life, we have also discovered that that human life has never yet been contradicted in regard to its perfection. Even His enemies had to confess this and find no fault. Pilate him- ( Continued on Page 17 §)
ESUS Christ claimed to be the Son of God. He made other astounding claims. He declared I am the Light. I am the Way. I am the Truth. I am the Vine. 1 am the Life. Ask in My name. I will rise from the dead. Eat My body and drink My blood. Keep my commandments. I am the Resurrection. I am from above. I am the Light of the World. I came down from Heaven. Before Abraham was, I am. All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. I am greater than the temple. A greater than Solomon is here. I am Lord of the Sabbath. He that hath seen Me, hath seen the Father. Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Ye call Me Master find Lord and ye say well, for so I am. Heaven and earth shall pass away but my words shall not pass away. Hereafter you shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of heaven. This is My blood of the new covenant which is shed for many for the remission of sin. I will raise you up at the last day. Lo, I am with you all the days even unto the end of the age. The Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father and then shall He reward every man according to his works. Those claims are staggering and any other man in all hu man history who ventured before his fellowmen to make such claims as those would have shocked them. They would have either said he was a blasphemer or a mad man, but when Jesus Christ makes those claims everyone immedi ately assents. They somehow agree to it and are not shocked for it seems perfectly natural. Those amazing claims are not matched anywhere in all the world’s life. Only God can say things like that. He claimed to be a perfect teacher; to set a perfect ex ample; to be a sinless being; that all thould love Him and obey Him. He claimed to work such miracles as no other ever tjid. He claimed that prophecy was fulfilled in Him. He claimed He would rise from the dead. He claimed He would Himself be the final judge of the world. He was original in claiming to know all about another world. He was original in giving to men an entirely new conception of God. He was original in proposing to set the world right not merely by His life and precepts but largely by His death. He was original in claiming to give to men an in visible and potent help in amending their own lives. He was original in His idea of a divine society on earth and the kingdom of God here and now. He was original in claim ing to exercise the divine prerogative to forgive sin. He was original in claiming for Himself His superior power to legislate and did not hesitate to say “A new command ment I give unto thee.” He himself distinctly made those astounding claims for His personality. Then His disciples, His inspired follow ers, repeated those claims concerning Him and repeatedly repeated them. They emphasized all that He himself had ever declared. John said He was the Son of God and they exiled him and he died in exile for saying it. Peter said he was the Son of God and they crucified Peter with his head downward because he said it. Thomas said He was the Son of God and they murdered him because he said it. Every one of the apostles said He was the Son of God and they were all persecuted to their death because they said it. The apostle Paul declared He was the Son of God and then laid his head on Nero’s block in the old city of
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How Science Changes Front By Leander 8. Keyser, D. D., Author of “Contending for the Faith,” “A System of Christian Evidence,” etc.
scientists to be inadequate. There are too many facts against it. The so-called planetesimal hypothesis is much in favor at present, and promises to supplant the other view. If you want to learn how inadequate the nebular1 hypothesis is, read the first chapter of one of the latest scientific books, “The Evolution of the Earth and its In habitants” (third printing, 1920), by five Yale University professors. The first chapter, entitled “The Origin of the Earth,” written by Professor Joseph Barrell, deals with the relative merits of the nebular hypothesis and the plane tesimal, and exposes the weakness of the former. The Physicists Then note the shifting of the physicists. Time was—we remember it as if it were yesterday—whep the atom was the ultimate particle of matter, sure! There were no two ways about it! All of us thought that the “atomic and molecular” theory of matter was settled once for all. And how eruditely did we talk about the atoms! But now-a- days science has changed its viewpoint, and declares that the atom is not near small enough to be the ultimate 'par ticle of matter; it is composed of ions and electrons; and it requires many thousands of these smaller particles to make the various kinds of atoms. Once, too, the Uni versal Ether— the Ether of Space— was necessary among the scientists as the substratum of all palpable substance, the connecting link in all space, and the purveyor of gravi tation. But now-a-days even the existence of this Ether is doubted by many scientists. Indeed, mahy of them are denying that matter is an entity at all; but what seems to be palpable substance, they say, is not real- matter, but only centers of electrical or other energy— as if nothing could be endued with force and could become phenomenal. The fact is, at present the physicists and chemists are “all at sea” regarding the nature and composition of ma terial substance. What a fluid unstable thing, anyway, is human science! How the wind will blow tomorrow np one knows. The Evolutionists Another change of front has recently taken place among the evolutionists, who boast so sonorously today that their theory has been “established” beyond a doubt. In our college days Darwinism was the vogue among the scientists who swallowed the theory of evolution. Natural and sex ual selection, the struggle for existence and the survival of th é'fittest were the shibboleths of the evolutionists of that day, and were sufficient to account for everything in the organic world, given a few primordial germs to start with. But today Darwinism as an explanation of the evolutionary process has been cast overboard by the scientists them selves. Scott, Bateson, Osborn, Conklin, Keen, and many others tell us so in papistic ipse dixits. Says Professor James H. Robinson in both Science and Harper’s Magazine, “Darwinism, as understood by paleontologists, is as dead as Mr. Bryan or Senator Rush of Kentucky would care to see it.” Dr. William W. .Keen, another advocate of evolu tion, agrees with this dictum, and complains that some un informed people today “confuse evolution with Darwin ism.” Here is another decided change in the world of science. Not so long ago the favorite theory among many sci entists was that man has descended from the monkey. Then they said, no, not the monkey, but the ape— the an- (Continued on Page 180)
OMETIMES it is said that Christian people have had to change their views more than once in the face of scientific discoveries; therefore it is as sumed that they are wrong today in upholding the doctrine of special creations, and will have to accept cer tain modern scientific hypotheses which are very much in vogue. The shift of position in view of the Copernican theory of the solar system is invariably cited by these ac cusers. No one will deny that theologians have sometimes had to change their conceptions about some things. The fact of their having done so proves that they are not too ultra-conservative to accept evidence when it becomes con vincing. But that certainly ought not to lead men to think that they must change their position for every wind that blows. Just now we are concerned with the fact that Christian people and their theologians are not the only ones who have had to shift positions before, advancing knowledge. How often proud science itself has had to change! Let us note some Instances. For many' centuries all the scientists held to the old Ptolemaic theory of the universe. They had worked it out to a degree of minuteness that was ingenious and wonder ful. A ll of us can' remember about their cycles and epi cycles. Aristotle, the philosopher, engaged in this high kind of theorizing. And so it went on for centuries, until the coming of Copernicud and Galileo. Even in their time many scientists scouted the1new hypothesis, and held it to be impossible and absurd. The great Swedish astronomer, Tycho Brahe, who lived a centiiry after Copernicus, wrote a learned treatise against the CopBrnican theory, and held it up to ridicule. But, lo and behold, all the scientists finally had to succumb to the new views, just as did the churchmen. It was to the credit of both that they were persuaded by convincing evidence. It is also to the credit of both that they clung to the old views until the new views were validated. When Harvey discovered the circulation of the blood, all the scientists had to give up certain old theories of physiol ogy and fall in with the facts. In chemistry, physics, bi ology and embryology what a shifting of theories has char acterized the scientific world! A text-book on these sub jects that is ten years old can no longer be used in col leges and universities. The discovery of steam and elec tricity as motor forces changed the whole view of the phy sicists. That infant science, biology, has caused many revo lutions of viewpoint among the scientists. In his day Charles Lyell said:' “The French Institute enumerated not less than eighty geological theories which were hostile to the Scriptures; but not one of these theories is held today.’’ How often the scientists have been compelled to change front! put note the shifting of position that has taken place within the memory of some of us who are living today; and we are not so very aged. In our college days the nebular hypothesis was all the' vogue. It seemed that al most every person of intelligence accepted it as a fact, the physical scientists and the theologian alike. Well can we remember how the theologians were wont to prove, by an elaborate argument, that the'B ible and the nebular hypo thesis were in the most beautiful agreement. The writer confesses that he himself often took part in the efforts of the reconcilers. But today the theory is held by many
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TKeVirgin Birth a Necessary Fact Dr. W. B. Hinson Pastor of the East Side Baptist Church, Portland, Oregon
1 Timothy 3:16. “Great is the mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh.” ■ N the dateless beginning God reigned alone— “In the beginning God.” In the dateless consumma tion God alone reigns— “Then cometh the end,” says Paul, “when He shall have subdued all His enemies, and God shall be all in all.” That is the termina tion of this dispensationary series of revelations concern ing God. That is where it ends. All other dispensations have ended in tumult, downtearing and wild strife. This alone ends in victory and undisturbed peace. It will also be the extermination of all evil. Whatsoever is not of God will be consigned to hell then. And in the universe of light which shall be controlled by God, there will not be a single pang in the heart, doubt in the mind, fear in the soul the universe through. It will be the period of exulta tion when all the redeemed hosts of God shall come to Zion with singing, and when everlasting joy shall be upon their heads. That is the end of all ends, the final end; and beyond that there will be nothing but the white light of eternity, the smile of God’s reconciled face, and the living of a life of ceaseless activity as God would have us live it and as we would like to live it in our highest and holiest moods. But what precedes that? The descent from heaven of the King. He is coming again. Coming, as Paul tells us in the Thessalonians, with a sh ou t/w ith the voice of the archangel and the trump of God—whatever that means. I do not know what it means, but my soul glories in it! He is coming, and His voice will roll the whole world over, and never a body of a saint shall be left in the earth, North, South, East or West. And all who are alive and await His appearing, by a spiritual gravitation which includes a trans formation, will rise up to meet Him in the air. Shailer Matthews says we are in the air who talk that. But we are not. We are down here on the earth, though we will be in the air one of these days, meeting and greeting the re turning Lord of light and glory. And when He comes, these bodies that are frail will become strong. And the infinite will put on more of the glory of the Infinite than it has ever dared to; and the corruptible shall have given place to the incorruptible, and the mortal shall have been succeeded by the immortal; and in bodies like unto that which enshrines Christ we shall walk the golden streets of the New Jerusalem and praise the King forever. He is coming before that end can arrive. And that coming is to effect a change in the entire world. After receiving His people unto Himself in that marriage supper of the Lamb, He returns to the earth. And then He commences His program that terminates with what we have already called the end of all the ends. And there shall be wild tumult upon the earth. Oh these folk who cannot abide the mention of the supernatural, it is no marvel to me they start back from this prophecy of future developments of the kingdom of God, when the great beast and false prophet shall rise up and gather together the serried batallions of the dark against the King of the earth. And the day or Armageddon shall have arrived, and the final conflict between the hosts of the dark and the light shall have commenced to go on and on until that end comes
when the last enemy is under the foot of the ajl conquering Son of God. That also is in His program. But what precedes that coming? Why the going up to heaven of Jesus in the ascension from the earth after He had lived His life and died His death? I do not think we have ever made enough of the ascension of Jesus into glory. When He led His disciples out and conversing with them told them of the great things that were coming, among them the descent of the Holy Ghost in marvelous power, and then majestically in His own right He commenced to go upward, and they watched and watched with loving eyes and perhaps aching hearts, until He disappeared when a cloud received Him out of their sight. Now when you and I go to heaven we shall go by virtue of Jesus our Saviour, but He went in His own right. And He went up there to receive gifts for His believing people. And the joy in your heart and the poise in my soul are but the results of the marvelous gifts procured for us by the ascending Lord of life and glory. And you have not a dead Christ this morn ing, but One who of Himself affirmed that the Son of Man was in heaven even while he was in physical form upon the earth; yes, the One of whom John said, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” He is the One who ascended into the glory. And what He has gone to do we know right well. He has gone to prepare a place for every believing soul. He has not gone to forget us. But if I might use so poor an il lustration, as in the olden day the man went forth to prepare a home for the woman who had pledged to him her love and her life, and who was waiting to receive the summons to go to the prepared place, so Jesus the great Bridegroom of the Church has gone up to heaven to prepare mansions for His own. And when He has prepared the places and the people for the places and has reached the end of His program so far as that is concerned, then the ascended Jesus will call us to Himself. And what preceded that ascension? Why the resurec- tion. Oh, Mrs. Eddy must get out of my way with her blundering blasphemy, for I have no Saviour who was hy pocrite enough to remain three days in a tomb and pretend he was dead while studying Science. If Science originated in that lie, pity help the people who believe in it. For He died, and He died for our sins, according to the Scripture. And we shall never die, because for us the Saviour did die. And you know I looked an hour and a half ago at that little sentence in the Acts of the Apostles which is such a wonderful word. “It was not possible for death to hold Him.” That has the ring I like. Death tried its best. It laid hold of His head, His feet, His heart, His entire body, and strained every nerve to keep Him down. And the stone before the sepulchre is only illustrative of all hell at the door of that sepuplchre to keep the Christ dead. But it could not be done, for He arose. And His resurrec tion is one of the best accredited facts of history— as well as of faith. Never forget that. It is a fact, an accredited fact that you can get more witnesses to the reappearance of Jesus Christ than you can to the death of Julius Caesar. Yet in all schools they believe in the death of Caesar. And every Christian who knows his Bible is aware he has far better reason for belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (Continued on Page 181)
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