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What should you give for Christmas this year A sweater for Mother, which moths will ruin? A brief case for Dad, which, will scuff and scar? A football for Junior? A doll house for sister? A basket o i ' for pastor? Or should you choose gifts this year, in the light of eternity? A home transformed through the salvation of a father? A boy’s heart turned to the ministry? •A pastor’s faith renewed to lead his people in right paths? What should you give, in the light of eternity?. - ' • : - HERE ARE BOOKS YOU LAX. GIVE WITH " ■
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KNOWLEDGE GOD BLE8SE$ THEM WHEREVER THEY GO. S h WOSE THEM, TO FIND THEY LAST THROUGH M N m ^ ’ 1 m m ** : f '. . • • . '
PRAYER -— Asking and Receiving
î H m ■ H i m THE HOME : Courtship, M arr iage , and Children By Dr. John R. Rice. Often two people who founded a home in sweetest anticipation find i O l there are problems and difficulties for which |«¿1 they have no answers. There are answers— >'***= Bible answers, and this book shows the way. Chapters on principles of successful mar riage, wives subject to husbands, normal sex life, the blessing of children, discipline, family worship, cooperation with church and school, .tery, divorce, making Christ head of the home, and many others. Written by a father of six, this book is practical, sane, inspiring, steeped in the Bible itself. 381 large pages, 22 chapters, family record, bound in scarlet cloth, $2.50. adul- IMMANUEL—"G o d with U s !” By Dr. John R. Rice “. . . Appeals to me as much or more than anything I have ever read from the pen of this great man,” says Dr. Bob Jones, Jr., President Bob Jones Univer sity. Six moving passages on the Saviour: His Command Announced, His Incarnation, His Atoning Death, His Glori ous Return, His Coronation, His Invitation. Wonderful for Christians and unsaved friends at this Christmas season. Crimson cloth, gold stamping, 157 pages, $1.50. SWORD BOOK OF TREASURES Wouldn’t you like to know how a bearded Mohammedan nobleman caused Clinton Howard to write his message on the name of Jesus, “ Pearls of Paradise” ? Here also is the
By Dr. John R. Rice. Here is a book that shows the way to everything you need to make a happy, useful Christian, a blessed, victorious Christian! Practical, down-to- earth, based on proof from the Bible and years of personal experience of this beloved author. Full of Bible teaching. Shows hin drances to prayer, tells how to pray in the will of God, grow in faith, really get things from God, and live the joyful life of daily answered prayer. 120,000 copies in print, cloth bound, 328 pages, $2.00. HOUSEHOLR SALVATION It is difficult to describe the fresh, pungent, sparkling ser mons of Evangelist John Linton. With an inheritance of rich Scotch humor and sober spiritual insight, he is delightful to read, easy to understand, but with a depth challenging to the most thoughtful. Nine intriguing chapters, 126 pages, cloth, $1.50. THE ANGEL’ S CHRISTMAS MESSAGE Lovely 32-page booklet for your use as Christmas card. By Dr. John R. Rice. Sparkling white crystallon cover, presen tation page, mailing envelop. A simple, earnest message on thé birth of Jesus. 25c each, 10 for $2.00, 26 for $5.00
stirring story of seven Russian soldiers, captured by the Finnish army, how they found Christ and went singing into Heaven. Here Dr. Bob Jobes tells the most interest ing story he ever heard. Have you heard how 5,000 athe ists crowded to hear D. L. Moody preach, and how 500 of them sprang to their feet crying, “ I will, I will take Christ!” Seventeen other remarkable messages and sto ries by great men of God. 352 thrilling pages, cloth, $2.50.
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A thrillin g CHRIST MAS TIME ON THE FRONTIER. The children were praying for skates and a doll. The pastor and hi: « wife faced a bitter cold, empty, hungry Christ mas— and deepest despair. The simple, true story of how God answered prayer will thrill you. Free with order on this blank.
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Sword of the Lord Publishers, Dept. K Wheaton, Illinois Enclosed please find $___________________ _ Please send the following by return mail: _________ The Home $2.50 _________Immanuel $1.50 _________Prayer $2.00 ____»_____Sword Treasures $2.50 1_________ Household Salvation $1.50 --------- Angel's Christmas Message, 25c each, 10 for $2.00, 26 for $5.00.
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SWORD OFTHELORDPUBLISHERS
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Hihy
} »Ó BUSINESS
Official Publication of The Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Incorporated
Louis T. Talbot, D.D.
Betty Bruechert Managing Editor
William W. Orr, D.D Associate Editor
Editor in Chief
Copyright, 1951, The King’s Business No part o f this magazine may be reproduced without permission. All Rights Reserved. Voi. 42 December 1951 No. 12 Reader Reaction ........................................................................................... 3 Editorially Speaking .................................................................................. 4 Dr. Talbot’s Question B ox.......................................................................... g Poem, Where Is Christmas? Nell Ruth R o f f e ...................................... 6 The Virgin Birth, I. M. Haldeman.. ........................................................ 7 Israel Lives Again! George T. B. Davis ...... .......................................... 9 Poem, The First Christmas, Martha Snell Nicholson ......................... 11 Poem, I f There Had Been No Christmas, Harriet H eine ................... 11 Modern Science and the Long Day o f Joshua, Harry Rimmer ........... 12 The Now o f Christmas, E. Frederick Mertens ...................................... 14 Poem, The Holy Child Unknown, Blanton W. Jones ........................... 14 The Doll In Pink, Elise F raser ................... .............................................. 15 Bibles for Communists, Dorothy C. H a sk in .......................................... 16 The Work and the Workers, William W. O rr ........................................ 17 “ Glad Tidings o f Great Joy!” G. A. Griswood .................................... 17 Biola Family Circle....................................................................................... ig Junior King’s Business: The Christmas Tree That Was Too Tall, Philip H. Richards; The Pony That Wasn’t a Horse, Jessie M a th iesen ............................................................................................... 49 Journey Into Alaska, Arthur H ou k .. ........................................................ 20 Marvelous Missionary Challenge of Malaya, Paul Contento ............. 21 Book Reviews, Donald G. Davis ................................................................. 22 Poem, A True Christmas, Grace Concklin Lofton .............................. 23 Young People’s Topics, James H. Jauncey. . . ........................................ 25 The Bible in the News, William W. Orr ................................................... 30 Sunday School Lessons, Homer A . Kent, Allison Arrowood ............... 32 Object Lessons, Elmer L. Wilder ............................................................... 41 Picture Credits : Cover, Eva Luoma, Weirton, W. Va. ; p. 9, G.I.S., Tel- Aviv, Israel; p. 10, Keren Hayesod, Jerusalem, Israel; p. 11, Israel O ffice o f Information, Los Angeles ; pp. 13, 17, Wilde Bible Pictures, Boston, Mass.; pp. 15, 19, Raymond Gage, Biola. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION— “ The King's Business" is published m onthly; $2.00, on» year; $1.00, six months; 20 cents, single copy. Clubs o f three or more at special rates. W rite for details. Canadian and foreign subscriptions 25 cents extra. It requires one month for a change of address to become effective. Please send both old and new addresses. REMITTANCES— Payable in advance, should be made by bank draft,* express, or post office money order payable to “ The King's Business." Date o f expiration will show plainly on outside wrapper or cover of magazine. ADVERTISING— For information, address the Advertising Manager, 558 South Hope Street Los Angeles 17, California. MANUSCRIPTS— “The King's Business" cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to manuscripts mailed to us for consideration. Entered as second-class matter November 7, 1938, at the Post Office at Los Angeles, Cali fornia, under the A ct o f March 3, 1879. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in the Act of February 28, 1925, embodied in paragraph 4, section 538. P. L. and R ., authorized October 1, 1918, and November 13, 1938. ADDRESS: The King’s Business, 558 So. Hope St., Los Angeles 17, California.
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Dr. Hart’s Article In the October issue of your magazine is a most wonderful message, “ The Backsliding Heifer” by Edward B. Hart. I am so thankful for it. It ought to have a wide circulation. There is such an urgent need for its message today. Could it be put in tract form so one could pass it on to others? D aisy B elle E vans Los Angeles, California Kentucky Mountain Mission Children’s Home In the June issue of The King’s Busi ness, I read the wonderful story of the work of the Kentucky Mountain Mission Children’s Home. Although I cannot fur nish anything in quantity, I do have some good, warm, used clothing and some toys that perhaps might be useful. If these things could be used by the children of the mission, I would appre ciate it so much if you would kindly forward their mailing address. M bs . E. G. B ourinskie Hayward, Calif. Appreciation We have had The King’s Business in our home for over thirty-five years. My husband who has gone to be with Christ once secured over 60 subscriptions to your magazine. He was a Presbyterian minister. I pray daily for The King’s Business, the Bible Institute, Dr. Talbot and all who have gone out to the utter most parts to carry the gospel. M bs . J ames H. N obbis Pittsburgh, Pa. We read The King’s Business and think it is a fine magazine, doing a great work in spreading the gospel. V an K ight (Continued on Page 38) D E C E M B E R , 1 9 5 1
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day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Unto you! Unto you! “ Unto you is born this day . . . a Saviour.” If Christmas has any message for a holiday-weary world it is this—for cen turies preceding His birth Christ was promised unto us! The humble sheep herders who were willing to receive Him were told that Christ the Saviour was born unto them! Have we received Him? The Gospel, the good tidings, begins with a Saviour born to us—to you, and ends with His glorious reign upon earth “upon the throne of David” as “ Christ the Lord.” Thus will our earth reach its golden age. The Desire of Nations shall come into His own. The longings of the nations for peace will be satis fied. Phillips Brooks’s stanza sets forth both aspects of the good tidings:
O holy Child of Bethlehem, Descend to us, we pray; Cast out our sin and enter in; Be bom in us today! We hear the Christmas angels The great glad tidings tell; O come to us, abide with i*,s, Our Lord Emmanuel!
be satisfied. Penalties must be met. No mortal man could meet the requirements of divine law, but the Lord Jesus Christ, God incarnate, became the sinner’s Sub stitute, and on the cross of Calvary the sin of the world was rolled upon Him. Since that day, God’s message to sinners has been to believe on Jesus, who died for their justification. Strange though it may seem, Jesus was born to die. He turned aside from the ivory palaces, not that He might become an example for us to follow, but to die as the Sinless Substitute for sin ners. He clothed Himself with our hu manity that He might take upon Him self the load and curse of our sin. Let it not he forgotten that He was born a Saviour, and that Mary herself recog nized the stupendous truth when she sang, “ My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.” Our Lord’s incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection form a triad of truth upon which our minds never tire of meditating. In the virgin womb of Mary, the human body of Jesus was fashioned. In the virgin tomb of Joseph, the glori fied body of Jesus was prepared. And the Holy Spirit was responsible for both miracles. By His broken body, Christ made possible our salvation and by His resurrection, He guaranteed it. This may be our last Christmas. Who knows? Are you ready? If not, then why not fill the heart of Jesus with joy by surrendering yourself unreservedly to Him? Give Him a happy Christmas. Give Him yourself 1--L.T.T. Christ Is Born— Unto Us! The promise of God through Isaiah (9:6,7) is familiar to every child of God, “ For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given . . .” Unto us! Unto ns! “ Unto us a child is born . . .” The Saviour was born as a babe in Bethle hem for us—for you, for me. The angel who appeared to the shep herds near Bethlehem on the night of the Nativity brought them “ good tidings of great joy” in the following words (Luke 2:11), “ For unto you is born this
Why Jesus Came At this time of the year, when men’s thoughts turn to the coming into the world of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is well for those who know and love Him to recall clearly just why our Saviour came to earth. “ No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him” (John 1:18). In Old Testament days, men knew something of God. The psalmist speaks of the heavens’ declar ing the glory of God and of the firma ment’s showing His handiwork. But there is more to be known of God than can be grasped through this revelation in nature. And Jesus, as He walked among men, brought that fuller under standing. He said, in effect: “I am God uncovered; I am God unveiled.” If one would know who God is, and understand something of His nature and work, he must study the four Gospels, for therein is Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, revealed as Immanuel, “ God with us.” In the days of His flesh, Jesus could point to Himself and say, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” If we want to know what God is like, all that we have to do is to study the words, works, and ways of His Son. Let this truth, then, be uppermost in our minds at the Christmas season, namely, that Christ came as the cul mination of the revelation of the Father. The very word incarnation means to em body in flesh. Christ, then, by His birth became God manifest in the flesh. And it will not be forgotten that Jesus not only revealed and reflected God—He was God. He came to do a work of atonement, by means of which men alienated from God because of their sins, might live forever in His holy presence. To make possible this blessed relationship, Christ, the Sinless One, came into the world to die. He could say, as no man could ever say, “ I lay down my life . . . No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself” (John 10:17,18). Neverthe less, “ The wages of sin is death,” and those wages must be paid. Justice must Page Four
■ —D.G.D.
The Christ o f Christmas Christmas has become a great festi val. Te millions it will be an opportunity for eating and drinking and making merry, sometimes at the expense and the miseries of others. Before the day has passed there will be broken bodies on the streets and highways of the country because people had no vision of the significance of Christmas. But on the whole, it will not be that the great est majority will be sinning consciously. To most of us it will be the sin of forgetfulness. We will be so interested in our festivities that we will forget that Christmas is the celebration of the day in which God gave His all for man kind. We certainly do not mean to give the impression that God does not expect people to be happy on Christmas day. He does not begrudge them their din ners and parties and their wholesome fun. All these are natural celebrations of a great event. Of course, He will be hurt when these things descend to sin particularly when that sin militates against the happiness of others. But He does want all of us to be willing even in the midst of our festivities to give Him the only gift which He has ever desired and that is ourselves. It is one of the greatest mysteries of the universe that the God that holds everything in the hollow of His hand should desire the fellowship and devo tion of the human heart. But although it is unfathomable, it is nevertheless true. Therefore, if you are one of those who has never given your heart to Christ, there will be rejoicing in the presence of the angels this Christmas day if you would give Him that gift. Even to those of us who did that per haps long years ago, we can still make T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
Catholic merit system. These peo ple, whose souls are precious in God’s sight, are ofttimes buried in as deep paganism as the benighted heathen of backward lands. Perhaps the best way of reaching individual Roman Catholics today is to urge them to study carefully their own Roman Catholic Bibles, pray ing meanwhile that the Spirit of God, whose mission it is to convince of sin, will do His work in their hearts. —W.W.O. Can This Really Be True? The news was from Waterloo, Iowa, and concerned a will which set up a $70,000 trust fund with the income to be distributed to “ Persons who believe in the fundamental principles of the Christian religion and who are endeavor ing to promulgate the same.” The will was contested and the court sought to ascertain just what constituted a Chris tian. The amazing thing was that seven Iowa pastors testified that there was no real agreement among Christians on the subject of “What is a Christian?” They said furthermore that this issue had been debated for centuries and that world churches have consistently dis agreed on interpretations of the Bible. There is no question as to the differ ences of opinion on doctrines of Scrip ture but concerning the question of “What constitutes a Christian” there can be no reasonable doubt. The amaz ing part is that seven supposed pastors in so-called Christian churches in Iowa should be unable to agree readily on the most basic teaching of the entire Word of God. Nor does this require great theological erudition or profound ecclesiastical con sent. A Christian is merely a Christ man, one in whose heart dwells the liv ing Son of God, one who has come into personal, vital relationship with the cru cified and risen Saviour, one who has known that miracle of spiritual grace which God performs in the hearts of those helpless, bankrupt sinners who call upon Him. This brings to mind the touching re plies of seven people who were asked by a New York newspaper reporter, “What are your chances of going to heaven when you die?” The entire seven re vealed by their answers, some facetious, some serious, that they knew almost nothing of the grace of God offered to the sinner on the basis of the finished work of Christ. All of this is a reveal ing commentary to Christians of today. Far too many people have not the slight est understanding of God’s great and glorious plan of salvation and because of their pathetic ignorance are on their way to an eternal hell as surely as the sun rises. The personal work of Chris tian people should be directed along ex ceedingly simple lines, pointing out very primary principles of man’s hopeless condition and the simplicity of becom ing one of God’s children through per sonal faith in Calvary’s Christ. —W.W.O. Page Five
archy with the result that the rosy dreams of liberal-minded churchmen of today, along with the deeply-laid plans of Roman Catholic diplomats, will be fully realized by the growth of a huge world church largely along the lines of the present Roman Catholic system. Coincident with this will be the sud den emergence of the world’s great po litical leader whom the Scriptures call “the beast,” who is more familiarly known as the Antichrist. Seeing an ad-
Him glad by reiterating our surrender to Him on this day. We will be very busy but let us not be too busy to take the time to be present at some little service of worship and devotion somewhere on Christmas day. Together with this, in the solitude of our own devotions, let us tell Him once again that we love Him with all our hearts. If we will do this there will be a sweet ness and a joy about Christmas which we have never known before. —J.HJ. Coming Torrey Conference J UST as there are some outstanding feasts and holidays in our secular year, there are also some outstanding feasts of spiritual things each year on our spiritual calendar. One of these is the marvelous time of fellowship and Bible study known as the Torrey Me morial Bible Conference, which will take place in Southern California beginning Sunday, January 13, and continuing through the following Sunday, January 20. The main sessions will be held in the spacious auditorium of the Bible Insti tute and Church of the Open Door in downtown Los Angeles. Sessions will also convene in the new Lake Avenue Congregational Church in Pasadena; First Brethren Church in Long Beach; and the Faith Bible Church in San Bernardino. Speakers will include: Dr. Vance Havner, Dr. Herbert Lockyer, Rev. Angelo LoVallo, Dr. John G. Mitchell, Dr. Walter M. Montano, Dr. Clarence S. Roddy, Dr. Gordon H. Smith, Dr. J. A. Huffman, Rev. J. Arthur Mouw, Dr. Louis T. Talbot, and others. Further information concerning subjects and meetings may be obtained in a folder supplied by the Extension Department of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, 558 S. Hope St., Los Angeles 17. —W.W.O. Coming Roman Catholic Predominance Tens of thousands of impassioned words are currently being written with regard to the President’s proposal to send a full-fledged ambassador to the Vatican. The position of The King’s Bus iness is that it is irrevocably opposed to any siitch procedure, feeling, along with most other Protestants, that it is un- American, unwise and definitely unscrip- tural. Reams of material are being pub lished to show the why and wherefore of such reasoning. What we would like to point out concerns the inevitable com ing of Roman Catholic fullness. The order of further events as we see it looks forward first to the rapture of the Church, that thrilling event when the Lord Jesus Christ as the Bridegroom, returns for the church which is His bride with the meetingplace in the air and the result which is joy forevermore for believers (1 Thess. 4:13, 18). With the true church removed, there will be but the great hollow shell of for mal Christendom remaining. This un doubtedly will be dominated by" the strength of the Roman Catholic hier- D E C E M B E R , 1 9 5 1
J^o Christmas map be merrp J?o ijeart map trulp sing 3Snttl tfje Cfjrtsit of Cfjrigtmag f&t crotoneb tte 3Lorb anb Hing vantage in union, the Antichrist will link up with the world church or, as the Scripture puts it, the church will “ sit” upon the new political system. All goes well as the Antichrist works out his aims and the church ostensibly carries on worship to God. But not for long. Perhaps in the middle of the Tribulation Period the political and mili tary world leaders will turn savagely upon the church, destroying it utterly in favor of open emperor worship which is in reality the worship of Satan. This is, in brief, the Scriptural picture of the fall of the great Roman Catholic system. However, let it be well remem bered that in the Roman Catholic church there are some born-again Christian people. This has been made possible not through the church but in spite of the church. These true Christians will not suffer the persecution of the Tribulation Period but, along with all of God’s children, will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air at the time of the rap ture. Earnest Christians today should do whatever possible to reach those who are in the deep darkness of the Roman
O What does the Bible teach about the ministry of women? Does God call women to preach the gospel? God has a wonderful and remarkable ministry for women, and we need to recognize the clearly defined limitations regarding this subject, as well as the breadth of the Scriptures. Far more women are engaged in Christian activity than men. Women will go where men will not as they seem never to be dis couraged. God has placed a ban on women’s taking the place of authority. “ Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence” (1 Tim. 2:11,12). Having given this command God went on to tell His reason for so doing; “ For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression” (1 Tim. 2:13,14). When the devil brought sin into the world he did not go to the man; he went to the woman. The man had the plaee of authority. When the woman steps out of the place of subjection into the place of authority, the end is con fusion. Jesus said, “ The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do.” How does this make the Son equal with the Father as you claim? The Scripture which you quote from John 5:19 is one of the very strongest declarations of the deity of Christ in the whole Bible. Christ is here affirming that He, the Son of God, is in full union with the Father. In this complete identi fication with the Father He affirms that He does nothing without the Father; but all He sees the Father do He does also. This statement by Him does not mean limitation, but attests the com plete, perfect unity which is between the Father and the Son. In His relation to the Father, the Son can do nothing independently or separately from the Father. If He acted independently of the Father, then He would be another God, which is an impossibility. When the Lord said, “ The Son can do nothing of himself,” He was stating that He would not act differently from the Father, from His own independent will. While I do not agree with modernis- tically inclined ministers who are urging their congregation to practice the Ser mon on the Mount, yet does this dis course not have a message for Chris tians? Yes, this beautiful message from the Word of God does have a distinct mes
sage for every Christian. “ All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteous ness” (2 Tim. 3:16). To rob the child of God of these comforting, instructive lessons from the lips of our Lord, would be to “ take away from” the Book of His Word, and to rob His children of price less truth. I have been a Christian for many years. Am I sealed with the Holy Spirit? Every believer is sealed with the Holy Spirit, even as Paul wrote to the Ephe sians, saying, “After that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory” (Eph. 1:13,14). In other words, here Paul is saying that the Holy Spirit is the pledge given to every believer by the Father, guaranteeing the redemption of the body when it is raised from the dead, because the soul has al ready been redeemed by faith in the shed blood of the Lord Jesus. The seal is the mark of ownership. We belong to God. Does this world, with all its wealth, belong to God or to Satan? This is a question that frequently is asked, and let us read together what the Bible has to say on this subject. Turn with me to Psalm 24: “ The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof.” We see here that the world and all it con tains belongs to God. However, the devil and his cohorts possess much of it. Christ will one day come and take pos session, and the uttermost parts of the earth will be included in His kingdom. “He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth” (Psalm 72:8). If God is omnipotent and omnipresent, and if He saw the wreck and chaos which Satan would produce, why did He not create him so he could not sin, or even destroy him before he wrecked the human race? This is really another point of view of the question so often asked, “ Why did not God create Adam and Eve so they could not sin by yielding to the temptations of Satan?” It must be ac knowledged that the “Why?” will re main a mystery until we come into the full "realization of God’s glory in the ages to come. In the meantime we must be satisfied with the statement in Ephe sians 1 :11, that He “worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.”
Dr. Louis T. Talbot Should any man pride himself on his superiority over the pagan blacks of Australia or Africa? If any man thinks he has won a place of superiority by his own development, or by that of his forefathers, let him remember that only by the grace of God did his forefathers have the gospel. Only by the grace of God is he what he is today, whether Christian, or simply enjoying the by-products of Christianity. Let him remember that the savage heathen is today what he is because of the long-continued sins of his race. Many great scientists today have stated that this theory of organic evo lution is false, and even the most ardent supporters always have to admit1that, at best, it is only a theory —which is just another name for supposition. Over against this Satan-inspired theory we have the eternal fact of God’s Word. “ Thus saith the Lord” is not to be refuted. Man would do well to believe the Word of the unchanging, eternal, all-wise God. > f > f > f W ^ t x t te Christmas? Christmas in India, do you say? India scarcely knows the day! Grieving for sins that are unforgiven, Toiling for peace and hope of Heaven. Christ they know not, nor His birthday fair. Christmas? You never will find it there! Christmas in Africa, dark and old? Ne’er in their ears was the story told, Buried so deep in their jungles wild, Nothing they know of the Christmas Child: Buried ’neath the burdens they daily bear, Coming of Christmas they know not, there! Christmas in China, grim and grey? Star of the East, with its golden ray, Gleams o’er their land, but they see it not, Low is their vision, their heart untaught; Filling their days with weight of care, Christ and His Christmas they know not therel Christmas is found at His cradle stall, There we must lead those who find it at all. Show them the Star beaming bright on the way, Steering them onward to walk in its ray Up to His Cross and His love so rare, Christmas? Yes, surely, they’ll find it there! * —Nell Ruth Roffe
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*S)t i i v i t a l to h e lileve in THE VIRGIN
BIRTH
By I. M. Haldeman, D.D.*
A ' LARGE number of people, pro fessed Christians among them, think it of no importance whether or not you believe in the virgin birth. They look upon it, so they say, as altogether a matter of theological inter pretation, having nothing to do whatever with what they are pleased to call the “vital” side of Christianity. I affirm it makes a great difference, a difference so great, so radical, that should the church consent to cut it out of the doctrine of Christianity, Chris tianity would have no decent, moral nor intellectual basis on which to stand. I ask you to consider, 1. The effect on the name, the charac ter and reputation of Mary, the mother of Jesus, if He were not Virgin Bom. She was espoused to Joseph. Espousal in that day was something more than lip service. The parties to espousal must come before the elders of the congregation and pledge their vows. In making her vow the woman com mitted herself to and assumed all the responsibility of a wife. Before the marriage ceremony was performed she was looked upon by the elders, by the congregation, and the neighborhood, as a wife. When the angel would comfort Joseph concerning Mary’s condition with child, even though they had not yet come to gether, he said: “ Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife” (Matt. 1:20). * Born, 18i5; died 1933; was pastor of the First Baptist Church of New York, N. Y., for forty-nine years; one of the most outstanding exponents of the evangelical faith and particularly of the Second Coming of Christ who ever lived.
and bade him without fear to take Mary to himself we read in Matthew that he “took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her first born son: and he called his name Jesus” (Matt. 1:24, 25). This is the plain statement that mar riage between Joseph and Mary had not been consummated before he brought her home; that it was not consummated till after Jesus was born. It is the Holy Ghost demonstration that, so far as Mary was concerned, she was virgin to Joseph till after Jesus was born. It is the Holy Ghost demonstration that so far as Joseph was concerned, he was virgin to Mary till after Jesus was born. What more would you have? What more need you have to prove, at the least, that Joseph was not the father of Jesus? ■Since then Joseph was not the father of Jesus, behold where it places Mary if Jesus were not virgin born. It brings her into the light as Joseph’s accredited wife, and mother of a child of whom he was not the father. As his wife it makes her guilty of breaking wedlock. It makes her guilty of fornication. It makes her guilty of adultery. Deny the virgin birth and this is the category in which by inexorable logic you are under bonds to put Mary the mother of Jesus. Deny the virgin birth and you give to Mary, the mother of Christ, a stain, a shame, that all the waters of all the seven seas can never wash out. Think you it a light matter to put this indelible stain upon the mother of our Lord? Deny the virgin birth and this is what you do to the consternation, even, of devils.
In the eyes of God and man Mary had all the reputation and responsibil ity of a wife to maintain. That Joseph was not the father of Mary’s child ought to be self-evident to every logical, intellectual and decent mind. When he discovered she was about to become a mother, he determined to divorce her. Divorce in Israel was both solemn and serious. The parties to divorce must present themselves to the elders in open meeting. The case would be fully and search- ingly tried. If the woman were found guilty she would be taken out to a public place or field, the whole populace would surround her and under command of the elders, without mercy, they would stone her to death. Joseph knew this would be the doom appointed to Mary if he sought publicly to divorce her. He was not willing to do that. He believed she had proved false to him. But he still loved her. He therefore determined to put her away privately. He would put in the claim of annul ment against his own vows and set her aside, having henceforth no more to do with her. This is what Scripture means when it says: “ Then Joseph her husband [mark, even before the marriage ceremony he is recognized as “husband,” as she is, as “wife” ], being a. just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily” (Matt. 1:19). But the living God never allows us to be in doubt about the truth. After the angel had spoken to Joseph
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D E C E M B E R , 1 9 5 1
little one way or another? But behold what takes place when you deny the Trinity. You deny and must cut out of the Bible this tremendous Scripture. This very Scripture: “ He through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God” (Heb. 9:14). It is, indeed, an immense Scripture. It means the whole Godhead was en gaged in the sacrifice of the cross. The whole Godhead in the fulness of personality was engaged in the act of redemption. The Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, each of them an infinite Person subsisting in the indivisible Be ing of God. The Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of the Father offered Himself unto God as the Father. He offered Himself through the Eter nal, personal Spirit. As an infinite Person, He offered Him self through the infinite personality of the Spirit to the infinite personality of God the Father; even the God and Father who through the Spirit gave Him out of His very bosom that He might make this offering. Deny the Trinity of God, you deny and make impossible that Scripture. Deny and reject that Scripture, you deny and reject the sacrificial death of Christ; you deny it in relation to the everlasting covenant and the pledge and honor of tlie whole Godhead. When you do that you sweep away the foundation of Christianity as set forth in Holy Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. You deny that Scripture when you deny the Trinity. You deny the Trinity when you deny the virgin birth. To deny the virgin birth and talk about the ethical value of Christianity is worse than childish. There are no ethics left. Instead of ethics, the whole system is buried in a moral ruin, out of whose chaos there looks the face of a Christ, illegitimate, bastard-born, a helpless sin ner like the rest of us, and like the rest of us bereft of any hoped-for Saviour. For us there is only a Christianity whose beginning is a fiction and whose ending is the substitution of an ethical for a sacrificial Christ, a substitution that bears the stamp of its own treason, and in every promise it makes, mocks the hope of our soul both for time and eternity. Without the virgin birth Christianity has no authority, neither as an ethical nor doctrinal system. Without the vir gin birth, I repeat, Christianity has no decent, moral, spiritual nor intellectual basis on which to stand. He who denies the virgin birth de nies Bible Christianity, smites the moth er of our Lord with shame, snatches the crown of deity from His brow, strips Him of His sinless humanity, makes His cross a blood-stained failure and bids us face eternity with no light in the darkness. T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
What think you is the weight of these millstones about the neck of Him whom we seek to call the Son of God? Consider, 3. The effect the denial of the Virgin Birth must have upon the essential being of Jesus Himself. If He were not virgin born, then of course He had a human father. If He had a human father He in herited the nature of that father. As that father had a nature of sin He inherited his nature of sin. If He had a nature of sin He would be under the penalty of all who are born in sin. He would be under the penalty of death. When therefore He claimed that no one could take His life from Him, that He had power over His own life, He did not tell the truth; being born in sin (if He had a human father) He was as all others, doomed to die. He was therefore a lost sinner. As a lost sinner He needed a Saviour. He needed a Saviour to save Him from death. According to His own legislation He needed to be born again; He needed a new nature. It is terrific—but it is inexorable logic. If Jesus Christ were not virgin born; if He had a sinful human father, He was as much in need of regeneration and sacrificial redemption as any other be gotten of a human father. Deny the virgin birth and you para lyze the whole scheme of redemption by Jesus Christ. What claim or right of claim has any man to be the Redeemer and Saviour of men who Himself is born in sin, under the doom and penalty of sin, needing regeneration? But that is not the only consequence of having a human father. Mark it well. If He had a human father, and as that father had a finite personality, then He inherited a finite personality. If He had a finite personality, of course we are bound to say He did not have an infinite personality. He was not an infinite person. If He were not infinite He was not God. If He were not God, then He was not the Second Person of the Eternal Trin ity. If He were not the Second Person of the Trinity then none was. If none were, there is no triunity of God. If there be no triunity of Godhead we are landed at the front door of Unitarianism, that bloodless, emotion less, soulless system which substitutes intellect for Spirit, reason for faith and prating about God, knows Him not. Deny the virgin .birth, and as abso lutely as two and two make four, as inexorably as the arrow to the mark, you deny and reject the Trinity of God. Do you think it a light and inconse quential thing to deny the virgin birth or that it is something that matters
Consider, I pray you, 2. The effect this denial of the Virgin Birth must have upon the name and reputation of Jesus Himself. If some man other than Joseph were His father, and He were begotten and conceived out of wedlock, then He was an illegitimate child, a child who had no legal right to come into the world. This is what you must face—Jesus Christ an illegitimate son. But that is not all. Deny the virgin birth, make Mary a faithless wife, guilty of breaking wed lock, and you make her son something more than illegitimate. It is plain enough what that some thing more is. It is just this: If some other man than Joseph were the father of Jesus we have to reckon this—that man was not known. He was not known in that day. He has not been known any day since. He is not known now. No man can put his finger upon his identity and name and say this is the man who betrayed Joseph and begot Mary’s illegitimate son. There can be no question about it. He was and is unknown. It follows therefore if Jesus had an earthly father and that father was not known, we have to say that Jesus was the son of an unknown father. And what is the name in all lan guages you give to the son of an un known father? There is but one name and title. And that is, A bastard. It is an ugly name. It looks ugly. It sounds ugly. A bastard. Would you know what God thinks of a bastard? Hear what He says: “ A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord: even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the Lord” (Deut. 23:2). A bastard could not enter into the congregation of the Lord. The posterity of a bastard could not enter into nor partake of the privileges of the congregation of the Lord for ten generations; that is to say, for three hundred years. This tells you what God thinks of an unmarried woman who gives birth to a child. This tells you what God thinks of a married woman who gives birth to a child by another than her own husband. This tells you what God thinks of the bastard himself. Bastardy is a shame to the mother. Bastardy is a double shame to the son. He must carry his mother’s shame and advertise it wherever he goes, and he must bear his own shame as a bastard, ashamed of God. Illegitimacy and bastardy are two millstones heavy enough to hang about the neck of any son. Page Eight
ISR A E L L IV E S AGAIN! Fourth in a Prophetic Series
By George T. B. Davis*
D URING our stay in Israel we looked forward with pleas ure to revisiting Tel Aviv. We greatly enjoyed our visit there in 1937, and we wondered what changes we would find in the metropolis of Israel. Tel Aviv is built along the Mediterranean seashore and is much warmer than Jerusalem. Mrs. Irish, always helpful and generous, kindly offered to motor us down to Tel Aviv in their car. She was returning the same day, while we were remaining for several days. A young American missionary went with us, and a Hebrew-Christian girl from Hungary, both of whom were very kind to us during our stay in Israel. We started off one beautiful morning, and as we motored over the hills of Judea, we greatly enjoyed seeing some ancient places spoken of in the Bible, as well as new villages. Across the valley we saw Nebi Samuel, the birthplace of the prophet Samuel, who served God from childhood to old age. We passed the ancient village of Ain Karim, the birthplace of John the Baptist. Near it was a new little village, with very small, plain, pre-fabricated houses, in which some of the Yemenite Jews were living. There are many such villages springing up all over the land. And many more are needed for the hundreds of thousands of homecoming Jews. There are also many temporary “tent villages” in Israel, where the dwellings are only tents, as building cannot keep pace with the great influx of new Jewish citizens. At length we reached the well-known agricultural experi ment station near Rehovoth. It has been much enlarged since our previous visit thirteen years ago. And nearby there now stands the large and beautiful building of the Weizmann Institute which is devoted to scientific research. Finally, Tel Aviv and Jaffa came into view. Tel Aviv, long known as the all-Jewish city of Israel, is now joined with Jaffa, which up until 1949 was almost one hundred per cent Arab in population. Jaffa is ancient Joppa of Bible times, where Peter “tarried many days” with Simon the tanner. In the Jewish-Arab conflict of 1948, the Jews captured Jaffa, and most of the Arab inhabitants fled. Those that remained are friendly to the Jews. Soon we were threading our way through the streets that were crowded with traffic. Tel Aviv-Jaffa now has a combined population of 300,000 inhabitants. It is far the most densely populated center in Israel. We were surprised at the growth of Tel Aviv since our last visit. There are many streets and avenues built up with modern stores. The residential area is filled with beautiful, modern apartment buildings. We visited a park at the seaside, where there are lovely gardens filled with flowers. After Mrs. Irish had returned to Jerusalem, we visited the old city of Jaffa, which is in striking contrast to modern Tel Aviv. As we went here and there by car, the drivers were delighted to receive New Testaments. But one driver stands out clearly in my memory. We had finished our journey, and paid the fare and were about to leave the car. I offered the driver a copy of the Hebrew New Testament. He told us he was a Roumanian Jew and could not yet read Hebrew fluently. We did not have a Roumanian Testament with us, but when we learned he could read French, we offered him one of the beautiful little French Testaments with Old Testament •Executive Secretary of the M illion T estaments C ampaigns . Reprinted from the hook, I srael R eturns H ome A ccording to P rophecy , obtainable at 1505 Race Street, Philadelphia, Pa. D E C E M B E R , 1 9 5 1
Prophecies in the front of it. His surprise and delight at the gift were almost unbounded, as he gladly received the little Book. He said: “ Is this for me?” When we assured him it was for him, he said: “ It is cer tainly most kind of you to give me this Book. Now I must not charge you anything for your ride.” “ No,” I replied, “We insist on paying our fare. The little Book is a gift to you. Be sure to read it each day.” In fluent English he said: “ I do not know how to thank you enough! I deeply appreciate it!” He beamed on us a happy goodbye as we went on our way. May he be truly born again as he reads the Life-giving Word! When we were in Tel Aviv in 1937, we stayed at a hotel conducted by Mrs. Fish, formerly of Brooklyn, New York. So before going to Tel Aviv this time, we phoned the hotel and they kindly reserved a room for us. We again enjoyed the gracious courtesy and the good food of the hotel, which is now called The American House. One day we were talking to
Carrying Eggs to Market in Israel
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of our forces, with the aid of the military police, took imme diate steps to prevent any looting of the churches and the monasteries, many of which are richly decorated. All churches and holy places in Nazareth were put out of bounds for the Jewish soldiers under heavy penalty for any infringement. As a result all the churches and holy places in Nazareth remained completely intact. And until this day the Arab population of Nazareth is cooperative and fully loyal to the government of Israel.” During our stay in Tel Aviv we had a very interesting interview with Dr. Y. Carmon, chief of the department of Research Extension and Agricultural Education. He gave us a graphic picture of what happened in the early days of pioneering in Israel as the Jews bought land from the Arabs: “ In the old days under the British mandate we purchased the poorest land in Palestine because that was all the Arabs would sell. Much of the soil of such land was marsh-laden or sandy. For the Arabs such soil was too poor to produce so they did not work it. After the marshes were drained they proved to be the finest kind of soil—as in the plain of Esdraelon. And when the sandy soil was properly fertilized and cultivated it produced satisfactory crops. Since the establishment of the State of Israel all types of land are now available. We can now operate the different kinds of land to suit our necessities. “In the Biblical days the plain of Esdraelon was considered to be the granary of the country. The land of Galilee was the best area for the production of olives and grapes. Now we are finding that the soil in the southern part of Israel is as good as that in Esdraelon and Galilee, if it is properly irri gated and cultivated. The Negev in southern Israel is still an unknown quantity, agriculturally. There are large areas of arable land. The problem there is the supply of water because of the limited rainfall. “When an official committee of Americans was here I showed them a map of Palestine, and told them that in our small country we can grow such varied kinds of fruit as apples and bananas, and oranges and mangoes. The reason is that we ate on the northern edge of the- citrus area. We are right on the edge of the temperate and sub-tropical zones—so we can grow everything under the sun!” We asked Dr. Carmon about the extent of the damage caused to the orange crop by the recent fall of snow in Israel that was the heaviest in a generation. He said: “ The snow fall here in Israel this year was indeed terrific. It occurred when I was coming back from Akaba on the gulf. In the southern end of the Negev we had two feet of snow. They had never had such a fall of snow for 70 years. The snow did not do as much damage as we had feared. We had prac tically the same crop of oranges this year as in the previous year. Most of the damage was in the production of bananas and winter tomatoes.” When we began to talk about the growth of oranges in Israel, Dr. Carmon told us a most remarkable story. He said: “ A few years ago an insect called the ‘mealy bug’ came like an avalanche upon our orange trees. These bugs were spreading in waves like an advancing army. A twenty year old orange tree would be killed in three or four months. Spraying the trees did not kill the bugs. The only way to combat them was to find another insect that would kill them. The United States department of agriculture advised me to go to Japan to find the parasite that would kill the mealy bugs. I found the insects and brought them back. There were 3800 of one kind, in all stages of insect life, that did the work; and forty thousand of another kind that did not do any good.” Dr. Carmon said the insect he brought from Japan is called “ Dr. Clausen” in honor of Dr. Clausen of the United States department of agriculture. The insect is a little wasp about one-tenth or one-twelfth of an inch long. “ These Japanese insects would bore right into the mealy bugs and eat the flesh of their bodies, so that only the shell of the mealy bugs would be left. The release of the insects we brought from Japan worked perfectly, and in a compara tively short time the mealy bugs were destroyed and our orange crops were saved.” T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
Harvesting Bananas in Israel
a son of Mrs. Fish about the recent Arab-Jewish war. We had heard from others about the fighting in Tel Aviv and Jaffa. But we learned that the young man had taken part in the capture of Nazareth. We asked him to tell us the story and he kindly consented to do' so. He said: “ Nazareth was the headquarters of the Arab ‘Army of Liberation.’ A Jewish column moved toward Naz areth from western Galilee. The Jews sent five or six armored cars ahead of the column to break through, so the infantry could follow. As the Jewish armored cars approached Naz areth they were met by about a dozen armored cars of the Arabs. The Arab cars had cannon mounted on them, while ours only had machine guns. “ The Arab armored cars opened heavy fire on us from strategic points. For a time things looked bad for us. In our column we had just one armor-piercing gun. It was mounted on a jeep. The jeep was sent forward toward the armored cars with one driver and one gunner. In from ten to fifteen minutes this gunner, who is an expert, put at least six of the enemy armored cars out of commission, though the guns on the Arab armored cars were as good or better than our one gun. “When these six enemy cars were put out of action the rest of the Arab armored cars turned and fled. Then our armored cars drove into the city with our infantry following. After a few brief clashes with the Arabs in the streets, the city of Nazareth was taken. Most of the Arabs in Nazareth are not Moslems but Christians. The commander of the Arab army was a Moslem. He did not treat the Christian Arabs of the city well. So the Arab population of Nazareth welcomed the entry of the Jewish forces and did not flee, but are still living in the city. “When the Jewish army entered Nazareth the commander Page Ten
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