NOVEMBER, 1963 Thirty Cents
Annual Book Issue
LOOKING F O R S O M E T H I N G ? B I OLA HAS I T !
A STRONG BIBLE EMPHASIS A STRONG ACADEMIC PROGRAM (regionally accredited) A STRONG SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
ALL TO DEVELOP STRONG CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP
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BIBLECLASS
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Starting on one small radio station in 1938, Dr. M. R. DeHaan’s RADIO BIBLE CLASS has gained such astounding popularity that today it is heard on the ABC radio network, regional networks and hundreds of leading independent stations. It is also broadcast in Canada and many foreign countries. A new Radio Log giving com plete times and stations is available upon request. Dr. DeHaan, a physician as well as a Bible Teacher, presents his lessons with such clarity and understanding that spiritual instruction becomes a vibrant, living experience. Why not make this unique inspirational half hour a listening habit every Sunday? Dr. DeHaan invites you to become a member of RADIO BIBLE CLASS by simply filling in and mailing the coupon below for complete information. Each month, members receive his Sermons in Booklet Form plus a Daily Devotional Guide —free and postage paid.
A Q U A I “ Telling
Dr. M . R. D eH a a n RAD IO BIBLE C L A S S G ra n d R a p id s, M ic h ig a n
P le a s e s e n d m e in fo r m a tio n o n h o w to re ce ive y o u r d e v o tio n a l g u id e an d serm o n b o o k le ts re g u la rly . Name___________________________________________ _
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T h . e K i n g © B u s i n e s s E S T A B L I S H E D 1 9 1 0 A publication of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Inc. Louis T. Talbot, Chancellor • S. H. Sutherland, President • Ray A. Myers, Board Chairman NOVEMBER, in the year of our Saviour Vol. 54, No. 11 Nineteen Hundred and Sixty-three Established 1910 Dedicated to the spiritual development of the Christian home IM u THANKSGIVING — A. W. Tozer ....................................................... 10 THANKSGIVING IS GIVING OF THANKS — William Ward Ayer .. 12 WORDS ABOUT THE WORD — Arnold D. Ehlert............................. 13 NEW BIBLE TRANSLATIONS — John H. Skilton ........................... 14 WHICH TRANSLATION — Arnold D. Ehlert .................................. 15 BIBLES FOR ALL AGES ....................................................................... 17 PLUS FACTORS — Arnold D. Ehlert ................................................. 18 THE PRESSURE OF TIME — Clyde M. Narramore ........................... 20 PRACTICAL BIBLE STUDY AIDS — Arnold D. Ehlert ................... 22 EVOLUTION AND THE WATERMELON .......................................... 23 A CALL TO PRAYER — R. G. Lee ................................................... 24 WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR? ................................................................ 25 WARNING FOR YOUTH — J. Edgar Hoover .................................. 26 FILMS FOR TEACHERS ...................................................................... 44 THE CALIFORNIA TRAIN TRIP — Betty Bruechert ....................... 46 COMMANDMENTS FOR HOSPITAL VISITORS — T. Hollis Epton .. 51 Featum MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR — Samuel H. Sutherland ................ 8 DR. TALBOT'S QUESTION BOX — Louis T. Talbot ..................... 30 TALKING IT OVER — Clyde M. Narramore .................................. 32 PERSONAL EVANGELISM — Benjamin Weiss ................................ 33 CHRISTIAN SENTINEL — Nelson Dilworth ...................................... 35 WORLD NEWSGRAMS — James O. Henry ...................................... 36 SCIENCE AND THE BIBLE — Bolton Davidheiser ........................... 37 CULTS CRITIQUE — Betty Bruechert .............................................. 38 UNDER THE PARSONAGE ROOF — Althea S. Miller ..................... 39 ALUMNI NEWS — Inez McGahey ................................................... 49 CoiuiWU READER REACTION ........................................................................... 7 PRESENTING THE MESSAGE ............................................................ 31 PEOPLE IN THE NEWS .................................................................... 45
TO KEEP HOUSE, AND TO BE A JOYFUL MOTHER Psalms 113.9
Someone once said that God couldn't be everywhere, and so He made mothers. The world changes, and man reaches into space, but nothing changes the warm love of the one who “ keeps the house." The Bible, too, stands constant in a changing world. The University of Cambridge, through its Press, is proud of the privilege of having printed the Bible for longer than any press in existence.
— All R ig h ts R eserved —
PA U L SCHWEPKER: Controller JANE M. CLARK: Circulation Manager JEANNE SHARP: Advertising Manager
S. H. SUTHERLAND: Editor A L SANDERS: Managing Editor BETTY BRUECHERT: Copy Editor
VIRGINIA SCHWEPKER: Production Manager EDITORIAL BOARD: W illiam Bynum, Bolton Davidheiser, Arnold D. Ehlert, Charles L. Freinberg, James O. Henry, Martha S. Hooker CVANMUCAL A—ocunoH
ADVERTISING — for information address the Advertising Manager, The King's Business, 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. Second-class postage paid at Los An geles, California. Printed in U.S.A. by Church Press, Glendale, California. ADDRESS: The King's Business, 558 So. Hope St., Los Angeles 17, California.
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION — "The King's Business" is published monthly. U.S., its possessions, and Canada, $3.00 one year; $ 1.50 six months, 30 cents, single copy. Clubs of three or more at special rates. W rite for details. Foreign subscription 75 cents extra. It requires one month for a change of address to become effective. Please send ’both old and new addresses. REMITTANCES — Should be made by bank draft, express, or post office money order payable to "The King's Business."
A T A ll. BOOK STORKS
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
READERS CIRCULATE EDITORIAL E ditorial N ote : T w o of our faithful sub scribers have used a recent KING’S BUSI NESS editorial to be distributed to one hundred Congressmen, one hundred Sena tors, and twelve Supreme Court fudges. Their idea is such an excellent one. There fore we felt readers might enjoy sharing the text of the letter which was used. Dear Sir: The enclosed article “Tragic Effects of the Recent Supreme Court Decision” is an editorial we read in the February, 1963 issue of THE KING’S BUSINESS maga zine. Dr. Sutherland, author of the edi torial, is the President of the Bible In stitute of Los Angeles, Inc. There is nothing we could add to the article, but would like only to emphasize this thought, quoting from the editorial, “and one of the great foundation truths upon which our American heritage rests has been the well-nigh universal belief in Almighty God and a continuing prayer expressed in all facets of public gatherings that God would guide and protect this great nation from the pitfalls that have caused other nations to sink into decay and in some instances, total oblivion, ex cept as their records are to be found on the pages of almost forgotten history.” In our times we have seen the downfall of Germany. This nation rejected God Almighty and returned to paganism. We read in the Psalms, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (Psa. 33:12). “Let thy mercy O Lord, he upon us ac cording as we hope in thee” (Psa. 33:22). In your hands lay the privilege and the responsibility to guard this our great heritage. Mr. and Mrs. Arsen M. Thomas, Los Angeles, Cal. CATHOLICISM A CULT? It was so disappointing to me to see the page in your magazine advertising cults books and seeing you put Catholicism in with them. It has been encouraging the last year seeing the Holy Spirit working so mightily in the Catholic and Protestant churches. It was the last prayer of our Lord that His children would be one and I am sure we will yet. In being one, I mean one with Christ. I am a born-again believer and expect to remain one, but I love the Catholics and believe with all my heart that there are just as many, if not more, Christians among them than there are among the Protestants. It is a pity to me that we cannot love each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. I am ter ribly ashamed of too many of our Protes tant churches who believe the Old Testa ment to be “tales” and also who believe it isn’t important to believe in the Virgin Birth of our Lord. I’m not meaning to criticize, but to help. Please think about this and truly pray about it. Mrs. W. Argyle Nelson, Beverly Hills, California
in thankfulness, open your heart to one o f these children
Jong Sup (R-l)
Kwang Sook (R-2)
For just 30 pennies a day—$10 a month—you will know the joy in sponsoring one of these lovely, but utterly destitute orphans. You will provide the necessities, includ ing education, and also bring assurance to a child’s heart that someone really cares. How appropriate to express your thankfulness for your blessings in this way. Do it NOW, before Korea’s winter begins. The story of each of these orphans is one of trag edy. Jong Sup’s (R -l) mother died of disease and a year later was abandoned by father. Kwang Sook’s (R -2) mother died o f tuberculosis, and after being temporarily cared for by a neighbor, was brought to our Hosanna orphanage. He Won (R-8) was brought to a Home as foundling; whereabouts of parents unknown. We have begun the work of rescue; we need your help to complete it. In our Homes are hundreds who are without sponsors. Bible-believing Koreans staff our Homes. The children are brought up in a loving, Christian environment. Here we are confident, are many of Korea’s future Christian leaders. What a thrill for you to have a hand in preparing them! The child you choose will know you as a sponsor. You will be sent name, address, photo and life story, as well as the orphanage group and Home. If old enough, the child will write; if not, a staff member will correspond with you. Sponsors tell us of the thrill o f this personal relationship. "I ¡ust received a lovely letter from our two orphan girls. If they get any sweeter I guess I'll have to ask God for wings so I can fly over to see them ."— E.S., Lynwood, Calif.
Hang Soo (R-3)
Yung Sook (R-4)
Tack Chun (R-7)
He Won (R-8)
c o m p a s s io n . . . Cares for more than 20,000 Korean orphans. Maintains 175 orphanages (includes 15 homes for children of lepers;deaf, dumb and blind children), supervised by Bible-believing staff and board of directors. Provides more than 25,000,000 meals each year. Awarded highest recognition by the Korean government.
O U R G I F T T O NE W S P O N S O R S A pair of lovely, colorful Korean Baby Shoes—if you sponsor an orphan by December 1.
LARGEST WORK OF ITS KIND IN KOREA
CUP AND MAIL TODAY! ---------------------------------- EVERETT SWANSON, Founder and Director (~| Yes, I want to sponsor an orphan. My choice Is Num ber________«-If this child has been chosen when this arrives, I agree to sponsor a similar child. I prefer Q Boy, □ G irl Q Age. W ith God's help I w ill send $10 a month to Chicago office. Please send my child's name, picture, address and FULL PARTICULARS. I understand I may discontinue at any time. Enclosed is support for Q first month, Q one year. O I cannot sponsor a child now but want to help a child by giving $------------------------- f~] Please send folder, * 'Information About Sponsoring Korean Orphans." Name __________________________________________________
COMI NG S O O N ! New 28-minute Sound-Color Film “ RUNAWAY”
A tender, compelling story of an 8- year-old Korean lad who flees his orphanage in anguish when his sponsor dies. Later his new American sponsor comes to visit him. In heart-warming climax, the American is led to a vital faith in Christ. Ideal for Christmas or New Year's Eve showing. Filmed in Korea. Rental $15. Please indicate 1,2 or 3 choice showing dates. Available about November 20 from 16mm film libraries, or write direct to COMPASSION.
Address- City ____
State-
-Zip Code.
Gifts of any amount are welcome. A ll gifts and sponsorings are income tax deductible. COM PASS ION (The Everett Swanson Evangelistic Assn., Inc.)
An Interdenominational Non-Profit Corporation—Est. 1952 Dept. K 113 7774 Irving Park Rd., Chicago, III. 60634
Phone 456-6116
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NOVEMBER, 1963
a message from the editor w BY DR. SAMUEL H. SUTHERLAND PRESIDENT, THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES, INC.
A ll Independent, Conservative, Pastors and Churches, are invited to inquire about ordina tion and membership requirements. W rite to: Dept. K
EVANGELICAL MINISTERS AND CHURCHES, INTERNATIONAL
MQ57 Lawrence Ave.
Chicago 25, III.
FREE INFORMATION TWO LP RECORDINGS BY THE NICKEL FAMILY SINGERS “Most played records in our li brary,” many say. Sample copy—printed songs: • 0 Precious Mystery • Good Shepherd Psalm Also full color family portrait. Send request today: NICKEL FAMILY SINGERS 3056 W. Madison, Springfield, Mo.
A New Approach to an Old Problem
I N t h e years immediately following the turn o f the century, the more spiritually-minded leaders o f the major denominations directed much o f their attention toward moral reforms. The mod ern dance with all o f its hellish implications was just beginning to emerge from the relatively innocuous jigs that were carried on by the more respectable element o f the "Gay Nineties.” The liquor interests were just beginning a program o f systematic advertising to promote their products and the tobacco companies were starting increasingly intensive campaigns to popularize their products. The moving-picture industry sprang into being shortly thereafter. Transportation and communications o f various types made it possi ble for people o f one area to become more familiar with the goings- on in other sections. Keeping up with the Jones’s became not merely a neighborhood past-time but an inter-community project. Those Christian people who viewed many o f the trends accompanying these developments with more than a little alarm were called "blue noses,” "kill joys,” "puritans,” or mentioned even more disparag ingly. It was during this period o f time that the W omen ’s Christian Temperance Union, the Anti-Saloon League and the Anti-Cigarette League all reached their zenith o f significance and influence. But what could the Anti-Saloon League, with its dollars to spend for informational purposes, accomplish against the liquor interests with their thousands o f dollars available for promotional activities? What could the Anti-Cigarette League do, with its pennies for informational material, to battle effectively against the well-en trenched tobacco companies with their thousands o f dollars set aside for propaganda purposes? It was a losing battle from the first, and the "blue noses” became less and less effective in their influence until these soul-and-body-destroying businesses won well-nigh uni versal victory. So for a whole generation there has been only an isolated voice here and there raised in protest against the onward sweep o f these nefarious industries. The denominations, as such, have in large measure come to the THE KING'S BUSINESS
W H EA TO N A C A D EM Y
welcomes qualified applicants . . .
L o ca te d on a w ood ed , 33 -a cre campus, six miles northwest of Wheaton, Illinois . . . the Academy offers academic preparation for schools of higher education. Fully accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Second ary Schools, it provides for your son’s and daughter’s all-around de velopm ent-intellectual, spiritual, social and physical life. Write or phone today for admission and placem tnt procedure— Phone 231-0727 WHEATON ACADEMY, Dept. K 1 13 Box 267 Wheaton, Illinois 4 6 th e p e r f e c t 4 4 o a n s w e r 4 6 0 4 to a l l y o u r 4 4 4 4 C h r is tm a s 4 4 4 4 « g i v i n g 4 4 KING’S BUSINESS 4 4 . ( see page 3) 4 è * 4 * • HfF nl h Hr Hr Hr * 4 4 4 THE
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point where these conditions are accepted in today’s society. And, alas, hardly anyone any more thinks o f indulgence or participation in any o f these activities as sinful. The idea o f the Christian’s keep ing his body clean and pure as the temple o f the H oly Spirit is hardly considered at all today. And why should it be, when in so many areas the very personality o f the H oly Spirit is denied by the church leaders themselves? In the early years o f this century, the wind was sown. Alas, today, we are beginning to reap the whirlwind. The visible church o f Jesus Christ has failed miserably in upholding the W ord o f God as the only infallible rule o f faith and practice and in demanding that Christians lives must con form to that Word. N ow we are beginning to hear more and more from secular sources about the harmful effects that the products o f these industries have had upon the bodies o f those who have indulged in them. More and more we are reading in newspapers and magazines about the harmful effects o f drinking and smoking upon the human body and the harmful influences o f modern moving-pictures and modern danc ing upon the morals o f their habitues. The church o f Jesus Christ has possessed from the beginning all knowledge in regard to morals from the time the canon o f Scripture was completed and passed down to us. We need only to read it and to pass its instructions on to our young people. Take for instance the passage in Titus 2 :11-14 as a blueprint for the Christian life: "For the grace o f God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men, "Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; “ Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing o f the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: "W h o gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous o f good works.” It would be a wonderful thing if we o f this generation would begin to recognize the fact that our parents and grandparents who held so rigidly to high moral standards in their day and upon whom we may have looked with a degree o f condescension, were right after all in their condemnation o f these evil practices. Many people thought that civilization was moving onward and upward by get ting away from the rigid mores o f former generations. But, alas, it is being recognized increasingly that we have been merely moving. We have been moving, not upward but downward, in our moral standards, and as a result in our over-all pattern o f civilization. Is it too much to hope for, to pray for and to work for to get our churches and our church people once again to the place where they recognize the indwelling personality o f the H oly Spirit? Is it un reasonable that those who have put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and own Him as their Saviour make an honest effort to keep their bodies clean and pure, fit for the habitation o f the H oly Guest?
Blanket CHILE! Preaching, counselling, laboring, travel ing day and night, 3 PTL teams with 3 sound trucks are now distributing 300,- 000 Gospels of John among Chile's 7.5 million people. We need your daily prayers and we need your help in pro viding Gospels for these spiritually hungry people. "My Word will not return unto me void." + J. Edward Smith, International Director Alfred A. Kunz, International Director Emeritus POCKET TESTAMENT LEAGUE, Inc. 49 Honeck Street, Englewood, New Jersey Canada: 74 Crescent Road, Toronto 5, Ontario
MAY WE PU Y FOR YQVR REQUESTS?
Send to Prayer Time, The King’s Busines maga zine. 558 So. Hope, LosAngeles 17, California.
“THEY LOOKED FORA CITY”
A GREAT CHRISTIAN FILM ■ The incredible true story of a Jew ish family in Eastern Europe and their bitter struggle for survival. You see Jews ridden down by Cos s a c k s ...flig h t from Poland and later from war-torn Germany...a miraculous reunion at an enemy b o rd e r...th e trium ph of faith. Forty-five minutes of breath-taking action in one of the most dramatic, heart-stirring film experiences of your life. BOOK THIS FILM NOW 16 MM NATURAL COLOR SOUND THE FRIENDS OF ISRAEL Missionary and Relief Society, Ins, Rev. Victor Buksbozen, General Secretary 1218-K Chestnut St., 7th fl., Philadelphia 7, Pa.
NOVEMBER, 1963
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BY A. W. TOZER
T h a n k s g i v i n g is an American institution However deep into antiquity its roots may strike, Thanksgiv ing as we know it in this country is as American as base ball, hominy grits, or the hot dog stand. It comes as a glorious climax to that melancholy time which begins deceptively enough with the first bright noddings of the goldenrod, and passes through progressive stages of degeneration where the leaves turn from green to red and gold and on to a soiled and ugly brown. As the mellow radiance fades out of the days, and the nights grow increasingly sharper, we Americans begin to feel a sentimental stirring within us. The farmer glances toward his flock, lets his eyes rest approv ingly on the proudest old gobbler, and smiles. The city wife pauses outside the neighborhood market, notes prices chalked in large figures on the plate glass, and makes a few mental calculations. About this time, the churches become vocally grateful for a lot of things they had somehow overlooked the rest of the year. The Sunday morning prayer, which for months had
faithfully and patiently expressed the worshipers’ grati tude for “ this beautiful Sabbath morning,” now blos soms out into thanksgiving for “ these rich harvests of good things which Thy bounty affords.” We are getting ready for Thanksgiving. When the happy day arrives at last, we meet in noisy groups around our tables and proceed to eat every thing in sight as an indisputable proof that we are not devoid of the grace of gratitude. This is our American institution of Thanksgiving, and long may it wave. The basic idea behind Thanksgiving is good. Grati tude is a sweet virtue pleasing to God and pleasant to know among men. The saints have ever been thankful. The men of the Bible were filled with a deep spirit of thankfulness, sincere, tender, and touched with emotion. They thanked God frequently, volubly, and loudly. They would not be quiet. They would get God’s ear, and they would make Him understand how thankful they were. In the New Testament, Paul more than all other writers is possessed with this spirit of gratitude. His let ters abound with expressions of thankfulness to the saints and for the saints. No kindness, however small, shown him by any person was ever overlooked. He took time out from his prodigious labors to keep caught up on his thanksgiving. He was not only thankful to the saints for their many acts of kindness to him, but also he was thank ful to God for the saints themselves and for all they were and are to each other, to God, and to the world. It is profitable to notice the many facets in the shining jewel of his gratitude. He was thankful to God for the Romans, “ that [their] faith [was] spoken of through out the whole world.” He thanked God for the Corin thians, that they were possessed of every gift. He was thankful for the fellowship and generosity of the Philip- pians, for the great love “ in the Spirit” which belonged to the Colossians, for the “ work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope” revealed by the Thessalonians. Indeed his heart seemed literally to overflow with tender appre ciation of the saints. He was a thankful man. Let us allow the occasion of another Thanksgiving season to remind us to be thankful. And while the object of our gratitude always must be the all-gracious Father of lights from whom every good and perfect gift descends, it is well also that we should learn to be thankful to Him for all of His believing children. Assuredly they have faults — for perfection is not of this earth — but they are, for all that, His own dear children. In them His glory is bound up, and through them His glory is yet to be re vealed to the universe. Each of us owes a great debt to God’s people, living and dead. To the gifted great of the kingdom, we owe such a mighty burden of debt that we could not in a life time repay it, even were such an opportunity afforded us. How much do we owe to those “holy men of God [who spoke] as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” ? And what is our debt to those bearded guardians of the sacred oracles who through centuries of persecution shielded with their lives the precious treasure committed to their charge? How much do we owe to those obscure and for gotten scholars whose patient toil kept pure the sacred text? Or to those meticulous word masters whose transla tions brought the Word of God out of the cloisters and gave it to the common man? How much do we owe to the great Christian writers of other days for books that have blessed the ages: Augustine’s Confessions, Taylor’s Holy- Living, Bunyan’s Pilgrim ’s Progress, Milton’s Paradise Lost, to name only a few When we turn to the hymns of the church, how can we sufficiently praise God and thank His servants? The St. Bernards, the Wattses, the Newtons, the Wesleys, and such as they! They have given voice to the church’s jubi
lation, have caught and set to music her tears and tri umphs and joys and longings; they have enabled her to sing, without which she must have suffocated, like Keats’ tongueless nightingale, from the fullness of her unexpressed delights. Then there are the prophets and apostles, the martyrs and reformers whose sacrificial toil has made us rich. As we muse on what they have done for us, thanksgiving rises naturally to our lips. We cannot thank them in per son (we may be able to do so in the world to come), but we can thank God often for them and for all they have contributed to our eternal happiness. Were any of us able to trace back the path by which the good Word of God and the blessings of the gospel have come down to us, we should hardly be able to restrain our grateful tears. That humble and now forgotten pastor of a hundred years ago (to go back no further) who prayed and struggled against indifference on the one hand and hostility on the other, till at last he won out and a strong church was established; those deacons and elders and praying mothers who kept that church alive over the years; the plain inarticulate members who had no public gifts, but who could and did work long hours in the cold and the heat to acquire means to support that church — the church where in later days we heard the saving gospel — are not we heirs of such as these and under everlasting obligation to be thankful for them? How much we do owe to so many for a thousand com mon things overlooked entirely, or taken as a matter of course with scarcely a nod of gratitude! I am grateful for a plain, hard-working father whose rough and callous hands were the support of my child hood and youth. I am grateful too (and I wish I had told her so before she went away) for a small, sweet-faced and tired mother who counted no day too long to spend in willing toil for me, and no night too weary to sit by my bedside when some childish illness made me fretful. And grateful thanks, not unmixed with wondering incredulity, rises in my heart at the memory of those teachers in the public schools who labored, I sometimes fear, with but scant success, to beat into my unwilling head the rudiments of education and to refine away the savage. Though I cannot understand it, I am profoundly grate ful to them for their patience. But far above this I am grateful to that long-suffering God who endured from me more than they could have done, till in my young man hood the Shepherd found me and brought me to His fold rejoicing. To modify slightly a famous quotation: “ He who is careful to be thankful for everything will always have something for which to be thankful.” It is a blessed habit to acquire, this habit of thankfulness. It will cure a host of injurious evils in our dispositions: self-pity, resentment, murmuring, faultfinding. All these will wither and die of themselves; for how can they grow inside a heart over flowing with gratitude and praise? The habit of being thankful, once it takes a firm hold of the life, will soon produce a multitude of other benefits as well. It will serve to turn our eyes outward instead of inward and thus bring about a healthier state of soul; it will raise our joy level far above anything we have ever known before; it will go far to cure pessimism and en courage a happy outlook on life; it will help to keep us humble and make us more winsome and easier to live with (for which blessing the other members of our fami lies will be thankful in their turn). It bestows so much and costs so little — strange that all of us have not made more of it. Let us begin now to be thankful for each other. It will pay amazing dividends!
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NOVEMBER, 1963
God, and the peace of God shall garrison our minds. We may cast all our care upon Him, knowing that He cares for us. (See Philippians 4:6, 7 and I Peter 5:7.) We should be thankful that as a people we have ability to comfort and bless a needy world— to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to give liberty to the cap tives. Pray and pay to send the gospel, which gives spiritual liberty, into all parts of the world, and praise God for the privilege. T h i r d : What should be the expression of our Thanks giving? David says, “Take the cup of salvation.” This salvation was wrought out for us upon Calvary’s cross, and every sacrifice that men have made is cheap by com parison. In our tragic world, personal salvation is not only of the utmost importance but also THE ONLY POW ER that will bring us through the hell of men’s insanity that may break loose at any time. God wants folk to bring their sin to Him saying,
W h e n G e o r g e W a s h i n g t o n issued the first presiden tial Thanksgiving Proclamation, he said: “ It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection.” This is America’s imperative duty today. David in Psalm 116, by the Holy Spirit, translates this duty into personal experience, and so must we: “ What shall l render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me? I w ill take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord . . . I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and w ill call upon the name of the Lord” (vv. 12, 13, 17). This is the true Thanksgiving spirit. How may we get it? F i r s t : W e should avoid the too prevalent false Thanks giving spirit — expressing gratitude only for material blessings. We would find little for which to thank God in the early Puritan scene when they celebrated that first
“ Just as I am, without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me.” He will save and keep you in the hour of tribulation. Be sure you thank God for the eternal things. An out-of-town visitor to New York got out of the subway train at Times Square. He asked the subway guard, “When I reach the surface I want to find such- and-such a street. Can you tell me where it is?” The subway employee, with typical indifference, said, “ Don’t ask me anything about ‘up there,’ Mister. I don’t know anything about up there. I know all about down here but nothing about up there.” A good many of our professing Christians are like that. Millions in our land care little about anything “up there.” Ignoring God, preoccupied with the material things of life, they are destroying our heritage of freedom. Let us thank God for His “ Unspeakable Gift,” Jesus Christ, and all material and spiritual blessings through Him. Available in printed form from the Am erican Tract Society, Oradell, N J .
Thanksgiving. There were only eleven houses along the village street — hardly luxurious quarters for fifty per sons. Remember, Christianity puts no premium upon ma terial things. Paul said he had suffered the loss of all things, that he might win Christ. America has all but forgotten this. How long has it been since you’ve knelt down before God with the feeling that you just wanted to be near Him and speak to Him and listen for His word because you love Him? This prevalent boasting of full-stomach satisfaction while the world bleeds is hardly in keeping with Chris tianity. S e c o n d : What basis can we find for a true Thanksgiving spirit? We may have inward peace in the midst of the world turmoil. The Bible tells us to be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let our requests be made known unto
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
KING’S BUSINESS ANNUAL BOOK ISSUE I n l o o k i n g o v e r t h e grist of religious books published
during the past year, one is impressed with a num ber of things. Over the past ten or fifteen years there has been a steady increase in the number of religious titles issued, and an increase, of course, in the cost per page. We used to think that when a book went over a cent a page it was getting expensive. Now we are happy to find one that is less than a cent and a half a page. As the number of pages increases, this ratio is reduced, because of the fact that certain operations are necessary for a hundred pages, and the same operations will suffice just about as well for a book of five hundred pages. To illustrate this point, we pick up a book of 119 pages and find that it is listed at $2.50 (Charles F. Pfeiffer’s Dead Sea Scrolls, Baker Book House), and a book of 927 pages, filled with pictures, that can be bought for $9.95 (Zon- dervan’s Pictorial Bible Dictionary, edited by Merrill C. Tenney). A number of secular publishers in the past few years have put in religious departments. In the main, they cater to a wider audience than the religious publishers and they have increased the competition in the areas of quality and price. They can do this because of their large operations. One of the most interesting and exciting examples is the manner in which Harper & Brothers have taken up the publishing of the Auca Indian story and other missionary enterprises. More and more it is now possible for a reliable conservative scholar to get a large publisher to handle his book. Another factor is the popularity of the paperback book. Many titles are now published simultaneously in hard and paper backs. New Testaments and portions are among these. Paperbacks make possible the re-issue of older works that would otherwise not become available. We have before us, for instance, Ruth, the Satisfied Stranger, by Philip Mauro, re-issued by Bible Truth Depot, Swengel, Pa. 220 pages; $1.95. The population increase, the Billy Graham crusades, and other evangelistic and church expansion efforts bring more readers into the field of religious literature. The Bible and religious literature are no longer taboo sub jects in conversation and in reading. Public, church, and school libraries make more and more good books avail able. The Book Editor, because of his position as Book Editor, and because of his position as Head Librarian of The Biola Library, has an enviable view of new titles coming out. In addition to the books sent for review by the publishers more or less sympathetic to the doctrinal position of Biola, and because The Biola Library receives proof cards from the Library of Congress of all religious books being processed, for which printed cards are made, and because we now have every month a list of the chief books published arranged in Dewey Decimal classifica tion order, one can pretty well keep up with new titles in religion. We should like to share with our readers many observations, but space will not permit. We have decided to limit this issue largely to a notice of Bible translations and commentaries. Other material is covered quite extensively, however, in the reviews and “Book End” sections. We have tried to clean up for once the backlog of books on hand, and shall try to keep more current in the future with these columns.
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the
WORD
by Dr. Arnold D. Ehlert Head L ib ra rian and Professor o f L ib ra ry Science, Biola C o lleg e
13
NOVEMBER, 1963
New Bible Translations - a fascinating variety
I BY DR. JOH N H. SK ILTON Professor of New Testament Languages and Literature Westminster Theological Seminary Philadelphia
I n t h e p e r i o d s i n c e 1881, the year in which the Eng lish Revised Version of the New Testament and the Greek New Testament of Westcott and Hort appeared, an enormous amount of work has been done in preparing new or revised English versions of the New Testament. Probably many persons have thought that the English versions made in this modem period are limited to a dozen or so well-known works such as the translation of Moffatt, Weymouth, Goodspeed, Montgomery, Ballantine, Spencer, Knox, Verkuyl, and Phillips, the Revised Stand ard Version, the Confraternity Version, and the New English Bible. Actually, however, since 1881 new Eng lish versions or revisions of translations of the whole Bible, or of the entire or almost the entire New Testa ment, have appeared on the average of more than one a year. New English translations or revisions of transla tions of parts of the New Testament which have been published in this period number more than 400. Even a slight acquaintance with this large group of new versions and revisions will indicate that much variety exists among them. From every point of view from which translations may be judged, there is a chal lenging diversity. In the matter of basic text, for one thing, translations will be found using a Greek text, or a secondary text such as Latin, Syriac, Coptic, Armenian, Anglo-Saxon, and German. In the case of the Greek texts used, the influence of Westcott and Hort is very promi nent, but the Greek base will nevertheless be observed to vary all the way from a form of the textus receptus to the Greek text which underlies the English Revised Version, the Resultant Greek text of Weymouth, the texts found in particular manuscripts, and the texts of Tischen- dorf, Tragelles, von Soden, Nestle, and Bover. There has also been variety of opinion among trans lators and revisers in the modem period (as at other times) as to what accuracy and faithfulness in a version require. Some of them, for instance, have favored a thought-for-thought, meaning-for-meaning rendering — one which is not confined closely to the actual words of the original. The New Testament of the New English Bible has followed this method to a very whimsical ex tent. In the Greek text of Galatians 1:1, to cite an ex ample, the prepositional usage is very significant, and must be exactly expressed by the translator. The King James Version and the American Revised Version follow
the text closely here and succeed in conveying to the reader the true force o f the original. The New English Bible, however, offers a translation which in its unneces sary freedom regrettably fails to acquaint the reader with the precise nature of the Greek text. Phillips’ translation is so free at times as to seem paraphrastic. It is not content simply to use modem English. By substituting cultural equivalents on occasion, it also modernizes some of the content of the New Testament. At I Peter 5:14 the King James Version, following the Greek, renders it: “ Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity.” The American Revised Version reads: “ Salute one another with a kiss of love.” Phillips substitutes a “handshake” for the “ kiss” of the original: “ Give one another a handshake all round as a sign of love.” Very modem also in its sound is his rendering of Romans 9:21, where he introduces reference to a “ pipe for sewage.” Not all modem translators, of course, have taken undue liberties with their text. In fact, at times smooth ness of style has been sacrificed in the interest of close rendering of the text or precise rendering of elements in the text (as in the case of Charles B. Williams’ at tempt to convey the exact force of Greek verbal forms). It might be commented that the translator who wishes to avoid excessive freedom need not resort to a non- idiomatic type of word-for-word rendering. The King James Version and some of its revisions provide good examples of how a translation may keep close to its text and yet not ignore the thought movement of a passage and not do violence to English usage. Translators and revisers in the period since 1881 have given much attention to matters of language and style. They have often advocated making use of clear contemporary English. Their aims indeed have not al ways been realized, and it is not difficult to find serious infelicities of style in some of their versions; but very often they have achieved simplicity of expression and have avoided archaic and obsolete words and forms. Despite, however, rather widespread agreement among them about what is to be desired in language and style, their versions do not lack stylistic individuality. There is a vast difference, for example, between one of the pioneer versions of the modern period, Ferrar Fenton’s translation of the New Testament into current English, with its roughness of style, and the beautifully cadenced
14
THE KING'S BUSINESS
» ' TRAN S LAT IONS • TRANSLAT IONS •TR4 W i t h i n t h e p a s t year or two, a surprising number of translations of the Scriptures have been pub
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lished, and more are in preparation. It is still more astonishing how many versions are still in print. The Biola Librarian seeks to keep abreast of all these publi cations, and information can always be obtained by writing the Library. Information that we have at hand is shared with our readers for purposes of information only — we do not specifically recommend or condemn any version in this survey. No version is perfect. Only those with the ability to handle the original languages can judge adequately the translation at any particular point, and as Dr. Pettingill used to say, every translation is in a measure a commentary. Biola believes that the original autograph copies of the Scriptures were inerrant. Anyone who has studied the question at all recognizes that these do not exist now, but that the best original texts available to translators today faithfully convey the Word of the living God to man as He wants it conveyed. Zondervan is releasing this fall The Marked Chain Reference Bible, edited by J. Gilchrist Lawson (imitation leather at $14.95 and genuine leather at $19.95). From (continued on page 16)
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We have observed so far that much variety will be found among modem versions of the New Testament in basic text used, in conception of what faithfulness to the basic text requires, and in language and style. One further example of diversity will have to suffice. There are important variations among the translators themselves in theological viewpoint, and these variations have left some marks in the versions produced. It is to be regretted that not all who have undertaken to translate the Scrip tures into English have held a right view of Scripture. The work of a translator is very demanding. It requires much learning and much skill. It also calls for devotion to God and His Holy Word. It calls for prayer that the Spirit of God will bless the undertaking. Among modem translations of the Bible there is, then, much variety and in that variety much will be found that is fascinating and profitable. Some versions are valuable in one respect, some in others. The American Revised Version has generally been adjudged stylistically inferior to the King James Version, but it is quite useful for study purposes. The Letchworth Version appears to follow an inferior type of basic text, but it is written in a very pleasing style. Goodspeed uses in the main a good text, but his method of translation and his style are disappointing. The discriminating reader will find much that is of service in modem versions, but he should, of course, never cease to be discriminating. In his recent book on The English Bible (Oxford, 1961) Professor Bruce tells the story of a pastoral call which a young minister in Scotland made on an elderly woman. The minister read to her a chapter from Moffatt’s translation of the Bible. She listened to him and said, “Well, that was very nice; but won’t you just read a bittie of the Word of God before you go?” For her Moffatt’s version was one thing; the Word of God was something else. Probably neither Moffatt’s version nor any other modem version or revision could displace the King James Version from her affections, and there is no need to try to displace that cherished and distinguished version from the affections of those who use it and justly admire it. Modem versions, however, in their fascinating diversity, may profitably at times be used along with it.
New Bible Translations (continued) Letchworth Version of the New Testament. Among the points of stylistic variation in modem versions, mention might be made of the differences in the number of words employed by them. In fifteen pas sages of varying length selected from different parts of the New Testament, passages in which there are few substantial variants in the Greek and Latin texts fol lowed, modem versions collated by the present writer used a total of 4,950 words. It may be of interest to note the rank of the translations studied (including some older versions) in total number of words employed in the fif teen passages collectively, from highest to lowest, and to give the number of words found in them: 1. Basic English ........................... 4,950 2. Williams, C. B..................................................4,693 3. Knox ...................................................................4,666 4. Weymouth (1st ed.) .... ,................................ 4,662 5. Twentieth Century ........................................ 4,459 6. Weymouth (5th ed.) ...................................... 4,459 7. ARV 4,412 8. ERV ...................................................................4,405 9. Goodspeed .........................................................4,404 10. Letchworth ......... 4,397 11. AV ..... ..................................... I ......... ..............4,380 12. Centenary (Montgomery) ............................ 4,354 13. Spencer.................................................................4,351 14. Confraternity .................................................... 4,326 15. Rheims-Challoner ............................................ 4,291 (Benziger edition, 1931) 16. Westminster .................................................... 4,277 17. Riversde (Ballantine) .................................... 4,241 18. Berkeley .................................... 4,221 19.5 Moffatt ........................................:........4,208 19.5 RSV .....................................................................4,208 21. Fenton .......... ,.....1.......'..................................... 4,203 It will be noticed that there is a difference of 747 words between the first and the last versions on this list and that significant differences (as well as resemblances) exist among other versions.
NOVEMBER, 1963
15
numbers which refer to references collected at the end of each book. The text is paragraphed, with verse num bers in the margin. A vertical line indicates verse divi sions in the lines. Typography, paper, and binding are superior. If one is inclined to rebel against this conversa tional style, one must remember that the Word of God first came to men in spoken form, and that the original Greek of the New Testament has been found to be the everyday language of the people of Christ’s day. The translator himself calls it a “ coffee and doughnut” trans lation. It is obviously not designed for public use. It is really a free translation, in contrast to the more literal, such as the King James or the American Standard. Eerdmans is issuing an American edition of Charles Kingsley Williams’ New Testament in Plain English ($3.95 and $2.45 in paper). This was first published in England in 1952 by The Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge. Both Eugene Nida and Frank C. Laubach commend this version for its simplicity; it uses only a little over 1500 words. The Wuest expanded translation of the New Testa ment is now available in paperback (Eerdmans, $2.95). For a couple of years a committee of scholars in Southern California has been working on a revision of the American Standard Version. This is being sponsored by The Lockman Foundation of La Habra, California, which developed the Amplified New Testament. A pilot edition of the New American Standard New Testament, consisting of 1,000 copies, not for sale, has been printed. The Gospels were issued last year, and the Gospel of John in 1960. Chief considerations of this version, which will receive more attention when the entire Bible is printed, include the following: (1) in most instances the 23rd edition of Nestle’s Greek text was used, (2) the ASV style is maintained, except where it needs to be re-rendered into present-day English (the more literal renderings being retained in the margin) (3) alternate translations are carried in the margin, (4) careful dis tinction is made in the treatment of the Greek aorist tense and the Greek perfect tense ( “ began” is italicized when used to render an inceptive or inchoative imper fect), (5) an alteration is made in normal English renderings of the negative question with me ( “ He will not do this, will he?” instead of “W ill he not do this?” ) ; (6) the use is made of an asterisk (* ) to indicate the English past tense which renders a Greek historical present, (7) small capitals indicate Old Testament quota tions, (8) paragraphs denote boldface letters or numbers, (9) marginal notes and references are placed in a column at the outer edge of the page, (10) superior numbers refer to matters concerning the text or renderings, and superior letters indicate cross references. A most useful device is a superior letter to indicate whether “you” is singular or plural, where it is not evident from the context ( “ I say unto yous . . . You?1 do not receive our witness”— John 3:11). Considering the value of the original Ameri can Standard Version, and now these improvements, one is inclined to predict that this will become the most satisfactory of the modem versions for careful study of the Scriptures. Kenneth N. Taylor of the Moody literature distribution department has produced a delightful modem language translation of the Epistles (Tyndale House, Wheaton, 111., $3.50). Billy Graham distributed this version in paperback to all who responded to his invitations at the Los Angeles campaign in August and September last summer, and to his television campaigns in September. Romans 12:1 reads, “And so, dear brothers, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living sacrifice, holy— the kind He can accept. When you think of what He has done for you, is this too much to ask?” THE KING'S BUSINESS
Which Translation (continued) the description it would appear that this is a re-issue of a Bible published earlier in the century under various titles, one of the last being The Marked Bible (John C. Winston, 1928). It uses four colors, each major topic being subdivided by a system of letters, and arranged so that one can run each all the way through the Bible. The Book Editor has used this Bible since 1929, and has found it quite helpful. The Revised Scofield Reference Bible is scheduled for 1965. The New Testament is not scheduled to appear separately before the full Bible. A version which we merely mention, inasmuch as it has only recently been received, and would take con siderable study to evaluate, is The H oly Name Bible (The Scripture Research Association, Irvington, N.J., $10.00). It does away with the familiar names for the Deity: God, Lord, and Jesus, using El, Jahweh, Elohim, and Jahshua. The King James style is preserved for the most part, departing chiefly in idiomatic constructions, leaving some original words untranslated where there is no satisfactory English term and reducing Hellenized names in the New Testament to their Hebrew forms. J. Wash Watts, Professor of Old Testament and He brew at the Baptist Theological Seminary in New Or leans, has issued a translation of Genesis, in which he seeks to maintain the distinctive nature of each verb form and its relationships, so that the English student can derive the benefit of the syntax of the original (Eerdmans, $1.95). This is done by means of a system of symbols indicating situations in the Hebrew that are not readily observable from the English translation: | signifies conjunctions omitted; t, time clauses or phrases written as independent clauses in the Hebrew; o, cor relative perfects; p, prophetic perfects; and /, the point of periodic stress in Hebrew poetry. A system of abbrevia tions for Old Testament texts and translations serves as a critical apparatus. Genesis 2:22-23 illustrates the gen eral style and also presents the first poetical stanza: “ Also Jahweh God proceeded to build the rib which he had taken from the man into a woman and to bring her to the man. Then the man proceeded to say: “This is the time;/ bone of my bone,/ and flesh of my flesh [is she]; / This one will be called Woman,/ for out of Man was this one taken.” / A couple of appendices deal with Hebrew grammatical problems, especially the translation of the waw con secutive in Genesis 1 and 2. Concordia Publishing House in St. Louis has issued a very attractive New Testament in the Language of Today, translated by William F. Beck, who lectured for some time on Biblical Interpretation at Concordia Semi nary in St. Louis, where he received his Th.D. degree. Dr. Beck is fearless in using modern English: “ don’t,” “ 12 o’clock,” “ hurry,” “ worry,” etc. Jesus “ talked to peo ple in a language that was flesh of their flesh,” and the translator sees no reason why the Bible should not so speak to people. Matthew 1:1 starts off in this vein: This is a record showing how Jesus was a descendant of David and of Abraham.” Note a few samples: “ You snakes! Brood of vipers! How can you escape being condemned to Hell?” (Matt. 23:33); “God’s righteousness comes to all who believe, just by their believing in Jesus Christ” (Rom. 3:22); “ Christ has freed us so that we’ll be free. Stand firm, then, and don’t get caught again under a yoke of slavery” (Gal. 5:1). “ Long ago God spoke to our fathers in many different ways by the prophets” (Heb. Old Testament references are indicated by superior 16
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