September, 1940
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
324
Christ the Stone of Scripture
By KENNETH M. MONROE* Los Angeles, California
The Chief Corner Stone
“The Inscription upon this cor ner stone, ‘Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,’ will ever tell to the cas ual passer-by the sweet, life-giving message of the blood, and remind the believer in Christ of God’s great salvation which His infinite wisdom and love devised and provided, . . . ‘in that, while we wère yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ This is the foundation on which we are build ing, for ‘other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.' Therefore our watch word is and ever will be, ‘Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, . . . to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.’ ’’ Scripture views the body of believers bom again in Jesus Christ as a unit, with Pentecost marking its birthday and the rapture its translation from the earth. Sometimes, the church is rep resented under the figure of “the body of Christ’1 (1 Cor. 12:27); other times, as “the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15); and still'other times, as “a spiritual house” (1 Pet. 2:5). The comer stone of this spiritual house is the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom Peter refers in these picturesque words, “a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious” (1 Pet. 2:4). 1. The chief comer stone. “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fel low citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief comer stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy tem ple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for a habita tion of God through the Spirit” (Eph. 2:19-22). A simple test and one easy to apply to the multitudinous religious vagaries o f the day is contained in this portion of Scripture. Merely ascertain, “Is
The Stumbling Stone
The Destroying Stone
I N DAMASCUS, Syria, in the sum mer of 1939, I purchased a small table of inlaid wood and pearl. It now stands in my secretary’s office and is a work o f art appreciated by stu dents and friends. More than a thou sand small pieces are “fitly framed to gether” forming a single table. The mosaic of the .octagonal top and sides is in artistic design, and it is very clear that the artisan had a plan. Holy Scripture, in the mosaic of in numerable word pictures, presents Him who said, “I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last.” It portrays in ever- varied hue the One who is the visible “image of the invisible Gojd,” the One in whom “dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” The soul consumed by Pauline passion “that I may know him” never wearies of searching God- breathed mosaics for new lights and shadows on the multiform life and work of the Lord of glory, from the creation story to the time when “he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father.” Two years ago, while teaching the doctrine of Christ to a Bible Institute class of some two hundred fifty stu dents, I offered a prize to the student who found the greatest number of Scrip-
tural designations of the Second Person of the Trinity. A week, was given for the search. The assignment was to be written, with Scripture référence for every designation. The class research was a revelation to me. On the morn ing of the report, I asked all who had found more than one hundred Scrip tural designations of the Second Person of the Trinity to stand. Practically the entire class stood. Then I moved on by fifties, asking those to remain stand ing who had found designations above the number we were for the moment considering. More than a score still were standing when the four hundred mark was reached. To one who had found more than five hundred names was given the prize aluminum plaque, which read, “For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.” It is our privilege, now, to trace the mosaic of “Christ the Stone of Scrip ture.” I. Christ the Foundation Stone. From time immemorial, the ceremony o f laying a comer stone has been in volved in the construction of walls, gates, temples, and public buildings. On May 31, 1913, the corner stone of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles was laid. At that time, Lyman Stewart, as the first President of the Institute, said,
* Dean , Bible Institute of toe Angeles.
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