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“ H e brought streams also out of the roc\, and caused waters to run down lit{e rivers . . . And they remembered that God was their roc\, and the high God their redeemer.”
"Men are God’s Methods”
Many would have been dismayed at the thought of such an undertaking in a community whose entire business structure has been paralyzed by the depression and in a mid-city Church whose membership was composed of sincere Christians of modest means and whose services were largely attended by men and women in the ranks of the un employed. Moreover the church had already assumed obligations which in cluded the support of 27 missionaries. These considerations never seem to have occurred to Pastor Talbot. His reliance is on prayer, and he po ssesses an unwavering faith in a living God who undertakes for His people. He was convinced that the purchase, even at this unpropitious moment, was the right move for the Church to make in order to preserve for Christian wor ship the strategic central location in which the building stands. H e was deter
mined to hold this spot as a permanent witness for God among the unsaved of Los Angeles in these dark days of unbelief and apostasy. In fact he has acted all along as one who has received ample assur ance of success and was without foreboding of failure when he opened his call for funds. H ow the great sum was raised through the ordi nary church services and Sunday afternoon meet ings, and the whole drama of human faith and divine blessing it involved, will be told in detail by Pastor Talbot himself in our September issue. It is the stirring story of sacrificial giving by pray ing Christians for their Church. Yet the blessing will extend much farther. The portion of the debt assumed by the Church will greatly relieve the B ible I nstitute of Los A ngeles of the burden it has long been bearing alone and, with moderate additions for operation, will enable it to carry for ward its educational and evangelistic work. But to understand it fully you must read Mr. Talbot’s article in the September issue of T he K ing ’ s B usi ness . Advance orders for extra numbers should be sent in as soon as possible.
W ILL HEAR m u c h re o f th e m an l o s e portrait is shown above, for he trusts God, undertakes boldly, and accomplishes his objectives. You are looking at a recent photograph of Rev. Louis T . Talbot, Pastor of the C hurch of the O pen D oor and Acting President of the B ible I nstitute of L os A ngeles . During the past seven weeks, he has been the leader in what has proved to be probably the most remarkable adventure of faith and prayer conducted in recent years by any of the Christian churches of America. W e refer to the successful effort just com pleted by the C hurch of the O pen D oor for the raising of funds to purchase its Church home, the auditorium building of the Bible Institute block at Sixth and Hope Streets, Los Angeles. The price required by the banks who hold the mortgage on the Institute property was $350,000.00 for the conveyance of the Church building. The “ down payment” was fixed at $25,000.00; the date for settlement was set for July 15th this year.
• IF YOU ARE A PREMILLENARIAN I have a message for you. It is of supreme value if you wish light for these dark days. I advertised this same message 'some time ago. The letters I re ceived from those who had sent for it were filled with gratitude to God for a new revelation that hacl come to them; almost every one said in effect, “ This should be read by every Christian in America.” S o l am making the same announcement once again; I want to reach every true Christian who is longing for the coming o f the King,¿and I am doing my . part to a ccom p lish it. Whether I reach you de pends on yourself. Just enclose 10c (stamps will do) in a letter and say, “ I am a premillenar- ian; send me your mes sage.’” - If you are not a premillenarian please do not answer this advertise ment. And may I remind you also o f the con tin u ou s needs o f our missionary undertakings? Our work merits your every confi dence. It is a program of world wide Gospel testi mony to the Jews. Your fellowship in prayer and in gift is always welcome and app re cia ted . Ou r monthly publication, THE CHOSEN PEOPLE , is of course sent to all con tributors. J. HOFFMAN COHN AMERICAN BOARD OF MISSIONS TO THE JEWS, INC. 31 Throop Ave., Brooklyn, N. Y.
£ h e S i d l e H a m l i n Motto: “ Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his ozvn blood.” — R ev . 1 :5.
Volume XXIV
August, 1933
Number 7
TABLE OF CONTENTS From Soles to Souls........................................ ;.,....:1l.:.....:.................>,;..-.250 Around the King’s T ab l^ -T h e Editor.................... ......... .................251 Saving America Through Christian Leadership — Clarence H. Benson................ 1...............................................253 What God Hath Wrought in China— Frank A. Keller.................... 256 Failure and Recovery—-P. W . Philpott..................................... ......... .258 Girls’ Query Corner— Myrtle E. Scott...............................................260 A Critical Study o f the Oxford Group Movement — Helen Hopkins................................. ......-261 Present-Day Fulfillment of Prophecy— Louis S. Bauman..............263 Freed from the Curse—Evelyn W . Woodsworth.................. .......... 266 Bible Institute Family Circle...................................—......................,268 Living Lessons from the Book of Life and Everyday Life —Roy Talmage Brumbaugh...................... ............ ............ ......270 Junior King’s Business— Martha S. Hooker............................... ;......271 Our Literature Table............................. 273 Notes on Christian Endeavor—Mary G. Goodner.............................274 International Lesson Commentary.........................................................277 Daily Devotional Readings................................................................. ....284
SUBSCRIBERS’ INFORMATION
ADVERTISING: For information with reference to ad vertising in THE KING'S BUSINESS address the Re ligious Press Assn., 325 North 13th St., Philadelphia, Pa., or North American Bldg., Chicago, 111. Entered as Second Class Matter November 17, 1910, at the Post Office at Los Angeles, California, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage pro vided for in Section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized October 1, 1918. TERMS: Single Copies............................................. 15c Annual Subscription ................................................... $1.50 Two-year subscription or two annual subscriptions 2.50
Five annual subscriptions..........................................$ 5.00 Eleven annual subscriptions........................................ 10.00 Subscriptions in countries outside of U. S. require 25c extra. REM ITTA NCE: Should be made by Bank Draft. Ex press or P. O. Money Order, payable to "Bible Institute of Los Angeles." Receipts will not be sent for regular subscriptions, but date of expiration will show plainly each month, on outside wrapper or cover of magazine. MANUSCRIPTS: THE KING'S BUSINESS cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to manuscripts sent to it for consideration. CHANGE OF A D D R E SS: Please send both old and new address at least one month previous to date of desired change.
POLICY AS DEFINED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES (a) To stand for the infallible Word of God and its great fundamental truths, (b) To strengthen the faith of all believers, (c) To stir young men and women to fit themselves for and engage in definite Christian work, (d) To make the Bible Institute of Los Angeles known, (e) To magnify God our Father and the person, work and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; and to teach the transforming power of the Holy Spirit in our present practical life, (f) To emphasize in strong, constructive messages the great foundations of Christian faith.
I f interested in Annuities, ask for our booklet, “ Jewish Mission Bonds/* '
554-558 So. Hope St., BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES, Los Angeles, Calif.
it h in a stone’s throw of the Bible Institute of L o s A n g eles, a low brick building has been for years stretching its full length, with calm unconcern, between the fitful activity o f a park ing lot and the cramped s e co n d -h a n d bookstore.
of shoes, and a dollar and a half had fig ured. Prayer had been explicit, practical, reverently trustful. No one but the girls themselves and their Heavenly Father knew that they could spare only enough from their entire capital of a dollar and a half to have one pair of shoes repaired—and that two pairs needed it badly. They had no idea from what source help was coming, but they knew it was on the way. “When ye pray . . . your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” It was decided that one pair o f shoes should be repaired—the shabbiest ones, and that one of the girls, the shy, dark haired native of New Brunswick, should go at once to some near-by repair shop. Crowded
d ig n ity o f a Outside, several signs o f antique style and origin proclaim this a “ first-class shoe repair shop” ; inside, one large clear-cut motto in black and white, neatly framed, makes another proclamation, at once bold and blessing-laden: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Even a fleeting glance at the shop or a mere fragmentary conversation with its undemonstrative Scandinavian pro prietor is sure to reveal that the main interest here is not soles, but souls. A friend of the Bible Institute entered the shop early one Saturday morning. “ That was such a splendid thing you did for those two Bible Institute students,” the conversation began, “I mean the two girls who were planning to go into Daily Vacation Bible School work under the American Sunday School Union near the Mexican border, and who couldn’t have gone, probably, if you hadn’t helped them. I wish readers of T he K ing ’ s B usiness could know about it.” Embarrassed, the wearer o f the leather apron, with a half mended shoe in hand, drew back a little with short, nervous steps. “ Oh, I think you’d better not. No S n o t that—not about me.” “ Not even if it would exalt the Lord?” Again the timorous steps, bringing him nearer, uncon sciously, to the framed message on the west wall. He glanced up, brightening. “If it—could.—do that—S h is usual soft tones were lower still. “But I don’t see how it could! Yes, exalt Him, that’s all I want, but never mind about me.” That is why his name is not mentioned in this story, lest
Photo by Adelbert Bartlett
into a single block are four such establishments, each ap parently doing a thriving business. Which one should she choose? The mild-mannered Scandinavian ran rough, accustomed fingers over the worn oxfords that were held over the counter to him. He did not know their owner. He guessed she was a Bible Institute student; her womanly manner and radiant face suggested it. He could not tell why, but sud denly, something (was it not rather Some One?) impelled him to ask, all in one breath, what she planned to do during the summer, and if there was not another girl for whom he could perform a similar service, without charge. Faith has many surprises—breath-taking delights. Simply, beautifully, her wide eyes glistening, the girl told the whole story—o f her two years’ preparation at the Bible Institute, of the recent prayer meeting, o f the scanty purse, of the neglected community waiting for the gospel, of the urge to go “ to the otherwise unreached,” o f her hope to return to the Institute in the fall for postgraduate work. The account was interrupted. “I will give you Gospels,” her benefactor cut in. “ I have only about 150 now, but I will get more.” He might have added that she was not by any means the first lover of the Lord Jesus Christ that he had befriended, and the proffered gift o f Gospels was not the first that he had made. From his slender earnings he had purchased, since Easter, 1,000 Scripture portions for wise distribution. In offering them to this young woman, he knew he could
even so minute a thing as this should rob the Lord of any glory that is His alone. But the circum stances that found a setting in this diffident shoemaker’s shop a few weeks ago are shared eagerly, for they magnify the grace of God, and exalt His name. There had been a prayer meet ing in which two girls, two pairs
trust a Bible Institute graduate to be utterly true in the teaching of the Word, and to be “instant in season and out of season” in prac tical evangelism. Thirteen years’ business experience within a half block o f the Institute had con firmed him in the opinion that any investment in such young [Continued on page 288]
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The shoemaker (above) made an investment. Here are some of the returns— boys and girls at Lincoln Acres and Jocumba, Calif., who have come to love the L o rd and H is W o rd through the ministry of Bible Institute students.
• IF YOU ARE A PREMILLENARIAN I have a message for you. It is of supreme value if you wish light for these dark days. I advertised this same message some time ago. The letters I re ceived from those who had sent for it were filled with gratitude to God for a new revelation that had come to them; almost every one said in effect, “ This should be read by every Christian in America.” So I am making the same announcement once again; I want to reach every true Christian who is longing for the coming o f the King, and I am doing my . part to a ccom p lish it.’ Whether I reach you de pends on yourself. Just enclose 10c (stamps will do), in a letter and say, “ I am a premillenar- ian; send me your mes sage.” If you are not a premillenarian please do not answer this advertise ment. And may I remind you also o f the con tin u ou s needs o f our missionary undertakings? Our work merits your every confi dence. It is a program of world wide Gospel testi mony to the Jews. Your fellowship in prayer and in gift is always welcome and app re cia ted . O u r monthly publication, THE CHOSEN PEOPLE , is of course sent to all con tributors. J. HOFFMAN COHN AMERICAN BOARD OF MISSIONS TO THE JEWS. INC. 31 Throop Ave., Brooklyn, N. Y.
ïïtit ü&ibieTamil#3ita#a^ine M otto: “ Unto him that loved, us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.” — R ev . 1:5.
Volume XXIV
August, 1933
Number 7
TABLE OF CONTENTS From Soles to Souls......................... ........... ................................ ............250 Around the King’s Table— The Editor.................... ........................... 251 Saving America Through Christian Leadership — Clarence H. Benson................ 1............................................... 253 What God Hath Wrought in China— Frank A. Keller.................... 256 Failure and Recovery— P. W . Philpott................................ .............. .258 Girls’ Query Corner—Myrtle E. Scott................................... ............ 260 A Critical Study of the Oxford Group Movement ^H -H elen Hopkins................................. ......... ...... ........261 Present-Day Fulfillment of Prophecy— Louis S. Bauman..............263 Freed from the Curse—Evelyn W . Woodsworth.............................266 Bible Institute Family Circle.................... ............ ^............................268 Living Lessons from the Book of Life and Everyday Life — Roy Talmage Brumbaugh.................................... 270 Junior King’s Business—Martha S. Hooker..... ................................. 271 Our Literature Table............................................................... 273 Notes on Christian Endeavor—Mary G. Goodner............................ 274 International Lesson Commentary........................................... 277 Daily Devotional Readings.........;...........................................................284
SUBSCRIBERS’ INFORMATION
ADVERTISING: For information with reference to ad vertising in THE KING'S BUSINESS address the Re ligious Press Assn., 325 North 13th St., Philadelphia, Pa., or North American Bldg., Chicago, 111. Entered as Second Class Matter November 17, 1910, at the Post Office at Los Angeles, California, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage pro vided for in Section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized October 1, 1918. TERMS: Single Copies.................................. Annual Subscription ...................................................$1.50 Two-year subscription or two annual subscriptions 2.50 15c
Five annual subscriptions..........................................$ 5.00 Eleven annual subscriptions........................................ 10.00 Subscriptions in countries outside of U. S. require 25c extra. REM ITTA NCE: Should be made by Bank Draft, Ex press or P. O. Money Order, payable to "Bible Institute of Los Angeles." Receipts will not be sent for regular subscriptions, but date of expiration will show plainly each month, on outside wrapper or cover of magazine. M A N U SCRIPTS: THE KING'S BUSINESS cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to manuscripts sent to it for consideration. CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Please send both old and new address at least one month previous to date of
desired change.
POLICY AS DEFINED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES (a) To stand for the infallible Word of God and its great fundamental truths, (b) To strengthen the faith of all believers, (c) To stir young men and women to fit themselves for and engage in definite Christian work, (d) To make the Bible Institute of Los Angeles known, (e) To magnify God our Father and the person, work and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; and to teach the transforming power of the Holy Spirit in our present practical life, (f) To emphasize in strong, constructive messages the great foundations of Christian faith.
I f interested in Annuities, ask for our booklet, “ Jewish Mission Bonds.“
554-558 So. Hope St., BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES, Lot Angelet, Calif.
2SI
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
August, 1933
■ rounJ THE KING’STABLE . . . B y the E ditor
H
regeneration. This is not merely “ life changing,” it is life beginning, a new and divine life imparted to the soul. The bane of church life today is the substitution o f a vague religiousness for a vital Christian experience. A quiet study of John 3 :1 to 15, together with 2 Corinthians 5 :17, James 1 :18, 1 Peter 1 :23, and 1 John 5 :1, will supply food for thought and material for sermons. A Lost Art T he E pistle to the Hebrews calls us to “ consider him” and also to “ consider one another.” The two must go together in order to produce a well-balanced Christian life. Christian consideration is almost a lost art even though, next to consecration, it is the most desirable and valuable asset in Christian character and service. This quality o f Christian consideration is conspicuous by its absence from our organized Christian activities. Christian churches and institutions have come under the delusion that their busi ness interests demand the direction o f “ a keen business man.” He may be “ a novice” in the things of God, pain fully immature in Christian experience, but if by shrewd schemes and hard bargains he can make ends meet, he is tolerated and even approved. Christian enterprises cannot be conducted as worldly enterprises are. While the best business methods will be adopted, there is a plus, an addi tion, a spirit which clearly and strongly marks the Chris tian activity. If this is lacking, the Spirit o f God is hin dered and limited. Even a great show o f figures is no com pensation for such hindrance. “ The fruit which God looks for,” said Bishop Moule, “ is a life o f holy serviceableness to Him and to our fellows in His name.” Ask God to give us skill In comfort’s art, That we may consecrated be, And set apart— The London Conference T his world conference on monetary and economic problems was convened by the League o f Nations. It is the biggest thing o f its kind in human history, bringing together not experts to pass resolutions, but representatives having power to reach decisions and conclude international pacts. Its representative and comprehensive character is such that the eyes o f the world are focussed upon it. King George o f England in the opening address said: It is with profound emotion that I see around me this august assembly which seems so vast, but which represents an infinitely vaster conception, the hope and wishes of the entire world. This conception is shared by many public men, editors, economists, journalists, and statesmen who have not hesi tated to say that the hope o f the world is bound up with the success o f this conference. Why then was the Lord God ignored and His guidance unsought? Has He no relation to this “ drama o f deterioration,” a phrase used by the presi- Unto a life of sympathy, 1 For heavy is the weight o f ill In every heart; And comforters are needed much O f Christlike touch. For this, we must know Christ as “ our life.”
Two Quotations
nless the hand o f the Lord be with us, the hand o f the strongest man is paralyzed.” So said the late Dr. Theodore Cuyler, an outstanding man of God whose pas toral ministry and pulpit utterances turned many from darkness to light and greatly enriched the lives o f God’s people. Those who gather “ around the King’s table” should turn to Acts 11:21 from which scripture the above quota tion probably grew. It is a good verse for memory and meditation. “ God’s work done in God’s way will never lack sup plies.” These are the words o f the late Hudson Taylor whose memory is cherished by a great multitude o f people, and whose life demonstrates the truthfulness o f his words. With this second quotation, couple Luke 2 2 :35 and Philip- pians 4:19. The Summer Vacation O w ing to the enforced idleness o f millions o f our peo ple, both the need for a season o f rest and the means to procure it will be lacking this year. Nevertheless, there are thousands o f busy pastors and workers who have la bored sacrificially and strenuously, who will need to “ come apart and rest awhile.” How to use such a season to the best advantage o f all concerned is not an academic question, but a vital matter, especially so to pastors o f churches whose obligations to their people do not cease even though they be absent from the routine o f parish activities. Some o f the best work in our churches is the direct result o f the pastor’s renewing o f strength derived from a well-spent vacation. We were impressed with this through the reading of a little book entitled The Significance o f the Cross by Dr, George H. Morrison, published by the Doran Company. It is the best o f the smaller books on that subject we have ever read. It grew out o f the author’s study and medita tion during a summer vacation. In the foreword to the book, we read: The following pages consist o f the notes I made in the quiet home o f the summer vacation. These “ notes” were used in the weeks following the vacation as a basis for week evening addresses to the people. We wish that every pastor and leader in Christian work might read this book, and then “ go and do likewise.” vidual souls to be the primary need.” The conviction is growing among evangelical believers that there is a great need for renewed consecration to the primary aim o f the gospel as the power o f God to save all that believe. Salva tion for the individual begins with the régénération o f the soul and reaches its consummation in the resurrection of the body. Truly it is “ a great salvation.” There can be no consummation, however, unless there is a commencement. Preach the new birth, its nature, its conditions, its results. Look men squarely in the eye and say, “ Ye must be born again.” Where there is no regenerating truth, there is no The Primary Need recent letter from a missionary in Korea contains this sentence: “ We believe a regeneration of indi
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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
August, 1933
dent o f the conference to describe the depression o f the past three years? In the Scriptures, we read: “ The earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein, for he hath founded it upon the seas and established it upon the floods.” The conference, however, seems to have adopted a new version which reads: “ The earth is man’s and the fulness thereof, for he found it ready made to his hand and hath established himself therein.” In other words, the Creator and Preserver o f the universe and o f men was politely left out, as though He had no interest in human affairs, or at least could not help in this “ drama o f deterioration.” And with what result? Just this: The preparatory commission of experts appointed by the league to draw up a list o f sub jects for consideration recommended that the conference work should be organized under six heads, the first of which was “ monetary and credit policy.” This first subject almost wrecked the conference so that at this writing our newspaper front page articles and editorials appear under such captions as: “ Conference Practically Wrecked” ; “ Conference Crippled but will Continue.” Is not Proverbs 3 :5 and 6 good for assemblies as well as individuals? The opening words o f the conference president, “ W e must not fail,” are pathetic in the light o f recent events. What the ultimate outcome will be, no one can definitely predict. That the conference has lost prestige and power through its first great failure is everywhere acknowledged. To the scripturally instructed Christian, all o f these events are most significant. He knows that lofty human idealism and earnest appeal fail to pry men loose from the selfishness o f which nationalism is only one form. What could be stronger as an appeal than the words o f King George: In the face of a crisis which all realize and acknowl edge, I appeal to you all to cooperate for the sake of the ultimate good of the whole world. And yet when the first problem was discussed, the delegates split so sharply that many o f them, believing it impossible to make further progress, prepared to return to their homes. Again the well-instructed Christian knows that man- is a fallen creature even though cultured and refined. He is fallen from God into self, around which his life now revolves. Being wrong at center, he will naturally be wrong at circumference. Hence discord and strife, wars and rumors o f wars may be expected to the end of the age. The instructed Christian has read in the B ook : “ Cease ye from man” ; and again: “ Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is.” The hope o f the world, as well as o f Israel and o f the church, is none other than our Lord Jesus Christ whose name has not once been mentioned in tbis conference o f nations. The true Chris tian knows that the only remedy for individual selfishness is personal regeneration— “ ye must be born again”—and that the only remedy for national and world-wide selfish ness is the inauguration o f that era to which our Lord re ferred in Matthew 19:28. W e wish the very best for the conference, but our expectation is from God. The R. A . Torrey Estate T he K ing ’ s B usiness is happy to pass on to its read ers a suggestion which appears in the columns o f the Moody Monthly. The late Dr. Torrey was widely known and loved here through his work at Biola and his preaching in the Church o f the Open Door. W e are sure that our readers will take to heart the following paragraphs taken from th e Moody Monthly and will give consideration also to the illustrated advertisement on page 287 o f this issue o f T he K ing ’ s B usiness .
This well-known and honored servant of God de parted this life leaving but a limited estate for the support o f his widow and other dependents. He owned a modest home, well located and equipped in Asheville, N. C., to purchase which he had disposed of his former home in Pasadena, Calif. After his decease, the latter through de fault came back into the hands of his widow, who now desires to dispose o f both properties. The sale of these properties will make possible a readjustment of domestic affairs greatly to the comfort o f those immediately concerned, which is our motive for calling public attention to the matter. We feel sure that Dr. Torrey’s friends throughout the land will be interested to promote in any way they can the sale of either or both of these residences, when they thus learn that it is a way in which they can express their regard for the memory of one who held so large a place in their hearts. Revival Blessing in England nder the auspices o f the Bible Testimony Fellowship o f Great Britain, Dr. William Evans has recently finished a blessed campaign o f Bible teaching across the water. There is in England an encouraging eagerness on the part of the people for the Word o f God. The descrip tive letter that follows will be of interest to our readers. I began a Bible teaching campaign in Dublin Y.M.C.A., o f which Captain Wallis is the able general secretary— a man not only thoroughly capable but eminently, spirit ual, and the work o f the “Y ” there manifests his spirit. The meetings were h?ld in the same building in which Mr. Moody and Dr. Torrey held their meetings—indeed, it is difficult to speak about that “Y ” without mentioning Mr. Moody’s name in connection with it. The audiences grew daily, until after the fourth day we had to open the side room, making a total seating capacity of 2,000, and every seat was taken. God gave us a time ,of wonderful spiritual uplift. The next campaign was in Belfast, in the Ravenhill Presbyterian Church, which was filled to capacity. Then back I went to London, for work with the Lon don City Mission. This organization for Christian work has about 2S0 paid workers. The meetings were held in Queens Hall. Who that was .there can ever forget how the Spirit fell upon that magnificent audience with its 5,000 uplifted and expectant faces? The next meeting was in Alexandria Palace—the an nual meeting of the Bible Testimony Fellowship organiza tion. As I looked into the faces of those thousands of peo ple as they drank in the Word o f God, I felt greatly en couraged to see that the “ faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” has not by any means perished from the earth. And I might say here in this connection that destructive modernism is most certainly failing here. A tree is known by its fruits, and the fruit it is producing is not “the fruit of the Spirit”-^-and the people are begin ning to see that.
Prizing the Cross F rom U go B assie ’ s S ermon
If thou, impatient, do let slip thy cross, Thou wilt not find it in this world again, Nor in another; here and here alone Is given thee to suffer for God’s sake. In other worlds we may more perfectly Love Him, and serve Him, praise Him, Grow-nearer and nearer to Him with delight, But then we shall not any more Be called to suffer, which is our appointment here. Canst thou not suffer then one hour, or two? If He should call thee from thy cross today Saying: “ It is finished, that hard cross of thine From which thou prayest for deliverance,” Thinkest thou not some passion of regret Would overcome thee? Thou wouldst say, “ So soon? Let me go back and suffer yet awhile More patiently. I have not yet praised God.” . Whensoe’er it comes, that summons that we look for, It will seem soon, too soon! Let us take heed in time That God may now be glorified in us.
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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
August, 1933
ING AMERICA through (Slimsiian czQeadershi/j B y CLARENCE H. BENSON* Chicago, Illinois
danger o f becoming a menace, for it is a daring and danger ous thing to train a generation mentally and neglect its moral and spiritual culture. The late president o f Princeton University said, re specting our present economic crisis: Even before the economic depression reached us, we had lost things far more important. We had lost our sense of obligation—had substituted success for character—and heeded modern maxims instead of the old one of “ integrity and service.” Economic recovery rests on confidence, and confidence depends upon individual character. Until in dividual honesty and integrity are recovered, economic recovery cannot be made. A survey of seventy-six leading industrial concerns to ascertain the reason for the annual discharge o f four thou sand clerical workers, revealed the fact that ninety per cent were dismissed for character failure, and only ten per cent for lack o f efficiency or skill. Nine-tenths o f these em ployees lost their positions because o f tardiness, careless ness, laziness, dishonesty, disloyalty, lack of ambition, and lack o f initiative. The failures were in character and not in intelligence. P rohibition and C rime S h ow U p C haracter There can be no better illustration o f the characterless condition o f the American people than their spineless atti tude toward the prohibition question, and their selfish, sordid rush to remove that protecting arm which would keep the nation from sinking back into a bestial existence. The American Bar Association has declared that the United States is now the most criminal nation on the globe. The number o f criminals at large and at work is greater than the combined number o f soldiers and policemen, and their activities cost more than the entire appropriation for the army and navy. Crime steals six and one-half per cent of the entire income o f every American. We have just pointed out that our splendid public school system costs us three billion a year, which is only one-half o f the enormous taxes America must pay for this unparalleled crime wave. And this stupendous tax that we pay for crime does not include the billions o f dollars o f protection money levied by gangsters, kidnapers, blackmailers, and racketeers—a sum greater than the expense of the federal government. L etting G o the W ord of G od We cannot lay the blame for the present condition on our public school system, as many are doing. These schools are our own creation. They are what we have made them. We have built them, furnished them, planned the curricu lum, appointed the teachers, and instructed them in the things which they are to teach. But we have permitted the
[The Bible Institute o f Los Angeles is one o f the cooperating institutions in the Evangelical Teacher Training Association, about which Mr. Benson writes in this article, which was given originally as an address at the World’s Christian Fundamentals Convention, held in Chicago in June. The course outlined by the Association is incorporated in the Institute’s three-year Christian Education Course, so that students graduating from this course are eligible not only to receive the diploma o f the Institute, but also the diploma o f the Evangelical Teacher Training Associa tion. I f preferred, the course may be taken in the Institute’s event ing classes in four years by those who desire simply to qualify in teacher training, in which case only the diploma o f the Evangelical Teacher Training Association is awarded .— E ditor .] ^ II ^ he progress , prosperity, and permanence o f a democ racy are dependent upon two things—the intelligence and the character o f its citizens. A despotism can prosper, as did pagan Rome, by main strength without the development o f education and religion in its midst. A democracy is different. Its people are to be its rulers, and therefore they must be men and women o f both intelligence and character. There is no question but that America has been most faithful in making adequate provision for the mental train ing o f its future citizens. It has one of the finest school systems in the world, and American boys and girls have scholastic privileges which European and Asiatic children might well covet. America in 1928 spent the stupendous sum of $3,033,706,590 for education and employed 1,010,- 232 teachers. In that year, approximately one billion dol lars more were spent for education than the cost o f running the government o f the United States, and more than two billion dollars more than the expenditures o f all the churches of America. One-fourth o f the total debt of the United States is spent in a single year for education. The replies to a recent questionnaire indicate that the alumni o f American educational institutions are giving them the first thought in their wills, and that our schools and colleges have hundreds o f millions to entrench themselves in the next twenty-five years as the greatest charity of the nation. In the last decade, enrollment in our colleges has increased 300 per cent, and in our high schools 600 per cent. M agnifying I ntelligence and M in im izing C haracter But while America has manifested commendable zeal in furthering the intelligence o f its citizens, it has shown comparatively little concern for the development of their character. In fact, there is nothing more apparent today than that the American people have made the fatal mistake o f magnifying intelligence and minimizing character. The very success o f our splendid American school system is in *Secretary, Evangelical Teacher Training Association.
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Bible, the most important subject of all, to slip out o f our public schools, after we have carelessly neglected to teach it in our homes. The tragedy o f America is that those o f us who believe that the Bible lies at the very foundation of national sta bility have so woefully neglected to teach it either in home or in church. W e lament the fact that bolshevist and mod ernist leaders have entered our colleges and institutions of higher learning and misled our youth, when we should weep over our earlier failure to implant the Word o f God in the heads and hearts o f our boys and girls. The sum and substance o f the whole matter is that Protestants—yes, even Bible-loving Protestants—have not and are not taking Christian education seriously. I f the public schools should be no more successful in removing illiteracy than the church is in furthering the knowledge of
Church is predominant. In 1900, its most honored presi dent, Dr. J. B. Gambrell, declared: “ The most significant o f all modern movements is the work of teacher training.” Upon his recommendation, that denomination adopted the slogan, “ A Certificate for Every Teacher,” and all its re sources were concentrated upon this movement. For the last thirty years, teacher training has been emphasized upon every platform and in every paper. This measure of teacher training has been followed in like proportion by a measure o f success. According to government statistics, the Southern Baptists gained one million scholars between 1916 and 1926, an increase larger than the Northern Meth odists, Lutherans, Disciples, Episcopalians, and Presby terians combined. And because the evangelistic effort that was put forth by their trained teachers has been manifest in accessions to the church from the Sunday-school, we
the Bible, two out of, three o f our nation would not be able to read or write, and the remaining third would be no farther than the second reader. If the Catholic Church edu cated its children as carelessly as the average Protestant Church, it would break down in a generation. To the Catholic child, religion may be a very formal thing, but never theless it is a very constant and im portant thing. Protestant parents pay forty- seven cents of every tax dollar to provide the best trained teachers to instruct their boys and girls in secu lar subjects, and only two cents of every church dollar to teach them the Bible. A recent survey o f 674 churches whose annual budgets averaged $11,000 revealed the fact that sixty per cent did not make any provision whatever for the Sunday-school, while the remaining forty per cent did not contribute more than an average of thirty- seven cents per pupil for instruct ing their boys and girls in the Word o f God. W hat is the S olution ? What will save America from
were not surprised to learn that in 1931 this denomination added more church members than nearly all . the other denominations to gether, while last year their acces sions were even larger. There are in round numbers one million teachers and officers giving voluntary service in the Protestant church schools o f Amer ica. Six years is the average work ing period o f the volunteer worker. This means that the Protestant Church this year and «very other year must recruit and train 160,000 new volunteer teachers and officers for the pupils already enrolled. I f in addition the church is to show any concern or take any definite action toward reaching and teaching the thirty-six million Bibleless and teacherless children and adolescents in theUnited States, no less thanone- half million new volunteer teachers must be recruited and trained this year and every other year. A n E ffort to M eet the R ising N eed In recognition o f the impor tance o f the trained teacher to the success o f the Sunday-school, and in recognition o f the importance of the Sunday-school to the salvation
inevitable collapse? Listen to the sound and sane words o f a high offi cial in the United States army—words pregnant with truth: The army cannot save America. The navy cannot save America. Nothing but multiplying Sunday-schools until they are as thick as schoolhouses will save America. America’s greatest need undoubtedly is the multiplying o f real Bible schools, but there is a great deal o f difference between the standards of our Bible institutes and the aver age Sunday-school. The Sunday-school is supposed to be the training school of the church, but the church does very little training. It is this sad neglect which has given rise in recent years to so many Bible institutes. You cannot have a real school without real teachers, and you cannot have real teachers without training. Up here in the Nor,th, we are accustomed to speak of some o f the' Southern states as being in the Bible belt. These states still are old-fashioned enough to magnify the teaching o f the Bible, and will be among the last to repu diate the prohibition amendment. But there is a reason for the Bible belt. In these states, the Southern Baptist
Keystone View
of the nation, the Evangelical Teacher Training Associa tion has been launched. Thirty-eight Bible institutes, or thodox colleges, and theological seminaries have joined to certify to the public their deep interest and concern for Christian education. In the comparatively few months of its existence, hundreds o f students have been enrolled in the classes of these cooperating institutions, and in one city the number runs into the thousands. Since the last annual meeting in February, more diplomas and certificates have been issued than in all the preceding months o f its existence. The Evangelical Teacher Training Association has es tablished a new curriculum standard. It is the first to con form to the recommendation that a full collegiate course in religious education be recognized as not less than twenty- four semester hours (432 Bible institute hours). This makes its Standard Training Course four times as long as that of the Standard Leadership Course o f the International Coun cil o f Religious Education. In addition, it requires that its students major in Bible, Personal Evangelism, and Missions. The Association be lieves that the teacher must be thoroughly familiar with
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is unquestioned are approved as teachers, and only such textbooks are recommended as are in full accord with the teaching o f the Bible. The names o f the evangelical schools associated with this organization are a sufficient guarantee that there will be strict adherence to the funda mentals of Christian teaching. N ot G rief A lone , but A ction N eeded Mary Virginia Lee, in Building the Intermediate De partment, tells of a Sunday-school worker arriving one Sunday morning in a beautiful and prosperous southern town. As no one met her at the station, she took a taxi, and driving past the square, noticed automobiles double parked all around the court house. This seemed so strange at such an early hour on the Lord’s Day, that she asked the driver what it all meant. He replied, “ The men o f the town have gathered here to go out in search o f a little boy who has been lost since Friday noon. Organized parties have been searching continually night and day ever since. Many have not even slept, but have been constantly seeking the lost child.” When they arrived at the home where the worker was to be entertained, she found that her hostess, who was the little lad’s Sunday-school teacher, had spent the night with the grief-stricken mother, and her husband had just returned from a fruitless all-night search. The sympathy of the entire town was aroused. Although many were praying, the anxiety grew more tense with every pass ing hour, and hope was giving way to dread. Throughout the morning services there was a spirit o f expectancy but still no news. About noon as the people were returning home from church, some one shouted, “ The boy is found !” Immediately loved ones, friends, and neighbors hastened to join the happy parents. There was great rejoicing every where because the lost boy had been found. A thousand times more awful is the fact that many, many of our American boys and girls are lost, separated from God, and condemned to eternal punishment. They are as surely lost as the heathen in a foreign land, who never heard o f God. It might have been possible for the little lad to have wandered back home, but not so with a lost soul. Sin is constantly leading it away from God. Poor, lost, sin-sick humanity cannot wander back to God, so Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost. If our boys and girls are ever brought to the Saviour, some one must seek them. There is a general impression among fundamentalists that the supreme work o f the church is evangelism, the win ning of lost men and women to God. But there is something more important than evangelism; the supreme business of the church is the provision and preparation o f evangelists. And the supreme evangelistic field o f the church is the Sunday-school. There needs to be a teacher training class in every church, if for no other reason than that every Sun day-school teacher may be an evangelist. It is the great opportunity and responsibility o f every teacher to win his or her scholars to Jesus Christ and build them up in Chris tian living. For such a teacher God has provided the highest recognition and the greatest reward which the mind can conceive: “ They that be wise [teachers] shall shine with the brightness o f the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.”
her Textbook, and therefore requires seven times as many hours for the study o f the Bible as the standards o f the International Council o f Religious Education. The Asso ciation also believes that the most productive field for evan gelism is the Sunday-school, and the most important evan gelist the Sunday-school teacher, and therefore lays great stress upon the training o f the teacher as a soul winner. It recognizes, too, that a sufficient knowledge of missions must be imparted to Sunday-school teachers if they are to interest and enthuse their pupils in the missionary enter prise o f the church. The tragic failure to emphasize evan gelism and missions in modern training courses is undoubt edly responsible for the diminishing gifts to missionary effort, as well as the decrease in additions to church membership. In the second place, the Association has set a new peda gogical standard. Those who are close to the work of teacher training have long recognized that it is impossible to maintain the same pedagogical efficiency in classes con ducted by local churches or by correspondence as when this instruction is secured in academic halls. Students in the local church are largely governed by the low standards o f the Sunday-school, and do not readily respond to the more exacting demands for study and recitation that the best standards in teacher training require. On the other hand, the studious atmosphere of academic institutions makes it possible to secure the same attention to studies in teacher training as in collegiate subjects. Walter Scott Athearn, in his recent book, The Minister and the Teacher, says: Teacher training programs now promoted by depart ments of church schools of various denominations are well intended, but they are largely futile. The training of church school teachers cannot be achieved by promotional agencies. It is an educational task which can only be solved by academic agencies. It is on the basis o f such strong testimony as this that the Association feels it would be unwise to offer its Stan dard Training Course outside the various schools that compose it. By restricting the work o f the classroom, the church may be assured that those who possess the diplomas o f the Association will have received a much more thorough and efficient training than anything that has ever been at tempted heretofore. In the third place, the Association has set a new e ffi ciency standard. It insists upon continuous and consecutive work, which has not only greater value for efficiency, but enables the student to complete a much longer course in a shorter time. Some o f the institutions have already ar ranged for the Standard Training Course of 432 hours to be completed in one year in their day school or two years in their evening school. Think how quickly a Sunday-school can be transformed into an efficient institution when its teachers can secure such unparalleled and complete train ing within one year! In the fourth place, the Association has established a new economical standard. The fact that the cooperating Bible institutes for the most part do not charge tuition makes it possible to offer this course at a minimum of ex pense. The Bible is used exclusively as a text in Bible instead o f a long list o f books written about the Bible. For this reason, the expense for textbooks is comparatively small. Officers o f the Association give their time for the promotion of the work gratuitously, and as the expense of administration is thus reduced to a minimum, the organiza tion is maintained without contributions from cooperating schools or enrollment fees from the students. In the fifth place, the Association has established a new evangelical standard. Only instructors whose orthodoxy
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