VOL. 16
NO. 6
JUNE 1925
righteousness exalteth •X A NATION"
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E dw ard W atrous, P res. Mrs. W. K. K rouse, Secy. Fill out the Coupon on Page 286, or D rop Us a Postal and say “COUNT ON ME” to help double the circulation of Our Bible Family Magazine. T he K ing ’ s B usiness 536-558 SOUTH HOPE STREET LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
T he K ing ’ s B usiness Motto: “ I, the Lord , dLo keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and d a y I s a i a h 27:3. PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY AND REPRESENTING THE BIBLE INSTITUTE O F LOS ANGELES
T . C. HORTON , Editor-in-CK ief
WM. A. FISHER, M anaging E d ito r
R. H. RICHARDS, B usiness M anager
CONTRIBUTORS
DR. LEANDER S. KEYSER DR. C. E. MACARTNEY
DR. JOHN M. M acINNIS
DR. MARK A. MATTHEWS
DR. I. M. HALDEMAN DR. J. FRANK NORRIS
WM. JENNINGS BRYAN DR. CHARLES R. ROADS
DR. F. E. MARSH
DR. W . B. HINSON
DR. W . B. RILEY
TH IS MAGAZINE sta n d s fo r th e Infallible W ord of God, an d fo r its g re a t fundam ental doctrines. ITS PUR PO SE is to stren g th en the faith of all believers, in all th e w orld; to s tir th e ir h e arts to engage in definite C hristian w o rk ; to a cq u ain t them w ith th e v aried w ork of th e Bible In stitu te of Los A ngeles; an d to w ork in harm ony an d fellow ship w ith th em in m agnifying th e p erso n an d w ork of o u r L ord Jesu s C hrist, and th u s h asten H is com ing. Volume XVI June, 1925 Number 6
Table of Contents
BOARD OF DIRECTORS BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES
Page ..245 ..246 ..246 ..247 ..247 ..248
Editorials
Laxity in Law Enforcement.......................'.................... The Making of Real Men.............................................. The Practical A spect of Our Lord’s Appearing....... Man’s W eak W eapon vs. G od ’s W onderful Word W o rld ’s Christian Fundam entals Conference.,....... A Cordial Invitation................................■........ ............. .
J. M. IRVINE, P resident GEO. F. GUY,
V ice-President
J. P. WELLES, S ecretary A. ADDISON MAXWELL, T reasu rer DR. A. T. COVERT H. B. EVANS HOWARD FROST C. A. LUX NATHAN NEWBY J. M. RUST MRS. L. M. STEWART FACULTY DR. JOHN M. MAC INN1S, Dean DR. RALPH ATKINSON, A ssociate Dean REV. JOHN H. HUNTER, Sec. of Faculty REV. W ILLIAM H. PIKE, Sec. E vening School REV. K EITH L. BROOKS, Sec. Cor. School PRO F. H . W . KELLOCG DR. JOHN MARVIN DEAN PR . ERNEST G. RAITT &EV. JOHN A. HUBBARD PROF. J. B. TROWBRIDGE , PROF. H. G. TOVEY MRS. BESSE D. McANLIS MISS MARIE CARTER MRS. A. L. DENNIS CHRISTIAN M, BOOKS MISS W ILMA KRAG PROF. ARTHUR A. BUTLER W . R. HALE. A ss’t S uperintendent D. L. FOSTER, S tu d en t Secretary
Contributed Articles The Separateness of the Church— Dr. J. Gresham Machen................... 249 Satan’s Triangle— Prof. S. J. Bole.............. .............. ......:......._......1 . . __252 The Scriptures are Unique in Their Details— Dr. F. E. Marsh................ 253 The Kingdoms of This W orld— Hom era Hodgson ........... ........ ............. 248 The Messiah of the O ld Testam ent Prophecy — Pastor A. Reilly C opeland........................................... ................... 254 The Books of the Bible-—G ertrude H artley ..........................................255 The Duty of Intolerance.....................................................................................256 A Marvelous S tory of Conversion From Bolshevism to Christianity__257 Our New D ean................................................. ............................. ............................. 242 Fine Gold (A Serial S to ry )— Josephine Hope W estervelt.............. .................258 Current Comment ......................................................................................................... 260 Our Bible Institute in Hunan Province (C h in a ).................................................... 261 Chinese Soldiers Eager fo r th e Bible— Carleton Lacy .....................................262 Evangelistic D epartm ent (Interesting Soul Winning Stories from Real Experience).............. 263 The W ord of G od in the G arden of Russia...........................................................265 Pointers fo r Preachers and Teachers (Hom iletieal H e lp s )................................2 66 The Family Circle (F o r Fellowship and Intercession)........................................267 Practiced Methods of Personal W ork (F o r Defenders of the F a ith ).............. 26 8 Outline Studies in th e Book of Ju d e ...........................................................................269 Christian Endeavor Topics ....................................................................................... ...270 The Children’s G arden (The King’s Business Ju n io r)........................................271 Bible Institute H appenings.......................................................................................... 2 73 A Unique Ministry (Correspondence Bible S tu d y ).............................................2 7 4 Best Books .1................................... ............. ........ ..................... ................................. 275 The Chosen People, the Land, and the Book........................................... ............ ,283
CHANGE OF ADDRESS BOOK ORDERS
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Please send b o th old an d new addresses« a t le a st one m o n th previous to d ate o f d esired change.
M uch confusion a n d delay will be avoided if orders, fo r books a re sen t d irect to th e B iola Book Room, 536-558 S. H ope St., Los A ngeles, C alifornia, instead) of being enclosed in m ail intended for T he K ing’s B usiness. E ntered as Second C lass M atter N ovem ber 17, 1910, a t th e P o st Office- a t Los A ngeles, C alifornia, u n d er th e A ct of M arch 3, 1879. A cceptance for m ailing a t special ra te of p o stag e p rovided fo r in. Section 1103, A ct of O ctober 3, 1917, auth o rized O ctober 1, 1918.
536-558 S. H o p e Street,
BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES
Los A ngeles, C alifornia
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Since the inception of th e Montrose Bible Conference, Montrose, Pa. sixteen years ago he has been associated w ith Dr. R. A. Torrey as Secretary of th e Conference. Dr. Maclnnis has been a member of the Faculty of the In stitu te for the past two years and comes to us in th e full streng th of life, w ith years of experience in th e active m inis try and well qualified to assume th e duties which he has now undertaken. The Board of D irectors commends him to the friends of the Bible In stitu te for th eir prayers th a t he may be used of God in directing the educational w ork of the In stitu te. Dr. Maclnnis will have associated w ith him Dr. Ralph A tkinson as Associate Dean of the school, who has been w ith th e In stitu te for a number òf years. A DECLARATION OF UNDERSTANDING, POLICE: AND MOTIVES IN ACCEPTING THE DEANSHIP OF THE BIBLE INSTI TUTE OF LOS ANGELES. In accepting th is im portant position, involv ing so many interests, I wish to outline my understanding of the n atu re and purposes of the Bible In stitu te and the. policies which shall govern me in carrying out my ta sk and responsibility as the Dean: 1. Our R elation to th e Church of Christ. The fundam ental fact of my life is th a t I am a Christian and, therefore, a member of the Church of Christ. I am also a m inister of Jesus Christ, having been called of God, and having definitely consecrated my life and all th a t I am to His work and His will th rough His Church. I understand th e mis sion of th a t Church to be the w inning of men and women to Christ, making them His dis ciples and teaching them to observe all things whatsoever He has commanded. I also believe th a t the Church is th e chief in stru m ent used by our glorified Lord in carrying out His purposes in th is age. Therefore, it is essential th a t any In stitu tion to which I would pledge my life and service m ust be in harmony w ith th is purpose and will of God in His Church. I understand the Bible In stitu te to be a p art of the Church and in complete harmony w ith its fundam ental mission and purposes— no t an independent organization in competition w ith the Church, b u t a v ital p art of the Church life, cooperating w ith every o th er v ital p art of the Church in carry ing out its world mission.
DR. JOHN MURDOCH MAC INNIS
OUR NEW DEAN T HE Board of D irectors of the Bible In sti tu te of Los Angeles takes pleasure in presenting to its friends th rough The K ing’s Business the picture and the “Declara tion of Understanding, Policy and Motives” underlying acceptance of th e Deans'hip of the school by Dr. John Murdoch Maclnnis. Dr. Maclnnis was born in Prince Edward Island, Canada; is a g radu ate of th e Divinity School of Philadelphia, the Syracuse Uni versity, and Moody Bible In stitu te of Chi cago; was ordained as a m inister in the Red River Presbytery of Minnesota. He has enjoyed a successful m inistry in some of th e largest churches in th e United States. His pastorates were the McAllister College P resbyterian Church of St. Paul, Minn.; th e Montrose P resbyterian Church, Montrose, P a.; Gaston P resbyterian Church of Philadelphia, P a.; P a rk S treet P resbyter ian Church, Halifax, N. S.; his la st m inistry being in th e South P resbyterian Church of Syracuse, N. Y.
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2. The F und am en tal N ature of th e In stitu te.
Second, I shall endeavor to develop the course for Sunday School work, young peo ple’s work, and “ Christian Education,” i and make it in every way thoroughly efficient. Third, I shall endeavor to help those who are looking towards th e m inistry bu t cannot avail themselves of the courses in the regular evangelical In stitu tion s for th e train ing of th e m inistry, to get the best possible train ing in th e circumstances. J F ou rth , I shall endeavor in every way pos sible to foster a strong, wholesome and in tense m issionary sp irit in the whole In sti tu te th a t it may cultivate in all the students a genuine m issionary vision and passion. F ifth , it shall be my set policy to cultivate th e friendship and confidence of the Church of Jesus Christ so th a t they may be eager to send to us th e ir young people for train ing and so th a t when they are thoroughly trained, the Church may fully open h er doors for oppor tu n ity to serve them a t home and abroad. To th a t end I sliall earnestly endeavor to cre ate a desire for our kind of goods, by mak ing them th e very best in the m arket. It shall be my desire to yield myself to Christ in a leadership th a t shall constantly seek His will and His glory. To th is end I shall seek to cooperate w ith all my fellow- workers in the sp irit of love which is patient, kind, knows no jealousy, makes, no parade, is never rude, never selfish, never resentful, never glad when others fail, slow to expose, always eager to believe th e best and always hopeful. In th is sp irit it is my wish to coop erate w ith all who love Jesus Christ as Lord and Master and are tru e to Him as God m ani fest in the flesh for th e redemption of the world. In th is sp irit also, I confess my own unwavering faith in the foundation tru th s of Christianity: I believe in God the F a th e r A lm ighty as revealed in Jesus Christ our Lord; in the absolute in teg rity of the Word of God as the only infallible ru le oi fa ith and practice; in th e Deity of Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, sinless life, atoning death, resurrection from the dead, and His (prem illennial) coming again in like manner as th e disciples saw Him go away. When th e Word of God is not clear and th ere are differences of opinion as to w hat is the righ t course to follow or th e rig h t in terp retation to be given, I must be guided by what I under stand to be th e teachings of God’s Word and H is will for me in the circumstances— my final responsibility is to God and before Him I must stand or fall.
I understand the In stitu te to be primarily- a school for th e train ing of men and woipen for Christian work and th a t all its activities are in accord w ith and supplementary to th a t g reat mission. 3. A uthority in th e In stitu te. I understand th a t th e supreme au tho rity in the Bible In stitu te rests in its Board of Direc tors and th a t all other au tho rity in th e In sti tution is delegated b y . th a t Board and ac countable to it, and th a t th ere is no com- m ittée or individual outside of th a t Board having a rb itra ry or final au tho rity which can be exercised w ithout .reference to th e wishes and final au th o rity of th e Board. 4. The Dean’s R elation to th e Board. I understand th a t the Dean of th e Bible In stitu te has charge of the directing of the activities which are vitally related to the life and in terests of th e school, and th a t th ere is no individual or comm ittee between himself and the Board w ith a rb itra ry power over him, bu t th a t in case of any dispute w ith his fel low-workers in any p art of the In stitu te activities, the final decision must rest w ith the Board of Directors. 5. Chief P urpose of th e In stitu te. I understand th a t the chartered mission of th e In stitu te is the p reparation of young men and women for Christian work. The students are selected from among young men and women who have a genuine experience of God in Christ and it is the purpose to develop in them a deep and wholesome pas sion for soul, w inning and a love for th e Word of God. This means th a t in the train ing , the main stress is pu t upon Bible study, the develop ment of a strong and wholesome Christian life and thorough train in g in soul winning. I understand th is purpose to be in perfect accord w ith the mission of th é Church of Christ, and th a t it is th e sincere desire of the In stitu te to so cooperate w ith th e.C hu rch as to be constructive in its influence. 6. Declaration of Policy and Motives. In accepting th is c a ll it is my sincere desire and policy, to intelligently strive to consistently and constructively m aintain the course of study th a t w ill make it the very best Bible In stitu te course available. In 'doing this, it shall be my aim first of all to continue a t its best, th e prim ary purpose of Bible In sti tu te work— th e train ing in soul w inning and Bible study of those who did not have full educational advantages.
Dr. K eller is the representative of th e Bible In stitu te of Los Angeles in China. Many years of active service have given him an outstanding position among th e leaders of evangelical m issionary work in th a t great field. It was while he was still identified with the China Inland Mission th a t Hunan, for merly known as “ the sealed province” , was opened for m issionary work, and it was in Dr. K eller’s home a t Changsha th a t J. Hud son Taylor; the pioneer, laid down his life. Dr. K eller possesses the g reat traits of ceaseless energy, train ed ability and untiring devotion to th e service to which God has called him, and th e Bihle In stitu te of Los Angeles is honored in having for the superin tendent of its China work th is m arked man of God. "V.
Mrs, K eller is a real helpmeet in th e work a t Changsha, having charge, of th e Women’s D epart m ent of th e H unan Bible In stitu te and teaching a number of classes there, in addition to managing th e affairs of th e household. “Mother” - Keller, Dr. Keller’s, mother, though now in h er eighty- eighth year, has th e real mission ary spirit, having given up her com fortable home in th e E ast to accompany Dr. and Mrs. Keller to China eight years ago, retu rn ing w ith them when they came home recently for a much needed fu r lough, and will go w ith them when they retu rn , soon, to. th eir work at, Changsha.
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¡ ¡ U | m m m § t '
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which were once considered as solemn obligations. Is not “ love the fulfilling of the law,’’, and should not the violators of solemn vows be recognized as brethren ? Should we not give them the right hand of fellowship. Commune with them and commend them to the world at large? Why quarrel over such little matters as the verity of the Scriptures, or the Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ? Are we not commanded to love one,another? But John, the Beloved—John, Apostle of Love—says: “If th e re come any un to you, and b ring no t th is doc trin e (th e doctrine of C h rist), receive him n o t in to your house, n eith er bid him God speed; “ Oh, well, John was an old man. Never mind what he says. Just welcome the vis itor and let him tell his story. We must not be too [Critical. John was old fash ioned. This is a, new age.” Now what is the effect of' this ¡attitude upon the part of church leaders on the matter of law enforcement in the home, school, church, society, and the nation? The good woman who is now Governor of T e x a s has already pardoned three hun dred and fifty-three crimin als and released them from prison. What effect will this have upon the thousands of criminals not yet convicted or condemned? Will it make life any safer for the citizens? Some of us have had long experience with criminals. The writer has had letters from criminals in the peni tentiary thanking God that they heard the Gospel in the jail and were glad to pay the penalty of their crime in prison for the privilege of being freed from the penalty of their sin by accepting Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. Does God overlook the violation of natural laws? Never. Do little children have to suffer when they vio late one of God’s natural laws? Always. What is the effect? They learn the lesson of obedience to God’s law. If God did not punish, would there be any respect for law? No. Every violation of His law, whether by men, women or children, is attended with a penalty. The price must be paid. Ignorance offers no exemp tion. Fire burns! (Gal. 6:7) : “Be n o t deceived; God is no t mocked; fo r whatsoever a m an soweth, th a t shall he also reap .” Hear the testimony of Mrs. Mabel Walker Wille- brandt, Assistant Attorney General, at Washington, who has been touring the country handling all the legal business in connection with the Federal penitentiaries. In addressing the American Prison Conference at Salt Lake City, she came out boldly for heavier and “F o r he th a t biddeth him God speed is p a rta k e r of his evil deeds.”
LAXITY IN LAW ENFORCEMENT There are many people, in this fair land of ours, who are possessed with sentimental ideas which are creating conditions that presage evil, in place of good for the future. ' Moral conditions in the home, the schools, the church, in society and in the country at large, grow daily worse. And it is not a pessimistic pencil which writes these words, but a prophetic pen. The secular press proclaims the fact that we are drifting downward. The chain which once fastened
this country to the faith of our fathers and held it fast to the primitive principles of right and righteousness, of obedience to iaw, and the necessity of enforcing such obedience, has become weak ened by the silly, sentimen tal views which prevail con cerning the conviction and punishment of crime. T h e Scriptural admon-' itions, “ Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture a n d admonition of t h e Lord” ;i “ Honor thy father and mother ” ; “ Children, obey your parents in the Lord” ,—would be a joke in many homes today. Parents have no time for “ bringing up” their children. They
( § GOD OF OUR FATHERS, Thou who didst make them strong in battle and fearless in danger, make us strong to do the right, to dis charge the duties which come to us, and to overcome the temptations which cross our path. Thou hast given us a great inheritance and wonderful privileges. Make us faithful stewards, we pray Thee, so that Thy name may be glorified and humanity helped. Take away from us all sin and purify our hearts, and make us more useful while we are here in the world. For Jesus’ sake. Amen! F rom “P rayers a t Bethany Chapel” by John W anam aker (See Review on page 276)
just let them grow up. This statement can be proved by asking in any Sunday School, “ How many children have family prayers and Bible reading in your homes?” Thank God, some young people, in spite of this deplorable lack of Christian training in the home, do pray for their parents, but these—of course—are comparatively few. As to the schools,-—many of them will not permit a Bible to lie on the teacher’s desk, but the scholars are told that the Bible is not to be depended upon, and fancied facts are doled out to them in place of tried truths. Children thus taught often pity the ignorance of their parents who still cling to the old Book and have not had the. benefit (.!). of the enlightenment which has come from modern wisdom (?), the source of which is often Satan who, the Scriptures tell us, transforms himself into an angel of light for the,pur pose of deceiving. In society, what do we find? Perhaps it were better not to say. Society speaks for itself. Who has any right to attempt to enforce laws ? Society has its own laws, makes them and enjoys them. When we come to the citadel of truth— the church, what? Here, also, we find that thé leaders make laws and break them. There is no longer any recognition upon their part of any obligation to obey those laws
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more drastic penalties for violation of law. To quote from the Associated Press dispatch: “As to th e Volstead Law, she says th e criticism of it lie s' in th e fact th a t Congress passed á law th a t covered th e ground all righ t, b u t from th e enforcem ent end, it is a toothless law .” Is not this statement in accord with history? (Hab. 1 :2-4) : “O Lord, how long shall I cry, and th o u w ilt n o t hear! even cry ou t un to th ee of violence, and thou w ilt n o t save! “Why dost thou show m e iniquity, and cause m e to behold grievance? fo r spoiling and violence are before me; and th e re a re th a t raise up strife and contention. “Therefore th e law is slacked, and judgm en t doth never go fo rth ; fo r th e wicked doth compass about th e righteous; th erefo re w rong judgm en t proceedeth.” Listen to the decision of God’s Word and the direc tion given for stemming the tide of violation of law. (Eccl. 8:11): “Because sentence against an evil work is not exe cuted speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. ’’ THE MAKING OF REAL MEN Notice we say “ real” and.not “ reel” men. “ Reel men” as well as “ reel women” are being made in Hol lywood and other places. They are often “ made up” and “ money-made.” They, are a Twentieth Century product which has produced results, sometimes, which it is not our purpose to discuss at this time. Our theme is “ Real Men,”—genuine; true men,—and how they are produced. God made man in His own image, and this gives us at once a suggestion as to what constitutes a real man in God’s sight. But Adam fell, and great was the fall. Mankind ever since has been constituted of fallen men. Among the millions of men created during the centur ies since, some—not many—have been great men. But the “ Real Man” was not revealed until God clothed Himself in human flesh and dwelt among us. Some mighty men are recorded in God’s Book before the coming of the “ Real Man”—men of valor, men of renown. Wé can read the Old Testament and be thrilled with the accounts of the life battles fought by the heroes of faith whose names should be household words, and whose deeds should be recorded on the tablets of enduring memory. The world was not wor thy of them, but they obtained a good report through their faith, and some of us will see their faces when the “ Great Reunion” takes place. But—God has provided some better thing for us. His ideal method is the very opposite of the Twentieth Century method,H-which is to rise by brain and brawn. The call that comes from the Modernists is, 1 ‘Come u p ! The ladder is set. Ascend the rounds! Discard the old Book! We have discovered something better! Intel lect must now take the place of infantile faith! We have new gods and new goodnesses!” It is a captivating call, but—it culminates in a curse. Poor, deluded children of men! The rounds of the lad der are crowded with aspirants, all deceived, all dis appointed. But no such ladder is needed in God’s method of making real men. They rise by a “ lift”— God’s uplift; by a surrendered will, through the trans fusion of new life blood, new courage and new armor for the conflict, new swords for the soldiers, new tasks for the toilers, and—best of all—new joy in the job!
God’s ways are not our ways. The “ Real Man,”— the God-Man—came and revealed the meaning of real manhood, providing the way and means for the mak ing of real men. Prom the cradle to the cross His way is manifest—the Real Man among men. We follow in His footsteps, seeking nothing for ourselves but glad to glorify Him. Standing straight, facing facts,- hitting hard when necessary, sustained by His might, these real men and real women are to be found in all the lands, with Bible in hand, with light for the ' blind, love for the lost, joyfully sacrificing self, none perfect but sincere in purpose, seeking to save ship wrecked souls. Let us ask ourselves the question, All evangelical Christians-—both premillennialists and postinillennialists, look for the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.: There can be no doubt, but that Christ left His disciples looking for His return. The best, exegetists so interpret the Scripture. With out this belief the Bible is a book difficult to under stand. But, all evangelical Christians do not believe in His imminent coming. Belief in the imminent coming .of the Lord has and does revolutionize a Christian life.. No truth is so well calculated to sober life as this,;“ Today He may come! Today we would welcome- His coming !”|ffl Fifty years of faith in His promised return has served to create an under current of hope that has carried us over seemingly insurmountable obstacles and held us steadfast in the midst of what would other wise have been disappointment and discouragement. No daily prayer has been, more frequently uttered by us or had a greater influence upon our life than that of John in Rev. 22:20: “Even so, come, Lord Jesu s.” It has been our privilege to analyze the influence of this doctrine upon the lives of other believers for many years, and we have invariably found that when under stood and believed it has had a revolutionary effect upon the character of believérs, and we are confident that the repeated promise of His coming as recorded in the Scriptures was designed by our Lord for this very purpose. All worldly matters are insignificant,, and all spir itual matters are intensified in the light of this hope. The Holy Spirit uses the doctrine as an incentive to holy living (1 Thess. 5:23):-' “And th e very God of peace sanctify yon wholly; and I pray God yonr whole sp irit and soul and body be preserved blameless nn to th e coming of ou r Lord Jesu s Christ.” This includes the whole man, and would have been misleading if it did not mean what it said and give the hope to the Thessalonian believers that they might expect His coming while they lived. The same thought is reiterated in 2 Thess. 3:5: “And th e Lord d irect your h ea rts in to th e love of God, and in to th e p a tie n t w aiting fo r Christ.” The “ patient waiting” for-—what? Not death, but Christ; for His personal appearing—His personal pres ence. In Phil. 4':5 we read: “L et your m oderation (gentleness) be known unto all men. The Lord is a t hand .” “ Are we His real men and women?” THE PRACTICAL ASPECT OF OUR LORD’S APPEARING
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account for the history of either save by the word “ Jehovah” ! . ' Why has Israel outljved all the nations? Why does she stand today, after the historical nations have been blotted out and forgotten? Because God has issued His edict. Persecuted, peeled, robbed, scattered, driven, debased, degraded and derided,—yet always a factor to be reckoned with in every land. Now she is in Jerusalem on the final lap of the long, long race. Why do not the critics of the Bible, with their suave sophistry and fallacious fancies, concoct some fairy _ story about the Jews? Here they are and here is the Bible. If th%iprophecies in the Bible concerning the
What meaning would this admonition have unless it meant that His coming was imminent? The Thessa- lonians were admonished to be patient while they were waiting and working for the Lord (2 Thess. 3 :5), and truly there is need of patience, for we live in a religious atmosphere of doubt and disorder in the church which has a paralyzing influence upon the Christian life, and there is no comfort equal to that afforded by the promise of His imminent coming. Paul wrote to Titus, his beloved companion, and urged him to exhort the believers .to look for the appearing of the Lord (Titus 2 :12,13): “Teaching u s th a t, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in t h i s p resen t w o rld ; “lo o k in g fo r th a t
Jews are not true, ' then these wise men should take the mat ter up immediately and give the World some reason for this remarkable coinci dence! Ì'ì T h e ' Old Testa ment m u s t h a v e I s r a e l , and Israel must have the Old Testament. I s r a e l still lives in every nation on the globe, and the Bible is found in every na tion, also. The crit ics mu s t destroy I s r a e l or t h e i r a t t a c k s upon the. Bible will not stand ; but they c a n n o t d e s t r o y I s r a e l because the B i b l e d e t e r m i n e s her destiny. The c r i t i c s are still clothing their rubbish of criticism in the garments of centuries past, fool ing some of the fool ish people, but the
blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of th e g rea t God and our Saviour Jestis C h rist;” and t h e c l o s i n g words of our Lord in Revelation 22:12 are significant: “And, b e h o l d , I come quickly; and my rew ard is w ith me, to g iv e every m an ac cording as h is work sh all be.” This editorial is not intended as a Bible reading on the subject, a n d we have only quoted a few of the m a n y exhortations a n d warnings concerning this important doc trine. But this is an appeal to .all true believers to h o l d with all their hearts to this great truth. It is the great incen tive for right living and right serving, and a soul satisfying
old Book still stands. It is pathetic to look upon their ineffective efforts to blight the faith of the saints while posing as men of God, but serving in the hosts of Satan. They cannot hurt thè Book. They may ruin the faith of some people, but they must pay the price which is so clearly described in that Book. ' There are many vocations in life where they could make use of brain and tongue. Why not make a living in an honest profession? WORLD’S CHRISTIAN FUNDAMENTALS CONFERENCE We regret that it is impossible to give “ Our Family” any detailed reports from the World’s Christian Fun damentals Conference, which met in Memphis, Tennes see, May 3-10, inclusive. In order to have this June issue ready for mailing in proper time, it was necessary to close the forms early in May, before information from Memphis could reach us. However, we expect
truth while waiting and working, hearts knit with His great heart, lives yielded to His holy will, in joyful anticipation of His coming at any time of day or night; and in that atmosphere happily doing His will, look ing, longing, loving Him, whose we are and whom we serve, knowing that any moment may find us caught up to be with Him and like Him. “O, Lord Jesus, how long? How long ere we h ea r th e glad sound? Christ re tu rn e th ! H allelujah! H allelu jah ! Am en!” MAN’S WEAK WEAPON vs. GOD’S WONDERFUL WORD “No weapon th a t is form ed ag ain st th ee shall prosper; an d every tongue th a t shall rise ag ain st thee in judgm ent th o u sh a lt condemn. This is th e 'h e rita g e of th e servants of th e Lord, and th e ir righteousness is of me, saith the Lord” (Isa. 5 4 :1 7 ). This verse refers to Israel. God promised her res toration and that promise cannot fail. You can place the Bible and Israel side by side and no man can
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to have a full report in the July number, and are sure that our readers will be eagerly looking forward to it. It is a joy to know that an increasingly large number of pastors, churches and laymen are becoming identi fied with the Christian Fundamentals Association, and while the enemy is on the alert, faithful believers in the whole Word of God are uniting with intensified interest in defence of the faith once delivered. The following telegram telling of the intense interest being aroused by the sessions of the Conference was received just at the last moment before going to press: T. C. Horton: Wire received. Regret your absence. Audience exceeded capacity of building tonight. Local Episcopal dean consents to meet Riley in debate on evo lution Monday night in City Auditorium, ten thousand capacity. Bryan speaks in same auditorium, Sunday afternoon and evening. Our warmest greetings and love. (Phil. 1:3.) (signed) Riley, Norris, MacLennan, Munhall. A CORDIAL INVITATION We have had as our “ paying guests” now for three months several thousand of the very finest Christian people in the world, and the letters of appreciation which we have received from many of you lead us to believe that you have been as happy with us as we have been to have, you in our midst.
With such a feast of good things as we have in store for the coming year for “ Our Family”-we feel sure that you will desire to come into full fellowship with us, and have prepared a little memorandum on page 286 which you can fill out and return to us before you forget it, so that you will not miss a single copy of thev“ Family Message.” God bless you all. A SERIES OF DISPENSATIONAL STUDIES In these days when “ scoffers” everywhere are ask ing “Where is th e prom ise of H is com ing?” , and are regard ing th e prophecies of S cripture as m erely “fig u res of speech” and “poetry,” i t is essential th a t believers be able to give a “reason fo r th e hope th a t is in them .” This can best be accomplished by a know ledge of dispensational tru th , or th e p lan and purpose of God fo r th is ea rth and th e universe, which He h as so clearly revealed in th e Bible, th e key to which is “The Lord com eth!” To m eet th is need, Mr. H orton will give— following th e completion of th e p resen t “Outline Studies in th e Book of Ju d e ”— a series of simple and brief “Dispen sational Studies.” If we know th e tru th “ th e tru th shall set us free.”
T k e K ingdom s o f th is W o rld Hornera Hodgson
JN a moment of time th e devil showed Christ a marvelous seene: below them as they stood on th a t m o u n t a i n
own peculiar and wonderful way, Christ will obtain all those kingdoms, far more surely, far more inevitably, and far more certainly than if He had yielded to th a t strange, devilish vision on the Mount of Temptation. Mount Calvary, or the Mount of Temptation? From which will you set fo rth to conquer life? T h at ques tion has confronted every soul on this earth from the earliest days, in g reater or lesser degree; bu t the devil does no t need to present all the king doms of th e world to little souls, to cheap little souls! Oh no, he bargains too well fo r th a t; to many a soul he has b u t to show the vision of a bag of gold or a big bank roll, a th eatre, or a name in big headlines, and th a t cheap little soul is his! The question arises in one’s mind whether, if the devil has power thus to produce visions as he did before Christ, he has ever presented visions of tem ptation to others th an Christ. ' This surely may be answered in the affirmative. Undoubtedly the evil hu man mind, receptive of every Satanic impression, h as ten thousand times been urged on to crimes by a g litter ing vision of those pleasures to be ob tained by fu rth e r sin. Granted, then,
th a t such is the case, one wonders what visions Satan presented to Cain, th a t inspired th e building of th a t first city? Did th a t first outcast from God behold the kingdoms of th e world, and, choosing them , elect th e devil for arch itect of th e ir beginnings? We have a city on high whose Builder and Maker is God; and Satan, who is ever “ the ape of God,” would aid only too gladly to build a world-metropolis th a t would so dazzle and bewitch and bewilder the senses of men th a t they would forget th a t they were h u t pil grims, and be content to linger for ever am id its Satanic seductions. Be th a t as it may, our lesson for our daily duty is to ever press on to th e Jerusalem which is above, w ith the pilgrim sp irit glowing steadfastly in our bosom as we tu rn our eyes from thé Babylons th a t lu re weak souls to perdition. Here have we no continuing city, b u t we seek one to come, and we desire no earth ly glory or dominion un til the Ancient of Days gives unto His chosen ones tn a t kingdom and dom inion and glory which shall never pass away, and we shall reign on th e earth w ith our Be loved Lord through th a t g reat un clouded age of glory.
peak, alone, th ere stretched all the glories of the world-—all th e pal aces and pyram ids, all th e towering edifices of every modern city, and every fair vision ever w rought by the hands of men from the days of ante diluvian glory, un til the fall of the last g reat gorgeous Babylon. And Christ’s eyes swept over th a t dazzling pageant of the m arshalled splendor of a world gone splendor-mad, and tu rn ing from it all, in h eart beheld a lonely grey hill, cross-crowned; He refused the grandest b r i b e ever offered by the prince of th is world! But th a t is not the end. NO! T hank God, th a t is not the end! The day is not far hence when we shall trem ble and th rill w ith joy, as trem endous voices echo through th e whole universe the m ighty F act fulfilled a t last-— “The kingdoms of th is world ARE become th e ' kingdoms of our Eord. . . ” H allelujah! Amen and Amen! Not by th e devil’s way, and not by m an’s way (which is bu t ano th er name for the devil’s w ay), bu t by His
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The_§e£arateness of the Church, or “Savorless Salt” By J , Gresham Machen A Sermon P reached in th e Chapel of P rinceton Theological Seminary on Sunday, March 8, 1925
M att. S itS i “ Ye are th e s a lt of th e e a rth : b u t if th e s a lt have lo st b t “ VOUKr’t 'r hT With sha11 !t be ^ l ‘ed ? it is th en cefo rth good for nothing, b u t to be c a s t out, and to be trodden u n d er foot of m en.” H g |lN these words our Lord established a t the very | | j beginning the distinctness and separateness of the § || Church. If the sharp distinction is ever broken down between the Church and the world, then the power of th e Church is gone. The Church then becomes like sa lt th a t has lost its savor, and is fit only to be cast out and to bei trodden under foot of men. This is a g reat principle, and th ere never has been a tim e in all the centuries of Christian history when it has not had to be taken to h eart. The really serious attack upon Chris tian ity has not been the attack carried on by fire and sword, by th e th re a t of bonds or death, bu t the more subtle attack th a t has been masked by friendly words; no t th e attack from w ithout bu t from w ithin. The enemy has done his deadliest work when he has come w ith words of love and compromise and peace. And how p ersisten t th e attack has been! Never in th e centuries of the Church’s life has it been altog ether relaxed; always there has been th e deadly chemical process, by which, if it had been unchecked, th e precious sa lt would have been merged w ith th e insipidity of th e world, and would have been thenceforth good for nothing bu t to be cast out and to be trodden under foot of men. In Christ’s Day The process began a t the very beginning, in th e days when our Lord still walked th e Galilean hills. There were many in those days who heard Him gladly: He enjoyed a t first the. favor of the people. But in th a t favor He saw a deadly peril; He would have nothing of a half-discipleship th a t m eant the m erging of th e company of His disciples w ith th e world. How ruthlessly He checked a sentim ental enthusiasm ! “Let the dead bury th e ir dead,” He told the en thu siast who came eagerly to Him bu t was not w illing a t once to forsake all. “One th ing thou lackest,” He said to the rich young ru ler, and the young man w ent sorrow ful away. T ruly Jesus did not make it easy to be a follower of Him. He th a t is not w ith me,” He said, “is against me.” “ If any man come to me, and hate not his fath er, and mother, and wife and children . . . , he cannot be my disciple.” How serious a th ing it was in those days to stand for Christ! And it was a serious th ing not only in th e sphere of con duct bu t also in the sphere of thought. There could be no g reater m istake th a n to suppose th a t a man in those days could th ink as he liked” and still be a follower of Jesus. On th e contrary th e offence lay ju st as much in th e sphere of doctrine as in the sphere of life. There were “hard say ings,” then as now, to be accepted by the disciples of Jesus, as well as hard commands. “ I am th e bread which came down from heaven,” said Jesus. I t was indeed a hard say
ing. No wonder the Jews m urm ured at Him. “ Is not this Jesus,” they said, “ the son of Joseph, whose fath e r and m other we know? how is it then th a t he saith, I came down from heaven.” “How can th is man give us his flesh to e a t? ” Jesus did not make the th ing easy for these mur- murers. “Then Jesus said unto them , Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat th e flesh of th e Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life, in you.” A t th a t many even of His disciples were offended. “This is a hard say ing,” they said; “who can .h ear it? ” And so they left Him. “F rom th a t tim e many of his disciples went back and walked no more w ith him .” Many of them went back__ bu t not all. “Then said Jesus unto th e twelve, W ill ye also go away? Then Simon P eter answered him , Lord, to whom shall we go? thou h ast the words of etern al life.” Thus was the precious salt preserved. Then came th e gathering clouds, and finally th e Cross. In the hou r of H is agony they all le ft H im and fled; appar ently th e movement th a t He had in itiated was hopelessly dead. But such was not th e will of God. The disciples were sifted, bu t th ere was still something left. P ete r was f o r i given; th e disciples saw the risen Lord; th e sa lt was still preserved. In th e E arly Church One hundred and tw enty persons were gathered in Je ru salem. It was not a large company; bu t salt, if it tru ly have its savor, can perm eate th e whole lump. The Spirit came in accordance w ith our L o rd ’s promise, and P ete r preached the first sermon in the Christian Church. It was hardly a concessive sermon. “Him being delivered by the deter m inate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain .” How unkind P eter was! But by th a t merciful unkindness they were pricked in th eir hearts, and th ree thousand souls were saved. So th ere stood th e first Christian Church in th e m idst of a hostile world. A t first sight it m ight have seemed to be a mere Jew ish sect; the disciples continued to attend the temple services and to lead the life of Jews. But in reality th a t little company was as separate as if it had been sh u t off by desert wastes or the wide reaches of th e sea; an invisible barrier, to be crossed only by the wonder of the new birth, separated the disciples of Jesus from the surrounding world. “Of the rest,” we are told, “ du rst no man join him self to them .” “And fear came upon every soul.” So it will always be. When the disciples of Jesu s are really faithful to th e ir Lord, they inspire fear; even when Christians are despised and persecuted and harried, they have sometimes made th e ir persecutors secretly afraid. But afte r those persecutions, th ere came in th e early Church a tim e of peace— deadly, menacing, deceptive peace, a peace more dangerous by far th an th e b itterest war. Many
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in our day, paganism in th e Corinthian Church sought to sub stitu te the Greek notion of the imm ortality of the soul fo r the Christian doctrine of the resurrection. But God had His w itness; the apostle P au l was not deceived; and in a g reat passage— th e most im po rtan t words, historically, perhaps, th a t have ever been penned— he reviewed the sheer factual basis of the Christian faith. “ How th a t C h rist died for our sins according to th e scriptures; and th a t he was buried, and th a t he rose again the th ird day according to th e scriptures.” There is the foundation of the Christian edifice. Paganism was gnawing away— not y et directly, hu t by ultim ate implication— a t th a t foundation in Corinth, as it has been doing so in one way or ano ther ever since, and p articu larly in the P resbyterian Church in the United States of America ju st a t th e present time. But P au l was there, and many of the five hundred w itnesses were still alive. The Gospel message was kept distinct, in the Pauline churches, from the wisdom of the world; the precious salt was still preserved. Gnostic Salt Then, in the second century, th ere came another deadly conflict. It was again a conflict no t w ith an enemy w ithout, hu t w ith an enemy w ithin. The Gnostics used the name of Christ; they tried to dom inate the Church; th ey appealed to th e Epistles of Paul. But despite th e ir use of Christian language they were, pagan th rough and through. Modern scholarship, on th is point, has tended to confirm the judg m ent of th e g reat orthodox w riters of th a t day; Gnosticism was a t bottom no mere variety of Christian belief, no mere heresy, h u t paganism masquerading in Christian dress. Many were deceived; the danger was very great. But it was not God’s will th a t th e Church should perish. Irenaeus was there, and T ertu llian w ith his vehement defence. The Church was saved—no t by those who cried “ Peace, peace, when th ere is no peace,” bu t by zealous contenders for the faith. Again, out o f a g reat danger, the precious salt, was preserved. Then came th e Middle Ages. Never in the interval, indeed, was God altogether w ithout His w itnesses; th e ligh t still shone from th e sacred page; bu t how dim, in th a t atmosphere, the light seemed to be! The Gospel m ight have seemed to he buried forever. Yet in God’s good time it came fo rth again w ith new power— the same Gospel th a t Augustine and P aul had proclaimed. W hat stronger proof could th ere he th a t th a t Gospel had come from God? Where in th e histo ry of religion is th e re any parallel for such a revival, after such an interval, and w ith such a purity of faithfulness to w hat had form erly been believed? A Gos pel th a t survived the Middle Ages will probably, it may well ■be hoped, never perish from the earth , b u t will be the Word of Life unto the end of the world. In L u th e r’s Day Yet in those early years of the sixteenth century how dark was th e time! When L u th er made his visit to Rome, w hat did he find—w hat did he find there in th e center of the Christian world? He found paganism b la tan t and trium phan t and unashamed; he found th e glories of ancient Greece come to life in the Italian renaissance; h u t w ith those glories, self-sufficiency and rebellion ag ain st God, and moral degradation of th e n atu ra l man. Apparently pagan ism had a t last won its age-long b attle; apparently it had made a clean sweep over th e people of God, apparently the Church had a t la st become quite indistinguishable from the world. But in the m idst of the geiferal w reck one th ing a t least was preserved. Many things were lost, hu t one th ing was still left— the medieval Church had never lost th e Word
of the sect of the Pharisees came into the .Church— false b reth ren privily brought in. They were not tru e Chris tians, because they tru sted in th e ir own works for salvation, and no man can he a Christian who does th a t. They were not even tru e adherents of the Old Covenant; for the Old Covenant, despite th e Law, was a p reparation for th e Sav iou r’s coming, and the Law was a schoolmaster unto Christ. Yet they were Christians in name, and they tried to dom in ate th e councils of the Church. It was a serious menace; for a moment it looked as though even Peter, tru e apostle though he was a t heart, were being deceived. His principles were righ t, hu t by his actions his principles, a t Antioch, for one fatal moment, were belied. But it was not God’s will th a t the Church should perish; and the man of the hour was there. There was one man who would not consider consequences where a g reat principle was a t stake, Who pu t all personal con siderations resolutely aside, and refused to become un faith ful to Christ th rough any fear of “ splitting the Church.” “When I saw th a t they walked not uprightly,” said Paul, “ according to the tru th of th e Gospel, I said unto P eter before them all . . .” Thus was th e precious sa lt preserved. Worldly Salt But from ano ther side also the Church was menaced by the blandishments of th e world; it was menaced no t only by a false Judaism , which really m eant opposition of m an’s self-righteousness to th e mysterious grace of God, hu t also by th e all-embracing paganism of th a t day. When the Pauline churches were planted in the cities of th e Graeco- Roman world, th e battle was not ended hu t only begun. Would the little spaTk of new life be k ep t alive? How could they possibly avoid being drawn away by the cu rren t of the time? The danger certainly was g reat; and when P aul left an in fan t church like th a t a t Thessalonica his h ea rt was full of dread. But God was faith fu l to His prom ise, and th e first word th a t came from th a t in fan t church was good. The wonder had actually been accomplished; th e converts were standing firm. But why were they living tru e Christian lives? T hat is the really im po rtan t question. And th e answer is plain.- They were living Christian lives because they were devoted to Christian tru th . “Ye tu rn ed to God,” says Paul, “ from idols to serve th e living and tru e God; and to w ait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from th e dead,- even Jesus, which delivered us from the w rath to come.” That was th e secret. Their Christian lives were founded upon Christian doctrine— upon theism ( “the living and tru e God” ), upon Christology ( “his Son . . . whom he raised from th e dead” ), and upon soteriology ( “which delivered us from th e w ràth to come” ). They k ep t the message in tact, and hence they lived the life. So it will always be. Lives apparently and superficially Christian can perhaps sometimes he lived by force of habit, w ithout being based upon Christian tru th ; hu t th a t will never do when Chris tia n living, as in pagan Thessalonica, goes against the grain. But in the case of the Thessalonian converts the message was kep t intact, and w ith it the Christian life. Thu s again was th e precious sa lt preserved. P ag an S alt But the conflict was not merely in th e sphere of conduct. More fundam entally it was in the sphere of thought. P ag anism, in Corinth was far too astu te to th ink th a t Christian life could be attacked when Christian doctrine remained. And so pagan practice was promoted by an appeal to pagan theo ry ; the enemy engaged in an attem p t to sublim ate or explain away the fundam ental things of the Christian faith. Somewhat a fte r the m anner of the Auburn. “Affirmationists”
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