Our Chaplains
A recent dispatch in the daily press concerning the awarding of the bronze star for gallantry in action to several army chaplains in Korea brings to mind our pastors in service—the chaplains. True, many chaplains are liberal in theology and little more than social in their approach, but, after all, the chap laincy is nothing more nor less than a cross section of the ministry at home. No called of God minister of the Word re fuses to preach because within a square mile others are preaching “ another gos pel.” Perhaps if evangelical and con servative young pastors, adequately trained, gave more thought to the spir itual and moral needs of the young people in our armed forces the propor tion of spiritually-minded, gospel-preach ing chaplains could be raised consider ably. A number of factors have combined to make the chaplain even more effective to day than he was during World War II. At the beginning of that conflict the army chaplain could still be assigned by his commanding officer to supervision of recreation, managing of the post ex change, educational duties, and a host of other activities, all in addition to his primary function as a spiritual leader among the troops. During the war changes in regulations made it manda tory to allow the chaplain his full time for his own activities; he no longer may be assigned to duties which are not in line with his designation as chaplain. The new series of “ Character Guid ance” lectures to be given by command to all troops by the chaplain afford him the golden opportunity of talking to all the men of his command, regardless of faith or denomination. Previously the matter of listening to the chaplain in his Sunday or week-day services was a purely voluntary activity, as it still is today. Thus the man who never came to chapel for services or Bible study never heard the chaplain, never came to know him except as the officer who wore crosses or the tablets of the law and never was called by his rank. All this is now changed! While the “ Character Guidance” lectures are all on the moral plane, with an emphasis upon the value of the virtues—honesty, loyalty, sense of fair play, purity, courage, and chivalry, to name a few—the effective chaplain will present his material in such a chal lenging manner that the reaction of many will be, “ Well, I guess I’ll have to go and hear the chaplain!” Chaplain procurement is most urgent at the present. Quotas are set up for the various denominations based upon their relative numerical strength in the coun try. It seems impossible to fill the quotas of the larger denominations, whereas many small groups, including the cults, are willing to double their quotas. In ad dition to the physical qualification, a man must be 21 years old but not have attained 33, he must be ordained and en dorsed by his denomination, and he must have completed 120 semester hours in college and 90 semester hours in theo-
obedience to government. Some Chris tians argue that, because they obey God, they need obey no man. They are anti- nomians of the worst sort, and under stand neither law nor grace. A believer who chafes at obedience to government is allowing the old man to have a gala holiday, let loose on a rampage. Obedi ence to our country will follow if there be first real honor of our country. Every man should esteem most highly his fealty to his land. Baser than an ingrate 'is a disloyal citizen. General Joseph Reed, we are told, was approached with a heavy bribe by British emissaries simi lar to those who bought Benedict Arnold. He answered them: “ I am not worth purchasing; but, such as I am, the King of Great Britain is not rich enough to buy me.” The third point is prayer. Study care fully First Timothy 2:1-4. If possible, the Christian is more remiss here than anywhere else, where the interests of his land are concerned. Except his country be engaged in a war, a death struggle for its very life, it seldom strikes him to pray for his land. Any minister who, Lord’s Day after Lord’s Day, enters the pulpit to preach the Word of God to the people, and remembers not to pray for the land that permits him this inesti mable privilege, can well afford to hide his face in shame. Too often he will be the first to bemoan the faults and short comings of the same government. Let us be spiritual and let us be practical. The two are not irreconcilable. D. L. Moody was known for his common sense and his application of Christian prin ciples to everyday living. It is said he once met a well-known evangelist just before an important election. “ What do you think of the political situation?” Moody asked. The answer was, “ I don’t know anything about the political situa tion. My citizenship is in heaven.” “ Bet ter get it down to earth for the next 30 days,” was Moody’s wise answer. Let us not be so heavenly (and this is no plea for impiety, you may be sure) that we are of no earthly use. The Scriptures are clear: let us honor, obey, and pray for our country and government! The blessing of God will surely attend us. —Charles L. Feinberg
Christian Duty To Country I N an age when the big business of government is brought into our living rooms by radio and television, in a day when men are selling out their country for a pittance, in an hour when all are witnessing the. death struggle between conflcting ideologies, the Christian does well to re-examine his relationship to his country in the light of the Word of God. The Scriptures everywhere recog nize that, while the spiritual life of the believer is lived in the heavenlies in Christ, his pilgrimage is clearly on the earth. He is in the world, though not of it. Too many Christians remind us of the little boy’s definition of a parable: “ A heavenly figure with no earthly meaning.” They are altogether too im practical for the demands of life upon earth. Is it not interesting that the word used in the New Testament for the life of the Christian on earth is “walk?” He walks on earth, not in the clouds. There are three New Testament books that mention the believer in relation to his country—Romans, First Timothy, and First Peter. The reasons are evident: Romans, which views the believer in his manifold relationships, must give us this vital one too; First Timothy is the word to pastors, and they must know how to instruct their flocks in this regard; and First Peter is the word to pilgrims, and so this phase of our earthly pilgrim age must be set forth. All the Scriptures bearing on the sub ject revolve around three focal points. The first is honor. Read Romans 13:7 and 1 Peter 2:17. The government of our country must be honored as deriving its ultimate authority from the permissive will of God. We are to honor God’s meth od of placing men over their fellowmen in government. Anarchy is an abomina tion in the sight of the Lord. By honor ing rulers the believer manifests how he inwardly honors God and His appoint ments. Men, in the first place, did not set up human government; it was God who did so. Salvation by grace never freed anyone from the laws of society. The second focal point is obedience. Ponder Romans 13:1-6 and First Peter 2:13-16. We should be examples in our
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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
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