DECEMBER, 1970
WITH NOVEMBER RADIO FEATURES
December, 1970 / Volume 10 / Number 12
MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE BIOLA FELLOWSHIP
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president ................................
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J . RICHARD CHASE
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DON RANSON JOHN OZMAN B ILL EHMANN CHURCH PRESS CONTENTS
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STUDIES IN ROMANS ............ 3 Ralph L. Keiper PANEL DISCUSSIONS.............. 12 IN TIMES LIKE THESE ...........18 Lloyd T. Anderson
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OH THIS MONTH'S COVER Dr. J. Richard Chase, Biola’s new President, receives congratulations from Biola Board member Dr. Foster Bens.
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His was a mission of substitutionary atonement. The Saviour came to earth to carry out the Father’s will. This Gospel is not something new. It’s not a novelty for it has its roots in the Old Testament. God spoke to the prophets, holy men of old, who communicated His truth to others (II Pet. 1:21). These writers did not give us ideas of their own. They were directed by the Holy Spirit. The law could never save but only could condemn. A provision came through the sacrificial system. This looked forward to the day when God’s perfect Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ, would offer Himself. God in His grace, through men, directed writ ings without error that we might have a plenary, inspired account of His acts. The Old Testament records prophetic truths which were fulfilled in the New Testament. This is a record we can trust for it bears on our eternal destiny. This is a wonderful Gospel which we should study. This is more than a way of life, for, in the Lord Jesus, we’re not given merely an example to follow but presented with the only Saviour who can bring us to God. If someone should ask, “What is the Gospel?” how would you answer? Scripturally, I Corinthians 15:3-4 would be excellent. A modern sen tence would capsulize it as the story of man’s complete ruin in sin, and God’s perfect remedy through Christ. The Gospel is not a theory or a set of ethics. It is the means by which we are introduced to the Person of Christ. What men need today is peace with God. This can come only through an encounter with the Lord. Christ came not only to forgive us of sin, mak ing it possible for us to go to heav en, but also to provide joy and sat isfaction during these days of trou ble and turmoil. Have you received the Gospel? If not, do so now by faith. 3
STUDIES m ROMANS
by Dr. Ralph L. Keiper
THE GOSPEL S ome words are used so frequently that we may tend to forget their important meaning. Such a one as “gospel” is a nugget of wonderful grace. This is well defined in I Co rinthians 15:3-4 and in Romans 1:1-7. In the latter reference we find in the first verse “the gospel of God.” Our word “gospel” comes from an old English word, “Godspell”. The Good News really spells out for us God’s love, mercy, goodness, and judgment as well. In Luke 2:10, the world’s most wonderful announcement was given “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy.” God, incarnate in the flesh, was to enter the stream of hu manity in the person of Jesus Christ. In the original “good tid ings” is the word “evangel”. An evangelist then is one who declares the good news. It, is God’s Gospel because in His sovereignty He planned man’s re demption (John 3:16). Christ did not come to judge or to blame the world.
to Chnst by saying, “Thou art my Son, This day have I begotten thee.” In no sense is the Lord Jesus to be thought of as a created being. The word “begotten” in this passage means to put on display or to reveal. Isaiah is very careful to make this sh a rp distinction concerning the prophecy of Christ’s incarnation. We read, “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given” (Isa. 9:6). The Son was not born, for He was eternal with the Father. In Hebrews 10:5, it is stated that a body was prepared for Christ. The implication is that our Lord Jesus existed eternally. In that body the Lord Jesus came to do the will of the Father. Then we have the name “Jesus”. We find that in Matthew 1:21 when Joseph was told that Mary was to have a Son by the Holy Spirit, the name of the child was given. His name was given for He would save His people from their sin. In verse 23 we find His name “Immanuel”. That is interpreted as “God with us.” Christ came to involve Himself “with us.” He came “not to be min istered unto but to minister and to give His life a ransom for many.” No one can know God apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. How wonder ful to know that there’s a Saviour waiting to be accepted by you! The gloty of God comes to the child of His who waits, for faith which waits shall surely see. As Christians, we need but have one main concern — that we put the first things first-r faithfulness to God. A man without decision is a wave of the sea, a feather in the air blown about by every breeze. Quiet TENSION is not trust. It is simp ly compressed anxiety.
THE GOSPEL THEME I n R om an s 1 :3 and 4 we are given the heart and purpose of the Gos pel. Here a number of titles are giv en to our Lord. In the words, “His Son,” we see our Lord Jesus Christ’s relationship to the Father. “Jesus” symbolizes His relationship to the world as Saviour. “Christ” which is the Greek equivalent to the Hebrew term “Messiah.” This shows His relationship to Israel. Finally, “our Lord” shows clearly His rela tionship to believers who have trust ed Him by faith. Nicodemus, as recounted in John 3, came to the Lord by night. He was a religious leader of Israel. Christ asked him, “Art thou a master of Is rael, and knowest not these things?” (v. 10). Nicodemus listened to Jesus’ teaching. While this religious leader was almost right concerning the Saviour, yet our Lord was not simply a teacher come from God; He was God who came to teach. There’s a great difference. Christ was as much God as God the Father, and as much God as God the Holy Spirit. He was a member of the Trinity. When you and I use the word “son”, we do so in a biological sense. It carries with it the idea that there was a time when someone had a def inite beginning. It would be much like the conception of a child. When the word “son” is limited only to this biological term, false religions thereby develop. Reading the Scrip tures very carefully, we discover the word “Son” is not used merely in a biological sense. As an example, in the opening verses of Hebrews, we see that our Lord Jesus has been ap pointed heir of all things. God the Father, in His marvelous grace, made Christ His agent to do His will on earth. In this legal sense He is a Son. The same is true in Psalm 2 where in prophetic truth God refers 4
house of Judah. David was told in II Samuel 7:13, “He shall build an house for my name, and I will estab lish the throne of his kingdom for ever.” The context shows that God promised Israel a King greater than David, even the coming of His Mes siah. Peter refers to this in his first sermon (Acts 2:29). We may won der how David could know that Jesus Christ would be the Messiah. Peter is very careful to note that David is not only a king, a product of history, but he is also God’s prophet. God revealed to him, by revelation, that which could not be revealed by mere history. David knew that God would bring His anointed to sit upon his throne. When Israel thinks of their Mes siah, they have in mind one who will conquer and become their great king. We firmly believe this will be true in the future. It was necessary, first of all, for Him to wear the crown of thorns. Before becoming the Lion of Judah, he must first be the Lamb of God. As the Torah puts it, before He
CHRIST OUR LORD E ach name of the S aviour has some specific relationship to mankind. The word “Christ” shows His relationship to Israel. The term comes from the Greek word “Cris tos.” The verb means “to anoint,” especially with oil. This takes us back to the Old Testament. When ever a priest was consecrated to Je hovah, this was one of the elements of the ceremony. It spoke typically of the fact that a time would come when God’s own anointed One would arrive in the world in the person of Israel’s Messiah. The third verse of Romans one says, “Concerning His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord who was made un der the law.” God carefully spoke to Abraham as recorded in Genesis 12:1-3. Again, in Genesis 49:10 we read, “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah . . . until Shiloh come.” The promise is narrowed down to the
Speakerat Biota's SpiritualEmphasis Week was Rev. Ray Stedman, Pastor of Peninsula Bible Church in Palo Alto, Calif. He talks with Mr. Clyde Cook (right),director of Biola's Missions Department.
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(Rom. 4:25). The Lord Jesus Christ did not rise to justify us, but rather, He rose from the dead to show that He had justified us. He is now seated at the right hand of the Father, making it possible for us to have peace with Him. Christ reminded the Pharisees concerning His life that while He had the power to lay down or take up His life no one could take it from Him. There are two words for “power” which are interesting. We think of that term power as invariably mean ing ability. Someone in the Edison laboratories, when a high explosive was discovered asked, “What shall we call it?” Someone knew his Greek for the answer was, “Let’s call it dynamite.” The other word for power gives still another shade of meaning. It is the authority, the right, or the privilege to do a certain thing. This is how Jesus could make such a state ment. This is why Paul could say that Christ was “declared to be the Son of God with power.” Another interesting expression is found in Romans 1:4 which states, “according to the spirit of holiness.” This may be thought of in two ways. The first is a witness of the Holy Spirit to our Lord Jesus, a testi mony to His sinless life. In a certain sense both are correct. In both Mat thew 4 and Luke 4 we find described the temptation of our Lord. He faced these experiences by being filled with the Holy Spirit. During these times our Lord looked to the Word of God, knowing His power showing beyond any doubt that Satan had nothing on confronted by His enemies Christ the Lord Jesus whatsoever. When rightly asked, “Who of you convinc- eth Me of sin?” The Lord was in deed tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin. The proof that comes as the cap stone is, “by the resurrection from the dead.” Have you ever stopped to think why you and I grow old? Why do we die physically? It is simply be
could be the Messiah, He must first be the Passover Lamb. Israel realized that according to its history, before they could be brought out of bond age in Egypt, there must first be the shed blood. While many in Egypt were slain, whenever Jehovah saw the blood, there was deliverance. By the same token there is to be a great er exodus. First there must be the shed blood. On Calvary’s cross Mes siah died as the Passover Lamb. This makes possible the future restoration of God’s ancient people, Israel. There is also the title “Lord”. The word “our” denotes relationship and the New Testament again and again speaks of the Lord Jesus as “OUR” Lord when we come to know him by faith (John 1:12). May we who name the name of our Lord Jesus Christ not merely verbalize the truth, but speak of Him as our Lord. May we live for Him who died for us, as the apostle Paul was separated unto the Lord and the Gospel of God. Only in this way can we bring glory to the Lord and blessing to the many who come in contact with us. by His love and grace. In Romans 1 :4 we read, “And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resur rection from the dead.” Apart from the inspiration of the Scriptures, which gives us all the data concern ing our Lord, I believe the most im portant doctrine is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Everything we hope, believe, and upon which we stand or fall, depends on our attitude as to whether or not the Saviour rose from the dead. This was Paul’s position as we read I Corinthians 15. One of the indications concerning the greatness of our Lord is His resurrection 6 RESURRECTION POWER T he G ospel of G od concerns the good news of salvation provided
cause we are collecting the wages of sin. Sin hurts us spiritually and men tally, as well as physically. One of the reasons why we grow old is be cause God in His marvelous grace allows us to see approaching death in order that we might make prepara tion for eternity. One of the greatest evidences of our Lord’s sinlessness is His resurrection. Corruption could not destroy Him. The glory of His resurrection guarantees ours. There is a great day coming when you and I who love Him will be in His pres ence forevermore. We will be no more marred by sin. We will be no more disfigured by the disease of illness. We shall be transformed into His likeness. How we can rejoice because He was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead.
GOSPEL MESSENGERS W hile we have seen the impor tance of the Gospel of Christ, our responsibility is to proclaim these truths to others. In Romans 1:5 we read, “By whom we have re ceived grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all na tions, for his name.” What a wonder ful commission we have been given! To those of us who are believers there is a tremendous responsibility given. Nineteen hundred years ago the Lord Jesus died on Calvary’s cross that you and I might know the forgiveness of sins. Not only did Je sus die, but also He was resurrected from the dead. He has risen that to day He might be our contemporary. From Him we have received grace and apostleship. My favorite word in all of the Bible is “grace”. This speaks of the unmerited favor that makes possible the many blessings God has given me. One of the bless ings we share is the privilege of sending forth the glorious gospel of our Lord. We study God’s Word here at Biola because we have been given a commission of grace. Secular sub jects, such as taught at Biola, are tools which enable us, through our various professions, to bring the wonderful Gospel story of man’s complete ruin in sin and God’s per fect remedy through Christ. Biola is interested in teaching God’s Word in order that the students mastering the Bible by themselves may be mas tered by it. It is not merely a matter of facts to be delivered by the lips. It’s a course of action to be lived by the life. One of the evidences to the world that we are born again is the fact that we live what we preach. We must put into action what we say. Knowing God’s Word, having come to see the importance of salvation, we are to go to the nations, whether in 7
Mr. DavidYoung Is Registrar at the Arizona Bible Colege in Phoenix, Arizona.
the homeland or across the seas. We need not wait for a missionary call. By virtue of the fact that we’re born again, we are in service for the Lord. We should be alert and ready to proclaim the unsearchable riches of Christ. We are, as it were, to shine as lights in the darkness. Many peo ple around us don’t believe the Word of God simply because we haven’t proven it true to them. As we live, as the illustrated Word, we can there by introduce people to the written and living Word (I Cor. 10:31-32). We are to give no offence, neither to the Jew, nor to the Gentile, nor to the church of God. We are not to dis tract people from beholding the Lord Jesus (I Cor. 10:33). Are you interested enough in the lost to so live before the world that they can see the Lord Jesus in you? We have a great obligation. Let’s take it seriously. This is part of our stewardship. It's a glorious privilege to be His messenger. He didn’t fail us when He died on Calvary. Let’s not fail Him as we carry out the mes sage, not only by our lips, but also by our lives. stitution which is fast dying away. While the organization may find dif ficulty in relating to modern needs, certainly the Gospel is completely up to date. Paul probably never expect ed natural men to receive the Gos pel. In fact, without divine illumina tion man does not accept the things of God “for they are foolishness unto him.” These truths are only spiritu ally discerned (I Cor. 2:14, Rom. 8:7, 8). From the point of view of mere man, preaching the .Gospel can be tremendously discouraging. But Paul wasn’t depending upon people 8 A SUFFICIENT GOSPEL M any people would have us be lieve that the church is an in
accepting the message. He complete ly relied on the Lord to call them out of darkness into His light (Rom. 1:5, 6). There is no need to wonder if the Gospel is effective. How did you come to know the Lord? You see, it took just as much grace to save you as it will take to save anybody else. Don’t limit the sovereign grace of God. In verse 6 Paul declares of the be lievers, “Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ.” God’s grace knows no barrier or limita tions. When we fully realize this, as far as witnessing is concerned, “the sky’s the limit.” This gives us cour age to testify for Him. In the early days of my Christian experience, I endeavored to convert others. I suddenly learned that it wasn’t my business to convert but my great responsibility to declare. The Holy Spirit’s business is con vincing men of their need. We’re simply asked to witness for the Lord. Trust the Holy Spirit to work. Paul makes a very keen distinction. We’re reminded that God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to con found the wise (I Cor. 1:27). Paul says, “Remember that you’re called.” When you go forth with the message and people don’t seem to accept it, don’t let their resistance bring you fear. Depend on the grace of God to do the impossible. This is what gives us the courage. This is what enables us to go with the glorious Gospel of our Lord Jesus. The power of God is at our disposal. Thus, if God per mits, we can go forth to tell the won derful story to the whole world.
I love the Church, She is the world’s dark light, I always go on Sunday morn— But not on Sunday night.
We can work with God, and God with us, only if there are no hindrances in the laborer.
Also in Romans 1:7 we are “called saints.” One of the large church sys tems is known for their various saints. Recently some of them have been demoted. The word “saint” comes from the Latin sanetus, which means to make holy, to set apart, to separate for a certain purpose. This is exactly what God has done. He has chosen people by His grace and set them apart that they might com mend Him to others (Eph. 1:4). God chose us in Him before the foundation of the world. His desire is that we should be holy and with out blame. Very simply then, to be a saint means to be in His grace. God in His marvelous love took a dis graceful people and made of them, if I may create a pun, a HlS-grace- ful people. A saint is one whose heart has been changed by the shed blood of the Lord Jesus. We have been re generated by the Spirit of God who enables us to live a life pleasing to Him. Have you ever been called the be loved of God? It’s a marvelous thing when a husband, perhaps with a lapse of memory, comes up to his wife and declares, “Darling, I love you.” But oh, it’s a greater thing to hear God say to us, through His Word, “I love you; you are My be loved.” This is possible by faith in Christ. Have you taken such a step? MESSENGERS OF THE GOSPEL T he W ord of G od gives us some very clear information as to our lives when we come to know the Lord Jesus. Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, tells us to pray. By this means we have an opportunity to talk to God. Romans 1:8-9 shows us that prayer is a priority. It’s a time for thanksgiving. Paul never forgot the goodness of God. Paul faithfully prayed for his loved ones in Christ. When Paul said he would pray for someone, invariably he did 9
BELOVED OF GOD I t ’ s interesting to see how much people come to mean to us when we get to know them well. This is one of the wonderful things about our Christian experience. In Romans 1:7 we find the beautiful words, “To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” How won derful to be referred to as the “be loved of God.” Many times, in my excitement, I’ll refer to Mrs. Keiper as “Beloved.” You see, she’s the ob ject of my love. God, in His marvel ous grace, has given me a terrific wife; it’s no difficulty to love her at all. This is the expression of our hearts of how we feel toward one another. We could translate the term “dear ones.” God doesn’t hate us; He loves us. In this way we come to know His mercy (I John 4:10). When I was a pastor in Jersey City, on occasion I’d take my choir and go over to some of the missions in New York. On one occasion we were listening to the men’s testimo nies. One of the old mission bums who had late in life come to know the Lord got up. He declared, “You know, I’m amazed at the love of God. The Lord loves us, not because He can get anything out of us whatso ever.” In his earlier years he had been to one of the large universities on the East Coast from which he graduated with honors. With a great career in view he started drinking and wound up a bum. He lost every thing. Christ received him through love, without any possible return or benefit. How wonderful to know that we’re loved by the Father. His love has absolutely no angles. The love of God takes men in all their ugli ness, transforming them into the beauty of our blessed Lord.
it. He was so strong concerning this that he says, “God is my witness . . . I make mention of you always in my prayers” (v. 9). Are we this regu lar in our remembrance of others? When I lived on the East Coast, there were a number of churches known for different things. Some were marked for their great stained- glass windows, outstanding architec ture, great choirs, and even church suppers. Paul’s church, however, was noted for its faith. It was spoken of throughout the whole world. This as sembly in Rome loved the Lord Jesus, not just in theory, but also in ac tuality. Their praises had spread abroad. They were a great mission ary church. Many went out from it to proclaim the unsearchable riches of Christ. We have class distinctions today with a financial caste system. Paul wasn’t interested in this. He was interested in people who gave to the service of the Lord, thereby ex tending the Gospel. Without ceasing, the Apostle made mention of these friends in prayer. There was no interruption in dedi cation. Throughout the day, he was in the spirit of prayer. Whenever an opportunity presented itself, Paul never neglected to pray for the saints. This should be our practice, too. This is the way the Apostle was united together with his loved ones at the throne of grace. There was tremendous fellowship. There's a two-fold nature to prayer. At times we do the asking; at other times God leads us to be the answer to prayers ourselves. Prayer, you see, becomes a real and holy commerce, where together we meet the Saviour with our burdens. One of the reasons we here at the Biola radio like to hear from you is that it makes pos sible a personal dimension between us. Last summer I met some people who listen to “The Biola Hour” who said, “We hope you’ll come to our 10
home when you get to Southern Cali fornia.” Last night it was my privi lege to do this. No longer are they just names; they’re friends and fel low-believers. There’s a certain sense in which I can now pray for them as I’ve never done before. Paul says, “I remember you, I make mention of you.” He was very definite as to whom he had in mind. You pray that God will give us the right words to say, the urgent message to deliver, so that others may receive the truth of eternal life. The groups in the Christian era, lay ing most stress on prophetic study, have produced the saintliest men. Keep the home turned toward heav en, let it face the Father’s house. It’s a good thing to have money, but in getting it, let’s make sure we don’t lose the things money can’t buy. God wants you to live for Him in the exact circle where He has put you. FAITH is VISION plus VALOR.
Profesor Joseph Wong is Christian Education Director at the Arizona Bible College.
Lord is gracious.” Whenever I taste a new food that’s pleasing to my pal ate, I want more. As a believer, have you found Christ delightful? Do we want more of Him? Are you willing to feed on the Bread of life and to drink from the water of everlasting life? This is the point Peter makes. Paul wanted to do the same for the assembly at Rome. The spiritual gift to be imparted was in order that they might be established. When this happens, we’re ready to confront those who don’t know Him (I Pet. 3:15). You could never sell a prod uct you don’t use. It’s necessary to know all about it to make it appeal ing to others (Rom. 1:16). If we’re ashamed of the Gospel, we’ll never be in a position to be a great witness for Him. The result is seen in Romans 1:12 to the degree that the saints as well as Paul himself were strengthened by being a mutual blessing to each other. May that be our desire, that we may be strong in the Lord, grounded in the Word, and a con tinual blessing to all with whom we come in contact. P I F F T «
GROUNDED IN THE WORD T hese are days when we must know what and why we believe. If someone asked you to give a defini tion of your faith, what would you say ? Could you give chapter and verse? If many today, who profess the name of the Lord, were really standing steadfast and grounded in the Scriptures, they wouldn’t be car ried away by every wind of doctrine. In Romans 1:10, Paul is desirous to reach the saints at Rome through “a prosperous journey by the will of God.” He longed to see them that he might impart a spiritual gift to them that they might be established in the truths of the Gospel. “Established” means to be stable, solid, and well- balanced. What more do we need as we approach the 21st century? The same was true then in Rome, for pa ganism was rampant on every hand. There were false religions. Natural humanism ruled the day. His desire was that they might be strengthened and comforted tog e th e r through their mutual faith. Peter indicates a means of being established, “As newborn babes, de sire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (I Pet. 2:2). If a child is to grow, it needs the proper nourishment. The “sin cere” milk has reference to that which is undiluted; there’s nothing mixed with it. We must have the real genuine Word of God with noth ing taken from or added to it. The Christian life is never statie. We need to grow so that we can be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. The Lord Jesus re deemed us that we might grow in grace because growth must start with spiritual life. This only comes through being born-again, knowing the Lord as your own personal Sav iour. Peter goes on to indicate, “If so be that ye have tasted that the
Dr. Pullias, Prof, of Higher Education at the Universityof So. Calif, in Los Angeles,presented the Inaugural Addres when Dr. J. RichardChase became President of Biola.
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with DR. J , RICHARD CHASE / DR. CHARLES L. FEIHBERG
Q. Nampa, Ida. — “Is it true that before the flood there wasn’t any fermented wine? I can find no men tion of drunkenness in Genesis be fore the flood. What does Luke 17: 26-27 mean?” A. This concerns what’s known as the “canopy” theory. This idea is that a series of rings around the earth contracted perhaps because of a gravitational pull or some other geological upheaval. This provided a special covering over a large portion of the earth, which, according to exponents of the theory existed for some time. This prevented the full strength of the sun’s rays from reaching here without first being filtered through a great icy canopy. This was especially true of those rays which produce death or fer mentation. It is further held that this gives us the explanation as to why men before the flood lived for so many years. There was no break down of the flesh due to the neptunic rays of the sun. This is an over simplification of the theory which some people hold on. In carrying this a step further, the fountains of the deep were unstopped, and the waters came up from within the earth. As the heavens were opened, this great canopy plunged upon the earth. Geol ogists have found in Siberia a large herd of prehistoric elephants. The remarkable part is that these ani mals have been encased in ice for millenniums. The event happened so suddenly that the vegetation they had been eating was still undigested 12
when they were frozen solid. They were caught in this great deluge of ice and water which which is a pos sible explanation as to how those ani mals, which were semi-tropical and tropical, got there. It may be that Noah after the flood raised grapes and put the juice aside as he had done before the deluge. Now, how ever, the rays of the sun did their damage. Noah could have been total ly unaware of the fermentation pro cess. Luke 17:27 means that these people simply lived profligate lives. It doesn’t specifically say that they drank fermented wine. Their only thought, as in our present age, was for themselves and personal gratifi cation. Note further that our Lord took two ages to indicate times that could be likened to His coming again. They were the days of Noah and Lot. In Noah’s case it was a time of im piety and carnal secularism. The peo ple were s tr ic tly materialistically minded. The times of Lot, however, cdn be described as base impurity. Q. Lincoln, Kans. — “In Genesis 81: 8U, we read that Rachel had taken the images from her father and hid den them. What were these objects? Is there some lesson to learn from them?” A. Archaeologists have thrown some light on this transaction between Jacob, Laban and Rachel. Jacob had to leave quite rapidly because he saw the face of his father-in-law which wasn’t as friendly as it had been. God greatly blessed Jacob, in spite
of himself. This didn’t please Laban, or his sons, The Lord told Jacob to go back to his own homeland. Rachel gathered up some of their household gods. The verse says that she “put them in the camel’s furniture.” This means in the original language the saddle. The New Scofield Bible on page 46 points out that in the upper part of Mesapotamia archaeologists have found tablets of this era which were supposed to insure prosperity. They also indicated who the rightful heir in the household would be. This shows the gravity of the situation. Legally they had the function of in dicating Laban’s will. The lessons to learn would be to avoid entrapment with a person like Laban. Second, don’t ever steal. These images were worthless anyhow. Third, don’t lie, which was what Rachel had done. Q. San Francisco, Calif. — "J wonder i f you could help on some questions for me? I teach Sunday school, and regarding the fourth commandment concerning the Sabbath day the B i ble clearly states that S a tu rd a y should be so observed. Yet, we in our churches observe Sunday, the first day of the week. How do we reconcile this difference?” A. First of all, are you sure that you observe Sunday as the Sabbath ? Keep in mind that the Sabbath was made for the Jews (Ex. 31:13). This was a sign between God and the chil dren of Israel. Furthermore, God commanded the Jews to do certain things, and demanded that they not do certain things on the Sabbath. These are not commands pertinent to us. We keep Sunday as the proper day of worship because it was then that the Lord rose from the dead. The people, before the resurrection of Jesus Christ, rested on the Sab bath. The new dispensation began on the resurrection side of the cross. This is the reason we worship on Sunday. See Acts 20:7 and I Corin
thians 16:1-2 for day on which the early church assembled.
Q, Fairfield, Wash. — “Is it proper for a pastor to say, ‘Come to com munion to have your sins forgiven’? Also, are there three ways for the forgiveness of sins: believing God, baptism, and communion?” A. There is only one way of salvation and that is through an individual’s personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour (Eph. 2:8, 9). A word of caution in that sometimes one may think he hears the pastor make a statement which was taken in the wrong way. Ask the pastor his convictions on this a ll-im p o rtan t point of the Gospel message. Com munion, baptism or some ritual of the church can never save a person or guarantee that his sins are for given. There is not even part of a verse that would indicate such a view. The statement which is correct and eminently biblical is, “Come to Christ to have your sins forgiven.” No, there are not three ways, and not even two ways, to be saved. There is one and only one way (John 3:16, 5:24, Acts 16:31). The three things you have pointed out do give us the chronological order of what we should do after we are saved. First of all, we should believe God concerning Christ and receive Him as our Saviour. Then we should make known our stand publicly in baptism and by attending the Lord’s Supper with other believers who commemo rate the death of Christ at His table, “until He comes.” Q. Caldwell, Ida. — “In Matthew 2, we read that because of H e rod Joseph had to take the Christ child to Egypt. Here they stayed until an angel appeared and told them that Herod was dead so that they could return to Israel. How then is it pos sible for Herod to be alive in Mat
Israel, and the Jews as the Israelis. Judah incidentally was the only tribe faithful to the Davidic house. This shouldn’t seem unusual to us since we have both a restricted and a broad designation for our own names. At one time “Yankee” meant someone in the New England states. In the Civil War it meant the North against the South. After World War I, “the Yanks are coming,” meant all Ameri cans as compared to other people. It’s interesting to see how these designations are derived, and how they change over the years. Q. San Francisco, Calif. — " I heard a broadcast of yours a few clays ago in which the question was asked, ‘Will there be any unsaved people on the earth at the beginning of the millennium?’ (Isaiah 65:20; Ezek. 89:2; Zech. 14:16-19). You sa id there would not be. Did I hear cor rectly?” A. Yes, you did. We underscore the word “beginning.” Isaiah 60:21 tells us, “Thy people also shall be all righteous.” (See also Matt. 13:41.) The judgment of the sheep and goats is at the beginning of the millen nium. Yet during the thousand years, saved people aren’t going to give birth to saved children any more than they do now. There will be unregenerate ones coming into the world. Make a distinction between what happens at the beginning, and during, and at the end of the King dom age. Q. San Francisco, Calif. — “Are you in agreement with the proposed com mercial calendar starting with Mon day as the first day instead of Sun day?" A. If it is passed we would certainly abide by the requirements because we want to be law-abiding citizens. As we understand it, the proponents seek to place Sunday as the last day
thew 14:6? This was after Jesus was grown." A. There are several Herods men tioned in Scripture. Herod the Great reigned from about 40 B.C. until shortly after the Lord Jesus was born. This is the one who ordered the killing of the male babies. Mat thew 14:6 is an entirely different Herod. He was known as the Tetr- arch. This is the one who allowed John the Baptist to be killed because of his own drunken passion. Q. Canon Beach, Ore. — "Is the temp tation of Jesus to he interpreted in a moralistic manner, as has become so common today, or do we take them as understood by Jesus? (Matt. 4 t i-U } Mark 1:12, 18, Luke 4:1- 13).” A. They are to be taken literally and historically as having actually hap pened. In every case, however, there is need to apply the truth for our own needs and circumstances. Christ was tempted along the same three lines as were Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. These were the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. In the first instance where Adam failed, Christ, the last Adam, overcame and con quered. In I John 2 we see that our temptations are along the same line. Q. San Jose, Calif. — “How many tribes of Israel were there, and how many of them were Jews?” A. There were twelve tribes of Is rael. Judah, from which the word Jew comes, was one of them. When Israel was divided into the two king doms, Judah and Benjamin formed the Southern and were known as Jews, while the Northern tribes were called Israelites. No Jew today real ly knows to which tribe he belongs. We refer to them all as Jews. We speak of the land of Palestine as
of the week. This really doesn’t have any point as far as we can deter mine.
place from which Rebecca came to marry Isaac. Jacob also fled here from Esau. So what was Balaam’s home area?” A. He is connected with several areas. We first see him when Israel is encamped on the plains of Joab. This is on the eastern side of the Jordan. King Balak w an ts them cursed so he sends for this prophet. In Numbers 22:5 Balaam is known as “the son of Beor” of “Bethor which is by the river of the land of the children of his people.” Num bers 24:25 tells us that he “rose up, and went and returned to his place.” This would have to be back to Bethor. In the Mosaic books, when anything is said about the river, there is only one which is meant, “the fruitful one,” the River Eu phrates. Bethor has been identified by Old Testament scho lars and archaeologists as being in Mesopo tamia. Deuteronomy 23:4 does con nect it in this fashion. So all of what the questioner has said is cor rect. Incidentally, Mesopotamia is from two Greek words meaning “middle of the rivers,” separating the Tigrus-Euphrates valleys. . Q. Salem, Ore. — “We would like to believe that our son, his wife and children, and the rest of our loved ones, will not only have an oppor tunity to receive Christ as Saviour but also will make an acceptance of Him. We base our beliefs on Acts 16:31 and Matthew 18:19, 20. One of our pastors says we can definitely claim our brothers and sisters and entire family. Do you think this is correct?” A. The passage in Matthew is a wonderful passage, con ta in ing a blessed promise of the Lord. But Acts 16:31 has more bearing on your question, particularly th e phrase, “and thy house.” The clear revelation
Q. Mount Ridge, Kans. — “In I John 1:1 wo’re admonished to try the spirits whether they be of God. Then, in verse 2, it tells us to know the Spirit of God. This Scripture has troubled me because there are cults which seem to believe that Christ came in the flesh and yet they’re in great error.” A. The admonition means that we’re not to be gullible, believing every one who comes with some profession. John says to test the spirits; get out your measuring stick. God isn’t go ing to reveal something that’s dia metrically opposed to what His eter nal truth is through the centuries. Remember that there are other spir its, too. They are satanic and demon ic. We know of no cults which can pass this test in the sense which Scripture means it. Many of them admit that Jesus was a man, but not the divine, everlasting Son of God, the second person of the Trinity. Q. Vancouver, B.C., Can. — “Will the mentally disturbed or retarded be saved?” A. While no Scripture expressly states this, yet we do believe that those who mentally have never come to the age of accountability are saved, even as little children are. When one knows right from wrong, and understands that he is to accept Jesus Christ as his Saviour, then he has the responsibility to receive or reject Him. Q. Chowchilla, Calif. — “In Numbers 22:5 and 21:25 there is a question as to Balaam’s home area. Deuter onomy 23:1 seems to connect him w ith Mesopotamia. A c co rd in g to Strong’s Concordance, this is the
A. The statement is accurate; how ever, it would be well to add that it’s a state which characterizes our human existence. It’s the very na ture of every individual. I John chapter 1 indicates that we are sin ners by nature due to the federal headship of Adam. Q. Rialto, Calif. — “The pastor says that the reason for the human race is to resolve the angelic conflict. As soon as the number of believers equal the number of operating de mons, or fallen angels, then Christ will come for His church. When the Lord comes back with His church, He will appoint each believer to re move a demon. His reference is I Corinthians 6:8. Could this have any truth to it?” A. We can be thankful that the Bi ble does not leave us in doubt in such cases. The minister may be sincere, but he’s entirely wrong. The chief aim of man is to know God and to glorify Him forever (Rom. 11:36). The Scripture indicates that Christ is receiving now additions to His body. When all these additions are complete, there will be a glorious bride (Eph. 5:25-27). While we don’t know how many that will be, it has nothing whatsoever to do with equal ing the host of demonic forces. I Corinthians 6:3 doesn’t state that. I t’s speaking of believers who have no right to go before pagan tri bunals. In this way they would ap pear before those who don’t even own and recognize the Lordship of Christ. There is a coming day when we will judge the world and angels. This doesn’t necessarily mean de mons. Stay close by the Bible or you’re really going to be confused! Q. Lapeer, Mich. — “What do you think about compensating the under privileged, and where should it all start and end? Is virtue its own re ward?”
of Scripture is that every person who is saved must accept the Lord Jesus Christ personally. A parent’s salvation does not extend to his chil dren. We do believe that if we are faithful in praying, instructing, and living godly before the children, the loved ones will find the Saviour. In this way you could claim your family for the Lord, with reason to believe that before they die they will have settled the matter of their soul’s eternal destiny. God will honor your prayers and be faithful to you if you’re honoring Him in your home as well as in your life. Q. Santa Monica, Calif. — “Can you give me an answer to the Scripture that says ‘it is appointed unto man once to die, and after this the judg ment?’ Didn’t those whom Christ raised from the dead have to die twice, or weren’t they really dead?” A. Yes, they did have to die twice. These miracles were to reveal that Christ is the Lord of life and of the resurrection. Note that Hebrews 9: 27 doesn’t end with the words you have given. Read on to see the blessed hope we have in the Saviour. Because of sin God decreed that man must die. Now that’s the rule. Men were put under the appointment of judgment by death. This is the rea son why Christ died for us. His death was penal; it was punishment because of what you and I had done. Faith in Him alone is the only means of judicial acquittal in the sight of God. Q. Vallejo, Calif. — “We have the fol lowing statement in our Sunday school literature: ‘Sin is not a series of misdeeds; it is a state-which char acterizes our human existence.’ This was veVy hard for some in our class to understand. Could you give me the clear teaching of the Bible?”
A. Yes, it is. The views we give on this point don’t necessarily represent Biola. Frankly, we are not in favor of all of the free money which is given out to those who are increas ingly lazy, lethargic, and indolent. The world doesn’t owe them a living at all. There are some underprivi leged who certainly need help if they can do nothing for themselves. It would seem more important in the long run to spend time creating im portant and necessary jobs for these underprivileged people. It will do far more for them and everyone else involved thereby. Q. Venice, Calif. — “How do you exe- gete the statement in Hebrews con cerning Melchizedek that ‘without all contradiction the lesser is blessed of the greater ’ in light of the fact that he also blessed God?” A. You are referring to Hebrews 7 :7. This goes back to Genesis 14 when Abraham returned from the slaughter of the kings in which Lot was taken away to the North. When he came back, a priest of the Most High God met him at Jerusalem. Abraham gave him a tenth of all the spoil and received a blessing. This placed Melchizedek on a h igh e r plane. Out of Abraham’s loins came Levi and the Aaronic priesthood. So, since Abraham ties to Melchizedek, it means that the Aaronic priesthood pays recognition and honor to the Melchizedek type. This shows that Christ is greater than any Aaronic priesthood. In this way the Messian ic or the Christian faith is greater than the Mosaic revelation. All this is seen in the light of the fact that he also blessed God. Certainly he couldn’t be greater than God. Bless ing therefore can mean praise or bestowal.
ed up to heaven. But in Genesis 5: 2h we see that Enoch was taken up there by God, without his having to die. How do we reconcile this fact?” A. Read on in John 3:13, “except He that came down from heaven.” Our Lord is talking about heavenly things (v. 12). No man ascended up to heaven and came back to tell us heavenly things except the Son of Man.
Picturedabove is Miss LaVerne Rutledge, busi nessmanager and office manager at the Arizona Bible Colege. Below is Mrs. Electa Oitrog e, librarian,and Mrs. Linda Unruh (right),asistant librarian.
Q. Santa Monica, Calif. — “In John 3:13 it says that no man has ascend
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and possibilities are still in the fu ture. Jesus Christ established the church and He’s going to continue using it no matter what the condi tions may be. It was characteristic of the early church, on the day of Pentecost, that they immediately began to witness for the Lord. The genuine believer in Christ is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is the Head of the body, but we still need the re lationship of an earthly congregation where we can receive instruction and guidance in the Scripture. In Acts 2:24 we see that the early Christians “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and in fellow ship.” Lost men and women are first evangelized. Then, like new - born babies in need of milk, they must have instruction. The business of the church is to educate others in the knowledge of the Bible (II Tim. 2:2). Matthew 28:18-20 presents that very truth from Christ’s lips. We are to go forth, winning people, teaching and baptizing them. We all stand in need of good Bible teaching from a Christ-honoring church. When a man really becomes a Christian, there is created in his heart by the Holy Spirit an appetite for the Word. It is exactly what he needs for every dimension of life (II Tim. 3:16). The reason for fel lowship is that we will find there are other people who face the same problems, testing, difficulties and temptations that we do. We can and should pray together. What they find out is that God puts a love for other believers in the soul of a Christian. Therefore, he seeks their fellowship in every possible way. You see, the church of Jesus Christ is the only institution de scribed in the Word of God which the Lord established. It came into being on the day of Pentecost. Every movement and service organization is simply an arm of the New Testa ment Church. It’s wonderful to see
IN TIMES LIKE THESE Continued by Dr. Lloyd T. Anderson C hapter E leven M an ’ s first responsibility is to accept Jesus Christ as his own personal Saviour. Then there come the steps of spiritual maturity and development. The Word of God clearly teaches that there’s a need for each of us to experience a heart’s confrontation with the Lord. What a tragedy for people to keep going to church year after year and never find the way to heaven! Christ alone can deliver us from sin and provide everlasting life. There is coming a day of judgment and reck oning. Unfortunately some ministers have become so involved in civic and social affairs that they haven’t been preaching the Bible. There is much for which they’ll have to give an ac count. As Christians, we should be concerned about our country, as well as everything else that has to do with the welfare of our fellow-human be ings. We believe in the outworking of the grace of God in the human heart. There should be compassion and not prejudice, but our greatest concern should be that men need to know Jesus Christ as personal Sav iour. Every believer needs a soul-win ning church. We need the strength that comes through the unity of the Holy Spirit. There is an incentive for service in fellowship. Seeing oth ers coming to Jesus Christ as the result of the testimony of fellow- members of the church we, too, are encouraged to participate in the soul winning outreach. Some people are saying that the church is finished. I don’t believe that at all. Some of its greatest tasks 18
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