She ?Gn&Business' The Idible Family Magazirve F o r e v er , 0 L ord , T hy W ord is S ettled
I n H eaven PSALM 119 :89
=® l p uuim> 1 »« « iiiihm mmrnmnnrfr )
VOL. XV
¡t, 1924 6 \
N o . ^ 8
DON’T FAIL TO READ Believers and Doubters____ Dr. Clarence E. Macartney The Beauty and Reasonableness of the Christian Faith ........................................... ..Dr. Leander S. Keyser The Positive Product of Prayer......Dr. Howard Taylor The Empty Seat....................... Dr. John Roach Straton The Virgin Birth... . . . . . . . ......................... .Dr. I. R. Dean IN THIS ISSUE IN S E P T E M B E R "Grasshopper Men” ..............................Dr. John Murdoch Maclnnis Christ Unique...................................................... Dr. James H. Brookes Athenian Culture and Christianity,...................Dr. I. M. Haldeman “ Not Yours, but You” ............................... 1.............. Hugh R. Monro Peace or War?...................................................... Christabel Pankhurst The Empty Seat (Concluded)..................... Dr. John Roach Straton
K
y n s e p a r ^ l^ J T h ^ L m n q ^ ^ r d THY WORD IS TRUTH john -17-17 I AM THE TRUTH john -14-6
The Soul-Winner's Equipment God’s Plan Made Plain How Any One and Every One May Become a Soul-Winner by Using the God-Given Gospel of John This Gospel was written (or a definite, specific purpose: “ But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name.” (John 20 :31 .)
(Portion of Sample Page, Vest Pocket Edition.)
HOW TO DEFEND the FUNDAMENTALS of our FAITH. Use this edition of the Gospel of John. Some of the doctrines given are: INSPIRATION OF GOD’S WORD John 6:63; 8:26; 12:50 DEITY OF JESUS CHRIST Eternal God, John 1:12 Omnipotent, 5:25 Omniscient, 2:24, 25 Omnipresent, 3:13 Creator, 1:3 One with the Father, 14:9 God manifest, 1:18 God in human form, 1:14 God worshipped, 9:35, 36 ATONEMENT OF JESUS CHRIST John 1:29; 12:24; 6:51 RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST John 20:19, 20; 20:26-29 ASCENSION OF JESUS CHRIST John 16:7; 14:12 SECOND COMING OF JESUS John 14:3; 21:22, 23 Also, the Doctrines of the Eter nal Life of Believer®, the Person ality of Satan, Eternal Punish ment.
THE TESTIMONY Since} the first edition was pub lished, over 300,000 have been circulated, and hundreds of con versions have been reported. Boys and girls have used these Gospels in reaching their play mates. S. S. teachers and scholars have used them. One manufacturing concern in the Middle West ordered 2000 for distribution to their employ ees. The way of salvation is made plain, and God has honored HIS WORD This is the most simple, prac tical, effective method of evan gelism, and cannot fail, for de pendence is upon His Word, and that cannot fail. You can. have the joy of WINNING SOULS if you desire. Do you desire that joy? Then secure a Gospel and go to work. IT WORKS
J O H N CHAPTER 1— THE DEITY OF JESUS CHRIST V*. 1-18. The Incarnate Word I N the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. The Word and World 3 All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. The Word and Men 4 In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. The Word and Sin 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the dark ness comprehended it not. A Man Sent from God, whose Name was John 6 1 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. The Word and God CHAPTER TITLES and DIVISIONS make it easy to comprehend. The HELPS are designed to ASSIST CHRISTIAN W ORK ERS in their personal endeavor to W IN SOULS, b y using this Gospel with them ; and also to make it possible for any one into whose hands this Gospel falls to find God’s plan of salvation stated in the terms o f the Gospel itself. All NECESSARY INFORMATION for dealing with the UNSAVED is given, and the passages cited are all from the GOSPEL of JOHN.
Rev. J. Frank Norris, Pastor of First Baptist Church, Ft. Worth Texas, says: “ Just received the package of the Gospel of John. I have gone through it with my office force and it is the most wonderful thing that was ever prepared. If you had never done anything but make that outline you would not have lived in vain.” Rev. H. Ellis Lininger, Congregational Pastor, S. S. Specialist and Bible Teacher, o f Omaha, Neb., says: “ I have looked through the ‘Gospel of John the Apostle’ and think you have done a lasting work for the Christian workers of coming days. Have ordered some for a class of young people. We are taking the Gospel up along the Chapter Summary method, stopping on important passages long enough' to get the needed truths from each.” Send for a Sample S. S. Superintendents and Teachers will find it a means of creating a real revival in school and church. Single copies, 5c; 100 copies, $4.00. BIOLA BOOK ROOM 536-558 So. Hope Street, Los Angeles, Calif.
T he K ing ’ s B usiness Motto: ■" I, the Lord, do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day.” Isaiah 27:3. PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY AND REPRESENTING THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES T. C. HORTON. Editor-in-Chief R. H. RICHARDS. Business Manager CONTRIBUTORS DR R. A. TORREY DR. LEANDER S. KEYSER DR. J. FRANK NORRIS DR. JOHN MacINNIS WM . JENNINGS BRYAN DR. A. C. DIXON - ■ DR. L. W . MUNHALL DR. F. W . FARR DR. CHARLES'R. ROADS THIS MAGAZINE stands for the Infallible W ord o f God, and for its great, fundamental doctrines. ITS PURPOSE is to strengthen the faith o f all believers, in all the w orld; to stir their hearts to engage in definite Christian w ork; to acquaint them with the varied work o f the Bible Institute o f Los A ngeles; and to work in harmony and fellowship with them in m agnifying the person and work o f our Lord Jesus Christ, and thus hasten His com ing. Volume X V August, 1924 Number 8
Table of Contents
Editorials Page The Positive Position of the Presbyterians.............................................. 475 Winging G od ’ s W ord........................................................................ ....475 The Crux of the Church Controversy........................................................476 Stony Brook School for Boys................. .................................................476 Edification by Sherwood Eddy............... ........... ........................................477 Blatant Blasphemy..........................................................................................477 Perplexing Problems Confronting Our Country..................................... 478 Correcting a False Impression........................................... ......._*......... .....478 Contributed Articles Believers and Doubters— Dr. Clarence Edward Macartney.................. 479 The Positive Product of Prayer— Dr. Howard Taylor..........................480 The Beauty and Reasonableness of Christian Faith,....................... — Prof. Leander S. Keyser, D. D...................... ..................482 The Empty Seat— Rev. John Roach Straton, D. D............................... 484 The Necessity of the Virgin Birth— Dr. I. R. Dean...... ........................ 486 Current Comment ...........................................,......................................................488 Pointers for Preachers and Teachers (Homiletical Helps)........................... 490 The Family.Circle (For Fellowship and Intercession)............ ...................... 491 Comments on the Christian Endeavor Topics....................................................493 The Children’ s Garden............................................................................................495 Bible Institute Happenings.....................................................................................496 Evangelistic Department (Interesting Stories from Real Experience)........ 497 The Chosen People, the Land and the Book...... ...............................................500 Our Letter B o x .-.............. 501 International Sunday School Lesson Helps........................................................ 502 The Whole Bible (Fundamental) S. S. Lessons.................................................5 13 Best Books ....... 527
CHANGE OF | _ _ ^ ADDRESS MANUSCRIPTS
T F R M ^ $1.25 per year. Single copies 20 cents. Foreign Coun- * L I M V iU tries (including Canada) $1.50 per year, or 7 Shillings English m oney. Clubs o f 10 o r more 25 cents reduction on each sub scription seat to one or to separate addresses as preferred. REMITTANCE Should be made by Bank Draft, Express, or P. O. Money Order payable to the “ Bible Institute o f Los Angeles.” Receipts will not be sent for regular sub scriptions, but date o f expiration will show plainly, each month, on outside wrapper. BOOK ORDERS Much confusion and delay will be avoided if orders for books are sent directly to the Biola Book Room , 536-558 S. Hope St., Los Angeles, California, instead of being enclosed in mail in
Please send both old and new addresses at least one month previous to date o f de-
sired change.
The King’s Business cannot accept re- sponsibility for loss or damage to manu
scripts sent to it for consideration. Entered as Second Class Matter N ovember 17, 1910, at the Post Office at Los Angeles, California, under the A ct o f March 3,1879. A cceptance for mailing at special rate o f postage provided for in Section 1103, A ct o f O ctober 3, 1917, authorized O ctober 1, 1918.,
tended for the King’s Business.
536-558 S. Hope Street,
BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES
Los Angeles, California
Dr. Clarence Edward Macartney ' De f e nd e r o f the Fai t h W e t a k e pleasure in introducing to our thousands of readers Dr. Clarence Edward Macartney, the new Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America. Dr. Macartney was nominated by the outstanding layman of the Presbyterian Church, Elder William J. Bryan, who said: “The world is suffering from a dread disease, for which government agencies have no remedies. Party platforms have no cure for sin. Only the church has the panacea for the world’s need. “At this time, personal preferences and personal friendships should have no place. I present the name of Dr. Clarence Edward Macartney because it was his vigor that defeated the insidious attacks of the Modernists on the Bible and on the Deity of Christ. “He had the courage to raise the standard. It was his courage that gave victory at the last General Assembly and put the Presbyterian Church right before the world. His name has become a synonym of historic Presbyterianism, and is anamewhich guarantees that, as a Presbyterian Church, we will not surrender to Modern Thought and substitute it for the inspired Word of God.”
August 1924
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
475
THE POSITIVE POSITION OF THE PRESBYTERIANS Just on the eve of going to press with this issue, the daily papers bring news of great and splendid victories for the Fundamentalists in the General Assemblies of both the Northern and Southern branches of the Pres byterian Church. IN THE SOUTH The Sixty-fourth General Assembly of the Southern
in the Lord Jesus Christ as being the only condition of salvation. “Tenth: We declare our faith in all those who believe and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity and truth as being members of the household of faith belonging to the family of God, and children : of the kingdom of heaven. The Committee also recommended the following declara tion : “ The church remains at this; time sincerely convinced that
Presbyterian C h u r c h held its sessions in San1 Antonio, Texas, and be fore adjourning passed a resolution declaring its faith in all the fun damental doctrines of the historic church as follows: “First: We declare our faith in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testa ments as the inspired and inerrant Word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice. “ Second: We declare our faith in the Deity of Christ as the eternal, only begotten and well beloved Son of God. “ Third: We declare our faith in the incarna tion of the Son of God, that Jesus Christ was conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, born of her, yet without sin. “Fourth: We declare
the Scriptures, as truly and authoritatively exr pounded in our confes sion of faith and in our catechism, teach: “ That Adam and Eve were created, body and soul, by immediate acts, of A l m i g h t y power,' thereby preserving a per fect race unity; “That Adam’s body was directly fashioned by Almighty God without any natural animal par entage of any kind, and of matter which was pre viously created f r o m nothing.” We know that every loyal believer will say “Amen” to this clear def inite pronouncement from these brethren. IN THE NORTH The opening days of the General Assembly of the Northern Pres byterian Church (meet ing at Grand Rapids,'
V A L I A N T F O R T H E T R U T H “ Ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints.” — Jude 3 Unfurl the Christian Standard! L ift it manfully on high, And rally where its shining folds wave out against the sk y! Aw ay with weak half-heartedness, with faithlessness and fear; Unfurl the Christian Standard, and follow with a cheer! * * * * * * * * * In God’s own Name, we set it up, this banner brave and bright, Uplifted for the cause o f Christ, the cause o f Truth and R ight; The cause that none can overthrow, the cause that MUST prevail, Because the prom ise o f the Lord can never, never fail! * * * * * * * * * Now, who is on the L ord’s side, w h o? com e, throng His battle-field $ Be strong, and show that ye are m en! com e forth with sw ord and shield! ( t W hat! p eace? while traitorous Evil stalks in false array o f light? W h at! p eace? while enemies o f Christ are gathering for the fight? * * * * * * * * * Unfurl the Christian Standard, with firm and fearless hands For no pale flag o f com prom ise with Error’s legion bands, And no faint-hearted flag of truce with m ischief and with wrong, Should lead the soldiers of the Cross, the faithful and the strong. * * * * * * * * * Unfurl the Christian standard, and follow through the strife The noble army who have won the m artyr’s crown o f life; Our ancestors could die for Truth, could brave the deadly glow, And shall we let the standard fall, and yield it to the foe? * * * * * * * * * But if ye dare not hold it fast, yours only is the loss, For it SHALL be victorious, this Standard of the C ross! IT shall not .suffer, though ye rest beneath you r sheltering trees, And cast away the victor’js crown for love o f tim id ease. * * * * * * * * * The L ord of H osts, in W hom alone our weakness shall be strong, Shall lead us on to conquest with a m ighty battle song; And soon the warfare shall be past, the glorious triumph won, The kingdom s o f this world SHALL be the kingdom s of His Son! Frances Ridley Havergal
Michigan) were marked by the election of Dr. Clarence Edward Macartney, pastor of the Arch Street Presby terian Church, Philadelphia, and acknowledged leader of the Fundamentalists. The outstanding layman present at the convention was William Jennings Bryan who had the pleasure of presenting the name Of Dr. Macartney for Moderator. In our next issue we will give a resumé of the important positions taken by the different denomina tions in connection with the Fundamental fight at their annual gatherings. WINGING GOD’S WORD A news item from Fort Morgan, Colorado, carries •a unique little story which we think is well worth passing' on to our readers because it carries with it a reminder and a heart suggestion of the value of the admonition found in the Bible :
our faith in the vicarious sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary in paying the penalty for our sins; in sat isfying the demands of the broken law of God, and in secur ing eternal redemption for us. “Fifth: We declare our faith in the bodily resurrection of our Lord from the dead, which has brought life, immor tality and glory to light. “ Sixth: We declare our faith in the ascension of our Lord from Mt. Olivet to the right hand of the throne of God, where all authority in heaven and on earth is given unto him. “ Seventh: We declare our faith in the intercession of Christ as our great High Priest at the throne of grace, where He makes daily intercession for us. “Eighth: We look in faith for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ (Titus 2 :1 3 ). “Ninth: We declare, our faith in simple and sincere trust
August 1924
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
476
Millions of godly men and women have the Book in their hands today and are ready to lay down their lives, if need be, in defence of their faith. Every country on the globe possesses witnesses to the truth o f the Bible. They have come out of the darkness of heathen superstition, and are glorying today in the sunshine of God’s love. Have they been fooled? The martyrs, by the millions,'proved the promises of the Book and left the heritage of their unsullied faith in it. The catacombs bear testimony to the price men and women gladly paid for their loyalty. Thou sands of orphans, rescued from the slums of London, testify to the faith of Barnardo in God’s Word. Tens of thousands of witnesses bear record to the faith of George Mueller in God’s promises, for millions of dol lars poured into his treasury in answer to his prayers. Thousands in China today stand with the Bible in hand—missionaries and converts—proving that Hud son Taylor’s faith in God’s Word was ratified. The writer, himself, has ^proven it in years of feeding from God’s hand, and there are not enough demons in hell, nor demoniac spirits in the air, nor deluded devil doc tors in the schools and churches, to move him one step from his faith in the unbroken and unbreakable Word of the living God. There is nothing constructive, but everything de structive; nothing clarifying, but everything complex; nothing comprehensive, but everything confusing; nothing, with which to build up faith, but everything to blast it,—in the teachings of these Modernists. This is the prophecy concerning them in Paul’s letter to Timothy: “ This know, also, that in the last'days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud,' blasphemers, dis obedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without nat ural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incon tinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lov ers of God; having a form of godliness,' but denying the power thereof; from such turn away. **** But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiv ing and being 'deceived.**** For the time will come when they shall not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves' teachers having itching ears'; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and be turned unto fables.” STONY BROOK SCHOOL FOR BOYS We take pleasure in again calling the attention of our readers to the Stony Brook School for boys, located at Stony Brook, Long Island, of which Frank E. Gaebelein, A. M., is principal. In these days, true Christian fathers and mothers are greatly concerned regarding the spiritual influence under which their children are to develop. The Stony Brook School for boys, being strongly evangelical in principle and definitely Christian in its atmosphere, points the way to a conception of education which will give the Bible its rightful place in the education of our youth. We commend to the parents of boys an investi gation of the advantages which the Stony Brook School has to offer. Inquiries directed to the Principal, Stony Brook, Long Island, will bring a catalogue and full information.
“ In the morning sow] thy seed, and in the evening with hold not thine hand; for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good” (Eccl, 11:6) It seems that Jack Miner of Kingsville, Ontario, loves the wild fowls and he loves God’s Word, and has conceived the novel idea of tagging with a verse of Scripture' some of his feathered friends as they fly from their summer home in Canada, south to the warmer regions. He has tagged hundreds of wild ducks and the tags have been returned to him from thirty-three States, some as far south as Louisianna. A mallard duck reached Fort Morgan, Colorado, and a farmer there sent the tag to Mr. Miner who replied as follows : “ To see some of my pets return to me year after year for food and protection, after evidently having escaped thou sands of hunters hidden in ambush, is very pathetic. Put ting the verse of Scripture on the tag is just an idea of mine for passing along the Word of God.” What or who suggested this to Mr. Miner we do not know, but it was not the devil, we do know. What has been accomplished by it, we do not know, but eternity will tell. However, we are sure that God’s Word does not return to Him void. This striking incident emphasizes the value and necessity of broadcasting the Word of God wherever and whenever we can. If God-can use a wild fowl, is there any saint whom He cannot use? Have we not neglected too long the sowing of the seed by all waters ? As the Word is being not only neglected but denied by so many, should not our love for others and our un bounded confidence in God’s ability and purpose to magnify it, prompt us to be alive to our privileges and our opportunities for service in even the smallest mat ters? Satan’s messages are going forth from foul lips every day, in every way and in every place,—some times in the church and Sunday School. Should not we be as wise as serpents and seek in every possible way, by lip and life, to scatter the good seed? Men and women, boys and girls are perishing! Why not seek for new avenues of approach to them with the Gospel ? The least we can do is to do our best. The same spirit which prompted Jack Miner to tag the wild fowls will reveal to us His way for us, each in our own sphere, to scatter the good seed of His holy Word. THE CRUX OF THE CHURCH CONTROVERSY Is the Bible believable? Is it trustworthy? Can it be depended upon? Does it mean what it says? Can the common people bank upon it? Can any man or woman who has accepted Jesus Christ as God’s gift to sinful men, and who has confessed Him as both Sav iour and Lord,— can such a one, without any knowl edge of the teaching of the schools, but who has the ability to read the Word of God and understand its essential, plain, simple meaning,— can such an one believe and prove the Bible to be true? This is the crux of the controversy. The proposition is a simple one and easy of solution. Were the saints of old seduced by Satan to believe a lie? Were our honored and beloved fathers and mothers who believed the Bible to be God’s Holy Word, and who built their characters upon its teachings, leaving us the priceless heritage of their godly lives,—were they deceived? Were their prayers—based upon the verity of- God’s Word—answered, or was it a mere coincidence that they seemed to be?
August 1924
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
477
EDIFICATION BY SHERWOOD EDDY . And now Sherwood Eddy has taken the young peo ple under his wing, and will not allow them to lose their faith. Recently in a message in a university cen ter, he gave utterance to the following as reported in the local press: “ BIBLE NOT TEXT BOOK, SAYS EDDY : World Has Paid Bitter Price for Trying to Believe Its Details: Too long lias the Bible been set up as a text book of law, science and everything else, and Christians have paid a bit ter price for trying to keep it as such, declared Sherwood Eddy Thursday evening to three thousand students and others meeting at St. Paul Methodist church. ‘There has been a conspiracy of silence,’ he declared. ‘If you try to make that book infallible in all matters, the world is doomed. I won’t have thousands of young people lose their faith because it is demanded that they accept some antiquated dogma derived from it.’ A misconception of the purpose of the Bible is the reason people try to make of it a repository of all exact knowledge, Mr. Eddy believes. Instead of taking it as filled with great moral truths, they draw theories of unessential mat ters from its obviously contradictory and ill-founded state ments, and then try to make all who would believe in the Bible believe in those theories. Storms of bitterness broke out when men claimed the world was round, that the sun revolves around the earth, that the law of gravity is truth, that the antiquity of the earth is measured by millions of years, and that evolution is a fact. Each time the church had to give way, and each time it lost converts to the faith. , Mr. Eddy asserted that he has just five fundamentals of religion that can not be shaken. These are that there is an inspired word of God, that there is a living Christ giving : eternal life, that the spirit of sacrifice and love are essen tials, and that there is a mode of life made known by Jesus. Such controversial matters as the virgin birth, blood atonement, bodily resurrection can well be dispensed with. They may be believed in or discredited individually, and no difference made. ‘Let us believe,’ said the speaker, ‘in the great essen tials.’ ” Wonderful, isn’t it? Mr. Eddy was not always so. He spoke once upon a time with a different message, like a number of other men we used to know who stood four-square upon God’s Word. But the tide has turned now, and it takes real men to stand. We have seen them toppling all around for a number of years. * Mr. Eddy also spoke some time ago in South Dakota, and a business man there has sent us a list of ques tions which he asked him, after his address, together with Mr. Eddy’s answers, as follows: “ Q. What became of the rib that God took from Adam? “ A. God never took it. “Q. Why does the Bible give the account then? “A. Because the people were ignorant in those days and they had to have some such story to satisfy their simple minds. “ Q. If the people as you say were ignorant in those days why is it that archaeologists have discovered works of art, etc. that prove that the civilization in some respects in the days of Moses far surpassed that of our day? “A. I didn’t know that they had. “ Q. If this account is not trustworthy what part of the Bible are we to believe, and what part are we to reject? “A. Any part that Jesus does not o. k. “Q. Did not Jesus o. k. Moses and the Prophets again and again? “ A. Well— yes, certain parts. I see you have the same idea that the Mohammedans have, that the Bible was handed down from heaven a finished book. “Q. You made the statement last night that it did not make any difference whether one believed in the Virgin Birth or not. Was Christ not true man and God? “A. Christ was true God and true man, but the Virgin Birth does not make any difference; if you want to believe
that it is all right, about half of my friends believe that He was, and the other half do not believe ifcr-—it does not make a bit of difference. “Q. If Christ was not Virgin-born how could He be the Son of God? “A. God merely put His Spirit upon Him. “Q. Does not the Bible teach that He was born of a virgin ? “A. Christ never taught it. “ Q. Who was the father of Jesus then? “A. Joseph. “Q. How do you account for Matthew 1:25? “ A. Oh you can’t- take that as proof, it cannot be veri fied. “ Q. In other words, the Bible is a myth? “ A. No, not exactly, certain parts of it are. “ Q. If that is the case how do we know but what we believe the wrong parts and reject the right? “ A. Believe any part that Jesus taught. “ Q. Did Jesus teach evolution? “ A. Yes, He, Jesus, said, I have many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. John 16:12 (this is his authority for evolution).” We ask the reader to candidly consider these state ments. Are these the words o f'an honest man? Are these the same lips that once gave forth the message of the Gospel in its fulness, and, if so, why the change? Alas, alas! think of the words “ politics” and “ pol ic y ” and you have the answer. Mr. Eddy is a sample of the leadership that is now wrecking the faith of hundreds of our young men and women, and paving the way to the eternal hell that, must inevitably be theirs. Let our prayers to God be “ reprove Mr. Eddy and all of his kind; bring them repentant to their knees, or else hinder them in their soul-destroying work. ’ ’ , BLATANT BLASPHEMY * “ War to the kn ife!” is the cry of the Modernists. The attacks upon the Bible and upon our Lord Jesus Christ, increase in venom. With many of them it is no longer, “ we suppose,” but “ we know.” The most audacious statements are made with seem ing malignity, and the most dangerous of these false teachers are in the pulpits of evangelical churches. The people are dazed by these men who are rushing into the daily press, airing their views, and announcing what they “ do not b e l i e v e . Mo s t of these men—and we speak advisedly—have never done any constructive work in their lives. Any miscreant can dynamite a building, but it takes intelligent effort to construct one. These Modernists slip into a church which has been built up by godly, self-sacrificing pastors and members, with sacrificial funds,—air their views and hoodwink the people. Most of them know but little of the Bible, and could be embarrassed by an ordinary Sunday School teacher with a few simple questions. Where are the laymen of the church? Why do they sit still and become a party to the grossest of all crimes—the wrecking of the faith of men and women? A Unitarian, preaching in a Presbyterian church recently said: “ When Jesus saw John the Baptist, He thought that he (John) was the Messiah, and therefore asked him to baptize Him. ” And there was not a man or woman present who was brave enough to rise up and defend the Lord or His Word. When will the people arouse to a consciousness of the peril that confronts us ? Love for their Lord, love for their children, respect for themselves, should move them. Millions of lives were laid down before we could have the Bible. Is it not worth while to stand for it
August 1924
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
#78
Word of God, the Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ, the Atoning Blood of the Cross, and His Physical Resur rection, advise him to seek another field. Do not contribute a penny to any man, any church, or any missionary society that fails to ring true to your Lord. I f you do, you will find the charge entered against you by the Recording Angel in God’s Book.
against some wishy-washy, sentimental, goody-goody preacher? Do we care more for such an one, than for God’s Word, or for the souls of our children? If so, God pity u s! Awake, thou that sleepest! Be a full-fledged man or woman! Ask a few definite questions of the preacher and if he denies his. faith in the inerrant PERPLEXING PROBLEMS CONFRONTING OUR COUNTRY In the June issue of our magazine we published some facts under the above title sent to us over the signa ture of “ Georgia Robertson” of Washington, D. C., and under the caption, “ A Startling Discovery!” relat ing to the condition of the children in our public schools. The.writer of this article stated that “ trained sci entists had spent three years and a hundred thousand dollars in discovering facts, the knowledge of which in the future may lead to the elimination of many disturb ing and perplexing problems which confront us today. ’ ’ The article demonstrated that boys and girls, under certain tests, would both lie, steal and deceive. Another communication has now reached us from the same source entitled “ Religion Taught in the Pub lic Schools; How?” The appeal in this article is for “ the Bible in our public schools. Why cannot we have a carefully prepared text book, with lessons in hon esty, trthfulness, justice and fair dealing, to be used in connection with prescribed portions of the Bible and teachers trained for such work?” . We are staunch in our position that the Bible should have,a place on the desk of every teacher in every tax-supported school in this country. It is our right to claim it. But we cannot have our teachers teaching the Bible, for every known cult is represented among them, and that would create war among the pupils. We believe that selected portions of the Bible should be read each day in every school, without comment. These portions should be selected largely from the Old Testament, by the school authorities, and should be of a character to inspire reverent respect for the Bible as God’s Word. We rejoice in every effort which is being made to correct the conditions described concerning school chil dren, but these conditions have always existed, so far as cheating, lying and stealing' are concerned, and that is logical. Every child born into the world was born with a lying nature. We cannot evade that fact. No one ever kept the Ten Commandments, not even the first one. The commandments were given to show what God demanded of men, but the blood offerings prescribed for the very people to whom they were given were essential for the forgiveness of sin. Nieodemus knew the Ten Commandments from his youth up, but Jesus said unto him, “ Ye must be born again. ’ ’ The old nature can never be changed. The Christ of the cross alone can supply a new nature. Sin is in the very nature of man, and the law of God is “ The soul that sinneth it shall die.” Let us not try to evade this fact. We know from experience that it is so. “ Death has passed upon all men, in that all have sinned. ’ ’ The commission to every believer is to “ Go and give the Gospel.”
CORRECTING A FALSE IMPRESSION A great injustice has been done to the Bible Institute of Los Angeles through false statements and false impressions, growing out of the departure to be with the Lord of our beloved President, Mr. Lyman Stewart, to the effect that the Bible Institute is an endowed institution and not in need of financial assistance. Mr. Stewart’s idea of stewardship was different from that of most wealthy men. He believed in doing things while he lived and so gave gladly and liberally to definite objects, through which he believed God would be glorified. His gifts to the Bible Institute of Los Angeles were large, and his monument, in the shape of our present buildings, is outstanding. It seems to be the general impression that he left a large sum of money in his will to the Institute, but this impression is without foundation. As a matter of fact, Mr. Stewart left an estate of about $250,000.00, to be divided between his wife and children, and a percentage to the Institute which will amount to about $50,000.00 when the estate is finally settled, and of course, that time is uncertain. This statement is due to Mr. Stewart, whose noble and generous life has been an inspiration to many men, and it is also due to the Institute. We are dependent upon the gifts of God’s people for the support of our work, and commend it as worthy of the prayers and contributions of those who stand for the unimpeachable Word of God and feel a responsibility for carrying out our Lord’s command to “ GO AND GIVE THE BLESSED GOSPEL TO EVERY CREATURE.” The Lord’s blessing has rested upon the work of the Institute from the beginning in a deserted pool room to our splendid quarters where everything is devoted to one great object, and where every department is directed by those whose loyalty to the Lord is unquestioned. We will be glad to send to any of our readers all desired information. FLAG DAY DISTRIBUTION IN 200,000 HOMES OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 4ca|cs|ca|ea|e3|e)|e3ie4e4c The Church of the Open Door, the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, and a number of cooperating churches, planned and carried out a city-wide distribution of the Gospel of John in Los Angeles, the greater part of the work being accomplished on Flag Day, Saturday, June 14, using the Special Edition advertised on Inside Front Cover of this issue. The same thing is possible and practicable of accom plishment in any city or community. Write us about it.
August 1924
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
479
C o n t r i b u t e d A r t i c l e s
Dasg5g5g5H5H5H5BS;5B5E5g5H5g5Z5B5;5g5B5g5g5g5;5gsmg5mm gw s?q?gq?q?q?TOffm ?ffq?m ?CTq?^?q?q?q?TOq?q?q?gTOTOg^OT?^g g f f ^ g g ™ g |y i
Believers and Doubters Dr. Clarence Edward Macartney
We are indebted to The Ladies’ Home Journal for permission to print the following abridgement of Dr. Macartney’s splendid article in the May number of their magazine. It is of especial interest at this time, defining as it does, in clear and unmistakable terms the conflict between the Modernists and the Fundamentalists in the Church.
T. MATTHEW tells us in the last chapter of his Gospel that when the risen Jesus appeared to the eleven apostles and other of His disciples o» the mountain in Galilee, His disciples worshipped Him, “ but some doubted.” Doubt as to Jesus Christ, the facts of His life and the great doctrines which the apostles taught in His name, is not a new thing; it is as old as Christianity itself. The history of the church is the history of a long, unceasing conflict between faith and doubt, belief and unbelief. When the man on the street or in the pew wants to know about the controversy in the Church, and what the popular names and epithets, such as “Modernists” and “ Funda mentalists,” “Rationalists” and “ Evangelicals,” mean, this is the explanation: It is only another battle in that long and truceless war between belief and doubt. But what makes the present battle so acute, however, is the great number of doubters who today hold membership in our churches and preach from our pulpits. For example,— one of the most-followed-after preachers of the day likens a defense of such doctrines as, the Inspira tion of the Bible, the Incarnation, the Atonement, the Resurrection, and the Second Coming of Christ, to the tith ing of “mint, anise and cummin.” There is no disposition to curtail the liberty of men to preach what they believe or compel them to preach what they do not believe; but there is a just and indignant protest against men who do not believe the doctrines of their churches, remaining in those churches and thus violating and destroying that religious fellowship which is the sacred right of those who think alike in matters religious. None of the various names employed describe adequately the contending parties. “ Modernist” and “ Fundamental ist will not be heard of ten years hence; but the issue will remain. The word “ Liberal” is grossly misapplied to the doubters in the church. The true “Liberal” is the “ Con servative” who believes that, as the angel announced to the Virgin, “with God nothing shall be impossible.” But whatever names are employed, it is now perfectly clear that there exists a great and serious difference of opinion among those who call and profess themselves Christians. That this difference is so great and irrecon cilable as to constitute two different religions, it will now be my effort to prove. (1) The Kank of Jesus Christ It was St. Paul who called Jesus Christ by the • name of Lord, and who exhausted language in his efforts to acclaim the exalted rank of Christ, and who called Him “ God over all, blessed forever.” Nor was the view that our opinion as to the rank of Christ is of little importance, held by Christ Himself, for at the crisis of His earthly ministry He took His disciples
apart into a desert place and said to them: ‘Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?’ When various answers had been given, Peter exclaimed: ‘Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God!’ It was that account of Himself which Jesus received, and which He declared was given to Peter by the inspiration of God. (2) The Incarnation One of the best New Testament definitions of Christianity is that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. This states the fact and purpose of the Incarnation. Christ, the .eternal Son of God, became man to save man from sin and reconcile him to God. The Modernist speaks much of the Incarnation, but when you ask him about the Virgin Birth, he either denies it or refuses to affirm it (the new and polite way of denying a doctrine), or else says he believes it but does not count it important. Thus, he either denies the fact of divine revela tion as to the manner of our Lord’s coming into the world, or he questions the wisdom of divine revelation in recording for us the fact that Christ was born of the Virgin Mary. (3) The Miracles It is a question of whether we can trust the Gospels; whether we have a true history of Christ; whether Christ, who claimed to work miracles, is morally worthy of our worship and fame; yes, whether we have a Christ at all. The Christ of the New Testament worked miracles. Of a Christ who worked no miracles there is not the slightest clewi either in.* the Bible or out of it. The evangelical prefers to believe in a Christ who worked miracles and who existed, rather than in a Christ who worked no miracles, and who never existed. (4) The Death of Christ By the “death of Christ” I mean the great Christian doc trine of the Atonement. The Cross on Calvary separates all who call themselves Christians into two groups. Above all the great doctrines of Christianity, this is the doctrine which separates men into irreconcilable groups. The Gos pels of Matthew, of Mark, of Luke, of John, are devoted to a recital of the death of Christ. St. Paul declares that the fact which he delivered ‘first of all’— preeminent above all other facts, was that ‘Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.’ What did he mean when he said that Christ died for our sins? This is the one great theme to which the mind of Paul devotes itself in his writings which, it must be remem bered, comprise the larger portion of the New Testament. St. Paul’s teaching is summed up in such phrases as these: ‘Christ died, the just for the unjust;’ ‘who was delivered for our offenses;’ ‘being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through H im ;’ ‘who gave Him self a ransom for a ll;’ ‘that he might reconcile both unto
August 1924
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
480
So many are the allusions to the coming of Christ that were one to delete from the New Testament all such passages, it would be so filled with lacunae as to be almost unintelli gible. Moreover, the doctrine of the coming of Christ affords the only reasonable solution of the problem of evil and the sorrows of humanity. The hope that the world, through the power of forces now resident in it, is going to come slowly to perfection, has been practically abandoned by science and theology alike.' But the hope that Christ will come again is a star which shines on undimmed. He will come again to ‘judge the quick and the dead,’ overthrow the evil and diadem the right, and establish everywhere and forever the Kingdom of God. This is the faith every Christian confesses when he receives the Lord’s Supper and hears the words, ‘As oft as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show forth the Lord’s death, till He come.’ So runs the line of cleavage through the churches, show ing mat upon every great proposition of the Christian reli gion, the Evangelicals and the Modernists are hopelessly divided. On one side are the believers and on the other side are the doubters. Among all those who believe, there exists a true unity of fellowship which unites in one great body Christian men out of all the churches. Today, as never before, men are conscious of that grand unity of a common faith, and in the great conflict which is shaking the Protestant Church, these believers, of all races, and all countries, and all denominations, are stretching forth the hands of brotherhood and encouragement. In a world where our Lord is by the many still rejected, and by the few enthroned, the worshippers of Christ chant together the magnificent defiance of the Apostle: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” To foes without the Church, and to doubters within the Church, they declare with one voice, in those great lines of Meyer’s “ St. Paul” : “Whoso hath felt the Spirit of the Highest, Cannot confound, nor doubt Him, nor deny; Tea, with one voice, O world, though thou deniest, Stand thou on that side, for on this am I.”
God in one body by the cross.’ These are not just frag mentary sayings, but the great themes which Paul dis cussed, and the key to his whole teaching. (5) The Resurrection of Jesus The Modernist says that a physical resurrection, real or alleged, means nothing to him, that what he is interested in is the ‘continued life’ of Jesus. His faith, he boasts, does not rest on any physical fact. But the faith of the first Christians did rest on such a fact, the fact that the same body which they had seen taken down from the cross and laid away in the Arimathean’s rock-hewn tomb, came out of that tomb, and that Jefeus appeared to them, talked with them, walked with them, ate with them. Whatever theory is adopted by the Modernists, be it that of a vision, a ghost, a continued life, or that Christ never died, or that His disciples stole His body, they have no explanation of the belief in the resurrection of Christ. That belief was founded on an empty tomb. The empty tomb was the cradle of the Christian Church. The evan gelical can never be at peace with the man who says he believes in the resurrection of Christ, but not that he rose again with the same body with which He suffered. To do so would be to deny the New Testament and the Lord that bought us. He believes, with St. Paul, that if Christ be not risen, then is our faith vain. (6) The Last Fact Every thoughtful Christian, faithful though he may be to the duties of the present, has his moments of wonder and surmise about the future. What is to be the end, the outcome, the final consummation? Man cannot help think ing about the end. ‘Then cometh the end’ is just as logical and inevitable as ‘In the beginning.’ The Bible tells us not only of the beginning, but it tells us of the ending of things. That end is to come to pass when Christ comes again. The echo of that promise is heard in every sermon that the apostles preached. There are men whose backs are to the world and whose faces are toward the coming of the Lord. Because He is coming, they gladly endure persecution, affliction, death.
äst
äs>
The Positive Product of Prayer Address delivered in Bible Institute Auditorium by Dr. Howard Taylor
Dr. Taylor is the son of J. Hudson Taylor, the founder of the China Inland Mission. He has been for many years a faithful follower in his father’s footsteps and, together with his wife (the daughter of the late H. Grattan Guinness) recently made a three years’ tour of China, visiting all the stations of the C. I. M. This message is intensely inspiring, proving as it does, the present potency of prayer.
tles it. But it may be that among us there are one or two or three, just a few, who are in uncertainty about these things. There is a great deal in our day to unsettle faith, and there are men and women and young people today who in all honesty do not know whether these things are so or not. I hope that by the blessing of God I may be able to say something this afternoon that will satisfy you that the Word of God can be utterly relied upon, that what we read in this grand old Book is absolutely true; far more enduring than the eternal hills, the Word of God which liveth and abideth forever. When the doubters and disbelievers are passed away from the scene, this great and glorious Book will be unchanged by their doubting, un- dimned by all they have to say against it, as sure as the existence of God in heaven. Now our Lord says to you and to me, “ If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” There is implied in that promise a condition, it is essentially “ in my name.”
AY we read together three of the promises of God from our Lord’s last recorded address in the 14th, 15th and 16th chapters of John. The first of the three promises is in John 14:13, 14: “Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may he glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” That’s the word of our Lord Jesus Christ to you and to me, and for our encouragement in our own personal spirit ual life. Let us read it again with that thought in view,— that our Lord Jesus Christ says that to each one of us. “Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” Now, I have no doubt whatever that the great majority of this congregation are men and women who know and love the Lord Jesus Christ, and to whom His word is final. Back of it there is no controversy— if He said so that set
August 1924
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
481
You and I cannot ask any thing, obviously, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that He cannot ask in His own name. If any one gave me authority to draw upon his bank account, I could not draw out of that account any thing he had not put into it. I could only draw what he himself was authorized to draw, and you and I cannot draw any thing on the Bank of Heaven that our Lord Jesus Christ cannot draw. But it is a pretty big order, isn’t it? “ If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” Now when we come to study the context of that promise, we find that our Lord is speaking about work's. In the 10th verse and 12th verse He is talking about works— works that you and I may do because we love Him. We teach a Sunday School class, and try to lead the children of this class to know and love Christ, because we know and love Him our selves. In connection with our Christian work, whatever it may be, we get such promises as this, “ If ye shall ask anything in My name, I will do it.” You will expect me to illustrate these promises from the experiences of the China Inland Mission, and I intend to do so. You know, I expect, that there are more than twelve hundred missionaries in the China Inland Mission, and that they are supported by the unasked gifts of the people of God; for the China.Inland Mission never asks for a collection, never suggests a collection, and never makes any appeal in public or in private to the Lord’s people to give. We do ask them to pray, because we know that when the Lord’s people pray at home He gives the blessing out there among the heathen. Do you know that we need for the entire work of the China Inland Mission about two thousand dollars per day? And can it be that God inclines the hearts of His people all over the world to send in two thousand dollars every day of every year for the support of His people on the other side of the world? Well, it is simply the fact that He does— and let the doubters make the best they can of it. And those who are honest doubters, when they come to see a fact like that, will be inclined to “ doubt their doubts and believe their beliefs.” A few months ago I was taking part in a series of meet ings in St. Louis, in the Gospel Center, which I have no doubt some here in this Church this afternoon have visited. It was a Friday night, and I had been reminded in a letter that day that three of our mission stations in North China had been burned to the ground by brigands, and Mr. Hoste, our General Director, had mentioned that it would take $7,500.00 to rebuild these three stations. He said, “When you have a convenient opportunity, at a prayer meeting, or any other suitable occasion, invite those who are present to pray that the Lord in His own good time will enable us to rebuild these stations.” Because, as you can understand, with such a large number of missionaries there is always a first claim on any funds that are contributed to the China Inland Mission— personal needs, house rent, rent of chapels, traveling expenses, furloughs,— all thSse things have a claim upon the regular income of the mission, which usually prevents special needs of that kind being met save by special gifts. So that Friday night I mentioned in that Mission Hall that $7,500.00 was needed to rebuild those three stations in the Provinces of Honan and Anhwei. On the afternoon of the next day, a letter was put into my hands. It told me that a gift of $7,500.00 had been received to put up those buildings, given, unasked, by one child of God for the very need about which we were pray ing, and I had the privilege of telling those people on Sat urday afternoon, who had prayed on Friday night, that God had heard our united prayers— that the money was in hand and a cablegram had been sent, to Shanghai saying
that they could go ahead and build. Our covenant-keeping God had heard our prayer. “ If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” And He will! A good deal more recently I received a letter from Shanghai, also from Mr. Hoste, in which he reminded us that he had been praying for two years, and that many others of us had been joining in that prayer, that the Lord would enable us to develop our schools in two of the great Provinces of China. As you are doubtless aware, the China Inland Mission is not an educational mission. We are there primarily for the conversion of the people, but we do find it necessary in many cases to have schools, as far as possible self-supporting in their current expenses, for the education of the children of the Christians. We find that if they go to heathen schools they imbibe heathenism day by day, just as if we send a boy to a school where they teach Darwinism— that exploded idea of the ascent of man from monkeys!— it tends to unsettle faith: so we do not like to send Christian boys and girls to heathen schools. And I may add that we do not like to send them to any mission school where there is any doubt about what they are teaching in them; it is not safe. As you may know, there are some missions which are not sound. Prayer had been made that we might be able to develop a High School in Honan for girls, and for boys in Kansu Chowkiakow. Mr. Hoste said, “ You will be happy to hear that I have just received a check to my personal order for forty-eight hun dred pounds, (about twenty-two thousand dollars) to build these two schools.” And now in Lanchow, capital of Kansu, and in the great city of Chowkiakow, they are build ing high schools for the boys and girls of Christian parents, to which a very few children of heathen parents will prob ably also be admitted, perhaps not more than twenty or twenty-five per cent, that they may be under Christian influence and also come to believe in the Christian’s God. Remember, friends, He is a hearer and answerer of prayer, and if you forget everything else I say this afternoon, remember these three words— GOD ANSWERS PRAYER, yours and ours, ours as well as yours, and we want you to rejoice with us before our Covenant-keeping God. Just one other illustration. I would not convey the impression that we are never in difficulties for want of money in the China Inland Mission.—we are from time to time. Real' faith is always tested sooner or later. But the difficulty has never gone to the point of our being in debt. My father used to love to say, “ God’s clocks keep perfect time.” He not only knows what His children have need of, but when we need it and He sends it right then. Last sum mer we were in difficulties. There were fourteen mis sionaries wanting to go out to China from Canada, some from the United States and some from the Northern coun try, about half of them returning and the rest newcomers, very welcome recruits to our ranks. Passages were reserved for them by a steamer sailing on October 5th, three months a;go, and when the time drew near we had to cancel those passages. Such a thing has very, very rarely happened in the experience of the China Inland Mission, and much prayer was made that the Lord would send the money. About that time we were in Winnipeg, and as we were going to the station a very devoted, sincere, child of God who was driving us in his car said, “ 1 want to give five hundred dollars to the China Inland Mission. Shall I hand you a check, or shall I send it direct to Toronto?” We said, “ We are just leaving; you may prefer to send it direct to Toronto.” He said, “ Very well, I will send it direct.” It happened that it was at a very busy time of the year when he was working very hard, and one thing after another (Continued on page 526)
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker