AUGUST, 1951
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form, treasury of pre-miUennial, prophetic truth in relation to significant world events. Vital spiritual food. Edited by Drs. Keith L. Brooks and V. C. Oltrogge, board of special consultants, representatives in many lands. $1 bill for 10 mo. trial. (Year in U.S. $1.20; foreign $1.35.) Ask information about the League’s world-wide free distribution of vital Bible study material. AMERICAN PROPHETIC LEAGUE, INC. Box B B , Eagle Rock, Los Angeles 41, Calif.
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"JOHN DEWEY'S EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY has done more harm to Am erican young people than even John Bar leycorn,” says a public school teacherof years of experience. Are you equipped to refute the fallacies of this subtle atheistic influence? Read Dr. Buswell’s book ex posing Deweyism. Give copies to your friends, especially the teachers of your children. Order direct from the author - T H E PHILOSOPHIES OF F. R. TENNANT and JOHN DEWEY, ove r fiv e hundred pages, $6.00, postage prepaid if cash accompanies order. J. OLIVER BUSWELL, Jr. President Shelton College 340 W est 55 th S treet N ew Y ork 19, N. Y.
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The Work and the Workers By William W. Orr, D.D. Reprint on Dispensationalism Copies of the new revised edition of Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer’s valuable book on dispensationalism are available from the Seminary Book Room of the Dallas Theological Seminary, 3901 Swiss Avenue, Dallas, Texas. I believe this work on dispensationalism is the great est and most profound, as well as the sanest presentation, that is available to day. Dr. Chafer presents in a scholarly, convincing way the case for dispensa tionalism. Latin American Youth Rally A youth rally of one thousand Costa Rican young people filled the auditorium of the Templica Biblica in San Jose, Costa Rica, as the Latin American Mis sion presented a brilliant young ex- Catholic evangelist, Dr. Jose Lopez Morales. Dr. Morales is a member of the faculty of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, speaks six languages, and has had audience with two Popes. He has been a Christian less than three years but in that time has held seventeen evan gelistic campaigns especially for Cath olics. Annual Conference Attended by missionaries and mission ary statesmen from all over the world, the sixty-first annual meeting of the Evangelical Alliance Mission recently convened in Brooklyn, New York. There are in this mission, 475 active workers. Nearly $1,000,000 was dispensed last year to eleven different world fields. In addition, 160 accepted candidates are waiting to be sent out. The Mission plans also to expand its work into Europe by moving into the needy fields of France. Forty Thousand Hours of Service Recently Radio Station HCJB has completed 40,000 hours of service in broadcasting, which means over 160,000 periods of quarter hours of broadcasting have been sent around the world during the past ten years. This Christian radio station, located almost on the Equator in South America, presents Gospel radio broadcasts in sixteen different languages. Ridgway on PTL General Matthew B. Ridgway, Su preme Commander of the Allied Occu pation Forces in Japan, has given his hearty endorsement to the work of the Pocket Testament League. He writes: “ The Pocket Testament League, through its foreign Secretary, Glenn W. Wagner, has been carrying on in Japan a large scale distribution of the Holy Scriptures. The full extent of their magnificent ef fort may be measured by the fact that they have already distributed 7,000,000 Bibles to the Japanese people. This spreading of the Word of God is a most important undertaking. Therefore, I heartily commend the Pocket Testament League to you for such courtesies as you may extend within the limits of established policies.”
BUSINESS
Official Publication of The Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Incorporated
Louis T. Talbot, D.D.
Betty Bruechert Managing Editor
William W. Orr, D.D.
Editor in Chief
Associate Editor
Copyright, 1951, The King’s Business No part of this magazine may he reproduced without permission. All Rights Reserved. Vol.42 August, 1951 No. 8 The Work and the Workers, William W. Orr .................................... • 3 Editorially Speaking ..................................................................................... 4 Dr. Talbot’s Question Box ..................................................................... 6 Two Loads of Dirt, Douglas M. White ...................................... •••• 7 Adventuring for Christ in Latin America ......................... .............. 8 The Bible in New York, David J. Fant .................................................. 11 Bitter Sweet, Claude E. Copperwheat ................................................ 13 Camouflaged Seventh-Day Adventism, E. B. Jones ....................... 15 The Bible in the News, William W. Orr .......................................... 16 Tongue-Tied Missionaries, William J. Samarin .............................. 17 Biola Family Circle .............................................................. Junior King’s Business: Dick’s Double Birthday, Martha S. Hooker 19 Book Reviews: The Crisis in Modern Education, Cedric A. Larson 20 Young People’s Topics, Walter L. Wilson .............................................. 22 Sunday School Lessons, Homer A. Kent, Allison Arrowood ......... 25 Object Lessons, Elmer L. Wilder ........................................................... 32 Picture Credits: Cover, Harold Lambert Studios; pp. 8, 9, Pan- American Airways; p. 10, Ewing Galloway; p. 13, Don Knight, San Francisco. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION—“ The King’s Business” is published monthly; 52.00. on# year; 31.00. six months; 20 cents, single copy. Clubs of three or more at special rates. Write for details. Canadian and foreign subscriptions 25 cents extra. It requires one month for a change of address to become effective. Please Bend both old and new addresses. REMITTANCES—Payable in advance, should be made by bank draft, express, or post offiee money order payable to "The King’s Business.” Date of expiration will show plainly on outside wrapper or cover of magazine. ADVERTISING—For information, address the Advertising Manager, 668 South Hope Street. Los Angeles 17, California. MANUSCRIPTS—“ The King’s Business” cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to manuscripts mailed to us for consideration. Entered as second-class matter November 7, 1938, at the Post Office at Los Angeles, Cali fornia, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in the Act of February 28, 1925, embodied in paragraph 4, section 538. P. L. and R.. authorized October 1, 1918, and November IS, 1938. ADDRESS: The King’s Business. 658 So. Hope St., Los Angeles 17, California.
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A U G U S T , 1 9 5 1
ning, one of the defendants was on the stand and he refused to answer a ques tion, pleading a supposed constitutional privilege which obviously had no appli cation. I gave him time to consult with his counsel about it; I held the matter in abeyance over night to make sure that I was making no misapplication of the law, and then the next day, Friday, June 3, of the year 1949, I sentenced him to prison for thirty days, unless he should sooner purge himself of con tempt by answering the question. Pan demonium broke loose. The other ten defendants and their lawyers, and many of the spectators, rose to their feet; there was a great shouting and hulla baloo, and several of the defendants started toward the bench. “ In all that excitement, I felt just as calm as I do now when I speak to you; I did not raise my voice over the tone which you hear me use now; and I singled out several of those men, iden tified the language they were using, got it on the record, and sentenced each of them to imprisonment for the balance of the trial. “And I tell you, as I stand here, that my unguided will alone and such self- control as I possess were unequal to this test. If ever a man felt the presence of someone beside him, strengthening his will and giving him aid and comfort, it was I on that day. “ And so it was later and toward the end of August, when I finally left the courtroom one day and went to lie down, thinking that perhaps I should never go back. But, after ten or fifteen minutes, I was refreshed and I did go back; and I gained in strength from that moment on to the end. “ Perhaps someone will think it wrong for me to tell you these things. But I could not come to this gathering pre pared to discuss the ordinary platitudes, or to hold forth on philosophy or inter national affairs, about which I know nothing. It seemed better, particularly in these trying, difficult times, when each of us is worried, and each of us is troubled over this great country of ours that we love so well, to sound a note of comfort. “After all is said and done, it is not we who pull the strings; we are not the masters, but the servants of our Mas ter’s will; and it is well that we should know it to be so.” Who Is a Christian? T HE Pasadena Star News is an ex cellent local paper. In its Saturday review of religious happenings the world around. On this church page there are usually some timely editorials. In a recent issue the leading edito rial was entitled “ Who is a Christian?” The religion editor first quoted Phillips Brooks, a renowned liberal of the last century, as follows: “Who is a Christian? Everywhere the man who, so far as he comprehends Jesus Christ, so far as he can get any T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
Testimony to the Sunday School J OHN EDGAR HOOVER of the Fed eral Bureau of Investigation certainly could never be accused of flighty, fan ciful reasoning. He is accustomed to dealing with cold, hard facts and because of the tremendous amount of informa tion that passes his desk, he is in a posi tion to know and evaluate institutions and movements in our country, perhaps more than any other single person. In a recent article published in the Sunday School Times, Mr. Hoover pays splendid tribute to the value of the American Sunday School. After pointing out some discouraging statistics as to the increase of crime and the alarming prevalence of crime among young peo ple, Mr. Hoover speaks in the highest terms of the accomplishments of our Sunday schools. “ Let us test the value of the Sunday school dispassionately. We need no array of statistical data to arrive at some common-sense conclusions. Obviously, ordinary reason tells us a knowledge of what is right and what is wrong is es sential before we can expect a child to choose his path. Where better to implant this fundamental knowledge than in the Sunday school? There the knowledge and the desire to exercise it are ac quired together, in such intimate asso ciation that the urge to act righteously becomes a reflex of the recognition of the rightful course. “ The Sunday school teachers of the na tion are doing a truly magnificent job. They are insuring that the child who is so fortunate as to come into the Sun day school fold receives an introduction to the Word of God, the unequaled guide to righteous living and faith in the fu ture. They are laying upon a rock the foundations of Christian character in their disciples, the Sunday school schol ars. Our hopes for the future are in their hands. “ Surely no parent can be blind to the creeping paralysis of secularism and materialism which continue to infect the moral fiber of the world. Surely every parent worthy of the name will recognize the essential part Sunday school train- Page Four
ing must play in developing Christian ideals and staunch moral stability in the children whose moral character and philosophy of life are their parents’ most pressing responsibility. “ Let them place their trust in the Sunday school and the Sunday school teacher. Not only will their children be come better men and women for the Sun day school’s training, but the nation will become a better nation, and the world a better world. For with every child who is taught to accept Christian ethics as his guide to daily living, secular materialism as a national philosophy is dealt a crippling blow. “ The banners of Christ can lead the way to the moral and spiritual rebirth of our great nation. In the forefront of His banner-bearers are the Sunday schools.” The Judge and His God M OST Americans recognize the name of Judge Harold R. Medina as the presiding judge before whom were tried many of the arch-Communists of our country. It is not often that a man in such high position pauses to speak in real humility of his dependence upon God and His wisdom and power. In a recent address given by Judge Medina at the 64th dinner of the Church Club of New York City, the following testimony was made: “ I do not see why a judge should be ashamed to say that he prays for divine guidance and for strength to do his duty. Indeed, there came a time not so long after the incident I have just described, when I did the most sincere and the most fervent praying that I ever did in my life. “As I mentioned in passing at the beginning of this address, I suddenly found myself in the midst of that trial of the Communists. It took me a long time to realize what they were trying to do to me. But as I got weaker and weaker, and found the burden difficult to bear, I sought strength from the one source that never fails. “ Let me be specific. There came a time when, doubtless due to previous plan
issue, it devotes an entire page to a
Intolerance In Colombia By J. Russell Davis
3— A Christian is One who has been born into God’s Family. Marvelous as this seems, it is never theless true. Christians are actually members of the family of the God of the universe! Christians are possessors of God’s nature and life! Christians are heirs of the riches of God’s glory! (John 3:7; 1 Pet. 1:23; John 1:12; Rom. 8:16, 17). It seems almost too good to be true, doesn’t it? Still the Bible is very clear here, that when you accept Jesus Christ into your heart, you enter God’s family. His becomes the obligation to provide and protect, yours the responsibility to live like a child of God. 4— A Christian is One who has Eter nal Life, Now! How wonderful! In this respect the Christian differs from all others, for he possesses, here and now, the priceless heritage of endless life which is shared only by God and himself. Not at death, not at the Judgment, not at the end.of time, but at the mo ment you receive Christ, you receive eternal life (John 10:28; John 5:24; 1 John 5:13). 5— A Christian is One in whom dwells the Risen, Living Christ. The exultant note of the first Easter was, “He lives.” The joy of the Christian life is explained when we understand that the gloriously risen Christ dwells in the hearts of Christians (John 15:4; Col. 1:27; John 14:20; Gal. 2:20). All that the Christian needs—strength, wisdom, guidance, necessities—are fully supplied by the indwelling Christ who declared “ All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Dear Reader, may we pause to ask, “Are you a Christian?” Have you come to Christ? Are your sins forgiven? Have you been born into the family of God? Do you now possess eternal life? Does the risen Christ dwell in your heart? Handbook I T is always a pleasure to commend books that we feel will be a real aid and blessing to the hearts and lives of Christian people. Rev. Chester J. Pad gett, a member of the faculty of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, is also pastor of the Calvary Church of Pla centia, California. He is a fine Bible teacher and an outstanding preacher of the Word of God. Out of his experiences in dealing with young people, he has written a very splendid handbook which we feel would be a real addition to any pastor’s library and a splendid tool for leaders of young people. The book contains 200 pages; the type is excellent and there is an easily- understood outline. We would like to commend this volume most highly to Christian workers. The book may he ob tained from the Biola Book Room, 560 South Hope Street, Los Angeles 17, California.
knowledge of him, is his servant; the man who makes Christ a teacher of his intelligence and the guide of his soul; the man who obeys Christ so far as he has been able to understand him. “ What, you say, the man who im perfectly understands Christ, who does not know anything about his divinity, who denies the great doctrines of the church in regard to him, is he a Chris tian? Certainly he is, my friends.” Then the editor went on to add words of his own, saying: “ But I hear some saying, ‘Can one be a Christian without believing in the di vinity of Christ and the Scriptures as the revealed Word of God, and in the immortality of the soul?’ Assuredly he can; Jesus made no such condition of discipleship. He was looking for men who would follow Him as their Teacher and Leader and Saviour, in full obe dience as their Master.” If there ever was a dangerous doc trine, it is this which suavely and subtly does away with the great principles of salvation which God Himself has pro vided through His Son. Let it be under stood once and for all that all men are not on the same road. On the contrary, every last person born into the world is horn with his face away from God, un der condemnation. It is not enough wish fully to seek to follow Christ. It is not enough to be assured in your heart that He was a great man or a greater martyr. The Bible is specific, definite and unequivocal on this point. But the tragedy of all tragedies is simply that far too many thousands of people are trusting their good opinion of Christ and their tolerance of others as a basis for their entrance to Heaven. Let it be said with all the emphasis that we can com mand that salvation is not obtained on that basis. Who then is a Christian? Here is the best definition I know: A Christian is one who is vitally joined to Jesus Christ. Surely that is what the term “ Christian” means, a CHRISTian. So, of necessity, there must be the honest acknowledgment, and personal acceptance of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Without Christ there can be no Christians. The Apostle Paul, in speaking of his Christian life, put it thus: “ For me to live is for Christ to live in me” [literal translation]. 1— A Christian is One who has Come to Christ. It’s just that simple, merely “ come to Christ” with all your needs. It is His task to make you a Christian. It is yours to come (John 3:16; Matthew 11:28; John 14:6; Acts 4:12; John 6:37). 2— A Christian is One whose Sins are Forgiven. Sin is the great harrier between man and God. Therefore sin must be dealt with first before one can have fellow ship with a holy God. Christ is the great Sinbearer. He died for the sins of the world. He died for your sins (1 Pet. 2:24; Gal. 3:13; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Cor. 15:3; 1 Pet. 3:18; John 1:29). A U G U S T , 1 9 5 1
“ Everyone who is opposed to the Cath olic Church is an enemy of the govern ment, and all enemies of the government are Communists, and all Communists can be shot!” In this way a veteran mis sionary summed up the situation to ex plain the reasoning back of the present- day persecution of all evangelicals in Colombia. This is the view of the Con servative Party, which is completely dominated by the Catholic Church, ever since that dreadful day of April 9, 1948, when the famous and beloved leader of the Liberal Party, Dr. Jorge Eliecer Gaitan, was murdered. As a result of this brutal and ruthless method of re moving a political opponent before an election, the people rose up in their wrath and wrecked many of the Catholic Church buildings of Bogota, and laid waste much of their beautiful capital city. This attempt of the common people to throw off the fearful slavery in which they were held by the Catholic Church ended in a bloody massacre, with the Catholic Church using the guns. The up rising was quelled; the Catholic Church was more firmly in power than ever before; the world was told that a Com munist uprising had been put down, and a reign of terror began for all who were not members of the Catholic Church. During recent years this persecution has grown more severe. Bombings of evangelical churches, burning of the homes of Christians, arrests and beat ings of believers, closing of gospel serv ices, and even the bloody killing of na tive Colombian pastors, as well as of one missionary, have become more and more common. All over Colombia reports came to us of this terrible persecution, and also of increasing restrictions against every activity of life for Evan gelicals. Evangelical schools are not al lowed, but no child can go even to a government school without clearance from the priest that they attended mass and confession. Non-Catholics can only be married by judges, and since all of these officials are Catholics, they refuse to perform the ceremonies. No one can hold any kind of public office in the government, either local or national, un less they are active members of the Catholic Church. In many localities non- Catholics cannot he buried. We could go on and on with a long list of discrim inations of this nature. All of this re veals that it is the official policy of the Colombian government and the Catholic Church to wipe out all opposition by any means. This policy is carried out by the priests, who are the highest authority, with police and other officials taking orders from them, especially in country places. Despite this ruthless persecution, there are many fine Evangelical churches and a wonderful group of real Bible-believing Christians who are wit nessing bravely for their Lord. Page Five
To be sure, it would have been far better had you prayed for your husband before your marriage, asking God to save his soul before you married him. Then you would have been obeying His will fully; and surely He answers prayer. But having gone contrary to His will in the first place, you can only ask forgiveness, and continue to pray for your husband’s salvation. Our God is the God of forgiving love, as well as the God who hears and answers prayer. Doubtless you have made your own path harder by not obeying fully in the first place; but His grace is sufficient for every need! The Apostle, in this entire chapter, is exhorting Christians to live a life sepa rated from the godless world. Therefore, he says in verses 9 and 10, “ I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idol aters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.” Then he adds in the fol lowing verses, “But . . . if any that is called a brother [i.e., a Christian] be a fornicator . . . put away from among yourselves that wicked person.” This is but another way of saying that, as Christians, living in a sinful world, we must of necessity come in contact with ungodly and immoral men; but it ought not to be so in the church. In the world of business, for example, we must have dealings with the ungod ly. Otherwise, we must needs go out of the world. God does not intend that we should go into monastic seclusion, nor does He always take us home to Heaven as soon as we are saved. We cannot help what the ungodly do. But when it comes to a matter of church- discipline and personal purity, and keep ing company with professing Christians whose lives dishonor the name of Christ, then God says we must put them away from us. How do you harmonize Second Peter 3:9, “ The Lord is . . . not willing that any should perish,” with portions of the ninth chapter of Romans, which seem to indicate that God made some to be wicked, to show forth His power and glory? This question is discussed in connec tion with other passages of Scripture, referred to in this series; but we shall add here a word in the light of this particular question. Romans 9 is very What is meant by the last clause of First Corinthians 5:10?
How were men saved before Christ died for the sins of the world? By faith in the coming Redeemer, even Jesus. The Old Testament is full of definite prophecies of His coming into the world to die for sinners. Through out the entire Old Testament there is the scarlet thread of sacrifice, by which God taught men that they could be saved only by faith in One who was to come. They were saved by putting their faith in the Christ of prophecy; we are saved by trusting in the Christ of history, who fulfilled the prophecies of His coming to die for the sins of the world. It is the blood of Christ alone that cleanses from sin in any age. Here are just a few of the many prophecies of His coming to die for sinners, as set forth in the Old Testa ment: 1. Adam and Eve made fig-leaf aprons to make themselves fit for God’s pres ence—the work of their hands; but God made coats of skins, and clothed them (Gen. 3:21). The innocent animal had to die—a faint type of the innocent Lamb of God who died, that we might be clothed in the righteousness of Christ. 2. Cain brought the fruit of the ground; Abel brought the blood sacri fice—by faith! 3. Gen. 3:15 is the first promise of the coming Redeemer. 4. The passover lamb was a picture of Christ our passover who sacrificed for us (1 Cor. 5:7). 5. Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22 are two of the most graphic prophecies of the suffering Messiah. There are dozens of other prophecies, pointing on to the Christ who was to come to die for sinners. Although 1 was saved while still in my teens, yet I married an unbeliever, in spite of the fact that my pastor and Christian friends told me that Second Corinthians 6:14-18 and other passages of Scripture teach that we should not be “unequally yoked together with un believers.” Since my marriage I have consecrated my all to Christ. What would He have me do—leave my hus band, or try to lead him to the Lord by keeping our home unbroken and seek ing to witness before him to the power of Christ in the life? The very definite answer to your ques tion is found in First Corinthians 7:12- 16, which says, in part, “ And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.............For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband?”
Dr. Louis T. Talbot
deep and difficult, but a careful study of it will reveal that God does not will that any man should be lost, or de termine any man’s doom to eternal punishment. For example, note verse 22, which is perhaps one of the most difficult in the chapter: “What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction?” Who fitted these peo ple for destruction? Not God, surely; nor does the text say so. On the con trary, God’s attitude toward them has been one of longsuffering. These unbe lievers fitted themselves, by rejecting God’s grace, by rejecting the only Sav iour, the Lord Jesus Christ. Should a Christian tithe his income, since we are “not under the law, but under grace” ? Although it is true that we are not under the Mosaic Law, yet it seems to me that the tithe is the least the Chris tian should want to give to the Lord. It was instituted long before Moses was born, and seems to be the scriptural basis for all giving. Abraham gave a tithe 400 years before the law was given. (See Gen. 14:20; cf. Gen. 28:22). On the other hand, there is no in struction given in the New Testament about the tithe. God does say through Paul that we should give upon the first day of the week —regularly; as God hath prospered us (1 Cor. 16:2); first giving our own selves to the Lord (2 Cor. 8 :5 ); cheerfully (2 Cor. 9 :7 ); with joy; and out of a sense of gratitude to God who has given His all for us. Read carefully all of chapters eight and nine of Second Corinthians. To make tithing a binding command in this age of grace, is to return to legalism; but many Christians testify to the fact that, as they have let the tithe be the beginning of their giving, God has prospered them to such an extent that they have had all the more to give. Yet let it be remembered that God does not always prosper His saints accord ingly; some of the most liberal, devoted Christians never have much, in a ma terial way, in this life.
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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
By Douglas M. White*
T HE account of the cleansing and conversion of Naaman has thrilled the hearts of both young and old for centuries. We love to read it, we love to preach it, we love to hear it. •The testimony of this noble Syrian is nonetheless inspiring, but has been large ly overlooked and neglected. The re quest, seemingly peculiar perhaps, for “two mules’ burden of earth” is highly significant and is worthy of due recogni tion. It indicates a new experience, a new conviction, and a new purpose in the heart of this Syrian nobleman. A New Experience Naaman not only received all and more than he had bargained for in the physical realm but, in addition to that, there had come to the inner man a spiritual revelation which completely transformed him. This was without doubt the secret desire and longing of the little maid (w . 2, 3). The very fact that this man was willing to go perhaps as much as fifty miles out of his way to bear witness to Elisha is evidence of the reality of his experience. Of course he might have done that purely out of a sense of gratitude and common courtesy, or even to adequately remunerate the prophet^ but that is not so. The first thing which falls from his lips is not concerning the leprological miracle (though it was that which brought him to Israel) but concerning the God of Israel. What a testimony it is! What a glori ous enlightenment! “ There is no god in all the earth but in Israel.” That was a tremendous statement for that Syrian to make. He was not only acknowledging Jehovah to be a recognized deity along with Rimmon and other Syrian deities. He was not only acclaiming Jehovah to be equal with, or even greater than, his national gods. He was emphatically af firming Him to be the one and only true and living God in all the earth, exclusive of all others. In so doing he publicly re nounced everything religious which he had ever been taught, in a burst of ex uberance which could not be stifled. Note the positive manner of expression in contrast to his former idolatrous un certainty. Before he was angry, and said, “Behold, I thought.” Now he is over joyed and shouts, “ Behold, Now I know.” What brought about such a climactic experience? Why should an intelligent and educated man suddenly toss aside a lifetime of religious teaching and tra- *Pastor, First Baptist Church, Bassett, Virginia. A U G U S T , 1 9 5 1
dition in favor of something about which he is almost totally ignorant, and in which (up till now) he had held no in terest? What is the explanation, what caused it? Certainly it was not brought about by teaching. Elisha might have given Naa man a one-day study course in Jewish history but he didn’t. He simply told him to dip in the Jordan. Neither was it the fruit of human rea soning. The prophet might have con ducted a special seminar on “ The philo sophical implications of the Hebrew re ligious economy” but he didn’t. He just pointed him to the Jordan. Again, it is seen that the experience is not the outcome of argument. Naaman was in an argumentative mood, and the prophet could very easily have engaged him in a red-hot argument on the moral and spiritual virtues of circumcision but he didn’t. He simply directed him to dip seven times in the waters of Jordan. It was simply obedience to the com mand of God as voiced by His spokes man which brought about this trans forming experience with its resultant testimony. In the words of the New Testament, “flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 16:17). Naaman could see that it was not the prophet, but the God of the prophet; not the waters of the river, but the river of water (living water) which had cleansed not only his body but his soul. Along with the physical relief had come peace of heart. The sincerity of his obedience necessitated the fervency of his confession. Such an experience is always supernatural, and defies explana tion. The very simplicity of it is the evidence of divine origin. A New Conviction Many become enthusiastic over some new thing in the religious realm, wheth er good or bad, but it soon wears off and makes no radical change while it lasts. It is entirely different when the truth of God grips a man—that is conviction. When he was first instructed to dip in Jordan, the proud Syrian “went away in a rage,” but afterward he returned in humility. His anger turned to docility, his pride was drowned in Jordan. He came expecting to create a sensation, but he returned to the prophet to voice a conviction. He expected to pay for value received, but ended up by urging the prophet to receive a gift, which he decorously declined. It was not a time to be receiving. That which the Syrian re ceived was the gratuitous gift of God,
there was no bargain involved, and the prophet was only the channel of bless ing. His conceit was slain also. He had been filled with prejudice and national superiority when he arrived. He was very scornful of Israel and all that was therein. To dip in Jordan was beneath his dignity. If there were any dipping involved it would be in the clean, beau tiful and holy (?) rivers of Syria. As rivers go I suppose that Abana and Pharpar were far more desirable from the standpoint of ablutions, but he had to come to see that the desired results could only be obtained in the river of God’s choice. After the seventh submersion (I sup pose he held his nose) he completely lost his aversion to Jewish water courses, and even the Jewish soil took on a new aspect. It is always significant how the attitude toward places, people, and things undergoes a complete reversal when the attitude toward God is cor rect. When a man loves God with all his heart, he will love everything that has to do with God. This haughty man, who scorned that muddy Jordan, now desires “two mules’ burden of earth” to trans port all the way back to his native land. Whatever else he may have had in mind I do believe that he wanted to be con stantly reminded of the only God which had ever done anything for him and to whom he had sworn full and unreserved allegiance. A New Purpose The new purpose which had filled his heart is revealed in the matter of offer ings. I know that the record does not state just what he wanted the earth for, but there is every reason to think that he had this in mind. He was anxious to make an offering to the man who (under God) was responsible for this great blessing which had come to him. That was appropriate and a further evidence of his sincerity. The offering of material substance to the gods of Syria was com mon practice and, in keeping with his confession, all offerings in future are to be made to Jehovah. So complete is his transfer of faith and devotion that he will in no way patronize the false gods, which he has forsaken. Offerings made to Jehovah upon an altar made of Syrian soil would be polluted. He would take two loads of soil from Israel that in his offerings he might be visibly iden tified with the God who had identified ( Continued on Page 21) Page Seven
Adventuring for Christ in Latin America
Market scene in Ecuador with snow capped Andes in the distance.
Final Installment of the Travel Diary of Dr. Louis T. Talbot and J. Russell Davis
Saturday, May 10, 1951: Dr. Talbot left on an early train for the Indian Market stop of the Andes at the village of Huancayo over thè highest stand ard gauge railroad in the world. The trip was a real experi ence as almost everyone on the train suffered from altitude sickness caused from lack of oxygen, which is worse than seasickness! High up in the mountains a landslide blocked the tracks, and everyone had to leave the train, and most folks left their last few meals on it too, to walk around the land slide to another even more crowded and dirty train on the other side! At last they arrived, tired, dirty, and still sick, at the mountain top, ready to visit the Indian market the next morning. The little hotel in the village was crowded, but Dr. Talbot'and his traveling companion, Chris Shelton, man aged to get a bed and a few hours’ sleep. Business arrange ments relative to getting film into the country made it necessary for me to stay in Lima, so I took advantage of my presence there to see some of the ceremonies in connection with the 400th anniversary of the founding of San Marcos University, the oldest university in the Western hemisphere. Sunday, May 11,1951 : Dr. Talbot spent th‘e morning in the market at Huancayo, as this famous Indian market is only held on Sunday morn ings. Indians from many villages scattered through the moun tains around come into the town for market day. If' they are to be reached for Christ, missionaries must make the long trip up the mountain to preach to them in the open market on Sunday mornings. Thousands throng into this village. They are very colorful with many interesting customs, and they also display for sale many fascinating items of their handi work. The women wear their wealth in the form of layers of skirts, some of them being clad in as many as seventeen! After visiting this market, and securing pictures of the Indians for the Institute, Dr. Talbot came back to Lima by car, as the railroad train had not yet been put back into operation. He arrived about 11 p.m. after a long drive from about 18,000 feet to sea level amid breath-taking beauty. With Dr. Cameron Townsend and several other members of the Wycliffe Translators, I visited the famous ruins of Pachacamac outside of Lima. Here we saw the massive ruins of the old Inca civilization, surmounted by the Temple of the Sun atop a hill, in a spot of great beauty, overlooking both the old city and some very scenic seacoast. The Court of the Virgins is being restored, and we saw the spot where ages ago the most beautiful virgins of the land were kept to be offered as willing sacrifices to the Inca gods in their cere monies. In this horrible ritual of sun worship, the hearts were cut out of the victims and placed in a cavity in the chest of a stone image. It is considered the greatest honor to be selected for this sacrifice. What a lesson in consecra tion to a cause! What a tragedy that men and women thus blindly worshipped the sun, and without ever hearing of the true Sun of Righteousness, God’s own Son. While we were there, the mummy of one of the victims of this ancient sacrificial rite was found and unwrapped. Page Eight
Monday, May 1U, 1951: Our last day in Lima, and of necessity we spent it in final business arrangements of confirmation of plane space and tickets, as well as in visiting a few more things of interest. In the evening a group of missionaries from Lima gathered in the Wycliffe Home and we had a happy time of fellowship together, and said our good-byes, as we had to leave the next morning at three a.m. for the airport, so did not expect to We were up very early this morning and long before day light we had safely cleared customs, immigration, and were through all the other formalities necessary to leaving Peru for Ecuador, which was to be our next stop. From a position out over the Pacific, we watched a never-to-be-forgotten sun rise over the snow-covered peaks of the Andes, as we flew up the coast. The first part of the trip was in good weather, but when we had to go inland among the Andean peaks, we were closed in and had to fly in thick clouds. Our God watched over us and our plane made its way safely between the peaks to a beautiful landing in the city of Quito, Ecua dor, at an elevation of about 10,000 feet. We were met at the airport by Dr. and Mrs. Donald Turner, Biola graduates. In the afternoon the Turners gave a lovely tea in their home where we met most of the staff of the Voice of the Andes, Radio Station HCJB, as well as missionaries of the Christian and Missionary Alliance who are working in this beautiful city. We had a fine time of fellowship with the group. see any of them then. Tuesday, May 15, 1951:
Quito, Ecuador, where the Christian radio station, HCJB, is located. T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
Saturday, May 19, 1951: We left Agato early for the city of Otovalo, where the great weekly market of the Quechua Indians is held. After a drive of a few miles around a beautiful lake, surrounded by snow-capped peaks, we arrived at the market and found thousands of these colorful long-haired Indians busily buying and selling their produce. We spent a little time viewing the interesting sights of the market and photographing the people. Then we had a great open-air meeting. We brought gospel messages to these Indians, with the aid of Dr. Turner as our efficient interpreter. We were all busy too, giving out gospel tracts. The Indians were very eager to receive them. As many of these Indians can read Spanish, we were able to give them the gospel in this language. After the market was over, we drove back to Quito, crossing the equator a number of times as the road wound through the mountains. We returned to Quito just about the same time that Dr. Talbot got back from his visit to the Colorado Indians. He had had a very rough trip, a long truck ride over almost impassable roads, and then ten hours on horseback as the mud was so deep the trucks could not get through. Finally he arrived at the sta tion where Dee Short is working. The next morning they had gone out by horseback, and after sliding up and down muddy mountain slopes for a few hours, had found the Indians and had a good visit with them. These Indians are called the Colorados because they paint their bodies with a bright red paint, even their hair, until it is stiff. They had a meeting with the Indians, ate with them, and then started the long trip back to Quito, first by horseback and then by truck. This was a very difficult trip, but Dr. Talbot felt it was well worth-while in order to help get the gospel to these very primitive Indians, and also to get some pictures of this work for you folks at home. Sunday, May 20, 1951: This was a very busy day, as both Dr. Talbot and I spoke in churches of the city, at both morning and evening services. There were good crowds, and the people were really inter ested in the gospel. God graciously blessed His Word, and we had the joy of seeing decisions for Christ. In the afternoon we went out with the group of missionaries to visit the equatorial monument about fifteen miles out of Quito. Despite the fact that it was right on the equator, still it was very cold, as the elevation is so high. The peaks around are snow capped all the year around, and the whole area around Quito is cold all of the time, despite the fact that it truly is an equatorial country. It was quite a change for us from the jungle heat we had been in for the past few weeks. The cold and the altitude make the work here very difficult.
Guayaquil, Ecuador
Wednesday, May 16, 1951: There was just too much to see and to do in this interesting little country of Ecuador, so today we decided to divide forces. Dr. Talbot and I planned to visit different places and thus be able to see and photograph twice as much. While I was looking after business matters, such as mailing off film, Dr. Talbot took a short trip by car with Dr. Turner and Mr. Carlson of the C&MA to Ambato to visit the work of Miss Agnes Brown among the Salasaca Indians. This fine work among these very interesting Indians has been greatly blessed of God. It was a great joy to see the results of the faithful ministry for our Lord. Many Indians have turned to Him and are giving a good testimony by leaving their old pagan practices. Thursday, May 17, 1951: We were up early and got Dr. Talbot away to an early start by truck for a visit to the Colorado Indians with Mr. Dee Short, Biola graduate of 1941 and 1943, who is doing a wonderful work for the Lord among these very primitive Indians under the Plymouth Brethren. Soon after their de parture, I left Quito with Dr. and Mrs. Turner, and Dr. Roberts of HCJB and a nurse who works with him in their rural medical work, for the city of Agato in the Otavalo valley. After a wonderful drive through the most beautiful mountain scenery I have ever seen, we arrived at the mission station where Mr. and Mrs. Carl T. Carlson (Biola ’19) are working among the Quechua Indians under the Christian and Missionary Alliance. It was late at night when we arrived, so we had a short visit with the Carlsons and heard a little of what God was doing through and for them. Friday, May 18, 1951: Long before daylight, the Indians began to arrive for the clinic which is a very fine part of the rural work of Radio Station HCJB. Not long after daylight Dr. Roberts was busy ministering to those who had come. This is an excellent means of reaching these folks, for every one is dealt with in relation to spiritual needs, as well as given physical aid. These Quechua Indians are known as the long-haired Indians, as the men all wear braids down their backs, reaching below their waists. It is from these Indians that the myth of the fierce Amazon women sprang. The early Spanish explorers thought that it was women who were fighting so valiantly against them. We went out with Mr. Carlson and visited many of these Indians in their homes, and found them busy spinning, weaving cloth, and making blankets, ponchos and articles of wearing apparel out of very fine wool. In the after noon we went out with Dr. Roberts as he visited the sick in their homes, and of course we sought to take the gospel into the homes of the people along with the medical help Dr. Roberts brought. It was a busy day, among scenic splendors of lovely snow-capped mountains. At night we gathered around the fire with a deepened respect for those who work year after year among these Indians at this high altitude, trying to win them for Christ.
Interior of Mexican Home
Page Nine
A U G U S T , 1 9 5 1
After seeing Dr. Talbot off, I boarded the plane for Guate mala City, via Managua, Nicaragua, and San Salvador, El Salvador. At the airport I was met by Rev. and Mrs. Herbert Cassel, Rev. and Mrs. Gould, and Mr. and Mrs. Frantz Fowler, all Biola graduates working with the Central American Mis sion. We spent the afternoon seeing much of interest in Gua temala City, as well as the work of the Central American Bible Institute. In the evening all of the workers of the Cen tral American Mission in the city met together and we had a happy time of fellowship together, and I had the joy of meet ing other Biola graduates, Mr. and Mrs. Bundy, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Simpson, and Mr. Cassel, the father of Herbert Cassel. Thursday, May 2U, 1951: We drove out to the old capital of Guatemala, the city of Antigua, which was destroyed by an earthquake in 1773, and visited many of the old ruins of government buildings and of churches and other such buildings. The old monastaries were very interesting. We saw the places where early Protestants were burned and killed in various ways. We were amazed at the frankness with which the guide told us of these things. While in Antigua, we photographed the Catholic ceremony of Corpus Christi, in which they honor the body of Christ by carrying a wafer and a small silver goblet of wine through the streets in solemn procession. The streets were all deco rated and strewn with pine needles for the occasion, and peo ple from surrounding areas marched in this procession, and of course all of the dignitaries of the Catholic Church were there as well. It was very sad to see once again this blind worship of material things in place of the Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Friday, May 25, 1951: In mid-morning I left for the airport, where I said good-bye to the fine group of missionaries working in Guatemala City, and soon was flying to Mexico City. After a very comfortable trip, I arrived there and was taken to the headquarters of the Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship, where Mr. and Mrs. Edward Pentecost are doing a fine work of reaching Uni versity students for Christ. That evening we had a I.C.F. meeting in their home, and I had the privilege of meeting and speaking to a fine group of these consecrated young people. Saturday, May 26, 1951: The morning was spent in sight-seeing in interesting Mex ico City. In the afternoon I visited the still more interesting headquarters of the Wycliffe Translators’ work in Mexico, known as the “ Kettle.” Here I met many Biola graduates, and had the joy of sitting down with the leaders of this work and discussing many of the problems that we had seen in relation to the work in other parts of Latin America. We stayed for dinner with the Wycliffe group and had a happy time of fellowship with them in the evening. Sunday, May 27, 1951: The big day! It was just after noon that I boarded the plane at Mexico City airport for Los Angeles and home. It hardly seemed possible that ten weeks had passed since Dr. Talbot and I left Los Angeles, but it was true. We had trav eled thousands of miles and seen many things. Now the last day of the trip had come. The one great impression that this trip left with us was of the crying need of the Neglected Continent to the south of us; that we should indeed pray the Lord of the Harvest to send forth many more laborers into this harvest field; that we should all support the missionaries in our prayers and giving. We had met many wonderful missionaries, both Biola graduates and others. It is with a deep sense of our responsibility to them, as well as to our Lord, that we return home to seek to represent them in the pictures and the story of what we have seen during these ten weeks of Adventuring for Christ in the Andes and on the Amazon. Thank you, readers of the King’s Business, for the prayers you offered on our behalf. May God bless you all. T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
The farmer in Southern Mexico does it the hard way.
Monday, May 21, 1951: In the morning we visited the school for missionaries’ chil dren run by the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Quito, and spoke to the student body of about 60 children. It was a very rainy morning, with the mountains all closed in with clouds. The airport telephoned that our plane would not be going due to the bad weather. A few minutes later, a car called for us and said we must come at once as the plane was waiting at the field! We hurried over and found the plane all ready to go, so were soon on our way again, this time going on to our next stop at Panama. We had a good trip as far as Cali, Colombia, but between there and Panama we were in a bad storm that really tossed our plane around. We were very glad when we finally arrived at Panama City. One of the passengers was very sure that she had brought the plane through the storm for she had carried an image of the Virgin Mary, kissed it, crossed herself with it, and prayed to it all during the storm, until we were sure she had nearly worn it out. Tuesday, May 22, 1951: We enjoyed a day of fine fellowship with Dr. William Beeby of the Balboa Heights Baptist Church, who very kindly took us around to see the sights of Panama City, as well as of the Canal Zone and other parts of the Republic of Pan ama. We found this to be one of the most needy places of any we visited, with wide-open doors of opportunity. Amer ican influence is such that opposition to the gospel cannot bring active persecution as we saw it many other places. Despite these wide-open doors, we found practically nothing going on in evangelical work in this city of over 150,000 population. The churches in the Canal Zone are very busy, but the vast Negro English-speaking population, as well as those who speak Spanish, are left with very little witness for Christ. In the evening we visited the radio station run by the Baptist Church and made some transcriptions for future broadcasts. Wednesday, May 23, 1951: As Dr. Talbot had meetings scheduled in Chicago and St. Louis, he had to leave this morning by plane via New Orleans, so I came on home through Central America without him. Page Ten
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