March 1929
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T h e
K i n g ' s
B u s i n e s s
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The Infallible Critic 10 situation has ever arisen in human affairs, or will arise, that the Word of God does not have something to say about it. Neither the world nor the church will ever face any problem for which the Bible has no solution. It is the broadest Book in existence, because it covers the whole of human activity. Nothing, strictly speaking, lies outside its tremendous scope. No man is wise enough to criticize human life. But this is the .true function of the Word of God. Hebrews 4 :12 declares that “the Word of God is a discerner of the thoughts and intents.” The Greek word is kritikos, from which is derived the English word “critic.” Holy Scrip ture, then, is a critic, the infallible critic of all human opinions and actions. In its blazing light all things are naked and laid bare. According to its searching word final judgment will be passed upon all that has transpired in human ex istence. From its righteous verdict there can be no appeal. “God hath spoken.” There are two things we must know in order to place a proper appraisal upon human life. First, we must know what men are doing; and second, we must know what God says about it. We have newspapers, magazines, books without end, and now the rad io -a ll devoted to the busi ness of telling us what the world is doing and thinking. We have the Bible to tell us what God has said. It is an important function of Christian journalism to apply the Word of God to the present situation, to give the church “meat in due season,” to discern the “signs of the times.” The ancient Pharisees were highly intelligent men. Yet they suffered from a peculiar kind of blindness. Christ said to them, “Ye cannot discern the signs of the times.” They had been demanding of Him a sign from heaven, when as a matter of fact they were entirely sur rounded with signs, and to these they were totally blind. Doubtless, these religious Jews were informed as to the events of their day. They knew what was going on. But they could not read the meaning of those events. And this blindness led them headlong into the tragedy of the ages. We are on the verge of something in our day. What is it ? The world is moving faster than ever before. Where is it going ? Events are taking place with amazing rapidity. Startling discoveries are being made daily. What do they signify ? The Church needs the gift of inter pretation, and this will come only as we look at human affairs in the “mirror of the Word.” m The Morning Cometh T HE beginning of a new year always arouses interest and curiosity about the future. Toward it there are two extreme attitudes. One is Optimism; the other is
Pessimism. The philosophers might call the first unquali fied Idealism, and the latter Realism. The Christian view, which always avoids narrow extremes, recognizes some truth in each of these attitudes. “Watchman, what of the night? The morning cometh, and also the night” (Isa. 21 :11, 12). Here is truth worth remembering during the New Year. Ahead of us there is both the “morning” and the “night.” We live in the night, there will be night in 1929 —don’t forget that, and you will not be disappointed. But more important still, the “morning” cometh, it may come
in 1929—remember that and you will not be overwhelmed or discour aged by the night. He is coming surely, the Sun of Righteousness with healing in His wings. The night is far spent. H ‘ And Also the Night OW dark is the night? Signor Salvador de Madariaga, Ox ford professor, said in a recent
For several coming issues the mate rial in this department of T he K ing ' s B usiness will be supplied by Prof. Alva J. McClain, a mem ber o f the Bible Institute Faculty. The nature and scope of this mate rial is indicated in his leading article.
lecture: “Alcoholism, prostitution, slavery and war, like the four black hounds of the legend, are close on the tracks of the white hares of the Knight of civilization. The harpy colonization vainly seeks to cover her naked ness with the fig-leaves of the mandate System. The pul pit preaches that men are equal, but class barriers and race distinctions keep them apart. Millions of socialists proclaim themselves pacifists but secretly dream of class war. The small nations are looked on merely as markets. Vast territories are given to be administered by a handful of obscure but powerful men in the interests of a trust. Open diplomacy is controlled by secret finance, and the League of Nations is used by diplomats as a basis for hostile intrigue. Chaos reigns in the intellectual world, in the world of material relationships, in the whole course of events.” The Signor should know something about world con ditions. He was formerly chief of the Disarmament Sec tion of the League of Nations. But don’t forget that “the morning cometh.” The Son of God can do more than the League of Nations. To Fight or Not to Fight A S this is being written, the Senators at Washington x x are fighting among themselves to determine whether the Kellogg Peace Pact means to stop fighting or to go on fighting. No one seems to know just what it means. Some regard the Pact as a pledge of sacred honor never to resort to war in settlement of disputes. Others say it permits war in self defense. What it means will probably not be put down in cold print, for that might hamper the freedom of the war- makers in the future. But no matter what is done about it now, the real meaning will be discovered when the next occasion for war arises. That is the lesson of history.
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