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E S T A B L I S H E D 1 9 1 0 A publication of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Inc. Louis T . Talbot, Chancellor • S. H . Sutherland, President • Ray A . Myers, Board Chairman JUNE, in the year of our Saviour Vol. 54, No. 6 Nineteen Hundred and Sixty-three Established 1910 Dedicated to the spiritual development of the Christian home / W e i IS IT TOO LATE TO DISCIPLINE — Richard T . Laird ....................... 6 ARE YOU LOSING YOUR M IND — William L Coleman ................... 8 COMMANDS FOR PARENTS — William R. Pankey ........................ 9 CHRISTIANS ARE TEMPERAMENTAL — L. E. Maxwell ................ 10 A PRAYER FOR TH E BRIDE AND GROOM — Louis H. Evans......... 11 MESSIANIC ASPECTS OF COMMUNISM — Arnold D. Ehlert ......... 12 PERSONALITY AND DEITY OF TH E HOLY SPIRIT — James H. Christian ............................................................................... 14 W H Y WE BELIEVE TH E WORST — James W . Reapsome .............. 16 HOW TO SAY NO — Erich F. Brauer ..................................................... 17 WHEN ADULTERY BECOMES MORAL — Howard E. Kershner ...... 20 DIVORCE IS N O T TH E ANSWER ............................................................ 22 SPECIAL DELIVERY FROM KOREA — Ruth Gibbs Zwall ................ 38 WHEN NELL AND BETSY RAN AW A Y — Betty Bruechert ......... 42 M O UN TA IN EVANGELISM — Ken Poure ........................................... 44 F e a t a MESSAGE FROM TH E EDITOR — Samuel H. Sutherland ................ 4 FOR WOMEN ONLY — Dick Hillis ....................................................... 21 DR. TALBO T'S QUESTION BOX — Louis T . Talbot ....................... 26 TA LK ING IT OVER — Clyde M . Narramore ........................................ 28 PERSONAL EVANGELISM — Benjamin Weiss ................................... 29 BOOK REVIEWS — Arnold D. Ehlert .................................................. — 30 CULTS CRITIQUE — Betty Bruechert .................................................... 33 WORLD NEWSGRAMS — James O. Henry ........................................... 34 SCIENCE AND TH E BIBLE — Bolton Davidheiser ............................... 35 UNDER TH E PARSONAGE ROOF — Althea S. Miller ....................... 37 ALUMN I NEWS — Inex McGahey ......................................................... 40 Cetumiu PRESENTING TH E MESSAGE ...................................................................... 27 BIOLA NEWS .......................................... 40 PEOPLE IN TH E NEWS ............................................................................... 46 l m Cushman Lake, Washington. Courtesy of Luoma Photos, Weirton, West Virginia. — All Rights Reserved —
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The Latest Confusion of Tongues In last month’s issue of the KING’S BUSINESS there appeared an article dealing with various aspects of the “tongues movement” as it is developing in so many of the Protestant denominations today. This editorial is not the place to consider the various arguments for or against the tongues movement. Biola’s position is very clearly ex pressed in that article as well as in other articles in forthcoming issues. It should be very clearly understood that we are dealing with a movement and not with any personalities involved. We have many friends, both personal and of the school, who are more or less tied up with the tongues movement. Many of them are wonderful Chris tian people and we consider them "brothers beloved in the Lord.” But in this instance we are dealing with an issue which we believe is an anti-scriptural one and therefore we feel constrained to speak out and warn earnest Christians who may be honestly endeavoring to find the Lord’s leading as revealed in His Word in regard to the whole tongues movement. It is our conviction that the “ tongues” phenomenon as evi denced today is (1 ) unscriptural. (2 ) In no way is it the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy which states, in effect, that in the last days Je hovah will pour out His Spirit upon mankind and the young men shall see visions and the old men shall dream dreams. There is no indication whatever that the Holy Spirit’s presence will result in the abilty to speak in an ecstatic tongue. Joel’s prophecy was par tially fulfilled on the day of Pentecost, but it must be remembered that the tongues on that day were distinct languages spoken by members of the Apostolic band, but which to them were foreign tongues in that they had never studied or spoken the languages they were actually speaking on that occasion as the Holy Spirit gave them utterance. That is a far cry from the "unknown tongues” which are evident in the movement today. (3 ) We see no evidence whatever that the gift of tongues produces a deeper or more whole some spiritual life on the part of those who claim to have this gift. It is true that some who have this "g ift” are very deeply spiritual from all outward evidences. But we have failed to see or hear of anyone who, suddenly receiving the "g ift of tongues,” thereby becomes at once deeply spiritual or, for that matter, any more spirit ual than before. (4 ) On the other hand, the "gift of tongues” all too frequently is characterized by a spiritual superiority complex on the part of the recipients as they begin to take the attitude that
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they are something their fellow-Christians are not- They do not pray that their fellow-Christians may realize a deeper and closer walk with their Lord, but rather urge upon them that they, too, must "g e t the gift of tongues.” (5 ) The great upsurge in this “tongues movement” is characterized by a great confusion and splitting of local churches. We are receiving an increasing number of letters from disturbed pastors and people whose churches are being ripped assunder by this movement. Those who claim to "get the gift” are not satisfied to have it for themselves. Immediately they begin to make trouble, to judge others and to create such a disturbance in the church body that the others must in large measure cease doing the work of their Lord in evangelizing the lost and teaching the saved in the things of the Lord. Instead they must devote their attention to combating this insidious program. The tongues movement has failed to produce anything constructive whatever in the life of a local congregation. So far as the Christian is concerned, the emphasis throughout scripture is not to "get” the Holy Spirit in this ecstatic tongues experience, but rather to give oneself more and more to the leading of the Holy Spirit, to make one’s life consistent with his testimony and his words easy to be understood by the unsaved rather than to seek an experience that is completely emotional, unintelligible and quite ludicrous, if not obnoxious, to the person of the world. It is one thing to become a fool for Christ’s sake; but it is quite another thing just to become a fool. (6 ) The whole “tongues movement” is characterized in large measure by the effort to proselyte. People in churches today who claim to have "the gift” do not go out immediately and begin to evangelize the lost; rather, they stay in the churches and split them wide open in their effort to gain additional devotees, not to Jesus Christ, but to the “tongues movement.” (7 ) The popularity of the tongues movement is to be observed in large measure among those groups who have long since departed from the great historic doctrines which have characterized the Protestant church from its early beginnings even to the present. A great doctrinal vacuum has been created in the minds of the clergy who find themselves with nothing of a vital nature to preach and in the minds of the hearers who never hear of any of the great truths of scripture on which to base their own thinking. As a result there has come about a gradual realization of the utter paucity of soul-satisfying truth as it is revealed in the Word of God. But, instead of returning to a doctrinal type of preaching and thinking, they are endeavoring to fill this vacuum with this ecstatic type of emotional experience which, in the long run, will never satisfy the deepest longings of the human heart because it is not in accordance with the great system of truth as revealed in the Word of God. It is true, we need a great revival in the church of the living God, but the Word of God reveals that the gift of tongues is not any evidence whatsoever that such a revival is in the making. We, as Christians, should be much in prayer these days that the Holy Spirit will indeed revive our hearts and stir us anew to the preaching of the Word of God and our personal study and applica tion of its holy truths
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S
JU N E . 1963
T housands of young people all over the world are fast becoming victim to a subtle, vicious, and crippling disease known as mental illness. Words such as “psycho sis,” “neurosis,” “neurotic,” and “psychosomatic” are fill ing our vocabulary in an attempt to describe a sickness which, at this very minute, may be strangling you and could well render you a helpless maze of confusion for years to come. These sound like strong words but there are even stronger statistics. The Department of Health, Education and Welfare reports that one out of every two hospital beds in the United States is filled with a mental patient, that over nine million Americans suffer from some type of serious mental problem, and as a result over one billion dollars were spent last year to fight this growing menace. Even more alarming is the fact that most cases of mental illness find their early roots and traits during childhood, early teens and even college days. Do not be so cocky as to believe that this awesome monster cannot touch you. The odds are that it very easily can strike you and rob you of months and years of useful life and vital ity. In an effort to develop safeguards against this enemy, let us check off some helps for our lives and keep them in mind in order to protect our very valuable minds. I. Avoid Too Many Mirrors If you are like the average young person you are usually fairly self-conscious. You are afraid that you might look differently, speak differently, act differently or in some other way stand apart from the crowd. Ac ceptance by the other members of your clique means a great deal to you and this is perfectly understandable. Yet, at this point hundreds of young people go adrift and become overly occupied with themselves. Held by
the fear of social disapproval, they constantly examine the different areas of their lives and fight to hold their positions among the people Who they think really count. Often this type of person will become so involved with the minor physical and social features of his life that everything about the person becomes fearful and highly sensitive. He begins to believe that people are staring at him, criticizing him, sizing him up, and finally he fears that he is always being watched and ridiculed. At one time or another this happens to everyone, possibly even more acutely when in the teens; how ever, with too many young people it becomes an obsession and they become tightly tied up in themselves. The final result is that they gain a warped view of themselves and the people around them and take the first step in losing a firm grip on reality and genuine values. The best plan for combating this pitfall is a two-fold scheme. 1. Relax and be yourself. Remember that every one experiences this type of anxiety sometime so you are not really so different. Also remember that people, in the long run, always like a person for what he is and not for the front he puts on. So be yourself. 2. Be out going. Take your selfish eyes off yourself for a change and concentrate on helping other people. Help a friend with his geometry, run an errand for a sick neighbor, mow the law for your dad. A person who is intent on making life better for other people does not have time to worry about himself and do not forget that a person
who acts friendly always has friends. II. Avoid Environmental Letdown
No one knows the problems you have! Your neighbor hood, your dates, your parents, your English teachers, somehow life itself, has placed you in the worst circum- T H E K IN G 'S BUSINESS
6
concept could be more misleading and dangerous. With out a properly-balanced daily routine, college students easily fall into moods when they are irritable, grouchy, sluggish or lazy. Minor things bother them, people irk them, and pressures send them into turmoil. In times such as these a youth’s perspective goes far astray and he begins to be intolerant of things which normally do not bother him. His temper begins to come loose, and insignificant, petty irritations set him afire. If such a condition is allowed to persist over a period of time, he finds himself disliking many of his former interests and friends while at the same time a good num ber of his pals may find him unbearable and choose to seek other companions. Needless to say, there is overwhelming evidence to convince young people that they should keep themselves rested, alert and full of vigor but do not forget to add to that list the pressing need of mental health. Your atti tude, temperament, pliability, bounce, and wholesome smile must also be protected so that you may keep a good head on your shoulders. V. Avoid Spiritual Lapse We might as well face it, your spiritual condition has to affect everything in your life one way or another. Especially in the young Christian spiritual problems will be tied close to difficulties in mental health. For in the life of the Christian youth, as mentioned in point III, there is now instilled a desire to please God and a con cern that you be exactly what He wants you to be. It is here that young people, in their concern, find themselves frustrated and defeated. When a young person knows that he should maintain a Bible study, a testimony, a time for prayer, and a completely unconditional surren der to God and yet he openly disobeys God, his life 'has to be a state of mixed desires and confusion. He is never satisfied and he ceases to do those things which he knows he should. This is different from the case of the guilt complex for he is supposedly seeking the face of God and wants to unload his care and sorrow. The person who suffers spiritual lapse is the one who runs from that responsi bility and wants to go his own way while his inner con victions pull him in another direction and consequently a civil war wages within the youth. The tensions which result from this type of struggle could indeed affect a young person’s mind; it could affect your mind. The only possible way to combat this is to keep the areas of your spiritual life sharp, up to date and warm before God. Allow them to slip and you may be on a road of not only spiritual defeat but also to a life of mental strain and anxiety. Mental illness may never strike you; we pray that it won’t. But be on your toes and keep in a good “frame of mind.” Occasionally review these five points and check them in your life. As an added guide, you might consult the following questions every couple of months or so and make sure that you are not falling into any of these traits. Keep mentally awake and look forward to a life of service for Christ. 1. Do you refuse to face every day problems? 2. Are you afraid that people are always persecuting you? 3. Do you suffer often from the "blues?" 4. Do you have extreme moods of joy and depression which change often, like a pendulum? 5. Do you constantly feel sick though nothing is physically wrong? 6. Do you often need medication to sleep? 7. Are you excessively excitable and quick tempered? 8. Do you go on wild, pointless spending sprees? 9. Are you left helpless by unfounded fears? 10. Do you hear or see imaginary things?
stances in the whole world. If only all of these things were not going against you! Often this is just how a young person feels and if he does, he usually turns to one of two possible actions. 1. He will resign himself to the inevitable and stop try ing to better himself or, 2. he becomes bitter and fights everything and everybody. Either outlook is unhealthy and could lead to serious problems. If you take the first philosophy, you usually become a defeatist and simply proclaim, “What’s the use?” At this point you tend to throw your life away and reduce yourself to a “quitter.” From this moment on you accept an “I can’t win” attitude and you officially withdraw from the competitive world. The young person who does this will soon discover himself in dangerous moods of depression and quickly on the road to a disastrous in feriority complex. If you should select the second avenue and decide to wage war against the world around you, your life could likewise suffer severe damages. First of all you are very apt to lose your sense of perspective and cast your contempt against people who really have no desire to harm you at all. Second, your feelings will begin to tub into every area of your life and future until every thing looks gloomy and perverted. Third, you will Strug gle against an environment which in all actuality is not only better than you give it credit for being but also better than many other people have. The best probable solution to this problem is to keep a few simple facts in mind. 1. Remember that some day you will be able to choose your own surroundings and you can learn from these present lessons. So buck up —- your day is coming. 2. Ask yourself the question “Am I honestly trying to help the situation or am I simply making it worse?” What do you contribute to your en vironment? and 3. Do you forget that possibly your prob lem may be exaggerated because you are in an old- fashioned foul mood? III. Avoid Guilt Complexes This can be a deep wound to a young Christian. In his attempt to do what he knows he should, he often fails. As the conscientious youth which he is, he be comes greatly concerned with his shortcomings and too often feels guilt-ridden for the many mistakes which he makes. In his efforts to live a righteous life he becomes depressed and defeated, realizing that he often displeases God. Too frequently the young person refuses to allow this load of guilt to be lifted and so he fails to gain the victorious life which Christ provides for him. The practical and happy solution to this is announced directly by God in I John 1:9. For there we are com forted with the fact that God is continually waiting for the truly repentant Christian! to take advantage of His grace, through Christ, and leave his burden of sin and guilt in the hands of God. This is by no means an escape hatch type of forgiveness but rather it is an honest provision whereby we can know peace with God day by day. If you want to prevent unnecessary fears from en slaving you, you must apply what God has prepared. IV. Avoid Physical Neglect When a person discusses his mental condition, he very seldom draws any connection with his physical state. Young people usually feel that since they are the picture of health, strength, and vitality that it really does not matter what they do to their bodies. They feel that they can go with little sleep, spotty meals, little or no exercise, and yet remain as strong as a horse. No Mr. Coleman is a member of the Grace Baptist Church, Washington, D.C. A graduate of the Washington Bible College , he is attending Grace Theologi cal Seminary, Winona la k e, Indiana.
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JU N E , 1963
CHRISTIAN HOME FEATURE
Is It Too Late To Discipline?
by Richard T. Laird, Clinical Psychologist Christian Counseling Center M y son is terr ible ! I give him everything, but he seems to have no respect or love for me. You would think that a boy his age whose parents shower him with so much would at least be grateful. Instead, he’s disrespectful, has temper tantrums, and won’t mind a word he’s told. What can I do?” The tearful, distraught mother looked anxiously across the desk at the psychologist. In desperation she waited expectantly for his words which might explain her son’s behavior. The psychologist asked, “Mrs. Smith, do you love your child?” “What!” exclaimed the mother. The interview continued, and it became apparent that the mother considered that being able to discipline her child was a monumental task. In this revealing obser vation lay the key to the mother’s problem. To the average person Mrs. Smith’s difficulty is a mystery. Perhaps even the psychologist’s question about the mother’s love is not understandable. But the reality of this situation is repeated countlessly in the offices of psychologists who deal with children’s problems. Act ually, if the truth were known, the real problem belongs to the parents, and is only passed on to the child. The parent may feel that he loves his child, yet he is unable to exercise one of the most important functions of child- rearing—discipline. Consider the young child—immature in life exper iences, faced daily with problems that he is not equipped to solve. He has not lived long enough to develop a background of successful solutions to problems. He lacks wisdom. Every problem is new to him, decisions are necessary continuously, yet he is immature. He needs adult wisdom to guide and direct him. With out help he will make improper choices and unwise de cisions whose fruits will remain with him the rest of his life. Consider, too, that every human being wants the minimum amount of anxiety, so the child will often take the easy way out. But this does not contribute to his maturity. In a real sense, without help, he will develop a childish approach to solving problems, thus creating an immature pattern of behavior.
Consider again Mrs. Smith’s case. She gave her son everything. She pampered him, made his decisions, and literally kept him a child. However, the time came when he had to be independent of her. He had to get along with other children at school. The teacher had to be obeyed. The boy had to learn to give and take. But he had not learned that his every need could not be instantly satisfied; in essence, he had not learned self- control. His mother had done everything for him. She had smothered his basic human capacity for getting along with others. The psychologist’s pointed question had penetrated to the heart of the mother’s motives in rearing her child. He was asking, “How can a mother really be interested in developing a mature, self-sustaining human being, and treat him as she did?” Psychologists usually agree that an over-indulgent mother like Mrs. Smith may not feel the earnest compassion for her son that she would have them believe. The over-attention to the child’s every need is a counter-reaction to unconscious feelings of re jection toward the child. In other words, she cannot discipline the child, because it may show that she does reject him. So she covers up the rejection by showering him with material tokens of a love she really doesn’t feel. Take, for example, Mrs. Jones in contrast to Mrs. Smith. She is careful to see that her son is polite to people, using good manners. She lovingly cares for him, but teaches him to do what he can for himself. This mother emphasizes co-operation with teachers, other adults, and the child’s own friends. If Mrs. Jones notices that her boy is overly aggressive and spiteful, she em ploys appropriate discipline. As a result, he matures with a healthy concern for others and himself. Needless to say, Mrs. Jones will not be sitting across from a psy chologist with the same reasons as Mrs. Smith. Mrs. Smith’s problem, however, is not out of hand. She needs professional help. The child’s personality pat tern is set. What is the outgrowth of the two cases? Mrs. Jones’s son is able to bring the feelings of others into his solutions of problems. But Mrs. Smith’s son cannot This inability has created a serious lack in understanding feelings of others. He has become a selfish and egocentric person.
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T H E K IN G 'S BUSINESS
by William R. Pankey
fulness.
ner as to make one feel superior. Don’t get on each other’s nerves. Do your quarreling in whispers. Refrain from explosions of emotional imma turity. (5) Respect each other’s personal ity and convictions. Don’t try to dom inate and cultivate common interests. Share your joys and problems. Be reasonable and sincere. Let kindness lead the way. (6) Don’t try to get your own way by unfair means, such as anger, threats, sulking or screaming. Recon ciliation is always better than com promise. Both sides will win by rec onciliation, but both will lose by com promise. (7) Expect to disagree sometimes. Learn to sit down and talk things over calmly. Admit and change when you are wrong. The first to admit a wrong always wins anyway. Main tain your sense of fairness and faith-
the art of listening to God. Nurture your spiritual life through prayer and meditation. Find a good church and attend regularly with your family. Give a reasonable portion of your talent and time in Christian service. (2) Refrain from talking about family troubles to outsiders. Do not show resentment by recalling past troubles that have been settled once. Learn to forgive and forget. Be fair and loyal. (3) Keep the spirit of courtship and romance. Maintain your personal attractiveness. Provide adequately for your children without neglecting yourselves as parents. The parents must look to the future when the children have grown up and left the home. (4) Eliminate needless sources of antagonism. Refrain from criticizing one another in public in suph a man-
(8) Be respectful and courteous to your in-laws but put your own fam ily first in all things. Do all you can to discourage family disloyalty. Be friendly but firm. (9) Plan the family finances to gether. All earn the money together, no matter who gets the pay check. God is a partner in your finances too. Don’t worry about what might have happened if you had married some one else. It could have been worse. Keep your sense of humor. (10) You and God together can meet and solve any problem that life presents. Make the most of your best. The desire to criticize others is often a reflection of our own distraught lives. When we are true to God we we will then be true to ourselves, and when we are true to ourselves we will then be true to others. — Watchman-Examiner
In many cases, the parent himself has been rejected. He has never learned love from his own parents; there fore, he is unable to pass along that which he does not possess. So his own children become nothing more than duty and obligation. Not being able to face his own inadequacies, he masks it with a superficial facade of love. Another reason for a parent’s rejecting his child lies in a pronounced marital problem. Perhaps here is a lack of love between the husband and wife, and the child’s pre sence only adds another burden. The parents may, in turn, project their frustrations onto the child. A financial crisis in the home may represent another obstacle to the parent’s love. Young people who marry before they are mature enough to assume parenthood represent another possible reason. In summary, psychologists usually find that any added stress to a parent who already has problems, may create an over-indulgent attitude. In handling any of these problems, learning the basic feelings of the parent is essential. As in the case of Mrs. Smith, the Christian psychologist will point out that parents should take their example from the Bible. Parents should leam that God loves His children with a pure love and will cor rect them when they err. By so doing, He brings them into a rich and mature appreciation of Himself, others, and a vital self-realization.
This is why a loving parent will help to guide, through correction and kindly discipline, the child’s development. Of course, it is sometimes difficult to discipline a child. However, a youngster must be helped to realize that some of his decisions are incorrect and based solely on his own interests and wants. The child must be taught that he has to live in a world populated by Others. He must earn their love; it is not given to him simply because he is bom. Needless to say, a parent’s love is tested to do that which is contrary to his own preference; that is, to discipline when the child’s behavior demands it. A parent who really loves his child will discipline him because the parent is interested in his child’s ultimate and complete development. By contrast, an over-indulgent parent only loves super ficially, preferring to satisfy his own selfish interest and thus not correcting the erring child. The over- indulgent parent rationalizes that he is good to his child by the lack of discipline he manifests. Nothing could be farther from the truth. As has been stated, the problem rests with the over- indulgent parent. However, just blaming him is not enough. He must be understood and helped. What are some of the reasons that would cause a parent to reject his child? Undoubtedly, there are many, but they main ly fall into the following catagories:
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JU N E , 1963
by L. E. Maxwell, principal, Prairie Bible Institute
I n order to describe the reactions of the people of His day to the claims of the Gospel, Jesus recalled a game at which the children of that day were accustomed to play. The youngsters would first “play wedding.” The murmuring listeners, instead of dancing, would remain seated and react with indifference. Then the players would “wail” as though at a funeral, but the listeners would not mourn. Thus the unsatisfied hearers always complained whether the “play” was of the gladness of the wedding, or the wail of a funeral. The meaning was very obvious to Christ’s audience. John the Baptist had cdme with his call to repentance, and he had in his train some penitent followers. Jesus had come with His blessed promises of grace, and He was attended by a number of happy believers. But just as it was with the listening children, the great masses — “this generation” — reacted wrongly. They rejected both John and Jesus. Neither preacher could please such a crowd. Wisdom is justified only by her children. Jamie son, Fausset, and Brown make some pointed observations in this connection. They say: Most of our alumni are working in close fellowship with others, either on mission stations or in churches or in some other association with fellow laborers. None of us, we trust, live merely to ourselves. We cannot avoid being thrown together, at least in some measure, with others. This brings before us the great problem of how we can live and work together seven days in the week, with people who are of radically differing tastes and tempera ments. Certain psychologists have classified each one of us as predominantly one of four differing temperaments. We cannot place too much stock in these categories, how ever, for we understand that even those who first advo cated them have largely forsaken them. Most men have come to believe that while we may be predominantly of one temperamental turn or another, most of us are a kind of combination of them all. Of course it takes no very wise mind to see that we have differing temperaments and dispositions as well as various kinds of training. Some people are warm-blooded and hotheaded. They live in their feelings. They are quick and impulsive, easily moved — the “Salesman Sam” type. They are hasty and headlong, cutting off ears, building tabernacles, wading waters too deep, and saying, “Not so, Lord.” Others may be considered solid and even-tempered. Calm and cool, they live in their wills. Some may con sider them stubborn and bullheaded. Like Moses, they rise in righteous indignation to kill Egyptians and prove their emancipating powers. Theirs is “the victory of the One preacher is too austere; another is too free. One is too long; another too short. One is too sentimental; another is too hard. Nothing pleases; nobody quite suits them.
violent.” Woe betide any person or providential circum stance that obstructs their onmarch. Their program is divine, fixed, fore-ordained, inflexible. Once they be come aroused, they can trample over the feelings of others, or right on the faces of others, in order to finish the work God has given them to do. Then there are those who are sad and gloomy, per haps even morbid. They are so serious as sons of John the Baptist that they almost think the hilarious are “winebib- bers and gluttons.” Their very faces, forbidding and rug ged, set forth their concept of piety. They lack only the long garments of the nun. The sons of laughter are a far too happy lot for them. What a supply of grace to make these sociable and “given to hospitality”! Finally, there are those who are free and hilarious. Even in their regeneracy “they were bom in the fire and they cannot live in the smoke.” Their danger is not a lack of vivacity. Temperamentally, they overflow with liveliness. Their peril lies in the direction of levity. The austerity of the melancholic they cannot tolerate. Yet how much grace it takes for them to be “sober-minded.” Now we must learn to have patience, one with the other. Not one of us is the exact counterpart of the other. Each one of us must be himself with his tempera mental turn under the control of the Holy Spirit. Then let each one of us respect the individuality of the other. How fortunate that we are not all alike! We. must come to have confidence in one another and to recognize that these temperamental turns and differences are not neces sarily a true index into spirituality. I am reminded, too, of Miss D. R. Miller, of such blessed memory as a teacher here at Prairie Bible Insti tute — how she used to state this matter in her own observant and discriminating manner: “The sight of others’ faults is leading me in these later days, not to be critical of them, but rather to be more charitable toward them. These flaws or faults lead me to love them the more.” Such an attitude of love and longsuffering on our own part comes with maturity of spiritual growth, which is, of course, coupled with our personal recognition of our own many failures. , A missionary Field Director once said from our plat form: “I have learned, after years of working with mis sionaries on the field, how difficult it is for others to get along with me .” And we believe that, in measure, he told the truth. He had, by sad experience, come to know how exasperat ing he could be to his fellows. It is in a sense very self- redemptive when one can so isolate himself from his temperamental tendencies as to be able to appraise his handicaps and evaluate himself in the scale of human detriment or usefulness. Then he can by the Spirit begin to get hold of himself and handle himself in recogni tion of those particular impulses with which he is blessed or plagued.
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As we go on with God, we learn to “mortify” the particular propensities and temperamental turns which, we come to feel, make it so difficult for others to live with us. Thus it is that God causes all these varied “sore- thumb” propensities to work together for good to make us' all the more Christlike and the more conformed to His blessed image. Sometimes it does us good to see these things in a funny light. An immortal light-heartedness has helped some of us over many a hump. There has been going around our office a list of observations entitled: “Isn’t It Funny?” Here are a few of them, plus a few others gathered from other sources:
A Prayer For The Bride and Groom
B S G o d o f l o v e , Thou hast established m a r -1 riage for the welfare and happiness o f f l mankind. Thine was the plan and only with ! Thee can we work it out with joy. Thou hast fl said, “It is not good for man to be alone. 1 1 will make a help meet for him.” Now our 8 joys are doubled since the happiness of one is fl the happiness of the other. Our burdens now B are halved since when we share them, we fl divide the load. Bless this husband. Bless him as provider o f fl nourishment and raiment and sustain him in fl all the exactions and pressures of his battle H fl for bread. May his strength be her protection,, ■ his character be her boast and her pride, and fl may he so live that she will find in him the'H haven for which the heart of woman truly' 1 longs. Bless this loving wife. Give her a tender- fl ness that will make her great, a deep sense of 1 understanding and a great faith in Thee. Give fl her that inner beauty of soul that never fades, fl K m that eternal youth that is found in holding S fast the things that never age. Teach them that marriage is not living' fl merely for each other; it is two uniting and 1 joining hands to serve Thee. Give them a great19 spiritual purpose in life. May they seek first. fl the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and' fl the other things shall be added unto them. M ay they not expect that perfection of | each other that belongs alone to Thee. May they minimize each other’s weaknesses, be 1 swift to praise and magnify each other’s points I of comeliness and strength, and see each other fl through a lover’s kind and patient eyes. Now make such assignments to them on the 1 scroll of Thy will as will bless them and devel- r op their characters as they walk together. Give fl them enough tears to keep them tender, enough fl hurts to keep them humane, enough of failure I to keep their hands clenched tightly in Thine, I and enough of success to make them sure they I walk with God. May they never take each other’s love for' fl granted, but always experience that breath- 1 less wonder that exclaims, “Out of all this 1 world you have chosen me.” When life is done and the sun is setting, I |may they be found then as now still hand in 1 hand, still thanking God for each other. May ^ B they serve Thee happily, faithfully, together, 1 |until at last one shall lay the other into the I iarms of God. This we ask through Jesus Christ, great I lover of our souls. Amen. — Louis H. Evans, D.D., LL .D . fl Available in printed form from the American Tract Society, I i New York. it
When the other fellow takes a long time to do something, he's slow; but when I take a long time to do something, I'm thorough. When the other fellow doesn't do it, he's lazy; but when I don't do it, I'm too busy. When the other fellow spends a lot of money, he is a spendthrift. When I do it, I am generous. When the other fellow goes ahead and does something without being told, he's overstepping his bounds. When I go ahead and do something without being told, that's initiative. When the other fellow says what he thinks, he's spiteful. When I do, I am frank. When the other fellow states his side of the question strongly, he's bullheaded. When I state my side of a question strongly. I'm being firm. When the other fellow overlooks a few rules of etiquette, he's rude. When I skip a few of the rules, I'm original. When the other fellow doesn't like your friend, he's prejudiced. When you don't like his, you are simply showing that you are a good judge of human nature. When the other fellow picks flaws in things, he is cranky. When I do, I only manifest dis crimination. When the other fellow is mild in his manners, he is a mush of concession. When I am, I am being gracious. When the other fellow does something that pleases the boss, he's polishing the brass. When I do something that pleases the boss, that's co operation. When the other fellow tries to treat someone especially well, he's toadying. When I try the same game, I am using tact. When the other fellow moves forward in a venture, he is foolhardy. When I do, I am a man of faith. When the other fellow gets ahead, he sure had the lucky breaks. When I manage to get ahead, Man! — "Hard work did that."
We believe that some of these amusing observations could be profitably reviewed by many of us again and again. As we go back to the cases of John and Jesus, do let us recall how John himself bore witness to Christ, and how Christ upheld and applauded John. Yet these men were each the reverse of the other — and remember that fleshly men were the common enemies of them both. Such fleshly men said that John was too much out of the world, and that Jesus was too much in the world. They said that John was “crazy in the head.” They ac cused Christ of being corrupt in His morals. But wisdom’s children enjoyed the ministry and methods of them both. Has some indulged temperamental tendency come to be a Canaanite that would dwell in the land? By now he has chariots of iron? — and he is gradually putting you out of your inheritance? There is time before the sunset of life to win a great victory.
JU N E , 1963
KING'S BUSINESS PROPHECY FEATURE
Messianic Aspects o f Communism
by Arnold D. Ehlert, Th .D ., M.S.L.S. Librarian, Professor of Library Science, Biola College
I s communism a religion ? The answer to that question might be both “yes and no.” Communists vigorously denounce religion, but in this, as in other areas, paradox seems to pose no problem for them. Many of their basic tenets and practices reveal a close similarity to religious tenets and practices. Professedly, communism proclaims in its Manifesto that it “abolishes eternal truths, it abolishes all religion, all morality, instead of constituting them on a new basis; it therefore acts in contradiction to all past historical experience” (Chap. H ). Nicolas Berdyaev, one of the keenest analysts of the Russian mind, declares that “the typical Russian cannot go on doubting for very long; his inclination is to make a dogma for himself very quickly, and to surrender him self to that dogma whole-heartedly and entirely” ( The Origin of Russian Communism, 1948, p. 47). Christopher Dawson observed of the communists, “They have a creed and a dogma, they have an ideology and a social philosophy, a code of ethics and moral values. Finally they form a secular Church, a community of believers with its own very highly organized hierarchy of institutions and authorities” {The Catholic World, Jan uary, 1956, p. 251). Coming from a Catholic writer, this is an interesting observation. R. W. Iverson wrote, “Quite apart from any revulsion against the materialism of communist doctrine, a convic tion exists that communism is, in effect, a surrogate religion complete with scripture, priesthood, church, and a vision of paradise” ( The Communists in the Schools, 1959, p. 313). It is not difficult to find in communist writings paral lels and counterfeits to most of the major divisions of systematic theology: a body of authoritative writings (the scriptures); a concept of the state as approaching the concept of divinity; a veritable incarnation in the form of Lenin (one Russian guide told a visitor once of Lenin, “We see him often; he truly lives in our hearts”) ; a very definite doctrine of man (humanistic); a very clear and forceful concept of “sin” and “evil” and con fession of it; redemption (a desire to convert all peoples to the “truth” of dialectical materialism); even the red flag is considered as representing the worker’s blood; a security that comes only from complete submission to and trust of the state; and a strong eschatology. It is some of the aspects of this last doctrine that we want to examine. One of the most prominent features of Biblical escha tology is the kingdom age, or the millennial reign of Christ, with its promise of good things. Communism also has its “golden age” in which it promises all kinds of wonderful things. Most cultural and religious systems have had such a doctrine of better things in the future. Nicolas Berdyaev advised, “If we take a deeper view of history we should be able to see that messianism, true or fadse, open or disguised, is the basic theme of history” (The beginning and the End, 1952, p. 200).
Perhaps we do not usually think of inevitability as a theological doctrine, but the Bible has much to say as to the certainty of the fulfillment of the prophecies concern ing this coming age. The prophet Hosea said, “His going forth is prepared as the morning” (6:3). Rotherham renders this: “His coming is certain as the dawn.” Jesus said, “If I go . . . I will come again” (John 14:3). A speaker recently threw new light on this when he said that this statement was truer today than when Jesus ut tered it. How can that be possible, you say? This Jesus said before He went away. He did go away, and is now preparing a place for His own. This should now properly be understood as, “Since I went away (as I said) I will come again (as I said).” One of the basic manuals of communism, the 890-page Fundamentals of Marxism-Leninism, was translated into English and published in Moscow a couple of years ago. From this book we quote: “Never in the history of class society has the ruling class believed in the inevitable doom of its system. . . . The Marxist science of the laws of social development enables us not only to chart a correct path through the labyrinth of social contradic tions, but to predict the course events will take, the direction of historical progress and the next states of social advance. . . . Marxists have no fear of the future. They represent the class to which the future belongs.. . . Thorough mastery of Marxism-Leninism gives one a profound conviction not only of the correctness of the worker’s cause, but of the historical inevitability of the coming triumph- of socialism throughout the world. . . . Life without a progressive world outlook—can any in telligent person accept that today?” (pp. 17-20). The manual contends that “even its general contours show that the communist system from its very first steps realizes the most cherished aspirations of mankind, its dream of general sufficiency and abundance, freedom and equality, peace, brotherhood, and co-operation of people. This is quite natural because the ideal of communism goes back deep into history, into the very depths of the life of the masses. Dreams of this ideal can already be found. in folk tales about the ‘Golden Age’ that were composed at the dawn of civilization” (p. 873). Further arrogance is seen in the contention that “it is with the victory of communism that the real history of humanity in the loftiest meaning of this term begins. . . . And although mankind has existed for many thou sands of years, it is only communism that ushers in the era of its full maturity and ends that prolonged pre history when the life of each man individually and the life of society as a whole were shaped by alien forces, natural and social, which were beyond man’s control. The victory of communism enables people not only to pro duce in abundance everything necessary for their life, but also to free society from all manifestations of in humanity: wars, ruthless struggle within society and injustice, ignorance, crime and vice. Violence and self- interest, hypocrisy and egoism, perfidy and vainglory,
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