Biola Broadcaster - 1972-04

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M ar 2 1 1972

Biota,

BROADCASTER APRIL 1972

BROADCASTER

NUMBER 4

APRIL 1972

VOLUME 2

MARCH RADIO FEATURES

President. . .

Biola Hour Host

DON RANSON

J. RICHARD CHASE

Managing Editor. . .

EVELYN GIBSON

C O N T E N T S

A Happy Man Is a Dead Man! J . R ichard C h a s e * T h e Ch ristian Home: Pa rt 1 . Haddon W. Robinson

* Panel D iscu ssio n s

*1 Corinthians .

J . R ichard C h a s e

* Unforgettable C h a ra c te rs . Lloyd T . Anderson *A F ish e r of Men . Lloyd T . Anderson ♦Edited Biola Hour Radio m e ssa g e s . .

Cover Photograph by John Kruissink

Student Photographer — Kirk Potter WHEN REQUESTING EXTRA COPIES OF THE BIOLA BROADCASTER, PLEASE ALLOW TIME FOR DELIVERY.

Second Class postage paid in La Mirada, California. Printed in U.S.A. by Penn Litho graphies, Inc., Whittier, California. Address: Biola Broadcaster, 13800 Biola Avenue, La Mirada, California 90638.

SUMMER CONFERENCES BIBLE CONFERENCE In Hawaii

June 17-29 Dr. J. Richard Chase Dr. Richard McNeely Chairman— Biblical Studies MOUNT HERMON August 6-12 John MacArthur

Guest Bible Teacher Dr. J. Richard Chase Dr. Samuel H. Sutherland Ron Hafer Dr. Richard McNeely THE FIRS August 13-19 Dr. Ralph Keiper Guest Bible Teacher Dr. J. Richard Chase Dr. Samuel H. Sutherland Dr. Richard McNeely

Music for both weeks will feature John and Dawn Hess

A H addy M an " A happy man is a dead man, at least that’s what Hesiod believed. He was a Greek writer and teacher who, along with Homer, was con sidered by many Greeks as one of the earliest teachers of men. Hesiod had much to discourage him in life. Apparently he passed the winters in a bleak mountain home and had a brother who tried to get more than his share of a small family estate. Hesiod believed that the dead were happier than the living for the dead were free from the problems and disappointments of life. One Biblical writer not only believed the same thing (Eccl. 4:2), he went one step further. The writer of Ecclesiastes, undoubtedly Solomon, says that those who have never been born are better off than either the living or the dead for they have “ . . . not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.” (Eccl. 4:3) The agony of despair can drive one to long for death. Life in this century has problems that are enough to bring many people to agree with Hesiod and Solomon. Life is a dreary drag, and with the “ Christian athiests” proclaiming that God is dead, there is no hope. Many are ready to surrender the desire for life. The word Hesiod used for the dead was makares — “ the blessed.” “ Blessed” because they were oblivious to the miseries of life. That word of Hesiod shows up in one of the most inspiring verses of Scrip ture. Page 4 By J. RICHARD CHASE *

is a D eac J M an ! Looking for that BLESSED hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Je su s Christ. Titus 2:13 What a contrast. The dead are the blessed for Hesiod and even Solomon. Not because they are in paradise — but because they are through living. But the living rejoice with Paul as he looks with Titus for that blessed hope of the return of our Savior. What a blessed hope it is. In I Peter 1:3; Peter says we have a lively hope — or vibrant and living hope or expectation — because we are awaiting a greater life, not just death. BLESSED be the God and Father of our Lord Je su s Christ, which according to his abundant mercy has be gotten us again unto a LIVELY hope by the resurrection of Je su s Christ from the dead. I Peter 1:3 Words change their meaning and life adds a new dimension when the risen Lord becomes our Savior. A lot of years separate Hesiod from Paul and Peter. But the resurrection of Christ makes an even greater distinction between “the blessed” dead of Hesiod and the “ blessed hope” of those alive in our risen Lord. Page 5

T U £ RISTIAN HOME

PART I

By DR. HADDON W. ROBINSON Associate Professor of Practical Theology, Dallas Theological Seminary Page 7

Newspaper columns, radio, tele vision programs and motion pic tures all carry these themes of mar riage. Yet, the most important source, the Bible, is scarcely con sidered. Do you realize that God has specific ideas about your mar riage? In Mark 10:2-9, the Pharisees came to Jesus asking whether it was lawful for a husband to divorce his wife. Their purpose was really to test Him, not to receive godly wisdom. They wanted to trick Him into opposing the instructions giv en by Moses. In this way they could accuse Him of heresy. In response, Christ asks, “What commandment did Moses give you?" Quickly came the response, "He allowed a man to write a bill of divorcement and then put her away." You see, divorce then, as now, had become embarrassingly easy. In Deuteronomy 24:1, Moses declared, "When a man has taken a wife, and married her, and it came to pass that she find no favor in his eyes, because he has found some uncleanness in her, then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house." Some men used that phrase "found some un cleanness" to mean almost any thing they wanted. If a wife spoiled the supper, chatted with another man, spoke disrespectfully of her husband, or of her in-laws, she could be divorced. Marriage was just not taken seriously. Our Lord reminded them that it is not the will of God for the two to be divorced. It was simply al lowed because of the hardness of their hearts. In the Saviour's sight the two are actually one flesh. Di vorce was only permitted among those whose hearts had turned to

A leading sociologist was recent ly quoted in a national magazine as to his evaluation of our coun try's homelife. He began his ar ticle with this pathetic statement, “We have eaten up the vines and the seeds as well." He meant that the American home has been de stroyed. What is worse is that there is little hope for the future. While there may be other sociologists who would disagree with this gloomy evaluation yet statistics pouring out of our divorce courts demonstrate that our homes are in serious trouble. At the turn of the century about one marriage in twelve ended in divorce. By 1922 the percentage went to one in eight. Now, some 70 years later we find about one marriage in three ending in divorce. There are some cities in our land where there have been more divorces than marriages in recent years. While these figures are alarming, yet that is only part of the total picture. Thousands of married couples exist in an armed camp. The agony of heart and turmoil of soul is well nigh unbearable. The only reasons for avoiding divorce is because of financial limitations or religious convictions. As Oscar Feucht has observed in his Helping Families Through The Church, for these couples “ holy wedlock" has become "holy deadlock." One of the reasons for the ero sion of our homes is due to errors in concept about the basic prin ciples of marriage. It is a fact that when marriage is lightly regarded it is just as lightly discarded. Think of all the material available on the subject. Almost every magazine coming into our homes offers ad vice. Book stores have shelves of volumes with explicit instructions.

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there are many ways the two may express love for each other none is as private and sacred as the sexual relationship. This physical union cannot be lust. It is the giving of one's whole self to a husband or wife. If a husband really under stood the truth that he is one flesh with his wife, it would be as nor mal for him to love his wife as his own body, and as difficult for him to hurt her as to hurt his own flesh. He cannot harm his wife without harming himself! Because of this union, Christ teaches that marriage is for life. Di vorce is like an operation in which a vital member is taken from a living body. When a man has a wounded leg, the last thing a sur geon thinks of doing is cutting the leg off. Anthropologist Margaret Mead says,"The most serious thing that is happening in the United States is that people enter marriage now with the idea that it is termin able." Only marriage causes a man to leave his parents to join himself to his wife. No relationship on earth is more permanent and complete or important than a Christian mar riage. Husbands, because a woman gives you her life, her love, all that she is and can be, that is the finest gift you could ever receive. Your responsibility before God is to be the truest and finest man possible through the power of the Holy Spirit. The same is true for a wife whose husband dedicates his en tire being to her. What more could be desired? How thankful we can be that Jesus Christ does not lead us into darkness. The marriage relation ship, when seen through His eyes, is the most delightful and sacred of all human relationships. Let us Page 9

stone. It is never the norm or the ideal situation. Such actions only show the sinfulness of man. This is what Christ taught. The basic concept of marriage is that Cod created the race male and female (Genesis 2:18). Marriage is the only institution that comes from the other side of the fall of man. Society did not invent it! God made marriage and bestowed it on man kind. Adam did not take a wife to himself by his own will. He re ceived her as offered by God. When two young people stand before a minister in the presence of a Christian congregation, they are swearing a solemn oath in the sight of human witnesses. To the Christian, marriage is much more than a legal contract. It is an act of God. An oath, sworn before God, cannot be taken lightly. That is why most Christian ceremonies include the minister's words that marriage is "not to be entered into unad visedly or lightly, but reverently, discreetly, advisedly, and in the fear of God." Christ further pointed out that marriage is the deepest possible relationship into which a man and a woman may enter (Genesis 2:24; Mark 10:8). The two in union are seen as "one flesh." Jesus was not being sentimental. God truly unites a man and a woman in a profound biological-spiritual union reaching to the depths of life. Two person alities are joined to become a single entity. The term "one flesh" is used five times in the Scripture (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5, 6; Mark 10:8; I Corinthians 6:10; Ephesians 5:3). It refers primarily to the physical consummation of marriage. For this reason, a sexual encounter can never be a passing affair. While

seek His divine guidance daily that we may be the type of marriage partners who would bring honor and glory to His name! MIXED MARRIAGES Love is a commodity which has been presented in modern show cases of music, movies, television and novels. It has been cheapened by permissive attitudes toward sex so that today its real value has been minimized greatly. Love is not a product of Hollywood. True love is a product of heaven! As Peter Marshall once observed, "The ro mance offered by the world is a ring set with dime store glass. The romance Cod offers is a pure and flashing diamond." The romance of the "silver screen" is synthetic while Cod's is genuine. One is mockery; the other is fulfillment. Young people need to know the difference. A marriage made in heaven is yours only on Cod's terms. As a Christian, the Lord is deeply con cerned about the person whom you marry. He absolutely forbids a be liever to marry someone who has not accepted Christ as Saviour. "Be not unequally yoked together" is the command (II Corinthians 6:14- 18). While these verses apply to things other than marriage, yet such a union is certainly one of the most important relationships for its realization and practice. The chil dren of Israel were reminded of this as well (Deuteronomy 7:3, 4). There is no other way to look at it: when you marry an unbeliever you start with a wall in your union. You see, as a Christian you are a two-natured person. The old man seeks to serve himself. This is the disposition you were born with. It will never leave you until the Rap

ture. Coming by faith to Jesus Christ, Cod gave you a new na ture which desires supremely to please Him. The new man despises sin. A non-Christian has only the one fleshly nature. He or she may be moral, cultured, and refined yet still a sinner. In such a mixed mar riage the only possible basis of fel lowship is the old nature. Yes, a high wall will separate the two of you. Divided love and allegiance will never work. Imagine that a young man living in Dallas, Texas, is going to fly to Chicago. At the airport he meets an attractive young woman and strikes up a conversation. She tells him, "I am going to Mexico." He responds elatedly, "That is marvel ous! I am going to Chicago so why don't we travel together? We can enjoy each other's company!" The suggestion is absurd. How can they do this when travelling in opposite directions? Yet, this, in essence, is what people are doing every day. Marrying a non-Christian means that a believer has chosen to spend life with someone who is going in a completely different direction. With opposite destinations, they are bound to move farther and far ther apart. No wonder it is such a heart-break to those who may now be so united in this unfortunate manner. When God spoke to the nation of Israel, He warned them about mixed marriage. He knew they would turn away from following Him to serve other gods. They did not expect it to happen but it did! So often those who plan to marry unbelievers declare they will win their partner to Christ. The likeli hood of such happening is very in frequent. It is the exception to the

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the woman explained. "The family is so cultured and refined. She does not have any bad habits, sings beautifully, and is an accomplished pianist!" Dr. Eldersveld remarked, "That is very good, but what is her religion?" The woman stiffened at that question. What business was it of his? With great indignation, she snapped quickly, "Oh, don't worry. If it gets that far, I am sure she will come to church with my son." Her minister was not satis fied. "You have not answered my -''question. Who is her God? Does she use the same Bible your son does? Does she love His Saviour? If not, then she is not the girl for him no matter how gifted she may be in every other respect!" While the remarks may not have been appreciated, they were the kindest things he could have said. Several years ago a woman sat in my study telling of the remorse in her heart resulting from mar riage to a man who did not love Christ. She had struggled to bring up her children to trust and obey her Saviour, but her husband con stantly stood in the way. He re sented her Christian faith. Those youngsters were caught in the crossfire. She confided, "Pastor Robinson, when you talk to young Christians, urge them to listen to the Bible. It is unfair to your hus band, unfair to your children, un fair to yourself, and most certainly unfair to God to be joined in love to someone who does not honor your Saviour." She was right. As the old adage puts it, "God chooses best for those who leave the choice with Him." Yes, if you want God's blessing on your ro mance and marriage, marry only in the Lord! Page 11

rule. Why gamble with your effec tiveness and future sanity? Mark Twain fell in love with Miss Olivia Langdon. "Livy," as he called her, was brought up in a Christian home. She had firm religious con victions. The well-known Ameri can humorist was not a believer, although he appears to have been touched by his wife's exemplary life. Early in their marriage Twain regularly asked a blessing on the food at mealtime. He even joined in family worship. The practice, however, did not last. One day he announced, "Livy, I do not believe the Bible." Bit by bit his lack of faith worked like a cancer on his wife's spiritual life. Later, during a period of crushing sorrow, Mark Twain tried to strengthen his wife with the words, "Livy, if it comforts you to lean on the Christian faith, do so." All she could reply by now was, "I cannot; I do not have any!" Marriage is not the place for mis sionaries. This is not God's pur pose. Marriage is difficult enough without the strain of an unshared faith. God calls believers to live lives that will glorify Him. The Lord did not create and redeem you only to have you live unto yourself. Yours is a high and sacred calling in mag nifying Him. Only a real Christian home can bring glory to God. Chil dren born into such a home are surrounded by a ministry of love through the personally indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. A mixed marriage is a civil war, standing in the way of God's purpose for the children. The late Dr. Peter Eldersveld told about a mother in one of his con gregations. She came to him one day excited about her son's new girl. "She is such a lovely person,"

Staff and faculty ladies had a special luncheon during Torrey Conference with Dr. John Hunter as speaker. How shall the young direct their way? What light shall be their perfect guide? Thy word, O Lord, will safely lead, If in its wisdom they confide. synonomous terms. "Housewife" implies a person who spends her life working in a building. "Home maker," on the other hand, de scribes one who creates something that has lasting durability and qual ity. A carpenter can build a house but it takes far more than that to construct a home.

Sincerely may they seek Thee, Lord; O let them not from Thee depart! To know Thy will and keep from sin, Thy word to cherish in their heart! BLUEPRINT: EACH MEMBER’S ROLE There is a difference between the terms "housewife" and "home maker." They are not necessarily

The term "homemaker" should not be strictly feminine because it requires more than a wife and mother to make a home. In fact, the Word of God puts the respon sibility on all the occupants, in-

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ers" they would give a mighty im petus to the work of God through out the world. Is your home built according to the blueprint sketched for us in the Bible? A Christian home uses the same basic materials as any other home: father, mother, and children. What makes a Biblical home unique is the way they are joined together. Certain principles govern the rela tionship. First of all, the husband is the leader of the home (Ephesians 5:22). God holds him responsible for the intelligent direction of the activities of the household. Al though he should make his choices along with his wife, the ultimate decisions must be his. Authority such as this will never be abused when the Christian hus band also follows his Scriptural re sponsibility to be the lover in the home. He is to seek his wife's and family's highest good (Ephesians 5:25). Paul says that a husband is to "nourish and cherish" his wife, as he would his own body. "Nour ish" means to bring to maturity, while "cherish" has the idea of warmth and tenderness. This wife is to be in subjection to her husband (Ephesians 5:22). This command still remains God- given (Colossians 3:18; Titus 2:5; I Peter 3:1). If a husband loves his wife as Christ loves the Church there will never be any problem. A husband is to rule his wife as God seeks to rule His people through love, care and protection. T. B. Matson points out, "In the Chris tian household there is no room for tyranny or servility, yet the wife must know and willingly take her proper place." As an old adage phrases it, "It is a sorry house where the hen crows and the cock is si lent." Page 13

eluding husband and children. The Bible gives no instruction for build ing a Sunday school, founding a missionary society, or running a theological seminary. But it has much to say in almost every con ceivable area of the home. We must not neglect the clear instruc tions the Lord gives us. Many of the severe problems our church youth workers face with young people are the result of the homes in which they have been developed. If Christians concen trated on being real "homemak

Children are expected to be obedient in a Christian home (Ephesians 6:11). This is condi tioned with the words "in the Lord." Obedience to Christ must be first. Keep in mind that no re ligious devotion can ever take the place of real obedience. How this needs to be stressed in our church es. It is Cod's first requirement of youth. The husband is to provide food, clothes and shelter for his family (I Timothy 5:8). Men who have no thought for God take this respon sibility seriously. How shameful then for those who profess to know the Lord to fail in this primary re sponsibility to the best of their ability. No premiums are placed on laziness. This does not mean to go to the other extreme of over indulgence either. It is simply the necessities of life that Scripture has in view. Wives also have responsibilties. Paul gives seven of them in Titus 2:4, 5. The first two form a pair. Wives are "to love their husbands and their children." Our homes should be places where affection dwells. Then the wife's personal character should be "sober-mind ed" and "chaste." This calls for well-balanced judgments and ac tions, as well as a moral life above reproach. She is to be the queen of her house. At the same time, she should make certain that the home is properly cared for. Dirty dishes and an unkempt house are out of keeping with the Christian faith. In this wintry world, a tender wife's love and a pious mother's care are the carpet on the floor and the blaze on the evening hearth of a true Christian home. Both husbands and wives have

the supreme responsibility of bring ing up the children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephes ians 6:4). The words are primarily directed to fathers because the governing of the home is the re sponsibility of the husband. The word "nurture" means education by discipline. In spite of what cur rent psychology might suggest, the Lord suggests appropriate chastise ment when a youngster has dis obeyed. I cannot help but wonder what would happen if we used the switch on the TV set less and one on our children more. We might take a long step toward keeping them from being delin quents. "Admonition" means training by word of encouragement when this is proper, or by reproof or blame when that is required. Suffice it to say, a child should not be spanked or scolded simply to relieve the parent's frustrations. This can be more damaging than not doing anything at all. Remember, the major product of the Christian home is a believing child who has learned how to be have. In Titus 1:6, one qualifica tion for Christian leaders is that they have children who "believe, who are not accused of riot or un ruly." A child brought up in such an environment should naturally come to put his trust in the Saviour whom his parents love. That trust should grow into a life of constant obedience to the Lordship of Christ. We have no right to expect the Sunday school or the Christian day school to do for us what God has ordained as our sacred task. The best way is through a consistent personal example. Dr. Morrison in his book, The Wind on the Hearth, wrote this

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observation of life. "A man may forget all that his mother has told him; he will never forget all that his mother was. He may lose reck oning of his father's counsel, but never of his father's character." If we are living illustrations of the truth we speak, children will be given a witness to the Christian faith that is more powerful than anything this world might use to supplant their faith in Christ. In one of his sermons, Dr. Ed ward Mohns tells of a college boy who came home unexpectedly for the week-end. It was an expensive trip both in time and money. His parents could not understand how he could afford it. He did not tell them why he was there. He just seemed to enjoy himself and they were wise enough not to keep ask ing him questions as to his pres ence. A few days after he returned to college, he wrote them a letter. "I know you have been wondering why I came home as I did. I felt I had to. A number of things have been troubling me lately. Being disturbed, it has unsettled my faith, bringing doubts and darkness. I felt that I had to get home, to get within its atmosphere for a little while, just to feel the sureness of things that I had known there. Thank you both! I found the an swers." That is the concept children should have about your home. They will only be able to get it if we follow Cod's blueprint prop erly and day by day. Is your home Scriptural? Seek His help in mak ing it so before it is too late! WORSHIPPING FAMILY STYLE A woman supposedly walked in to a religious bookstore asking to see their selection of family altars.

Seeing the clerk was a bit baffled, the customer explained further, "Well, my pastor urged us to have a family altar in our home. I would like one in Early American. It would look nice in the corner of our liv ing room." We may smile at her ignorance and yet there are a lot of people who have other miscon ceptions on the subject. A family altar is not the family Bible, no matter how large it may be, sitting conspicuously for com pany to see. It is really the house hold gathering together to read the Scriptures, responding personally to what God tells them about them selves and His will. In Deuteronomy 6:4, one of the crucial passages in the Old Testa ment, the Lord stressed that godli ness should begin at home. In the eyes of the Lord, the home is the ideal school of spiritual training. Yet, there are thousands of par ents who have given their children everything but this. They have pro vided nourishing food on the tables and expensive clothes for the bod ies. Yet, the youth have not been introduced to the Saviour. Judge Healy of the Juvenile Court of De troit said, "Eighty percent of the youngsters arraigned in my court come from homes in which there has been no religious training." One primary way to help your youngsters know the Lord is to have a period of family devotions each day. This can have a real part in transforming your home into one that is dynamically Christian. Too many adults recoil from the whole idea because they remember fam ily worship as children which was dry and unmeaningful. The young sters might have sat in absolute silence while father stumbled Page 15

through a long and boring Bible passage. Family devotions can be differ ent. Hundreds of Christian families find them a vital and helpful part of their busy days. The verses in Deuteronomy give us some helpful principles. First of all, the major problem families face is getting started. The right attitude must be cultivated. Do we look at worship as a problem or a privilege? Is it a duty or a delight? Too many fam ilies labor under the illusion that "A devotion each day keeps the devil away." We try to cram it down our children's throats like bad-tasting medicine. If we love the Lord with all our heart, soul and mind, then we will really look at this time as an opportunity to express our love to Him. The ma jor question should be, "How can we share our love for God with our children?" This is not to be a period of religious duty like pen ance. It should be a joyous occa sion. "You shall teach these words to your children," God declares. That means it is not primarily what is meaningful to us as adults, but what is helpful to them, that counts. Family worship periods should be interesting. Vary the approach from day-to-day. During prayer time, each one can remember different needs. Keep a prayer list and make it personal. Share letters from mis sionaries. Use various printed aids such as children's story books and devotional materials which have been prepared for young people. Let questions be asked so that there can be a real exchange of ideas. This time must be meaningful if there is to be any real value. When you read the Scriptures, do your best to explain them to the chil

dren. It may be that one of the modern language translations will be helpful to you. If you can see principles in the Bible that the whole family can apply at home, school, or work, put these truths into "overalls" and get them into practice into your life. As much as possible, let each one participate according to his ability. If children are to enjoy this time together, keep it pleasant. Of course, the atmosphere should be reverential, but youngsters ought not feel that God is a stuffy old man who does not like children to talk. After all, this is not a formal church service. As a general rule, keep the time short. Children have short interest spans. Family worship should grow out of our love for God, designed to teach our children to love the Lord whom we serve. You will show your youngsters a great deal about trust in God when unexpected dif ficulties come up and together you bow for a brief moment of prayer to ask His help. You will teach your children a great deal about depen dence upon God when something unexpectedly nice comes into your life, and you stop to thank Him for His goodness to you. Do not be too busy to show your children the fresh beauty of a rose or the delights of a sky full of stars. Take time naturally and informally to speak to them of the beauty God has made. Most of all, there are those moments when we can share with our children what it means to trust our Saviour. After all, if you love someone deeply, it is the normal, natural thing to share Him with those around you. "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. And

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in chapter one probably came from seeing what went on in Corinth. He knew the abysmal immorality of the city. In the seventh chapter of I Cor inthians Paul shares practical ad vice on how to be on guard against looseness in marriage. It is neces sarily blunt, specific, down-to-earth advice. It is needed today perhaps as much or more as it was in Cor inth. From the William's transla tion we read, "It may be a good thing for a man to remain unmar ried; but because of so much sex ual immorality every man should have a wife of his own, and every woman a husband of her own. The husband must always give the wife what is due her, and the wife, too, must do so for her husband. The wife does not have the right to do as she pleases with her own body; the husband has his right to it. In the same way the husband does not have the right to do as he pleases with his own body, the wife has her right to it. You hus bands and wives must stop refus ing each other what is due, unless you agree to do so just for awhile, so as to have plenty of time for prayer, and then to be together again, so as to keep Satan from tempting you because of your lack of self control." There were those who had con cluded that because of the sexual looseness in Corinth all sex should be avoided. Augustine, a noted theologian of the past, wrote that the sexual act was not only unes sential in marriage, but that mar riage without it would be holier. Paul points out that celebacy is not to be considered the normal thing to do. One cannot escape the prob lem of sex by disowning it alto gether. A person is not necessarily Page 17

these words which I command you shall be upon your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and you shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk in the way, and when you lie down, and when you arise." That is good advice! Why do we not follow it today? PROPER SEX PERSPECTIVE: PART 1 We are living in days when "hard core pornography" can be seen from books and magazines in al most every imaginable place. Sex ual freedom has almost become a religion. Hollywood grinds out motion pictures which promise more inside the theater than they dare show on the billboards. Tele vision, in a determined effort not completely to be outdone, brings into our living rooms attractions that a few years ago were confined to night clubs. This sexual bombardment takes its toll on marriage. Unfaithfulness inside and outside of church circles has become an increasingly serious problem. Even Christian husbands and wives come to feel that in the sordid seventies it is impossible to take seriously Paul's warning to the Christians at Corinth "shun sexual looseness like the plague" (I Cor inthians 6:18 Phillips' Translation). Corinth in the first century was not exactly a paradise of purity. It was the "sin city" of the ancient world. Corinth was the "good time city" of ancient Greece. The city's temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of sex, was served by a staff of prostitutes. To say that a man "lived like a Corinthian" meant that his existence was absolutely dissolute. When Paul wrote the book of Ro mans he was living in Corinth. The long list of sexual sins described

more spiritual when he pretends to ignore his body. Such may ex pose him to even stronger temp tations. One of the great safeguards to purity of life is a good marriage. A godly Christian marriage should solve the pressing, practical prob lems of sexual looseness. Marital infidelity can be over come if each partner recognizes that they have entered into a con tract in which both husband and wife owe it to each other to be sexually responsive. Calling mar riage a contract may not be very romantic, but that is how Scrip ture looks at it. “ The husband must always give his wife what is due her, and the wife, too, must do so for her husband." Sexual relations should not be regarded as a "fa vor" but rather a debt that is owed. A child's idea of love is getting, but an adult's concept should al ways be giving. There are too many "child marriages" these days as we see adults behave like babies. Mar riage is valued only because of what it does for them. They do not see it as a means of investing in the one loved. This is the basic difference between love and lust. The popular crooner whispering into the microphone, "I love you, I love you, I love you," may not mean that at all. He may really be saying "I love me, I love me, I want you." Christian love seeks the highest good of the person loved. Its primary thrust is not merely its own satisfaction. Neith er party should talk about "rights." The vital consideration should be the rights of the other. Paul defines love as being "patient, kind; it does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable nor resentful" (I Corinthians 13;5).

How wonderful to realize that of all the people on earth you alone are allowed by God to satisfy the need for sexual expression in your husband or wife. To refuse to do so is a moral matter and amounts to a fraud, a holding back of what is owed. Infide lity takes many forms. The word means "want of faith or belief; atheism or disbelief in God or religion; skepticism; un faithfulness in marriage; adultery, unfaithfulness to a charge or a mor al obligation; treachery; deceit." As Margaret Blair Johnson has pointed out (Your Life, December, 1952), everybody harps on the adultery angle of infidelity, but there is non-adulterous infidelity as well which undermines mar riage. Have you neglected the mor al obligation you assumed when you promised your husband or wife that they were getting a partner "to have and to hold?" Are you a responsive partner or do you not realize that the satisfying of the sex need is a moral obligation? If not, you may be guilty of the other sort of unfaithfulness mentioned in the dictionary: deceit. Mrs. Johnson observes, "Most women before marriage think they will be capable of meeting their husbands' sexual needs. Rather than admit later that they have overestimated their inclination, some women start what may be a completely unconscious process of deception. Instead of frankly work ing through the adjustments every marriage requires, they develop an illness or a fatigued or nervous state which excuses them (they feel) from marital duty." Of course, hus bands can play the same kind of games. By devious means they may excuse their selfish conduct. This is ultimately what it is: selfishness.

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earth who, in purity, can satisfy this need for affection in his wife, and vice versa. You may have to arrange your life so that this has a higher priority on your schedule. You may have to cut down on the work load at home, office, church, or community to pay this debt to your wife or husband. This debt of love should be paid willingly and eagerly. The greatest guard to a man's purity is the affection of a devoted wife. The greatest guar antee of a woman's faithfulness is the devotion of an affectionate hus band.

It is the exact opposite of Christian love. The only allowance Paul makes for permissable abstaining from sexual relations is when it is by the consent of both husband and wife. This allows them time for true wor ship and spiritual activity. Such sep aration is to be the exception rath er than the rule. It is only for a brief time. If it lasts too long the pressure of Satan and the society he dominates may break down your resistance to impurity, or the resistance of your partner. A husband is the only person on

Part II of Dr. Robinson's article on The Christian Home will be continued in the May issue.

Speaking in Marshburn Hall during a Torrey Seminar is David L. Larsen, Pastor of the First Evangelical Covenant Church, Rockford, Illinois. Page 19

Dr. AI Sanders spent a lot of time answering questions during Torrey week about his TV ministry. Dr. Sanders is Host and Executive Producer of the Day of Discovery outreach of the Radio Bible Class, St. Petersburg, Florida. Page 20

PANEL Discussions

Dr. Charles L. Feinberg

Dr. J. Richard Chase

Dr. Samuel H. Sutherland

Q. Alpine, Calif. "What is the def inition of a bishop in the local assembly? What are the qualifica tions of a pastor and a deacon? A. These are very proper New Tes tament words. As the church grew there was a need for specific assignments and responsibilities. Some of these offices are com pletely different today from what they were then. “ Bishop" means "overseer." The same definition could be given to the title “ elder." ("Bishop" today stands for an ec clesiastical order.) I Timothy 3 gives the duties of an “ overseer." Philippians 1:1 reveals that "bish ops and deacons" were the two main offices in those days. The qualifications of a pastor follow these same precise lines. He is the teaching elder in the New Testa ment concept (I Timothy 3:1, 2). When it comes to deacons, look at the statement beginning in verse eight. In Acts 6 we read concerning the inauguration of the office of deacon. There were problems because some of the menial, but important tasks, were not being accomplished These men were ap

pointed to serve in the material things of the church. They were also to be men of outstanding spir itual experience. In the present-day sense a pastor is the full-time "teaching elder." As such he receives a salary from the people so that he can give his full time to the spiritual ministry of the church. A deacon is to take care of the material and physical aspects of the organization. Both should be men of great spiritual insight. Do not downgrade the po sition of deacon. It is a very great responsibility and challenge. Q. Mission Hills, Calif. " Would you please explain Matthew 6:15? How can we reconcile this with I lohn 1:9?" A. In this case a proper dispensa- tional interpretation is of tremen dous help. We have to realize at what stage certain truths are given. In theology we know of "progres sive doctrine." That is, Cod begins to indicate a truth, and then more is added until we have the full and complete revelation. This first pas- Page 21

has been saved in belief, he should be baptized. Salvation will mean far more to him at this point. Q. Albany, Ore. "Would you please explain why there are 'mistransla tions' in the New Testament of some Old Testament scriptures?" A. Instead of "mistranslations" it would be best to call them "dif ferent wordings" or even "differ ent spellings" in some instances. As an example, the name "Elias" is comparable to "Elijah" in the Old Testament. The same is true of "Isias" which is "Isaiah." Allow ance has to be made for the par ticular nature of the Hebrew and Greek languages. Editors of the New Scofield Reference Bible have wisely transferred the Old Testa ment names into the New so there is no variation or confusion. The different wordings have occasioned the writing of volumes and the de livering of doctrinal dissertations. While some quotations are word- for-word, others seem far afield. One of these is Psalms 8:2 and Matthew 21:16. The notes in the New Scofield Reference Bible on page 1320 indicate the seven dif ferent ways in which New Testa ment writers, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, quote from the Old Testament. Invariably the authors attribute unqualified au thority to the inspired writers from Moses through Malachi. The 39 books of the Old Testa ment came into being by 400 B.C. at the latest. Because of the dis persion the Jews were scattered throughout the world, including the great community of Alexan dria. Those people had now begun to speak in Greek using the various colloquialisms of the area. So the

sage is from the so-called Sermon on the Mount. Our Lord, as the coming King of Israel, is offering Himself as the Son of David. He wonderfully outlines the essentials for a spiritual kingdom on earth. As we read the full doctrine of forgiveness in the New Testament we see how Matthew 6:15 is rec onciled with I John 1:9. They are not in the same area of the Scrip ture. Our Lord emphasized the matter of forgiveness in Matthew. I John 1:9 is the full revelation for this day in which we live. Actually there are two phases to forgiveness just as there are to sanctification. When we accepted Christ as Sav iour we received the complete for giveness for all sins, past, present and future. This does not mean in dulgences. It tells us that Christ died for all our sins. As a matter of fact, all our sins were future when He died on Calvary (Ephesians 1:7). Q. Castle Rock, Colo. "Two minis ters have been telling me that one cannot be saved until he is bap tized. But I know I was saved and had my sins forgiven before I was baptized. What is the answer1" A. Such a view as these ministers have put forth is not scriptural, and is known as baptismal regenera tion. Water baptism is not a means of salvation. It is merely an outward sign to the world of an inward change of heart. These ministers may be sincere in their convictions yet there is not correct scriptural interpretations to back them up. Our Lord said to the dying thief who accepted Him as Saviour, "Today thou shalt be with me in Paradise." There is no indication that this repentant man had been baptize dat any time before or af ter those words. Once a person

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but has come into existence at the time indicated in Genesis. There are three creative acts mentioned in Genesis I. The first is the heav ens and the earth. Animal life is next; and finally man himself. The Hebrew literally means "to make out of nothing." How can our fin ite minds begin to comprehend the infinite God in this distinctive char acteristic and ability? Creation did not begin of itself. It did not evolve through any resident forces. After the Lord created all things without any pre-existent matter, He took the matter and fashioned it in cer tain ways to form man. There is absolutely no room for us to say that man, or anything else for that matter, evolved over a period of time, no matter how long that might have been. Such is simply "speculative science." It is no more valid that speculative theology. It has to depend entirely on the sub jective predispositions and pre suppositions of the individual who is putting forth such ideas. Q. Santa Cruz, Calif. "Before the tower of Babel, when people of the world spoke the same tongue, which language was spoken?" A. The Bible no where gives us any indication whatsoever. Any ideas we might present would only be suppositions. These people were not trying to reach God. They only wanted to make a name for them selves. Their own glory was their only concern. God came down and confused them through tongues of various languages. Such today is due to sinfulness in the heart of men. Now, because of the multi plicity of languages, man prides himself like an oestrich. Such is not an attestation to man's tremendous progress and development. It rath er reveals his wickedness and folly. Page 23

Scriptures had to be translated in to their language so that they might understand. About 250 B.C. a group of about 70 men did this which became the first translation of any book in the history of the world. It became known as the Septuagint. Where hard or difficult passages occurred there might not be the exact word in Greek for the orig inal Hebrew. This is what our Lord and His apostles used, as well as the original Hebrew. The Saviour, of course, as well as Paul, could use these two languages, and Ar amaic. If in research you scrutinize every passage and each word you will find that the basic truth is still there. There has been no mutila tion of the text so that the thought is obscured or perverted. That is the important thing! Q. Hawthorne, Calif. "Do you think that the nation described in Isaiah 18 is the United States?" A. In reading the first few verses one will realize that it could not stand for America. Notice the phrase, "That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of bul rushes upon the waters." As a mat ter of fact, we do not believe that any Old or New Testament Scrip ture specifically refers to the United States. Some Bible teachers think Revelation 17 and 18, talking about Babylon is tied in with our nation. We cannot accept that at all. This country, we believe, will be con nected with the Western powers, a part of the ten kingdoms to arise in the end times, according to Daniel 2. Q. Seattle, Wash. "What is the He brew word 'to create' as far as its meaning in the creation story?" A. All through the Bible matter has a beginning. It is not pre-created,

many of these people who came out of the grave after Christ's resur rection. What is the proper chron ology?" A. It is interesting to consider these graves that were opened and the bodies of the saints which slept being raised. Matthew 28 as well as I Corinthians 15, give us chron ologically what happened after the crucifixion. Verse 53 simply inserts a little prepositional phrase, or a parenthesis, as to what happened to those people. Notice how care ful Scripture is in telling us that they caem out of the graves after His resurrection. This is to preserve the fact that Christ was the first- fruits. You might ask about Elijah and Elisha in their wonderful works of bringing men back from the dead. In the strict sense these, in cluding Lazarus, were not resur rected since they had to go back to the grave in eventual physical death. All they experienced was a ressusitation or a renewal of life, yet still on the same human plane. Q. Kenmore, Wash. "In the last trumpet of I Corinthians 15:53, is this the Is ame as the seventh trum pet of Revelation? If it is the same, does it mean that Christians will have to go through at least a part of the Tribulation before the Rap ture occurs?" A. This view is held by a number of people. We do not believe, however, that it has any relation to the seventh trumpet of Revelation. The trumpet was used in Old Tes tament times to announce some thing of very significant nature. That is what is referred to in I Cor inthians 15. It was simply the last trumpet to sound before certain events were going to take place.

Q. Los Angeles, Calif. "I Corinthi ans 15:12 states that some in the church at Corinth were teaching that there was no resurrection of the dead. Was this false doctrine limited to this particular area? Also what does the phrase 'Christ our first-fruits' mean?" A. The matter at issue was whether there could be any resurrection of a human body at any time. You see, Creek philosophy held to no such thing as a resurrection. With masterful skill, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, Paul shows how many different implications there would be, all serious to our faith, if the Lord Jessu had not come forth from the dead. So this false doctrine was not limited to the church at Corinth. It was part and parcel of the Greek world of phil osophy. It did not originate in the church but these Creek people at Corinth brought it in from their pagan background. "Christ became the first-fruits of them that slept" means simply that our Lord is the first evidence of those who will come from the grave in resurrection bodies. A seed is sown in the ground. After a time, it comes forth. The body of the Saviour was put into the ground. After due time He arose from the dead. The next in this order will be all those who are Christ's (vs. 23). Philippians 3:21 gives us another picture of this glorious event to which all believers should be looking forward. That is something worth shouting about! Q. San Francisco, Calif. "In Mat thew 27 we have the accounts of the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ. Verses 51-54 gives a time block related to the event. Yet, verse 53 places the resurrection of

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A S T U D Y IN C O R IN T H IA N S by J. RICHARD CHASE

brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of Cod." The word translated "exce llency" conveys the idea of exceeding or going be yond what others are able to do. Paul recognized that in the culture of that day it was not only pos sible, but it was expected that a speaker would outdo the previous speaker. Somehow he would be more persuasive, more powerful, more effective. Paul says, "I didn't come in the spirit of competition as in some oratorical contest. I came simply declaring unto you the message or the testimony that God would have me present." Another insight into this phrase is found in I Corinthians 2:4. Paul writes, "And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power." The word "enticing" is really the standard Greek word for "persuasion." Aristotle used this in his treatise, "The Art of Rhet oric." He set the tone that many people used for generations, in fact for centuries. That was, that man's Page 25

Paul reveals his goal to preach the Gospel, In I Corinthians 1:17: "For Christ sent me not to baptize but to preach the Gospel; not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no ef fect." Paul baptized only a handful of believers because he knew the Corinthians were prone to follow men. He did not want to encour age division of the church into "those baptized by Paul" and those baptized by another. He wanted the focus on Christ and the cross, not on man and his ability. We are going to focus on the second half of the verse, the con cept that the wisdom of words, if used as the method of communi cation, would actually empty the cross, make it of no effect. It would strip it of its power. Why? I believe that the wisdom of words as used in I Corinthians 1:17 and in chap ter two, is a tribute to man and his rhetorical power. The focus would be on man and not God. The glory would be man's and not Cod's. In verse 17 there is simply the phrase "the wisdom of words." However, in I Corinthians 2:1, Paul expands the concept, "And I,

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