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The answers Dr. Talbot gave in his May Question Box were good. I am just thinking about the answer to the ques tion, “ Was Cain ever saved?” The an swer and the Scripture are both to the point. I think there is one Scripture you happened to overlook. “ Woe unto them! For they went in the way of Cain” (Jude 11). Certainly, if Cain was a saved man, there wouldn’t have been a woe pronounced upon those that went his way; and, as you said, there is no evidence that he ever changed his way. I was also interested in the answer to the man who said, “ My pastor says that the doctrine of the premillennial coming of Christ to the earth is danger ous and fanatical.” Dr. Talbot said, “ Your pastor may be orthodox, funda mental, and true to the Word of God in other doctrines; if so, he is a real Christian.” . . . That used to be my position, and I am not sure yet that it is not correct, but there are some things that puzzle me. “Unbelief is the sin that damns.” Now if anyone does not believe the Word o f God, then he is guilty of unbelief. How else could you know that a man was guilty o f unbelief, except by his unbelief in the Word of God? Only the doctrine of the atone ment is set forth in the Scripture more often and more emphatically than the doctrine of the premillennial return of our Lord. How can a man say he be lieves the Bible and yet doesn’t believe the plain statements about the pre millennial coming of Christ? Now in First John 6:9-12 we have some plain statements, and one of those statements is, “ He that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he hath not believed in the witness that God hath borne concerning his Son” (v. 10). Of course, verse 11 explains just what the witness is that we are to believe. I have been thinking of course of the rendering in the Revised Version. The A.V. reads, “ He believeth not God . . . because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.” Surely the record that God gave His Son is that His Son would some day return to this earth and reign for a thousand years. Well, anyway to deny the premillennial return o f the Lord in the face of all the Scripture has to say about it is mighty dangerous business. However, I have not ehanged my mind yet, and I am inclined to agree with your state ment, but I think that we ought to warn people of the danger of denying any thing that is plainly taught in the rec ord that God has given us of His Son. Louis S. B a u m a n , D.D. Pastor, First Brethren Church, Washington, D.C. (Continued on Page 24) J U L Y . 1 9 5 0
Louis T. Talbot, D.D.
Betty Bruechert Managing Editor
William W. Orr, D.D.
Editor in Chief
Associate Editor
Copyright, 1950, The King’s Business No part of this magazine may be reproduced without permission. All Rights Reserved.
Vol. 41
July, 1950
No. 7
CONTENTS Reader Reaction ....................................................................................... 3 Editorially Speaking ................................................................................ 4 Apostasy: The Death Rattle of Our Age, Louis S. Bauman .......... 6 Poem, Martha Snell Nicholson ................................................................ 7 A Dying Church....................................................................................... & Dr. Talbot’s Question Box............................................................ 9 “ Heaven Around the Corner” ................................................................ 19 Young People May Know the Will of God, William W. Orr ............ 12 Field Work Department Expands......................................................... IS The Trail of the French Perfume, Delnora M. Erickson ................ 14 Building Blocks for Christian Poise, Ralph B e l l .............................. 15 A Chinese Christian Pastor Under the Communists........................ 17 Acknowledge Him, Ida C. Young ........................................................... 17 The Press and The Christian World..................................................... 17 Biola Family Circle.................................................... Miscellanea .............................................................................................. 19 Sunday School Lessons, Homer A. Kent, Allison Arrowood ............ 20 Young People’s Topics, Walter L. Wilson ............................................. 25 Bible Quiz, Vernon Howard .................................................................... 27 Junior King’s Business: Jim Joins Up, Lois McKinney .................. 28 The Bible in the News, William W. Orr .............................................. 30 Book Reviews .......................................................................................... 31 Object Lessons, Elmer L. Wilder ........................................................... 33- Picture Credits: Cover: Courtesy U. S. Department of Defense, Washington, D. C. These flags and enlisted personnel represent the branches of our armed forces. Left to right, top row: WAF—Air Force; WACS—Army; WAVES—Navy; WOMEN MARINES. Bot tom: AIR FORCE; ARMY; NAVY; MARINES; pp. 10, 11—N. C. Parsons, Los Angeles, Calif. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION—"The King’s Business" is published monthly: $2.00, one year; $1.00, six months; 20 cents, single copy. Clubs of three or more at special rates. Write for details. Canadian and foreign subscriptions 25 cents extra. It requires one month for a change of address to become effective. Please send both old and new addresses. REMITTANCES—Payable in advance, should be made by bank draft, express, or post office money order payable to “ The King's Business.” Date of expiration will show plainly on outside wrapper or cover of magazine. ADVERTISING—For information, address the Advertising Manager, 558 South Hope Street, Los Angeles 17, California. MANUSCRIPTS—“ The King’s Business” cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to manuscripts mailed to us for consideration. Entered as second-class matter November 7, 1938, at the Post Office at Los Angeles, Cali fornia, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in the Act of February 28, 1925, embodied in paragraph 4, section 538, P. L. and R., authorized October 1, 1918, and November 13, 1938. ADDRESS: The King’s Business, 558 So. Hope St., Los Angeles 17» California. Page Three
lated “ charity.” But this need not deter the reader from understanding that what is meant there is the same high kind of noble affection which God has for those for whom Christ died and which brought to the earth the Gift of all gifts, His own dear Son. As we examine the characteristics of love in these verses there stands out in our mind the personification of love in the person of Christ. Instead of reading, “ Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,” you could just as easily read, “ Christ suffereth long, and is kind; Christ envieth not; Christ vaunteth not Himself, is not puffed up.” There is a real need on the part of Christian people to re-examine the character of love in order that their own effort, both for God and for their fellow- men, might measure up to the ex alted standard which God has pur posed. Dr. William Evans A NOTHER great giant in God’s . army has gone to be with the Lord in the passing of Dr. William Evans, well-known Bible scholar, author, preacher and teacher. Dr. Evans was among the first to be graduated from the Moody Bible Institute back in its earliest days, was an intimate acquaintance of D. L. Moody and later occupied an honored place on the faculty o f the Moody Bible Institute and the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. For a number of years Dr. Wil liam Evans was Associate Dean of Biola, as well as Associate Editor of The King’s Business. He was a writer of very great ability, and no less than forty books have come from his pen. Many will remember him as the teacher of a Friday night Bible class in the great auditorium of the Church of the Open Door where he pre viewed the coming International Sunday School Lesson. For several years the crowds taxed the capacity of the auditorium and sat with open Bibles and notebooks in order that they might take to their own classes the Bible interpretation of this gifted teacher. The work of Dr. Evans will live on and increase for many years through his books, which are standard texts in many, Bible Institutes and colleges throughout our land. Dr. Evans’ best known book, perhaps, is his “Great Doctrines of the Bible.” T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
A delightful combination is effected by the offering of a time of relaxa tion physically with a time of in spiration spiritually. Most confer ences combine beautiful vacation facilities with a strong challenging message from the conference pulpit. The Bible Institute of Los Angeles has long realized the value of these meetings and this year offers five different Pacific Coast conferences. One in Southern California at Pacific Palisades near Santa Monica; one at Hume Lake near General Grant Na tional Park; two at Mount Hermon near Santa Cruz in the tall redwood country, and one at Covenant Beach on Puget Sound halfway between Seattle and Tacoma. Further particu lars regarding cost, accommodations, dates and speakers may be obtained by writing to the Extension Depart ment, Bible Institute of Los Angeles, 558 South Hope Street, Los Angeles 17, Calif. The True Character o f Love P ERHAPS the most abused word in the English language today is the word love. Pulled down from its exalted position where God had placed it, love has been dragged in the mire of physical passion and be smirched with the character of lust. Young people in today’s world have almost no conception of the high ideals and the nobility of love. Few have understood that love has come from God and in a strange and par ticular way love is a part of God. In several instances in the Bible, notably 1 John 4:11, God’s pure love is di rectly linked with the love that Chris tians should have one for another. It is good exercise on the part of both young and old to carefully read and re-read the 13th chapter of 1 Corin thians where the Spirit of God sets forth not only the unique importance of this quality of life but also its characteristics. It is rather unfor tunate that in the King James Ver sion the word for love has been trans
President Talbot T HE first of this year saw the completion of a round-the-world trip by Dr. Louis T. Talbot, who is the President of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. This trip was under taken with a twofold purpose: first, to strengthen the hearts of various missionaries who had taken their training a t, Biola and secondly, to secure a pictorial record of the need of the field and the way in which the need is being met. Since his return Dr. Talbot has been presenting these pictures to audiences in Southern and Central California. There has been an un usual amount of interest awakened, for which we thank God and take courage. Beginning with July, Dr. Talbot will be speaking and showing the pictures in the Bay area, including the Hamilton Square Baptist Church in San Francisco, Twenty-third Ave nue Baptist Church in Oakland, Cal vary Baptist in San Francisco, the Fundamental Church of Santa Rosa, Westminster Presbyterian in San Jose and the First Presbyterian Church of Chowchilla. Dr. Talbot’s August itinerary will be in Biola Summer Conferences. In the month of September he will be speaking in the State of Oregon, and in October and November in the State of Washington. Pastors and churches desiring Dr. Talbot to visit them should write to Dr. William Orr, Extension Depart ment, The Bible Institute of Los Angeles, 558 South Hope Street, Los Angeles 17, California. The Blessings of Summer Conferences O NE of the encouraging signs among many things that are dis couraging in today’s religious world is the popularity of summer Bible Conferences. Across our broad land there are many hundreds of these gatherings for both young and old. Page Four
and He shall separate them as sheep and goats. Many Bible students feel that this double trend is one of the strongest indications of the near approach of the return of our Lord. Even' so, come, Lord Jesus. “ Please Do Not Send Us Any Money ” M ANY pieces of informative ma terial cross the Editor’s desk— news from various mission fields, in formation from Christian enterprises —some extremely vital, some propa ganda, some of lesser importance. A recent communication arrived from Rev. J. Arthur Mouw, former Bible Institute student, now working under the Christian and Missionary Alliance in West Borneo, Indonesia. The news was of particular interest because it told of the visit of Dr. Talbot and Dr. Bauman to that field a few months ago. But the item which drew our clos est attention was the last paragraph in which Brother Mouw told his readers, “ Please do not send us any money. The work here is self-support ing, and every need is met locally. Our support comes through the head quarters of our Mission, the Chris tian and Missionary Alliance. But friends, do pray for us.” This is a cheering bit of news and corroborates information we have al ready received through viewing the moving pictures taken on that field. Over there in West Borneo there are a number of churches with a com bined membership of perhaps five thousand. The churches are housed, functioning, and missionary minded, although only twenty years ago there was not one Christian in that area. It has been a real demonstration of the power of the Spirit o f God in taking these Dyaks out of raw heath enism and transforming their hearts and lives, and starting them out walking the path of true Christian ity. An incident which happened during Dr. Talbot’s visit concerns a delega tion of Dyaks who approached him, asking that, if they were to build his house and furnish him with rice so that he would not have to do any work, he would stay and be their constant teacher. Such indications prove without a doubt the unmistak able moving of the Spirit of God in the midst of this people. Perhaps in years gone by there has been too much dependence placed upon foreign methods and foreign leadership.
Preparation for Death M OST of us clearly remember one of the most terrifying achievements of the Nazi regime was its relentless capture and corruption of German youth. From almost out of the cradle the Nazi leaders trained German youth for its part in the juggernaut state. The Nazis have passed but the process of corruption goes on. Now it is the Communists, and 900,000 children between the ages of six and fourteen are being enrolled in the Young Pioneers whose motto is, “ Be Prepared.” Most of these children are drawn by subtle threats that they will not be promoted in school, or by pressure on parents. The movement has all the trap pings of the former system, with uniforms, parades, camps and, of course, the Communist world-wide propaganda. It is safe to say that the bulk of these young members do not always believe what the Communists tell them. But the trouble is that they do not believe anything else. Slowly but unmistakably they are being worn into submission, and the Communist policy is to achieve a strangle hold on Germany’s younger generation which they will never let go. This story is pitiful but true, and one sees again the absolute impos sibility of changing the evil tenden cies of the human heart. If it is not the Nazis, it is then the Communists. But the ideals and aims are the same. However, there is one ray of light in this otherwise abysmally dark pic ture. That light is shed by the pro phetic Scriptures which show the ascendancy and domination of Rus sia over many satellite countries for the last time. This confederacy, which Bible students have labeled the Great Northern Confederacy, is to be the last one before the Lord returns to put an end to all of man’s ambi tious folly. It is true that the Rus sian confederacy will know unpre cedented domination for a brief time. But according to Ezekiel 36 to 39, Russia’s power will be absolutely crushed by heavenly artillery, never to rise again. Let not Bible-believing Christians despair as these notations appear upon the pages of our magazines. Remember only that God’s will and plans are being worked out and that after the darkness of the world’s bitter midnight there is coming the dawning of a glorious new day! Page Five
Wheaf, and Tares Flourish D (H. Clifford Edward Barbour, re tiring moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, declared recently that the age in which we live is a split-personality age where is found both a decided trend to goodness and a rapid growth of evil. In presenting this trend Dr.. Bar bour pointed out the increase in il legitimate births, the increase of liquor consumption, the amazing sky rocketing trend in crime all of which are well-known to anyone who reads the daily newspapers. Coupled with this, there is the movement toward better things in our land. While our general population was showing a large increase, the enrollment in religious groups showed a percentage double to the popula tion increase. There is also an increased interest being shown in religious things that was thought impossible years ago. More space is being given in news papers and magazines to items of purely religious significance and more time on the air to religious services. This double trend is almost para doxical until we remember that this is exactly what the Word of God has taught for centuries. You will re member in our Lord’s second par able in the 13th chapter of Matthew He told of a certain field in which the good man had sowed wheat. Into this field also came the enemy and sowed tares. When it became evident that there were two kinds o f growth, the servants came to the master of the field to ask what should be done and the master commanded that the wheat and the tares be allowed to grow and mature until the day of harvest. At that time separation would be made, the wheat being gathered into the master’s barn and the tares being burned with unquenchable fire. It is strangely corroborative of Scripture that nowhere in the world today do we find conditions that are wholly bad; and nowhere in the world do we find situations that are wholly good. The wheat and the tares grow together, and it would not be sur prising if the end of the age would see unprecedented growths among each of these diverse forces. We may safely say that both evil and good will be propagated until that day foretold in Matthew 25 when the Son of Man shall sit upon the throne of His glory and before Him shall be gathered all nations, J U L Y , 1 9 5 0
By DR. LOUIS S. BAUM AN
SECOND IN A SERIES OF PROPHETIC MESSAGES
there is one God; and thou doest well: the devils also believe and tremble” (James 2:19). On the other hand, as men reckon righteousness, the most righteous (moral) of men may become apostate. (See Matt. 8:28,29; 2 Cor. 11:13-15). Dr. Shailer Mathews, then Dean of the Divinity School, University of Chicago, years ago wrote a book, The Faith o f Modernism, in which he said: “ For the first thousand years of Christian history, the favorite way of expressing the meaning of the death of Christ was to declare that He had been given as a ransom to Satan in return for Satan’s release of men of faith who had died before His coming.” And that statement, in the main, is correct, not only historically, but seripturally. The Lord Himself said: “ The Son of man came . . . to give his life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20: 28). And to whom was the ransom paid if not to Satan? But not only was the ransom paid for “ the release o f men of faith who had died before His coming,” but after His coming also. BUT, what a confession that was for a prince of modernism to make— a confession to absolute apostasy! “For the first thousand years of Christian history” —that, is, beginning with Christ and His apostles—a cer tain doctrine relating to the death of Christ was undeniably taught, he says; but now another doctrine as to the death of Christ has been accepted and is being taught as a part of “ the faith of modernism.” There is only one conclusion: that other doctrine is apostate doctrine, for it is a falling T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
vice; but a downright forsaking of the Lord Jesus Christ and “ the faith . . . once for all delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3, R .V .); and, the following after “ another Jesus . . . or, another gospel” (2 Cor. 11:4) proclaimed by men who are “ false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ” (2 Cor. 11:13). Webster defines apostasy as “an abandonment of 'what one has volun tarily professed; a total desertion or departure from one’s faith, principle, or party . . . especially, the renun ciation of a religious faith.” And he defines an apostate as “ one who has forsaken the faith to which he before adhered.” A man, a church, an age, may fall into worldliness and sin, and yet maintain a belief in Christ as the virgin-born Son of God; and also, in His death, burial, and resurrection. It is written: “ Thou believest that
f r -^ H E Scriptures definitely declare that the return of our Lord is , to be immediately preceded by an apostasy—the greatest in the his tory of the Church. It is written: “ Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall de part from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of dev ils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; hav ing their conscience seared with a hot iron” (1 Tim. 4:1,2). “Now we be seech you, brethren, touching the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him . . . let no man beguile you in any wise: for it will not be, except the falling away [Gr. the apostasia ] come first” (2 Thess. 2:1,3, R.V.) (Read 1 Thess. 4:13-18). Bear in mind that “ the apostasy” o f which Paul speaks, is not a “ falling away” into formalism, backsliding, or Page Six
deny that a great super church that will regiment the entire religious world, is the goal that these ambitious ecclesiastics seek, we might say that it would seem that the thinking of the men chosen to head up the World Council of Christian Churches, ought best to reveal the purpose of the in stitution they head. Bishop G. Brom ley Oxnam, President of The World Council for America, says: “Union can and must be established in Christ’s churches in the world.” He advocates the union of all Protestant Churches in America, and has de clared that such a union would “ elec trify the world and accelerate the trend toward union in every conti nent.” (Ecumenical Press Service, June 6, 1947). Speaking to the Methodist General Conference (Watchman - Examiner, Nov. 18, 1948), Bishop Oxnam proph esied a day when there would be “ only two groups, the Protestant and Catholic, and that they would unite to form the Holy Catholic Church,”— the Church . universal. “ One Church for one world”—such is the slogan of this great World Council. Such an or ganization, of course, could only* be apostate; believing everything, it would believe nothing. The fact of the matter is, that noth ing could more eloquently reveal the purpose of the World Council of Churches as apostate, than the ele vation of Bishop Oxnam to the Presi dency of the American wing of the council, for the American council is the dominating wing, providing for 85 per cent of the entire budget of the whole council. The writer was thrown into close contact with Bishop Oxnam many years ago in Los An geles, at which time Dr. Oxnam was the pastor of The Church of All Na tions (Methodist Episcopal) of that city. In our conversation, he asked: “ Dr. Bauman, just what do you regard as ‘the fundamentals of the faith’ ?” In reply, I said: “ The Bible is fully in spired of the Holy Ghost; the virgin birth of Christ, who was God incar nate in the flesh; the substitutional death of Christ on the cross; and, the resurrection of Christ from the dead in the body in which He died.” Dr. Oxnam flashed back the reply: “ Not one of which the Methodist Episcopal Church any longer believes!” “ No longer believes!” I exclaimed. “ Then the Methodist Episcopal Church, hav ing once believed them, is apostate!” I questioned the truth of his state ment, and said that I was once a Meth odist, and knew that at least some Methodists still believed all four of Page Seven
enough of Christendom that, if it can be shown to be apostate, then the greatest apostasy that the church has ever known, is on! And such an apos tasy can readily be recognized as the most significant fact of our day—a crystal-clear sign of the near return of our Lord. Dr. Chester E. Tulga, in a careful summing up of The Case Against the World Council of Churches (published by the Conservative Baptist Fellow ship, of Chicago) declares that “ the mixed multitude which met at Amster dam has now become THE CHURCH.” And, he further states that “many | | | God swings the censor of the sun Across the sky. When day is done, And sunset cools the heat of noon, He sets in place the silver moon Which, silent, slips from rim to rim Of the horizon, back to Him. The hosts of stars burn steadily, And all of heaven’ s pageantry Declares the glory of His name, And sings His praise in glad acclaim Which echoes to the farthest star . . . But down below, too busy far, Men look not up, but back to earth, And busy them with lust and mirth And war and greed. No thought at all Of God . . . But there shall come a call, As they behold with frightened eyes, The Lord descend through opening skies, “ I am the Lord, yea, I am He. Too late ye have looked up to Me!” Martha Snell Nicholson 0=9 agencies, interdenominational in char acter, are already at work, such as The World Day of Prayer, Prayer Communion Sunday, and numerous other days, weeks, and periods so dear to the heart of ecclesiasticism, will be used.” Likewise, he affirms “ that the World Council of Churches is being given the prestige of a world-wide church, whether it is that or not.” Dr. Tulga expresses his agreement with Bosley ( Main Issues Confront ing Christendom, Page 173) whom he quotes as saying: “ I do not see how any fair-minded person can study the rapid growth of the ecumenical move ment in contemporary Christian thought and life and doubt that ‘the great Church’ is coming.” And, says Dr. Tulga, “ It is the intention of the World Council leadership to bring into being the super-church.” Should any of these modernists
away from the doctrine first believed and taught in the Christian world for a thousand years! Thus we have the amazing spectacle of a great scholar, the head of one of the greatest “ Christian universities” in the world built by Baptist money, candidly acknowledging that this doc trine setting forth the meaning of the death of Chris^ was first taught by the men who were eye and ear witnesses to the sayings, deeds, and sufferings of Jesus, by men who themselves were instructed by the Christ Himself, and admitting further that that doctrine was almost universally accepted and taught by the Church for at least its first thousand years — we have the amazing spectacle, I say, of this gran diloquent modernist arising to pro claim to the world that that doctrine “ seems grotesque, if not immoral.” If that is not apostasy to the nth degree, then what can constitute apostasy? The unblushing conceit of these meg alomaniacs that we call “modernists” knows no bounds. It matters not to them that “God . . . hath . . . spoken” (Heb. 1:1,2). My idea of something “ grotesque, if not immoral” would be an inflated gentleman with a mon ocle over a glass eye peering through a keyhole—hoping! He would scarcely be able to see what he would like to see! And, these sons of “ the wisdom of this world” (1 Cor. 1:20) seem un able to see in the Scripture what they want to see, so they “prophesy out of their own hearts” (Ezek. 13:2). A glass eye is a poor substitute for the eye of faith! If Dr. Shailer Mathews alone had assumed such a position, these words would not be written. His utterance would have remained between himself and his God. But Dr. Shailer Mathews was and is representative of the bell wethers in Christendom today. These domineering lords of “ 135 denomina tions” of supposedly evangelical Chris tians, professing to represent at least twenty-five million church members, recently called into session a World Council of Churches in Amsterdam. At the opening business session of this assemblage, on August 23, 1948, a formal resolution was passed declar ing “ The World Council of Churches . . . is hereby officially constituted.” Presbyterian Life (Sept. 18, 1948), refers to this council as “ the most concentrated and powerful religious organization the world has ever seen.” In view of the strength of another apostate organization with its head quarters in Rome, that statement may be open to challenge. Nevertheless this World Council of Churches has al ready gathered into its great maw J U L Y , 1 9 5 0
ADYINGCHURCH ' I «HE story is -A- told of an artist who was e n g a g e d t o paint the pic ture of a dying church. Those who comm is sioned him an ticipated that he would portray a ramshackle old structure set in the midst of a neglected court overgrown with w e e d s , w i t h broken windows, and surrounded by a general air of decrepitude.
these doctrines. He said: “ If any one wants to know whether the Methodist Episcopal Church any longer believes those doctrines, let him examine the textbooks, many of them written by our bishops, and used in our Church supported schools. He will find every one of those doctrines denied.” And, with a full knowledge of what Dr. Oxnam believes, that Church made him a bishop, and the Federal Coun cil of Churches of Christ made him its president, and now the World Council o f Churches in America makes him its supreme head. As I write these words, on my desk before me lies a copy of The Christian Advocate (May 13, 1948). Herein is printed “ A summary of the episcopal address, read to the General Confer ence, April 28, by Bishop G. Bromley Oxnam.” The subject: “A Man Named Wesley Passed This Way.” From this address we quote: “Methodism is determined to preach a gospel that insists that all men are brothers and children of one Father, to whom final loyalty is due.” Then, without mincing my words, Methodism is determined to preach a lie; for, when the apostate sons of Judah said: “We have one Father, even God,” Jesus protested: “ If God were your Father, ye would love me . . . Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do” (John 8:41,44). Now be yond all controversy, “all men” do not love the Lord Jesus Christ; and, God is the Father only of those who love Christ. According to our Lord, the fatherhood of the devil is just as much a fact as the fatherhood of God. The contention of Christ in the 8th chapter of John is that those who deny the deity of Jesus Christ, are fathered by the devil. Modernists should not deny their paternity! From Dr. Oxnam’s address, again we quote: “ The supreme objective of the Church . . . is to make Christ regnant in the activities of man and o f society.” But, in the first council ever assembled in the' Christian Church (in Jerusalem, A.D. 46), the apostles declared that the supreme objective of the Church is to “ visit the Gentiles and take out of them a people for his name”—the salvation of in dividuals and not the socialization of the world. (See Acts 15). At the close of Dr. Oxnam’s mes sage, we read: “ The bishops con cluded: ‘Fifty-two years from now, when man has reached the year 2000 and has won, let us pray, the justice, the brotherhood and peace of his dreams, let us hope that the contribu tion of the people called Methodists may have been so significant that his- Page Eight
tory may proudly record, “A Man Named Wesley Passed This Way” ! But what must we think? If “ A Man Called Wesley Passed This Way,” —the way of The General Conference of The Methodist Church in 1948 —it is evident that while he may have “passed” he did not stop in! I fer vently wish that he had! Now, for absolutely unprejudiced testimony concerning John Wesley, it will be admitted, I think, that The Encyclopedia Brittanica can be trust ed as much as any other. It declares that Wesley was “ zealous for the re ligion of the Bible” and “ of the Prim itive Church.” It states that Wesley was grieved over his earlier ministry, saying: “ I preached much, but saw no fruit of my labor . . . And no wonder, for I did not preach faith in the blood of the covenant.” “Faith in the blood” ! What will these mod ernists say to that? The Brittanica further affirms that the red-letter day in Wesley’s life was May 24, 1738, when he attended a meeting where Luther’s Preface to the Epistle to the Romans was being read. Wesley said: “ I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me He had taken away my sins, even mine,' and saved me from the law of sin and death.” The so-called “ social gos pel,” so dear to the hearts of modern istic leaders today, doesn’t seem to have received much attention in the teaching of John Wesley. His itiner ant for preaching an individual salva tion to sinners, he said, “must not be altered till I am removed, and I hope it will remain till our Lord comes to reign on earth” ! (New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, Vol. XII, Page 308). “ Till our Lord comes to reign on earth” ! That phrase alone, uttered by John Wesley, had he stopped in on that assembly of Methodist bishops in 1948, would have created a perfect spasm! Ask Oxnam! How far, 0 how far, the great Methodist Church of 1948 has de parted from the Methodist Church of 1738! As Samuel came back to King Saul, how we wish that John Wesley could come back to these great relig ious councils today, very muchly Meth odist controlled. I would travel a long way to peek in on the scene! Either Bishop Oxnam is not honest, or he knows as little’ about what John Wes ley taught as he knows about what the Word of God teaches! Really, do these modernistic princes realize how utterly apostate John Wesley would consider them did he “pass this way?” When once this “ Holy Catholic Church” which these modernists en-
Instead the artist painted a picture of a stately building with expensive art-glass windows, a considerable ex panse of richly carved wood, a high pulpit, and comfortable pews. In the foyer, on a conspicuous corner of the wall, a box was fitted. Across the front of the box were the words, “ For Missions.” Over the little opening de signed to receive the contributions was a cobweb. There is a profound truth under neath the artistic satire. A church may be meeting in a glorious Gothic cathedral, and yet be in the throes of death. The actual life o f a church cannot be measured by the building in which the people meet. The marks of decay are upon a church which car ries upon its soul no burden because of the world’s need. —The Arkansas Baptist. vision, becomes a reality, then the great apostasy will have reached its fullness. It will be the final Babel— the great religious octopus upon which the wrath of God will be poured forth. Even now the ear of faith can hear “ a -mighty voice” crying from the highest heaven: “ Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, and is become the habitation of demons, and a hold of every unclean spirit, and a hold of every unclean and hateful bird . . . Come forth, my people, out of her, that ye have no fellowship with her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues: for her sins have reached even unto heaven, and God hath re membered her iniquities” (Rev. 18:- 2-5,R.V.). T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
the very words were God-breathed. That is inspiration. “ All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruc tion in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16). “ The prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Pet. 1:21). “ When shall these things be?” How can it be that a retired minister, who claims to have studied the Bible fo r fifty years, says that, as he sees it, not enough prophecy has been fulfilled fo r the Lord to come during our lifetime? Possibly your friend has in mind the rc relation of Christ before the world as King of kings and Lord of lords. If so, he is correct. Certain things must take place before that event, such as the translation of the Church, the reve lation o f the man of sin and his brief reign on the earth, the great Tribula tion, and the Battle of Armageddon. There are no prophecies, however, to be fulfilled before the translation of the church as described in First Thessalon- ians 4:13-18. Signs do not have refer ence to the church, but to Israel only. We are not looking for “ signs.” We are listening for a sound. (See 1 Cor. 15-52; 1 Thess. 4:16.) The coming of the Lord for the Church is always imminent. Hence the oft-repeated exhortation to be ready for His coming. What is your understanding of Reve lation 16:13, H ? “ And I saw three un clean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils [demons], work ing miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” What are these spirits like frogs, and are they in the world today? They are evidently evil systems of teaching, because they emanate from the MOUTH of the dragon, and of the beast, and of the false prophet. They will go forth, permeate the masses, and bring about a world-crisis, ending in Arma geddon. We are not to set “ times and seasons” for the Lord’s return; but we are to discern “ the signs of the times.” And the systems might prove to be Communism, Nazism, and Rationalism. All are godless! To say that these “ unclean spirits” are in the world today, would be to set dates, approximately; and we must guard against that which is expressly forbidden by Christ in Acts 1:7. A t the same time, Satan’s tactics do not change much; and his purpose has ever been to seek to bring to naught God’s great plan of redemption. His is ever an attack upon Christ and upon God’s people. So that in a real sense, his systems of teaching have been in the world, in one form or another, ever since the fall o f man. Page Nine
Dr. L. T. Talbot
ing rewards for service, not salvation. He uses the illustration of the Olympian games to show the meaning of running the Christian race. Only freeborn citi zens could contend in these games; and only born-again children o f God can run the race as Christians. Salvation is not the goal; it is the starting place. The judgment seat of Christ is the goal. Now the word castaway in the Greek means disapproved. The prize went to the victor in the Olympian games; and the crown awaits the Christian who is not disapproved, in so far as his service is concerned, at the judgment seat of Christ. Salvation is not a reward; it is a free gift. And Paul was not writing about salvation in this passage, as the context clearly shows. Yes. All orthodox, fundamental Bible lovers believe in the verbal inspiration of the original manuscripts, in the He brew and Greek languages. Moreover, we believe that God has guided the translators of our English Bible, as well as those of other tongues, seeing to it that we have the exact sense of the Word o f God, simply put into language that we can understand. The greatest scholars o f all time have spent literally years of their lives, comparing the dif ferent sources — manuscripts, versions, quotations from the church fathers, dis coveries o f archeology—they have spared neither time nor money nor effort to give to the world the exact meaning, even to the slightest shade of difference in the use of a word or phrase. The story o f how our American Standard Version was translated, together with the English Version, reads like a chap ter from fiction; it is so interesting. And the longest telegram ever sent over the wire was the whole New Testament in this version, transmitted from New York City to Chicago by 99 telegraph operators. Why? Just in order that Chicago might sell it on her streets promptly, as did New York and London! What is that but a testimony to the divine origin of this Book o f books? By verbal inspiration we mean that the Holy Spirit so controlled the pen and thought of the human author that Do you believe in the verbal inspira tion of the Bible?
Is there such a thing as dying before one’s time? Did not Paul refer to this in one of his letters? My sister died recently leaving three little children, all under ten years of age. Can you help me? My faith is impaired. You evidently have in mind what Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians, but it does not necessarily apply to your sis ter’s case. Corinth was a very wicked, corrupt city; and some of the early Christians, not long out of heathenism, were not giving a good testimony ,before the world. For example, some were abusing the sacred ordinance of the Lord’s Supper, evidently making it a time of eating and drinking unworthily. (See 1 Cor. 11:27-34). Therefore, Paul wrote to them saying: “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep [that is, die]. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned of the world. Where fore, my brethren, when ye come to gether to eat, tarry one for another. And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation.” However, Paul did not say that those who had died because o f this practice were lost. Their souls were saved if they believed on the name of the Lord Jesus; but when they did not give a good testi mony to Him, God took them home to Heaven, out of the way, as it were, lest they be “ condemned with the world.” They will suffer loss at the judgment seat of Christ, when rewards are given to Christians for service rendered for Christ. But this is not a question o f sal vation; that is determined once for all by one’s faith in the crucified and risen Lord Jesus. Yet these verses teach us a solemn lesson on faithfully witnessing to Christ. As for your sister’s case, this may not apply at all. Often we cannot under stand the providences of God; and this is one of the things we have to leave to Him. Please tell me who is a castaway, as mentioned by Paul? To find the answer to your question let us read the entire passage in First Corinthians, chapter 9. Paul is discuss- JULY, 1950
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J^ e u u e n s $ r o u n c l ^ Jh e C o reaue ^ ^ r r o u n c i _ /n c o r n e r
G O D STILL PERFORMS M IRACLES IN THE HEARTS OF SINFUL MEN
R YOUNG man, very much under the influence of liquor, staggered up to the stranger on the street, and asked, drunkenly, “Where’s the nearest bar?” “ I don’t know,” was the reply, “ But you’ll find Heaven right around that corner.” “ That corner”— often called “ the toughest spot on the Pacific Coast”—is Fifth and Los An geles Streets, and while the Los An geles Mission, a hundred feet from that infamous corner, is not Heaven, nevertheless it has been directing lost men to that blessed place for the last fourteen years. It is estimated that in that time it has brought hope and help to a million and a half sin-sick souls. The Los Angeles Mission was founded in 1936 by Rev. Ira L. Eldridge, who was saved in the Mel Trotter Mission of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Having been associated with various missions, Mr. Eldridge, as superintendent, with the aid of his two capable assistants, Mr. Lester Gilpin and Mr. Carlisle Tangen, has incorporated into the work many workable techniques which he has seen operate successfully elsewhere, as well as new ideas of his own. First housed at 114 N. Los An geles Street, which location has been purchased as the site of the new 12- million dollar police headquarters, the Los Angeles Mission now resides in a new $90,000 three-story brick build ing with full basement at 443 S. Los Angeles Street. The main floor is composed of a meeting hall and audi torium, with a seating capacity of nearly 500; the second floor comprises a modern kitchen, dining room with accommodations for 278, offices for the executives and a combination prayer, recreation and sewing room; the third floor contains clean, well-arranged
dormitories and shower rooms. At present there are beds to take care of seventy-two men. The purpose of the Los Angeles Mission is, first, to win lost men to the Lord Jesus Christ, and then to restore them to society as decent, self-respecting Christians with a tes timony to the transforming power of God, and a life consistent with that witness. The Mission operates on the Scriptural principle that the new birth through personal acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ is necessary before any permanent reformation o f the outward life can take place. To fur ther this end, gospel services are con ducted every noon from 12 to 12:30, and every evening at 9:00 o’clock. The unwritten law of the Mission, “ If they eat our food and sleep in our beds, they must listen to our Gospel,” is strictly adhered to. So after the men have attended a gospel service at noontime, they are served a hot, appetizing meal. At night, they are required to check in at 7 p.m., after which no one may leave the building. They listen to a message from the Word of God again at 9 p.m., and that service is also followed by a nourishing meal. In the winter, the “ harvest time” for missions, the attendance at these services averages 400. But evangelistic meetings, free sleeping accommodations, and two daily meals are only a fraction of the services rendered to these men with lost souls and broken lives. Showers, shaves, haircuts and clean clothes are freely furnished, and play a large part in their rehabilitation. Seeking jobs for the converts, placing them in con tact with their families, and counsel ing and praying with them day and
night keep the Mission workers “ ever lastingly at it.” Some people have the mistaken no tion that the only men who find their way to a rescue mission are illiterate, irresponsible “ bums” and “ ex-cons” who have never been any good to themselves or to anyone else. Nothing could be farther from the truth. While it is true that some of this class at tend the services and make use of the facilities of the Mission, the greater number have held responsible places in society, have been employed in re munerative positions, and have had the advantages of education and afflu ence. In many instances, their visit to the Los Angeles Mission is their very first contact with an institution of that nature. Never would they have found their way to such a place had they not come to the “ end of the rope,” in despair, often on the verge of suicide, without funds or jobs or friends. Often the Mission staff is asked what brings respectable men to such depths of degradation. Much probing o f human hearts by these “ surgeons of souls” has revealed that in a large percentage of cases some great per sonal tragedy in the life, such as in fidelity on the part of a mate, betray al by friends, the loss of a job, death of a loved one, or some overpowering temptation has started a man on the road to ruin. He may turn to drink or dope or lust for escape, but the result is always the same; he goes from bad to worse until he finally “ hits bottom” and is a real “ down- and-outer,” sunk in the pit of his own digging. Sometimes on this downward path, he may have landed in prison, and when released, found the world a cold and friendless place. Fortunate indeed are these hopeless souls if
Supt. Mr. I. L. Eldridge
Asst. Supt. Mr. C. Tangen
Asst. Supt. Mr. L. G. Gilpin
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