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
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