King's Business - 1921-08

756 THE K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S (Jer. 17:5.) If Christ is merely “ the flower of humanity,” to refer to Him as “ our Lord” is blasphemy and ta hope for any kind of salvation from Him is utterly vain. K. L. B. THE FUNNIEST ONE YOU HAVE HEARD YET A b right lad had im parted to th e m inister th e inform ation th a t his daddy had a. new set of teeth. “ Indeed,” said th e m inister, “ and w hat is he going to do w ith his old ones?” W ith a sigh, th e youngster replied, “Oh, I ’spose they’ll cut ’em down and make me wear ’em .” . Some of our liberal minded friends are beginning to wake up to th e fact th a t th ere are many in th e church who cling to the old Book. Our nation was bu ilt on th a t Book, and to throw it on th e jjink pile is a little too much for some. So the modernists are trying now to cut the thing over to fit th e new ideas,. Some have tried to cut the objectionable features out of th e Book, b u t failing in this, they are now giving us improved in terp retation s on th e portions which have heretofore failed to be of service to the modern propaganda. An amusing sample of th is comes out in “The B aptist,” organ of th a t denomi­ nation, made up in Chicago. It is an attem p t to cut over th e parable of the ten virgins so it can be worn by those who reject the teaching of the Second Coming of Christ. Prof. John E arl tells us th a t the foolish virgins were those who reasoned th a t th e Bridegroom would come quickly, hence th ere was no necessity for making careful preparation. It was enough for them to pu t oil in th e ir lamps; they couldn’t be burdened w ith an extra supply.- Probably they rebuked the wise vir­ gins, charging th a t they rejected th e prom ise of the B ridegroom ’s coming. This speaks of those in our day, says th e professor, who are neglecting th e hard work of producing a Christlike social order, while waiting for some speedy windup of affairs by Christ’s sudden coming. This element of risk, he says, may heighten th e th rill of religious experience, b u t those who th u s look to the Lord’s coming, are those whose lamps have gone out and who will be shu t out when He comes. Can you beat it? P arable of the ten virgins— the parable of the Lord’s re­ jection of the prem illennialists! They are the loafers in the church! They won’t fall in w ith th e idea of reform ing society; therefo re they have no oil in th eir vessels and will be sent to hell! Wonderful in terp retation this, if th e read er will only swallow it w ith his Bible shut. The idea of having the prem illennialists fast asleep while th e modernists are out reform ing the social order, would be fine if th e fifth verse did not say th a t “ they ALL slumbered and slept” un til the announcement was suddenly made th a t the Lord had come. The sp iritu al drowsiness is pictured as being general in Christendom. The higher critics (if such be th e wise virgins) are not excepted here- F u rth erm o re the idea of the foolish virgins sleeping because they thought the Bridegroom was soon coming and th ere was no need of doing anything, doesn’t seem to hitch w ith th e though t th a t they slept because “ the Bridegroom ta rrie d .” The identity of th e foolish virgins is not left in th e dark, for th e tw elfth verse declares th a t they were those who were unknown to the Lord. The pro­ fessor wants th e world to know th a t prem illennialists do not know th e Lord,

Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs