No. 11
NOVEMBER, 1914
VOL. V.
F I F T Y C E N T S A Y E A R
MOTTO : “ I the Lord do keep it, I will water it every moment lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day.’’—Isa. 27:3. R. A. TORREY, EDITOR J. H. S ammis T. Ç. H orton J . H. H unter —ASSOCIATE EDITORS— Organ of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Inc. Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. Entered as Second-Class Matter November 17, 1910, at the postoffice at Los Angeles, California, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
DIRECTORS
Lyman Stewart, President. William Thorn, Secretary. T. C. Horton, Superintendent. E. A. K. Hackett.
Rev. A. B. Prichard, Yiee-President. J. M. Irvine, Treasurer.
R. A. Torrey, Dean. Giles Kellogg. H. A. Getz.'
S. I. Merrill.
DOCTRINAL STATEMENT We hold to the Historic Faith of the Church as expressed in the Common Creed of Evangelical Christendom and including: The Trinity of the Godhead. The Deity of the Christ.
The Maintenance of Good Works. The Second Coming of Christ. The Immortality of the Spirit. The Resurrection of the Body. The Life Everlasting of Believers. The Endless Punishment of the Im penitent. The Reality and Personality of Satan (7) Bible Women. House-to-house visitation and neighborhood classes. A mission to men on (8) Oil Fields, the oil fields. (9) Books and Tracts. Sale and dis tribution of selected books and tracts. (10) Harbor Work. For seamen in Los Angeles harbor. (11) Yoke Fellows Hall. Thoroughly manned. Our Mission for men with Boot Black and Newsboys Class and Street Meetings. (12) Print Shop. For printing Testa ments, books, tracts, etc, . A complete establishment, profits going to free dis tribution of tracts.
The Personality of the Holy Ghost. The Supernatural and Plenary au thority of the Holy Scriptures. The Unity in Diversity of the Church, which is the Body and Bride of Christ. The Substitutionary Atonement. The Necessity of the New Birth. P u rp o s e ^he Institute trains, free of cost, accredited men and women, in the knowledge and use of the Bible. Departments: W The institute Classes held daily except Saturdays and Sundays. (2) Extension work. Classes and con ferences held in neighboring cities and towns. (3) Evangelistic. Meetings conducted by our evangelists. (4) Spanish Mission. Meetings every night. (5) Shop Work. Regular services in shops and factories. (6) Jewish Evangelism. Personal work among the Hebrews.
OUR WORK
THE KING'S BUSINESS Voi. 5 NOVEMBER, 1914 No. 11 Table of Contents Editorials: Is the Present War a Misfortune or a Crime?—A World-Wide Revival Has Come: Is It God’s or the Devil’s A Time To Trust God and Rest In Him—Has Christianity Failed, or Has Civilization Failed, or Has Man Failed?—Our President’s Call to Prayer... ___A.....'.......:.....__..................1.......___ .... 593 Hail to the Lord’s Anointed; (poem). By James Montgomery.____ _ 598 The Fundamental Principles of Christianity In the Light of Modern Thinking. By John M. MacInnisLA..,--... ‘ ■ 599 To Give Is to Live (poem). Selection...:..............SI:^^^g:.....,._..... „.„„„.’.Mi <602 Studies In the Gospel According to John. By R. A. Torrey. ............. 603 International Sunday School Lessons. By J. H. S.i'LLL.---........608 The Heart of the Lesson. By T. C. HortonA.L:...„... » ^ . ^618 Junior.Endeavor Topics. By J. H. S.p ’• 621 At Home and ’’ 624 Hints and Helps____________ _____ ...... _„.....:..:....„.fc............;_._.„__628 Questions and Answers. By R. A. Torrey. . .A, ^S/ }; ^^^' ’ -'>«2 I See the Crowd In Pilate’s Hall (poem). By Horatius Bonar__:.__. 633 Bible Institute o f Los Angeles____ __........................................... .......... 634 Book Reviews ... ........ 639
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The K ing’s Business
Voi. 5
NOVEMBER, 1914
No. 11
Is the Present War a Misfortune or a Crime? W E constantly read of the war as if it were merely a calamity that had over taken the nations without their fault, and of which they were simply the unfortunate victims. Undoubtedly, the war has overtaken many as a cal amity for which they are not to blame, but the war itself is a crime for which man must be held responsible. It may be impossible at the present moment for us to fix the responsibility for the present war, but God knows at what man’s door it lies, and it lies at the door of not only one but many. It is one of the most infamous crimes in the whole world’s history. No murder of an indi vidual, no matter how monstrous, is so enormous in the sight of God and of all intelligent men as this appalling crime that is now devastatirig many lands. The names of the persons who are responsible for this war ought to go down to posterity despised and loathed and regarded with horror. A World-Wide Revival Has Come: Is it God’s or the Devil’s? F OR some years a large number of devout people in different lands have been praying for a World-Wide Revival. In a sense there has been a world-wide revival, there have been manifestations of God’s quickening power in many different parts of the earth, and some marvelous ingatherings in many lands; but many of God’s people who have been living closest to Him have not been satisfied and have been looking for something deeper, more sweeping and general. At last a revival has come that is indeed world-wide, a revival of the war spirit and of war itself in forms that many dreamed were no longer possible. But whose revival is this ? Who is the animating spirit ? Beyond a question, the Devil. The present war is diabolical in its origin, in its spirit, in its methods and in its results. And it is world-wide. It is an appalling demonstration that all of man’s optimistic dreams that there was no personal Devil, or that the Devil was now chained and we were in the midst of the Millennium, had no basis in fact. There is a Devil, and he is just that mighty, cunning, subtle person that the Bible represents him to be. Whatever emperor, king or nation may-be immediately responsible for the present war, back of him stands the Devil, and through him works the Devil. He is simply the blinded dupe o f Satanic cunning and malignity. This does not in any sense lessen his responsibility and his guilt, but it does show how softly all kings and emperors and nations and individuals need to walk. There is reason, however, to hope that inthis case, as in countless other cases in the past history of the human race, God “will make the wrath of men to praise Him,” and even the wrath o f Satan to praise Him, and that as the result of this Devil’s revival, a true revival of God’s quickening grace and power manifested among men may soon appear. In this day o f the utter collapse of man and his culture and civilization, man may once more turn to God.
THE KING’S BUSINESS A Time to Trust God and Rest in Him
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T HERE has been no time within the experience o f most of us when calamity, distress, apprehension, agony and fear were so widespread and common as to-day. Everything is unsettled; no one knows what is coming next. Though most of the readers of THE KING’S BUSINESS are outside of the war zone, we are all affected by the war, and most of us have friends and loved ones who are within the war zone. But, if we really believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Word of God, it is our privilege to possess our souls in perfect peace. We cannot trust man but we can trust God. During the past weeks, there has been to us a new sweetness in passages of Scripture that have been'precious to us for years—the opening verses of the 46th Psalm have had a deeper meaning and significance than ever before: “ God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.” And with our hearts singing a song of trust, we go on toward the later verses of the Psalm, “ The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. The LORD of Hosts is with us; the God o f Jacob is our refuge.” Trium phantly we go on still further, “ He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth: he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.” And our Lord’s own words to His fear- stricken disciples have new preciousness, “ Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many man sions : if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” Over and over again as letters have poured in upon us from friends in places of peril in China, in Africa and elsewhere, and as letters have come to us from people filled with apprehension and fear, bur Lord’s own words of comfort and encouragement to His disciples in view of the distress that was coming upon nations have come to us with new force, “ And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress o f nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring, men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemp tion draweth nigh.” Let us note carefully the fact that it is when these things “ begin” to come to pass that we may lift up our heads. We do not have to wait until they have all come to pass. These are days for rest of heart, for abounding hope, but they are days also when we should improve every moment of the days of opportunity that are so swiftly sweeping by, never to return.
THE KING’S BUSINESS 595 Has Christianity Failed, or Has Civilization Failed, or Has Man Failed? O UR best and most thoughtful periodicals are teeming with editorials upon the collapse of Christianity, or the collapse of civilization. The fact that so many supposedly Christian nations are now at war is taken by many as a proof that Christianity has failed. The most extreme and at the same time most illogical and silly editorial of this kind that we have seen reads: “ WHAT HAS CHRISTIANITY DONE?” “ Is there any wonder that the non-Christian denominations question Christianity when the so-called Christian nations are at war in Europe and every nation praying to the same God that their nation be allowed to win ? And we have been taught to believe that the world was becoming better through Christianity. Education and Commerce have made the world a better place to live in, but we fear that religion has aided but little. The Christian nations are warring today just the same as in Biblical times; hence what has Christianity done ?” One does not need to stop to point out the amusing lack o f logic in this argument. Any one can see for himself that if the fact that nations have gone to war proves that Christianity has failed, it would prove just as much that “ Education” and “ Commerce” had failed. Furthermore, no fairly intelli gent person would need to have it suggested to him that Education and Com merce in their best forms are themselves an outcome of Christianity, and that if Education and Commerce have done anything to make the world a better place to live in, it is because of what Christianity has done for Educa tion and Commerce. Neither do we need to stop to call attention to the fact that all that is best in the social life, the commercial life, the poltical life, the domestic life and the individual lives of the nations now at war is directly due to Christianity. The point we wish to call attention to is that Chris tianity has not failed, and Education and Commerce have not failed, it is man that has failed. Christianity would have kept the nations from war if the nations had accepted Christ, but they have not. We speak about the nations at war as “ Christian nations.” Not one of them is a Christian nation. A Christian nation is a nation, which, as a nation, has accepted Christ as its Saviour and as its Ford in its Commerce, in its Politics, in its International Relations, and in all the departments of its life. Such a nation does not exist on earth, and never has existed, and never will exist until our Lord comes again. The overwhelming majority of men in every nation on earth to-day have rejected Christ. They acknowledge Him only when they want some help from Him. As Lord and Master they have never acknowledged Him and never will until He comes again. The overwhelming majority of men in any great city of England, America or Germany or France do not even go to the House of God once a week. The Devil is the ruling spirit of the commerce and politics and education of every nation on earth to-day. Furthermore, it was not the purpose of Christianity, as every one knows who understands his Bible, to save nations as nations during the present dis pensation. The purpose of Christ in this present dispensation, as clearly re vealed in the Word, is, to gather out of the nations a people for His name. The people thus gathered out, the Church, are “ a little flock.” It is true that they do affect in a very marked degree commerce, education, politics and social life, but they still are in the minority, and our Lord knew that they
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THE KING’S BUSINESS would be and revealed that they would be to the end of the present dispensa tion. W h a t h a s failed a n d failed utterly is m a n . That man would fail in the present dispensation, every one who knew his Bible understood from the beginning. It was what Christ and the prophets predicted. Man has failed in every dispensation. Some day he will awaken to the completeness of his failure, but during the past generation he has been puffed up with pride as never before in all his history. The present war simply manifests what every student of man and of the Bible has known from the beginning, that man for all our much vaunted twentieth century civilization is simply a veneered savage. And what this old world needs is not civilizing but re generating, and what the individual needs is not culture and civilization but regeneration. What Germany’s unparalleled culture and science has enabled it to do is, to prosecute war in the most diabolical and damnable way it has ever been prosecuted in all the world’s history. Let us never forget that civilization is not Christianity, even though civilization has- been affected by Christianity, and that churchism is not Christianity. The life of Christ lived over again in us by the power o f the Holy Spirit dwelling in us is Chris tianity. Man has failed and history again proves the Bible to be true, the inerrant and far-seeing Word of God. Our President’s Call to Prayer W E reproduce here President Wilson’s C a l l to P rayer : “ Whereas, it is the especial wish and longing of the people of the United States, in prayer and counsel and all friendliness, to serve the cause of peace: “ Therefore, I, Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States ot America, do. designate Sunday, the fourth day of October next, a day oi prayer and supplication, and do request all God-fearing persons to repair on that day to their places of worship, there to unite their petitions to Almighty God, that overruling the counsel of men, setting straight the things they can not govern or alter, taking pity on the nations now in the throes of con flict, in His mercy and goodness showing a way where men can see none, He vouchsafe His children healing peace again and restore once more that concord among men and nations without which there can be neither happiness nor true friendship nor any wholesome fruit of toil or thought in the world; praying also to this end that He forgive us our sins, our ignorance of His Holy will, our wilfulness and many errors, and lead us in the paths of obedi ence to places of vision and to thoughts and counsels that purge and make wise.” With this Call to Prayer we are in the heartiest sympathy; first, as an expression of the sympathy of this nation with the nations now at war; sec ond, as an expression of the President’s sense, and what should be the sense o f the nation, of its dependence upon God in prayer. But if prayer is to be answered, there must be something accompanying prayer. First of all, there must be humiliation o f self and confession of sin and repentance. We have seen little sign of this. The nations that are at war are all boasting, it is always the other side that is to blame: Germany boasts- that it has gone to war for the defense of civilization and culture; Eng-
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THE KING’S BUSINESS 597 land boasts that it has gone to war to maintain its honor in the defense of its pledged word. To both sides, the other side is entirely devilish, and its own side entirely honorable. All the nations at war, and this nation too , . must humble themselves under the mighty hand of God and we must con fess oUr own sins rather than the sins of others before we may expect deliv erance. We must search our own hearts and conduct carefully, to see if there is not at least some wrong on our side. One of the best of the English religious periodicals in its issue of September 16th says, "During the last month two great nations have been on their trial, England and Germany. The one has emerged triumphantly, calmly, spiritually; the other has emerged aggressively, boastingly, callously.” This lacks the note of humility that must accompany prevailing prayer. As far as we can judge, the sympathies of the great majority of people in this country are on the side of. England, and few can see how England could very well have kept from going to war; but to speak of the nation as a whole emerging “ triumphantly, calmly, spiritually,’' and the other whole nation emerging “ aggressively, boastingly, callously,” smacks of the Pharisaism that makes it impossible for God to answer prayer. England as a nation has not emerged “ spiritually.” England as a nation has departed from God (this same periodical points this fact out in numer ous places elsewhere) and if peace is to be granted, or victory is to be granted, there needs to be first o f all a return of the nation to God. However just their cause may be, the nation as a nation has not returned to God. Though America has thus far kept out of the war, the nation as a nation has departed from God, and instead of glorying over the other nations now suffering all the horrors of war we ought rather to repent lest we “ all likewise perish.” In the second place, if a Day of Prayer is to accomplish the desired results, it must be observed, and observed as a Day o f Prayer. As far as we can judge from personal observation and the perusal of daily papers, the 4th of October was not observed as a Day of Prayer. Mention was made of the President’s Call to Prayer in many pulpits, probably in most pulpits, and many ministers preached sermons—at least at one of the services—on subjects connected with the war, but we do not know of a single church in which the day was observed as a Day of Prayer. In not a few churches, the day was seized upon as a means of advertising the individual church and minister and as a means of getting people out to church who were not in the habit of going and then making such use of them as was possible for the advan tage of the local church. It was not in any sense a real Day of Prayer. There was an almost infinitesimal amount of prayer.' Some seized upon the day as an opportunity for raising money for the Red Cross Society and other commendable objects. The raising of money for these objects is all right in its place, but this was supposed to be a Day of Prayer, a day in which we should express our sense of dependence upon God, our utter helplessness in which we should confess our sins and seek God’s foregiveness and cry to Him for His deliverance, a day in which we should humble ourselves before Him. To turn it in any other direction, no matter how good, was in the highest degree unfortunate. Some years ago, the State of Minnesota was in great distress. Grasshopper plague after grasshopper plague had destroyed the crops; ruin and starvation were staring the people in the face. There were unmistakable signs that that year was to have the most awful grasshopper plague yet experienced. Governor John S. Pillsbury sent out a Call to Prayer
598 THE KING’S BUSINESS that God would avert the threatened plague; infidels mocked, papers in other states, even as far away as Cincinnati, ridiculed, but the people were in ex tremity. All over the threatened regions they1 met for. prayer, business stopped, and people gave themselves to prayer, and God heard. The day following the Day of Prayer, there was a most remarkable change in the weather never known before nor since, frost and snow in late April came and destroyed the hatching grasshoppers. Other things occurred, and what grass hoppers escaped death left the State never to return. There was a most abundant harvest. The infidel society that had published protests against the Day of Prayer and that had ridiculed it were absolutely silenced; they did not even attempt to say anything. God had answered prayer. But it was really a Day of Prayer. That was what was needed at this present time, but we have fallen on days when people are willing to do anything rather than pray and meet the conditions of prevailing prayer. When will this nation, and when will the Church, and when will the ministers return to God and really pray? Hail to the Lord’s Anointed By JAMES MONTGOMERY H A IL to the Lord’s anointed, Great David’s greater Son! — Hai), in the time appointed, His reign on earth begun! He comes to break oppression, To set the captive free, To take away transgression, And reign in equity. Kings shall fall down before Him, And gold and incense bring; All nations shall adore Him, His praise all peoples sing; For He shall have dominion O’er river, sea and shore, Far as the eagle’s pinion Or dove’s light wing can soar.
For Him shall prayer unceasing And daily vows ascend, His kingdom still increasing, A kingdom without end; The mountain dews shall nourish The seed in weakness sown, Whose fruit shall spread and flourish. And shake like Lebanon.
He comes with succor speedy To those who suffer wrong, To help the poor and needy, And bid the weak be strong; T o give them songs for sighing, Their darkness turn to light, Whose souls condemned and dying, Were precious in His sight. By such shall He be feared While sun and moon endure— Beloved, obeyed, revered; For He shall judge the poor, Through changing generations, With justice, mercy,’ truth, While stars maintain their stations Or moons renew their youth.
O’er every foe victorious He on His throne shall rest, From age to age most glorious, All-blessing and all-blest;.': The tide of time shall never His covenant remove; His name shall stand forever; That name to us is love.
The Fundamental Principles of Christianity in the Light of Modem Thinking * By JOHN M. MACINNIS, B. D. IX. THE CONFLICT AND THE CONSUMMATION
T HERE was a time, and it is not so very long ago, when it was not considered a sign of scholarship or of goorl taste to talk very much about the last things. This is all changed to-day, and the man who can intelligently talk about “ The Christ of Eschatology” is considered fully abreast of the times in his thinking. This change is quite encouraging be cause it is of fundamental importance that the Church should give closer attention to this subject than has ever been given to it up to this time. This, for at least two reasons. First, it is absolutely essential to intelligent constructive work that we should clearly understand what is the im mediate purpose and ultimate goal of the work and mission of the Church. We can not have this apart from a careful study of the teachings o f the New Testament regarding the last things. In the second place, it is un questionably true that the Kingdom held a central place in the teachings of Christ, and therefore His message cannot be understood only as we can come to intelligently appreciate His hope for the immediate and far fu ture. These two reasons alone are sufficient to demand for the subject our closest attention. On the very threshold of our study let us recognize that when we come to study the last things in the very nature of the case we are largely de- 1 An address by Rev. John Maclnnis, B.D., at the Montrose Bible Conference. This- ad dress was delivered before the outbreak ot the war, and is all the m ore significant from that fact. Copyright by John M. Maclnnis, 1913.
pendent on revelation. In that case Jesus becomes our Supreme witness. What He had to say concerning the course of events in the near future and concerning the ultimate goal is of superlative importance. The new Eschatological School of thought has given considerable atten tion to this subject in recent years and they have forced the Church to reconsider the whole subject. These men tell us frankly that Jesus and His disciples taught a second return of the Lord in majesty, power and triumph in which the great program of redemption was to be consummated. They contend that they taught that this return was to take place in their own generation. If they taught that, of course they were mistaken, be cause as a matter of fact Jesus did not return in that generation, and in the sense that they expected Him. He has not returned yet. These men do not hesitate to say that Jesus and the disciples were mistaken. They expected the speedy return and were disappointed. There are two good reasons why we cannot entertain this thought. In the first place, it is untrue to the per son of Christ. If we admit that Jesus was mistaken in the immediate issue o f His own work and mission, what can we trust Him in? How can we be sure that He was right on any of the great questions with which He deals? No question is more spiritual and important than the question of the immediate issue of the work of redemption. These men try to evade
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creates our problem in this particular phase of Eschatology. The use of the terms “ at hand” and “ come upon you” has led scholars to contend that Jesus actually expected the immediate consummation of the Kingdom. But this is surely a hasty conclusion which loses sight of the relations in which Christ came to the world. We must not forget that Jesus came to the world as the Jew ish Messiah and in line with Hebrew prophecy and Jewish hopes* He. very definitely offered Himself to the He brews as such. In so doing He spoke of the Kingdom as at hand and ready to be set up if they would only ac cept Him as their Messiah and the hope of Israel. In casting out devils and in other ways He demonstrated that the power of God was upon Him and in that sense the Kingdom was actually come upon them. Its powers and realities were present in the work that Jesus was actually accomplishing. The Jews, however, deliberately and persistently rejected the Kingdom as represented in the King, so that while it was “at hand” and literally “ come upon them,” 'it could not be consummated because of their refusal to receive Jesus. The teachings of the New Testament throughout con firm the conclusion that there was a very vital relationship between Christ and the Jewish nation which funda mentally affected the carrying out of His program. Therefore, to this na tion the Kingdom was at hand and the King present ready to be received as their Saviour, but they rejected Him, and thcti made a fundamental difference. Another of the terms which has caused considerable misunderstanding is “ the Kingdom of God •is within you.” A careful study of this pas sage (Luke 17:20-21) will show you
this serious conclusion by saying that as the man Christ Jesus He was a child of His time and was therefore influenced by the conception held by the men of His time. But as a mat ter of fact He was not a child of His.time. On the contrary He was crucified because He would not accept the interpretation of life and truth held by the teachers of His day. It is simply futile to try to prove that the teachings of Jesus were deter mined by the thought of His day. He certainly used many of the forms o f speech and thought familiar to the men of His day, but His interpreta tions were original and unique and in the very truth of the current philoso phy and theology. In the second place, the idea that Jesus was mistaken in this matter is not true to the facts as they now stand. While there are very serious difficulties connected with the subject which ought to be most frankly faced, we contend that a comprehensive grasp of the details will show that there are no contradictions or incon sistencies. It is very difficult to get such a grasp of the subject in an ad dress like this. However, I shall try to give a broad outline that will sug gest the line along which the solution of the problem is to be found. The first thing that is necessary is to get it clear in our minds that Christ’s great mission was to save men and to set up the Kingdom of God in the world. The Kingdom of God means at the very least the rule of God in life. The Lord’s prayer is “ Thy Kingdom come: Thy will be done.” That certainly means the rule o f God in life. Jesus spoke of this Kingdom in several different ways. He spoke of it as “ at hand,” “ come upon you,” “ in the midst of you,” and as “ coming.” It is the use that Jesus made o f these expressions that
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the gospel, but is the very flesh of the New Testament message. Jesus taught that there was to be a time o f gradual development during this age. There was to be a time when the wheat and the tares would grow, a time when the leaven would grad ually leaven the whole lump. This process, however, is very different from what men have in mind when they speak of modem evolution. It is not a process in which all the evil is gradually won over to the good until at last the earth is covered with righteousness as the waters cover the channels of the deep. On the con trary it is a development in which the wheat develops according to its principle and reaches a consummation in keeping with its nature, while the tares develop according to their na ture and also consummate their life principle. That means a twofold development —a development of evil and a devel opment of good. In speaking of this Prof. Von Dobschutz says, “ Certainly Jesus’ opinion has nothing in common with the modern view of gradual evolution.” In speaking of the con summation of this process he says, “ It is some miraculous, supernatural, but at the same time external and visible event in history, or better still, some catastrophe at the very end o f history.” This is the hope of the Church and the hope of the world. All this has a very direct and practical message for our day: In the first place it says to the people who are fighting about the question as to whether the world is getting better or worse, “ You are both right.” The wheat is getting better—it is the development of good. The tares are getting worse------ they are the development of evil. “ Evil men and seducers are waxing worse and worse.” That is the reason the
that the context practically makes that translation impossible. The words were spoken in answer to a question asked by the Pharisees. When you remember that Kingdom means the rule of God, and that these men were the leaders through whose influence the Jewish nation rejected God’s anointed king you can readily see that the Kingdom was not within them. Christ Himself said to them, “ Ye are of your father the devil and his works ye do.” That was the rule that was within those men and not the rule of God. But these Greek words are just as easily translated “ the Kingdom of God is in the midst of you,” and that was literally true. The rule of God was perfect in the life of Jesus, so that the Kingship of God was an actual fact in its beauty and power in the midst of that generation. Its life and power were manifested right before them. But after we have made all possi ble allowance for these different phrases there is still a coming of the Kingdom spoken of by Jesus which is still future and glorious. To use the words of Prof. Von Dobschutz: “ A moral estate of mankind wherein God’s will is done without' exception, without any opposition by personal sin or contrary forces in society.” Re garding this coming which means the consummation Dr. Von Dobschutz says, “ The notion of the coming of the Son of man as something still to be expected is a commonplace in the gospel traditions and has to be traced back to Jesus Himself.” This consummation is a thing which cannot be brought about by merely human processes, but is to be realized through the personal appear ance of Christ and to be established in a great human crisis. As Prof. Macintosh of Edinboro rightly con tends, this is not a mere incident in
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are beginning to realize that the trouble is much deeper than they thought. It is not in the stomach but in the heart. We are beginning to realize that the world is not wait ing for us and our programs but for HIM— for the Lord of Glory who alone can save us from the shame of our sin and failure and turn the dark ness of the world on its hinges and let in the light of His glory and es tablish righteousness in the earth. The beauty of this hope is that we do not necessarily need to wait a thousand years to have it realized. He may come at any time. In a mo ment, in the twinkling of an eye all may be changed. Our hope is not in an evolution from below but in a revelation from aboye. No man can intelligently study the New Testa ment and be a pessimist. It is radi ant with hope. But it is a hope that is centered not in man but in our Re deemer God. This does not mean that we are to fold our hands and do nothing while the harvest is per ishing. On the contrary, it means that it is time for us to begin think ing about bringing back the King. This will be our next study. The flower shines not for itself at all, Its joy is the joy it so freely diffuses; O f beauty and balm it is prodigal And it lives in the life it freely loses. No choice for the rose but glory or doom To exhale or smother; to wither or bloom. To deny is to die.
late Dr. A. R. Wallace came to the conclusion that men made little or no progress in the last twenty centuries. It is this twofold development that makes it possible for two earnest souls to be honest in what they say and yet take different views of the question. The man who studies the tares ex clusively cannot see much real prog ress in the world so far as moral character is concerned. On the other hand the man who sees nothing but the wheat cannot help but feel that there is a definite unfolding of the divine purpose in human history which means progress. But the great hope o f the world is not in any gradual progress by which the good is to overcome the evil. If this were our hope the outlook is anything but encouraging. After nineteen hundred years of evangeliza tion the cry that comes from the broken heart of the world is anything but heartening. The men of our age announced their program for the reformation of the world in such a way as to suggest that the world had been just waiting for us and our pro gram. But after years of social re form and big social programs men T HE sun is ever pouring his gold On a hundred worlds that need to borrow ; His warmth he squanders on summits . cold His wealth on homes of want and sorrow. To give is to live.
To Give Is To Live
Dead is the hand that is not open wide To help the need of a human brother; He doubles the length of his life-long ride Who gives his portion to help another; And a thousand million lives are his Who carries the world in his sympathies. To live is to give. —Selected.
Studies in the Gospel According to John 1 By R. A. TORREY (These studies are for careful study, not rapid and heedless reading) II. The Public Ministry of Jesus Leading Those Who Were of the Truth to Believe in Him as the Christ, the Son of God. Ch. 1:19—12:50 (continued). 9. The Lord Jesus’ Testimony to the Woman of Samaria that He was the Christ, and the Woman’s Testimony, He “told me all things that ever I did,” chapter 4:1-39 (conclud’d).
Bible scholars, we are satisfied that the second is the true interpretation. If the latter be the true interpreta tion, then we have a time set for the incident as recorded in the text. Har vest began about the middle of April and lasted until the end of May; this conversation, therefore, must have oc curred somewhere between the mid dle o f December and the last o f Jan uary. Doubtless as the Lord Jesus spoke, He saw the Samaritans hurry ing out of the village of Sychar to ward Him, and He bids His disciples lift their eyes and in this crowd of Samaritans, so eager to hear the Word to behold the harvest already ripe for reaping. Isaiah 49:18 not only in its thought but in its very words presents a very-striking paral lel from the Old Testament. Perhaps our Lord had the words of the prophet in mind as He spoke (see also Isa. 49:9-13). Even at the present time, the plain at the foot of Mt. Gerizim over which these Samaritans were then hurrying, is fertile grain land, and so doubt less it was then, and in it the disciples might see a promise of rich crops— but our Lord had His eye upon a far more important harvest, a spiritual harvest, and He would turn the at tention of His disciples to it. V. 36. “And (omit, and) he that reapeth receiveth wages (or, reward), and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both (omit, both) he that sow^ eth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.”
V. 35. “Say not ye, (add, that) there are yet four months, and then cometh (add, the) harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, for (rather, that ) they are white already to (rath er, unto ) harvest.” Two different interpretations are given to this verse, the first being that it was a proverbial saying that four months , would intervene be tween. seed time and harvest. If this were the interpretation here, then the thought would be that while this was the usual rule, in the case o f the Samaritans there was no such time between seed time and harvest, but harvest followed immediately upon sowing. The second interpretation being that these words set forth a de scription of the actual state of things, namely, that it was now four months before the natural harvest, but that the spiritual harvest was already ripe. It is not a point of very vital impor tance but the latter seems to be the true interpretation. Not only is it the interpretation that naturally sug gests itself to one as he reads the words of Christ in their connection, but furthermore “ four months” is not the time between seed time and har vest in that country. Though the first interpretation is that defended by Alford and some other leading
1 Copyright by R. A. Torrey, 1914.
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(rather, word) true, (add, that) one someth and another reapeth (rather, one is a sower and mother a reaper ). 1 send you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labor: other men (rather, others) labored, and ye are entered into their labours (rather, labor). In the present instance of the reap ing in Samaria, a common proverbial statement, “ One soweth and another reapeth” was illustrated. But there seems to be a suggestion on our Lord’s part that this was not always to be true, that in many instances yet to come, they would have to both sow and reap, and that there would be no harvest without labor. In the reap ing thus far done in the work to which the Lord had sent (notice the tense of the word “ sent,” clearly in dicating that the Lord pointed to the past and not to the future) them, others had labored and they had reaped that whereon they themselves had not labored, they had entered into the labors of others, but in the future they would have to labor if they were to reap (cf. Ps. 126:5, 6 ; 2 Tim. 2 :6 ). In reaping that on .which they had not labored, they were like the Israelites on entering Canaan (Joshua 24:13) but in the days to come, they would be like the Israelites in the later years when those who would reap must first sow In the iristance immediately before us, that of the Samaritans, it was Christ (and the Samaritan woman) who had labored and into whose labors they had entered. The words for “ labor” and “ labored” in the pas sage are very strong words, indicat ing intense, exhausting, painful toil. Without such toil on the part of sorrie one there can be no reaping, and usually we ourselves must toil if we would reap. Reaping is not the privilege of the lazy worker. V. 39. “ And many of the Samari-
The thought in this connection is, that not only was there work to be done at once in gathering this rip ened harvest of souls eager for the truth, but also that there was an im mediate reward, and one would re ceive his pay as he worked. This is always true of .the one who wins souls, not only will he receive a re ward in the eternal future, he re ceives his reward day by day. One of the greatest joys to be known on earth is the joy of bringing souls to Christ. Even though there were no reward hereafter, the joy now pays for all the sacrifice made and all the work done. Not only is there the joy o f winning the souls, but also as we do win them we are gathering fruit utterly unlike the fruit of any earthly harvest, fruit which shall never perish but endure “ unto life eternal.” What other work is there that man can do that compares with this? On the use of the expression “ unto life eternal” compare chapter 4:14; 6:27 and 12:25 where in our Authorized Version the order of the words “ life” arid “ eternal” is changed, but in the Greek the order is the same in all four passages. In many an instance one sows and another reaps (cf. v 37) but both he that sows and he that reaps rejoice together in the harvest. The sower is not jealous of the reaper, but re joices in the fruit that the reaper gathers from the sower’s work, and on the' other hand the reaper does not despise the sower. Not only do both sower and reaper rejoice, they rejoice “ together.” The sowing which our Lord did in that day is producing a harvest still and the Lord is rejoicing in the harvest which we are gather ing of the seed which He Himself sowed. Vs. 37, 38. “And, (rather, For) herein is that (rather, the) saying,
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they besought him that he would (rather, to) tarry (rather, abide or continue) with them.' And he abode (or, continued) there two days.” This verse indicates the extent of the Samaritans’ faith up to this time. Through the testimony of the woman, who kept on testifying, “ He told me all things that I did,” they had so much faith in Him that they wished Him to continue with them that they might, hear more of His teaching, they were not willing that He should leave them. Though our Lord’s mis sion up to the time of His death was primarily to the Jews, He yielded to the entreaties of these hungry souls. He saw in them a capacity for faith that made them Israelites indeed (cf. Matthew 15:21-28, especially v. 28). The attitude of the Samaritans to ward our Lord was very different from that o f the Jews, for all their exalted privileges it is never recorded of them that they besought Him to remain, though it is recorded that they besought Him to depart (Mat thew 8 :34), and it is even said of them in one place that they drove Him out with murderous violence (Luke 4:29) and they constantly plot ted against Him and sought to de stroy Him. It was not the brief stay of two days which He granted them that they sought, they asked that He would “ abide” or continue with them, i. e. make His home among them. It has been remarked that “ the home of these grateful Samaritans can still be identified, while Capernaum and Bethsaida (which saw His miracles but rejectee Him) have wholly disappeared.” What occurred during these two days of our Lord’s stay with them we are not told except that He taught them, but the details o f His teaching are not given. This is one o f many indi cations in the Gospel narratives of how fragmentary are the accounts of
tans of that city believed, on him (rather, and out of that city many believed on him of the Samaritans) for the saying (rather, because of the word) of the woman, which (rather, who) testified, (omit, and add that) he told me all (add, the things) that ever (omit, ever) I did.” We have here an illustration of the tremendous power of earnest testi mony, even the testimony of one whose past has been sadly blackened and dishonored by sin. It is impos sible for any one to calculate the im measurable results of the faithful word of testimony. It is said that an illustrious scholar, Junius, who had been an infidel, became a mighty de fender of the faith through being con verted by a conversation with a farm er near Florence. Countless instances of a similar character could be found. It was not merely through the wom an’s statement that Jesus had “ told her all things that she did” that these Samaritans were brought to faith but “ because o f the Word,” that is, the whole testimony, of the woman who had testified that the Lord had told her all things that she did. Her per sistent testimony led many to come to Christ. The Greek form of the verb translated “ testified” indicates a continuous and persistent testimony. It was "as (or, while) she (earnestly and constantly) testified,” that they believed. In other, words,' she did not testify once for all and quit, she kept on testifying until her word was ef fective. Here is an important lesson for us all. 10. The Faith of Many Samaritans in the Lord Jesus that He was the Saviour of the World, Growing out of their Hearing Him Themselves, 40-42. V. 40. “ So when the Samaritans were come (rather, came) unto him,
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pel of John, and listening to His words as they are here recorded and as they are interpreted to our own hearts by the Holy Spirit. If we have been capable of judging by a surrender of our wills to God, then we shall come not merely to believe but to know that He is a Teacher sent from God, and that He is in deed “ the Saviour of the world” (cf. John 7:17). The Samaritan woman had done her work and had'done it well, but she now disappears from the Gospel history. Those to whom she had tes tified are brought into personal con tact with Him of Whom she testified. The true worker is always the one who brings the one with whom he is dealing directly to the Saviour where he can hear Him for himself, and then gets out of the way. Too many make the mistake of bringing people to themselves and continually stand ing between those whom they bring and the Christ to Whom they would bring them. The expression “ the Saviour of the world” is found in no other place in the New Testament ex cept here and in 1 John 4:14, and it is deeply significant that it was first used by the Samaritans. The Jews looked for a Messiah who should be only the Saviour o f the Jews, the Samaritans would have no part in Him, but as these 'despised Samari tans sat at the feet of Jesus, it dawned clearly upon them that He was their Saviour as well as the Saviour of the Jews and not merely their Saviour, but the Saviour of the whole human race; any one of any race who would come to Him might have a part in Him. 11. The Lord Jesus Received by the Galileans because they had seen all the Things that He did at Jerusalem at the Feast, 43-45. Vs. 43, 44. “Now (rather, And)
our Lord’s life which we find in these records of His words and deeds. Vs. 41, 42. “ And many (rather, by far) more believed because of His own (omit, own) word; and (add, they) said unto (rather, to) the wom an (add, that), Now we believe, not because of thy saying (rather, We no longer believe because of thy saying) : for we have heard him ourselves (rather, we have ourselves heard), and know that this is indeed (rather, truly) the Christ (omit, the Christ) the Saviour o f the world.” The meaning of verse 41 is not that many more believed in addition to the Samaritans who had already believed, but that by far more be lieved through the word of Christ Himself than had believed through the testimony of the woman. The highest form of faith is not that which is founded upon miracles which one sees (cf. ch. 20:29), nor even that which is built upon the tes timony of others, but that which comes from hearing or reading the words o f Christ, and being immedi ately and directly convinced by the character and substance of Christ’s own teaching, that He is indeed what He claims to be, the Saviour of the world. To this higher form of faith the Samaritans now came, and they tell the woman frankly that their faith is no longer built upon her testi mony but upon their own direct con tact with Jesus. Through this they were brought to the place where they not only believed but “ knew” through the response of their own hearts to His teaching that He not only claimed to be the Saviour of the World, but that He was “ truly” or “ in very fact” what He claimed to be. It is our privilege to-day to have this same kind of faith, by sitting at the feet of Jesus as He is presented to us in the Gospels, especially in the Gos
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