SEPTEMBER 2Sc
BILLY GRAHAM Family Portrait, p. 11 ■ HONG KONG Gateway to Asia H TALKING IT OVER A Psychologist' Answers
BUSINESS Ir
A post-graduate school for Missionaries . . . • Offering a training program in Vocational Nurs ing in affiliation with The Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital, The Angelus Hospital, and The Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children. . . • Offering a training program in Missionary Den tistry with clinic practices in laboratories and dental offices. . . • Offering a training program in Dispensary and Laboratory Science with laboratory analysis and clinic practice through missionary reports, field trips, film studies, and training in the use of micro scope.
Fall Semester Begins September 4 • Write today: Biola School of Missionary Med icine • 558 South Hope Street • Los An ge le s 17, Calif.
(
THE KING'S BUSINESS
f * B U S I N E S S
Official publication of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Inc.
Dedicated to the spiritual development of the Christian home
chancellor LOUIS T. TALBOT
Voi. 44, No. 9
SEPTEMBER, 1953
Established 1910
editor S. H. SUTHERLAND
ARTICLES FAM INE IN HIS HEART — Paul Hutchens ............................... 6 CHR IST IAN APOLOGETICS — Timothy Fetler ............................ 8 BILLY GRAHAM , FAM ILY PORTRAIT ..................................... 11 HONG KONG — GATEWAY TO A SIA ................................... 12 FEATURES READER REACTION .............................................................. 4 FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK ............................................. 5 WORLD NEWSGRAMS — James O. Henry ............................... 16 DEVOTIONAL LIFE IN MODERN TIMES — Timothy Fetler .......... 17 CHURCH OF THE MONTH — Mennonite Brethren, Reedley, Calif... 18 OUT OF THE LAB — Donald S. Robertson ................................. 19 BOOK REVIEWS — Donald G. Davis ......................................... 20 H YMN S YOU LOV E— Phil Kerr ........................................... 21 FINEST OF THE WHEAT — Glenn F. O'Neal ............................ 22 PHILOSOPHY IN LIFE — Paul M. Aijian ................................... 23 DR. TALBOT'S QUESTION BOX ............................................... 24 THEOLOGICALLY TH IN K ING — Gerald B. Stanton ...................... 25 TALK ING IT OVER— A psychologist answers— Clyde Narramore .... 26 THE SCOPE OF M ISSIONS — Oran H. Smith ............................. 27 JUNIOR K ING 'S BUSINESS — Martha S. Hooker ........................ 30 BIOLA FAM ILY CIRCLE ......................................................... 32 IN CHRIST IS LIFE — A column for the non-Christian ............. 33 UNDER THE PARSONAGE ROOF — Althea S. Miller ................. 49 ADVERTISERS1 INDEX ............................................................ 50 CHRISTIAN EDUCATION LOOKING AHEAD IN CHR IST IAN ED — Margaret Jacobsen ........ 38 YOUNG PEOPLE'S TOPICS — Chester J. Padgett ........................ 39 SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSONS — Homer A. Kent, Allison Arrowood . 43 OBJECT LESSONS— Elmer L. Wilder ..................................... 48 COVER The British colony of Hong Kong today is the last outpost of Christian activity on the Chinese mainland. The colony has jumped from a pre war population of 600,000 to two and a quarter million. Most of the new-comers, like this mother and baby, are refugees from Communist China. For a first-hand photo report see p. 12.— Photo by Rus Killman.
managing editor LLOYD H AM ILL
copy editor ROSE HARDIE
editorial assistant LUCY R. REDMOND
advertising manager MILTON R. SUE
circulation manager STELLA KINTER
business manager J. RUSSELL ALLDER
editorial board Paul M. Aijian • Charles L. Feinberg Martha S. Hooker « Glenn F. O'Neal • Donald S. Robertson Gerald B. Stanton
Donald G Davis
• James O. Henry Morgaret Jacobsen Chester J. Padgett * 0ronH Sml,h
"The King's Business." Date of expira tion will show plainly on outside of 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 of Los An geles, California, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Acceptance for mailing ot special rate of postage provided for in the Act of February 28, 1925, em bodied in paragraph 4, section 538, P.L. and R., authorized October I, 1918, and November 13, 1938. Printed in U.S.A. by Church Press, Glendale, California. 4DDRESS: The King's Business, 558 S. Hope St., Los Angeles 17, California.
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION — "The King's Business" is published monthly: $2.50, one year; $1.25, six months; 25 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 mode by bank draft, express, or post office money order payable to
MfI'-jl:r,\?r f e *
The Bottle of the B-U-L-G-E V s- T h e B a t t le SURVIVAL SOME PEOPLE SAY: “I must try to reduce. .1 am putting on weight.” TO US DAILY PEOPLE CRY: ‘‘I have nothing to give my children to eat.” OR: “ My mother is going blind and needs an operation urgently. Help us.” Some tell us: “ I am a widow with little orphans and nobody seems to care whether we live or perish.” Some people have heard the gospel over and over again. We witness to many Jewish people who have had no opportunity to be come acquainted with the Lord Jesus Christ, their Messiah. Among these needy people is our la bor of love— to aid them in their fight for survival, physical and spiritual. To many we are the arm of the Lord— extending food to the hungry, comfort to the despairing, and the Bread of Life to those perishing with out Christ. OUR FIELDî~] From Israel to the United States and across the w orld— Western Europe— England— even behind the Iron Cur tain — everywhere there are needy Jews. Help us in the grim battle of survival — help win souls for the Lord. $ 10.00— blesses a family with a food parcel 20.00— provides for a child for about a month 100.00— helps support a missionary for a month Every contribution, small or large, giiien prayerfully and lovingly may be a benediction to the recipient and a blessing to you, FREE: Read thrilling reports of Jewish evangelism in our magazine ISRAEL MY GLORY. Yours for the asking. o f
FROM HOHOE, GOLD COAST
Sirs: I came across a copy of your last month’s magazine with a friend. The contents have interested and inspired me greatly and would be grateful if you would list me among your sub- scibers every month. Hohoe, Gold Coast, Pastor C. K. Diaba W. Africa Sirs: Just a brief note of congratulations on the new format in T h e K in g ’ s B u sin e ss . It seems that in these days, unless our tracts, magazines and liter ature competes with that which is published by secular organizations, people will just not read it. When we have the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ to proclaim, why shouldn’t it be told in the most at tractive manner possible? New York, N. Y. Henry G. Perry, Exec. Sec. American Tract Society Sirs: My 18-year-old son picked up T h e K in g ’ s B u sin ess and asked “Mother, what’s the matter with this maga zine?” I answered, “Why nothing is the matter. What do you see wrong with it?” He replied, “Nothing’s wrong. It’s so much more interesting, what happened?” Los Angeles, Calif. Mrs. Roy H. Fuller Sirs: I have always enjoyed the maga zine to which I was first introduced in 1926 and continue to read it with renewed interest from cover to cover each month. I do enjoy the shorter features as well as Dr. Talbot’s Ques tion Box. San Francisco, Calif. Mary S. McCollum Sirs: Thanks for your reminder to re new my subscription. Do not wish to miss a single copy. Each copy does double duty as I send them on to someone who is not a subscriber. No old copies in my home! San Rafael, Calif. Florence M. James CONGRATULATIONS ON THE NEW FORMAT YOUTH'S REACTION: "W H A T HAPPENED?" FIRST INTRODUCED IN 1926 SHE LIKES IT, SO SHE RENEWS
Thrilling sound-color film of present-day Is* rael—Bible prophecies fulfilled before your eyes!
Show this stirring film in your church. Write today for information and dates. Compiled and Edited by Dr. John W. Bradbury
One of the most signifi cant books on prophecy in recent years. 36 im portant chapters by some of the outstanding Bible scholars of our
( ____ day—Dr. Wilbur M. Smith, Dr. V. Raymond Edman, Dr. William Culbertson and many others. These messages thrilled thousands who attended the International Congress on Prophecy. O rder you r co p y today! $3.00 To secure film and book, write Dept. K THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR JEWISH EVANGELISM, Inc. Rev. A. B. Mechlin, Field Secretary» W inona Lake, Indiana faatflww
o f ALL ASSU Les son Helps— to win precious souls to the L o rd Jesus Christ.
nifo.'riti
y e s o f 0y f ° r rx - °h r Qu. . U
- i « f e
AMERICAN SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION
I B I 6 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia 3, Pa.
The Friends of Israel MISSIONARY AND RELIEF SOCIETY, INC.' U.S.A. Headquarters Canada 728 Witherspoon Bldg.
G 1 Ë O W N S
•Pulpit and Choir • Headquarters for RELIGIOUS SUPPUES ■ ^1 Church Furnitur* . Stoles 1 gf^jSmbroid.rlp. . ValONll 1 Hanging* *Communion 1 1 Sett*AltarBrat*Good» 1 11 1 . CATALOG O N AfQUCST ^
f ruc* Mi!larJ 1066 A ve nu e Road Toronto 12, Ontario General Secretary Rev. Victor Buksbazt
Philadelphia 7, Pa. President Joseph M. Steele
Dear Friends of Israel: 728K I am sending enclosed for your ministry $ ___________ NAME- ADDRESS-
f U
¡ipII g I i a u ^I churchgoods Id llO U a l tu mi CONTINT
Ji t. PA.
• 11-93 ARCH STREET. P H ILA D E LP H IA
4
THE KING'S BUSINESS
from
theeditor’s desk A D is tin c tiv e C h a ra c te r is t ic o f th e C h r is t ia n
i n these days o f stress, strain, and turmoil, there is one characteristic I which we as Christians are called upon to reveal. It is spoken of in ^Scripture as part of the fruit o f the spirit in Galations 5:22. W e refer to the distinctively Christian characteristic of joy. Our Lord says in John’s Gospel, chapter 15:11, “ These things have I spoken unto you, that m y jo y might remain in you, and that your joy might be fu ll.” There is a distinction between joy and happiness. Happi ness depends upon outside circumstances, whereas joy springs from within. The world can know on ly happiness; it can never know real joy. This is the reason that people are frequently searching first in one place and then another trying to find happiness, thinking that these outward circumstances satisfy the inward longing o f the heart. They do not. Alas, Christians sometimes fail to manifest the jo y which our Lord promised and wh ich marks us off as different from the people of the world. W e ought to be joy fu l because the Lord Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords. Earthly rulers come and go, but He is our very own. Furthermore, we ought to be joy fu l because the King has spoken, and we find that which H e has spoken revealed in the W ord o f God. The Bible is the W ord of God; it does not merely contain the W ord of God. And, we ought to be joy fu l because o f the certain victory that is ours. W e are not in the midst of a chess game in which we are the pawns used b y the Lord in an effort to checkmate the moves of the wicked one, and the outcome o f which is as yet unknown. If we are on the Lord’s side, we are on the side of certain victory. He has promised it and w ill surely bring it to pass. There are certain well-known steps necessary to take in order to obtain this jo y which the Lord has promised His own. The first step is to accept H im as Saviour. The second is to surrender completely to H im so that our wills and our lives may be used b y H im as He m ay choose. The unsurrendered Christian is the most miserable person in the world. The world does not want him, and the Lord cannot use him. W e need to check ourselves frequently to make sure that the King o f kings is also the King of our hearts. W e have read recently in the newspapers concerning a certain flag that flies from Buckingham Palace when Queen Elizabeth II is occupying the palace. In fact, wherever she goes, this par ticular flag flies at the masthead. It has been well said that “ jo y is the flag that flies from the castle of one’s heart to show that the King is in residence there.” Do Y ou Have A P ra y e r R equ es tf Each morning the editorial staff o f T h e K i n g ’ s B u s in e s s magazine gathers for a period of prayer. Over the years literally thousands of re quests have been, answered. Should you have a request we would count it a privilege to make it a definite matter of prayer. A n y request will be held in the strictest confidence. Address The Editors, King’s Business, 558 So. Hope, Los Angeles 17, Calif. Y ou r Questions Answ ered Because questions and answers b y authoritative persons are always helpful, we have asked Dr. Clyde M . Narramore (Psychologist W ith The Gospel, August) to answer your personal problems. Dr. Narramore, a deeply spiritual psychologist, is Coordinator o f Research and Guidance, Office o f the Los Angeles County Superintendent of Schools. His answers start in this issue on page 26.
purchase rental send catalog information on Miracle Projector Dept. No. 5 C.O. B A P T I S T A F I L M S SUNNYSI DE A V E N U E . WHE AT ON. I L L I N O I S
TRUTH can free men who are bound soul and body by the chains of Romanism. We have the names and addresses I of over 1,000 Roman Catholic i priests. For $5 you can send THE i CONVERTED CATHOLIC MAG- ; AZINE to five of these priests for |a period of 6 months. And for each |$5 you send, we will give you a six i months subscription at no extra | cost! S Join this crusade to free priests.
| Send your check or 1 money order for I $5.00—or more— to: | Dr. Waltei M. MontarEo, | Editor Dept. K
Ôcrvntrd ¿aÜuÙc
C hrist ' s M ission , inc . 160 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK 10. N. Y. SIMPSON BIIILE INSTITUTE Gateway to World Service Practical Christian training that is scholarly in character, Christ-centered in content and World-embracing in scope. C O U R S E S : i: B IB L E ★ C H R IS T IA N ★ M IS S IO N S E D U C A T IO N * S A C R E D M U S IC * T H E O L O G Y Diploma in 3 years — Degree in 4 or 5 yews Write todayfor literature and information RAUL S. ALLEN,- R r.liH .n t-D .a n flo o r« » . )01 w _58)h S.attt. 7, Wo»h.
5
S E P T E M B E R 1 9 5 3
One of America's Best-Known Christian Writers Paints a Graphic Word-Picture of the Prodigal Son A lonely, d re a ry -h e a r te d young man, ragged, hungry and home sick sits dejectedly in the shade of valved seed pods, the husks that the swine did eat. Today he had hun gered so, had been glad to eat even this despised food, the food of the despised hogs.
tered, sweat-bedraggled, soiled—oh, there had been many new friends, so many who had wanted to help him spend—drinking, laughing at God’s laws of sowing and reaping, women of the street who had plied their wares so subtly. Ribald and raucous parties, mid night debaucheries, scenes of lewd ness, gluttonous banquetings, un seemly conversations—and the lonely nights and early morning hours that followed, heartache and revulsion Be cause of the sobbing of his sin-be smirched conscience. Hours, when he had lain upon his pillow and stared out into the purple shadows pf the tropical nights, and remembered. Would conscience never cease to torment him, crying to him from the lips of every new wound stabbed by committed sin: Stop, young fool. Stop. You cannot trifle with God’s laws. Some day you will pay . . . some day. . .Y ou are paying now. But he had not stopped until he had been stopped —not until now. Again, the young man sighs, stands, reaches up, tears a long 10-inch carob- pod from the 30-foot-high tree, kicks at a grunting, despicable hungry hog
the tree. His tired eyes look away for a moment out across the hot, pas tureless fields. As far as the eye can. see, there is only dismal waste, dancing heat waves and barren, dry, famine-smit ten land. And yonder, far— very far —away, over the hills, through the valleys is another land, where the fields are aflame with fruit and grain and where— oh yonder, so far—is home, and Father and Mother wait ing. A table will be set there today with food and plenty, and even the hired servants will have sufficient. A heavy sigh escapes the young man’s parched lips. The grunting of the despised pigs rooting in the dry soil about him, complaining because of the lack of edible roots or acorns or other délectables, vacuums his thoughts back to the barren scene -«bout him. Here in the shade of the old carob tree— even here it is hot and depressing, while the hot winds rustle the branches and rattle the long ten-inch pods hanging sparsely upon the tree— the one-celled, two-
Yesterday and the day before and the day before, he had been doing this same monotonous thing—feeding swine. Low, contemptible task, the most humiliatingly possible menial work. No proud son of a Hebrew father should so debase himself. Ah— but there was no pride remaining— only hunger and shame and despair. Money gone, friends gone, clothes frayed, feet hot and dusty in worn- out sandals, hands grimy with toil, face streaked with weather, almost black under the fierce onslaught of the thirsty sun. It had been a long time since he had had enough to eat —a long time since he had met any one who cared for his soul. There was a saying, read somewhere— read or heard: “No man careth for my soul.” That other day— it seems only yes terday. and yet it has been so long —-when he had ridden away from the old home, his pockets lined with wealth, his beautiful hew clothes rich in colors—not as they were now, tat
6
THE KING 'S BUSINESS
in his heart
B y Paul Hutchens
ginning of God’s opportunity; at the end of self—at the beginning of sal vation; midnight, the beginning of the dawn; a vision of personal sin fulness, the price of cleansing. No longer to say, ‘‘Give me . . . but make me . . . (as one of thy hired servants). Not what I have, or shall receive, but what I am— and whose I am, is the important thing.” The young man’s thoughts carry him far ahead on the old home road. Each step seems like an eternity. He is almost there now. . . Tired, thirsty, hungry, dusty, sin-sick, his heart panting for forgiveness, his sins black as night in his mind and soul, he sees the familiar scene, the old gate, the fountain, the vine sprawl ing, the winding walk, the fields run ning in the wind, and Father stand ing. No, not standing, but running. Father running! Good-bye, old hog pen; good-bye old worldly companions! Good-bye old carousing, old thievery, old gambling, old self-centered living, old emptiness of soul, old slavery to self and Satan. I am going back home—back to my father . . . and home. END.
light. He imagined he could see yon der beyond the horizon’s brim the old home, the old gate that swings, the green vine that sprawls across the weathered porch, the terrace where servants feet come and go, the foun tain in the shade of the palm, the stone bench, the varicolored flowers that border the winding walk, the verdant fields running in the winds, cattle grazing—and —standing in the doorway his waiting eyes searching the distance, his beard long, white and flowing, is Father, and near the fountain, more lonely still, Mother. Did he hear her call to the old man: “ Father, have you seen—can you see anything of our boy?” The vision fades. The young man in the ragged garments and the tat tered sandals suddenly rises to his feet, a resolution leaping into sud den flame as dry logs thrown upon waiting coals. “ I—I am at the end of my rope. I—have— sinned. I will arise and go to my father. Back to my father and home. I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight. I am no more worthy to be called thy son’.” At the end of the rope—at the be
squealing and whining at his feet. In times of famine even people ate hog food, making a kind of syrup from the pulp. One could starve, or one could eat the husks that the swine did eat. He had sought for freedom from his father’s restraint, but he had only run away from kindness and love; he had sought to be master of himself, and had become mastered by misery and loneliness and heartache; he had sought for luxury, and had found poverty of spirit. There was a famine in the land, and in his heart. Oh, he was hungry, not only for food, but for— home. For Father . . . for love . . . sympathy— even for a glimpse of the hired servants—and there were so many of them on the old home farm. Even they had enough and to spare. That was a sad day filled with a sense of personal worth, tingling hopes and plans for pleasure and independence, when he had said to his father, “ Give me the portion of goods that falleth to me A searing thought blew across the expanse of time and into his tortured brain, bringing with it a strange
7
S E P T E M B E R 1 9 5 3
CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS and Modern Thought B y Timothy Fetter, Ph .D .
The world as such remains unimpressed bp ration alistic and naturalistic defenses o f Christianity. F o r rational evidences it turns to its own logicians , mathema ticians and ph ilosophers. F or empirical evidences it turns to the specialists in this field , the modern scientists, in this article Dr. Fetter contends the strongest defense o f Christianity is not to be found in these fields , but rather in the transform ing pow er o f the H o ly Spirit. The Christ- exp er ien ce is the strongest testim ony and the m ost e f fec tive apologetic is still the spiritually transformed life.
8
THE KING'S BUSINESS
A s Evangelical Christians we be lieve that basically Christianity is not a philosophical system nor a rational apologetic. We believe that Christianity is a factual revelation of God to man through His Son Jesus Christ for the purpose of redeeming man and bringing him back into fel lowship with God. Without this fac tual relationship between man and God the complete Christian system would degenerate into a meaningless formalism, verbalism and legalism. For this reason all rationalizations, philosophizing and the construction of apologetic systems necessarily have to be secondary and subordinated to the factual implications of the situa tion. As Thomas a Kempis correctly observed: “ Better surely, is an hum ble rustic that serveth God, than a proud philosopher that, neglecting himself, studieth the course of the heavens,” and again, “ I had rather feel contrition than know the defini tion thereof.” Here we may have one of the basic differences between ’ Christianity and Greek philosophy, especially of the Platonic type, which defined reality in terms of idea and the soul in terms of continuity of thought, all amount ing to a glorification of reason. The Christian, in defining God, pro claimed to the world God is love, and without having to go to extremes of holding that thought is a falsification of Being or entirely separated from it, we may have to admit that pure thought by itself lacks some essential element as found in this Christian definition of reality. But though in fundamental Chris tianity pure reason is subordinated to faith and revelation, faith becomes more and more involved in reason as it tries to understand itself. St. Augustine defined theology as “ Faith trying to understand itself,” and be yond this the function of reason be comes that of an attempt to gain an ordered, coherent account of existence as a whole. Some professing Christians, realiz ing that the essential aspect of Chris tianity is not to be found in ration alizations, have mistakenly assumed that these have no value whatsoever, and have been satisfied with either dogmatic authority, subjective experi ence or plain “ common sense.” But there is no good reason to suppose that common sense, consisting of un- reflective or uncritical thinking, is sounder or more profound than the views which are the outcome of strenuous intellectual labor. And that this assumption often results in misconceptions is equally apparent. Thus, in the name of common sense one may easily confuse the apparent
odology. It may be more personal, subjective and not subject to universal objective experimentation as the em piricist would like it to be, but since the empiricist admits that his episte mology has not given him metaphysi cal certitude, but has led him straight into skepticism, the least he could do would be to examine the claims of other epistemologies instead of forming a priori judgments concern ing them, the very thing he de nounces in his opponents. In 'general terms, the modern thinker of the secularist variety tries to avoid the mistake of finding true knowledge exclusively through rea son ( a priori) or just through sense- experience ( a posteriori), but tends to regard these as combined functions in which reason, including deductive logic and mathematics, has only formal but no factual validity except when dealing with data as supplied by the senses in the form of intuitions According to this viewpoint, pure reason apart from sensation is ana lytic, analyzing ideas without adding anything new to knowledge. Syn thetic statements however which do increase our knowledge, are a pos teriori, derived from experience and rest on probability as far as the neces sary universal propositions are con cerned. Kant’s attempt to demon strate a priori synthetic knowledge has not been successful and the issue still rests with attempts to improve on Hume. MORE^
with the real. As Casserly aptly com ments: “ Some Christians confuse a certain kind of temperament with spirituality. Some fear a supposedly cold, theoretical temperament at the same time forgetting that other types are subject to their own dangers: the practical man to superficiality and self-satisfaction, the emotional man to spiritual crudity and religious insta bility.” Bernard Ramm in his Types of Apologetic Systems correctly observes that since the function of Christian apologetics is to mediate intellectual tensions as they arise, to an extent all apologies are outmoded by the pas sage of time. Thus it would have been impossible to construct an effective Christian apologetic say around 1800 A.D. which would have included in its system the geocentric theory of the universe. It may be equally in effective, as we shall shortly see, to construct a contemporary apologetic based on old-fashioned, a priori ra tionalism which ignores Kant and his impact on the main development of modem thought. The thought development of west ern civilization exhibits certain gen eral trends. From Greeks to modem times, there has been a general shift in emphasis from primitive theories of reality to an examination of con ditions under which knowledge is pos sible, from ontology to epistemology, from substance to function. As a re sult of this shift certain viewpoints have crystallized which to a great ex tent dominate modem thought today. Especially since the time of Kant, the modem thinker has found it dif ficult to maintain strict ontological viewpoints. The strong contemporary emphasis on naturalism, positivism and pragmatism has resulted in an agnostic or skeptical attitude towards metaphysics in general or has dis missed the problem as “meaningless,” even though the least reflection would indicate that existence, even in terms of the slightest organization, would necessarily imply some basic meaning, no matter how trivial, and to deny existence itself is patently impossible. The modem thinker has also failed to see, that in order to clear the deck he not only has to throw overboard all a priori ontological speculations, but also all a priori notions as to which epistemology is the valid one in the search for metaphysical truth. For “ truth” is by his own admission still an unknown entity and may re quire a totally different epistemology than the one which he claims has sole validity, namely empirical sense-ex perience. The Christian also claims a meth
T IMO TH Y FETLER Timothy Fetler is professor of Philosophy at the Bible Institute of Los Angeles and an instructor at the California Baptist Seminary, Covina. Fetler was educated in Europe where he learned to speak five lan guages fluently. After coming to America he attended Northwestern University where he received his Ph. D. He later taught there for three years and at USC for four.
9
S E P T E M B E R 1 9 5 3
would not tend to minimize the uniqueness of Christianity. As mentioned above, using episte mological terminology we would have to label the unique experimental as pect of Christianity as subjective in tuition. For if there is no inward transformation, no inner freedom, no awareness of the nearness, the holi ness of God, no victory after struggle, no peace and no love, then the claims of Christianity are false. Three propo sitions should make this clear: First, God is love, and love is not pure thought even though symbolized by a word. Second, the Holy Spirit is power (Ye shall receive power after . . . the Holy Ghost is come upon you), and again, power and pure thought are not the same. Thirdly, the peace of God is unique (My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you). It is an in ner experience of such type that can not be derived in any way ex cept through God. Again, the word peace is a symbol standing not for pure thought bul for an inner, in tuitive experience, and the verifica tion of an intuition is the intuition itself, not some a priori category of logic. Rational thought here functions as a neutral field of symbols which are used to represent and communi cate ideas standing for intuitions derived from either the world of sense experience, or from inner experience. And it will not do for the empiri cist to dismiss the entire field of in ner experience by labelling it psy chological and assuming that this way he has explained away its fac tual potential, nor will it do for the theological rationalist to dismiss it as “ ineffable.” To answer the empiricist, whether all inward experiences are basically of the same type, or whether there be some exhibiting a noetic quality differentiating them from pure psychological experience can be determined only a posteriori. Only a person who has actually experienced the love of God can decide whether it is in any way different from other types of psychological emotions. There are at least four aspects to the noetic quality which stamp the experience as unique. First, as a schematized experience, the combina tion of sweetness, holiness, joy and peace of the love of God is different and unique. Second, the experience is accompanied by a definite sensation of emanating from a source other than one’s own self. Thirdly, it car ries with itself the knowledge of be ing the solution to man’s eternal quest, man finds that for which his soul has been continuously searching. And finally, the fact that no self- continued on page 33 THE KING'S BUSINESS
CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS continued To construct a strong apologetic to day one would have to take into ac count that, as far as modern thought is concerned, the methodology of pure reason was the first citadel to be at tacked and to fall. Anselm’s ontologi cal argument is dismissed by modem logic by simply demonstrating the im possibility of deriving a synthetic conclusion from an analytic premise. Empiricism, on the other hand, has survived only in terms of practical applicability, but has resulted in on tological skepticism. Resting on prob ability it has proven itself to be a blind alley to certitude. Now if pure, a priori reason can prove nothing beyond its own existence, is formal, non-factual, conditional or otherwise becomes lost in abstractions (witness the Middle Ages), and if empiricism results in skepticism, it would be dif ficult to fit faith and revelation into either of these epistemological struc tures and still claim that one was meeting the basic arguments of the contemporary opponents of Christi anity. There must be another method, another emphasis which would not only provide the Christian with his basic philosophical orientation but would also constitute his strongest de fense.
basic differentiation of Christians from non-Christians, one of the basic claims of Christianity. The attitude of theologians toward the subjective has varied from Ten nant’s outright denial of its value to Pascal’s and Kierkegaard’s nearly ex clusive emphasis on it. Even St.Au- gustine, though a brilliant specula tive philosopher in the Platonic tradi tion, existed primarily in terms of that marvelous inward transforma tion, the love and intimate awareness of God in the depths of his soul. Other writers, such as Brightman and Car- nell, have emphasized a coherence system, or systematic consistency and inter-relationship within total experi ence. Though this emphasis has uni fying value and satisfies the desire of the intellect for completeness, there are few systems which do not at least aim to be comprehensive and inclu sive, in their own terms, of course. That nevertheless they differ is due to some basic emphasis or assumption which provides the system with its particular orientation. It would seem more important to find the unique factor, the key to the system of Chris tianity, after which the coherence would naturally follow. Basically a system will be judged not so much on the more or less inclusive coher ence, but as to whether some funda mental feature is self-evidently the correct gateway to truth. And if the system as a whole would be the strongest defense of Christianity, it would have to be the most inclusive synthesis yet devised, in itself a glori fication of man’s reason. It is well known, however, that many of the most brilliant and learned thinkers of western civilization have generally not accepted Christianity in its funda mental meaning, undoubtedly be cause of their own coherence theories which they felt were more all-inclu sive than that of the Christian. If God would have desired for man to gain his basic knowledge concerning truth in this way, He could have eas ily arranged it by means of a Pla tonic gateway to heaven. Life often bears out the opposite: We find men like Job, who failing to receive a rational answer to the cry of his soul, “Why do the righteous suffer” , nev ertheless discovers that man can have peace without satisfying the intellect. Once the basic issue has been settled, a coherence is welcome but never de cisive. It is also difficult to see how a primary emphasis on coherence
.While in non-philosophic language we could talk about this unique Christian feature in terms of “heart- faith” or “ inner transformation” , from the standpoint of epistemology we would havç, to define this as the subjective element involving inner in tuition. If it could be shown that this sub jective element is a factual inner ex perience occurring with basic similar effects in thousands of people, then it could properly be labelled “ subjec tive empiricism” subject to its own epistemological laws, and the objec tive (sense) empiricist would have to test it in accordance with this, its own epistemology, or otherwise be dis credited on the same grounds by which he usually tries to discredit his Christian opponents, namely on the grounds of forming invalid a priori judgments. He would have to submit himself, heart, body and soul to the methodology prescribed by Christianity or otherwise have no logical argument against it. And if it could be shown that this subjective element has something unique about it, something that would differentiate it from general psychological experi ences, then this would provide for the 10
BILLY GRAHAM family portrait
W hile the nation sweltered in one sizzling series of heat waves after another this summer the Billy Graham Evangelistic Crusade rolled on without a breather. Using the combined media of television, motion picture, radio, newspaper and mass meetings Billy Gra ham was being used of God like no other man in his generation. After his southern campaigns he swung north to Syracuse and on September 27 is scheduled to open in Detroit, then to Ashville, N. C. on November 15. Next winter the team is to go to Great Britain. His schedule rarely permits time with his family. The above family portrait was taken on one of those rare occasions when the lanky evangelist goes back to Montreat, N. C. to enjoy a few hours at home. e n d .
11
S E P T E M B E R 1 9 5 3
Photographed for The King's Business by HUS K iLLM AN
W hen the ominous specter of com munism swept over China fol lowing World War II it snuffed out a Christian work that had taken decades to build. Today the British colony of Hong Kong is the last out post on the Chinese mainland for mis sionary activity. Hong Kong is composed of 390 square miles of mainland and islands and has a population of some two and a quarter million. There are 14,500 Europeans and Americans. The British have been doing a bustling business with Communist China but
in spite of the commercial boom the colony is flooded with homeless refu gees. There are huge areas of shanty houses and some 60,000 live on house boats. It is estimated that there are 100,000 cases of T.B. and some 250,- 000 children are without proper shel ter or schooling. Both Catholic and Protestant mis sionaries have flocked to Hong Kong after being pressured out of Red China. One Christian work to be transplanted was that of the Hunan Bible Institute located at Changsha (see map). Founded by Dr. Frank
A. Kellar and sponsored by the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, the Hunan Institute had buildings valued at one million dollars and for more than 30 years trained hundreds of Chinese young people. Today the Hunan In stitute is being used as an agricultural college by the Reds. But the work of the Institute still goes on in a different capacity in Hong Kong. Headed by Dr. and Mrs. Charles A. Roberts the activities in clude a church, a book room and a clinic, with future plans for a corre spondence course and a youth center.
12
THE KING 'S BUSINESS
Gateway To
MORE ^
Modern buildings and shacks make up the cities of Hong Kong.
This blind boy is one of 250,000 children without proper care.
S E P T E M B E R 1 9 5 3
13
Gateway to
Lack o f M o n e y is Holding Back P ro testan t W o r k
Over 20,000 were treated during the first year with help of native doctor and nurses. This fall Dr. and Mrs. P. K. Jenkins are coming from England. Born in China, Dr. Jenkins is well qualified for the work. THE KING 'S BUSINESS
For the Protestants a shack; for the Catholics a stone e d ific e . That's the story of missionary a c tiv ity to day in Hong Kong. Small, w h ite b u ild in g in lower left is P ro te stan t chapel and dispensary; large build ing under c o n stru c tio n is Roman Catholic school and h o sp ita l. But in spite of in a d e q u a te funds, Bi o la work there is going ahead steadily under Dr. Roberts.
WORLD NEWSGRAMS
James O. Henry, M.A., Editor, Associate prof, of History, Biola Bible College
State ot the Nation Paul G. Hoffman, in an address de livered recently at Occidental College, touched on the recent “ book burning campaign.” He said: “ Today we are passing through another period (as after World War I) in which there is altogether too much fear, suspicion, and hate in the atmosphere. Never since the days of the Alien and 'Se dition Laws of 1789 has there been a time when freedom to think, free dom to inquire, and freedom to speak were in greater jeopardy; never a time when pressures for conformity to the prevailing mores were heavier.” After warning against outside dan gers Hoffman warned against, “ self- imposed danger of using the wrong methods to combat the Communist menace, the attempt to make criticism socially dangerous and of trying to enforce conformity through fear.” He offered the suggestion that there are quick and easy methods of stopping the leaks in the roof; “ you can tear down the house and then there will be no leaks because there is no house.” In his conclusion he warns that “Un less we wish to succumb to totalitar ianism, we must not use totalitarian techniques in battling against com munism.” Withdrawal Delegates of the Independent Fun damental Churches of America, at their 24th National Convention held in Terre Haute, Ind., voted to with draw from the American Council of Christian Churches of America. According to Rev. Nye J. Lang- made, executive secretary of the IFCA, the action taken at the recent convention was the result of a failure of the Executive Committee of the American Council to give satisfactory answers to an “ 11 point protest” pre sented to the committee by represen tatives of the IFCA several months ago. Rev. Langmade in commenting on the action states that “ a matter that had been a problem to us for years was resolved and we found ourselves once again in that position where we could seek to accomplish the work He entrusted to us 24 years ago.” 16
Conservative Baptist Action This summer the Conservative Bap tist Association of America, meeting in annual sessioh in Hinson Memor ial Baptist Church, Portland, Ore., unanimously rejected the Revised Standard Version of the Bible. It passed this resolution which reads: “Whereas there has been thrust upon us a new translation of the Holy Scriptures produced and authorized by the National Council of Churches, known as the Revised Standard Ver sion containing the Old and New Tes taments, and Whereas it is the work of liberal scholarship without consul tation with the Evangelical scholars of the day, and Whereas many pas sages manifest a reckless handling of the original texts together with an unwarranted questioning of the same; Therefore, be it resolved that the Con servative Baptist Association of Amer ica,- in annual session in Portland, in keeping with the action of the East ern and Central regions, goes on rec ord as rejecting the Version as a true translation of the ancient manuscripts and versions, believing it to contain serious interpretations which subor dinate and question the Saviourhood and Deity of our Lord. It should be given the status of modern-speech translations only.” Confused In a recent article written for the American M ercury, Dr. J. B. Mat thews, a staff director of a subcom-' mittee working under the McCarthy Senate investigating Committee, de clared that “ Protestant clergymen form the largest pro-Red group in the United States.” Immediately after the article was published three members of the committee demanded Mat thews’ dismissal. Senator McCarthy refused to dismiss him. Then three high officials representing the Catho lic, Jewish, and Protestant faiths col laborated in sending the President a telegram of protest. The President is sued one of the strongest statements he has made since entering his office against Matthews’ action. Immedi ately Senator McCarthy accepted Dr. Matthews’ resignation. Dr. Matthews asked for an opportunity to document his charges with proof before the Committee.
George Sokolsky, a syndicated writer for the Hearst papers and a strong anti-Communist said of Dr. Matthews: “He is the greatest author ity in the United States on the sub ject of Marxism and its infiltration into this country. He has been on both sides of the question, although never a party member. It has been largely due to his efforts since 1936 that step by step every move of the Communists has been met by a coun ter-move by the anti-Communist.” Sokolsky says further that Dr. Mat thews’ “ files are so complete that many check their data .against his files. Matthews is respected by every person who works in this field.” A sizeable segment of the American public is becoming confused. Some are asking why the clergy is neces sarily considered to be immune from Communism and why Matthews is not permitted to show his proof, if he has it. One observer recently voiced the fear that we are establishing a “ benefit of clergy” used by the church during the Middle Ages to keep the clergy out of the jurisdiction of the civil authorities? New) Drug A new member has been added to the family of wonder drugs. The new drug is called B-N-D tyrosinase and is used in the treatment of second and third degree burns. The drug was discovered by acci dent. According to the AP report, “ One day in 1944 two men were boiling down scraps to make hog food in a chop suey canning plant they operated in Oak Lawn, 111. A boiling vat exploded, scalding nearly a dozeh employees. While waiting for ambu lances, fellow employees applied the only liquid they could lay hands on —mung bean sprout juice, extracted from a bushy annual legume and much fancied by chop suey eaters.” Doctors in Chicago hospitals where the patients were treated were aston ished to find no blistering, no pain and no shock in any of the scalded patients. Medical science immediately went to work experimenting with the extract and have proven it to be satis factory for the treatment of severe burns. THE K ING 'S BUSINESS
devotional life in moderntimes
Secret Confession To A Roman Catholic Priest By Rev. L. J. King, Converted Roman Catholic STARTLING FACTS AND REVELATIONS! The greatest exposure of the confessional ever made public! Every page of "SECRET CON FESSION" exposes in detail Rome's pagan doctrine. Rev. King takes you within the very walls of the confessional. The work is cenceded by pulpit and press to be one of the best authorities on the subject. PREVENT M IX ED MARRIAGES! "SECRET CONFESSION" has been named the "CURE A LL" for Protestants marrying Catholics. No book like this tn print! Read the many questions which the penitent must answer and .learn the truth concerning the confessor and the penitent. 116 pages. Post paid only $1.00. Book and Bible House Dept. 12-D.X. DECATUR, GA. — BROWN— FIVE CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS John Brown University Siloam Springs, Arkansas "Training Head, Heart and Hand" Brown Military Academy San Diego, California Junipr High thru Junior College Junior School— 1st thru 6th grades Southern California Military Academy Long Beach, California Pre-Kindergarten thru 9th grade Brown School for Girls Glendora, California 1st Grade thru High School Brown Military Academy of the Ozarks Siloam Springs, Arkansas 1st Grade thru High School WRITE INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL FOR COMPLETE INFORMATION
Timothy Fetler9 JPft.ll. Professor of Philosophy, Bible Institute of Los Angeles True Hum ility
when saintly men of God, not sub jected to many of our modem me chanistic distractions, lived lives of glowing inward faith and were able to leave us some of the great devo tional literature in the Christian tra dition. Such are, for example, the Confessions of St. Augustine, the Im i tations of Christ by Thomas a Kempis and the Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence. We rejoice with them as we consider the reality of their experience and are inspired to follow Christ in His call for a totally surrendered life. We note the strong emphasis made on Christian humility. Today, possibly because of the strong effects of modem individu alism, true humility is a rare flower indeed. “ Love to be unknown,” writes Thomas a Kempis, and again “ It doth no hurt -to thee to set thyself lower than all men, but it hurteth thee ex ceedingly if thou set thyself before even one man! Continual peace is with the humble.” A bit of poetry by Eric Crozibr from the “ Saint Nicolas cantata,” beautifully set to music by the bril liant young English composer Ben jamin Britten, expresess with rare in sight the delight of the Lord in find ing true humility: Heartsick, in.hope to mask The twisted face of poverty I sold my lands to feed the poor. I gave my goods to charity But Love demanded more. Heartsick, I cast away A ll things that could dis tract my mind From full devotion to His will. I thrust my happiness behind But Love desired more still. Heartsick, I called on God To purge my angry soul, to be My only Master, friend and guide. . • I begged for sweet humility And Love was satisfied.
ulture-historians like to refer to contemporary American life as rep resentative of a practical business civilization. We are living in a ma chine age, and it is no wonder that pragmatism, the philosophy of prac ticality, originated in and is a product of the American way of life. Some Christians are often unaware of the extent to which their spiritual life is influenced and colored by purely pragmatic and mechanistic considera tions. . Activity being such a basic factor in a business civilization, it has be come easy to confuse activity with spirituality. In our evangelistic drives, money raising campaigns, church activities and missionary pro jects, there is always the danger that these activities may become more im portant than the spiritual factor in volved. It is not always realized that the emphasis is of primary impor tance. For if theoretically spirituality is the main emphasis but in practice activity, then it will be difficult, if not impossible, for the Spirit of God to fulfill His all-important mission. And it is still as true today as in times past, that only by first going inward can we become effective out wardly. In this age of mechanical progress in which technology has cut man away from simple, organic ex istence, the Christian should not ven ture out on spiritual missions with out subjecting himsèlf first to a 'thorough self-examination. As he stands before God in his basic lone liness, he is then stripped of every thing external. Only in this way will he be able to correctly understand the extent to which he has been relying on human agencies, organizations or his own potential, instead of on God alone. Only by dying to every earthly hope, every human reliance, every aspect of self-sufficiency will he be able to approach God in His holy of holies and become truly effective spiritually. It is well to pause once in a while and look back to less hectic times,
THE TRAGIC STORY OP RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE AMONG
FILM AVAILABLE THROUGH THE AMERICAN INDIAN LIBERATION CRUSADI 10S» 8 HOPE STREET LOS ANOELES I», CALIFORNIA For reference: Dr. Louis T. Talbot is a member of the Board of Reference of the Ame r i can I ndi an Liberat ion Crusade.
17
S E P T E M B E R 1 9 5 3
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs