HERBERT ARMSTRONG: \ JAR. X O N F U S I O N i 9 S
THE. MISSIONARY. MY K INSMAN ^ - “* * * ij^p *. k ■"* *' 1 -^ SpeciaI Missiona ry Featurds
OUR ANSWER TO KHRUSHCHEV
IS ..
Patriots for Christ theme for ’62
Khrushchev boasts: "Communism will conquer the world by 1980!” Within the last ten years millions o f people have been enslaved by atheistic Communism. How is the Christian Church meeting this challenge? By indifference? O r by rekindling a burning devotion to the Lord and His infallible Word, and to godly principles on which our nation was founded? VBS affords a now-or-never time to instill love for God and country into the hearts and lives o f our youth. They must more than match the loyalty and dedica tion o f Communists. That’s why we have ch o sen th e them e P A T R IO T S FO R CH R IST for ’62 VBS. It's an impelling, dynamic theme for the whole family, from Nursery children to Adults, that will make them "strong in the Lord and the power o f His m ight.”
30-MINUTE S0UND/C0L0R FILMSTRIP Get both VBS per sonnel and pupils excited about VBS
1962 SUCCESS BOOK Make your 1962 VBS successful. The Scripture Press VBS Success Book
combines all the helps of our former how - to book and our Guidebook. This new 32-page colorful book is packed full with helpful information . . . teacher recruitment, public ity plans, VBS daily schedules, a planning calendar, information on the popular pack aged handcraft, demonstration program and handcraft display ideas, and description of materials for each department. 50c per copy postpaid. with this inspiring filmstrip. It tells the story of a young East German refugee boy, living with an American foster family, who finds Christ through VBS. Order this helpful film strip now . . . $3.50 with 12" LP record, plus 30c postage (or $5.50 with tape recording). For free showing contact your Christian bookstore or write to Scripture Press giving date preferences. SCRIPTURE PRESS jfgf W H E A T O N , I L L I N O I S J l v B F L o n g B e a c h , C a lifo r n ia • O s h a w a , O n t a r io • L o n d o n , E n g la n d
Please send the following: □ NEW 1962 VBS HOW TO SUCCESS BOOK (includes complete details on the 1962 course). 72 V 2 1 6 4 ,50f£,postpaid. □ VBS Filmstrip, with record, $3.50 plus 30c postage. □ We would like to schedule a FREE showing of the filmstrip and record for the date indicated: 1st choice______________ 2nd choice______________ □ FREE, complete listing of 1962 course. □ Introductory Packet, $3.95 plus 30c postage and handling.
INTRODUCTORY PACKET Get acquainted with the 1962 VBS course. Order the PATRIOTS FOR CHRIST Intro ductory Packet. Examine teacher and pupil manuals,
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LetYour Heart OpentoOneof These KoreanOrphans
LETTERS
DISLIKES EDITORIAL ON TRANSLATIONS
After reading your editorials and the “Reader Reactions” in the September issue concerning the New English Bible, one wonders how the church ever managed to survive during the 1600 years before the King James Version came into being. It is difficult to understand why so many people are reluctant to dispense with the “ghost” stories and the all but unintelligi ble English of this archaic translation. Isn’t it difficult enough to persuade modem sophisticated mankind to read the Bible without placing unnecessary obstacles in their paths? And is not much of the insistence upon this version merely “Laying aside the commandments of God, (to) hold the traditions of men?” (Mark 7:8). Many of the things those who defend the KJV insist must be preserved were never in the Bible in the first place. They seem to think that because the KJV says some thing, it necessarily is in the Bible; but this is not at all necessarily true. —I believe if the critics of the new trans lations had as much respect for the Word of God as those making these new transla tions, they would be declaring it instead of disclaiming it; and if all the zeal that is now burning against those who are en deavoring to make the scripture plain were used to proclaim the Gospel, the church would begin to look much more like the victorious army Jesus Christ sent her to be. This is the King’s Business! J. Paul Boaz, United Presbyterian Church, Wilton Junction, Iowa WRITES OF APPRECIATION We do appreciate the very great im provement in THE KING’S BUSINESS and it is a profit to us, as we read its pages. Rev. Ralph Blakeman, Director, Mission to the Migrants, Los Angeles, California “ PARSONAGE ROOF" APPRECIATED I especially enjoy Mrs. Althea Miller’s column in your publication, “Under the Parsonage Roof.” They are wonderful peo ple. I missed them so much when they moved from Roanoke. Mrs. A. P. Hammond, Roanoke, Virginia TH E PERFECT HUSBAND? I read in your column by Dr. Narra- more about a “perfect” husband. Heaven could be a difficult place for such people. The more we see our imperfections, the more we glory in the wonderful grace of our precious Redeemer. An old brother said, “I will wonder when I find so and so in heaven; but I will wonder most when I find myself there.” Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me, and may His meek ness teach me how proud and imperfect I am. Mayme Van Dyke, Redlands, California
Choose One to Sponsor. How Can Anyone Refuse? They Cry Out for Comfort Love, Food and Shelter.
Only $ 8 a month — just 2 6 pennies a day covers complete care, including school tuition and books not fre e in Korea,
No. W-l is little Han Kum Soon who lost her father in a traffic accident. Her mother died soon after of a heart attack. A neighbor cared for her a month but was unable to feed her. The police then brought her to our Eternal Light Orphanage. No. W-2 is Kim Ho Kun. His father died in the Korean War and his mother, with no means of livelihood, abandoned him. He was taken to our New Life Orphanage. No. W-3 is Kang Shin Sook. Her father was killed and her mother died of starvation. Relatives tried to care for her but were not able to feed themselves. She was brought to our Jinju Christian Orphanage. Rescued from Despair and Tragedy
These and many more have been rescued but each child is waiting for a loving “Daddy and Mommie” or “Big Brother or Sister.” Ask a friend to be a co-sponsor, $4 each, or interest your Sunday School or other organization groups. The orphan you select will know you are his or her sponsor. You get the child’s picture, life story and mailing address; also the Orphanage history and picture. You can write or send parcels any time you wish. Replies are prompt and in English. Spon sors are THRILLED and BLESSED with this personal contact. New sponsors are desper ately needed to take in many more forlorn children wandering the streets. Each day the children in our Orphanages are taught the Bible, sing Christian songs and earnestly pray. They all attend church and Sunday School and are led to receive Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour. Grasp this God-given opportunity to help train up a child for Christian leadership in Korea.
The ESEA is caring for over 11,000 Korean , orphans, chil dren of lepers, deaf* dumb and blind children and war widow’s children. Its work is widely known. The Korean govern ment has given their highest honor to ESEA. It is registered with the Illinois Secy, of State and Internal Revenue Dept, of the U.S. Govt. Dedicated, con scientious, economical work through 10 years has produced wonderful and lasting results. More than 13 million meals are served each year in our 118 orphanages. Each one is a Christian institution with Bi ble believing staff and Board members. Sponsors are urgent ly needed. Write or phone now.
TH E EVERETT SWANSON EVANGELISTIC ASS'N., INC. 4848 North Leonard Dept. K-2 Chicago 31, Illinois ■--------------------------------------------CLIP AN D M AIL T O D A Y ---------------------------------------------j I □ YES I want to sponsor an orphan for one year. My choice is i Number ------ ..... If this child has already been “adopted,’* I agree to support another whom you will select. With God’s help I will send $8 a month to your office. Please let me have my child’s name, picture, address and story. I understand I | may continue as long as I ' wish. Enclosed is support for , □ first month, □ one year. SEND FULL PARTICULARS. I □ I cannot “ adopt” a child but want to help by giving $_______ D Please mail folder, “Information About Sponsoring Korean Orphans.” * Name ...........w......................................... ............................................................... | Address .......___ ..............................___............................................................ City ..— .....--------------------------- - Zone ___ State .......... _______ Gifts of any amount are welcome. A ll gifts and sponsorings are I income tax deductible. \ The Everett Swanson Evangelistic Association,- Inc. An Interdenominational Non-Profit Corporation Dept. K-2, 4848 No. Leonard, Chicago 31, III., Tel. GL. 6-6181
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FEBRUARY, 1962
T h e K i n g s A publication of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Inc. Louis T. Talbot, Chancellor S. H. Sutherland, President • Ray A. Myers, Chairman of the Board Dedicated to the spiritual development of the Christum hom e Mu AN EFFECTIVE M IN ISTRY — Charles J. Woodbridge ..................... 8 M A N Y TALEN TED MISSIONARIES — Mildred Livingston ........... 10 TH E UNGUARDED GAP — Amy Wilson Carmichael ....................... 11 ARISTOCRATS ANONYMOUS — Vance Havner ................................. 12 PERSONAL SOUL W INN ING — Robert G. Lee ................................. 14 USELESS KINDS OF RELIGION — J. C. Ryle ...................................... 15 HERBERT ARMSTRONG: MR. CONFUSION — Roger Campbell . .. 25 TH E TALE T H A T GREW, AND GREW, AND GREW — Betty Bruechert .................................................................................... 36 TH E MISSIONARY: M Y KINSMAN — Dick Hillis ............................ 40 Fudurn MESSAGE FROM TH E EDITOR — Samuel H. Sutherland .................. 6 DR. TALBO T'S QUESTION BOX — Louis T . Talbot .......................... 16 TA LK ING IT OVER — Clyde M . Narramore ...................................... 18 PERSONAL EVANGELISM — Benjamin Weiss .............................. . 19 PEARLS FROM M A N Y SEAS — T . J. Bach ........................................ 21 CULTS CRITIQUE — Betty Bruechert .................................................... 29 BOOK REVIEWS — Arnold Ehlert ................. .......................................... 30 WORLD NEWSGRAMS — James O. Henry ........................................... 32 SCIENCE AND TH E BIBLE — Bolton Davidheiser ............................... 33 TH E CHR ISTIAN HOME j— Paul Bayles .......... ..................................... 34 UNDER TH E PARSONAGE ROOF — Althea S. Miller .......................... 35 A LUM N I NEWS — InezMcGahey ............................................................ 39 Ceiiumu READER REACTION .................................................................................... 3 VOX POP ................................................................ 4 HOM ILETICAL HELPS .................................................................................. 17 TOW N AND CAMPUS NEWS ................................................................. 38 PEOPLE IN TH E NEWS ............................................................................... 42 ( W t Taken from our featured missionary picture story on pages 40 and 41, the photograph illustrates the need of the native today for spiritual food. Both picture and article are by Biola graduate Dr. Dick Hillis, general director of Overseas Crusades. — All Rights Reserved — FEBRUARY, in the year of our Saviour Nineteen Hundred and Sixty-two Vol. 53, No. 2 Established 1910
ALDERSGATE ' PI BIBLICAL
ABS
SERIES .
NEWS
â SERVICE Winona Lake, Feb. 1, ’62 (ABS).— Evangelicals in America have launched a drive to restore the Bible to the heart of the nation in 1962. But victory will not come by merely shouting slogans. The Bible must come alive —in per sonal reading and study. Fortunately, the bold, new, adult Bible study, ALDERSGATE BIBLI CAL SERIES, is already in use across the continent and around the world! It is direct Bible study, covering the en tire Bible, book-by-book, in 40 separate undated units of 13 lessons each—like Sunday-school quarterlies. Almost one- half of the 40 units are now available, including studies in Genesis, Acts, Ro mans and Hebrews! Critics and reviewers observed when the series was launched 16 months ago that ABS introduced a revolutionary method- of Bible study. Reports from classes now confirm the predictions: ABS perfectly meets the needs of adult groups interested in depth Bible study! The publishers say there are many other details you will want to know—and some you should discover -for yourself, too. Write to them at:
LIGHT AND LIFE PRESS BOX 22F - W IN O N A LAKE, IND. V _________
S. H. SUTHERLAND: Editor A L SANDERS: Managing Editor B ETTY BRUECHERT: Copy Editor
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EDITORIAL BOARD William Bynum, Bolton Davidheiser, Arnold D. Ehlert, Charles L. Feinberg, James O. Henry, Martha S. Hooker, Oran H. Smith
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SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION — "The King's Business" is published monthly. U.S., its possessions, and Canada, $3.00 one year; $ 1.50 six months, 30 cents, single copy. Clubs of three or more at special rates. Write for details. Foreign subscription 75 cehts extra. It requires one month for a change of address to become effective. Please send both old and new addresses. REM ITTANCES — Should be made by bank draft, express, or post office money order payable to 'T h e King's Business."
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f I Montrose, California
THE KING'S BUSINESS
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m ° x V This new column of TH E KING’S BUSINESS is devoted to opinions of readers on various subjects. Ideas ex pressed should not be construed as necessarily reflecting the opinions of THE KING’S BUSINESS or of The Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Inc. APPEALS FOR FUNDS I cannot understand why there are always so many ap peals for funds over the air. It seems like every Gospel program which is put on the radio today has its "hand out." We are just poor people and feel we must give what we can to our church. In our case, the church itself is just going into a building program and has been putting pressure on, not only to meet current obligations, but also for the budget of a new building project. Since you have opened up your pages for comments by readers I for one would like to know how some of the oth ers feel about this. As I re call, there didn't use to be so many calls for support. One can't help but wonder what impression all this have upon those who are non- Christians. Isn't there some other way to raise the neces sary funds? DIVORCE CONDEMNED I have never read such il logical statements as ap peared in the item on "Why Condemn Divorce?" (January Vox Pop). To think that di vorce is permissible just because we are unhappy in marriage and since God wants our lives to be filled with joy. Such reasoning is from the devil. Men are always prone to forget God until something goes wrong and then they find Him convenient to blame.
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FEBRUARY, 1962
5
i dishonest Translation by Dr. S. H. Sutherland
üü 1
One o f the most blatant efforts to down grade the Person and work o f our Lord Jesus Christ to be found in the Kevised Standard Ver sion occurred in connection with the verse, Mat thew i : i 6. In the preceding verses a rather long genealogical list is recorded and in each instance the phrase, "was the father o f” occurs. Por ex ample, "David was the father o f Solomon.” But in verse 16 , the order changes very abruptly for we read, even in the Kevised Standard Ver sion, "And Jacob, the father o f Joseph, the hus band o f Mary, o f whom Jesus was bom who is called the Christ.” However, a very damaging and completely inexcusable footnote is inserted in connection with that particular verse. It reads, "Other ancient authorities read, eJoseph, to whom was betrothed the Virgin Mary, was the father o f Jesus who is called Christ.’ ” One can not believe that this was anything other than a rather dishonest attempt to minimize, i f not completely eliminate, the doctrine o f the virgin birth o f our Lord Jesus Christ. That the phrase, "Other ancient authorities” was a deceitful statement is evidenced by the fa c t that in the New English Bible New Testament translation, the statement is made, "One early witness has rand Joseph to whom Mary, a virgin, was be trothed, was the father o f ” (Jesus). Even tJw translators o f the New English Bible could not quite go for the statement, "Other ancient au t h o r i t i e s a s though there were an appreciable number o f these who recorded that Joseph was the father o f Jesus. But even the translators o f the New English Bible stretched a point when they made the statement, "one early witness.” As a matter o f fa c t "the witness” referred to was not particularly early nor was he much o f a witness. "The authority” is itself a version or a translation and it is utterly unknown as to how many times removed it was from the orig inal manuscripts. And, when compared with
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Please send free copy of IN SPIR ING H YM NS ! to Authorized Church Committee: KB-262 j ADDRESS------------------------- j CITY---------------------------------- |CHURCH------------------- ------------------------------— pi Slnospiratlon HymnBook” { Z O N D E R V A N P U B L I SH I NG HOUS E GRAND RAPIDS S, MICHIGAN In Canada: Horn« Evangel BooLi Ltd., Toronto16 j PHIL KERR'S "M U S IC IN EVANGEL ISM " Two books in one: a history of Gos pel Music, plus many stories of famous hymns and their writers. 216 pages, cloth $ 1 .5 0 Phil Kerr's Gospel Songs - 50 cents Box 409, Glendale, California _STATE_ * THE KING'S BUSINESS 6 the oldest manuscripts in existence, it evidently is not a very early copy. From all indications the phrase "that Joseph was the father o f Jesus’’ was an interpolation o f some modernist o f that particular generation o f Bible copyists who himself was endeavoring to mini mize the person and work o f our Lord Jesus Christ. For it must be remembered that there were modernists during all o f the centuries o f the Christian era from the day o f the resurrection up to the present time. Without ceasing men have tried to eliminate the super natural nature o f Jesus Christ and make Him, instead, merely a human being. But, now we discover that in the latest editions o f the Revised Standard Version the objectionable phrase, "Other ancient authori ties, etc.,” has been completely eliminated. Unfortunately, there may be some well-meaning Christian people who will shout "hur rah!” because the R. S. V. translators have at last seen the light. But, in our humble judgment, it makes the Revised Standard Ver sion that much more reprehensible. We may well ask the question, Why has this most objectionable statement been eliminated in the later editions o f the R. S. V.? Surely one must be extremely naive, indeed, to think fo r a moment that the translators have suddenly reversed then ideas concerning our Lord Jesus Christ and now are making every effort to raise Him to the high level in which He is presented in the Word o f God itself. And if they always have held Him in such high regard as to recognize His virgin birth, the ques tion may well be asked, "Why, then, did they ever put this false and diabolically-conceived statement in their footnotes in the first place?” One is almost forced to the conclusion that the storm o f protest over this objectionable footnote was more than the trans lators had counted upon. They must have thought they could slip this in surreptitiously without anyone’s noting it and thus they could obtain their desired ends. But could it be that the transla tors and the publishers found there was so much objection to this phrase that it was affecting their sales? I f such is the case, this is where the reprehensible nature o f the whole business comes in. I f the phrase is true that "Joseph is the father o f Jesus,” then they are selling their souls fo r a mess o f pottage by eliminating it. If, how ever, the phrase making Joseph the father o f Jesus is not true, that is, it does not occur in several "ancient authorities,” then what pur pose could the translators possibly have had in mind in inserting it unless they were making a conscious effort to eliminate the virgin birth from Christian thought in future years? Certainly no manu scripts have been discovered since the R. S. V. first appeared that would lead them to change their minds on a basis o f evidence. The whole situation is a most glaring example o f the fa c t that the R. S. V. is not an accurate translation at all. Instead, it is a conscious effort on the part o f men who do not hold to the infallibility o f the Word o f God to downgrade the Person and work o f our Lord Jesus Christ. They are not to be trusted in their handling o f the Word o f God. CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS DIRECTORY ► STONY BROOK SCHOOL. * k “Character Before Career” Accredited college preparation for boys. Distinctive Christian train ing. Grades eight to college en trance. Boys from sixteen states and sixteen foreign countries. Full athletic program. 70-acre campus, accessible by car or train. Fortieth year. For a catalogue , write the headmaster , Dr. Frank E. Gaebelein Box 80, Stony Brook, Long Island, N.Y. T H E Baptist College For Southern Calif. & West Coast • Majors in Six Fields • Complete College Program • Evangelistic and Fundamental • New Suburban Campus Write Registrar— Improve your knowlec of the Bible LBROOKS TEACH YOURSELF THE BIBLE SERIES Proven question and answer method. You build your own commentary through cross reference study— comparing scripture with scripture. IVewhali. C a lifo rn ia L.A. BAPTIST COLLEGE 1 I t ► Also excellent for class use 5NewlyRevisedCoursesNowAvailable Romans Practical Bible Doctrine Basic Bible Study for New Christians Christian Character Course • $1.00 $1.00 600 600 How to Pray 600 14 additional courses and other Keith L. Brooks books, charts and tracts available At Your Religious Bookstore, or write /TJX M O O D Y P R E S S CH I CAGO 10. ILLINOIS FEBRUARY, 1962 7 * AN EFFECTIVE F irst T hessalonians 2 contains a majestic description of a successful gospel ministry. In verse 1, Paul de clares, “For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain.” Note the words, “not in vain.” This is a double negative. It underscores the positive. Paul is saying, “Our ministry in Thessalonica was a success. It was effective.” What constitutes an effective missionary work, an effective pastoral work, an effective administrative work? What is the secret of success in our enterprise for Christ? , First Thessalonians 2 is a masterpiece, a classic. Here is one of God’s key secrets to an effective ministry. Several clues are given in this chapter. THE MESSAGE The first clue is in verse 2: “But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as you know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much conten tion.” The first item in any effective ministry — in Thes salonica, in Nigeria, in the islands of the sea, or in Chicago, Illinois — is found in these words. The mes sage is first and foremost. Elsewhere Paul calls it “the gospel of Christ” as in Romans 1:16. Here he calls it “the gospel of God.” The basic item in an effective min istry lies in the message, the Gospel the Good News. There is a great vagueness in the United States as to what precisely constitutes the Gospel of Christ. People are confused. Thank God for the clear proclamation of I Corinthians 15, where the apostle Paul writes, “I declare unto you the gospel . . . how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: and that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve” — historical, empirical, actual facts. Messengers come and go, but the message of redemption goes on. Apart from this message, there is absolutely no effec tive ministry. THE METHOD In verse three we have the apostolic method. Notice the words, “our exhortation was not of deceit” •— it was not sly or deceitful. “Nor of uncleanness” — it was pure. “Not in guile” — it was sincere. This has to do with the method of getting the message across. Paul had a supreme message to declare. He had glad tidings to announce. Note his method. When one heard the apostle Paul preach, he knew exactly what was meant. Paul was not sneaking up on anyone’s blind side. He was not adopting the method sometimes used today — delaying for weeks to mention Jesus’ name in public in the effort first to make friends and influence people. When Paul opened his mouth, it was perfectly clear that here was a man sold on what he was doing. There was not a scintilla of an iota of insincerity in his make-up. The Gospel which he proclaimed was true. It was pure. He used no deceit. This was Paul’s methodol ogy. It is his second clue to an effective ministry. THE MOTIVE The third item is in verse 4: “But as were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth [or testeth] our hearts.” Here is a window opening upon the soul of Paul. The words explain the motive which drove Paul on. Our supreme objective, our chief motivation, must always be to please Almighty God. I may not always be pleasing to men. As a matter of fact, in Thessalonica they threw Paul and Silas out of the city. But, Paul says, his ministry among them was not in vain. It was eminently successful. He was shamefully treated at Philippi; and when he came to Thessalonica, there was trouble, affliction, persecution. Nevertheless, he had a message to proclaim. He had a God-given method and his motive was pure. It behooves us who are Christian workers periodically to examine our motives. Why am I doing this? Am I seeking pri marily to please man, or God? The first question in the Westminster Shorter Cate chism is: “What is the chief end of man?” The answer reflects the teaching of the Scriptures. “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” Paul’s motive was ever to please the living God. But do not misunderstand Paul. He is not even intimating that one must go out of his way to displease men. If as a by-product of our gospel ministry men are pleased, that is splendid. But even if they are displeased, our motive does not change. We get our marching orders from the Almighty. We have a Textbook, the Word of God. TH E KING'S BUSINESS i 4 , MINISTRY by Charles J. Woodbridge, PH. D.* that the Church of Jesus Christ theologically has been in no greater jeopardy since the time of the Protestant revolt. Subtle forces are at work. The very heart and core of our whole theological system — the inspiration of the Word of God— is being attacked. You and I are called upon, with every fiber of our being, to be loyal to the Word of God, to refuse to lower the flag either in the area of doctrine or in the area of ethics, one centimeter. And yet, it is our job to remember that the beloved apostle Paul when writing to babes in Christ in Thessalonica said, “but we were gentle among you even as a nurse cherisheth her children.” This is what I call spiritual balance. You and I must contend for the faith delivered once for all. Yet at the same time, in the Spirit of God, we must cultivate the spirit of love, of tenderness, of kindness. TH E MOOD And now verse 8: “So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.” First the message, then the meth od, the motive, the manner, and now the mood. The fruit of the Spirit is love. May God grant that every one of us may really love the souls of people for whom Christ died. May we sometimes at night feel our pillows wet with tears when during the day we have learned of some one who rejected the Son of God. May we really be affectionately desirous of the beloved peo ple to whom we minister. THE MAN I call your attention to verse 10: “Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe.” Item six is the man himself, Paul. How careful every worker for God must be to make sure that he himself is living a pure and holy life. The man himself: this is crucial. What a challenge! Wherever we labor, our ministry will be effective if we meet these conditions. *From a message delivered, at the Congress of Missions in Chicago, III. included in the book, “Facing the Unfinished Task,” compiled by J. O. Percy. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michi gan. 9 Do you believe in academic liberty? Of course you do. Academic liberty relates to pedagogy, it relates to system, it relates to methodology, it relates to the man ner in which we get things across. Every teacher in every evangelical institution around the world should remember that while he has academic liberty, at the same time he is in bondage. He is in bondage to the Word of God. In 1920 Martin Luther wrote three inflammatory treatises. They got him into trouble. One of them had to do with the freedom of the Christian man. The Chris tian is the freest of all men. Why? Because he is the bondslave of One alone, Jesus Christ. Why do I mention this? Because every faithful minister of God, every faithful missionary, gets his orders from the Word of God. His motivation is directed by his desire to please the Almighty. The method of pleasing the Almighty is found in the Scriptures. And if he is pleasing thé Al mighty on- the basis of the Word of God, unquestionably there will be occasions when he displeases men. THE MANNER “But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children” (I Thess. 2 :7 ). This is an amaz- ing text, a strange text. In the background of this tre mendous Christian theologian, Paul, there were three distinct cultures -— Hellenistic, Hebraic, and Roman. Never man wrote theology under the inspiration of the Spirit of God as did the apostle Paul. He sometimes uses theological jet planes and takes us into the theological stratosphere. But then suddenly this tremendous theo logian brings us right down to where people live. “We were gentle among you even as a nurse . . Here is the man who upon occasion withstood others to the face (Galatians 2). And yet “I was gentle among you as a nurse . . .” This is marvelous. When I was a missionary in the French Cameroon, we had no doctor within eighty-five miles. We had one American nurse. I used to call her “M.D.” That meant “Minus a Doctor.” I used to watch her at work. Can you visualize the apostle Paul taking the spiritual temperature of these Thessalonians? Can you imagine him sticking a spiritual thermometer into their mouths to see how they were doing, and then feeling their pulse? You and I are living in days of heated theological controversy. It is my reasoned opinion FEBRUARY, 1962 > * r ■ ^ _ missionary needs to have had some business course training. Each station has a book deposit, so the specialist station missionary is a salesman! People come to the mission home for books, and other helps, tracts, and the like. There are a number of weekly evangelistic services in the town and nearby villages, and the specialist station missionary is called upon for a sermon, for transportation (if he has a car), and for help with the music. The young people form a choir that sings in church and over the ra dio, and the station missionary may play, sing, or even direct the choir as the need may be. When camp or conference time arrives, a good repre sentative group of the young people are encouraged to attend, and ar rangements made for their transporta tion. Child evangelism presents an ever-present challenge and opportu nity to every station missionary, and all of the women missionaries sched uled at least one class into a busy week, and many times, five or six, besides teaching a training class of national teachers weekly. On this station last year twenty-two teachers taught 495 classes reaching over seven hundred children every week. Visitation opportunities are limit less! The believers eagerly look for ward to the missionary’s visits to their homes. These are visits of consolation, exhortation, counseling, invitation, and investigation. And when it comes to visiting, it is usually a question of who gets started first on a given day, because so many nationals visit the missionary. Then there are hun dreds of homes of unbelievers, whose children are perhaps in the neighbor hood classes. Perhaps their Christian neighbors have asked the missionary to do a little follow-up work with someone with whom they have been dealing. Yes, the station missionary is a visitation specialist! Are you weary? Perhaps the mis-, sionary is, too, but there are still Bible classes to prepare for, and there are the church services, the young people, the women’s meetings, and special messages for a campaign or confer ence. You discover that the construction work on the mission home or chapel has been held up because of these other important ministries. Often a station missionary must also be a builder. Specialization? Yes, in station work we must redeem the time, and buy up opportunities. Missionaries appre ciate your prayers for their special ization ministries. Would the Lord have you to be this kind of specialist? M A N Y - T A L E N T E D M I S S I O N A R I E S by Mildred Livingstone I n th ese days, specialization seems to be the watchword, the secret and arranged our room with a fan and a mosquito net. The temperature averages 93° to 95° the year round, so no blankets are needed. We might think we are their first visitors for a long time, but as we look at their guest book we see they have had an average of two to three guests a night for nearly a year, and, by the time we leave, we know that this number doesn’t include those who are enter tained for meals at different times! So a specialist station missionary, run ning a “missionary hotel” is host or hostess, as well as cook! As we attend the Sunday school and church services on Sunday, we see that the missionaries are also musi cians (though not expert, perhaps), Bible teachers, and preachers (where there is no national pastor). The single woman missionary stays for the church business meeting to take the minutes, because she is church secre tary. The church treasurer asked help from the man missionary regarding the church books. Yes, the station of success, -the goal, the ultimate in any endeavor. And, on the mission field, it is becoming increasingly evi dent that this is the trend, as avia tion, medicine, radio, education, lit erature are being used on all fields to make Christ known. The Orinoco River Mission has sev eral specialized projects— a Bible in stitute, a launch ministry, and recent ly a press and bookstore ministry. But station work has long been one of its specialties, and I would like to show how station work specialists are need ed. Another name for them .might be jacks of all trades (and masters of one—making Christ known through every opportunity). A missionary on his or her station has unlimited opportunities. Shall we visit one of the stations in Venezuela where there is a missionary couple and a single woman missionary, and accompany them for a few weeks? We are their guests, so they have made special preparation for our coming, 10 THE KING'S BUSINESS (continued on page 21) Occasionally, of course, the best of men will hang their harps on the willows. We are still human and some things rub the mortal the wrong way. There are always some in high places, not among those true cele brities we have already mentioned, who did not get there by their own merit. There are servants on horses and princes walking as servants upon the earth. True promotion cometh neither from the south, east, or west (Psa. 75:6), but some other kinds do. It may irk an honest soul to take a back seat or to see some true prophet ignored in favor of a politician. There are tricks of manufactured and arti ficial greatness by which some reach the top sea is in the synagogue and are called Rabbi. It will be interesting, when we get to Heaven, to find out who the really big preachers are. Some of them may have served on hard-scrabble circuits and worn old blue serge suits until they gleamed like shining armor; and their equally faithful wives may never have known what it was like to wear a good coat. They did not serve God for recogni tion or to be “appreciated.” They were faithful over a few things and cultivated well their plot and never wore out their eyes gazing at greener pastures nor did they bum up envying some man’s bishopric. By the large, there are no better people on earth than the host of “little (?) preachers” who never get headlines at conven tions, but work hard, rear fine fami I n every generation God raises up in the church a figure who gets the eyes of the public and the ear of the multitude. There is no use trying to explain such celebrities, for after all the explanations have been added up the sum is greater than all of its parts. The best explanation lies in the sovereignty of God. He chooses whom He will and when He is ready He raises up His man. To be sure, when the Almighty asks, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” there must be an Isaiah with cleansed heart and fire-anointed lips to say, “Here am I; send me” (Isa. 6 :8 ). But the simplest way to account for such phenomenal characters is to say, “There was a man sent from God” (John 1:6). Along with these luminaries there shine lesser lights of varying bril liance. And fainter still are thousands of good men who never rate higher than “among those present.” Now God would have every man be all that he can be by divine grace, and Some could be greater lights than they are if they paid the price of faith and work. But there are many more who pray just as much and love God just as much and work just as hard as the chiefest celebrity but ■live and die almost unknown. Sometimes they are puzzled by it and perplexed if not in despair. Most of them, however, do not give it much thought but are content to be faithful and let God keep the books. lies, hold things together while some body else gets the credit, these grass roots Aristocrats Anonymous. And one remarkable thing about it all is that some of these can outpreach some in high places. I have been painfully disappointed where I expected to hear much and have listened to more than one truly great preacher who never was heard of outside his state. In a slightly different category are those unknowns of their day who be came famous too late to know it, at least down here. Matthew Henry thought his ministry was well-nigh a failure but now his commentary circles the globe. We may have some such with us now, prophets without honor in their own country. Joseph Parker said: “There may be those who would today clap their hands applaudingly at the mention of the name of Bunyan who would not ad mit a living Bunyan to fellowship, intimacy, hospitality.” Something might be given to him at the back door. It is one thing to applaud the heroes, the prophets, the seers of old time and another to recognize their successors today. “Seven towns contend for Homer dead , Through which the living Homer begged his bread.” There are compensations, too. Some one has said that ice is the only thing that’s what it is cracked up to be. Certainly fame is disappointing The St Si A G im X 'focuf Jot, Jkt Unknown, Ik i. true celebrity has his spells of wish ing that he could drop out of sight into the ranks of the common folk and enjoy life’s simple joys without the blinding glare of publicity and news reporters dogging every step. We ordinary mortals need shed no tears over our obscurity. There are satisfactions in it that fame cannot taste and we are often the envy of the high and mighty. Besides, fame is such a fleeting thing anyway. The other day I discovered in a library alongside the usual “Who’s Who,” another volume, “Who Was Who.” Of course the present-day American standard for measuring preachers is hard on the man who goes in for sort instead of size, quality rather than quantity. Few would agree now with Alexander Whyte when he said: “The true preacher may have, and usually has but few people, as people go in our day, and the better the preacher sometimes the smaller the flock. It was so in our Lord’s case. The multitude followed after the loaves but they fled from the feeding doctrines till He first tasted that dejection and sense of defeat which so many of His best servants are fed on in this world. Still as our Lord did not tune His pulpit to the taste of the loungers of Galilee, no more will a preacher worth the name do anything else but press deeper and deeper into the depths of truth and life as was the case with the Master till His followers, though few, will be all the more worth hav ing.” Well said, but not many pul pit committees are out looking for that kind of preacher nowadays. “How big a church does he now have? How much money does he raise? How many members has he taken in?” When have you heard any body ask, “Does he know God?” All of this is hard on a sincere man with a family to feed in this insane age. It is possible, as we indicated at the outspt, for a man to have depth of soul and strength of character and fame along with it, but by and large the combination is rare. The saints at Smyrna were plutocrats in the eyes of the Lord, but they were anything else in the eyes of men. A Christian may be in the upper brackets both on earth and in Heaven, but the Scrip tures do not indicate an oversupply of such. The eleventh chapter of Hebrews, that Westminster Abbey of the New Testament, lists several categories of the heroes of faith. It begins with an illustrious number whose names are given, another galaxy unnamed but still successful, but it ends with that unknown aggregation simply desig nated “and others.” They did not fare so well on earth and they are per petuated today in that countless host “among those present.” These un knowns, however, do not pass their day in self-pity. This business of be ing unnoticed and unrecognized can degenerate into false humility. I have heard of a gentleman who made a donation and explained later, “I wish to be anonymous so I did not sign the check.” These “others,” in fact, may be the happiest of the lot. They expect nothing of men and everything from God. They major on being faith ful over a few things. When others get the cake and they get the crumbs they say, “Hallelujah anyway!” For them the most important thing is to keep the heart right, cleansed by the blood from resentment and jealousy. They think upon “whatsoever things are of good report” and believe the best about people until they must be lieve otherwise. They have a sense of humor and know how to laugh at themselves. Other people laugh at them anyway and it is a good thing sometimes to make it unanimous. There are a lot of these on earth and there will be a lot of them in Heaven. Babe Ruth used to tell of a saintly old preacher he once knew, one of these unknowns. Babe said: “I have written my name on thousands of baseballs, but he wrote his on a few hearts. Compared to him, I didn’t even reach first base.” These are the salt of the earth. Without them the celebrities could not make it; every great movement ■that gets publicity would fold up overnight. I refuse to give them much comfort or advice. They are doing very well without it. To them the Lord says, as to the saints of Smyrna, “I know . . . fear not . . . be faith ful.” They are not gullible, they know what goes on. But neither are they grouchy, they keep sweet. They are too busy serving the Lord to gripe over the inequities down here. They did not expect anything of earth any way and so have not been severely disappointed. Men have failed them and they have failed themselves, but God has not failed and they knew that to start with. They follow in the footsteps of Another who didn’t get it when He was here and doesn’t get it yet except from such as know His cross. He wears a crown now, but the only one we gave Him was made of thorns. Blessed is the man who con ditions himself for discipleship by re membering that as was the Master, so shall the servant be. All else is incidental. Fame and fortune may come to a few, but if they are truly great, they are as though they had it not, for only the poor in spirit belong to the Kingdom. It is the Laodicean age, but not en tirely. Concurrent with it is Philadel phia whose saints have a little strength, have kept His word, and have not denied His name. They do not pull wires to advance themselves, for they believe the Keeper of the Keys still runs the preaching busi ness and is the Lord of the Open Door. Of course Satan can hinder; but, though they be sorely tested in be lieving it, the Christ of the Candle sticks can still open doors that no man can shut. If we can believe that and live accordingly we shall be kept from ulcers and nervous breakdowns as well as from “the hour of tempta tion, which shall come upon the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth” (Rev. 3:10). It is a great day for the unknowns, the Aristocrats Anonymous! * r r - ». w FEBRUARY, 1962 13 Come ye a fte r m e , and I w i l l m ake yo u to become fishers of men (M a r k 1 : 1 7 ) P E R SONAL SOUL WINNI by Robert G. Lee T h e greatest sit- down strike in the world has not been staged by some labor union in some industrial or manufacturing plant, but in our churches by those who claim to be saved—and yet have never become fishers of men. Many who love Jesus, do not seem to love Him enough to make any special personal effort to get others to give Him their hands and hearts in repentance and faith for salvation. Personal soul-winning makes us do as Jesus did. If we would be like Jesus, we must be personal soul-winners. The soul-saving passion dominated the life of Jesus. The redemption of poor sinners was more to Jesus than the glory He had with God before the world was, for He emptied Himself of it all—more to Him than the joys of heaven, for He left those joys to become “a man of sor rows”—more to Him than life, for He said: “I lay down my life”—more to Him than the shining of the Father’s countenance, for He willingly leaped into the awful abyss of wrath and gloom from the depths of which He cried, “My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Soul-winning was the life-business of Jesus. In what sense is a man a follower of Jesus who does not give his life to that which Jesus gave His life? The example Jesus left us to walk in His steps teaches us that in soul-winning we can have no proxy—cannot transfer this obligation to some evangelist. The chief method of Jesus was the method of individ ual evangelism. To Jesus a single soul was a great audi ence. On nineteen different occasions, Jesus sat down and taught one person—just one. He used the line as often as He used the seine or net. “The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me” (John 1:43). That shows us Jesus seeking one man—just one. John 4 shows us Jesus—who often ran from cities, who often evaded great throngs—winning one woman. Luke 19 is a vivid picture of how Jesus won a rich man to faith in him— and to salvation glorious. And that vivid painting is autographed with these words from Jesus: “The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). This makes us ask, “What should we do?” As to indi vidual evangelism, we should do as Jesus did—be fishers of men. And we learn by doing. The best modem methods in which present-day educators take such pride are better exemplified in Jesus than in Teachers’ College, Columbia University. The learner can learn only by actually doing. Anything else is like learning to swim by keeping away from the water—like learning to harvest a crop by mere knowl edge that there is a harvest—like learning to be a blacksmith by reading poetry about the village smithy. If a boy is to learn how to make a table — he must actually begin to make a table. When fishermen are Sent to the river to fish—they fish. When nurses are sent to a hospital to nurse— they nurse. When painters are sent to a house to paint—they paint. When soldiers are sent to the battle to fight — they fight. But too often when we are sent into the world to win men we sing “Throw Out the Lifeline,” but do not throw. We sing “I Love to Tell the Story” ■— and do not tell it. We sing in jubilant chorus: “Rescue the Perishing” — and our rescue work is woefully lacking in concern and our lack of rescue makes our lives perjure the words of our mouths. The greatest sit-down strike in all the world is not enacted by some labor union but by Christians—when it comes to personal visitation for the purpose of winning the lost, when it comes to individual Christian’s work for the individual man who is unsaved. In our Christian zeal we do as someone said of Mr. Wordsworth: “Some times he made his poetic eagle do the work of a clucking hen.” As a consequence, the unsaved all around us can say, “No man cared for my soul.” Would that it were known of us in our churches what was said of Mr. Wesley:. “He was out of breath pursuing souls.” We should have and manifest the passion for souls which Whitefield had who said: “I am willing to go to prison and to death for you, but I am not willling to go to heaven without you.” We need the passion that girded Francis Asbury as he traveled a distance equal to five circuits around the world every five years, on the average for forty-five ye,ars, and that mainly on horseback. We need the passion that fired Livingstone and kept him aflame amid jungle dangers and twenty-seven attacks of African fever—the passion that was the power working in the heart of John Brainerd, who said: “I care not what hardships I endure, if only I can see souls saved”— the passion that drove General Booth who, with a vision of the poor of London and what Christ could mean to their lives, said: “God shall have all there is of William Booth.” The third question we ask is, “How shall we become good fishermen?” (continued on next page) '* * ’* * A * THE KING'S BUSINESS 14
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