King's Business - 1954-05

---------- An Answer to Look M agazine ---------- and Dr. «föhn Sutherland Donnell on What Is a Presbyterian?

Now for an answer. It can be categor­ ically stated that most Presbyterians do not believe as Bonnell states they do on these four major points. The best answer to Look and Bonnell is the copyrighted state­ ment of the "Reformed Faith,” published by authority of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. These are the exact words of this statement. On the verbal inspiration of Scripture: "W e gratefully receive the Holy Scriptures, given by in­ spiration, to be the faithful record of God’s gracious revelations and the sure witness to Christ, as the Word of God, the only in­ fallible rule of faith and life (article I I ) .” On the bodily resurrection: "W e believe that in the life to come, the spirits of the just, at death made free from sin, enjoy immediate communion with God and the vision of His glory; and we confidently look for the general resurrection in the last day, when the bodies of those who sleep in Christ shall be fashioned in the likeness of the glorious body of their Lord, with whom they shall live and reign forever (article X I I ) .” On the virgin birth: "W e believe in and confess the Lord Jesus Christ, the only Mediator between God and man, who, being the Eternal Son of God, for us men and for our salvation became truly man, being conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary. . . (article V I I I ) .” On a material heaven and hell: The idea of a physical resurrection demands a physical abiding place (see above). It would seem to us these official state­ ments of the Presbyterian Church speak with a far greater authority than does the

A n March 15 Look magazine published a I I four-page article entitled, “What is a Presbyterian?” The article was produced by Leo Rosten and written by Dr. John Sutherland Bonnell, minister of the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, New York, and a visiting lecturer at Princeton Theo­ logical Seminary for 16 years. In answering this article, we are not mak­ ing any special defense of one denomina­ tion. W e are answering the article simply because it seems to us the facts are so gross­ ly misrepresented that the cause of evan­ gelical Christianity has been dealt a blow. While Bonnell is in no way the spokesman for the Presbyterian Church, the article would lead one to believe that he were. There are four points that are particularly damaging. They are: 1) The denial of the verbal inspiration of the Bible. 2) The denial of the bodily resurrection. 3) Hedg­ ing on the virgin birth. 4) Denial of a material heaven and hell. Here are Bonnell’s own words. On the verbal inspiration of Scripture: “ They [Presbyterians], therefore, emphasize in­ spired men, not inspired words.” On the bodily resurrection: "W ith few exceptions, Presbyterians do not interpret the phrase in the Apostles’ Creed, 'the resurrection of the body,’ as meaning the physical body.” On the virgin birth: "Some find a sym­ bolic, rather than a physical meaning in the account of the birth of Jesus.” On a material heaven and hell: "Most Presby­ terians do not believe in a material heaven or hell.” O f course, these quotes are taken out of context but we do not believe that any violence has been done to Bonnell’s thesis.

— Lloyd Hamill.

Rev. Mr. Bonnell.

M A Y 1 9 5 4

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