T or E ver , 0 L ord ,T hy W ord is S ettled in H eaven - P salm II9:89 VOL. I6 -NO -3 MARCH 1925 SECTION I W ho is R esponsible ? F or . the D estruction of F aith in the B ible as the W ord of G od F or the T idal W ave of C rime and V ice F or the F launting D isregard of M oral S tandards
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CONTRIBUTORS DR. FRENCH E. OLIVER
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THIS MAGAZINE stands for the Infallible Word of God, and for its great fundamental doctrines. ITS PURPOSE is to strengthen the faith of all believers, in all the world; to stir their hearts to engage in definite Christian work; to acquaint them w ith the varied work of the Bible Institute of Los A ngeles; and to work in harmony and fellowship w ith them m m agnifying the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ, and thus hasten H is coming. Volume XVI March, 1925 Number 3
Table of Contents
Editorials Page H ave a HeartB^^^5?-'i.:......... -..... ......................................................................191 The Love L in g o ...............................................................................-.-I 02 Distrust and Destruction....................................................................................... -1 02 The Modernist’s M odel......................................... .'............................................... 103 Respected Representatives ................................................................................. . .103 The Obscuration of the Old-FashionedH om e ............................................. 104 Contributed Articles Man’s Questions and G od ’s Answers— Dr. A . Gordon MacLennan— 105 The Philosophy of the Death of Christ— R ene A . Aeschliman............ 106 The Scriptures are Complete in Their Structure— Dr. F. E. Marsh.......10 7 A Stronghold of Fundamental Doctrine............................. .......................108 Who is Responsible?— Wm. A . Fisher.................................................. -....... 104 Fine Gold (A Serial S to ry )— Josephine H opeW estervelt................................. 109 Current Comment ....................... , . 110 Our Bible Institute in Hunan Province (C h in a )..... ................... ............................ 1 1 1 Evangelistic Department (Interesting Soul Winning Stories from Real Experience)..........:................................................ ...................112 Pointers for Preachers and Teachers (Hom iletical H e lp s ).................................1 15 The Family Circle (For Fellowship and Intercession)......................................... 1 16 Practical Methods o f Personal Work (For Defenders of the F a ith )........ -,- l 17 Christian Endeavor Top ics...................................................................-.........................118 The Children’s G a r d e n . . ........................-.................. -..................-....................... 119 Outline Studies in the Book of Jude...........................................................................121 Bible Institute Happenings................................ 122 A n Eight Months’ Revival in Des Moines, Iowa................................................... 1,23 The Isle o f Cyprus.............................. ....... .........................................................................123 Best Books ................................. ....................... ;............f.‘. . . ....... .....................132 A Letter from a Loyal Layman................................................... ................................141
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it and pass it by when we read the papers. But the fact remainS that today boys and girls are guilty of gross sin; and they develop into hardened criminals. A young girl of sixteen, for instance, shoots her own mother and then goes off for an evening dance, leaving her mother’s body lying upon the floor! Crime is so frequent that we no longer feel any revulsion as we read the stories. Our own hearts are hardened, and the stream of compassion which should be flowing out towards these hardened hearts is so obstructed by their constant recurrence that we become
HAVE A HEART! We were riding into the city upon an interurban train. It was filled with people and some were stand ing. An elderly lady came in and we gave her our seat. Other women came in—some with children. Men sat, unheeding, reading their papers—some of them young men. We were forced to ask ourselves the question, “ Why have men changed?” In our young days no gentleman or manly hoy would sit while women stood. We were
indifferent, and the chill increases until we are, ourselves, hard-hearted. Have a Heart for the Heavy-Hearted. Who are they? Tens of thousands of them are living all around us. Sin, sorrow, suffering weigh upon the hearts of millions. They carry their burdens all alone. No one cares for their souls. The Bible means little or nothing to them, for they never see it exemplified in human life.; They look for some sign of the-Christ but see it not. Thé church is cold. More and more culture and intellectuality; more and more perfunctory ; more and more self-satis fied ; many well trained in the “ letter of the law’-’ but lifeless concerning the ‘‘life of. the Lord. ’’ They look to Christ to carry their own burdens, but
forced to the conclusion, “ It is-the age—this ‘new age’ ” ; and, looking out upon the panorama of the fields as we glided along we thought of the human heart, of the seeming chill which has enveloped it, and of the need in the life of the church, and this came to us : Have a Heart for the Heedless-Hearted! Most
Stir Me Into a Flame s T IR me, O, stir me,. Lord, till all my heart Is filled with strong compassion for lost souls, - Till Thy compelling “must” drives me to pray, Till Thy constraining love reach to the poles, Far North and South, in burning deep desire, Till East and West are caught in love’s great fire. Stir me, O stir me, L o rd ; Thy heart was stirred By love’s intensest fire, till Thou did’st give Thine only Son, Thy best beloved One, E ’en to the- cruel cross -that I might live. Stir me to give myself so back to Thee, That Thou can’st give Thyself again through me.
people are, by nature, sel fish, absorbed with their own cares and trials, their own comforts and tri umphs. They are domin ated by one desire—to get the most out of life for themselves. It is “ Eat, drink, and he merry, for tomorrow we die.” The r a v a g e s of sin mean nothing to them. The sor row and pain in this old world mean nothing to them. They are completely engulfed in a sea of indif ference. “ Every man for himself ” is their supremely selfish slogan..
Stir me, O stir me, Lord, for I can see Thy glorious triumph day begin to break; The dawn already gilds the Eastern sky; O, Church of Christ, AWAKE! AWAKE! O, stir us; Lord, as heralds of that day®! For night is past-rfbhr' King is -on His way.
never seek to bear the burdens of others. Have a Heart for the Hungry-Hearted. Who. are they? They include in their number all qf the other classes, for every soul was made in the image of God, made for God, having a longing for the one self-satis fying portion which is found alone in Him. Uncon scious of where it is, never having been told what it is, yet seeking it in selfish pleasure, in worldly amuse ments, in the greed for gain, in the cults and false sys tems of religion,-—seeking, seeking everywheré and in everything, but finding it in nothing and nowhere. • The laugh at the movies is turned to loathing ; money mocks; prosperity pollutes; popularity palls; work wearies and life is a living lethargy. What is it man needs ? The Gospel of peace. There is no peace to the
They take-advantage of all the conveniences of life, without a thought of the cost to someone. Their object in life is to have “ a good time” but—it must be borne in mind—not one’ of them is ever really happy, and we should have a heart for them. We should love them enough to seek to give them a vision of real life; of a life with a purpose; of what a transformation awaits them when they get the vision of Christ and of a Christ life. ' Have a Heart for the Hard-Hearted. Are there many such? Yes, very many. They are subject to the atmosphere of this age in which we live. Sin is rampant—all kinds of sin—the grossest character of sin—is so common that we ignore
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wicked—the unsaved. Sin is man’s burden and Christ is the Burden-bearer. We know the story. Why do we not have a heart for the sin-stricken, suffering, hungry- souls, into whose faces we look daily as we tread life ’s highway? What is the outstanding characteristic of Christ? A heart. How was it manifested? Where did He go? What did He do ? Read the Gospels and see. Read the Book of Acts and see how that heart was duplicated by the Holy Spirit in the lives of the apostles. Have a Heart! How can we have the heart that hopeless humanity needs to see expressed ? By opening wide the door of our poor hearts to the fulness of pos session of the Holy Spirit who lives in us, but who is so often relegated to the limits of a small space. Let us yield our wills until our hearts shall be the happy home of the Holy Spirit and we will Have a Heart ! THE LOVE LINGO , Silly sentimentality is taking the place of sturdy, Scriptural messages, in many pulpits. A recent illus tration of this is furnished by a subscriber in an East ern city who sends us a newspaper account of the' Sun day evening discourse by one of the pastors in a theatre, in which he announced that “ Christianity according to Christ is clearly a way of love.” ' He went on to say: “ In spite of much in the Old Testament which represents God as an implacable ruler of wrath, jealousy and vindictiveness, Jesus taught that He is a Father of love, who cares for the people of earth and is not willing that any should perish.” If the preacher had been fair to the Gospel of Christ as manifest in His own words, he would have said that Christ spoke but little of God’s love save as that love was manifest in the cross, where God poured out His Wrath upon His Son when He bore the sins of the world. He would not have left the people in ignorance by a mis-application of the word “ love.” God is love, but He is also a God of wrath. God is love, but God hates sin. Jesus said: “He th a t believeth on th e Son h a th everlasting life; and he th a t believeth n o t th e Son shall n o t see life; b u t th e w rath of God abideth on him .” John says, through the Holy Spirit: . “If any man love th e world, th e love of th e F a th e r is n o t' in him .” Jesus says: “F o r th e F a th e r him self loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed th a t I came o u t from God.” Jesus is the One who pronounced the “ woes” upon men: “Woe unto- the world!’’ “Woe unto that man by whom the offence cometh!” “ Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” . “Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you!” Words of warning, voiced in sorrow! The poor, old, sin-sick world needs the truth. It needs to know that God loves and that love is mani fested in the shed blood of His Son whom He surren dered to the cross to expiate sin; and that only by the “ Woe unto you, blind guides!” “Woe unto you that are rich!” “ Woe unto you that are fu ll!”
acceptance of that Son can man have his sin forgiven and have imparted to him the new nature essential for a life with God through eternity. Christ gave no “ lovey-dovey” messages, nor did the apostles. They sounded out the solemn warning with unswerving fidelity,-®“ Repent! Believe! Receive!” The'only place of refuge for a sin-sick world is in the outstretched arms of Him who hung upon the cross, from which the dripping blood spoke the words of real import concerning the love of God: “F o r God so loved th e world, th a t He gave H is only begot ten Son, th a t whosoever believeth on Him, should no t p er ish, b u t have everlasting life.” DISTRUST AND DESTRUCTION Faith is the foundation of all constructive building, whether in the material or the spiritual realm. Men must have faith in and implicitly obey God’s natural laws in constructing any sort of structure or mechan ism, whether they recognize and obey His spiritual laws or not. A question mark concerning the foundation is fol lowed by doubt, and doubt by distrust, and distrust by destruction,—but this is the age of the question mark, among young and old, concerning the Bible as the Word of God;:the standard of morals; the stabil ity of our government ; the sacredness of the marriage tie; the shocking stories of crime, their consequences and punishment. The roots of distrust are running down deep into the foundations, and it behooves us to be asking the ques tion: What is the cause and what is the cure of this curse which threatens the destruction of our civiliza tion? Will we find the answer from the boys and girls, or from the parents, or from the professors or the poli ticians,—-or are they all engaged in this seed-sowing of doubt? Surely, there is. a screw loose somewhere, and it must be tightened or the foundation will fall to pieces. The damage is already tremendous, and delay means disaster. Is there, then, a foundation for faith in the spiritual realm? If so, where is it? What is it? It must be found in God, for He is the “ author and finisher of faith. ’’ He laid the foundations of the universe, and His laws govern it. How about His laws in moral and spiritual affairs? Has God left the regulation of that sphere to the conceited brain of sinful man,—or has He here, as in other realms, manifested His unchang ing and unchangeable laws ? Where are these laws to be found? In His Written Word. There are to be found the fundamental laws of human life by which men can build noble, righteous character. If this is true—and it is—why stand by], while the enemies of God and man blast at the founda tions of faith which God has established, and view with indifference the ruined lives of young and old who, without a foundation for their faith in the inerrant Word of God, can never erect their “ building * * * made without hands, eternal in the Heavens” which will stand the test when “ every man’s work shall be tried by fire. ’’ Shall we not rather diligently “ study to show our selves approved unto God, workmen that need not to be ashamed,” rejoicing in the assurance that “ the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His.”
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that when he puts on his uniform, he is the personal representative of the king.” ‘ Now we are thinking of the high and holy calling of the followers of Christ, and of the need of a deeper consciousness of what it means to be a representative of the Court of Heaven; of how much we lose when the standard is lowered by our failure to remember always the fact—so clearly emphasized in the Word of God— that we are ambassadors for Christ, representing the King of kings and Lord of lords, no matter what may be our earthly calling. We may be an artisan or an artist; housekeeper or bookkeeper; milkman or merchant;. baker or banker;
THE MODERNIST’S MODEL Mr. Pace presents this month a cartoon which car ries a comprehensive conviction that the basis of the “ Modernist Movement” is a “ Back-to-Nature” move ment which, logically, will land its followers in the Gar den of Eden where they will find—as did Adam and Eve—the devil emerging from the bushes ready to take their hand and give them a hearty welcome. His Satanic Majesty is right at home in this, vantage ground, for it was here he sowed the seed which has multiplied so tremendously and which has, in turn, been scattered broadcast by the enemies of God and of a limited period for his propaganda, but he has succeeded in finding a r e s t i n g place in the visible church of God, the class rooms of the schools and on the printed page. The Bible presents his portrait and he hates it. He cannot destroy the Book, but he can deny its truths and diminish its power in the lives of men; and he is never so hilariously happy as when wearing the clothes of the clergy and voicing the vain vaporings of t h e “ goody-goody” Sa tanic sentimentalists w h o endeavor to eliminate the doc trine- of the Infal lible Word of God and substitute for it the infantile theories of weakhrained theologians. “ Go to it, boys!” .he says, “ I am with you. I have no better servants than you. You have first place in m y ‘devil’s dope’ class. Play the game fast. The time is short. If you are faithful, I will promote you to the position of ‘Royal Robbers’. So hand out plenty of honey, rock them to sleep and let tlje good work go on. ” Well, here is the photograph of the deluded church goer who is charmed by the smile and cheated by the dulcet voice of the Modernist preacher. How do you like it? RESPECTED REPRESENTATIVES Perusing a secular paper recently, our attention was attracted by a comment on the “ dignity of office,” the writer having noticed the conduct of a policeman who stopped a traffic violator and, says the writer, “ If all policemen were as dignified and courteous as was this man, they would have a valued friend and cooperator in every decent citizen. In some foreign 'countries, every officer is taught, as the first article of his creed, P icturing ourbeajildered emburrcßßmenta fterhear ing a modernißtpreach. His Christ during the centuries which have followed. The devil has hut
seaman or soldier; cook or Congress man j. professor. or preacher; peddler or President,—but all of these occupations are to be recognized as chosen for us by our Leader' and that in them all we are His representatives and, as such, we are the recipients of the highest honor it is possible -for t h e Ruler of the uni verse to bestow upon the children of men. We are His and He is ours. We are to wear the garments of an ambassador. We are to be kindly disposed to all peo ple. We are to make the proclamation to all people. We are to bow to no other king, but we are to be always ready and prompt to engage in
BACK TO NATURE MOVEMENT "You see Ihave f \\ taken awayonly H '' the non-essentiab”
the most lowly service at His bidding. We are to help the helpless ; he a blessing to the beggar; give the message to the rich, and proclaim the glad tidings to the downtrodden. Our King is no respecter of persons, neither should we be. We must remember that often those who assume a place of superiority by reason of wealth or earthly wisdom are among the lowest in the eyes of Him to whom all things are open and who discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart. We may seem to be hut insignificant people to some of earth’s aristocrats, but our insignia of office is recog nized by Almighty God, and our reports are rendered unto Him. Our garments may seem cheap to some who hesitate to listen to our communication, but a herald must not be occupied with himself but with the mes sage he bears. Is there not a grave danger in these days that the commissioners of Christ shall forget their high calling in Him and—covering their costly garments purchased by Him at such a great price—mix with the multitude, withhold the proclamation committed to them by the
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Prince of Peace, and thereby -cause' those for whom it was intended to fall a prey to the enemy of their souls who, day and night, with ceaseless endeavor, seeks to harvest their souls for an eternal doom? THE OBSCURATION OF THE OLD-FASHIONED HOME A clipping from a daily newspaper carries a message of deep import, although short and somewhat satirical: W hat were once known as sitting-room s in old-fashioned homes are known as such no more. They a re now called living-rooms. Thus it is proper to possess a dining-room or a draw ing-room , and if you can afford it a breakfast-room and a den, bu t nobody who is anybody ever talks about a sitting-room . And, seeing th a t nobody sits down in a modern house except a t meal times, to retain a room as a sitting- room is obviously absurd. The only place where members of a household sit nowadays for any length of tim e is in the fam ily buzz wagon. So th a t even in th a t indispensable home annex th ere is not always sitting room. A parlor, a place where folks ta lk in home leisure hours, is also hope lessly out of date. The modern fam ily p arlor is the cinema theater. The present generation has outgrown many old-fash ioned things, and especially some of the features which marked the home-life of our fathers and mothers. There is no more charming picture imaginable than that associated with the old-fashioned “ sitting-room” of the old-time Christian home. There sat father, with book or paper; mother, with her knitting or sewing; the children with their school bpoks or games. On the center-table (not the “ library table” !) lay the Bible—not always read, but always revered. There was no rattle of the auto with its tooting horn; no radio jazz; no call from the movies;
but there was a fire on the hearth, a quiet, restful atmosphere, a sense of harmony and one-ness of pur pose which created a real family fellowship. It was an age of sober thinking, with a place in heart and mind for high and holy aspirations. The influence of those homes permeated the nation and helped to produce men and women of sterling strength of character to whom this country is greatly indebted. What is the picture now, as suggested by the clip ping? No more the sitting-room. Where is father? At the office, the shop, the business meeting, the club, or the movie.. Where is mother? She, too, is at the club, the dance, the movie, or in the auto. Where are the boys and girls? God only knows ! The auto parked beside the road, thè dance hall, the Probation Court, the maternity hospital, tell the story. A new age has dawned,—an age of fun and frolic, of lustful love; law-defying, Christ-denying|;jhell-deriding ; a moving mass of humanity swept by the unchanging law of Efim who rules the universe (but who cannot rule the stub born, wilful heart of sinful man) into the eternal woe of lost souls. What a change from the old-fashioned home is the homeless life of today ! Is there any solution to this problem? Yes. It rests with the church of our Lord .Jesus Christ, whose membership should make the ideal real, and should exemplify it in their own homes, for their own children and for other children. The pulpit should sound out the message: “ Back to the Bible!” and “ Back to the old-fashioned home life with its Bible and family prayer!” Give the young people some happy, holy memories of the home that will aid them in establishing their own homes in the days to come.
m sfe
W k o is R e sp o n s ib le ? We ta k e pleasure in passing on to th e members of “Our Fam ily” th e follow ing tim ely and p ertin en t comment on th e cover page cartoon by Mr. Wm. A. F ish er, whose long years of experience in magazine w ork so well equip him to assist u s in our campaign to double th e circulation of The K ing’s Business. m HEN a bu rg lary is reported, the police immediately take steps to apprehend th e culprit. When a pedestrian or m otorist is held up and robbed on a public highway, a hue and cry is at once raised against th e p erp etrato r. When a .dastardly crime is com m itted, all the forces of law and order are marshalled to bring the guilty to tria l and punishment. The divorce courts are tu rn ing out an increasingly large number of incompatible couples. A F ederal bulletin recently issued states th a t m arriages increased 8.4 per cent in 1923 over 1922, bu t avers th a t divorces increased 11 per cent in the same period In one county th e re were reported 8.000 divorces to 15,000 m arriages in one year, and th is not in Nevada. In one state m arital severance increased nearly 120 per cent in 14 years, as again st an advance of approxi mately 68 per cent in population. In one foreign city fifty suicides occurred on Christmas day, 1924, in most cases the resu lt of unhappy m arriage relations. Moral standard s have slumped markedly. The easy
In our country today we see a wave of lawlessness sweep ing the land. The au tho rities seem powerless to check it. News dispatches daily repo rt revolting crimes in almost every state of th e Union. Burglaries are on the increase. Hold-ups and bank robberies are of almost hourly occur rence, one state recording an increase of 600 per cent in bank robberies alone. Riot, assault, arson, m urder— an endless succession of crim inal acts are reported in the press. W idespread disrespect for law-is evidenced in th e inabil ity of enforcement officers to make effective th e eighteenth amendment. Smuggling and bootlegging has become a highly rem unerative business. The brazen effrontery of for eign contributories to this, condition constitutes a heinous conspiracy against the peace of our land. The participa tion of domestic offenders in th is nefarious traffic amounts to treason, for no man can w ilfully and viciously disobey the law and claim sincere allegiance to our government.
fam iliarity of the modern dance is a distinct shock to refined sensibilities. Scant and immodest a ttire of women invite and contribute to iniquitous practices. Increased use of cigarets by women is a straw th a t indicates how th e wind is blowing. One sta te repo rts an increase of 25 per cent in women crim inals. Youthful delinquency has attain ed frigh tfu l proportions. Jazz, petting parties, obscene dances, liquor orgies are reap ing a daily toll of our boys and girls. The average age of crim inals has been reduced from 42 to 19. H eartless crimes by youthful’offenders occur w ith appalling frequency. Mis- (Continued on page 130)
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<*W*» :’ *í* ■ art’s Q u e s t io n s an d G o d ’s A nswers Dr. A. Gordon MacLennan, P asto r, Bethany P resbyterian Church, Philadelphia
Dr. MacLennan is known to most P resbyterians as th e m an who had th e courage to bring in a m inority rep o rt of one again st th e o th er twenty-two members of th e comm ittee which acted on th e Fosdick m a tte r in th e General Assembly. H e prefaced th a t rep o rt w ith th e brave words: “Bet us be definite in ou r utterances. As a young man, I ru n th e risk of being branded for tak in g th is stand, b u t I fear God, no t men,” H is b ro ther, Dr. S tew art P . MacLennan, is p asto r of th e Hollywood P resbyterian Church, California, and our readers will be much in terested in th e account of God’s blessing on his work on page 108 of th is issue.
every one of us shall give account of him self to God.” Your question and my question is a definite one: Shall we give an account to God? God answers it ju st as defi nitely: “Every one of us shall give account of him self to God.” T hat set tles the m atter! It is a statem en t on the au tho rity of God Himself. And it is ju s t as foolish to try to escape the dawning of a day as it is to escape giv ing an account to God. The second question: Does God Know All About Me? This one, too, is im portant. Aye, on th e basis of the first, it is trem en dously im portant! Now th a t I have to give an accounting to Him, does God know all about me? Those I associate w ith see merely the outside. They h ear w hat I say; they see my actions, bu t th e inner man they know not. My thoughts are veiled and hidden from the knowledge of my
Text: “ Call unto me, and 1 will answer th ee.” Je r. 33:3.
AN is constantly asking ques tions. One of the most hope ful and encouraging signs in the m ental development of a
boy or girl is the hab it of asking ques tions. The person who really succeeds in th is world in m aterial things is the one who is constantly, inquisitively and persistently asking questions. The one who takes everything for granted and receives it ju st as it comes will gener ally move along in th a t type of life all his days, b u t the person who wants to know the why and wherefore of every th ing is the one who makes the most of th e circumstaftces which surround him in life. So our subject is one which concerns .every man; and I do feel th a t the topic, as I have noted it, is one th a t is p ar ticu larly applicable to the man who has not yet satisfied him self regarding the g reat facts' of th e sp iritu al life and the - sp iritu al experience.
^MacLENNAN friends. Does God know all about me? God gives answer to th is question in Heb. 4 :13 : “All things are naked and laid open before th e eyes of him w ith whom we have to do.” Notice the th ird question: Does God Charge Me W ith Sin? This becomes more and more im portant upon the basis of the preceding two questions and th eir answers. I shall give an account to God, and God knows all about me. (Let us keep it simple and practical.) Does God, to whom I am to give an accounting and who knows all about me, charge me w ith sin? Is it all recorded ag ain st'm e? It does not m atter how well I can excuse myself to some other person. It does not m atter how other people regard me. Here is the im portant question: Does God charge me w ith sin? Let me merely read the answer from Galatians 3:22: “But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin.” And again, from Rom. 3:23: “F o r ALL have sinned.’! This is God’s charge: “All have sinned.” I t is an u tte r impossibil ity for any man or woman to escape th e all-inclusiveness of th a t little word of th ree letters, A-L-L. From the prince in (Continued on page 136)
DR- A- GORDON To each of the questions which I w ant to bring to you, th ere is a simple form of answer, all of which are abso lutely definite, simple, and easy to understand. They are not obscure questions of th e hour, but are entirely prac tical for you and me and altogether important, because they have to do w ith a man’s eternal destiny and a m an’s experience in all the ages yet to be. The first is one which every man who believes th a t there is a God, infinite, eternal, and unchanging, must necessarily stop and ask: Am I Accountable to God? Must I answer to Him? Is th ere a day coming— and I insist th a t we keep the question practical—when you and I in a very real manner shall stand before God and give an accounting? This is a fundam ental question; this is an im portant question, and one well worth considering and thinking over: Am I accountable to God? We like to boast of our independence, and we like to say we are not answerable to any one; bu t are we definitely, personally accountable to God? Listen to the answer from Rom. 14:12: “So then
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- f Ke Philosophy of the Death of Christ BENE A. AESCHLIMAN Speaker of th e Ju n e (1924) C lass'of th e Bible In stitu te of Eos Angeles This splendid essay was delivered by Mr. Aeschliman a t th e g raduating exercises la st Jun e, and is all th e m ore rem ark able in view of th e fac t th a t Mr. Aeschliman came to th e In stitu te from Switzerland, g reatly handicapped by his lim ited know ledge of th e English language. He made, however, very rap id progress in his studies and commended him self highly both to th e faculty and his friends. g S T s a T is w ith reverence I approach H th is subject, realizing in aw N feSl some measure its transcen- dent, ineffable character, and God prepared fo r them th a t love Him. B u t He had revealed it unto us by His Spirit” (1 Cor. 2:7 -9 ; I Tim. 3 :1 6 ). 3. Because we all are deficient and
As we have seen, th e death of Christ is th e main topic of revelation, or the Bible; Christ and Him crucified is P au l’s definition of th e Gospel. The Christian religion claims the death of Christ as its center (1 Cor. 15:1-3). The death of Christ is also th e center of hum an history. Fo r th e study of ancient and modern history, we refer to th is event as th e dividing line— B.C. or A.D. This event is also intended to be the center of hum an experience. Its significance may be apprehended along different lines. 1. By the study of the etymology of the representative term s and words closely connected w ith it: “ A tonement” or “Reconciliation”— Rom. 5:11, “to cover, to appease.” “ Sacrifice”— Eph. 5:2, “substitution, to appease.” , “Redemption”— Rom. 3:24, “ to de liver by paying a price.” “P rop itiation ”— Rom. 3:25, “place of propitiation, mercy-seat.,” “Ransom”— Matt. 20:28; 26:26, “ by a price.” “L ift u p ”— John 12:31-33. “Blood of Christ”— Rom. 3:25. “Grace, Rem ission of S in"— Rom. 3: 24-25. “Justification”— Rom. 3:26. “Delivered fo r o u r offenses”— Rom. 4:25. “H ave now peace w ith God”— Rom. 5:1. “B reak down th e w all of p a rtitio n ” —Eph. 2:14. 2. By th e study of the use of the words and term s. 3. By parables and Christ’s own say ings (John 12:31-37). 4. By prophecy in th e Old Testa ment, th e prophet’s sayings. 5. By types in th e Old Testament, especially sacrifices. Its character and extent is therew ith partly indicated. Because of th e ex tensiveness of th e topic, divers tra d i tional views have always existed, even in the orthodox church. The la tte r, however, did no t necessarily antagonize its central importance in essential characteristics, th e differences having (Continued on page 124)
its g rea t importance. In looking into this g reatest of all God’s unveilings, into which th e angels desire to look, we may well h ear and obey God’s voice: “P u t off thy shoes from off thy feet, fo r the place whereon thou stand- est is holy ground.” Not otherw ise th a n w ith th e holy awe can we stand on Calvary, the sacred spot, where na tu re mourned, where th e sun veiled her face and th e ea rth was rocked under m ighty convulsion, yes, where God H imself tu rned away. Let us remem ber th a t we contemplate here th e “dy ing of God,” for God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself. Here it was th a t th e world became one g rea t altar, where once fo r all the Lamb of God bore away the sin of the world. I believe th a t a fu ll ration al under stand ing of th is subject by men here on earth is impossible and in th e la st analysis unnecessary. To sub stan tiate th is proposition, I would allege the following reasons: 1. The Bible, in simply setting the fact of Christ’s death in prophecy, story and doctrine, indicates th a t it is, first of all, a m a tte r of realization and experience and no t necessarily of ra tional understanding. This is verified in history and experience, as seen in th e equal appreciation and realization of salvation by th e highly cultured and mentally developed, as well as by the ignorant and m entally lim ited man. It answers prim arily and essentially to faith , challenging conscience first of all and no t intellect and sensation; by m anifestation of the tru th , commend ing itself to every m an’s conscience (2 Cor. 4 :4 ). 2. Though it allows application of th e m ind and yields to intellectual re search, its deeper understanding is es sentially a m atter of “revelation,” not o f scientific investigation. I t belongs to the g reat mystery of piety, the un d erstanding of which is conditioned to th e illum ination of th e Holy Spirit. “ For w hat no eye saw nor ear heard nor entered into th e h ea rt of man, has
lim ited in moral seriousness and strength. Because it is a perfect, un lim ited and eternal work, done by a perfect, etern al God, for an eternal, unlim ited purpose, it cannot therefore be understood fully by imperfect and lim ited beings. 4; Because of our lim ited knowledge of the cause of Christ’s death, i. e., Satan and sin th a t were conquered by th is act, “We know in part, we see th rough a glass, dark ly” (1 Cor. 13: 12 ). Ignorance of the greatness of the evil, logically entails ignorance of the full remedy to be applied to th a t evil. I. The F a c t of th e D eath of Christ. The death of Jesus Christ is a his torical fact th a t occurred about nine teen centuries ago in Jerusalem under th e legislation of Pontius P ilate, Ro man governor of Judea. As such it is universally recognized. I t is recorded in secular history (Jo sephu s). The ar guments fo r its veracity are as sure and unanswerable as those alleged for th e recognition of any historical per son. The external and in tern al evi dences of the four Gospel accounts are overwhelm ing and unanswerable. The fact of th e death of th e Lord Jesus is the one central and underlying tru th of th e whole revelation. While the dispensations th roughout Bible his tory underw ent various changes, this tru th retained always its central posi tion. P atriarchs, priests, judges, kings and prophets, all of them , in all th eir various offices, had to do w ith sacrifices and “ saw before the suffering of Christ” (1 P eter 1 :4 ). The fact of the death of Christ is mentioned, alluded to and anticipated in th e whole of Scripture in various forms (Heb. 1:1,) in typology, prophecy, parables, prin ciples, precepts. n . The Significance of th e Death of Christ W hatever th e objections to, and the rival theories of the meaning of this historical event may be, its imperative significance is universally recognized.
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The Scriptures are Complete in Their Structure By Dr. F . E. JVlarsh, London, England
In presenting th e th ird of th e series of articles on “The B ible” contributed by Dr. Marsh, it gives us g rea t pleasure to speak of his m inistry a t th e Bible In stitu te of Los Angeles during th e m onth of Ja n u ary past. Dr. Marsh preached th ree tim es on Sunday and gave B ible readings afternoons and evenings du ring th e week. He greatly refreshed th e h earts of h is h e a re rs'a n d renewed in many of them a deeper love fo r th e L iving and W ritten Word of God. We commend ou r beloved b ro th er and these articles to our readers. '
Disobedience of the Antediluvians to Noah’s preaching (1 Pet. 3 :20 ; Gen. 6 :3 ). Judgm ent of th e Flood (2 P et. 2 :5 ; Gen. 7 :1 1 ). D estruction of all hum an life, except those in th e ark (Luke 17:27; Gen. 7 :2 3 ). The salvation of Noah and his fam ily (2 Pet. 2 :5 ; Gen. 8 : 1 - 2 ). The requirem ent of law for m u rd er (Rev.. 13:10; Gen. 9 :6 ). The symbol of th e rainbow (Rev. 4 :3 ; Gen. 9 :1 3 ). The solidarity of th e hum an race (Acts 17:26; Gen. 1 1 :1 ). The call of Abram (Acts 7 :3 ; Gen. 1 2 :1 ). Abram ’s obedience to God’s call (Heb. 11 :8 ; Gen. 12 :1 -4 ). God’s universal prom ise to Abram (Acts 3 :25 ; Gen. 1 2 :3 ). Melchizedek’s meeting w ith Abram (Heb. 7 :1 ; Gen. 1 4 :18 ). God’s prom ise of the Redeemer to Abram (Gal. 3:8-16; Gen. 1 2 :3 ). Abram giving tith es to Melchizedek (Heb. 7:4-10; Gen. 1 4 :20 ). Abram ’s faith and blessing (Jas. 2 :23 ; Gen. 1 5 :6 ). Prediction of Israel’s bondage in Egypt (Acts 7 :6 ; Gen. 1 5 :1 3 ). God’s judgm en t upon Egypt (Acts 7 :7 ; Gen. 1 5 :14 ). Abram ’s having a child by H agar (Gal. 4 :22 ; Gen. 1 6 :15 ). Abraham ’s federal headship (Rom. 4 :11 ; Gen. 1 7 :5 ). In stitu tion of the rite of circumcision (Acts 7 :8 ; Gen. 1 7 :10 ). Prom ise of a son to Abraham (Rom. 9 :9 ; Gen. 18 :10 ). Miraculous b irth of Isaac (Heb. 11:11-12; Gen, 2 1 :2 ). Abraham ’s faith in God’s prom ise (Rom. 4:17, 19; Gen. 1 7 :17 ). Isaac’s pre-eminence over Ishm ael ( Rom. 9 :7 ; Gen. 21 : 12 ). Lot being in Sodom and his vexation (2 Pet. 2 :8 ; Gen. 19:8, 9). Lot’s deliverance from Sodom (2 Pet. 2 :7 ; Gen. 19 :16 ). Lot’s wife being tu rn ed into a p illar of sa lt (Luke 17:32; Gen. 1 9 :2 ). Judgm ent upon Sodom and Gomorrah (2 Pet. 2 :6 ; Gen. 1 9 :29 ). H agar and Ishmael being cast out from Abraham ’s house (Gal. 4 :30 ; Gen. 2 1 :1 0 ). God’s te st of Abraham in asking for th e offering of Isaac (Heb. 11:17; Gen. 2 2 :9 ). Abraham ’s obedience in offering Isaac (Jas. 2:21; Gen. 2 2 :9 ). God’s oath to Abraham (Luke 1:55, 73; Heb. 6:13-18; Gen. 2 2 :1 6 ). Jacob’s predominence over Esau (Rom. 9 :12 ; Gen. 25: 23). E sau ’s b irth rig h t sold (Heb. 12:16; Gen. 2 5 :34 ). E sau ’s lo st blessing (Heb. 12:17; Gen. 2 7 :35 ). Jacob’s vision a t Bethel (John 1 :51 ; Gen. 2 8 :1 2 ). Conspiracy against Joseph (Acts 7 :9 ; Gen. 3 7 :18 ). Joseph sold into Egypt (Acts 7 :9 ; Gen. 3 9 :1 ). God’s presence w ith Joseph (Acts 7 :9 ; Gen. 3 9 :2 3 ).
T is one th ing to make a claim and prove it, and it is ano ther th ing to evidence th e claim th a t is made. When we tu rn to the pages of Holy W rit we find th a t it makes certain claims abou t itself, and certain statem ents about its quality. If we are in doubt whether a certain w ater is fresh or salt, we can soon ascer ta in which it is by tasting it. Our finding the w ater to be fresh does not make it fresh, h u t our finding proves it to be what it was said to he. So w ith th e Word of God. The Scriptures claim to be complete in th e ir structu re. “The Doctrine of th e Lord is perfect” (Psa. 1 9 :7 ). The word “ perfect” signifies completeness, entirety, nothing wanting. I t is rendered “w ithou t blem ish” in calling atten tion to the character of the b u rn t offering (Lev. 1:3),, “ com plete” in specifying a perfect period of tim e (Ley. 2 3 :1 5 ), “ fu ll” in speaking of a y ear (Lev. 2 5 :3 0 ), “ sound” in indi cating a rig h t relation to God’s Word (Ps. 1 1 9 :8 0 ), “up rig h t” in referring to w hat the Lord will be to those who are rig h t w ith H im (2 Sam 2 2 :2 6 ), “whole” and “unde filed” in Prov. 1 :12 ; Psa. 119:1. E ith e r of these words m ight be read into the opening Scripture. There is no blemish in the testimony of Jehovah: it is complete in its contents; fu ll in its revelation; sound in its tru th ; up righ t in its claims; whole in its teaching; and undefiled in its character. To tak e away any p art from th is beautiful temple would m ar its beauty and destroy its symmetry. F o r instance, suppose we were to remove th e Book of Genesis, which is th e seed plot of the whole Book, it would he like th e re moval of th e foundation, which would throw the whole building ou t of proportion. I t would tak e too long and occupy too much ground to show by quotation and refer ence from the Books of the New Testam ent how dependent they are for facts revealed in th e Old Testament, b u t to make the allusions relevant 1 propose to refer to statem ents in the New T estam ent which record w h at is found in Genesis alone, and which if Genesis did not exist as a record of facts would destroy th e ir own testimony: Creation of th e world (Heb. 11 :3 ; Gen. 1 :1 ). State of the earth as submerged (2 Pet. 3 :5 ; Gen. 1 :2 ). Creation of man (Matt. 19 :4 ; Gen. 1 :2 7 ). Man’s creation before woman’s (1 Tim. 2 :13 ; Gen. 1 :2 7 ). God resting afte r C reation’s work (Heb. 4 :4 ; Gen. 2 :3 ). Man receiving th e breath of life (1 Cor. 15:45; Gen. 2 :3 ). Man cleaving to his wife (Matt. 19 :5 ; Gen. 2 :2 4 ). Oneness of the man and his wife (Eph. 5 :31 ; Gen. 2 :2 4 ). Woman’s subjection to man (1 Cor. 14:34; Gen. 3 :1 6 ). Abel’s accepted offering (Heh. 11 :4 ; Gen, 4 :4 ). Murder of Abel (Matt. 23 ;35 ; Gen. 4 :8 ). Cain’s hatred of Abel (1 John 3 :12 ; Gen. 4 :8 ). Way of Cain (Jud e 11; Gen. 4:3 -16 ), T ranslation of Enoch (Heb. 11 :5 ; Gen. 5 :2 4 ). Condition of m ankind before the flood (Matt. 24:37-39; Gen. 6 :1 -7 ). Noah’s obedience in building th e ark (Heb. 1 1 :7 ; Gen. 6 : 8 - 22 ).
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