The Bible Family Magazine
APRIL • 1940
Five cents a copy, 50 cents a year in U. S. Official Organ of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles
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LINING SILVER
When summer clouds, or drifting clouds of spring, Take (ire from some great sunset as it burns, I look beyond their (lame, remembering: He will come back in clouds when He returns; And when the winter clouds hang dark and low Above the earth, my eyes look through and see Something beyond their bleakness— for I know He said He would come back in clouds for me.
This is the silver lining I have found In heaven’s clouds. And, though the clouds of war, Of earthquake, famine, pestilence, abound, Shall these provoke to terror any more? Nay. God has flashed this comfort on the sky: “ Look up, for your redemption draweth nigh.” — HELEN FRAZEE-BOWER.
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Our illustrated booklet “ A Gift T h a t L i v e s ’’ tells you the w h o l e s t o ry - f u l l y a n d clearly.
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April, 1940
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LOUIS T. TALBOT, E ditor-In-Chief MILDRED M. COOK, Managing Editor W. F. KEMPF, Advertising and Circulation Manager
"I MUST HELP THE JEWS" “ Everything I have seems go ing or gone — yet I M U S T HELP T H E JEWS .” Thus wrote a child of God whose soul had been stirred to its depths be cause of the tragic. condition of the Jews throughout the world. “ I M U S T HELP T H E JEW S !” Dear child of God, they are still God’s people, be loved for the fathers’ sakes; and because you have been born again, you love what He loves; and you know that He still loves Israel with art everlasting love. “I MUST HELP THE JEWS!” Driven like cattle through the fields and forests of Europe; tor tured, harassed, brutally beaten, stumbling their way through the bloody attacks of Nazi hate, seek ing in vain a place of shelter— what a Christianity for the Jews to gaze upon! “I MUST HELP THE JEWS!” In the face of such a crisis, may God help His true Church to awake! May we who are truly His fill to the full our measure of duty in behalf of a people now facing the spectacle of a world civiliza tion organizing in solid mass for the greatest outburst of Jew-hate the world has ever known! * Dear Reader, will you say “I, TOO, MUST HELP THE JEWS” ? Help us to tell them “These things you have suffered are not things which Christians do!” This is an S.O.S. It is Israel’s eleventh hour. So swiftly does the- world cataclysm move, this may be the last call before the trumpet blows, and you will be face to face with a Christ who may look into your eyes and ask, . “WHAT HAVE YOU” DONE FOR THESE, MY BRETHREN?’’ Matt. 25:40. AM ER ICAN BOARD OF MISSIONS T O T H E JEWS, INC . 31 Throop Ave. Brooklyn, N. Y. I do want to help the Jews. Here is $............................ . Use it as God directs, to make known the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ to Israel. Name ...................... ............ .......... .. Address .........................................— City............ ...... ...... State________
Official Organ of The Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Incorporated
She tBible Tamil# Tia#^ine Motto: “ Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.*’ — Rev. 1 :5.
April, 1940
Number 4
Volume XXXII
TABLE OF CONTENTS •' Ransom D. Marvin, Staff Artist
Around the King’s* Table —Editorial ......................................................... 122' Views and Reviews of Current News — Dan Gilbert ____ ....................123 The Prophetic Significance of “ Until ”—Kenneth M . Monroe...... ......124 Your Cares and God’s Care —Roy L. Laurin ...........................................126^ The Holy Spirit in the New Testament— J. C. Massee .......................127 O f What Use Are Sermons ?—Herbert Lockyer ...................... ................ 128 The Misuse of “ Consecration”— E. H . Dallimore... ..................... ......... 130 A Fourfold Testimony to Jesus Christ— H . Harlan Fischer .............. 131 “ Death Ray” Eye Witness — Tom M . Olson....:. ........... ........................132 Daily Devotional Readings............................„ .............................................133 Junior King’s Business —Martha S. Hooker ........................ .......... ......... 135 Bible Institute Family Circle........................... ....................................‘.___137 International Lesson Commentary....................................................... .......138 Notes on Christian Endeavor —Mildred M . Cook ..................................151 Girls’ Query Corner —Myrtle E. Scott ........X .............. ........... ...............158 Our Literature Table................................................................................... 158 I N F O R M A T I O N F O R S U B S C R I B E R S THE KING’S BUSINESS is pub lished monthly at the rates below, payable in advance, for either old or new subscribers, in the United States or its possessions. These rate include postage.
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Around the King s Table E D I T O R I A L
Sometimes earnest Christians develop a morbid desire to see veiled truth. We admit the value of studying the deeper things of prophecy—the number of the beast, the constitution of the ten toes of Daniel’s image, the nations that may be represented in the. great northern confederacy, year-day theories of figur ing times and seasons—-but in so doing it is possible to forget erne’s chief busi ness, which is seeking sinners and help ing saints. Let us search deeply into the Word of truth, but let us also be ware lest we become gazers when work awaits. It is enough to know that “this same Jesus . . . shall so. come in like manner as ye have seen him go.” He has not dissolved into gases or become merely an exalted spirit. The Son of Man Himself, in glorified body, is at the Father’s throne; and He will appear the second time bodily, visibly, person ally, in exactly the same manner as He ascended up from His disciples. The positive identity of the Jesus in the highest heaven with the Jesus who
was rejected, nailed to the cross, and raised from the grave should be our constant comfort. Think of it often and be glad! “The Lord Himself shall de scend from heaven”—“this same Jesus” ! Let no one take away from us the literalness of this- blessed hope. The chariot that took Him up—the Shekinah cloud—will bring Him back, and we shall be caught up with Him, if His we are!—Keith L. Brooks. What Is Left? A recent edition of The American Weekly contained a full-page article— with five grotesque illustrations—en titled “Jonah Not in a Whale But ‘In a Jam.’ ” Taking refuge in another lan guage, the author, George1 Lamsa, writes, " ‘In a great fish’ was, and still is, Aramaic slang for being in a perplex ing dilemma; or, as we would say, ‘in a pretty pickle.’ ” In addition to the above suggestion, the author informs us of several, what he believes to be, impos sible translations in Scripture. In reference to water coming forth from the smitten rock (Num. 20:7-11), we are informed by this writer: “But any schoolboy of today knows that it is a geological impossibility to expect water to gush forth from a stone.” Accepting this as true, the author ap plies the well-known reconstruction theory and concludes that Moses found and removed the covering stone of a lost well. In the passage of Scripture relating the story of Elijah’s being fed [ Continued on Page 149] southward out of his habitation, “to take a spoil” of “the people [Israel] that are gathered out of the nations” (Ezek. 38:12). It is then that “fury" leaps into the face of the God of Is rael (v. 18), and He calls for a sword (v. 21)—the sword of the Antichrist who will ride forth from Egypt (Dan. 11:42-44) at the head of the legions of the “ten kings” (Dan. 7:24; Rev. 17:12, 18) and will cut Gog to pieces upon the mountains of Israel (cf. Ezek. 39). Whether we like the prospect or not, the Antichrist and other godless forces of hell are going to be given dominion over the nations in the last days of “the times of the Gentiles,” and that dominion shall continue until it shall be taken away when the Lion of Judah’s tribe shall roar out of the opened hea vens (Rev. 19:11-21). But the Christian need have no fear. God will remain on His throne, and all these events shall occur within His permissive will only. During it all, He cares for His own! —LOUIS S. BAUMAN,
Back to Jerusalem and Witnessing! “Why stand ye gazing up Into heaven?” (Acts 1:11). The disciples had just seen their Master slowly lifted up out of their midst and carried up into the heavens, with outstretched arms blessing them as He faded out of their sight. Who of us would not have stood and looked into the skies as long as the eye could follow Him? Surely there is nothing wrong in looking up unto Him (cf. Heb. 12:2). But looking, can .become "gazing.” There may be an excess of looking. It may become morbid curiosity. It may mean a prying into that which it is not God’s purpose to reveal. There is a golden mean that is not always easy to observe. Sometimes Christians stand at the graves of loved ones 'who have just been lowered into the ground. They cannot help looking and thinking, nor can they be blamed for returning on later occa sions to weep. The place becomes precious to them. But their sentiment can be overdone. No good is being ac complished, duty Is being neglected, in jury is being wrought to themselves. Sometimes gentle reproof is needed. Our Lord sent interrupting messen gers, not soldiers with rod or sword, but white-clad angels, to suggest that there would be no benefit in further gazing. The curtain had been drawn. They must now get back to the Jerusa lem of practical life. WHEN WILL RUSSIA LOSE? What remains of a world that once had some show of honor, decency, and justice, is very much upset that the little, Christian, peace-loving nation of Finland should fall a prey Into the bloody jaws of the godless, rapacious northern bear. One against sixty did not seem like a fair fight. However, they who know the Word of God should not be disquieted. The prophets long ago said of “Gog” (Rus sia) : “Thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, . . . a great company, and a mighty army” (Ezek. 38:15). This is not exactly the description of a power that a little nation of three million people could defeat. Everywhere, the Scriptures set forth that “the king of the north” is just that—“the KING of the north.” The defeat of this power is not to be accomplished on any European battle field. This king rides to his doom only when, with whetted appetite, he rides
Map Showing Important Features of the Russo-Finnish Treaty Signed at Moscow on March 13, 1940.
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S Views and Reviews of Current News By DAN GILBERT Washington, D. C , and San Diego, California
April, 1940
At Biola “Well, how are things going at Biola?” ' This questidn is often asked of us workers here at the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, and a similar question is asked with reference to the Church of the Open Door. In reply we are happy to say that things are “going.” By this we mean that the Institute is going on —and not going to the cemetery, as many people have supposed during these past years. To God belongs all the glory for the progress that has been made, but we feel that it is only fair to mention that the human instrument largely used in this connection has been Louis T. Talbot, who entered upon the pastorate of the church in 1932, and who is now also the President of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. ' During the past eight years, 2,473 members have been added to the Church of the Open Door. Of this number, 815 have been received on confession of faith, and of these a great many have made their profession at the Church of the Open Door. Nearly always, at the regular Sunday services, souls are won for the Lord Jesus Christ. The missionary program also has gone forward. In 1932, the full support of twenty-six missionaries was being met by the church. At present there are thirty-four who are being supported. Recently the Executive Committee of the Church of the Open Door, in a spe cial resolution, expressed gratitude to God for the ministry of Dr. Talbot as pastor, and pledged united cooperation with him in the work. We recognize that statistics do not tell all the story, nor are they the most important part. The writer is now in his twentieth consecutive year of service on the faculty of the Bible Institute of Angeles. There have been times when the “going” has been rather rough, and viewed from the human standpoint, it appeared that the Institute could not weather the storm. Surely nothing but the power and grace of God have en abled the Institute to" stand during these years. The encouraging feature is that, in the stormy days, as well as In all other periods, the purpose for which the Institute was founded has continued to be fulfilled: namely, young people have been and still are being trained for and sent out into the service qf the Lord. This realization has been a source of great encouragement and has deep ened the conviction that this work surely must be of God. Another heartening feature is the fine spirit of harmony that prevails throughout the Institute and in its rela tion to the Church of the Open Door. Viewing the "whole situation, we cer tainly have cause, like Paul of old, to “thank God and take courage." We in vite all our readers to join us in this. —John A. Hubbard.
to the democracies would be a “ step in the direction of opr military involve ment.” This "policy was slightly modified by the repeal of the arms embargo. But in that case, it was contended that, since all sales of arms were to be on a strictly cash basis, we were maintaining “iron-clad neutrality,” but selling the arms for our own profit only. Regardless of their stand on the arms embargo, leaders of both sides are real izing the inadequacy and limitations of our present concept of neutrality. They are asking: Is it morally possible.to be completely neutral? Since our sympa thies are with the nations that stand for liberty and democracy, why should we not show those sympathies ? Must we handcuff ourselves because we can not trust our own coolness of judgment ? In this new frame of mind, they find the old argument—“any help extended to democracies at bay is a step in the. direction of war”—losing its potency. They ask, Why can we not take a step or two in the direction of war, and still go no further? One can go from Los Angeles to San' Francisco, without con tinuing on to Vancouver! Why can we not pursue two purposes at the same time? We are determined not to get into war. But why can we not be de-. termined also to help in a substantial way? They used the same argument in an swer to the contention that “if we Sell on credit or give arms to Finland, we soon will be sending boys to follow our planes.” In answer to that, they ask, Why? We may have done that in 1917, but why must we repeat the same mis take ? Cannot America act with freedom and deliberation? Must we refuse to take a course of action merely because we fear that it will lead to some illogi cal and nonsensical conclusion, which can be reached only on the presump tion that we would surrender our com mon sense and be overwhelmed by mass hysteria ? No one knows where the “new think ing” will lead, but it is gaining momen tum and well may carry us far from the prevailing idea of “ironclad isola tionism.” Senator Borah, just before his death, viewed with growing alarm this ground swell for modification of the isolationist position. Deeply disturbed^ he was planning a nation-wide tour to rally public opinion to support of “iron clad isolationism,” in a frantic effort \Continued on Page 156]
BROWN BOLSHEVISM: German Naz ism is approaching the final phase of absorption by international Communism. Brown Hitlerism has blended into Red Communism. While it formerly was felt that Germany’s defeat in the war would result in her going Bolshevik, it is now clear that she already is commencing to make that transition. These conclusions are constrained by the “new Nazi line” laid down by Robert Ley, head of the German Labor Front and key figure in the domestic reorgani zation of the German economy. Dr. Ley frankly declared that the Nazi purpose is now identical with that of interna tional Communism: “ Smash the world wide capitalist system.” The Communist Manifesto, written by Marx and Engels nearly a century^ago, has long been the road map and blue print of revolutionary Communism. It contains the radical keynote phrase: “Workers of all countries, unite!” Pro nouncing himself a follower of Marx, Dr. Ley sounded the slogan, “Workers of all lands, unite to smash the rule 6f En glish capitalism.” It is now clear, from the Nazi stand point, what the war is all about. The poor nations are to rise up and seize the wealth of the richer ones. Urged Dr. Ley: “You young, upward-striving na tions of the earth, combine to anni hilate the old English dragon, who blocks the treasures of the earth and withholds from you the riches of the world.” RETHINKING NEUTRALITY: Ameri can leaders of both parties—those who incline to “internationalism” as well as strict isolationism—are commencing a heavy process of “rethinking” neutral ity. There is substantial agreement on one point: All Americans are agreed that we shall not send troops to engage in European or Asiatic wars. But beyond that one premise, there are all shades of opinion. Coming al ways to the fore is the question: How can we best safeguard our own peace and keep out of military action abroad ? But in addition to that question, an other one has pressed for more and more attention; that is, could we not give real help to the democracies—like Finland— and still keep out of war ? Up until recently, the majority opin ion has been in the negative. It has been contended that any real help extended
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I N hermeneutics, the science of Scrip tural interpretation, there are two paths whereby the meaning of a word may be sought. One path leads to the dictionary and the other to the con cordance. The former may suggest the more modem usage, but the latter has the commendation of both Scripture and experience. The Pauline principle, “com paring spiritual things with spiritual” (1 Oor. 2:13), always bears precious fruit. A knowledge of Hebrew and Greek may mean little or naught, but a real love of the ^ery wqrds of Holy Writ will enrich the life and service of both minister and layman. Turning to the dictionary path, we discover that the word “until” may be used as a preposition meaning “up to the time of” or “at any time before” ; or, it may be used as a conjunction meaning "up to the time that or when.” My dictionary illustrates the prepo sitional use of the word thus, “to remain until evening,” and the conjunctional, “he struggled until he loosed the knot.” The word "until” in its simple con junctional , sense is heavily freighted with implications in three selected pas sages of Scripture: Luke 21:24; Romans 11:25, and Psalm 110:1. I. Jerusalem Will Be Trodden Down “ Until”— Luke 21:24: “Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” Fourteen years ago, I spent more than a month in Jerusalem; last sum mer, one week. On both visits, I ob served that Jerusalem was decidedly in the hands of the Gentiles. History in forms me that this has been largely the story of the centuries since the sack of the oity by Nebuchadnezzar in 605 B. C. My fellow traveler and I were given a threefold warning by the Director of the American School of Oriental Re search: Do not go alone within the wall of the old city; do not go alone to the Mount of Olives; be back in the school by seven o’clock every evening. One could not secure a military permit to go south of Bethlehem, nor would authorities permit any traveler to be routed through Samaria. Only after the third attempt were we granted permis sion to spend a few hours at Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee. Even then, we were stopped, our passes were exam ined, and we were given warning sev eral times. Twice, between Nazareth and Galilee, we were almost turned back by motor lorries filled with Brit ish Tommies. The top floor and roof of the most -luxurious hotel of Jerusalem, the King David Hotel, just outside the west wall, was occupied by military authorities. While seeking a few moments of soli tude in the garden of the hotel, viewing the city over which our Lord wept
The Prophetic
e Gentiles are in e v i d e n c e t h r o u g h o u t “the land” . . twenty thousand British sol diers in Palestine.
Century B. C., saw, in the last days of the “times of the Gentiles,” Israel re turning in unbelief to her land (Hos. 3:4, 5). Paul witnessed the unbelief, the partial blindness, of Israel in his time and wrote,' “But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart” (2 Cor. 3:15). A study of Isaiah 6:9, 10, Mathew 13:14, 15, and Acts 28:25-27 leads one to the conclusion that Israel, to this day, is suffering penal blindness for rejection of both the prophets of God and the Son of God. The word of the Lord through Hosea was, “I will go and return to my place, till they acknowl edge their offense, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early” (Hos. 5:15). During the summer we saw the land of the Book as an open commentary on the Book of God. When our hearts were saddened by things we heard and saw, we meditated on the prophetic significance of the little word “until.” III. The Son Shares the Father’s Throne “ Until”— Psalm 110:1, R. V.: “Jehovah saith unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, Until I make thine enemies thy foot stool.” This is one of the very few Old Testa ment instances In which the name of “Jehovah” designates the first member of the Trinity. This fact, however, does not invalidate the teaching that the Jehovah of the Old Testament is the Jesus of the New Testament. This Messianic P§alm contains the second of three references to the Melchizedekian priesthood of Christ. Genesis 14 and Hebrews 5 to 7 contain the first and the last. We cannot re frain from calling attention to this evidence of the inspired unity of Scrip ture. These are three consistent refer-
(Lk. 19:41), 1 was suddenly disturbed by a soldier, gun and all, on guard duty crossing my path. “Gentile” soldiers are in evidence throughout the land. Last summer there were twenty thousand British soldiers in Palestine; in October of 1938 there had been forty thousand. One judges that the '“until” of this Lukan passage has not yet been con summated. We are living in “the times of the Gentiles,” according to Scripture, and a visit to Jerusalem today will assur^ one that the Son of God looked down 'through the centuries and most correctly portrayed the age of the church with respect to that city. II. Israel Will Be Blinded in Part “ Until”— Romans 11:25: “Blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.” The Zionists returning to Palestine have established fifty cooperative com munities throughout the land. Last summer I spent some time in Givath* Brenner, which is one of the largest. It has a population of eight hundred— there are six hundred adults and two. hundred children. This particular com munity is located just off the highway between Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem, near the older Rehoboth. On inquiring as to the religious activities of the community, I was in formed that, in keeping with the prac tice of almost all the communities, neither private nor public services were held. One day in seven was allotted to rest, none to worship. I was further told the reason was not that the in habitants of the kibbutzim, as the com munal villages are called, were atheistic, but rather that they were indifferent. Some were agnostic and some skeptical, but they were mostly indifferent. The prophet Hosea, contemporary of Amos, Isaiah, and Micjih in the eighth
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the Merchantman, paid His own pre cious blood (1 Pet. 1:18,19). The church has been purchased (Màtt. 20:28) and has been left in the world to grow (Matt. 16:18), awaiting time of deliv ery. At the appointed hour, the Lord win step from the Father’s throne for a moment and will come down to re ceive His pearl personally (1 Thess. 4:16, 17). Then will be completed the purpose of God with respect to the call ing out of this Gentile age a people for His Son. Then will be “the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:8); the day of “the fulness of the Gentiles” will be ushered in. The Terminus Ad Quem of “ Until” How long may we expect Jerusalem to be trodden down of the Gentiles? How long may we expect Israel to be in part blinded to spiritual things? The answer to both questions is this: Until the Son steps from His Father’s throne to assùme the gubernatorial reins of thi3 old earth; until the hetavens open, and the “Kings of kings and Lord of lords,” seated on a white charger, "clothed with a vesture dipped in blood,” and followed by the redeemed saints, rides to earth in glory and power (Rev. 19:11-16). “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:9-11). In this scene, His day of humiliation is past, and now is the day of His exaltation. The full fruition of “until” is at hand and its prophetic significance realized. The clock of God strikes the hour prophesied in Psalm 2: “Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion” (v. 6). Then the Son will receive the nations for His inheritance and the uttermost parts o f' the earth for His possession (v. 8, R.V.). Then divine grace will be poured out upon Israel, blindness will be removed, and Israel will accept as their Messiah the One “whom they have* pierced” (Zech. 12 : 10 ) . “Lo as some ship, outworn and over laden, Strains for the harbor where her sails are furled; Lo as some innocent and eager maiden Leans o’er the wistful limit of the world, So even I, and with a pang more thrill ing, So even I, and with a hope more sweet, Yearn for the sign, O Christ! of Thy fulfilling, Faint for the flaming of Thine advent feet.”
Significance of "Until"
By KENNETH M> MONROE* Los Angeles, California
ences to the same individual, each sepa rated by a millennium. Additional light is shed on Psalm 110:1 by Hebrews 1:3: “When he had by himself purged our sins, [He] sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.’’ The Psalm is prophetic, while the passage from He brews is retrospective. The incarnate Son, having accom plished our redemption on the cross, returns to heaven to share His Father’s throne until the hour is come for Him to return to earth as “King of kings and Lord of lords,” to occupy His own earthly Davidic throne (cf. 2 Sam. 7:12-17, confirmed by Lk. 1:30-33). The enemies of the Son are now hav ing their day. This is Man’s Day, and he is going his own way, humanizing God, deifying himself, minimizing sin, and ostracizing Scripture. Paul well describes him in 2 Timothy 3:1-7. Enemies of Christ, His gospel, His church, and His way of life are ram pant everywhere. Nations, as well as citizens, are lawless and godless. Many lands in theory follow the Russian communistic practice of ridding the earth of churches and the heavens of Almighty God. Why does God not do something about it? The answer is bound up in the little word “until” of the Psalm we are discussing. The Times of the Gentiles Since, as is showft in Luke 21:24, the ,“until” of Psalm 110 is related to “the times of the Gentiles,” it is important to learn just what period is indicated. A study of the dream imagé of Nebuchadnezzar, as recorded in Daniel 2, leads us to the conclusion that the image portrays “the times of the Gen tiles’’ as extending from the head to the toes, or from the Neo-Babylonian kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar to the ten- power Roman kingdom just prior to the establishment of the millennial reign of
Christ. Therefore, the terminus a quo, the starting point, of our three “untils” is the old empire of. Nebuchadnezzar of the sixth century B. C.; and the ter minus ad quern, the “end toward which,” is the return of Christ to establish the kingdom, which “ thé God of heaven” shall set up and '''which shall never be ' destroyed” (Dan. 2:44). A proper understanding and relating of the “ days of Scripture” will aid in making more clear the significance of “until.” Four distinct periods or occa sions are referred to in prophecy as Man’s Day, Christ’s Day, Jehovah’s Day, and God’s Day. Man’s Day may be used in designa tion of “the times of the Gentiles,” con summating in the reign of the Anti christ, who has “the number of a man” (Rev. 13:18). Christ’s Day Is the day of our Lord’s return for His church (1 Cor. 1:8; 5:5; Phil. 1:6). Jehovah’s Day or the Day of the Lord (1 Thess. 5:1-3) is the day of judgment seen by Joel (ch. 2), Christ (Matt. 24:15-21), and John the reve- lator (Rev. 4 to 18). It is the last of the seventy “week” years of Daniel 9. God’s »Day is the kingdom in mani festation in contradistinction to man’s day, which, as we shall shortly see, contains the kingdom in mystery form (Matt. 13), The Fullness of the Gentiles , This phrase must not be confused with the one discussed above. Whereas the expression, “ the times of the Gen tiles,” refers to Gentile nations, “ the fulness of the Gentiles” refers to saints of the true church. In the parable of the “one pearl of great price" (Matt. 3:46), we see the church in the triple darkness of this world, even as the pearl is in the sea, in the sand, and in the oyster. The church is the “one pearl of great price,” for which Christ,
*Dean, Bible Institute of Los Angeles.
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fiwm i Galloway
Your Cares and God's Care I Peter 5
By ROY L. LAURIN Pasadena, California
A SINGLE sentence will sum up all that I have to say to you— , put your cares into God’s care. The purpose of putting: our cares into God’s care is not, as some might naively assume, to lessen our responsi bility. The aim is rather to increase our ability to live larger and more effective lives. Three things stand out in this chapter: 1. Spiritual Leadership (vs. 1-4). 2. Spiritual Attitudes (vs. 5-7). 3. Spiritual Adversaries (vs. 8-11). Let us consider their practical bear ing upon the Christian in his: I. Spiritual Leadership (vs. 1-4). Much has been said in this Epistle concerning believers’ behavior under trial. Now the instruction is concern ing church leaders’ behavior in office. And much needs to be said about this leadership, for it marks either the rise or fall of the church. The leadership mentioned here is de scribed under the term “elder,” and while it may refer specifically to that office, it applies generally to every kind of church leader, whether deacon or elder, minister or missionary. There are two general duties of church leaders, to be found in verse 2 : First, the duty to feed—“fted the flock of God,” and second, the duty to lead— “taking the oversight.” 1. Feeding. There is no greater obligation for a spiritual leader than to see that the flock is fed. This responsibility is far greater than that of dealing with fi nancial problems, and yet consider how much time is thus spent. Feeding the flock is more important than the me- [This is the closing article in a series on the First Epistle of Peter.]
chanics of church organization. It is the primary purpose of the church. If the flock is to be fed, with what shall it be fed? There is but one kind of food—the Word itself. The nourish- ment for “the flock of God” is notf what the preacher conceives in his own mind or finds in the current philoso phies, but it is this Book, broken up into digestible portions and given to the sheep for their sustenance and growth. 2. Leading. The flock must be led as well as fed, for sheep need these two forms of help more than anything else. The spiritual leader, consequently, must himself be spiritually fed and spiritually led. Spiritual leadership is much more than making proposals and issuing orders and advancing suggestions. It is exam ple—by first doing this thing that is to be required of the flock. The apostle next suggests how spiritual leadership should be carried out. First, the leader of the church is to serve with willingness—“not by con straint, but willingly” (v.2). The work of. the church is too often dqne under protest—and when not in open protest, then from a sense of duty. But here the thought is obligation and loyalty and hilarious service prompted by a joy that impels us to serve. Second, those who lead are to serve with unselfishness—“not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind” (v.2). Here "is service out of an unselfish attitude. It is not rendered for the thought of per sonal advantage, but for good instead of gain. Third,' Christian leaders are to be without arrogance—“neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to.the flock” (v.3). All you need to do to gcsatly endanger a carnal Christian is to elect him to a church
office. He swells with such pride that he looks like a balloon ready for the stratosphere. He gives officious orders. He acts in an arrogant overlordship. The most dangerous place for some is a church office, for if a man is not a Spirit-filled Christian, he will be en snared in pride and an overestimate of self-importance. If there is an incentive that obligates us to fidelity, faith, and faithfulness, it is the anticipation of the crowning of successful service. “And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away” (v.4): Lord Beaverbrook said: "Rather choose to be an evangel ist than a Cabinet Minister or a millionaire. When I was a young man, I pitied my father for being a poor man and a humble preacher of the Word. Now that I am older, I envy him his life and his career.” Let us desire to render to Christ such humble service as is worthy of a “crown of glory that fadeth not away.” II. Spiritual Attitudes (vs. 5-7). Two attitudes are mentioned: first, an attitude toward man, and second, an attitude toward God. 1. Our Attitude Toward Man—HU MILITY (vs. 5, 6). Humility is nothing more nor less than a proper estimate of one’s self. It is the opposite of pride that arro gates one over others and takes a con descending and patronizing attitude to others. Augustine said of pride, “That which first overcomes man is the last to overcome.” i Humility is something to be acquired just as clothing is. In fact, it is con sidered here in terms of dressing. The command is, “Be clothed with humility.” And the expression literally means to [ Continued on Page 150]
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Even the most brief and casual setting forth of the manifestation» and activities of the Holy Spirit cannot fail to quicken the whole spiritual life of the believer in Christ, and to stimulate to a higher thought concerning Christ artd a higher quality of life in Christ* The Holy Spirit in the New Testament W HEN we come to study the Person and the work of the Holy Spirit in the New Testa ment, we are at once confronted with a wide range of activities by the same Holy Person to whom we have been in troduced in the Old Testament. His activities cover the entire gamut of ex perience, not alone of man in his rela tions to God and to his fellow men, but also of the God-Man in His relations to God and man. By J. C. MASSEE Winona Lake, Indiana The Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts In the Book of Acts we find wondrous events linked to the inauguration of the Spirit’s age and dispensation in the earth. Another has called Pentecost the “natal day of the Holy Spirit.” In a marvelous sense this is true. On that day He began, under new conditions and with new manifestations, His career as Advocate of the Lord Jesus Christ with His church on the earth.
His great office and the work thereof, He was driven by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness for His season, of testing through conflict with Satan (Lk. 4:1, 2; cf. Matt. 4:1; Mk. 1:12; Lk. 4:14). Then He introduced Himself to His fellow citizens at Nazareth under the sponsorship of the Holy Spirit. “And he opened the book, and found the place whefe it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me . . , And he began to say unto them, Today hath this scrip ture been fulfilled in your ears” .(Lk. 4:17, 18, 21). So through all His life and earthly ministry He must have had the companionship, teaching, and encourage ment of the Holy Spirit, for we read at last in Hebrews 9:14: “. . . the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish unto God, [shall] cleanse your consci ence from dead works to serve the liv ing God.” Thus we understand that, from cradle to cross, the holy and unblamable Son of God was indwelt of the Holy Spirit. It will be no marvel then for us to find the highest spiritual, ecstacy and expe riences of men are obtained through His gift of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit in the Gospels Apart from the Spirit’s ministry in the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, He appears in characteristic ac tivities in the lives of others before Pen tecost. There is the case of Simeon (Lk. 2:25). This is a typical case, put first for its, two great lessons: First, that the Holy Spirit reveals the presence and character of Christ to men; and second, that it is by the Holy Spirit that men are able to receive Him (cf. 1 John 4:2; 1 Cor. 12:3). There is .the case of Elisabeth: “And Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit” (Lk. 1:41), and forthwith pro ceeded with exultant joy to bless the Lord and to offer Him praises. So also Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit (Lk. 1:67), and he prophe sied and blessed the name of the Lord. Perhaps this is one of the most constant evidences of the Spirit’s presence and power in men—that spontaneous and praiseful testimony to God breaks forth from their lips.
' The Holy Spirit and the Christ The annunciation to Mary introduces to us the Holy Spirit in vital connec tion with the very life of our Lord. ■’‘The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee:, wherefore also the holy thing which is begotten, shall be called the Son of God” (Lk. 1:35). Again, in Matt. 1:20: ‘‘Joseph, thou son .of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is con ceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.” These passages tracing His human genealogy are in perfect harmony, there fore, with John (1:18), who traces His divine origin when he calls Him ‘‘the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father.” Thus, from the very beginning of the gospel message, we are, made aware of the identity and sin gularity of Christ and the Holy Spirit. Now, having been the divine Agent in the begetting and the, human birth of the Lord Jesus, the Spirit, we find, undertakes His tutelage in prep aration for His life work. There was first of all the heavenly witness to Him at His baptism by John, at the hour of His formal induction into His Messianic office. ‘‘And the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form, as a dove, upon him, and a voice came out of heaven, Thou are my beloved Son: in thee I am well pleased” (Lk. 3:22). After this, in order that He might be fully tested as to His fitness for [Portions of one chapter in Dr. Massee’s forthcoming book, The Holy Spirit, are combined in this article and are used with the permission of the author and of the publisher, Fleming H . Revell Co. Scripture references in this article are taken from the Ameri can Revised V e r s i o - - T ditor ] .
He - appointed overseers of the churches (Acts 26:28). He determined the mission policies of the churches (cf. Acts 13:1-3; 15:28). He enabled His workers to meet crises in their work (Acts 13:9). By His hand the door of the kingdom was opened both to the Jews and to the Gentiles (Acts 2 and 10). The Holy Spirit in the Epistles The Epistles bear in every page infal lible evidence of the Spirit’s presence and power. He inspires Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16 and 2 Pet. 1:21). He bears testimony to the Lord Jesus Christ (1 John 5:10-12). By the Holy Spirit the believer in Christ has confirmed the inner witness of his own spirit that he is the child of God (Rom. 8:16). By Him believers are baptized, are indwelt, are sanctified, empowered, guided, instructed, kept, and sealed unto the day of redemption. By Him is produced in their lives the wondrous fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:16-25). By Him the church receives at once its charismatic gifts and has appointed unto it its various offices and officers (1 Cor. 12 and 14). He brings to fruitage in the human life the “greatest thing in the world”— love, at once the sign and the seal of sonship (John 13:35 and 1 John 3:1-4). In the Revelation' The Holy Spirit closes the canon of Scripture, adding His voice to that of the church and of those who hear the call of God, bidding all who will to come and take the water of life freely. Thus, through all the inspired Word of God, as in all the experience of the saints, truly He speaks not of Himself, but takes the things of Christ and re veals them: to His own. "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come” (Rev. 22:17).
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Of What Use Are Sermons? By HERBERT LOCKYER Chicago, Illinois
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quality of reflecting God as He' is re vealed in the sacrifice of His Son. The sacred task of preaching is to make much of Christ—not to argue Him, or to defend Him, or even to state the need of Him, but to preach Him. We cannot read the exploits of the preachers in the Book of Acts without realizing that it was their unvarying aim to bring souls into contact with a living Christ. “Christ the text, and Christ the sermon, Christ the law, and Christ the faith.” Hopacker, the powerful German preacher, used to say: “I have only one sermon. It is this: ‘Come to Jesus.’ It is the only sermon I have, but, brothers, it draws hearts.” Ebenezer Morris, at the Carnarvon Association, preaching on the death of the Redeemer, repeated many times, with growing intensity and power, the words: “Y gwaed Lwn, this blood, this blood,” until hundreds were moved to a deep fervor of devotion. It is “this blood,” the blood of One who was will ing to die for sinners, that the preacher must exalt if he would be honored of the Holy Spirit. That was a quaint conceit of the ad visor of preachers who said: “Always enter the pulpit by ‘THE DOOR.’ ” Yes, JesuS is the “door” of the pulpit as of every good and useful abiding place. May we never enter any pulpit save by “ the door” ! John Kerr remarked expressively: "The Bible is the firma ment of which Christ is the sun.” And that cold hearts might be strangely warmed by such a "sun” is the end of all true preaching. 'Added Functions of the Sermon Another aspect of the mission of a sermon is that of comfort. The preacher will ever remember that he is in the presence of sorrow, that somewhere in his audience is a .»„c t>e-
> i » ü it
S ERMONS,” says Henry Ward Beecher, ‘‘are mere tools; and the business you have in mind is not making sermons or preaching sermons—it is saving men.” “Your only business,” said John Wesley to his preachers, “is to save- souls.” Dr. Dale in his Lectures on Preaching tells us that there is no work comparable to that of being “the ally of Christ in His great endeavor to save the world.” While much has been written concerning the substance and mission of a sermon, it will be found difficult to improve on Beecher’s definition! The preacher, as God’s ambassador, is a mediator between God and men, charged with the commission to bring God to men and men to God. Our obligation, then, is to proclaim a message; and to the messenger, says James Black, of Edinburgh, Scotland, both the method and the technique are subordinate; it is of little use thinking about these till we are clear about the message, for that will both make the preacher and shape the method. Some there are who are more con cerned about the method than the mes sage. Truth is sacrificed for technique. When preaching is done for mere effect, people witness a display but fail to experience a dynamic that blasts their shackles of sin. Souls are not reconciled to God by rhetoric, but by the simple, Spirit-impelled declaration of a cruci fied Christ. And, as Dr. Black has it, “ It is worth a lifetime’s Study, and a life laid down, to become the The Central Message: Christ Crucified
instrument of such reconciling love, and no art that produces any other impression, though it brings us to the‘ height of popularity, can com pare with the preaching of a man who brings even one soul into right relations with God.” In our preaching we must learn how to crash through the shelters of self esteem and self-sufficiency and give men and women a shuddering look into the depths. Preaching must cause those who listen to fear God, must make them sin-conscious, must bring them to realize their utter helplessness apart from the work, of redemption. A traveler tells of a curious mirror of silver picked up in Japan; this, when flashing the light, reflected not a mere beam, but the image of Buddha that had been subtly wrought into its tex ture. In a far higher degree, and trans cending all earthly imagery, good preaching should have the supreme First in a Series on wThe Art and Craft of Preaching9
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King, speaking the King’s own Word spoken to me by the King Himself, my heart burning within me the while He talked with me by the way, my own soul growing strong in the incoming strength of living truth, warm from the lips of God”—this is the standard for God’s servant in the pulpit. Stand we here—each for himself? Or have we lost our warrant? Major Whittle told D. M. McIntyre once of two distinguished American preachers whom he named, who sepa rately consulted D. L. Moody on a point that troubled them. It was the same point for each. Their popularity .was unabated, great audiènces filled their churches, but sinners were not being converted to God. They said to Mr. Moody: '“Why is it? ” He said: “Because you don’t honor the Word of God in your preaching.” It was Major Whittle’s opinion, that Mr. Moody had revealed to the inquir ers the true cause of their spiritual weakness. Happily for the congregations affected, the brotherly rebuke was re ceived in all kindness. Such, then, is the mission of a ser mon. It must make for the comfort of thè troubled, must arouse the lost to a sense of their need, must gather the hearers round the throne of the as cended Lord, and must display before their awakened conscience the realities of the eternal world. When Thomas Boston heard Gabriel Temple preach, he said: “Methought. I saw heaven opened and the great God seated on His throne.” May such preaching ever be ours! It will be, if we preach the preaching God bids us. Go . . . preach the gospel. Mission Field national in its scope and responsibility. Thirteen federal camps have been established to provide an existing-place for thousands of these people. It is the hope of the Bible Institute of Los An geles to man each of. the thirteen camps for the summer months with a student pastor. Manifestly, no funds will be available from the members of the fed eral camps, for the people in them are destitute. The project must be financed by Christians who are interested in the eternal welfare of all men. Last summer, funds were available to send two groups of Biola students to minister, through song and testimony, to these needy people. The plan this year is to send out camp pastors who will be able to do a more permanent type of work than that which heretofore has been accomplished. Your gifts, large or small, will assist in carrying on this great work. . - Address all communications to: The Migrant Mission Fund, Bible Institute of Los Angeles, 558 So. Hope St., Los Angeles, Calif.
“No man in his time spake with such evidence and power of the Spirit; no man had so many seals of conversion. Yea, many of his hearers thought that no man since the apostles spoke with such power.” The Word in the hands of a faithful preacher should serve as does a scalpel in the hand of a skilled surgeon. One cannot help recalling the old story of the physician lecturing upon a new surgical operation. “How many times have you performed the operation?” asked the doctors. “ Sixty-five,” was the answer. “How many of youV patients recov ered?” “They all died, but the operation is most brilliant.” As we confront men to preach, may we ever be convinced that it is life or death with some souls, and that they will take their fate at our hands. Some sermons, alas, are brilliant operations. The sadness is that after them no sin- sick souls recover. The Essential for Powerful Preaching Decisions, of course, can never be se cured, no matter how cultured and clever the sermon, if the preacher of "that sermon does not believe in the authoritative Word of God. Doubt as to the message he handles will paralyze his power. Robert Bruce of Edinburgh was accustomed to say: “I have ever an eye to .my warrant.” Have we ? Do we believe that the Bible is the infal lible warrant of the King? As spokes men of the skies, do we present the truths of the Bible as being inerrant declarations? “An ambassador of the A California Four hundred thousand people in the state of California are without any ade quate presentation of the gospel. This is the tremendous challenge which con fronts the Christians of the Pacific Coast and the entire nation. Four hun dred thousand people—a number ex ceeding that of the entire population of Seattle, Washington—have no compre hensive, systematic, or sufficient gospel work being carried on among them. This company constitutes the major part of the great migrant influx which has come into the state of California during the past few years. Almost every state in the Union is represented among these migrants. They were re spected citizens of other communities, but economic circumstances have over whelmed them. Because they have lost all their material possessions, they have •come West with the hope of rehabilitat ing themselves. The United States Government recog nizes the economic problem as being a national one. The spiritual problem likewise must be recognized as being
neath a burden. Joseph Parker re peated again and again: ‘‘Preach to broken hearts.” And here is the testi mony of Ian Maclaren, whose Cure of Souls is a homiletical treatise of rare value: “ The chief end of preaching is comfort. Never can I forget what a distinguished scholar, who used to sit in my church, once said to me: ‘Your best work in the pulpit has been to put heart into men for the coming week.’ ” Then there is this, found in the midst of a bleeding page from Dr. Dale: “People want to be comforted . . . They need consolation.” J. H. Jowett, who has given us in The Preacher one of the most heart searching books on homiletics, refers to “The Ministry of the Bleeding Heart.” We cannot bless unless we bleed, for unless our hearts have experienced the consolation of Christ, we cannot hope to comfort others. The preacher must carry with him those balms, cordials, caustics to meet the clamant needs of men—healing medicines from which he himself has benefited. Yes, and souls instinctively respond to the voice of ex perience. James Stalker says, in his fine Imago Christi: “Men know they need a message from the other world, and they instinctively recognize the authen tic voice when they hear it.” But more frequently the preacher needs to be a baker rather than a physician—it is food that needs dis pensing more than medicine, for while some of the hearers need the healing balm of the gospel, the majority of them require a table spread with the living bread. May increasing power be ours to satisfy the needs of all who face us in God’s house! May grace be ours to send people away feeling that their lives have been greatly enriched through contact with the preached Word! Hear the suggestive phrase Rob ert Louis Stevenson has in one of his letters: “I’ve been to church and I am not depressed.” Further, as another phase of our study will reveal, a sermon must pro duce decisions. Augustine says that the aim of a sermon is to bend the will to action. The offioe of a sermon, accord ing to George Herbert, is to “inform and inflame.” Henry Ward Beecher’s suggestive remark is: “A sermon is a weapon of war.” It is meant to do execution, and the qualities about which we ought to be most concerned are precisely those that belong to a striking instrument. The wreathing .of gold about the hilt may be dispensed with, but the temper of the blade and the keenness of the edge are all-important. Brother, is your sword blunt? After you preach, is there a. veritable battle field before you upon which you can count the slain of the Lord? John Liv ingstone’s testimony of Robert Bruce of Edinburgh was:
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