Waning Bible Doctrine

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 25, 1912

Waning Bible Doctrine

Does the great Protestant world possess the knowledge of the Word of God which it had a quarter of a century ago? That it does not is the charge brought against it by its opponents. The New Orleans Morning Star, a Catholic paper, says:—

There was a time when our Protestant friends, if they did talk rather loud and long about the Bible, at least possessed a close, first-hand acquaintance with their Scriptures.

This time, however, the Star feels has long since passed, for of Protestants today it says:—

Our scattered brethren still scatter Bibles as the sower scatters seed; but the ranks of those who personally read and study and know their Bible—as Protestants once did—are becoming attenuated almost to the vanishing-point.

The New York Weekly Witness of Dec. 27, 1911, quoting the above extract, comments as follows:—

We fear there is far too much truth in this accusation, and it is a very serious accusation. Romanism or any other form of religion that recognizes human authority as the basis of its beliefs, might exist without the Bible; but evangelical Protestantism exists because of the Bible, and could not continue to exist without the Bible. In proportion as the Bible loses its hold on the affections and on the consciences of men, religion ceases to be evangelical.

We are led to wonder to what extent this charge is true as applied to Seventh-day Adventists. Do we study and understand the Scriptures of truth as we did forty or fifty years ago? Then our position was under constant fire. We were driven into close quarters by opponents, and were obliged to know for ourselves the reasons of our faith. On the part of many we believe that there is a growing interest in the study of the Scriptures of truth. We feel, however, that with others there has been a falling back. It is time for us all to return to the old-time spirit, and search the Scriptures daily, that our minds may be stored with the precious truths of God against the time of need.