The “New Gospel” Characterized as a Failure

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 16, 1915

The “New Gospel” Characterized as a Failure

The new theology has been publicly renounced by Pastor Haecker of Berlin, who had been a strong advocate of it. We reproduce one paragraph of his renunciation as quoted in the Word and Way of November 4:—

Why have I not tried “the new gospel” longer — the gospel without the incarnate God, without the death sacrifice of God's love, without the resurrection of the Lord? Because I sought life and full satisfaction, and did not find this in modern theology. As pastor, I was called not only to weddings, but to deathbeds and funerals. There I could offer no fine words on the value of the life which was vanishing, of the virtues of the dead, concerning which I was not convinced. No, at such times I needed to say that One had cried aloud over this world of graves, “Because I live, ye shall live also.” The modern man must be loved, but not with false concessions; loved as God has ever loved—with Cross love. He must be loved with the old gospel, which is the truth. Therefore, we must abandon halfway compromises. We must bring the message, not of the great men who are dead, but of the Son of God who lives.