God's Word Their Target by C. M. S.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 6, 1913

God's Word Their Target

By C. M. S.

A most tempting target for the higher critics is found in the miracles of the Bible. The attempt is made either to discredit the narrative itself or to gloss over the miraculous with a film of cunningly devised fabrication, to show that whatever occurred was in the ordinary course. With all the miraculous carefully expunged from the gospel records, Satan would naturally consider his conquest over the remainder more certain in the minds and hearts of men.

One of the most curious and irreverent exhibits of this character appears in the columns of the Christian Work and Evangelist. It is an effort to discredit completely the miraculous in the deliverance of Peter from prison at the time when he was about to be given to the sword. The writer's idea, in a few words, is that the Roman soldiers who were guarding Peter had heard of his teachings, perhaps becoming converted, or at least friendly, and released him themselves, in spite of the fact that they certainly knew their own lives must pay the penalty for permitting their prisoner to escape from their hands. He says, “They deliberately gave their lives that Peter might live,” and the words are in italics. This deliberate, emphasized assertion is made in spite of the plain declaration of the Word that “an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shined in the cell: and he smote Peter on the side, and awoke him, saying, Rise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.” Acts 12:7.

Note the last sentence in the verse quoted, and then alongside that place this statement of the higher critic: “While Peter slept, the soldiers unfastened his fetters. They unlocked the prison door. A confederate was waiting at the iron gate to open it.” Now another statement of the Word: “When they were past the first and the second guard, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth into the city; which opened to them of its own accord.” Verse 10. The higher critic says a confederate did it. Whom shall we believe, Inspiration or Inspiration's human antagonist?

When Peter had arrived at the house where his brethren and sisters were praying for his deliverance, he declared that “the Lord had brought him forth out of the prison.” The higher critic states that it was a rough Roman soldier who did it. Again, whom shall we believe?

The higher critic states that the word here rendered angel simply means messenger. Messenger is a correct translation of the original word; and standing by itself that is what it means. But it makes the greatest possible difference how the word is qualified. When the Bible states, as in Acts 12:11, that “the Lord hath sent forth his angel [messenger],” we have no shadow of excuse for supposing that God's angel was a “rough Roman soldier.” In fact, the word translated angel in the New Testament, though coming from the original Greek word meaning messenger, does not refer to men in any case, but to celestial beings, and that, too, where no qualifying word is used. One such expression is this: “And all that sat in the council, fastening their eyes on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.” Acts 6:15. There can be no question that the word which is there used means a heavenly being; and how much more surely when the word angel is accompanied by a qualifying word such as is used in Acts 12:11!

Another subtle insinuation of discredit in such criticisms as this above referred to is revealed in the attempt to make the sacred records appear to be simply a man's impressions of what he supposed to be a fact. One other quotation from the writer referred to will show this very clearly. He says: “It will be objected that Peter himself ascribed his escape to supernatural agency. It appeared that way to him, and he told the story as he thought he saw it. But Peter's perceptions were not sufficiently aroused to permit him to note accurately his surroundings, and his mental concepts were too indefinite to enable him to reason correctly as to cause and effect.” What a jumble of inconsistencies and uncertainties all this would make of the Bible! In place of the infallible Word of God, we should then have only the inaccurate “mental concepts” of those whose pens Inspiration used. The Bible writers would be giving us only their drowsy, foggy ideas of what they thought they saw or heard, and we should be at liberty to accept or reject as our own mental concepts or inaccurate notions might influence us. On such a foundation no man can stand with any assurance of safety. If that be the Bible, then we have no Word of God, but are floundering among a mass of human guesses, inaccurate mental concepts, and human judgments biased and prejudiced by our own natural inclinations.

With such expositions of Scripture from pulpit and religious press, is it any wonder that souls are drifting to ruin under the very eyes of the preachers? that doubting, agnosticism, and infidelity are growing apace? It is the crying sin of the age that theologians are wasting time and opportunity with such worse than worthless babblings, when they might be saving souls.

This is but a portion of the great campaign of the enemy of man to becloud the minds of men, and set souls adrift from their moorings without chart or compass. He who rightly estimates the value of souls for whom Christ gave his own life will not be found feeding them on such soul-destroying husks. “The Word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Heb. 4:12. It is not made up of the guesses, or impressions, or inaccurate mental concepts of human beings. We come to it as to the fount of eternal truth, and find it to be in very deed the word of the living God.

C. M. S.