Literalism by W. N. Glenn

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jan 3, 1884

Literalism.

By W. N. Glenn

IN closing a paragraph regarding the communion and feet-washing at a recent gathering of the Dunkers, the Christian at Work remarks: "There is nothing like literalism." Whatever idea the writer may have intended to convey by the remark, he spoke a literal truth. The great fundamental truths set before us in God's word are literal. The history of the world as given in the Bible as a literal history, and all its spiritual teachings are based upon literal facts. The popular religious teaching of the present day has a tendency toward "spiritualizing" everything, and especially that which calls for obedience. The effect is to place the spiritual in contrast with the literal in religious duty, as though the two were opposed to each other. The fact is, true spirituality comes of literal obedience. The literal and the spiritual in the affairs of God all harmonize. All duty is literal; there is no such possibility as obeying a command spiritually and rejecting it literally.

Note the dealings of God with our world. In the first place he is a literal God. His very name (I AM) expresses his existence. Ex. 3:14. His whole creation was literal. The fall of man was the result of literal disobedience. He was literally expelled from the garden, and the penalty of death was literally executed. The flood that Noah preached was literal; so was the destruction of the cities of the plain. The slavery in Egypt was literal, so also the plagues upon the Egyptians, and the deliverance through the Red Sea. The promised Messiah came literally in the flesh to his people. John 1:1-14. His temptations were literal (Heb. 4:15); the prophecy of his humiliation (Isa. 53:7, 8) was literally fulfilled; his passion and crucifixion were literal; his resurrection was literal, of which more than five hundred brethren were witnesses (1 Cor. 15:4-7); his ascension was literal; and he promised a literal return "in like manner." Acts 1:11.

It is true that the Lord has sometimes taught by "shadows," but they were shadows of literal things, as history has proven. He has taught by figurative representations, but these represent literal times and powers and institutions, as history has shown and present occurrences are giving evidence.

As to his ordinances, they are literal emblems of literal events, of which his own example in observing them ought to be deemed abundant proof. The record of his baptism is given in Matt. 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21, 22. This represents his burial and resurrection. Rom. 6:3-5; Col. 2:12. The institution of the Lord's Supper is recorded in Matt. 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:19, 20; 1 Cor. 11:23-26. The last reference tells us that as often as we do this we show the Lord's death till he come." Do what? Do as the Lord and his disciples did when the supper was instituted—partake of the literal emblems of this literal event. But the ordinance emblematic of his humility—the feet-washing—is the one which most of all is rejected. It is very hard for man to memorialize humility, literally. The natural man cannot do it. But the institution is recorded in John 13, and the proceedings are minutely described, showing a very literal transaction. And the Lord enjoins them (verse 15), "I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you." Now how could anyone do as he had done to them in any but a literal manner.

Verily, "there is nothing like literalism," when it comes to obeying God's commandments. And the spiritualism that is antagonistic to literal obedience is not of the Holy Spirit. W. N. GLENN.