Needless Alarm by J. O. Corliss

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jan 8, 1885

Needless Alarm.

By J. O. Corliss

IN discussing the International Sunday-school Lessons for 1885, the Vermont Chronicle severely criticizes the future plans of the lesson committee in the following words:—

"To compass the Bible in the way of study is a grand thing, but to keep children for a whole year, or for any large part of a year, and especially the most hopeful, the most fruitful season of the year, away from the gospels, shut up with the Jewish Judges or Leviticus, we do not believe is best. If we understand it, the Sunday-schools of the world are to have no gospel until 1886! Meanwhile they are to be kept to Moses and the prophets. If this is so, we protest against it. No system, however excellent in its methods and results, can be good which thus for so long a time keeps the millions of children, without any respect to their intellectual capacities, or their mightier spiritual wants, to the study of Jewish institutions and traditions. No Saviour for the children for 1885! That will not do."

The impression conveyed by the above is that the entire set of lessons for the present year is to be in the Old Testament. Now it is a fact that the first half of the year is to be devoted to the study of the Acts and the epistles. In view of this we can see no reason for the above stricture on the proposed lessons. There is certainly gospel enough in the Acts and epistles to satisfy the most orthodox.

But why speak so disparagingly of the Old Testament scriptures? Their importance in the establishment of the gospel cannot be safely overlooked. We know that Christ and his apostles ever appealed to them as authority in their work. Who that has studied the Bible carefully does not understand that the New Testament itself is but an outgrowth of the Old Testament; and if the New Testament, which is supposed to be full of gospel, depends upon the Old Testament for its development, then why should we not conclude that the parent trunk contains at least the germs of that which is able to make us wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus?

Before a single word of the New Testament was written, our Saviour said: "Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify of me." John 5:39. The Saviour's own words for it, then, that the Old Testament testifies of him. And why should it not do so, when the writers of it were inspired by Christ to do their work? When writing of the common salvation received as the end of faith, the apostle Peter says: "Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you; searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." 1 Pet. 1:10, 11. All will readily see that this scripture applies to the Old Testament writers. Notice, that he says they testified beforehand of Christ's sufferings, and yet their testimony was given by the Spirit of Christ which was in them.

We also learn that Moses himself, fifteen hundred years before the so-called Christian era, had strong faith in Christ. In making reference to the decision of Moses, wherein he refused to be regarded as the seed of Pharaoh, but chose rather to suffer affliction with God's people, the apostle says that he esteemed "the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt," and then adds significantly, "For he had respect unto the recompense of the reward." Paul very well knew that the reward of salvation could only come through faith in Christ, yet when writing to Timothy he exhorted him to continue in that which he had known from a child—"the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."

It is evident from this statement that a continuance in those scriptures to which he referred would establish Timothy's faith in the Lord Jesus. It must further be granted that the scriptures which Timothy read years before, when a child, were certainly the Old Testament, for the New Testament had not at that date been compiled.

But Moses could have a stronger faith in Christ than those who had only read the scriptures that testified of him; for it is very evident that Moses enjoyed actual converse with the Lord. One thing is certain, that during all the sojourn in the wilderness, some one accompanied the host of Israel, who spoke authoritatively to Moses, and directed all the marches of the forty years' campaign. Thus we read from Exodus 23:20, 21: "Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions; for my name is in him."

There are some things in this scripture to carefully note. 1. God sends his Angel to conduct them to the promised land. 2. He would utter words that must be obeyed. 3. God's name was in him, thus giving him authority to speak as God. Who could be clothed with so much authority but the Lord Jesus himself? And if Christ was the actual leader of the armies of Israel, how plainly evident that the expression, "And the Lord spake unto Moses," which occurs so frequently in the narrative of the exodus, refers to directions given by Christ himself to Moses.

But we are not left to infer who this (to some) mysterious personage was. In commenting upon the course and conduct of the Israelites, Paul remarks: "Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink; for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them (margin, went with them); and that Rock was Christ." 1 Cor. 10:1-4.

This is a wonderful statement. The apostle did not want the Corinthian brethren to be ignorant of the fact that the Israelites in their wanderings through the wilderness had spiritual meat to eat, and drank of a spiritual Rock. And why should they not have such, when Christ himself, the "author and finisher of our faith," went with them? Should it be thought a thing incredible that they partook of spiritual blessings, while in daily intercourse with the Author of those blessings?

Yet so it is. There is with some an unaccountable prejudice against everything pertaining to Old Testament times, which leads them to make statements recklessly, thereby betraying the greatest ignorance of the subject upon which they speak or write. Like the author of the quotation at the head of this article, they will affirm that no Christ or gospel is to be found outside of the New Testament. But a little careful study of the question cannot fail to convince the judgment of the most skeptical that the gospel—or remedy for sin—is as old as the need of it.

The Bible is a unit. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." So said the great apostle, 2 Tim. 3:16. The Old Testament is necessary to the understanding of the New. Neither could the Old Testament be fully understood until the appearance of the New, for the excellent reason given in the words of another: "The New Testament was contained in the Old, and the Old Testament is revealed in the New."