p. 6 | A Great Bible School by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Mar 22, 1899

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 25, No. 12.

A Great Bible School

By Editor

EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE. No. 1.

A Great Bible School.

THIS is historic ground. When the Pilgrim fathers left Leyden, Holland, in 1620, one of their most devoted ministers, John Robinson, gave in his parting injunction the following glorious words, embracing important and far-reaching principles:—

“If God reveals anything to you by any other instrument be as ready to receive it as you ever were to receive any truth from my ministry; for I am verily persuaded I am very confident, that the Lord hath more truth yet to break forth out of His Holy Word. For my part I can not sufficiently bewail the condition of the reformed churches, who are come to a period in religion, and will go at present no farther than the instruments of their reformation. . . . I beseech you, remember it as an article of your church covenant, that you may be ready to receive whatever truth shall be made known to you from the written Word of God.”

God's truth is living and powerful. It vitalizes all who receive it. The pillar of cloud and fire led ever on before. “Go forward,” is God's watchword to His people. “He is not here; for He is risen. . . . He goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see Him,” are the words of the angel to the disciples, who were looking backward into the past. “The path of the just is as the shining light, which shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” And this is true of both individual and church. It is said of those who study the prophecies of God for the last days: “Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” “Increasing in the knowledge of God” is the prayer of the Spirit for His people.

Formalism and creeds have been a curse in the church, the sure sign of the decay of vital piety. A tree that is planted is not put in an iron jacket, nor circumscribed with iron bands, with the expectancy that it will live. Men know that thus treated it must die. They know also that its growth and strength do not depend upon its form, the number of branches that it possesses, the exact shape of those branches, nor any such details, but that its fiber, strength, and growth depend upon its life received from earth and air, from sun and rain. If the life is what it should be, strong, full, and free, the form is easily regulated; but if the life is gone, the form is nothing.

Men know this as regards trees, as regards flowers, beasts, and men physically. Why can not Christians see it as regards the church, the living temple of the Holy Spirit, the body of Jesus Christ?

These principles have been studied with profit in this conference. As the unity of Christ with the individual believer, as the unity of believers with each other through Christ, or in Christ, has been developed, new beauties, new depths of truth, have been presented to many minds, and hearts have rejoiced.

More than this: it has been also realized that holding this in theory alone is no more than holding to a dead creed, for a dead, unwritten idea has no more power than a dead, written creed. There must be actual, vital relation with God, coming through living faith in His Word. Faith in His Word sees man in his absolute nothingness, and sees God in the power of His might. “All flesh is grass; . . . but the Word of our God endureth forever.” In that Word, received by simple faith, is not only power to cleanse and restore, but power to keep restored, power to keep from sinning. These are among the questions studied in new light and realized in deeper experience at this conference than ever before. True church organization is organization in God. This is its basis. Apart from this, all forms are void of the life of God.

More than this: if the preserved form is void of the life of God, Satan will fill it with his life. Men will imbibe his spirit, and think it to be the Spirit of God. So it was with the Jewish church. When they rejected Christ Jesus, they rejected the Life and Light of the world, and their house was left unto them desolate. But still cherishing, worshiping the lifeless form, through which in former days God had manifested His power, Satan came in and took possession, they imbibed his spirit, and finally put to death the Son of God. So went the early church. So went the church of the Reformation.

Are not the same principles true in these days? Are they not in operation? The principles of lording it over God's heritage are not the principles of the Gospel of Christ. The persecution for conscience' sake through religious legislation is not the principle of the Gospel. Either seeking or asking legislation respecting religion or religious tenets or institutions, is not Christian. And yet these things are all manifest in this our day. The only thing which will save the child of God from these principles of evil is a vital union with God through Jesus Christ, constantly maintained by the obedience of faith. And these important principles, much more fully developed than this brief sketch, have stood out bold and clear in this conference.

In addition to the study respecting the true principles of organization there has been additional study on the principles underlying true education and healthful living, the central thought of which was the life of God and its power in us.

But little business has been done, making some almost impatient, but much more rapid progress is looked for in the week which yet remains. This we shall be glad to note in our next. In the meantime we are sure our readers will be glad to consider with us, even tho briefly set forth, the above principles, and to follow as the light of the Living Word leads on.