Earlier text: Question CornerThe Bible as a Whole
By Wilbert W. White
Wilbert W. White, president Bible Teachers' Training-school, New York THE mountains of Holy Scripture are being divested of their forests. Floods of infidelity and arid wastes in spiritual life must follow. We need a Christian conservation movement. . . . It appears to me that there must soon come a return to new study of the evidences that the Bible as a whole is true; for if there is not good and sufficient reason for accepting the message of the Bible as a whole as supernatural, I for one have no particular interest in studying or teaching it. Let its trees be cut down. If, I say, its message in its entirety, as the Bible itself interprets itself, and, if you please, corrects itself—if, I say, there is not good and sufficient reason for accepting the message of the Bible as a whole as a unique revelation from God Himself, then there is no future for us. Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die, if the dead are not raised. Life and immortality are brought to light in the gospel, which I insist is the Bible as a whole, or the quest is vain. The church of Christ has accepted the apostolic teaching concerning God and Christ, and this as a whole is true or as a whole it is false. Let Not the Issue Be Obscured
Let not the issue be obscured. It is the message as a whole with which we must deal. We always lose vantage-ground when we allow the adversary to limit us to this miracle or that, to this doctrine or that, in our defense of the gospel. Each part is to be defended in its setting. Reasons which might appear cogent against a doctrine or a statement in isolation may not be weighty in the light of the context. The context here is Genesis—Revelation. . . . Again I say, let us not allow any one to confuse us as to the issue to-day. It is not, Is this doctrine or that doctrine true? It is this: Is the Bible as a whole true, or is it not true? Has God given a special, unique, supernatural, divine revelation, or has He not done so? That is the question. If God has given such a revelation, it is in the Bible, and I repeat it, the Bible as a whole is true or it is false as a whole. The Bible Studied Brings About Belief that It Is of Supernatural Origin
Let me explain exactly what I mean. In doing so, I proceed in the direction of doing what I am continually advocating to be the thing to do to bring about belief that the Bible is of distinctly supernatural origin according to its own repeated allegation; namely, I proceed to study the Bible itself. It is its own best defender. What is the Bible?—It is a collection of threescore and six booklets, each of which is distinct and unique, each coming from a specific situation and having a distinct aim and message. What do these sixty-six booklets, which “by a happy solecism,” since the thirteenth century, have been called the Bible—what do they teach?—They “principally teach what man is to believe concerning God and what duty God requires of man.” To elucidate this and interpret it, we say, The Bible teaches that God the Father almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, through Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, is the Redeemer from sin and destruction, and that therefore man is under obligation to love the Lord his God with all his heart and mind and strength, and his neighbor as himself. Recall the words of Exodus 20: “I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.” Thomas Nelson Page a Protestant THOMAS NELSON PAGE, United States ambassador to Italy, and well-known author, is a member of the Episcopal Church, and a decided Protestant. In an article in the Churchman, he protests against the dropping of the name “Protestant,” and among other decided things says (we quote from Current Opinion): “Representative government is the fruit of Protestantism—of Protestantism English and American. Our forefathers gave their lives to both, and at a time when a considerable element of the clergy were against at least the former. I would no more think of permitting a change of name of the church, if I could prevent it, than of the country. Those who advocate changing the name of the church should be warned that they are on more dangerous ground than they are aware of. Their churches are half empty now. They may find them more empty yet before they get through with tinkering. What we request with great firmness is that they keep their hands off the Protestant principle of this church. When the people get ready to change, it will be done, and only then. Meantime they are unsettling their affection not for the church’s name but for the church’s principles.” “The attractive argument of church unity has been warmly pressed in this discussion. It is a dream—a beautiful dream, but a fallacious dream. There can be no unity with Rome without complete and utter submission to her. The whole history of her past establishes the fact, and no part more absolutely than her recent past. Twenty years ago men began to talk of the liberty of the Catholic Church in America. It appeared as if it were destined to make a great name. Great ecclesiastics, honored of all men, like Archbishop Ireland and Archbishop Kean, stepped forward and took the lead with tongue and pen. Cardinal Gibbons appeared acquiescent; the great educational institution at the gates of the capital fell into the movement. What happened?—Rome said ‘No.’ The movement stopped as if petrified to stone. The leaders were disciplined. Ireland found himself compelled to recant, and lost his cardinal’s hat. Kean was called abroad and made archbishop of Damascus, where no active Christian church had been for a thousand years. The university lost its ‘distinguished head,’ and became quiescent if not reactionary.” “Are you willing to submit to Roman Catholic absolutism? Are you ready to accept not only the fathers whose names are embalmed in the romantic history of the first centuries or shine from the darkness of medievalism, who indeed already belong to you as to her if you but assert your birthright, but also ready to accept the fathers who walk the streets of Rome to-day, with eager eyes ever turned toward this western field which Rome once claimed as all her own? You are ready to accept the confessional, are you ready to accept the celibacy of the clergy and the unquestioned right to obedience of her hierarchy? Are you ready to accept the recent dogmas of Rome—the immaculate conception and the infallibility of the papal see? If you are not, then do not dream of unity with Rome. Rome has but one condition for unity—submission, submission of body and mind.” BEFORE any person should allow himself to criticize another, he ought to be very sure that he personally is without fault. Observation and experience have almost invariably shown that those who possess the least perfection are the very ones who are the most apt to criticize. Even if we consider ourselves worthy to criticize another, we should first go to him alone, and not to other people, and in love seek to bring about his correction. Faultfinding has become a habit with far too many people; and the motive that prompts their criticism is often anything but commendable. It is a serious enough matter to possess wrong traits of character, without their being made subjects of criticism to prejudice others against the individual. Criticism behind one's back has seldom proved a remedial measure; but criticism in the spirit of love, delivered to the individual himself, has often resulted in reformation. In all our criticisms and acts relative to others, let us do by them as we would have them do by us. Does God Heal Miraculously?
Most assuredly He does spiritually, every time a soul is born into the kingdom. He also heals physically, in response to faith; but not always. Many good souls doubt and become discouraged here. They may have been told that they have no faith; that they are not children of God if He does not heal them. Do not listen to such suggestions. There may be a reason. We commend the following from an article by the Rev. Henry W. Frost, in the Sunday School Times of April 26: “First, thank God for those who have been faithful and kind enough to bring the subject of divine healing to your attention, and for thus recalling to your remembrance the great fact that God is the author and sustainer of life, that all healing comes from Him, and that He is able and at times willing to heal miraculously. “Second, make going to God for health, strength, and healing, and living in harmony with His physical laws, a first and instinctive principle of your life. “Third, if health fails, trust God, and prayerfully seek His will as to what course you should take in seeking for healing. “Fourth, if God heals you miraculously, apart from means, accept the blessing humbly and gratefully, but do not generalize from the experience either for yourself or others, since the sovereign Lord deals differently with different saints, and even differently at different times with the same saints. “Fifth, if God does not heal you miraculously, seek His will in another direction, for instance, as to whether rest and change may not bring to you what seems needful for you. “Sixth, if God does not heal you through such means, take the advice of a Christian physician, and do not hesitate to use prayerfully appropriate remedies, remembering that Satan is not the author of medical science, nor the creator of the healing properties contained in medicines, but that it is a fact that every good and perfect gift comes from above, and from the Father of lights, and that God's gifts of medical skill and of medicine are to be received with thanksgiving. “And lastly, if God finally does not heal you, still trust Him and still give Him thanks, believing that His will and way are perfect. In such a case, be assured that He has lessons to teach you which you could not learn except through sickness, and which it would be a calamity to miss, and also that He can use you in weakness as well as in strength, and that, if you will let Him, He will certainly glorify His name in and through you.” Seek to learn His lessons in affliction, and do not be afraid to seek Him again for the boon of health. The Triumph of What Is Good
“THE big man is the man who cares more for the triumph of what is good than he does for the triumph of that good through him.” W. W. Guth, in “Christian Advocate”
By W. W. Guth
W. W. Guth, in “Christian Advocate”
We all go through a bondage in Egypt; God can and does lead us out of this Egypt. He can do it in a night, as He led out the children of Israel. But it is an entirely different matter for Him to take us to Palestine. The Egypt is in our blood, and it is as important for the Almighty to get Egypt out of us as it is to get us into Palestine. The discipline of defeat, of hope deferred, of faith, of perseverance, is necessary. If we were strong enough to go through the land of Philistia, we would immediately think too highly of ourselves. The feelings of independence would stir in our veins, we would have no need for the Almighty; nay, we would even ignore Him or declare Him to be non-existent. So we must go the longer way. Here we shall meet our foes gradually and have a fighting chance against them. We must be led even to the very point of despair, where water and food fail us, in order to see that God can and will provide. We must be placed before inscrutable mystery, in order to see that the mind of man is not sufficient unto itself, but dependent upon God. By constant disappointment in the wilderness, we must learn that stability and sufficiency in daily life are the results of gradual, painstaking, invigorating growth, and that the road to ease and plenty is the roundabout way. When we come face to face with the deeper problems of life, we understand, and that only as we strive to reach this can we show ourselves fit for life's task. Life is the test of the long run. It is not an easy task. Its solutions are not clear and ready. But it is a run we can make; it is a task we can accomplish. A federal commissioner listened attentively to a proposed plan and finally gave his approval. But he added, “Do you know that you have entered upon a hundred years’ job?” “We do,” was the instant response, “and so we haven’t an hour to lose.” God calls us and He leads. Bread Cast upon the Waters
CHARLES FROELICH, a farmer’s lad, living near Welleston, Ohio, was ambitious to complete a liberal education, but did not have means sufficient to do so. He went to a physician in that city, Dr. E. S. Higley, and borrowed from him $700, and graduated from college as a mining engineer. This was in 1880. Soon after, the young man went to Australia. Not a word was heard from him for twenty-five years, when one morning he came into Dr. Higley’s office and said he owed the doctor some money. He had changed in his appearance so that the doctor did not recognize him, and then he revealed his identity, and paid the $700 principal and compound interest on the same to date. He informed his benefactor that he had been successful in Australia and South Africa, and had amassed a fortune. Mr. Froelich returned to Australia, and nothing was heard from him again until the other day, when Henry K. Thorncroft, a lawyer of Melbourne, Australia, arrived in Welleston and notified Dr. Higley that Mr. Froelich had died without relatives, and had left his entire estate, valued at a million dollars, to his benefactor.—The Christian Herald. If I Should Never Wake
By J. A. L. Derby
Good night, pale sun!
What if thy fading light,
While time shall run,
No more shall greet my sight?
A grander day than thine shall break in
radiance white.
Good night! Good night! Good night, fair earth,
Green earth, so dark, so bright!
Why for thy mirth
And sorrow longer fight?
A day shall break that grief can never
blight.
Good night! Good night! Good night, dear friends!
Why cling to love's delight,
While swift descends
Dark death to claim his right?
A day shall dure in love's eternal might.
Good night! Good night! Good night, ye dreams!
I dread no more your flight.
What tho your gleams
Were sweet in death's despite?
One day our souls shall live their dreams
by right.
Good night! Good night! Good night, my God!
Tho Thou dost leave me quite
To turn to sod,
From death's victorious might
Thou wilt awake me to the splendor
bright.
Till then, good night! Up and Away
By Worthie Harris Holden
Up and away!
The day is far spent;
Its lingering ray
Few moments hath lent.
Sheaves lie ungarnered—
Canst thou not see?
God's last call soundeth,
Summoning thee! Up and away!
The night hastens on;
The work of the day
Must soon be all done.
What hast thou treasured
Safely above?
What canst thou render
Our God of love? Up and away!
No moment must fall.
Speed, then, to-day!
To balance thy scale;
Sacrifice pleasure,
Brook no delay—
Heaven's thy treasure.
Up and away! A Prayer
By Mrs. M. C. Sellers
Heavenly Father, Power divine,
We would pray, Thine ear incline;
We would Thy commands obey,
Walking in the narrow way. Much we need Thy mighty power;
Now, in this last closing hour,
Thou art willing to bestow
More than we can ask or know. Give, we pray, Thy mighty power,
Longed for, looked for every hour.
Satan's ways are manifold;
Mighty workings we behold. Thou didst say, “Cast devils out;
Put the hosts of sin to rout;”
To Thy servants gave command,
“Heal the sick on every hand.” Yet how weak, how helpless we,—
All unable, without Thee.
See! The hour is growing late!
Ripened harvest can not wait. Grains are falling day by day,
Passing, passing down for aye.
Silver we have not, nor gold;
Give as Thou didst give of old. III. The Sabbath Day — The Sermon
By Violet Miriam Beck
The sermon! Have you ever heard
Of the beasts of the prophets? Wondrous things,
With heads and horns and feet and wings;
Half a one animal, half a one bird,
Half a one lion, half a one man—
Imagine all combinations you can.
There's a ram which never touches the ground,
And a dragon never on earth to be found—
Such wonderful creatures in Daniel abound.
They symbolize kingdoms which rise and fall. There are stars which fall on a certain night,
And the moon, the full, did not give her light.
There are wars, and earthquakes, and plagues last
of all,
And other signs to tell us when
Messiah will come again. Then woe to the sinner, wicked and wild,
Who has rejected the love of the Saviour mild:
He will call on the mountains to bury him;
But the eyes of the judges are not dim—
Judgment is meted out to him. Satan, that wicked one, shall be bound
And cast in a bottomless pit in the ground. But those who have loved the Saviour good,
And have done to others as they should—
Have succored the orphans, lent to the poor,
And have turned none needy from their door—
Will receive their reward
At the hands of the Lord. “Inasmuch as ye did it to these,” He will say,
Ye have done it to Me. Let these come this way.” A sheep or a goat—which will you or I be,
When the judgment shall be pronounced finally? Dear Lord, unto Thee, unto Thee, in all truth,
We would come in the days of our youth,
Ere the dark days come and we know not where
There is rest for the soul.
Thou art sweet; Thou art fair.
Not out of fear, O, not out of fear
Do we turn to Thee here;
But because we love Thee we come to Thee,
In sincerity;
Because Thou hast loved us, and died to bless,
And bring unto us our happiness. I've seen the lightning flashing.
I've heard the thunders roll.
I've felt sin's breakers dashing
To overwhelm my soul.
I've heard the voice of Jesus:
“Fear not, for thou art My own,
I promise never to leave thee—
Never to leave thee alone.” The world's fierce winds are blowing,
Temptations sharp and keen.
I feel a peace in knowing
My Saviour stands between.
He stands to shield from danger
When evils great are grown.
He promised never to leave me—
Never to leave me alone. For me is Calvary's mountain.
For me they pierced His side.
For me, He opened that fountain,
The crimson, cleansing tide.
For me He waits in glory,
Seated upon His throne.
He's promised never to leave me—
Never to leave me alone. He gives me sweetest promise
That He will come again;
And when He reigns in glory,
I'll enter through His name.
And when, in land of beauty,
I find my home, my own,
In love my Lord receives me—
He'll never leave me alone. Execution Day—for Which?
By Delwin Ross Buckner
His ear can catch the bugle's shrill, sharp note,
Compelling everywhere men to awake
To war, while he, condemned for conscience' sake,
Stands with a noose coiled tightly round his throat,
And black cap o'er his head, through which no note
Of light can pierce, because he chose to break
A law which antichrist presumed to make,
Instead of that Jehovah's fingers wrote.
But hark! A trump blast echoes through the sky,
And prison walls—like those of Jericho—
Fall flat while the brave Daniel of our time
Escapes, whereas his base tormentors die,
O'ertaken by God's two-edged beams which mow
Down those who'd close earth's history with a crime. The Immutable, Eternal Law of God
1. What is said of God's government? “The Lord hath prepared His throne in the heavens; and His kingdom ruleth over all.” Ps. 103:19. 2. What shows that His law is the same in all places of His dominion? The prayer that Jesus taught: “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” Matt. 6:10. 3. How do we know that His will is expressed in His law? “I delight to do Thy will, O My God; yea, Thy law is within My heart.” Ps. 40:8. “And knowest His will, . . . being instructed out of the law.” Rom. 2:18. 4. How much is expressed in this law? “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” Eccl. 12:13. 5. Where will we meet this law again? “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Verse 14. “As many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law.” Rom. 2:12. 6. What law is this rule of human conduct by which we must be judged? “If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well; but if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For He that said [margin, “that law which said”], Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.” James 2:8-12. NOTE.— There can be no question as to the law here meant. (1) It is the royal law of the great King whose “kingdom ruleth over all.” (2) It is not a new law, but the law according to the scripture,—a law found in the Old Testament. (3) It is the law which contains the precepts, “Do not kill,” “Do not commit adultery.” This is the Ten Commandment law. See page 9. (4) It is the same law to which the wise man refers by which we must be judged. 7. How does the Lord refer to this law? “And the Lord said unto Moses, Come up to Me into the mount, and be there; and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written.” Ex. 24:12. “And He gave unto Moses, when He had made an end of communing with him upon Mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.” Ex. 31:18. “And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.” Ex. 32:16. 8. After Moses had broken these tables (Ex. 32:19), what did the Lord write upon the second tables? “At that time the Lord said, . . . I will write on the tables the words that were in the first tables.” Deut. 10:1, 2. 9. What did the Lord write upon the tables? “And He wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the Ten Commandments, which the Lord spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly; and the Lord gave them unto me.” Verse 4. 10. Where is the record of this law? 11. What shows the completeness of this law? “These words the Lord spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice; and He added no more. And He wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.” Deut. 5:22. NOTE.— There can be no question on the part of him who with unprejudiced heart reads the record of the giving of the law of Ten Commandments. It was spoken amid unearthly grandeur by the voice of God, engraved by the finger of God upon tables of enduring stone, placed in a holy receptacle made expressly for it, and over it was placed the mercy-seat, in the most holy place of the sanctuary or house of God. Around it all the worship and service of God revolved. By every possible means, God showed the holiness, the perfection, the completeness, of this great summary of all morality, the Decalogue. 12. What does the psalmist say of that law? “The law of the Lord is perfect.” Ps. 19:7. “All His commandments are sure. They stand fast forever and ever.” Ps. 111:7, 8. “Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Thy law is the truth.” Ps. 119:142. NOTE.— Surely a perfect law, a law of truth and righteousness, admits of no change. It is the reflect of God's holy character; it can not change. It hangs upon the two great principles of love to God and love to our neighbor, as declared in both Old and New Testaments. Deut. 6:4-6; Lev. 19:18; Matt. 22:36-40. 13. What does Jesus say of that law? “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” Matt. 5:17, 18. 14. What is the transgression of this law called? “Sin is the transgression of the law.” 1 John 3:4. 15. How many are condemned by it? “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Rom. 3:23. “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under [within, subject to] the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” Rom. 3:19. 16. For what did the Son of God give Himself? “Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity [law-breaking], and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” Titus 2:14. 17. What, then, will faith do for us? “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.” Rom. 3:31. 18. Will rites or ceremonies avail us? “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.” Gal. 6:15. 19. What will faith in Christ lead us to do? “For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.” Gal. 5:6. “Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.” 1 Cor. 7:19. 20. How is the love of God manifested? “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not grievous.” 1 John 5:3. 21. In so doing whom will we follow? “He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.” 1 John 2:6. The Methodist Episcopal Church
“No Christian whatsoever is free from the obedience of the commandments which are called moral.”—Doctrines and Discipline, article 6. (From Catechism No. 2. Articles 5 and 6 are substantially the same.) “86. What is the rule of our obedience?” “The moral law. ‘If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.’ Matt. 19:17.” “87. Where is the moral law given?” The Teaching of Albert Barnes
“We learn, hence, (1) that all the law of God is binding on Christians (compare James 2:10); (2) that all the commands of God should be preached, in their proper place, by Christian ministers; (3) that they who pretend that there are any laws of God so small that they need not obey them, are unworthy of His kingdom; and (4) that true piety has respect to all the commandments of God. Compare Ps. 119:6.” What Presbyterians Declare
(From the Confession of Faith) “The moral law doth forever bind all, as well justified persons as others, to the obedience thereof; and that not only in regard to the matter contained in it, but also in respect of the authority of God, the Creator who gave it. Neither doth Christ in the gospel any way dissolve, but much strengthen, this obligation.”—Article 5. “Neither are the aforementioned uses of the law contrary to the grace of the gospel, but do sweetly comply with it, the Spirit of Christ subduing and enabling the will of man to do that freely and cheerfully which the will of God, revealed in the law, requireth to be done.”—Article 7.