In the last issue we commented
on the widespread interest in the gift of tongues. Since writing that article
we have been even further amazed by many persons who are not clear on this
subject. Some sincerely try to show from the Bible that this "tongues-speaking
gibberish" is valid. They refer us to 1 Corinthians 14:14:

"For if I pray in an
unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful."
They emphasize several points. First, they say the language is "an unknown
tongue" or unhuman language and explain that to be the reason we do not
understand their mumblings. Secondly, confessing that they do not understand
their own "tongues utterances," they feel that the words, "my
spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful," describe their
experiences of a worshipful spirit with an unintelligible tongue. In hope of
clarifying this verse we searched other translations. The New Translation by
J.N. Darby reads similarly to the Authorized Version:

"For if I pray with a
tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful." The Revised
Version and American Standard Version read about the same, differing only in
using in instead of with. The Revised Standard Version also uses
in but changes understanding to mind—thus, "my mind is unfruitful."

Before proceeding further with
various translations, we feel it time to explain the meaning of our subject
verse. The apostle Paul is saying simply that if he would pray (or speak or
preach) in a foreign language, a language unknown to the audience, he would be
praying (or speaking) with his spirit,           that is, in conscious
knowledge of his thoughts and words, but the thoughts he is trying to explain
to his listeners would not be understood by them, hence the apostle’s
"understanding is unfruitful." There would be no fruit of blessing in
the hearers if he spoke in a language they could not understand.

We are first to admit that this
understanding is not immediately obvious from our common Authorized Version nor
is it much clearer from the above quoted translations. These translations are
all to be commended on this verse for sticking close to the literal Greek words
and their meanings. Many modern translations do not feel bound to such literal
readings and venture to explain and sometimes even interpret in their texts.
When the meaning is accurately conveyed, this is often a help, especially to
people unaccustomed to King James’ English. But when the mind of God is
misunderstood, the consequences can be sorrowful.

We have been pleased so far with
our findings in THE NEW TESTAMENT, An Expanded Translation by Kenneth S. Wuest.
For our subject verse (1 Cor. 14:14) he reads,". . . for if I am praying
in a tongue, my spirit … is praying, but my intellect confers no benefits
upon others."

The Amplified New Testament also
gives a helpful reading on the same verse:

"For if I pray in an
[unknown] tongue, my spirit . . . prays, but my mind is unproductive—bears no
fruit and helps nobody."

But when we checked The
Twentieth Century New Testament we were dismayed to read, "If, when
praying, I use the gift of ‘tongues,’ my spirit indeed prays, but my mind is a
blank." Think of that! Are we really expected to believe such nonsense was
ever the case of the apostle or any believer truly led of the Spirit?

If matters could be worse, what
did we find in Living Letters but "For if I pray in a language I don’t
understand, my spirit is praying but I don’t know what I’m saying."

While The Twentieth Century New
Testament was certainly weird in speaking of using the gift of tongues with a
blank mind, what greater support can be found for the exotic gibberish of the
tongues movement than the above paraphrase. Certainly it must be difficult to
deliver souls wrapped up in the tongues mumbo-jumbo when they read such
translations of God’s holy Word. The pitfall of liberal translations is the
tendency to read into the text of Scripture the current theology of the day.

We should seek to grasp the pure
Word of God whereby to understand the truth and thereby test or judge current
thoughts, doctrines, and practices.

The subject of modern
translations relates very closely with the problem dealt with in First
Corinthians, chapter 14. The object there in verses 13-19 is to clearly convey
spiritual thoughts expressed in one language into another language which is
understood by the listener. In written Scripture it is the writer and reader
that are involved. In dealing with the souls of men, we are more and more
convinced of the need for good modern translations. But to us, it is a
sorrowful omen that the confusion of tongues is supported or even stimulated by
some confused translations of our day.

"God
is not the author of confusion," written or spoken. "Now the Spirit
speaketh expressly [precisely] . . ." (1 Tim. 4:1)

Probably quite a number of you
thought about the question pertaining to the destruction of Jerusalem, even
though you did not write about it. The matter being fresh in your minds, the
following remarks will be of particular interest. They carry us back in spirit
to those awful days, about three years after Paul’s martyrdom, when favored Jerusalem was destroyed after the longsuffering of God proved to be of no avail. Although
this terrible and epochal event does not form a part of Church history, being
distinctly Jewish, yet it does greatly interest us on that very account, and
also because it did most definitely and immediately affect those in that city
who were Christians. Now to quote:

The disciples, before the death
and resurrection of Christ, were strongly Jewish in all their thoughts and
associations. They connected the Messiah and the temple together. Their thought
was that He should deliver them from the power of the Romans and that all the
prophecies about the land, the tribes, the city, and temple would be
accomplished. But Israel rejected the Messiah Himself and, consequently, all
their own hopes and promises in Him. Most significant and weighty are the
opening words of Matthew 24:"And Jesus went out, and departed from the
temple." It was now empty indeed, in the sight of God. All that gave it
value to Him was gone. "Behold, your house is left unto you
desolate." It was now ripe for destruction.

"And His disciples came to
Him for to show Him the buildings of the temple." They were still occupied
with the outward greatness and glory of these things. "And Jesus said unto
them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be
left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down." These
words were literally accomplished by the Romans about forty years after they
were spoken and in the very way that the Lord predicted. "For the days
shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and
compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even
with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee
one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy
visitation" (Luke 19:43, 44).

After the Romans had experienced
many disappointments and defeats in attempting to make a breach in the walls,
through the desperate resistance of the insurgent Jews, even until little hope
was left of taking the city, Titus summoned a council of war. Three plans were
discussed:to storm the city immediately; to repair the works and rebuild the
engines of war; or to blockade and starve the city to surrender. The last was
preferred, and the whole army was set to work "to cast a trench"
around the city. But the siege was long and difficult. It lasted from the
spring till September, and during all that time, the most unexampled miseries
of every kind were experienced by the besieged. But at last the end came, when
both the city and the temple were in the hands of the Romans. Titus was anxious
to save the magnificent temple and its treasures. But, contrary to his orders,
a soldier, mounting on the shoulders of one of his comrades, threw a blazing
brand into a small gilded door in the outer building or porch. The flames
sprang up at once. Titus, observing this, rushed to the spot with the utmost
speed; he shouted and made signs to his soldiers to quench the fire; but his
voice was drowned, and his signs unnoticed in the fearful confusion. The
splendor of the interior filled him with wonder. As the flames had not yet
reached the most holy place, he made a last effort to save it, and exhorted the
soldiers to stay the conflagration; but it was too late. Blazing brands were
flying in all directions, and the fierce excitement of battle, with the
insatiable hope of plunder, had reached its highest pitch. Titus little knew
that a greater than he had said, "There shall not be left here one stone
upon another, that shall not be thrown down." The word of the Lord, not
the commands of Titus, must be obeyed. The whole was thoroughly leveled and
razed to the foundations, according to the word of the Lord.

For nearly every particular of
this terrible siege, we are indebted to Josephus, who was in the Roman camp and
near the person of Titus at the time. He acted as interpreter when terms were
talked of between Titus and the insurgents. The walls and bulwarks of Zion seemed impregnable to the Roman, and he felt most anxious to come to terms of peace;
but the Jews rejected every proposal, and the Romans at length triumphed. On
entering the city, Josephus tells us, Titus was struck with wonder at its
strength; indeed when he contemplated the solid altitude of the towers, the
magnitude of the stones and the accuracy of their joinings, and saw how great
was their breadth, how vast their height, "Surely," he exclaimed,
"we fought with God on our side; and God it was who brought the Jews down
from these bulwarks; for what could human hands or engines avail against these
towers?" Such were the confessions of the heathen general. It certainly
was the most terrible siege that the whole history of the world records.

The accounts given by Josephus
of the sufferings of the Jews during the siege are too awful to be detailed
here. The numbers that perished under Vespasian in the country and under Titus
in the city, from a.d. 67-70, by
famine, internal factions, and the Roman sword, were 1,350,460 besides 100,000
sold into slavery. Such, alas! alas! were the awful consequences of the Jews’
disbelieving and disregarding the solemn, earnest, and affectionate entreaties
of their own Messiah. Need we wonder at the Redeemer’s tears, shed over the
infatuated city? And need we wonder at the preacher’s tears now, as he appeals
to infatuated sinners, in view of coming and eternal judgments? Surely the
wonder is that so few tears are shed over thoughtless, careless, perishing
sinners. Oh, for hearts to feel as the Saviour felt, and eyes to weep like His!

The Christians, with whom we
have more especially to do, remembering the Lord’s warning, left Jerusalem in a body before the siege was formed. They journeyed to Pella, a village beyond
the Jordan, where they remained till Hadrian permitted them to return to the
ruins of their ancient city.

Heart transplant operations have
commanded more widespread personal interest than any other scientific
achievement of modern times. At this writing there lives a man whose heart
belonged to another. This peak in medical accomplishment inspires hope for many
heretofore hopeless victims of heart disease. Yet with heart disease
increasing, an inadequate supply of hearts suitable for transplanting, and with
the body’s rejection phenomena, such operations will probably never become
commonplace.

Popular attention, very naturally,
is on the physical aspects of the new heart and its problems. But we feel the
spiritual condition of the human heart (our entire make-up of mind, soul, and
spirit) merits our serious consideration. Spiritual heart disease is also on
the increase. It grows in direct proportion to the population, for it is a
universal malady. All born into the world have this congenital problem.
"That which is born of the flesh is flesh" (John 3:6).

God’s Word gives us a solemn
diagnosis of the condition of man’s heart. "The heart is deceitful above
all things, and incurable:who can know it?" (Jer. 17:9 J.N.D.
trans.). Man’s basic problem, "an evil heart of unbelief," is
thoroughly exposed in the Bible. From Genesis, where "every imagination of
the thoughts of [man’s] heart was only evil continually," (6:5) to
Revelation, where God says, "I am He which searcheth the reins [minds] and
hearts," (2:23) the condition of natural man remains the same:"there
is none that doeth good, no, not one" (Rom. 3:12).

The Lord Jesus said, "…
Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications,
thefts, false witness, blasphemies" (Matt. 15:19). Crime, violence and
other symptoms clearly point out the depravity of the human heart. Are we
willing to admit that this sevenfold stream of incurable evil flows from the
unregenerate or natural heart?

There can be no comfort to
anyone who would like to hide his condition from the Lord. The diagnosis is not
a human opinion for "I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins"
(Jer. 17:10). "For the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the
outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart" (1 Sam. 16:7). What
folly to think we can cover over our sins from God. "Shall not God search
this out? For He knoweth the secrets of the heart" (Ps. 44:21). "Who
can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?" (Prov. 20:9).
"Every way of a man is right in his own eyes:but the Lord [weigheth] the
hearts" (Prov. 21:2).

For those who reject God’s
diagnosis there is no cure. For those who accept it, there is hope. God, not
only makes clear the condition of the unregenerate heart but also provides the
cure—a work of transformation. This is not reformation or medication, not a
used heart, but a new heart.

The Lord through Ezekiel cried
out, "A new heart . . . will I give you," (36:26) and when He was
here on earth pressed that need on Nicodemus:"Ye must be born
[anew]" (John 3:7). It is a divine transplant operation in which the Great
Physician also supplies the new heart. "And I will give them one heart,
and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of
their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh" (Ezek. 11:19).

There are no operational hazards
nor fear of the rejection phenomena for those receiving this new heart.
"Whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die" (John 11:26)
"Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37).

The only risk involved is for
those who refuse or "neglect so great salvation; which at the first began
to be spoken by the Lord." It is more than a risk; it is to seal your doom
if "ye will not come to [Christ], that ye might have life" (John
5:40). Then the feared rejection will come, but it will be by God who says,
"Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil
and his angels" (Matt. 25:41) and again, "Depart from Me, ye that
work iniquity" and "[treasure] up … wrath against the day of wrath
and revelation of the righteous judgment of God" (Rom. 2:5).

"It is a fearful thing to
fall into the hands of the living God" in judgment (Heb. 10:31). But
"he that hears My Word, and believes Him that has sent Me, has life
eternal, and does not come into judgment, but is passed out of death into
life" (John 5:24, J.N.D. trans.).

Money cannot buy a new
heart—physically or spiritually. It must come through the death of another!
"When we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the
ungodly" (Rom. 5:6). "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that,
while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8). "Christ
died for our sins according to the scriptures" (1 Cor. 15:3).

God in mercy and love offers a
new heart "freely by His grace." Our realizing and confessing our
lost and sinful condition and our turning in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ
bring about that marvelous transformation of our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
Everyone needs a new heart—and can have one.                     

Heart transplant operations are
the subject of conversations everywhere. Why not tactfully lead your
conversations from the transplanted, borrowed heart of flesh to the deeper
spiritual need of a new heart? Oh, how we need to get the message out in these
last days, with souls perishing all about us. "They that are whole need
not a physician; but they that are sick" (Lk. 5:31). May we boldly praise
the skill and glory of the Great Physician of our souls. Let us be more urgent
with referrals to Christ.

(I Tim. 3:14-16)

The Apostle Paul closes this
portion of his epistle by definitely stating that his reason for writing
"these things" is that Timothy might know how one ought to behave
oneself in the House of God.

We are told that the House of
God is "the Church (or Assembly) of the living God." It is no longer
a building of material stones, as in the Old Testament days, but a company of
"living stones" — believers. It is formed of all believers living on
earth at any given moment. No local assembly is ever called the House of God.

Further, it is the Assembly of
the living God. The God who dwells in the midst of His people is not
like the dead idols that men worship, that can neither see nor hear. That our
God is living is a truth of blessed but solemn importance, but one we can
easily forget. Later, the Apostle tells us that we can "both labor and
suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God" (in the tenth verse
of the fourth chapter).

The living God is a God that
delights to support and bless His people. Nevertheless, if the holiness that
becomes His House is not maintained, God may make manifest that He is the
living God in solemn governmental dealings as he did with Ananias and Sapphira,
who experienced the truth of the words that "it is a fearful thing to fall
into the hands of the living God" (Heb. 10:31).

Moreover, we learn that the
House of God is "the pillar and ground (lit. "base") of the
truth" (I Tim. 3:15). The "pillar" presents the thought of
witness; the "base," that which supports. The House of God is not said
to be the truth, but the "pillar," or witness of the truth. Christ on
earth was "the truth" (John 14:6). Again, we read that "Thy Word
is truth" (John 17:17). However much the Assembly may have failed in its
responsibilities, the fact remains that as established of God upon earth, it is
the witness and support of the truth. God has no other witness on the earth.

It is important to remember that
the Assembly is not said to teach the truth, but to witness to the truth that
is already found in the Word of God. Nor can the Assembly claim authority to
decide what is truth. The Word is the truth, and carries its own authority.

Seeing then that the Assembly is
the House of God—the living God—and the witness and support of the truth, how
important that we should know how to behave ourselves in the House of God. With
a view to godly behavior the Apostle speaks of "the mystery of
godliness" or, the secret of right behavior.

One has written of this passage:
"This is often quoted and interpreted as if it spoke of the mystery of the
Godhead, or the mystery of Christ’s Person. But it is the mystery of godliness,
or the secret by which all real godliness is produced; the divine spring of all
that can be called piety in man" (J.N.D.). The secret of godliness lies in
the knowledge of God manifested in and through the Person of Christ. Thus
in this beautiful passage we have Christ presented as making God known to men
and angels. In Christ, God was manifest in the flesh. The absolute holiness of
Christ was seen in that He was justified in the Spirit. We are justified in the
death of Christ; He was sealed and anointed altogether apart from death—the
proof of His intrinsic holiness. Then, in Christ, as Man, God was seen of
angels. In Christ He was made known to, and believed on in the world. Finally,
the heart of God is made known by the present position of Christ in the glory.

All this is spoken of as
"the mystery of godliness" because these things are not known to the
unbeliever. Such indeed can appreciate the outward conduct that flows from
godliness, or piety, but the unbeliever cannot know the secret spring of
godliness. That secret is known only to the godly, and the secret lies in the
knowledge of God; and the knowledge of God has been revealed in Christ to the
believer.

Part II "STEWARDS OF THE
MYSTERIES OF GOD."

That the ignorance referred to
in the closing paragraphs of the article in the previous issue is most
lamentable, every intelligent Christian must admit. If God has in our day made
known things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world, it
is surely to our interest and God’s glory to understand and value them. Isaiah
could write the words which the apostle Paul quotes in 1 Cor. 2:9:"Eye
hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the
things which God hath prepared for them that love Him" (Isa. 64:4). But
the apostle does not stop there, as do many Christians; he immediately adds,
"But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit:for the Spirit
searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God."

Clearly, then, there are
precious truths which even as late as in Isaiah’s day were among the secret
things but which have now been added to things which are revealed and which are
for us and for our children. It is to these things he refers when he writes,
"Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards
of the mysteries of God" (1 Cor. 4:1). The Greek word musterion, here
used, which is simply Anglicized into our word mysteries, refers to secret
things known only to the initiated. It is not that the things in themselves were
mysteries and beyond finite comprehension, or even above the range of ordinary
minds, but that they could never be known at all unless revealed by another. So
we speak of the Eleusinian mysteries:they were teachings not given to the
multitude, but imparted to a select company of initiates. As used in the New
Testament, the mysteries are those truths which in Old Testament days were kept
in silence, but which are now the common property of all believers. They are
not special truths for a special class, but every Christian is privileged to
enter into the knowledge of these mysteries. More than that, no Christian can
properly enter upon the responsibilities flowing from the relationship in which
he stands toward God if he remains in ignorance of these same mysteries. The
word "musterion" is found twenty-seven times in the received text of
the New Testament, viz.. Matt. 13:11; Mark 4:11:Luke 8:10:Rom. 11:25; 16:25;
1 Cor. 2:7; 4:1; 13:2; 14:2; 15:51; Eph. 1:9; 3:3, 4, 9; 5:32; 6:19; Col. 1:26,
27; 2:2; 4:3; 2 Thess. 2:7; 1 Tim. 3:9, 18; Rev. 1:20; 10:7; 17:5, 7. Some
versions add 1 Cor. 2:1, where marturion seems to be a copyist’s error for
musterion. Westcott and Hort, and the Revisers, adopt the latter reading.

Christ’s ministers are to be
stewards of the mysteries of God, not merely preachers of what people so often
call "the simple gospel." Out of their treasure they are to bring
forth things new and old if instructed in the mysteries of the kingdom of
heaven. Nor are these things of an abstruse, impractical nature, but intensely
otherwise; they are the very lines of truth which above all others tend to form
the character and guide the ways of the Christian. Hence, if we accept the
preferred reading of 1 Cor. 2:1, it is to these very things that the apostle
referred when he wrote, "1, brethren, when I came to you, came not with
excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you (not the testimony, but)
the mystery of God." And yet he immediately adds, "For I determined
not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." But
"Jesus Christ, and Him crucified" will never be truly known, in the
apostle’s sense, if the soul be content to go on in ignorance of the mysteries.

Rome, we know, has attempted to foist on the Church a
lot of legendary traditions and sacramental observances as the mysteries, thus
emulating the pagan cults, which had their inner secrets for the special few.
But the Christian mysteries are for every child of God in this dispensation of
grace. Nor are they of an occult and metaphysical nature, appealing only to the
erudite and mystical. They are simple truths of tremendous importance, some of
which, at least, have been utterly ignored by the vast majority of theologians,
ancient and modern, and this to their shame and loss.

It has often been remarked that
every teaching which the apostles preface with such an expression as, "I
would not have you ignorant, brethren," will be found to be a line of
truth of which, after nearly twenty centuries of Christianity, the bulk of
professing believers know little or nothing. It will be only necessary to refer
to the passages to see how true the statement is.

In Rom. 11:25, 26 Paul writes,
"For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery,
lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened
to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved:as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and
shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob." Now, how seldom does one hear any
reference to the fulness of the Gentiles or the salvation of Israel as a nation, in the pulpit instruction of the day? As a result, the Gentiles are wise
in their own conceits, and boasting of the near conversion of the world, and
the transference of Jewish promises to the Church of God.

Again, writing of the rapture of
the saints at the second advent of our Lord, the same apostle says:"I
would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep,
that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope" (1 Thess. 4:13);
and he proceeds to comfort them with teaching as to the raising of the dead and
simultaneous catching up of the living at the Lord’s return, which, it is not
too much to say, not one Christian in ten knows anything of.

Peter writes of the
manifestation of the Lord Jesus and says:"But, beloved, be not ignorant
of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a
thousand years as one day" (2 Peter 3:8); and with this he couples solemn
and important truth as to the day of the Lord and the day of God; and probably
not a saint in a hundred knows the difference between the two terms.

What have Christians to say to
this? What can thousands say for thus failing to value and appropriate
mysteries of such tremendous importance? Failing to enter into these things,
the Church has lost the sense of her pilgrim character, confusing teaching as
to Israel and the nations with divine instruction regarding the Body of Christ.
The heavenly calling has been lost sight of, and practically given up for an
earthly one.

Unquestionably the onus of blame
rests upon the guides who, professing to be Christ’s ministers, are anything
but stewards of the mysteries of God. Stewards of science, of philosophy, of
political economy, of literature, of historic lore, and of religious notions,
many of them undoubtedly are; but it is quite another thing to be dispensers of
the now-revealed secret things which for ages past were hid in God.

But all the blame does not rest
upon the leaders of religious thought, as they are called. In his day Jeremiah
could declare, "The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule
by their means; and My people love to have it so":therefore he solemnly
asks, "And what will ye do in the end thereof?" (Jer. 5:31.) The
people love to have it so! This is most significant. Heretical teachers could
not flourish for one day if the people did not wish for their ministry. And
preachers of Old Testament truths, which they offer in place of New Testament
mysteries, would not find it so easy to go on confusing the people of God if
there was real exercise of conscience among those who are content to be styled
"the laity" and who seldom read their Bibles for themselves and
endeavor to rightly divide the word of truth.

Do not let me be misunderstood.
I do not for an instant decry the expounding of the Old Testament. Far be the
thought! I believe it is of the utmost importance that the soul be established
in all that is there revealed in order to his going on unto the perfection of
the full Christian revelation. I believe in the importance of the kindergarten
and the primary school, but I do not believe it is a sound principle of
education to keep people going over the alphabet when age and intelligence fit
them for the university, if but properly instructed.

The Old Testament is "the
word of the beginning of Christ" (see margin of Heb. 6:1), which the
apostle exhorts us to leave, that we may go on to full growth—that is,
Christianity. It is not that he would have us forget the beginning, any more
than the university student forgets the instruction of the primary school. He
leaves it, but carries with him the knowledge received.

In the next issue we purpose
thus to leave the revealed things of the past dispensation, and go on to
contemplate the mysteries of God which He has now made known for our
edification and blessing.

(Luke 7:47)

To explain the expression,
"Her sins are forgiven, for she loved much," we must distinguish
between grace revealed in the person of Jesus and the pardon He announced to
those whom the grace had reached. The Lord is able to make this pardon known.
He reveals it to the poor woman. But it was that which she had seen in Jesus
Himself, which, by grace, melted her heart and produced the love she had to
Him—the seeing what He has for sinners like herself. She thinks only of Him:He
has taken possession of her heart so as to shut out other influences. Hearing
that He is there, she goes into the house of this proud Pharisee without
thinking of anything but the fact that Jesus is there. His presence answered,
or prevented, every question. She saw what He was to a sinner and that the most
wretched and disgraced found a resource in Him; she felt her sins in the way
that this perfect grace, which opens the heart and wins confidence, causes them
to be felt; and she loved much. Grace in Christ had produced its effect. She
loved because of His love. This is the reason that the Lord says, "Her
sins are forgiven … for she loved much." It was not that her love was
meritorious for this, but that God revealed the glorious fact that the sins—be
they ever so numerous and abominable—of one whose heart was turned to God were
fully pardoned.

If God manifests Himself in this
world, and with such love, He must needs set aside in the heart every other
consideration. And thus, without being aware of it, this poor woman was the
only one who acted suitably in those circumstances, for she appreciated the
all-importance of the One who was there. A Saviour-God being present, of what
importance was Simon and his house? Jesus caused all else to be forgotten. Let
us remember this.

The beginning of man’s fall was
lack of confidence in God, originating in the seducing suggestion of Satan that
God had kept back what would make man like God. Confidence in God lost, man
seeks, in the exercise of his own will, to make himself happy:lusts, sin,
transgression follow. Christ is God in infinite love, winning back the
confidence of man’s heart to God. Removal of guilt and power to live to God are
another thing and are found in their own place through Christ, as pardon comes
into its place here. But the poor woman, through grace, had felt that there was
one heart she could trust, if none else; and that was God’s.

God is light and God is love.
Revealing Himself, He must be both; so Christ was love in the world and also
the light of it; so also in the heart. The love through grace gives confidence,
and thus the light is gladly let in; and with confidence in the love and seeing
self in the light, the heart has wholly met God’s heart:so with this poor
woman. This is where the heart of man and God always and alone meet. The
Pharisee had neither—pitch dark, neither love nor light were there. He had God
manifest in the flesh in his house and saw nothing — being sure only that He
was not a prophet! It is a wondrous scene to see these three hearts:man’s, as
such, resting on false human righteousness; God’s; and the poor sinner’s fully
meeting God’s heart as God did hers. Who was the child of wisdom? for it is a
commentary on that expression. (Luke 7:35).

And note, though Christ had said
nothing of it but bowed to the slight, yet He was not insensible to the neglect
which had failed to provide Him with the common courtesies of life. To Simon He
was a poor preacher, whose pretensions he could judge, certainly not a prophet;
to the poor woman, God in love, and bringing her heart into unison with His as
to her sins and as to herself; for love was trusted in. Note, too, this
clinging to Jesus is where true light is found:here the fruitful revelation of
the gospel, to Mary Magdalene, as to the highest privilege of saints.

The Scofield Reference Bible
claims to give us a summary, an arrangement, a condensing of the mass of Biblical
writings of the previous half century. It thereby became responsible, on the
basis of its own words, to recognize the Spirit’s testimony to assembly truth
during that time. Or, are we to understand that this is one of the
"expository novelties, and merely personal views and
interpretations," which, it is frankly stated, "have been
rejected"? (See "Introduction," paragraph II.)

I will now tell you how I regard
this effort, in the light of what God had done in the 19th century.

I understand that, when the
"brethren" began bearing their testimony, even the simple Gospel was
very little known; the state of things in Christendom was dead indeed. As the
testimony spread, it came to be recognized that if anyone wished the truth he
must go where it was ministered, which was where "brethren" were
speaking. Further, it was understood that the truth ministered called for
action, and that this action separated souls from the world, from the camp, but
chiefly to Christ. These doctrines were everywhere resisted by leaders of
various sects, so that quite a literature developed, pro and con. The movement,
being of God however, spread in spite of men’s opposition.

Eventually, a change of tactics
came in. Some portions from letters of J. N. Darby, written in 1874 and 1875
from Boston and New York on what was, I think, his last of several trips to
America, will make clear what this change was. I quote from "Letters"
Vol. 2, page 365, written from Boston, Sept. 27, 1874:

"The state of the churches is
scandalous indeed; pious souls groan, but where are instruments to be found to
guide them in the good way? God has raised up a few—several ministers even have
left their systems—but it is a drop of water in the wide sea, and there is a
great effort to keep souls in the various systems while taking advantage of the
light which brethren have and preaching their doctrines. They do not even
conceal it. One of the most active, who has visited Europe, told ministers that
they could not keep up with the brethren unless they read their books, but he
was doing everything he could to prevent souls leaving their various systems
called churches. It is a new wile of the enemy."

Page 370, New York, 1874:
"The difficulty is that a diligent effort has been made to disseminate the
truths we have been taught so that people should have them, and not act on
them—remain where they are. Eminent ministers preach the Lord’s coming, the
ruin of the church, liberty of ministry, and avowedly from brethren’s books,
and stay where they are, and there is a general deadening of conscience."

Page 371:"After all, they
spoil the truths where they do not act on them."

Page 408:New York, Apr. 8,
1875:"Others, who still cling to the professing church with partial
apprehensions of truth and much error, make their boast that it can be had
without leaving the systems around us—nay, sometimes openly urging continuance
in them:but it is felt that brethren have what others have not." From the
above quotations you will see what the change was, to which I referred. Instead
of united opposition to the truths newly proclaimed, many of those truths were
now held and taught by denominational men; but the truths were divorced from
the path and presented so as to prevent souls from taking the position those
truths call for.

The consequence of this, if
successful, would simply be the destruction of the corporate testimony produced
by the truths, and so the disappearance of separation truth from the earth;
while various local bodies in the systems of men, plus independent gatherings
here and there, would be identified with certain truths, without the truth that
gathers souls to Christ scripturally.

Now in our day, that which had
begun to appear in 1874 has become the accepted point of view in certain sections
of Christendom. "Take all the truth the brethren have, but beware of the
brethren," is the formula that one hears of again and again. Is it
difficult to see that the Scofield Reference Bible fits right into that plan?
To have the truths, but so as not to act on them—"remain where they
are"; this was the idea. Do not the Scofield "helps" promote
exactly that tendency? Do not the Editors exemplify it?

The immediate outcome of this
was "a general deadening of conscience." Does the Scofield Reference
Edition promote the deliverance of souls from the systems? Do we find persons
coming to us saying, "I have been studying the helps in the Scofield
Bible; I can no longer remain in sects, or among independents; I must get where
unity of assemblies is maintained, where association with evil is recognized as
defiling, where the discipline of one assembly is binding upon all, where the
rights of Christ and the Spirit in the assembly are owned"? Do we?

Instead, we find many who only
recently were in this or that modernistic realm, who have become dissatisfied
with it and now have the Scofield "helps" and the general line of
things that go along with that nowadays (fundamentalism, etc.) who stop there,
refusing to even entertain the considerations which put "brethren"
where they were and which maintain whatever is now according to God. In the
esteem of Mr. Darby, this preaching of the same doctrines as brethren, and yet
holding souls in the systems, was "a new wile of the enemy." And he
was a man who weighed his words.

"I value the Scofield Bible
for the excellent things it sets forth," someone may say. Yes, I value
each of those excellent things, too. But I lament that the Scofield Bible
should have claimed to set forth a complete line of truth, and then discriminated
(without notice, too, so far as I can see,) against all that precious line of
assembly truth which is so vital to the present walk of the saints. I love the
truth which it will not give us, as well as that which it gives. It grieves me
to realize that many think they have it all, while that is left out.

I am sure that God would not
deprive His people of this line of truth, and also that it is now the very
special time when God has called attention to it. If God, then, would give the
saints assembly truth, and the Scofield Bible, while assuring its readers that
it gives them a complete treatment, omits that and offers substitutes, I leave
it to you to draw your own conclusion.

That this should be done in the
very atmosphere where so many precious truths do receive satisfactory treatment
within the contemplated scope of the effort, makes it the more glaring, once
attention is called to it; at the same time it is the better concealed from one
who does not know that this test ought to be applied. I do not know of any
truths set forth in the Scofield "helps," which are not found in the
writings of those who walked in the path of the Word. We are not therefore
dependent upon this Reference Edition for these truths. And how many passages
are found to yield most precious teachings, once the truth of the assembly is
allowed, which teachings could not possibly find any place in the realm of
confusion with which the producers of the Scofield "helps" were
ecclesiastically identified.

"Assembly truth" has
made the Bible a new Book to me, precious as it was before. To think of God’s
people stopping with the mixture involved in the Scofield position, deeply
pains me. We dare not read any more into that which Mr. Scofield says, than the
ecclesiastical position with which he associated himself permits. The same is
true of his colleagues.

It may be handy to have all this
material in one volume, etc. But they, the Editors, did not acknowledge
Scriptural assembly order; hence nothing in their notes is intended to apply to
that.

(To be continued.)

Reading Genesis recently, we
were impressed with the way Joseph gives God His rightful place.

In 39:9:"How then can I do
this great wickedness, and sin against God?"

To the butler and the baker
Joseph says, "Do not interpretations belong to God?" (40:8) "God
shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace," Joseph assures the king in
chapter 41:16. In interpreting Pharoah’s dream, Joseph explains to the King
that "it is because the thing is established by God, and God will
shortly bring it to pass" (41:32). Under Joseph’s influence even Pharaoh
talks about God. "Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the
Spirit of God is?" (41:38. See also v. 39.)

His sons are named with God
before his heart. "And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh:
For God, saith he, hath made me forget all my toil …. And the name of
the second called he Ephraim:For God hath caused me to be fruitful in
the land of my affliction" (41:51, 52).

In 42:18 he says to his
brethren, "I fear God"; perhaps this had some effect on them,
for in verse 28 they questioned among themselves, "What is this that God
hath done unto us?"

Seeing his brother Benjamin
after an absence of over twenty years, Joseph’s first words to him were:"God
be gracious unto thee" (43:29).

Pouring out his heart to his
brethren, after making himself known to them, Joseph says to them:"And God
sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save
your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither,
but God …. Go up to my father, and say unto him . . . God hath
made me lord of all Egypt" (45:7-9).

"[These] are my sons,"
Joseph tells his father at their reunion, "whom God hath given me
in this place" (48:9).

After their father Jacob’s
death, Joseph’s brethren are afraid of what he might do to them. Joseph,
however, assures them that they need not fear, telling them, "As for you,
ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to
pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive" (50:20).

Finally, Joseph, at the end of
his life, "said unto his brethren, I die:and God will surely visit
you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which He sware to Abraham, to
Isaac, and to Jacob" (50:24).

How interesting and refreshing
to see this constant reference to God and recognition of God in a life so shut
away from human fellowship and subjected to so many and such great trials. That
we are sadly remiss in this we will all readily agree. How much brighter,
however, our lives would be, and how much more to His glory, if we acknowledged
God more openly, readily, and fully in the broad plan of and in the small
details of our lives. (Prov. 3:6 and Romans 8:28) May God our Father give us
grace to do so.

FRAGMENT "Wherefore also
let them who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls in
well-doing to a faithful Creator" (I Peter 4:19, J.N.D. Trans.).

In faithfulness we are to abide
in that which we have learned from the apostles (1 John 2:24). In doing so we
may leave results with God. Numbers, when given of God, and precious as they
are, do not count here. Nor is it a question of success, as commonly
understood, but of standing for the Lord, which may be unto death, as Stephen,
Paul, and others. Stephen was not successful in his ministry (Acts 7), and the
longer Paul labored the more his trials increased (Acts 28:30). The important
thing is, Are we standing, and are we witnessing for God? But how can we do
that if we are not taught of God (Col. 1:9) and do not feel our nothingness (2
Cor. 12)?

And what is the position that as
believers we have been brought into now, "the vocation wherewith we have
been called?" Is it not that which was according to God’s purpose and
grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began (2 Tim. 2:9)?
Are not those who compose the assembly a heavenly people, united to Christ the
Head in heaven (Heb. 3:1; John 17:16; Col. 2:10)? Have they not been reconciled
to God in one body where they have "access by one Spirit unto the Father
(Col. 1:12-27; Eph. 2:18)? Are they not a called-out fellowship, a divine
organism, "builded together for an habitation of God through the
Spirit" (Eph. 2:22, 1 Cor. 12; 2 Cor. 6:16)? Such a testimony makes
nothing of us here; it does not give us a place in this world, but it connects
us with Christ the Second Man in heaven (1 Cor. 15:57,58) and makes us
strangers and pilgrims on earth (1 Peter 2:11). We know our connection with
Jesus Christ risen from the dead, according to Paul’s gospel (2 Tim. 2:8) and
we do not belong to anything here. Our links are broken with everything earthly
of a religious nature, and we have "boldness to enter into the holiest by
the blood of Jesus" (Heb. 10:19). It is a heavenly testimony now of which
we are to be the representatives.

It is a great thing to remember—
what Christians too easily forget — that we are called to the enjoyment of
heavenly things, and we live by the revelation of them. God has not introduced
grace and His Son and Spirit to make us get along easily in this world — it was
not needed — but to bring us to the enjoyment of heavenly things and to live in
them.

Christ in us "the hope of
glory" (Col. 1) was an entirely new thing, and not merely the long
promised glory on earth that has yet to be brought in, but the heavenly glory:
glory with Christ above.

With such need and opportunity
as presents itself to us on every hand, the following account is given to stir
up and encourage our hands and feet in the gospel. We may not see results at
any given time, but let us be sure that it is life-giving seed (which is the
Word of God), that we sow and some of it will fall on good ground.

An aged woman had come quite a
distance to attend a gospel meeting, the subject of which was the Lord’s
coming. She was nearly blind, but God was pleased to open her spiritual
eyesight, and two things were made known to her in the power of the Holy
Spirit. God gave her the certainty of eternal salvation, and also made
known to her the blessed hope of the coming again of the Lord to take His
saints to heaven to be with Him where He is.

These two things were entirely
new to her; she had never heard them before. She returned home filled with
"the peace of God which passeth all understanding." She told her
husband the blessed news that she had learned. The Lord opened his heart also
to receive the glad tidings, and much of their time was spent in thanksgiving
and worship.

They had an elderly neighbor
about the same age as themselves. One day when they had knelt down, giving
thanks together that they were both cleansed in the blood of the Lamb from all
their sins, and were waiting and longing for the coming of the Lord in the air
to take them to Himself, this neighbor came in to see them, as he was
accustomed to doing. As both of them were rather deaf, and so entirely absorbed
in thanksgiving, they did not hear him come in.

He listened with amazement; such
joy he had never witnessed; such words he had never heard. It was not prayer,
but thanksgiving to Him who had saved them with an everlasting salvation—who
had made them fit for His holy presence in holiness and love. They were in
heaven in spirit, and they were talking to One they knew well, and they never
seemed tired of talking to Him. They talked to Him about His coming to take
them to Himself. Their friend was fairly lost in amazement. At last the dear
aged couple rose from their knees. Their visitor said, "Whatever does all
this mean? I have been going to church these seventy years and saying my
prayers, but I cannot say that I am even saved, let alone saved forever, and
saved perfectly. No, I surely cannot. And you are speaking to God as if you
knew Him. And what can you mean about the coming of Christ to take you?"

Then the woman told the gospel
she had heard:how God loved; how He had sent His Son; how the Lord Jesus had
offered Himself the perfect sacrifice for sins; how God declared that all who
believed were justified from all things, and their sins and iniquities God
would remember no more; yes, and how that by one offering all who believed were
perfected for ever; and that Jesus assured all who heard His words and believed
God who sent Him, that they had eternal life and would never come into
judgment but were passed from death unto life; and that Jesus told them not to
be afraid; He was gone to prepare a place for them, and would come again to
receive them to Himself.

She spoke from the deep
enjoyment of Christ in her own soul. God blessed her words to their neighbor
friend. Though over eighty years of age, he, too, was brought into the
enjoyment of peace with God. As a little child did he receive the truth from
this couple. Heavenly indeed was the communion of these three aged pilgrims.
Much of their time was spent together in worship and communion, waiting for the
Lord Jesus from heaven. When the neighbor saw the smoke going up from the
chimney of their home, he was soon over there with them in thanksgiving and
praise.

It became necessary, after
awhile, that the old couple be taken care of. A son took them to his home, not
far away; so this happy little band was separated. The plan had not been told
them, but the parents were taken as on a visit first, and then told that they
would remain. Morning after morning their former neighbor looked for the smoke
from the chimney. It never rose again, and after a few mornings, the Lord said
to that man, "Come up hither"; and, sweet as is fellowship here
below, it was now with him "far better."

So, dear brethren, let us be
stirred up. Little enough time is left us. What are we doing with it? Let us
balance our concern to hold fast to the truth with diligence in the gospel. In
the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand:for thou
knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both
shall be alike good (Eccles. 11:6).

"See, the shadows lengthen
round us,

Soon the day-dawn will begin;

Can you leave them, lost and
lonely?

Christ
is coming — ‘Call them in’."

The Church is waiting for her
Lord

When He comes to claim His own.

His return to the air is our
"Blessed Hope,

His glory will then be shown.

Even death cannot touch that
"Blessed Hope;”

It is sure and steadfast and
true,

Because on the cross His blood
was shed

When He died there for me and
you.

While some wait there with the
Blessed Lord

The others wait here below;

His soon return is the Church’s
hope:

What proof that He loves her so!

He will come from heaven to the
clouds

To gather His ransomed host;

Not one redeemed by His precious
blood

Will be counted among the lost.

The saints will be caught up to
meet the Lord

In the air, our meeting place;

With wonder, rejoicing, and glad
surprise

Will we see His blessed face.

Thus Christ will present us to
Himself,

His Bride, all spotless and
clean;

She’ll be without wrinkle or any
stain,

In her no sin will be seen.

Throughout eternity’s endless
age

His loved ones will sing His
praise;

Our "Blessed Hope"
will then be fulfilled

Through
the riches of His grace.

"Now the Spirit speaketh
expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving
heed to seducing spirits …" (1 Tim. 4:1).

Although modern man may believe
he has outgrown his need of God, he has not outgrown his need of understanding
"the unseen" or the supernatural. Instead of turning to God through
the Lord Jesus Christ to satisfy spiritual needs, increasing numbers are
turning to the old occult (mysterious, unseen) sciences. Various of these
occult arts are gaining reception as they are explained in intellectual
language and masked by such terms as parapsychology and extrasensory perception
(ESP). The Bible uses a number of terms for those who practice various phases
of these wicked supernatural arts:necromancer, soothsayer, witch, charmer,
wizard, astrologer, enchanter, magician, and sorcerer.

Since the outbreak of idolatry
after the flood, these occult sciences have ever been the scourge of nations.
They are not new. The practice of these magical arts was forbidden in Israel and violators were to be punished by death (Ex. 22:18; Deut. 18:10). All these forms
of spiritual wickedness are condemned by God and branded the abominations of
the heathen nations. Even in apostolic times, those bearing the gospel message
met opposition by sorcerers, magicians, etc. (See Acts 8:1-24, 13:6-8, 16:16, 19:19.)
Today, however, the renewed interest in these areas of contact with the unseen
world and the supernatural is appalling.

Radio stations have recently
found overwhelming audience response to call-in programs on which various
witches, palm readers, mediums, and specialists in ESP are interviewed. When a Chicago radio station recently interviewed a specialist in ESP, it was swamped with over
30,000 call attempts while the station phones were busy. The program was
reported to have been one of their most responsive ever.

Last fall a certain self-styled
witch from England, Dame Sybil Leak, toured the U.S. and was interviewed on
radio. The interest was amazing as local stations were flooded with calls from
listeners, some "junior witches" comparing notes as to trances,
projecting spirits, etc. Dame Leak also pointed out how the study of these
occult sciences is lagging in the U.S. She added that Europe has eight colleges
and universities offering study in these occult sciences while so far not a
single U.S. university or college offers courses in this field. From what we
can gather, campus life is full enough these days without adding witchcraft!

These magical arts are supposed
to help the adherents feel the past, sense the future, bolster against shock,
and sense death in advance. They also claim to be in touch with the
"universal mind" and in search of "universal truth."
Miraculous healings are supposedly dispensed without charge. These claims,
together with re-incarnation and a hodgepodge of other hokum, are the basic
elements of these forbidden practices. Many of these witches and ESP artists
are associated with Theosophical Societies which some have said "attempt
to popularize Buddhism in western lands." (For a brief examination of
Theosophy we commend a small pamphlet by A. J. Pollock available through our
bookseller.)

In this country a Mrs. Jeane
Dixon has professed some of these supernatural powers and received nationwide
fame for her predictions and their fulfillments. News media have given her
extensive coverage. Some of her past predictions in connection with plane
wrecks, international affairs, and even the death of President Kennedy have
amazed many. Some of her future predictions, if interpreted in the light of
Bible prophecy, have even led some Christians to wonder. Several of our readers
have sent articles about her for our attention.

We understand that Mrs. Dixon
professes Christian belief as a member of the Roman Catholic Church. No doubt
she is a lady of many social graces and much poise, yet if the reports are
true, does she not at least practice one of the condemned occult arts? What
shall we say of the condition of things when one practicing these occult
sciences is received in the "Christian fold"? God spoke through Moses
saying, "If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and
giveth thee a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder come to pass,
whereof he spake unto thee, saying. Let us go after other gods, which thou hast
not known, and let us serve them; thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that
prophet, or that dreamer of dreams:for the LORD your God proveth you, to know
whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments,
and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. And that
prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath
spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the
land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out
of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put
the evil away from the midst of thee" (Deut. 13:l-5).

Thus was the prescribed
treatment for prophets or dreamers whose prophesies, even though fulfilled,
were not of God.

We believe the stupefying
effects of these magical arts will but ripen all those taken in by them to more
readily believe the lie which will seal their eternal doom—"that they all
might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in
unrighteousness" (2 Thess. 2:12). Woe unto the professed wisdom of this
age which is placing itself more and more under the influence of Satan. "Professing
themselves to be wise they became fools" (Rom. 1:22).

We thank God for the gospel of
Christ which is still His power unto salvation to everyone that believes. But,
we ask with Isaiah and the Apostle Paul, "Who hath believed our
report?" (Rom. 10:16). Though it was applied to Israel as God spoke
through the prophets, we believe it is still applicable to folks of this age.
"All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and
gainsaying people" (Rom. 10:21).

The day of grace has nearly run
its course. The Lord’s coming is very near. Signs of our times are truly
foreboding. Salvation through Jesus Christ as Saviour and His finished atoning
work on the cross is still proclaimed. "Who hath believed our
report?" Have you? We beg you to consider well this question. If you have
not yet received life, pardon, and peace through faith in His name, do so today
without further delay. For those who have believed,

"We are bound to give
thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of Lord, because God hath from
the beginning chosen, you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and
belief of the truth:whereunto He called you by our gospel to the obtaining of
the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold
the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. Now
our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us,
and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort
your hearts, and establish you in every good word and work" (2 Thess.
2:13-17).

We wait for Thee, O Son of God,

 And long for Thine appearing;

"A little while,"
Thou’lt come, O Lord,

Thy waiting people cheering.

Thus hast Thou said:we lift the
head

In joyful expectation,

For Thou wilt bring salvation.

We wait for Thee, content to
share,

In patience, days of trial;

So meekly Thou the cross didst
bear,

Our sin, reproach, denial,

And shall not we receive with
Thee

The cup of shame and sorrow,

Until the promised morrow?

We wait for Thee; for Thou, e’en
here,

Hast won our heart’s affection;

In spirit still we find Thee
near,

Our solace and protection.

In cloudless light, and glory
bright,

We soon with joy shall greet
Thee,

And in the air shall meet Thee.

We wait for Thee—Thou wilt arise

Whilst hope her watch, is
keeping;

Forgotten then, in glad
surprise,

Shall be our years of weeping.

Our hearts beat high, the dawn
is nigh

That ends our pilgrim story,

In
Thine eternal glory!

THE
NEED OF REALITY (Zechariah 7)

Royal
permission had been given for the completion of the temple, and the work went
on with some degree of energy. See Ezra, 5th chapter. Already there had been
some effort made to revive the ancient feasts and likewise to keep the more
modern fasts. Concerning one of the latter, a deputation of Jews came to
consult Zechariah and the elders, both of the priest and prophets. Their
Chaldean names tell that they had been born in captivity. As representatives of
the people, "Sherezer and Regem-melech, and their men," came "to
pray before the Lord, and to speak unto the priests which were in the
house of the Lord of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the
fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?"
(Zech. 7:2, 3).

There
seems to have been propriety in the question. For the fast of the fifth month,
as also for the fasts of the fourth, seventh and tenth months (Zech. 8:19),
there was no direct authority in the word of God, and the returned remnant had
been learning to inquire, "What saith the Scriptures?" as to both
command and teaching.

During
their Babylonian sojourn they had kept the four fasts mentioned commemorating
various events in their past sad history, all connected with their punishment
for their sins. None need doubt the piety that prompted the observance of these
special seasons of humiliation before God.

The
only trouble was that formality so readily took the place of reality and
genuine self-humbling in the presence of the Lord. On the tenth day of the fifth
month, Nebuzaradan burnt the temple and the city of Jerusalem. On the yearly
anniversary of that solemn event they fasted  and  wept, beseeching the Lord to
have mercy and restore the house and the city.

Naturally,
now that they were again in the midst of Jerusalem’s ruins, and their prayer
seemed answered in measure before their eyes as the house of God neared
completion, the question of the righteousness of continuing the self-appointed
fast of the fifth month came before them.

The
word of the Lord of hosts came through Zechariah in reply. But there was no
legislation regarding the fast at all:He neither forbade nor enjoined it. In
itself, such a fast was without positive scriptural authority. On the other
hand, it was in full keeping with the general tenor of the Word. It was
extra-scriptural, rather than un-scriptural. If the people met in true
self-judgment and brokenness of spirit before God on that day or any day, it
would have been acceptable. If they met simply as legally observing a fast which,
after all, He had never appointed, it was a weariness of the flesh and
worthless in His sight. Therefore Zechariah presses home the need of reality.
What had been their object and condition of soul as they kept the fasts in the
past? When they commemorated the burning of the temple in the fifth month (2
Kings 25:8; Jer. 41:1,2)* did they at all fast unto Jehovah all the years of
the captivity?

(* I
have thought that possibly commentators in general are wrong in applying
"the fast of the seventh month" to the lesser fast commemorating the
murder of Gedaliah, and that it really refers to the great fast of the day of
atonement. In that case the prophet would be showing that whether directly
appointed by God In His Word, or added by pious consent, no observance was
acceptable apart from reality. But as the Jews themselves apply the passage as
in the text, I have left it at that.)

When,
on the other hand, they kept the appointed feasts in place of the fasts,
was it His glory they sought? Or did they simply come together for social
enjoyment, eating and drinking without one thought of honoring Him whose power
and grace they were supposed to be remembering? (vers. 6, 7).

Surely,
if all before had been unreal and hollow, now, with such marked evidences both
of divine grace and government before them, they should turn to God with all
their hearts, remembering the words which He had cried by the former prophets,
who had testified to their fathers before Jerusalem was destroyed and when they
dwelt therein in peace, and prosperity was in the land (ver. 7).

This
is all the answer that was given for the moment. It was left to them to decide
whether they should keep the fast or not. And this is most significant and has
a voice for us whose lot is cast in a similar day, if we will hear it,
emphasizing the fact that mere formality will never do for God. He must see a
true turning to Himself if He would find delight in the gathering together of
His people. There may not always be chapter and verse for every practice, but God
will graciously accept all that springs from true self-judgment and that is not
opposed to the plain letter of His Word. It has become the fashion in some
places to ask, "Where is the scripture for a Bible-reading, or where the
direct verse for gathering the young together to teach them the knowledge of
the Bible and thus to lead them to Christ?" We need not be troubled by
such cold-hearted queries as these. Rather let the Sunday school worker ask
himself or herself, "Why do I thus labor among the children? Is it with me
but a weariness of the flesh and a matter of form? Has it become simply legal
drudgery which I carry on because such work is now customary? Or do I seek thus
to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ? Is my purpose so to minister Him to those young
in years that their tender hearts may be drawn to Himself ere they become
hardened by the deceitfulness of sin?" If this be the case, let there be
no further question but go on joyfully with your service, doing it heartily as
unto the Lord.

The
same principle applies to the meeting appointed for the study of the Word among
believers. There is no scripture directly saying that such meetings are to be
held at stated intervals; but there is plenty in the way of scripture warrant
and example to make it clear that when such meetings are convened by earnest,
loyal-hearted saints, who come together hungering for the precious truth of God
and ever letting it sit in judgment on them and on their ways, it is truly
pleasing in His sight. Otherwise it is but a work of the flesh — religious
flesh, no doubt, but flesh still for all that.

What
has been said is equally true of the assembly meeting of 1 Corinthians 14 and
the meeting for the breaking of bread of 1 Corinthians 11 and Acts 20:7. It is
quite possible to sit down at the Lord’s table, where the bread and wine speak
of His body given and blood shed for us, and yet not eat the Lord’s Supper at
all, because the mind is so fully occupied with other things that there is no
true remembrance of Christ. One may go from the meeting-room eased in
conscience because he has not neglected the table of the Lord and
superciliously regarding himself as superior Christians whose light and
privileges seem of a lower order, when all the time there has been nothing for
God in it all, but the whole thing was a perfunctory and empty ceremony,
detestable in His eyes, if indeed there has not been an actual eating and
drinking of judgment to oneself.

But if
there is to be reality when saints are gathered together, there must be righteousness
in their daily lives. So Zechariah again speaks the word of the Lord, saying,
"Execute true judgment, and show mercy and compassions every man to his
brother:and oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the
poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart"
(vers. 9, 10). Solemn words are these! Would that they had been oftener called
to mind by the people of God in all ages! He has said, "Woe unto them that
decree unrighteous decrees!" (Isa. 10:1), yet how frequently has
ecclesiastical authority been invoked to enforce the most palpably cruel and
unholy decisions! Oh, the crimes that have been committed in the name of the
Lord and His truth! The cruelties of those who have vaunted the exclusive mind
of the Lord will make a terrible and a humiliating record at the judgment seat
of Christ. When will saints learn that nothing is of God which is unholy; that
nothing is right which is not righteous; that nothing is bound, or ratified, by
the Just One which in itself is unjust! Neither is anything to be owned as
having divine sanction which outrages the mercy and compassions of Christ.

Because
Israel forgot all this and "made their hearts as an adamant stone,"
the former prophets had been sent to warn them, and they would not hear;
therefore great wrath came upon them. As they were indifferent to the cry of
the distressed and calloused as to the sorrows of the needy, God gave them over
to learn in bitterness of soul what distress and need really meant. In the day
of their anguished cry, He refused to hearken even as they had refused to hear
His voice of entreaty and warning. So they had been scattered with a whirlwind
among all the nations (vers. 11-14). Would their children learn from the sad
experiences of the past, or must they too be broken and driven forth because of
indifference to the claims of the Holy and the True?

To
Christians of the present day the same questions may well be put. May God give
us grace to profit by the failures of the past and to walk softly and in
charity, according to truth, in the little while ere the Lord Jesus comes
again!

Now after these things, in the
reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of
Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of
Ahitub, the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, the son of
Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, the son of Abishua, the son of
Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest:this Ezra went
up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD
God of Israel had given:and the king granted him all his request, according to
the hand of the LORD his God upon him. And there went up some of the children
of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the
porters, and the Nethinims, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes
the king. And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh
year of the king. For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up
from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. For Ezra had prepared his heart
to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in
Israel statutes and judgments (Ezra 7:1-10).

Ezra is introduced by tracing
his genealogy back to Aaron (w. 1-5). He was one therefore entitled to all the
rights and privileges of the priesthood (see chap. 2:62). Moreover, he was a
ready scribe in the law of his God and thereby was qualified to be the
instructor of the people in the statutes of Jehovah. (See Lev. 10:8-11; Mal.
2:4-7.) He became a priest by birth and consecration; but he became “a ready
scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given," only
by personal study of the Word. Inherited office therefore, even among the Jews,
could not bestow the qualifications for its exercise. These could come only
from individual acquaintance with God through the Scriptures; for, while by
virtue of consecration the priest was entitled by grace to minister before God,
he could minister acceptably only when all was done in obedience to the Word,
and it was impossible for him to teach unless he himself were acquainted with
the mind of God. It was neglect of this second part of its office that led to
the failure and corruption of the priesthood; for so completely was the Word of
God forgotten in the days of Josiah, that the finding of a copy of the law in
the temple became an epoch in his reign.

It is therefore of surpassing
interest—like finding a beautiful flower in the midst of a sandy desert—to
discover in Ezra one who, while he cherished his priestly descent, found his
joy and strength in the law of his God. In verse 10 the secret of his
attainments is unfolded:he had "prepared his heart to seek the law of the
LORD, and to do it." Let the reader ponder this significant and
instructive statement— "Ezra had prepared his heart." To this end the
Apostle prayed for the Ephesian believers, that the eyes of their heart
(heart is the right reading) might be enlightened, that they might know
what is the hope of His calling, etc. (chap. 1:18). Yes, it is to the heart
that the revelations of God are made, even as it was to the heart of the
Magdalene that the Lord manifested Himself at the sepulcher, rather than to the
intelligence of His disciples. Nor can we attach too much importance to this
truth. Preparation of heart (and this also comes from the Lord) is everything,
whether for the study of the Word, for prayer, or for worship. (See 1 Cor.
8:1-3; Heb. 10:22; 1 John 3:20-23.)

There is yet another thing. If
Ezra prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, it was first and foremost
that he might do it. It was not, therefore, to increase his knowledge or to add
to his repute as a teacher, but it was that his heart, life, and ways might be
formed by it—that his own walk might be the embodiment of the truth, and thus
well-pleasing to the Lord. Then followed teaching:"and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments." This order can never be neglected with impunity, for
where teaching does not flow out of a heart that is itself subject to the
truth, it is not only powerless to influence others, but it will also harden
the heart of the teacher himself. This is the secret of many a failure in the Church of God. The saints are time and again startled by the sudden departure from the
truth of, or by the fall of, those who had occupied the place of teachers; but
whenever the state of the heart is overlooked, and the activity of mind is
permitted upon divine things, the soul is exposed to some of Satan’s most
subtle temptations. A true teacher should be able in measure to point like
Paul, to his own example and to say, as he did to the Thessalonians, "Ye
know what manner of men we were among you for your sake." (See also Acts
20 and Phil. 3.)

It is evident, moreover, that
Ezra was in communion with the mind of God as to His people. His heart was upon
them, for we learn that he had sought permission of the king to go up to Jerusalem, and that "the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of
the LORD his God upon him" (v. 6). What he desired, therefore, was the welfare,
the blessing of his people, the people of his God, but being under subjection
to the king, he had to obtain his leave; for the Lord will not have us,
even for His own service, slight the authority under which we are placed. If,
however, the Lord put the desire to serve Him in the heart of Ezra, He would
influence the king to answer His servant’s request.

How good it is to leave
ourselves in His hands! We are tempted often to overleap the barriers which man
may place in our path, to force open the doors which the hand of man may have
closed; but it is for our comfort and strength to remember that the Lord can
make His way plain before our face whenever He wills, and that our part is to
quietly wait on Him, ready to go forward when He shall speak the word. The
recognition of the hand of God upon him was a characteristic of this devoted
servant (see v. 9; chap. 8:18, 22, 31, etc.), and it was at once the source
both of his patience and of his courage.

FRAGMENT
  No doubt the best way to correct defects in the lives of others is to be
before that person the living expression of the power of Christ in the very
thing in which he fails. You see a vain person:well, walk before him without a
bit of vanity. You see a proud person:walk before him in humility. You need
not tell him that he is proud:let him see what grace can do in you, and thus
you will become a voice to him that will be better than any rebuke.

The four Gospels have been
described as so many different portraits of Christ—portraits, not biographies.
The portrait presented to us in the Gospel of John is that of Christ as Son of
God. To the intelligent reader its omissions, of which unbelief makes much for
its evil purposes, afford a striking indication of its divine authorship and of
the purpose for which it has been given.

The Apostle John is the only one
of the four evangelists who was with the Lord on the Mount of Transfiguration,
and yet he is the only one whose gospel makes no mention of that vision of
glory. He is the only one of the evangelists who witnessed the agony in the
garden, and yet he is the only one whose gospel is silent with respect to it.
Though he was one of the eleven disciples who were with the Lord on the Mount of Olives when He was "taken up from [them] into heaven," his book contains
never a word of direct record about the Ascension.

May not these extraordinary
omissions be explained if we remember that in the vision of the Holy Mount the
Lord appeared in His glory as Son of Man, whereas the purpose of the fourth
gospel is to reveal Him as Son of God. So also with regard to Gethsemane, we
have the Lord’s explicit words, "The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands
of sinners." Though His exaltation to the right hand of God proclaimed Him
to be the Son of God, this was beyond the scope of Matthew’s commission, for it
was of the earthly ministry that he was inspired to write.

"WE
KNOW THAT ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD TO THEM THAT LOVE GOD"         (Romans
8:28)

Paul
knew this. A great many believers do not know it for they have never learned
it. "We know." What a blessed knowledge to know and realize that all
things work together for good to them that love God. God includes all things —
not some things, not the good things — but all things without exception.
In this the wonderful power of God is shown. He does not take His people out of
the world, does not take them away from the evil, does not even keep the evil
away from them; but He makes all things, both good and evil, work together for
good to them that love Him. He brings good to His people out of the evil. The
trouble is that while God’s people may see the evil very plainly, they have not
the knowledge of God to realize His power over the evil to make it work for
their good. It needs a strong faith to realize the wonderful power of God. We
are so inclined to think God cannot do this or that, that we do not trust Him
fully as Caleb did. God’s people of old "limited the Holy One of Israel."
God’s people today limit Him in the same way.

Not
long ago one said  to the writer, "God does not work miracles now,"
and only three days ago a letter came from a dear Christian friend which said
that the age of miracles is past. In one sense these statements may be true.
But the Lord God keeps His promise today just as much as He did in the days of
Elisha or Paul. God does not change; His ways of dealing with men do, but we
must not limit the power and faithfulness of our God. If we do so, we do it to
our great and infinite loss.

How
often it is true of us that we look at the evils, at circumstances, at things
which are taking place around us, and base our hopes and fears on them instead
of upon our God, the eternal and unchangeable One. The things we fear are the
unreal; our worst fears are very often imaginary, and the evils we look for may
never come. But God is the real One; all here is vanity and of the fallen
creation; "the world passeth away and the lust thereof." We need to
remember that all things are in His hands; He is good; He does only that which
is good; He makes all the things which take place about us work together for
our good, if we love Him. "All things." How much ground that
covers:all the bad things, all the evil things, all the things which seem so
hard to bear, all the sorrowful things, all the afflictions, all the trials,
all the disappointments, all the attacks of Satan and wicked men, all the
failures and mistakes of others, "all things work together for good to them
that love God." Well now, does not God take wonderful care of those that
love Him? He cannot do too much for them, but then He does it in His way and
time, and that is where the trial comes. It is our part to believe His words,
to trust Him with all our hearts, to cling to Him whatever comes. And it is His
free grace which enables us to do this. Faith is His gift, He gives us faith in
Him and love to Him. "If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye
shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you" (John 15:7).
"Verily, verily, 1 say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My
name, He will give it you" (John 16:23). Do we want more faith and love?
Here then are these promises for us to plead and lay hold of. "Ask and ye
shall receive, that your joy may be full." These are the very words of our
Lord Jesus Christ. They are His words to every one of His people:to you, if
you have believed in Him. "What ye will," "Whatsoever ye shall
ask," how broad are these promises! He will not give us that which will
merely gratify the flesh, but all the grace and blessings we need that will
make us what He would have us. In our conflict with the world, the flesh, and
the devil, what strength and cheer such promises are. They are our life and our
light, and we feed upon them, rest in them, rejoice in them. Do you want faith?
Then ask for it. Do you want to love Him more and more? Then ask for
it. Get so familiar with these promises that they will be your treasure, your
joy, your hope. Is there any need of your lacking anything good with such
promises as these? "No good thing will He withhold from them that walk
uprightly" (Psalm 84:11). He will not keep any good back from His own
faithful people. So we can rejoice in Him, we can praise Him with full hearts.

The first assembly failure was
in the realm of brotherly relations. "There arose a murmuring of the
Hellenists against the Hebrews because their widows were overlooked in the
daily ministration" (Acts 6:1 J.N.D. trans.). It is probable that the root
of all the departure and consequent loss of blessing could be traced to the
weakening and giving up of those links of love which normally bind the
believers together. The assemblies soon became congregations, and the warmth
and liberty of the family circle were lost. When the saints ceased to love one
another as Christ loved them, they had really left their first love and had
fallen and needed to repent and do the first works. The Lord would have us to
be very sensitive as to the maintenance of happy relations with our brethren.
"If therefore thou shouldest offer thy gift at the altar, and there
shouldest remember that thy brother has something against thee, leave there thy
gift before the altar, and first go, be reconciled to thy brother, and then
come and offer thy gift" (Matt. 5:23,24, J.N.D. trans.). These words of
the Lord suggest that in approaching God, our hearts would be sensitive to
recall anything that our brother has against us, and we should feel that we
must be reconciled to him before we can offer to God. If this were attended to
there would be no such outstanding grievances as sometimes go on for long
periods and have a paralyzing effect on liberty in the service of God.

In the assembly in Philadelphia we see what is prophetic of assembly revival in a remnant at the end. Philadelphia means "the love of the brethren." Recovery lies in coming back to
this. If we love the brethren we shall not imagine evil against them in our
hearts, nor shall we speak evil of them nor do them any harm. We shall in every
way seek their good, and this can only be by the pursuit of holiness and truth.
We shall want them all to be loved complacently by Christ, and therefore we
shall be intolerant of anything in them which Christ hates.

We are brethren as in wilderness
conditions, but we are also brethren as in the land. It is to be noted that
Paul writes to the Colossians and to the Ephesians on the ground that he has
heard of their "love towards all the saints." It would seem that this
was a necessary condition for the opening up of the heavenly position of the
saints. I believe that as the love of the brethren waned, they lost capacity to
appreciate these two epistles. The secret of Israel’s losing "the
land" was the breakdown of their brotherly relations. So it is stated:
"The land was desolate after them . . . they laid the pleasant land
desolate" (Zech. 7:14). It is solemn to think that the assembly lost
"the land," in any practical sense, for the same reason that Israel lost it. "The land" can only be enjoyed in the divine nature, which we
have as born of God, and it manifests itself in the love of the brethren. So we
may all understand the line along which God is working for recovery today.

FRAGMENT:
Any wolf can scatter sheep. It takes a Shepherd to keep them together.

"He that hath my word, let
him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD.
Is not my word . . . like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?"
Jeremiah 23:28, 29.

Where is the missing ministry?
Where is the voice of the prophet? This prophesying is not foretelling future
events, but making the Word of God heard in the conscience.

We have had teachers who have
recovered, through the grace of God, many a long lost truth. But the ministry
of yesterday is not that of today. Yesterday, ignorance was the besetting sin
and for this teachers were needed; today, it is deadness of conscience. For
this a prophet’s voice is required.

Truths that cost those who dug
them out years of prayer and fasting can now be clearly apprehended by the
perusal of a single tract without the least exercise of heart or conscience.
The result is appalling.

Your laying hold of a truth and
truth laying hold of you are two vastly different things. Shall we not cry to
God for true prophets, who will not flinch in exposing "in the light"
the hidden corruption which loves darkness. Men of godly lines and lives who
are gifted to speak solemnly and searchingly can awaken the long slumbering
conscience.

Let none say love forbids such
an exercise of gift. Love calls for it. None loved like our Lord and yet none
ever spoke to the conscience like He, who was not only full of grace but also
full of truth.

Such a ministry is greatly
needed. No doubt self-satisfaction would receive a death blow. Much "fair
show in the flesh" would be brought to an end; but only that which is
false and unreal would suffer, and surely no heart would regret this.

The question for us is whether
our reputation is dearer to our hearts than God’s glory. We have speakers and
writers, but where is this ministry to be found? Is it silent through fear of
man?

The Lord will hear prayer. Let
every true heart to whom His honor is dear, cry to Him to raise up in our midst
in conscience-searching power this missing ministry.

A
WARNING

Pharaoh:
"Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice . . . ? I know not the
LORD!" (Ex. 5:2)

Moses:
"The LORD is a man of war. . . . Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath He
cast into the sea"           (Ex. 15:3,4).

Peter:
"What shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God?" (1
Peter 4:17).

And God said, Let us make man in
our image . . . and let them have dominion over . . . every . . . thing . . .
upon the earth. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and
multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it:and have dominion over the
fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that
moveth upon the earth. (Genesis 1:26, 28)

In spite of man’s disobedience
it would seem that he has very largely done as God directed in the above
verses. Man’s dominion or rule of the earth seems pretty well in hand at
present. His dominion over the animals in air, on land, and in the sea has been
such that many species have suffered near extinction. Man’s efforts now have
turned toward conservation in all these areas in order to preserve these
creatures over which he has dominion.

God’s word to man to "be
fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth" (Gen. 1:28; 9:1) seems to
have been heeded—so much so that at present one of man’s chief concerns is the
"population explosion" and how to feed the teeming multitudes which
nearly "fill the earth."

The injunction to subdue the
earth seems largely complied with, too. The earth has been explored from pole
to pole. The realms above and below the earth’s surface have been explored for
miles. Man has brilliantly adapted himself and learned how to live under vastly
different conditions. "The earth hath He given to the children of
men" (Psa. 115:16), and they do indeed seem to be making the most of
things.

Now Canada is celebrating its
centennial and its Montreal is the chosen site for EXPO 67. News write-ups tell
us this promises to be "the greatest international exhibition in the
history of the world." As might be expected the sixty-two participating
nations are displaying their most outstanding achievements. The unifying theme
for EXPO 67 is Man and His World. Seventeen thematic pavilions portray man as
creator, producer, provider, explorer, and member of the community. Thus has
man subdued the earth and displays his achievements with unmuffled pride.

As we survey the Holy Scriptures
we are struck with the similarity of EXPO 67 to Nebuchadnezzar’s proud walk
"in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon." He said as he surveyed Babylon’s greatness, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of
the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?"
(Daniel 4:30). What Nebuchadnezzar did not learn on the throne, he did as he
roamed the fields as a beast the following seven years, that "the most
High ruleth in the kingdom of men" (Dan. 4:17, 25, 32). We wonder if this
lesson is yet realized by any exhibitors of Man and His World who praise man so
unreservedly and give little or no acknowledgment to the living God.

But one might counter exclaiming
that the Lord’s things are given a prominent place in EXPO 67. There is a large
"Christian Pavilion." This, too, rates the praise of not only the
world but also most churchmen of the day. The praise is not so much for the
awesome architecture of the $1,300,000 structure but because it represents a
major ecumenical breakthrough for Canada. Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox,
Anglicans, United Churchmen, Baptists, Presbyterians, and Lutherans have all
joined forces to put up this "Christian Pavilion." This represents a
united front to millions of world visitors by ninety-two percent of Canada’s professed Christians.

In the language of John’s letter
to the church at Laodicea what possible principle but lukewarmness could unite
such vastly different communions. In that same letter, the Laodiceans are
reprimanded for saying they are "rich, and increased with goods, and have
need of nothing." We wonder what pleas for support of gospel work and aid
to starving poor can be taken seriously when such wealth is lavished on art
scenes and religious symbolism.

What place is our Lord Jesus
Christ given in all this religious splendor? The "Christian Pavilion"
is to lead visitors to the "answer" in three stages. The first is a
scene depicting life as it was before Adam’s fall, consisting of a beautiful
garden, flowers, etc. and a pool (which is supposed to represent baptism to the
imaginative). The second stage depicts life as it is, beginning with the
comparative innocence of a newborn babe and progressing to a gory panorama of
human atrocity and orgy, aided by weird sounds and frightening screams.
Visitors are expected to want to run from this scene to the third stage where
the "answer" is also similarly portrayed. By psychological
intonations aiding a modern-day presentation of the Lord Jesus’ birth, life,
death, resurrection, ascension, and Pentecost, the "answer" and
purpose of Christianity is to be conveyed. We wonder if any scriptural
"answer" is possible from such an array where, we fear, our Lord is
on the outside knocking.

Our hopes for EXPO 67 might be
somewhat brighter if we stroll over to the display of Moody’s "Sermons
from Science." Here at half the cost of the "Christian
Pavilion," Moody Science Films and live science demonstrations are used to
present God’s message. Since only one Christian pavilion was permitted, Moody’s
entry was accepted on a science basis. Here, at least, unlike the
"Christian Pavilion" there are counselors. But, there will be no
proselytizing done since all enquirers are to be turned back to the church of
their choice. We cannot imagine a better missionary opportunity than when the
heathen from all parts of the world come to you. But we are dismayed that
earnest enquirers among these should be returned to the church of their choice,
when the same churches cannot discern Christ’s gospel just down the lane at the
"Christian Pavilion."

EXPO 67 parading Man and His
World is what we might have expected from the world. But we had some little
reason to ‘expect better things" of those professing Christ as Savior.
Their displays seem to us to represent Man and His Church. It has little
resemblance to Christ’s Church but favors more with each passing moment that
Laodicean condition, "neither cold nor hot," which the Lord says,
"I will spue . . . out of My mouth." The appeal and counsel of the
Lord Jesus to any that will hear His voice is:

Buy of Me gold tried in the
fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed,
and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with
eye salve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten:be
zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock:if any
man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with
him, and he with Me.(Revelation 3:18-20)

FRAGMENT
I have always remarked of infidels, or infidel writers (for it is better to
call things by their names) that they can make you doubt of many things, but
they can give you nothing. They never give you one certain truth. The word of
God gives you many certain truths. It makes you doubt of nothing. It has no
need; for it possesses the truth, and gives what is positive. This is an
immense difference:it stamps both morally. When infidel minds speak of a love
of truth, they never that I can see go farther than Pilate:"What is
truth?" They do not hold fast the truth, but cast doubt on what others
believe, and profess to search for truth, and to be always ready to receive it,
I suppose because they have never found it

Turning to the first printed
page of the Scofield Reference Bible, I find, besides the name of the Editor,
the names of seven men who assisted him outstandingly in the preparation of the
work.

One is listed as President of
Crozer Theological Seminary. I am not positive as to its denominational
identification but think it is Baptist or Congregational. Another is identified
as Professor in a United Presbyterian Seminary. Mr. Erdman was a Presbyterian
if I understand correctly. Mr. Pierson was once pastor of Spurgeon’s Tabernacle
(Baptist) in London I am informed. Mr. Gray was a Reformed Episcopalian when
last he talked with me about it. Mr. Gaebelein left Methodism many years ago
and is known as independent. Mr. Scofield was at one time a Congregationalist
and later changed to Presbyterianism if I am correctly informed.

These men labored together to
perfect "helps" which would lead to a comprehensive understanding of
the scope and bearing of divine revelation for practical and intelligent use.
When they finished these labors, they were not united. No word indicates that
their studying together led any of them to leave his "division of the
church" because he found the Church was "one body."

Can it be thought that the Word
of God divided these men thus? Did they have "the whole teaching of
Scripture" on the assembly? Did the truth make one a Reformed
Episcopalian, another a United Presbyterian, another an independent? Yet, they
unblushingly advertise that, when they have completed their labors and are
prepared to send forth their contribution to the study and intelligent use of
the Bible, they are thus separated from each other. How could they teach
assembly truth? It would condemn each and all of them.

Let me now take up their notes
and summaries and follow them out carefully to their conclusion. Will they lead
me to walk with Mr. Gray among the Reformed Episcopalians or with Mr. Moorehead
among those who sing only the Psalms? Which one of these men shall we follow?

A "reference" edition
of the Bible with notes, summaries, etc., prepared before the first
advent of the Lord—could we conceive of such—would not be responsible to
identify a Christian path, though it would be expected to prescribe for the
walk of a Jewish remnant. The word "church" would not come into a
place of prominence therein. Had such a labor been undertaken during the first
decade of the nineteenth century by men whose ecclesiastical connections were
so varied and representative, we should not be surprised to find them
reflecting the habits of their times as to denominations, membership in local
churches, organizations, etc. For what testimony was there
otherwise—except Scripture itself?

But after over 75 years of
public testimony to the truth that "there is one body" and
that in contrast with all sectarianism and every shade of independency, it
seems inexcusable that readers should be left without a hint that there is a
Scriptural path in which to walk in ecclesiastical relations, and then rather
compelled to decide—if exercised at all about it—which one of the producers of
these "helps" is in the right associations, since they are separate
from each other.

Is it reasonable to suppose that
these readers, who are in need of these "helps" "to facilitate
the study and intelligent use of the Bible," are at the same time so far
in advance of the authors of those same "helps" as to reject the
unscriptural paths in which these men walk after summarizing for their readers
"the whole teaching of Scripture" about the matter, and themselves
walk in the unity as to which these "helps" are silent and their
authors outside?

It is as connected with, and
holding influential positions in, these various societies, that these men are
presented to us— not merely by their names. The societies, as such, are brought
before us, and, of course, favorably.

I read one of these
"notes," let us suppose, and it gives me information beyond anything
I had ever known before. I will go where these men are who prepared it.

I will take Mr. Gray, first:
well, he is in the Reformed Episcopal society. Then, since these
"helps" present the "whole teaching" of God on the subject,
it follows that the men who prepared them must be where that teaching puts
saints; otherwise the very notes would condemn them. Therefore, Scripture
teaches that the Reformed Episcopal Church is what God set up from the
beginning; I ought to join it, for they receive such "joiners" and
all ought to join it, because it is Scriptural; it is what the Bible requires;
it is the place in which the Bible is to be intelligently used. Alas! Mr.
Scofield does not belong to it, nor does Mr. Moorehead, nor Mr. Gaebelein, nor,
so far as I know, any of the others mentioned on the first page.

What shall I do? What is the
path? These men are in different denominations. Each denomination is separate
from the others. If I join one, I am thereby not in the others. These men unite
in presenting to me "the whole teaching" of Scripture about the
church, yet they immediately separate when it comes to carrying out the teaching.
I am unable to walk with the eight of them, however I try, because they do not
walk together. They agree as to the teaching, yet are apart from each other
ecclesiastically.

No one of them would, I suppose
(how could he?) urge me not to join the church where one of the others is
found. They all move in the realm where, however desirous men may be of
building up their own establishments numerically and financially, they feel it
needful to put the soft pedal on this line of things and agree to the formula:
"Join the church of your choice."

It would be supposed, I judge,
that men who are able to present "the whole teaching of Scripture" on
the matter, have "joined" not without exercise of conscience. So
that, for example, to Mr. Gray the Reformed Episcopal represents that teaching;
to Mr. Moorehead the United Presbyterian does, though to Mr. Gaebelein, none of
them do. I confess I am unable to see anything "intelligent" in such
a confusion.

If the Scofield Bible is not
intended to give us help along this line—it is surely one of the "hard
places"—then I must look for guidance as to ecclesiastical associations
somewhere outside "the whole teaching of Scripture." Had the editor
frankly said:"In all the helps herein offered, it is assumed that
denominationalism, interdenominationalism, and independency are matters of
indifference; we do not touch these questions; we avoid dealing with the
Scripture passages which present them; we do not attempt the whole teaching of
Scripture; we find it convenient to take the ground that this is a matter about
which no certainty exists; look elsewhere for help along this line"; that
would have been very different.

But when the claim is that the
ground is covered thoroughly at the same time that the authors are themselves
thus hopelessly confused and alienated practically, regarding a question which
each one must face and decide, it is, to say the least, discouraging.

The practical bearing of it all
is the inescapable inference that there is no Scripture teaching which
regulates the matter authoritatively. The subject of ecclesiastical
associations, then, is one on which Scripture does not pronounce! We may not
know the mind of God about it, and need not; He will be satisfied with our
"choice"! The presence of the Lord Jesus Christ is granted to one and
another, but without uniting them! The Spirit presides, leads, energizes in
societies that are independent of each other, contrary to each other, rivals of
one another! If there were such teaching, it would condemn these men for being
thus divided.

The "Scofield" note on
page 1252 says of the Apostle Paul, "In his writings alone we find the
doctrine, position, walk, and destiny of the Church." Such being the
case—and I acknowledge it as true—one wonders in what chapter of Paul’s writings
we would find the doctrine, position, walk, or destiny of the United
Presbyterian Church, the Presbyterian, the Reformed Episcopal, or any of the
others from among which the newly converted are to "choose."

For surely, if Mr. Gray chose
one, Mr. Moorehead another, Mr. Erdman still another, and Mr. Gaebelein
otherwise than they all, the right to choose is thus a part of the program of
which the Scofield Reference Edition is a feature.

Referring again to page 1257, we
are told:"A local church is an assembly of professed believers on the
Lord Jesus Christ, living for the most part in one locality, who assemble
themselves together in His name for the breaking of bread, worship, praise,
prayer, testimony, the ministry of the Word, discipline, and the furtherance of
the Gospel (Heb. 10:25; Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 14:26; 1 Cor. 5:4,5; Phil. 4:14-18; 1
Thess. 1:8; Acts 13:1-4). Such a church exists where two or three are thus
gathered (Matt. 18:20). Every such local church has Christ in the midst, is a temple of Go d, and indwelt by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16, 17)."

This is, I judge, a
"definition." These definitions have been approved by suitable
representatives of "all the evangelical bodies," we are told in the
"Introduction." I suppose, then, that this definition identifies the
local churches of all these evangelical bodies, for surely they are not
defining what excluded themselves and disqualified their whole order of things.

"Every such local
church," then, in "all the evangelical bodies," reads into
itself all these qualifications. Each, without exception, throughout the
evangelical bodies "has Christ in the midst, is a temple of God, and indwelt by the Holy Spirit." Yet they remain divided. Each division has
principles—enforced by the presence of Christ and the Spirit(?)—which separate
it from all the rest! The discipline of one, having its authority from the Word
of God, the presence of Christ, and the indwelling of the Spirit, is not
binding upon another, where the same Word, the same Christ, the same Spirit
characterize the state of things!

A "professed believer"
becomes a "member" of one such local church, in a given evangelical
society—say the one of which Consulting Editor Pierson is also a member—but he
is not thereby a member of that with which Mr. Gray is associated even though
the Christ in whom they profess to believe is in the midst of each of these
societies and the Holy Spirit indwells them alike! One of the members is
excommunicated from the local church; he joins another; Christ and the Spirit
enforcing the former act and approving the latter!

True, the "note" does
not specify all this, but the context of "Introduction" and various
"helps" clearly involves it. It is no secret that such has taken
place repeatedly, nor is there any principle among the "evangelical
bodies" that prevents it, nor could there be. The moment they would act
Scripturally their "bodies" would disappear, and Scriptural unity
would take their place.

"The elements which must
combine to facilitate the study and intelligent use of the Bible . . .";
the "helps" placed "on the very page where help is needed";
the "tracing" of "all the greater truths of the divine
revelation" "through the entire Bible" until they "end in
analytic summaries of the whole teaching of Scripture on that subject";
the "definitions" of "the great words of Scripture" — all
this ought to have led the Editor and the Consulting Editors, as well as the
"very large number" of other capable men of all the evangelical
bodies, out of the independency, denominationalism, and interdenominationalism
with which they were identified when they began their labors and into the path
of unity towards which "the whole teaching of Scripture" regarding
the matter most certainly points, and to have set before the readers both the
teachings and the examples which would encourage them to walk in the same path
of unity.

Are we not forced to realize
that the Scofield Reference Bible fails to help its readers in the
"intelligent use of the Bible" regarding a matter of very great practical
importance, a matter which involves the truth of God’s Word, the rights of
Christ and the Spirit in the assembly, the well-being of the assembly and the
saints, and a proper testimony in the world.  (To be continued.)

SIGNS
OF THE TIMES — ONE BODY?

Is
there really one body? The Bible says, "There is one body . . ."
(Eph. 4:4). All who believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord are members.
"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews
or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free . . ." (1 Cor. 12:13). A very
blessed oneness this is with all of the redeemed — fellow members of the body
of Christ, the Church.

Many
believers will assent to the truth of the "one body." Not quite as
many will confess that the truth of the one body is the scriptural ground of
our gathering unto Christ. But even those so enlightened as to see this truth
sometimes find it difficult to put it into practice. These difficulties are not
unmet by the Word of God which is sufficient for our every problem.

It is
not a new situation when the issues of strife and turmoil of the world spill
over into the affairs of the Church or Assembly. We do not intend to involve
ourselves with the strifes of racism, segregation or integration, black power
or white backlash. But it is a fact that various social circumstances of the
world do affect us — perhaps more than we realize.

We are
admonished — besought in tenderest love — to not be conformed to this world but
to be transformed by the renewing of our minds in order to prove
that "good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Rom. 12:2).
Often conformity to the world is thought of only in the way of dress or outward
behavior. Yet there is a conformity to the world in thoughts, attitudes, opinions
and prejudices which are far more subtle and damaging to the saint with a
heavenly calling. Our bodies are to be a living sacrifice but it is the mind
that God would transform.

If we
share the attitudes and opinions of unregenerate minds because of our similar
circumstances, social status, or color of skin, we may be assured that it is
not God’s perfect will which has so transformed us. Our hearts must be prepared
to receive from God that which is against our natural thought, for "the
mind of the flesh is enmity against God" (Rom. 8:7, J.N.D. trans.).

Mankind
was one before the flood. In the line of Seth there were men of faith who
walked with God, but apart from their walk we perceive no other distinguishing
feature among men. After the flood mankind was still unified and even sought to
preserve that unity and exalt their name by Babel’s tower. When God cut short
their work and confused their languages, they segregated and dispersed
themselves across the face of the earth in the days of Peleg (Gen. 10:25; 11:
1-9). Since that day there seems ever to have been a competition or struggle
between these confused peoples as to who was really superior.

God
singled out Abraham from idolaters, called him to follow Him, and also gave him
great and precious promises. Abraham and his descendants through Isaac and
Jacob were called to walk in separation, not mixing with other nations — the
Gentiles. Although they did not always obey the word of God in this separation,
it was strenuously maintained even in the days of our Lord and by Himself!
"These twelve Jesus, sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into
the way of the Gentiles and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not"
(Matt. 10:5). "But He [Jesus] answered and said, 1 am not sent but unto
the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshiped him, saying,
Lord, help me. But He answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s
[Jews’] bread, and to cast it to dogs [Gentiles]" (Matt. 15:24-26).

But
the cross changed everything! Gloriously so! When, as in John’s gospel, the
rejection of our Lord was evident from the first chapter (verse 12) and the
shadow of the cross already loomed, we find that our Lord "must needs go
through Samaria" (John 4:4). Imagine Him going into that region where He
earlier expressly forbade the twelve to travel! There He went out of His way to
engage a Samaritan, and that an harlot, who entered into that kingdom ahead of
most of privileged Israel. The very fact of His speaking to the woman startled
her as well as amazed His disciples when they returned. This reaction we might
well have expected, nay, even shared before the cross.

We
rejoice in the Great Commission but little realize its startling implication.
"Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature"
(Mark 16:15). Every creature, Lord? To the Jewish believers thus
addressed this message was hardly taken seriously. We see the spread of the
gospel in the book of Acts, yet often forget that years passed before
the first non-Jew was reached. The neighboring Samaritans, as well as an
Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8), were finally reached. The Gentile Cornelius and his
household were reached in Acts 10. In all this we rejoice but ponder very
little the obstacles the grace of God was overcoming. Peter, reluctant as he
was to go speak to Cornelius in Caesarea, took with him six Jewish
believers. We suspect he did not wish to be in Gentile company without
fellow-believing Jewish companions. On returning to Jerusalem Peter was
reprimanded by saints there for going to and eating with such uncircumcised
Gentiles.

Without
doubt the Apostle Paul was the most diligent of all in reaching out with that
good news. His conversion and calling by a risen ascended Christ so filled him
with the meaning of the truth of the one body, that he seems wholly delivered
from prejudice and restraint, going out as he did with the gospel and
confirming the saints in its manifold bearing. During his last visit to Jerusalem after his arrest outside the temple, his defense received diligent attention by
his Jewish audience until he mentioned God sending him to Gentiles. On
hearing this word the crowd was in uproar (Acts 22:21).

We
perceive that the barrier between Jew and Gentile has presented a far greater
obstacle to the gospel outreach than any other social or racial barriers
up to this hour. The racial barrier strangely enough does not appear to have
greatly influenced Jewish proselyting. Our Savior spoke of Jewish zeal which
would "compass sea and land to make one proselyte" (Matt. 23:15). The
Ethiopian eunuch was an example of this proselytizing.  He does not seem to
have been denied the privileges attending Jewish ritual, even, though his skin
was black, for he had been to Jerusalem to worship. It was on the desert road,
returning from Jerusalem, that Jesus was preached to him “on the principle of
faith to faith.”

Of all
Paul’s epistles, Ephesians has often been noted as giving us the highest truth.
The saints are seen there as seated in heavenly places. The burden of chapter
two is the divine breaking down of the middle wall of partition between Jew and
Gentile and forming these two into one body. The mystery unfolded in chapter
three, never before revealed from God, is that these believing Jews and
Gentiles are "fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His
promise in Christ by the gospel" (Eph. 3:6).

Now if
the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and the consequent descent of the
Holy Spirit have brought every believer into such a blessed place, can any such
privileged saint be denied his full enjoyment of these blessings. This
fellowship is to be enjoyed now, not only in the glory beyond. Since God has
broken down the one barrier He raised, can we raise any other
such barrier?

Be
assured that this is in no way a plea for civil rights. What have civil rights
to do with citizens of heaven? We deplore the so-called peaceful demonstrations
which foster civil riots — not rights. "Not by might, nor by power, but by
my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts" (Zech. 4:6) was God’s word to
Zechariah in that day of small things. It did not pertain to rectification of
social injustices but revival and encouragement for the builders of His house
released from Babylonian captivity. We do not expect to sway world opinion nor
to calm its strifes. We do appeal to all fellow citizens of heaven and fellow
members of that one body as formed on earth to be transformed by the renewing
of their minds.

Have
old things really passed away? Are all things really become new to the
new creature in Christ? The Lord will give the needed grace to rejoice together
with those of like precious faith, joint heirs with Him who died.

Christ was “a minister of the circumcision for the truth of
God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers, and that the
Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy” (Rom. 15:8,9).  The Jew was
heir to “the promises”; and in fulfillment of these Christ became “a minister
of the circumcision”:the Gentiles, being “strangers from the covenants of
promise,” (Eph. 2:12) are absolutely dependent upon mercy.

We have noticed as facts have
come before us, that young converts and indeed older Christians have been
ensnared by the enemy into a spirit of lawlessness. Oh, they say, we are saved
now; we are Christians; we are not under the law; can we not in many things do
our own will? Why should we be so narrow and strict? Can we not go where we
like and hear what we like? And though this is not said and done by all, yet
how much of our time may be spent in doing our own will?

Perhaps nothing has been
forgotten more than the Christian’s sanctification by "the Spirit, unto
obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. 1:2). We
are not set apart, as a nation, from Egypt unto the obedience of the law of
Moses, to stand before that mount, to tremble beneath the sound of the
righteous claims of a holy God ("And so terrible was the sight, that Moses
said, I exceedingly fear and quake" Heb. 12:21). Neither are we set apart
to be a struggling people, striving in vain to keep the law of Moses. We are not
sanctified, or set apart, simply to obedience but to the obedience of Christ.

What then was the obedience of
Christ? Was it a mere question of right and wrong with Him? Had He to use His
private judgment as to what was right and wrong? Did He avoid stealing because
it was wrong to do so? What was the principle on which He ever acted?

Let us hear Him on the subject:
"Then said I, Lo, I come:in the volume of the book it is written of Me, I
delight to do Thy will, O My God:yea, Thy law is within My heart" (Ps.
40:7,8). And, in His case, God’s will was to accomplish our redemption by His
blood. But in every act He could say, "I delight to do Thy will, O My
God." "For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the
will of Him that sent Me" (John 6:38). And in answer to this unmixed
delight to do the Father’s will in every thought and act, a voice was heard
from heaven which said, "Thou art My beloved Son; in Thee I am well
pleased" (Luke 3:22).

To this obedience the believer
is set apart by the Spirit; not to the trembling, quaking bondage of Sinai but
to the obedience of Him who could thus say, "I delight to do Thy will, O
My God." In the obedience of Christ we see two things:first, a nature
that delighted to do the will of God, and second, power to do that will. He
could never possibly have said, "How to perform that which is good I find
not," like the one of Romans 7:18. The delight of His heart and every
action of His devoted life were well pleasing to the Father:no leaven within,
no spot without. His obedience was perfect before God. Such is the standard set
before us; such the obedience unto which we are set apart, sanctified. All the
rest of mankind are doing their own will, but Christians are separated from
them, to delight to do the will of God their Father.

Is it not evident that in order
to do this, there must also be the same two things in the believer? There must
be a nature that delights to do the will of the Father. That nature must
be holy, or it cannot delight to do the holy will of God. But man in his fallen
condition is the very opposite of this; neither circumcision, baptism, nor
religious ceremonies will change his evil nature. The other thing needed is power.
Such a case is supposed and described in Romans 7. The believer is born
again, has a new nature, can truly say, "I delight in the law of God after
the inward man" (Rom. 7:22), but he has no power. He says, "For to
will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not"
(Rom. 7:18). Does not this show the need we have, not only of a new nature
wholly from above and of God, but also the absolute need of power! That power
is the indwelling of the Holy Ghost, "For the law of the Spirit of life in
Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." This is the
all-important subject of Romans 8:1-17.

It may be asked, "But has
not the believer two natures; is there not conflict still with an evil
nature?" And though we are set apart to such a perfect example—the
obedience of Christ— can we say that we do always the things that please the
Father? Can we say that we have no sin? (1 John 1 :8). He knew no sin! Can we
say that? Surely that perfect pattern is placed before our eyes, but can we say
we have never failed? Can we say, even as believers, "We have not
sinned?" Would we not "make Him a liar, and His word is not in
us" (1 John 1:10)? This is most true. Mark the divine perfection of the
Word of God:we are not only set apart by the Spirit unto the obedience of
Christ, but "the sanctification of the Spirit [is] unto obedience and
sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ." It is impossible to experience
the power of the Holy Ghost for obedience unless we receive the seal, the
witness of the Spirit to the infinite and immutable value of the blood of
Christ. Oh, sweet relief! Oh, lasting victory! The blood of Jesus is the answer
to all that I am and all that I have done. It is not like the blood of bulls
and goats that needed repetition and never purged the conscience. But "the
blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). We
are set apart to that, to the sprinkling efficacy of the blood of Christ. What
"peace! God says, "Their sins and iniquities will I remember no
more" (Heb. 10:17). Believer, is it not thus written? Is not this your
peace?

We press then this much
neglected blessed truth—the obedience of Christ. Oh, what need of prayer and
searching of the Word of God, what dependence on the Holy Spirit, both to know
and to receive power to do, yea, to delight to do the will of God. What have we
done this day because it is His will?

CANAAN‘S CURSE:IS IT WITH US TODAY?

During
the course of Negro slavery and segregation in America throughout the past two
to three hundred years, the Scriptures have often been appealed to in defense
of Negro servitude. By far the most popular verses used in such a defense are
found in Genesis 9 in connection with Canaan’s curse:"And he [Noah] said,
Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. And he
said, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. God
shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant" (Gen. 9:25-27).

The
linking of Canaan, the grandson of Noah and son of Ham, with the Negro race
dates back to at least the turn of the eighteenth century and seems to have
enjoyed wide acceptance among Christians (at least in the United States) ever
since. But what is the evidence for this link between Canaan and the Negro? After
searching the Bible and other historical records, the writer has been impressed
by the complete lack of evidence of such a link.

The
descendants of Canaan inhabited the well-known land of Canaan (Gen. 10:15-20),
or what we know today as Palestine or Israel. It is true that some of the
Canaanites were great merchants who traveled to and settled in all parts of
Europe, Asia, and Africa. But as a whole, the Canaanites have always been
associated primarily with that strip of land east of the Mediterranean Sea and
west of the Jordan River. Historical evidence* indicates that the Canaanites
were swarthy, having brownish skin, but were in no respect Negroid.

(*
Blyden, E. W., The Negro in Ancient History, 1869. Buswell, J. O., Slavery,
Segregation and Scripture, 1964.)

Canaan,
however, had a brother, Cush by name, whose descendants settled largely in Ethiopia. Ancient monuments typically present the Ethiopians or Cushites as having black
skin. The Bible, too, which in general has very little to say about the skin
color of individuals or nations, nevertheless lends a strong confirmation to
this:"Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?"
(Jeremiah 13:23). Thus it is Canaan’s brother Cush who seems to be the
progenitor of the Negro race and not Canaan himself.

It has
been claimed by some that the name of Canaan’s father, Ham, means
"black" or "burnt" and the inference has been drawn from
this that Ham as well as all of his children were black. In this regard, five
different Hebrew-English lexicons have been consulted and they have been found
unanimously to give the meaning of the word ham as "warm" or
"hot." This Hebrew word ham is, in fact, used twice in the
Hebrew Old Testament as an adjective and is translated in one place
"hot" (Joshua 9:12) and in the other place "warm" (Job
37:17). On the other hand, there are close to twenty different Hebrew words
used in the Old Testament which are translated "black" or
"burnt" in our King James version and not one of these words is in
any way related to the word ham. Thus, we cannot, on the basis of the
meaning of Ham’s name, conclude that either Ham or his children had black skin.

Now if
Canaan’s curse cannot be applied to the Negroes today, how then has the curse
been fulfilled? The answer is clearly given in the Word of God. The children of
Israel, when about to enter into their land of promise, were commanded of the
Lord to destroy utterly the inhabitants of Canaan (Deut. 20:17) that they might
take full possession of the land. That they failed miserably to obey that
commandment we know very well. But the Lord, who knows the end from the
beginning, no doubt had Israel’s failure in mind when he inspired Noah to
pronounce the curse upon Canaan, for the Canaanites, instead of being
destroyed, were first made tributaries to Israel (Judges 1:28,30,33,35) and
later on, during King Solomon’s reign, were made bondservants to Israel (1
Kings 9:20-21). A special fulfillment of the curse is also found in the book of
Joshua where we read how the Gibeonites (a Canaanite tribe) deceived  Joshua
into making a league with them to let them live.  When the deceit was found out
Joshua said to them, “Wherefore ye are cursed , and there shall none of you be
freed from being bondsmen, and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the
house of God”(Joshua 9:23).

When
secular history is combined with the Biblical history just cited, a most
beautiful and accurate fulfillment of the details of the curse is discovered.
Genesis 9:26 reads, ”Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his
[that is, Shem’s] servant." This is borne out by the verses we have just
referred to in Joshua, Judges, and 1 Kings, for Shem was the progenitor of the
nation of Israel. Now note especially verse 27. It does NOT read, "Blessed
be the Lord God of Japheth; and Canaan shall be his servant." It reads
rather, "God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of
Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant." Thus, Canaan’s servitude to
Japheth is especially linked with Japheth’s dwelling in the tents of Shem.
Secular history fully bears this out.  When the Greeks (a Japhethite nation)
under Alexander the Great conquered the Medo-Persian empire and gained control
of Palestine (thus dwelling in the tents of Shem), we are told by historians
that thousands of Canaanites were carried off to Greece as slaves.*

(*
Botsford, G. W. and C. A. Robinson, Jr.. Hellenic History, 1956.)

From
that time on the Canaanites gradually lost their identity as a distinct people
and have long since passed entirely off the scene.

Despite
the clarity of the Scripture which distinctly states, "Cursed be Canaan," many people somehow feel that since it was Ham’s sin that brought on the
curse, all of Ham’s children must have fallen under the curse. But if this be
true, where is the scriptural evidence? We have seen the details of the curse
fulfilled to the letter with respect to Canaan, but utterly fail to see any
such fulfillment with respect to Canaan’s brothers. In fact, just the contrary
is found. Mizraim, one of Canaan’s brothers, is clearly identified as the
"father" of Egypt (Mizraim is the Hebrew word which is translated
"Egypt" throughout the Old Testament). It is Israel’s two hundred plus years of bondage to Egypt which is the outstanding feature in the annals
of the relationship of these two nations, not Egypt’s bondage to Israel. In addition to this, Babylon, the nation which enslaved Judah for seventy years (2
Chron. 36:20, 21), seems to trace back to the lineage of Ham (through Cush and
Nimrod, Gen. 10:8-10). Never do we read of either Egypt or Babylon being
servants of Israel.

In
conclusion, the answer to the question in the title of this article seems
clear:Canaan’s curse had its complete fulfillment in Bible times and is no
longer with us.

          Paul
L. Canner

I will sing with the spirit, and
. .. the understanding also. (1 Corinthians 14:15)

One Sunday evening some years
ago, I heard a large congregation singing the hymn, "Sweet Savior, bless
us ere we go," with the refrain at the end of each stanza, "O gentle
Jesu, be our light."

As I listened to verse after
verse, I sought to realize who the "Jesus" was whom these people
worshiped. In the course of my reverie, I tried to think of relationships and
circumstances which would make it natural and right for men to hold such
language in addressing others dear to them. I supposed, for example, some one
speaking to his father in this way:"Sweet father, gentle William,"
and I saw at once that a parent who could tolerate it must be utterly unworthy
of honor or respect. Such a mode of speaking never could be proper in
addressing a person with any claim to superiority. On the other hand it might
sometimes be natural and charming for a parent to yearn over a darling child
with words like these upon the lips; or for a husband to turn to the woman at
his side and call her his sweet, gentle wife.

Here, then, was the problem
solved. Mariolatry, under its own name, Protestantism forbids; so the
Protestant cloaks it under a more subtle guise by degrading the Lord and Savior
to the level of the Virgin Mary of the Roman Catholic. The errors of every
false religion have generally their source in human nature. The same perverted
instinct, which leads men to worship the traditional Mary, has led them also to
set up the idol of a "sweet, gentle Jesus" in the place of Him who is
King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Strength delights to lean on
weakness just as truly as weakness leans on strength. The strongest man in the
hour of his triumph may be led by a gentle woman or a loving child. This is a
homage paid to qualities of a wholly different order from those he boasts in.
It does not wound his pride; it does not hurt his self-respect. So the proud
self-satisfied heart of the natural man desires a God possessed of the
qualities he delights to lean on here—a gentle loving creature, whose moral
excellence he can acknowledge without offending his own self-esteem. If it be
Mary, her womanhood is enough; if it be "Jesus," He must be pre-eminently
gifted with womanly qualities. It is His "gentleness and sweetness"
that must be insisted on.

Every man has within him by
nature instinctive desires to be better than he is. The object of these desires
is his god. The god of a so-called atheist is himself become as good as he
thinks he ought to be. The god of a nominal Christian is his own ideal, raised
and improved upon by what he has learned from the Scriptures. But there is this
in common to all unconverted men that between them and their god there is no
absolute break, or insuperable barrier. Their efforts, therefore, to seek him
and to do his will are pleasing to their self-love, flattering to their pride.
Their very leaning upon them is a token of their own independence. On the other
hand, the first step towards true conversion is to learn that the living God is
righteous and holy, whom an unrighteous and unholy sinner can never approach.
Man’s religion comes to a deadlock at once. There is no longer room for pride.
The language of the heart is. "I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the
ear, but now mine eye seeth Thee, wherefore I abhor myself and repent in dust
and ashes." How natural and right in the presence of a holy, holy, holy
God!

But, some one will say, this is
God out of Christ. I answer, there is no God out of Christ. There is but one
God; of the Son it is written, "This is the true God, and eternal
life." "Our God is a consuming fire," who must be served
"with reverence and godly fear." "Unto the Son He saith, Thy
throne, 0 God, is for ever and ever." But what of the Father? "He
that hath seen Me hath seen the Father," is His word. He is "the
brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person." Are there
not the Father and the Son? Yes, and how distinct they are; witness Gethsemane
and Calvary! We have the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, but we have one God.
If we seek God we must look to Him who was "God . . . manifest in the
flesh." "This is eternal life that they might know Thee the only true
God, [even] Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent."

Whether then we have to do with
the Father, the Son, or the Spirit, we have to do with a thrice-holy God, who
cannot behold iniquity, "a jealous God," "even a consuming
fire." Need I pause here to tell how this God has become a Savior— how the
Son took on Him the form of a servant and was obedient even unto death, so that
now in virtue of that sacrifice the sinner can stand before this holy and
righteous God and be at peace? My purpose is rather to warn men against
supposing that there is any mediator to screen them from this God of holiness
and majesty. There is a Mediator, whose work is not to shield the sinner from
God nor to hide God from the sinner but to bring the sinner into the presence
of God and to present him there "holy and unblameable. and unreproveable
in His sight."

And I would say to the
Christian, beware of setting up an idol ”Jesus" whom you may approach,
though you judge yourself unfit to come near to God. Your fitness depends not
on yourself but on Him who died the Just for the unjust to this very end that
He might bring you to God. Tell Him, if you will, that you are unworthy of the
bread you eat, or of the roof that covers you, but never doubt the power of
that mighty Name nor distrust the value of that precious blood. Never question
your title to the place which that name and that blood have given you, if
indeed you are His own. Beware of a false peace, which depends on having a
false Christ, less holy and therefore less terrible than God. When in
hymn-singing or in prayer you hear mawkish irreverent words addressed to such a
"Jesus," let your heart turn away to thoughts of Him who sits upon
the throne, surrounded by the rainbow, the lightnings and thunderings, the
living creatures that cease not day and night to proclaim Him "Holy, holy,
holy, Lord God Almighty," the elders who cast their golden crowns before
Him, as they ascribe to Him glory and honor and power, and the chorus of ten
thousand times ten thousand voices, echoed back by the whole creation of God (Rev.
4 & 5).

FRAGMENT
Wherefore also God highly exalted Him and granted Him a name, that which is
above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of heavenly
and earthly and infernal beings, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord to God the Father’s glory. (Phil- 2:9-11, J.N.D. trans.).

WATCH
THOU AND ENDURE

 "Out
of the spoils won in battles did they dedicate to maintain the house of the
Lord" (1 Chron. 26-27).

This
historical statement is pregnant with spiritual instruction and
doctrine. It was ever in the mind of the Lord to dwell among His people in
holiness and separation from evil. The Lord said to Moses:"Let them make
Me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them" (Ex. 25:8). The Levites were
chosen for the service of the Lord’s house because they gathered together unto
Moses when he sent forth his challenge, "Who is on the Lord’s side? Let
him come unto me." Their kinship with the wicked did not influence the
Levites when judgment of evil was required (Ex. 32:26-28).

The
treasures of God’s house today are many, and they must be guarded diligently by
those whom the Lord has stirred up, that the testimony may be maintained in
spite of growing spiritual darkness. At no time in the history of the Church
has there been a greater need to hold fast those things recorded for us in the
Scriptures and committed to us by the Spirit of God. There can be no spoils won
if our battles are not fought in subjection to the whole Word of God,
making use of the whole armor of God. See Ephesians 6:11-18.

The
great cry today for Christian unity and the trend toward that end is based upon
compromise, a "form of Godliness but denying the power thereof" (2
Tim. 3:5). Even the atoning work of Christ is discounted. Many of the Lord’s
people, being in an unscriptural position through disobedience, are drawn into
this compromise, having turned away from basic and precious truths for the sake
of fleshly ambition.

In the
Book of Samuel, Israel’s decline becomes evident when in their restlessness
they reject God and want a king like all of the nations. They choose Saul to be
king in spite of the warning of God by the prophet Samuel, and they become
subject to leadership of their own choosing. Saul’s attempt to justify a
partial obedience leads to his rejection and the rebuke:"To obey is
better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as
the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry" (1
Sam. 15:22-23).

The
voice of the Lord through the prophets applies no less to us in this day in
which the instructions given to Timothy by Paul are often ignored. The
exhortation of 1 Timothy 3:15 — "that thou mayest know how thou oughtest
to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God,
the pillar and ground of the truth" — stresses not so much the Church’s
being the one body of Christ, but rather its being the witness for Christ upon
the earth. It is the assembly of God acting in obedience (in spite of conscious
weakness and failure) as a pillar upholding revealed assembly order and
principles with the Holy Spirit as the guiding power. Hence the word of those
in this present or Laodicean period of the Church’s history is directed to
individuals for the encouragement of those who at the risk of separation from
loved ones seek to maintain a testimony to the truth in this present evil
world.

"Let
us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach"
(Heb. 13:13). “For where two or three are gathered together in His name there
He is in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:20).

Let us
not lose the sense of Christ’s Lordship and our responsibility to Him.  A. J.
Palmer

Dear One in Christ:

I regret that the pressure of
much work has delayed me in responding to your request that I present a
statement of what is unsatisfactory in the "Scofield Reference
Bible." I do so as one who read it through several times as to the
Scripture text, became fairly well acquainted with its notes, used it for years
in my public work, and had an agency for selling it. All this was during the
time I was identified with the realm of ecclesiastical sectarianism or the
mixtures of inter-denominationalism and independency. I would not expect any
understanding of what I shall present in this communication on the part of such
as are still intelligently and approvingly a part of that realm, nor yet by any
others who fail to see the necessity of separation from it on the part of
scripturally-gathered saints. Before I was exercised regarding the claims of
"Assembly truth," I should have had absolutely no patience with any
unfavorable criticism of the literature under consideration.

The volume known as "The
Scofield Reference Bible," consists of two elements, broadly speaking:
first, a text of the Scriptures; and, second, everything else found therein,
which I shall designate "the helps." The text is known as
"Authorized Version," or "King James’ Translation," or
"1611 Version." Comment on this does not fall within the scope of my
present endeavor. That text is not peculiar to this volume, but has been
circulated by the millions of copies for more than three hundred years.
"The helps" are the other material which constitutes it the
"Scofield Reference Edition." All that I shall have to say concerns
that material.

With many of those
"helps" I find myself in happy agreement and gladly own that many
precious truths are set forth therein. I am thankful for the proclamation of
God’s truth, through whatever channel.

The two things which grieve me
are:first, that these "helps" stop short of setting forth the path
of God for His people on earth in Assembly unity; second, the intrusion of what
is contrary to that. In so saying, I make myself responsible for showing that I
am justified in writing thus; the rest of this paper will be devoted to such an
effort, treating them in that order.

I. The "helps" in the
Scofield Bible fail to mark out the path of Assembly unity for God’s people on
earth.

The "Introduction" is
dated 1909. I will quote from it at length. It observes that "The last
fifty years have witnessed an intensity and breadth of interest in Bible study
unprecedented in the history of the Christian Church.” He says further,
"The winnowed and attested results of this half-century of Bible study are
embodied in the notes, summaries, and definitions of this edition." He
writes as one to whom "gradually the elements which must combine to
facilitate the study and intelligent use of the Bible became dear" and
which, further, he has "endeavored … to embody in the present
work." The "intelligent use" of the Bible is a practical thing
and would surely involve assembly order and unity.

Perhaps, it might be ventured,
he may not choose to include ecclesiastical matters in his "helps."
How then, could he present "the winnowed and attested results of this
half-century of Bible study"?

You and I know that about 1827-8
a movement of the Spirit of God began to stir believers with regard to this
very subject; they began meeting to remember the Lord in the simplicity of
Christian unity, as being members of one body, separate from the world, outside
the camp, apart from sectarianism and refusing independency. Included in that
"vast literature" to which the "Introduction" refers, are
many able treatments of the subject of the assembly. The "intelligent
use" of the Bible resulted in the forming of assemblies according to
divine principles, which attracted widespread attention.

Further, among some two dozen of
"the great words of Scripture," which "are defined in simple,
non-technical terms," we find the word "Church." Again, "In
the present edition, by a new system of connected topical references, all the
greater truths of the divine revelation are so traced through the entire Bible,
from the place of first mention to the last." No doubt, the Assembly is
one of "the greater truths." Again, "All of the connected
topical lines of reference end in analytic summaries of the whole teaching of
Scripture on that subject." I suppose "the whole teaching of
Scripture" on the subject of the "Church," would include unity
of assemblies and would not include anything contrary thereto. The volume under
consideration has twelve notes and three summaries on the subject of
"Church."

When I was in the systems I
became well acquainted with these notes and summaries but have no recollection
that any of them ever even suggested to me that sectarianism or
inter-denominationalism or independency was to be forsaken and that I ought to
gather on the ground that there is one body (Eph. 4:4). How could they? If I
did so I must thereby become separate from the author of those notes and from
all those associated with him both in the production of them and in the various
ecclesiastical spheres with which they were identified.

I have just now looked over
those notes and summaries once more. I fail to see anything in them which would
gather saints scripturally in separation from the camp. Instead, it seems to me
that all is carefully worded so as to avoid entering that realm, in helps which
nevertheless are supposed to summarize the whole teaching of Scripture on the
subject. Did you ever hear of anyone who was delivered from the camp and
brought to Scriptural ground of gathering by the "helps" in the
Scofield Bible? I have yet to learn of one.

I am told that Mr. C. Grain was
a student for Baptist clericalism, when a copy of W. Trotter’s "Eight
Lectures on Prophecy" came into his hands. He read it and was delivered,
and as you know, exercised a most helpful ministry among scripturally gathered
assemblies. Would the Scofield "notes" and "summaries" be
serviceable to that end?

Mr. Trotter did not, I am sure,
pretend to present "the whole teaching of Scripture" about either
prophecy or the assembly; what he set forth did mark out the path in which to
walk. Where do we find such a path in the Scofield Bible? (To be continued.)

FRAGMENT
"They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." This
sweeps away every principle of conduct which cannot connect us with the
world-rejected Christ.