Dishonest, Worldly, Unenlightened

DISHONEST

The dishonesty of Modernism is apparent in its use of double-speech – a combination of literal and figurative language. By this artifice it has for a time deceived the Press. For competent reporters, hearing various clergymen deny their creeds, found that their reports of these matters were repudiated by the speakers in question. It was claimed that a false impression was being given to the Press; that reporters lacked the needed training to grasp and convey ideas peculiar to religious experts. It was admitted, however, that some blame did attach to a few excited preachers who forgot the approved method of dealing with Scripture and Creed, and in consequence were labeled as "crude."

For, be it noted, a trained Modernist does not verbally deny either Scripture or Creed; he "interprets them in terms of modern science." He repeats the statements "heartily," but he discreetly educates his congregation to perceive that what the Bible writers and the Creed writers meant is not what he means when he repeats the unaltered statements. He is quick, however, to scent danger, and occasionally permits some of his hearers to suppose they are listening to the Faith of their fathers; for it is hoped that when the old generation passes away, the new one will be sufficiently imbued with the new theology to permit a more avowed abandonment of the old gospel than would be permitted today.

Indeed, if teachers who were instructed by more upright men are resorting to such tactics, what is to be expected from students trained by such teachers? How much of the God of truth is going to be learned from graduates who are addressed by their Professor in these words:"Young gentlemen, you are coming up for ordination before long. If you state the doctrine as I have just stated it, you will not be ordained, so let me translate it into verbiage that will get by." (!)

Yet there is conflict within the Modernist school-& conflict caused by the only thing it agrees upon. For every wing of that school, from the most conservative to the most radical, agrees in denying "the inerrancy of Scripture." They explain that Scripture is composed of the writings of men who were "inspired" in the same sense as Shakespeare or Longfellow-even if in greater or lesser measure. In result religious instructors are permitted to say what they please about God or Christ; for although their remarks may sound blasphemous to some, the new theory of inspiration furnishes no way of defining blasphemy. That is left to conscience. But if the alarming innovator believes he is "inspired" to speak in open language, the penalty is to be labeled "crude."

Nevertheless, serious -though his naked blasphemy may be, it is not as hurtful to the hearers as the covered treason of the expert Modernist. For expert Modernism retains Bible statements merely as a screen behind which it destroys the substance of the truth set forth in these statements.

WORLDLY

The worldliness of the ancient thing called "Modernism" is pointed out in 1 John, chaps. 3 and 4. In chap. 3 God's presence among His children is said to be demonstrated by the Spirit whom He has given to them. But in chap. 4 marks of this Spirit are given to protect them from the imposture of "false prophets." These marks are:(1) The confession of Jesus Christ as come in flesh. (2) Listening to the apostles as God's mouthpiece (4:2,6).

There are some who insist upon the humanity of Christ and deny His deity; and some who insist upon His deity and becloud His humanity; while others dissect His per son by explaining what He did "as Man" and what He did "as God." But those who honor the Father will not dishonor the Son by indulging in intricate arguments about His person. They remember it is said, "No man knoweth the Son, but the Father" (Matt. 11:27); hence to them the facts of Scripture suffice, for therein they discern the Father's way of describing the Son in so far as He is pleased so to do. And surely He has been, pleased to describe Him as only the Father could. He tells us that His Son became man, and even reveals in much detail the manner of His incarnation. Indeed, He has so wrought that the Christian's whole moral being responds to the revelation, and gladly confesses Jesus Christ as so come.

In this connection the apostle John explains that two spirits are at work-that which is "of. God" and honors Christ, and that which is "not of God" but is the spirit "of antichrist." Alas! this latter is being evidenced today, not so much in Jewish, Mohammedan or heathen circles, as in Christendom, and especially among some of its religious instructors, who refuse to confess the Christ of God, and labor to foist upon men many false Christs- the conceptions of their own minds. Indeed, some have no Christ, and speak about what they call "the Christ myth."

However, the apostle continues:"¥e are of God, little children, and have overcome them:because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world" (ver. 4). In this conflict Christians are assured that victory is theirs, now and hereafter, that undismayed firmness becomes them, for the battle lies between the Spirit of truth who indwells them, and the father of lies who rules in the world.

Of the adversaries in whom and through whom the evil one works, it is said:"they are of the world, therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them" (ver. 5).

1st. They are of the world. Not being born from above, they cannot rise in their minds beyond the system they belong to.

2nd. They speak of the world. Even in discoursing on Scripture they lower its purport into a message of religious worldliness, a message that fits into the world system.

3rd. The world heareth them. While believers in their congregations hang their heads and "wonder why our minister doesn't preach the gospel," kindred spirits approve the worldliness of the speakers and of their message.

UNENLIGHTENED

The spiritual darkness that characterizes the adversaries of Christ is now described by their attitude to the apostles. To the friends of Christ the apostle John had said, "Ye are of God;" of His adversaries it was said, "They are of the world." Now he says:"We are of God:he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error" (ver. 6).

The apostles are of God. Hence the apostolic message is divine; it comes from God through their lips or writings-and their writings are with us today.

But who discerns the significance of this? Only those who know God. "He that knoweth God heareth us"-he listens to what the apostles say. On the other hand, "He that is not of God heareth not us"-he refuses to listen to what the apostles say. Ignorance of God and alienation from God is the solemn explanation of the rejection of the apostolic ministry.

Modernism refuses to listen to the apostle John. He says:"Herein is love, that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:10). But Modernism describes Christ's death as merely that of a martyr, promoting the welfare of the race by the service of a costly example. But the fact is, that when men took up "stones" to cast at Jesus He "hid Himself" (John 8:59), and when they sought to throw Him over the "brow of the hill whereon their city was built," He made His escape through the crowd (Lk. 4:30). None the less, "He steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem" (Lk. 9:51)-to the Cross, in obedience to the divine command that He be "the propitiation… .for the whole world" (1 John 2:2). For it was written, "Cursed is everyone that hangeth upon a tree" (Gal. 3:13); and since fallen man lay under the curse, Jesus would only suffer that form of death which the uplifted serpent of brass foretold-that kind of death wherein God's abhorrence of sin and His condemnation of man after the flesh could be manifested. Henceforth the Adamic race is not on probation, for God permitted it to demonstrate its op position to Him when presented in the Son. Therefore He directs the attention of all men to "Jesus only" as the Saviour of sinful man. And when Christ is submitted to, He becomes the "life" of those who receive Him, and thus in some measure is reproduced in this world in a practical way, in the power of the Holy Spirit who is given to indwell all those who believe.

Modernism refuses to listen to the apostle Paul. He declares that "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and… .was buried, and…. rose again the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Cor. 15:3, 4). Modernism concedes that Christ's "death" was bodily, that His "burial" was bodily, but it denies that His "resurrection" was bodily. By accepting two-thirds of a verse in its self-evident literalness, and unlawfully changing the remaining third into a figurative sense, it interpolates its "interpretation in terms of modern science," in violation of the text.

Dr. Win. Merrill interprets the Resurrection thus:"The resurrection of Christ is the seal of the unquenchable hope of immortality in the human heart." Just what does the Doctor mean? Well, he is censuring those who say there can be "no real resurrection unless bodily." Ah! Then he does not believe the resurrection of Christ was bodily; and therefore does not believe what Christ Himself said to the Jews as to the temple of His body:"Destroy THIS TEMPLE… .and in three days I will raise IT up" (John 2:19).

Modernism refuses to listen to the apostle Jude. Citing Enoch's prophecy, Jude says:"Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints to execute judgment upon all, and to convince [convict] all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him" (Jude 14,15). But the now rejected, yet rightful Heir, at His return will know how to "convict" the ungodly who have thus "spoken against Him." How solemn then is the outlook for those who have intrenched themselves in places of advantage and religious influence to betray Him! Modernism, however, cynically asks:"Where is the promise of his coming?" -as God foretold it would, and coolly affirms that as Jude's description of Christ's appearing is "catastrophic" and contrary to Mr. Darwin's hypothesis of evolution, it must be rejected (!)

Modernism refuses to listen to the apostle Peter. He affirms that, "No prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man:but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (2 Pet. 1:20, 21). Thus he shows that no one part of Scripture's prophetic scheme is of self-interpretation, but must be considered in its relation to the entire record; for although various men wrote different parts, they did so under the guidance of the Holy Ghost, thereby contributing their quotas to a communication from one Mind.

But Modernism contends that Scripture prophecy is of "private interpretation" and did come "by the will of man," that free moral agents left the record of their ideas, which in due course were compiled in the collection called Scripture; that this collection is fragmentary, often contradictory, and sometimes immoral; that it reveals the researches, exercises and achievements of many minds and many wills:nevertheless that it is profitable when interpreted as Modernism insists it shall be.

To sum up:

1. Modernism is not frank; it is making an unlawful use of language.

2. It is worldly; it refuses to confess the Christ of God; it confesses false Christs of its own conception, and even informs us about "the Christ myth."

3. It has no light from God, for it refuses to listen to the apostles. R. J. Reid