Rally For Bible Week

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31168, 19 September 1966, Page 16

Rally For Bible Week

“The glory of the Bible is that the truth comes to us in symbols that we can see and understand in the mind’s eye,” said the Rev. Dr. G. Knight, principal of the Pacific’Theological College, Suva, in an address at the opening rally of the Christchurch Bible Week, in the Civic Theatre yesterday.

"The Bible is the word of God to us. It is not what man thinks about God, but what God thinks about us,” he said. “It is the gospel of God, and we are the servants of the word. “Although the Church has never said so, many people foolishly suppose that the Bible is the New Testament. In truth, the Old and the New Testament each interpret the other. “We all come from many denominations, but basically we are all doing the same things. We are all worshipping and doing theology, but unless the theology we are doing is biblical we are not doing the right thing. “We persistently believe that we are doing the will of God, if we are leading decent lives and being good neighbours. But this is not what God wants from us. He has called us to be one with Him. “We should ask ourselves these questions: Do we believe the gospel? Do we want to believe the gospel? Do we see the hand of God and do we see what is happening in our lives at the hand of God?” In a welcoming address at the rally, the Mayor (Mr G.

Manning) said that he was very conscious of the great movement being made towards unity by all the churches. “It has always been my belief that the practical mission erf the Church has been somewhat described by the parable erf the Good Samaritan,” he said. “If we can have that unity to meet the social problems in our day and generation, then the purpose of unity will be accomplished. It will strengthen the attachment to services which we are rendering to our fellow men and it will stimulate every one of us. “If during Bible Week we can renew our attempts and our promises to serve our community, then Christchurch will feel the full benefit of Bible Week.” The chairman of the Christchurch Bible Week committee (the Rev. L. Jones, of St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church) welcomed Mr Knight, the Mayor and the representatives from the churches. The lessons were read by Major R. H. Tong, of the Salvation Army, and the Rev. D. J. Inglis, of the Congregational Church. The prayers were led by the Roman Catholic Bishop

. of Christchurch (the Most . Rev. B. P. Ashby) and the . Bishop of Christchurch (the Rt. Rev. W. A. Pyatt). r The organist was Mr G. R. > Mathieson and the choirmas-

ter was Mr W. R. Hawkey. Bible Week, which has been organised by the Christchurch'branch of the National Council of Churches, will end on September 28.