"BIBLE DISTRIBUTION POLICY"

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23204, 31 May 1937, Page 7

"BIBLE DISTRIBUTION POLICY"

10 THE EDITOR Sir,—There appeared a local in last Friday's Daily Times, under the above heading, which must have astonished many of your readers. At the Waikato Diocesan Conference of the Church of England Men's Society at Hamilton, when speaking on the subject of " The Open Bible," Bishop Cherrington said: " I am strongly opposed to the policy of sending the Bible indiscriminately round the world." He went on to say that " he thought the early New Zealand missionaries made a great mistake in presenting the Maoris will) a complete translation of the Old and New Testaments, for the Bible, like any other book, required understanding such as the early Maoris could not bring to the study." That reminds me ol a story that a minister in America once told against himself. After writing a commentary on the Bible, he presented a copy to a legro preacher, hoping he would be enlightened by it Some time later he met this preacher and inquired as to >ow he was getting on with the commentary. "O, wall, brudder.'' said the negro, "I think when I have studied my Bible a little more I maybe able to understand your commentary better!" If Bishop Cherrington were to write a commentary on the Bible for the Maoris he might get a similar reply from the Maoris as the American minister received from the negro Dreacher! The missionaries believed God's Word, and so they gave the Bible to the Maoris. Bishop Cherrington will remember these verses: "At that time Jesus answered and said. I thank Thee, 0 Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so. Father: for so it seemed good in Thy sight." There are other verses on the same subject. Some years ago a Chinese Christian artist illustrated the well-known, beautiful story of the prodigal son. All the pictures are real Chinese pictures with a Chinese background. For instance, when the father, at the request of the younger son, had given him his portion of goods the illustration takes the form of a picture of a poor young Chinaman lying smoking opium in a Chinese opium den. And when he come* home again a sadder and a wiser man, a benevolent-looking old Chinaman is shown in Chinese dress welcoming his young Chinese son. These are only two of the pictures, but how much they contain and represent! They prove, among other things, that the Bible is a universal Book written for all time and for all people and inspired by God Himself. One would suppose that only those people who have not yet discovered the Bible would try to hinder its distribution.— 1 am. etc., Maran-atha.