The Teaching Church

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume 31, Issue 6, 1 August 1940, Page 4

The Teaching Church

Tihe Bible x^d The Ckufcikl

Faith— A Response to Facts.

These are many causes of difference of opinion among those, who profess and call themselves Christr iaris. Some of these differences are comparatively " unimportant; others are fundamental, and those -who truly desire that the mass of disciples should manifest real unity are bound to work for their removal. Included m the important differences are inadequate theories as to the authority of the Bible,, and notions concerning tlie relationship of the Bible and the Church which can hardly find support at the bar of reason. Recently, after preaching upon the "Love your enemies,, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hateyou, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute, you," the writer Was askedr a question, the effect of which was as follows:—"Why do you insist that such a command is binding upon Christian people, and yet when I quote .the laws of war from the Old Testament you decline to consider them as binding?" In passing -it may be mentioned, that the particular provision quoted as a regulation concerning War sounded most unfamiliar, when, quoted, and > patient and prolonged search has not yet yielded any result. This is not uncommon m cases of this sort, but let that pass, and. let us look at the assumptions behind the question. The assumptions are worth examining because they are by no means" confined to the individual who asked the question. „' The Bible -- Assumption I. The Bible is one book of equal value and authority m all its parts, with the consequence that, having found a, text m some part of the Bible, you may apply it to the purpose you have m hand. This method yields the following result. If you wish to deal m a trulydevastating way: with your enemies, you are at liberty to rely upon the

■ flaw m Psalm 137 and say : "Blessed shall be he that taketh thy children / arid < throweth them against the stones." On this assumption also if , you have the misfortune to have "a, stubborn and rebellion son" and are curious to learn, how to deal with him, you may refer to Deuteronomy ■•■ 21, 18-21. :• ■-■• .. ( ;■ ..';":'-..-- ; -. „-. ::.:';.■" : The . assumption is false. The Bible, is not one book but a collection of books of various dates and within that collection there 'is evidence of progress from small beginnings to a deeper and nobler conception of God. Assumption 11. The .Bible 'being open to all men, every man is competent to decide -by his own individual reasoning what the. teachings of the Bible is, and what any given text may be said to convey. The assumption is a half-truth and therefore difficult to meet. It is true that it is more than desirable that every man shall attempt to gain as great a. grasp of the Bible as his capacity will allow. There " must, however, be watchfulness arid modesty. We all need to \watch the tendency to form theories compound- .■ ed partly of 'prejudice and often very crude theories are formed m this way. The theory, having been formed, support is sought from the Bible, and so often the fact that this is the case is not recognised. Modesty " is needed badly. Th,e Bible is simple m jone sense, but not nearly so simple as some people seem to suppose, and the thousands of books written, by patient' scholars to help us: to • understand the Bible are not just so much waste paper. . . ;".- Assumption III. ( The coining, of pur Lord Jesus Christ is, not the outstanding .event m human. history., ' The assumption is false as. anyone can perceive who asks : himself whether he believes the Epistle to the Hebrews; "God who at sundry times and m divers manners spoke m time past unto our father by the

prophets hath , m these last days spokenviunto usf by iris jSorv" --"That such an assumption can exist m the mind of any person who calls himself a Christian is simply a condemnation 6i the method ' of teaching known as "Bible stories" and the belief that theology is unnecessary for the layman. The Church , The books of the Old Testament are the writings regarded as sacre*d by the Jewish Church. They bear witness to the faith of • Israel and that -\faith was a 'response to the acts of God m the history ; of their nation. Our Lord lived as a -faithful member of that Church and claimed that the Scriptures pointed to Him and were fulfilled m Him (St. John V., 39-end; St. Luke 4, 16-22). He enlarged the content of the old law by showing its claim upon the heart ,of man and not only upon his outward acts (St. 'Matthew 5-7). He gave a" charge to His Church to continue His, work, "As My Father hath sent me, even so send I you." The Church exists as a response to acts of God m Jesus Christ, the Incarnation, the Redemption of Mankind, the Resurrection, the Coming of the Holy Spirit. The Coming of, Our Lord Jesus Christ is then the turning point m human history; the event to which the Old Testament points. If we grasp the fact that the Bible contains the record of the Revelation of God m history we shall find it easy to perceive' that the Bible cannot' be understood apart from the- living body — the Church. The Church goes to the Bible with the facts of the life -of Our Lord m her mirid and the experience of His saving work m her heart. To begin to get a grasp of the Church the book to study is the Acts of the Apostles. *Two passages may , be cited, Acts 18, 25 to the end. Apollos, "An eloquent man and mighty m the Scriptures," lacks, a, knowledge and life to which Aquila and Priscilla can lead him. Acts 15 describes the first council m Jerusalem^ a council which had momentous consequences.-. The question was! "Must gentile converts be bound by the whole law of Moses?" The decision touched four points and only two of these, are . presented by the

Law of Moses. They are freed. from the greater part of the old law, the moral law remains. The decision is made by the living body, the Church of Christ, and the conditions of that decision are clearly stated. "It seemed good unto us having come to one accord," and they can go, on to say, "It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us." ? -^S.F.N.W.