Preacher`s Magazine Volume 33 Number 07

Olivet Nazarene University
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Preacher's Magazine
Church of the Nazarene
7-1-1958
Preacher's Magazine Volume 33 Number 07
Lauriston J. Du Bois (Editor)
Olivet Nazarene University
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JULY
1958
Volume 33
July. 1958
Number 7
C O N TE N T S
R eligious Existentialism, M ildred Bangs W y n k o o p ............................
1
Editorial ...............................................................................................................
5
A Message from the Past, J. B. Chapman .............................................
7
The Preaching of G eorge Sharpe, G eorge Fram e ................................
8
Sermon of the Month, Ivan A . Beals .....................................................
12
Must W e Christians Live by D uty? D. R. Gish ....................................
16
L ove It and L eave It, C. V. Fairbairn......................................................
20
Gleanings from the G reek N ew Testament, Ralph Earle ...............
21
Evangelism, T. E. Martin .............................................................................
26
A dvertising Through Journalism , R obert D. R ogers ........................ 28
The M inistry of the Shepherd, G. H. B o ffe y ......................................... 30
Facts on File, H on ore O sberg ....................................................................
34
Serm on W orkshop
37
.........................................................................................
LAURISTON
DU BOIS. E d i t o r
Cont ri but i ng E ditors
H a r d y C. P o w e r s
G . B. W illia m s o n
Sam uel Y ou n g
D . I. V a n d e r p o o l
H u g h C. B e n n e r
G e n e r a l S u p e r i n t e n d e n t s , CMuiroli o f t h e N a z a r e n e
P ublished m o n th ly by th e N azarene Publishing House, 2 9 2 3 T ro o s t Avenue, Box 5 2 7 , Kansas C ity
P rice: $ 1 .5 0 a y e a r. E n tered as second-class m a tte r a t the post o ffic e a t Kansas C ity , M o .
41,
M is s o u ri. S u b scrip tio n
P rin te d in U .S .A .
G
U E S T
E D
I T O
R
I A
L
Religism Existentialism
I. Sanctification Is Existential
By M ildred Bangs W ynkoop*
d o c t r i n e o f holiness has structured the thinking o f the C hurch
of the N azarene from its beginning
fifty years ago. The doctrine has been
receiv ed variously, from glad to re­
luctant acceptance and from question
to decisive rejection on the part of
the hearers. The life o f holiness,
w hen dem onstrated, has contributed
to the overcom in g o f som e theological
p reju d ice and its absence has cer­
tainly hindered the solving of intel­
lectual problem s. B u t the w orst
enem y to the doctrin e o f holiness is
not the outside “ en em y” but the un­
w ise and unthinking inside friend.
N ot all persons w ho leave the
“ holiness ranks” are rejectin g God.
Som e have fou n d a doctrine unsup­
p orted b y a consistently grow ing
Christian life insufficient to con vin ce
the m ind, and the rejection has been
o f an inadequate expression o f d oc­
trine. It has been the contention of
the ch u rch that sanctification is not
sim ply an intellectual idea and a fo r­
m al statement o f faith but also a w ay
o f life. A s life is dynam ic and en­
larging and changing and com ing into
ever n ew relationships and extending
to greater heights and depths and
needing to m eet n ew problem s and
adjust to n ew perspectives, so the
Christian aspect of life must conform
TP
he
*
Pro fesso r o f
P o rtla n d , Oregon.
T h eo lo g y ,
W e s te rn
E van g elical
S em in a ry ,
1
to the pattern o f personality and
answer to its needs. It m ust be
realistic and B iblical.
If sanctification is a life, as w ell as
a doctrine, it needs an adequate the­
ological context to support it intel­
lectually as a doctrine and m oral
im peratives to press it upon ourselves
as individuals in a m ost vital and com ­
pelling w ay. There is a term recently
appropriated b y a large segm ent of
Christianity w hich connotes the m oral
u rgency w h ich has always character­
ized divine revelation and B iblical
truth and preaching. T h e w ord is
“ existentialism .” In spite o f the varied
associations brou gh t to this term
w hich w ou ld be unacceptable to con ­
servative thinking, there is a core
m eaning that ought not to be lost by
w a y of intellectual default.
R eligious existentialism is a re­
action against h ollow orth od oxy, icily
correct doctrine, and an em pty re­
ligious profession. It is an affirm ation
fo r theological truth presented in such
a w ay that, w hen p rop erly believed,
it demands a thorough transform ation
o f a m an’s everyday life. Its m eaning
is simple, yet profound. It asserts
that the kn ow ledge that w e gain from
G od ’s W ord requires of us m ore than
an intellectual acceptance. M en are
units of personality and w hen a p er­
son accepts or rejects truth the w hole
man is involved. The w ill does not
act apart from the m ind or the intel­
lect apart from the emotions. C hoice
is m oral because it is the w h ole man
acting freely.
This thoroughgoing
m oral involvem ent is not som ething
one is free to accept or reject. W e
live in an environm ent of decision.
A s m oral creatures w e must and do
decide, and these decisions are form a­
tive for life. W e v ery early “ com m it”
ourselves to a w ay of life at a very
deep level o f personality. E very act
of life is colored b y that com m itm ent.
G ospel truth challenges that prior
com m itm ent and not sim ply the things
w e do. It dem ands that a com m itm ent
to Christ supplant a form er com m it­
ment. A cceptan ce of Christ, then, or
faith, m ust include not on ly an in­
tellectual conviction and acceptance
o f truth, but a m oral renovation both
painful and real.
B u t the danger w e face is in af­
firm ing a b elief in the doctrine of
holiness that does not issue in a full
and satisfactory expression o f that
faith in daily livin g situations. The
doctrine of holiness, because it relates
to the w h ole man— to every part of
his personality— can n ever be sim ply
a beautifully and m eticulously stated
article of faith b y w hich on e’s ortho­
d o x y is tested. T o believe it and af­
firm it im plicates m ore than the
intellect. It is an existential doctrine
displaying its beauty and p ow er, not
in verbal eloqu en ce and fine defini­
tion, but in its m orally transform ing
p ow er in the lives o f men. If it could
be beautifully expressed apart from
that life demonstration, its v ery beau ­
ty w ou ld condem n it because the
degree o f clarity w ith w hich it is
understood becom es a m easure o f the
m oral responsibility a man has to it.
A s a segm ent o f B iblical truth it was
given to live b y, not sim ply to look
at and admire. The uniqueness of
B iblical truth is its transform ing
p ow er in hum an life.
2 (290)
H oliness preaching must be m ore
than the d elivery o f p rop erly turned
theological phrases. “ Shibboleth s” can
be dangerous if the w h ole w eight of
truth be laid u pon them. B iblical
preaching, alone, is great preaching,
because it stays close to both G od and
men. The relationship o f great p reach ­
ing and the form al th eology out of
w hich it springs m ay not alw ays be
obvious. Preaching that m oves m en
to G od and h oly living must stay close
to the idiom of life and is in that
sense m ore universal and gripping
than the carefu lly w ork ed ou t the­
ological form ula w h ich structures it.
One is vital, the other is form al.
T he tw o need not b e antithetical.
W esleyan preaching and theology
partake o f this apparent am biguity.
In a m easure not so true of any
other theological tradition, W esleyan
preaching m ust stay v e ry close to life
and be d eeply realistic, fo r it relates
to life and hum an experien ce. In this
it is distinctive. A s a religion o f life
its th eology is less logically structured
than B iblically grounded. It m ust lie
close to the existential B iblical teach­
ing to rem ain close to the com m on
exp erien ce o f m en everyw h ere in all
times. In this sense th eology is sub­
servient to scripture and experience.
Calvinistic th eology is, basically,
n on-experiential and is fortified b y an
im pregnable logic. It not on ly struc­
tures thinking but dom inates B iblical
interpretation. O ur approach is not
b y w a y o f logic, but a consistent B ib ­
lical presentation. It is not the logic
that prevails but the W ord o f God.
The experiential emphasis stands in
danger o f em otionalism and irration­
alism and m ust be guarded. B ut
n on-experiential religion has its risks
too. It tends to undue abstraction and
legalism and irrelevance.
W esleyan doctrine, w ith its exp eri­
ential emphasis, believes it finds its
stability in a referen ce to scripture.
The P rea ch er's M agazine
The B ible is a B ook of experience.
Its events occu rred in history, am ong
people, in p rofou n d ly hum an inv olv e­
ments. The B ible was not given on
golden plates but to people. R evela ­
tion was not given in a vacuum but
concretely, in experience. Jesus was
a M an w h o was seen, heard, touched,
loved, hated. H e spoke to real p er­
sons enm eshed in the w eb of life
and sickness and fam ily concerns and
labor and social involvem ents and
death. The language of the B ible is
the language of experience. If the
exp erien ce of m en today can becom e
a participation in the know ledge and
experien ce of Christ w hich the N ew
Testam ent people knew , b y the same
obedien ce and faith and com m itm ent,
then the danger of unguarded sub­
jectivism is minim ized. A s a b ook of
Christian experience, it is believed
that Christian faith m ust always seek
to relate itself to the Christian B ook.
In a unique sense W esleyan theology
is totally dependent u pon the B ible
for every facet o f its structure. The
apostolic exp erien ce of Christ is nor­
m ative for all Christian experience
because there is but one Christ to
know . N or is it su fficien t that the
historical Christ alone should be
know n; it is enough on ly w hen the
Christ him self becom es a part o f the
human experience.
Jesus was the first real religious
existentialist. H e p e r h a p s never
fram ed a doctrine or issued a com ­
mand w hich could be intellectually
accepted apart from a radical change
in the m ode of a m an’s existence.
E verything H e was as a Person or
said as a T each er was disturbing to
religious com placen cy, irritating to
selfrighteousness, and terrifically de­
m anding through and through the
w h ole m oral structure o f man. His
hearers had the Old Testam ent Scrip­
tures, m any of them kept the law, but
Jesus had a w ay of stripping the ab­
July, 1958
stractions away from the com m and­
m ents with one stroke and with
another laying bare the p overtystricken souls of m en clothed with
m ere superficial obedience. H e ap­
plied the law to conscience in a w ay
that dem anded a m oral response.
N o one heard Jesus speak without
becom ing better— or worse. N o one
could listen to Him w ithout m aking
some kind of m oral decision. In this
Jesus gave truth an existential inter­
pretation. Som ething had to happen
and always did. M atthew heard Jesus’
“ F ollow m e,” and he left his m oney
stall and follow ed. The rich you n g
ru ler’s strict and noble orth od oxy
collapsed b efore the existential inter­
pretation of the law b y Jesus. He
w ent sorrow fu lly away to a deform ed
life, not a transform ed one. Saul
(P aul) was confronted b y an existen­
tial presentation of Christ’s person to
him. H e cried out, “ Lord, what wilt
thou have me to d o ? ” H e was told
w hat to do— and he did it.
Jesus did not underestim ate the law
or abrogate it or discredit it; He
sim ply crow d ed it in on the human
conscience until it left no room for
m ere intellectual approval or m ere
em otional response or m ere verbal
assent. M en w ere forced to put them­
selves, from the profoundest depth of
human personality, in a different re­
lationship to G od, to themselves, to
others— a change w hich revolu tion ­
ized the total man, fo r better or for
worse.
The doctrine of sanctification is an
existential doctrine m ore p rofou ndly
than it can be said to be form al d oc­
trine, and it must be existentially in­
terpreted. H e w ho professes this
doctrine must, m oreover, judge him ­
self b y this interpretation. H e dare
not m easure him self and his progress
in grace against too low a level of
an understanding o f Jesus’ demands
nor too com placent a satisfaction with
(291) 3
him self as a Christian. H e must never
underestim ate the m ystery o f the
grace of cleansing w h ich the com ing
o f the H oly Spirit provides, and he
must testify to that grace w ith the
deepest hum ility and thankfulness.
B u t he must also be forev er aware
o f the fact that sanctification is a
radical life transform ation, dem anding
m oral alterations running inw ard to
the deepest root o f the hum an p er­
sonality. L ife com m itm ents w ere con ­
tracted at the altar o f consecration
that cannot rem ain there at the altar,
forgotten or neglected. G o d ’s grace
is forfeited b y persistently brok en
prom ises and failure to daily com ply
with existential interpretations o f the
doctrine o f holiness that dem anded
ou r decision in the first place.
W e are indebted to John W esley
for rediscoverin g and revitalizing the
doctrine o f perfection. The p erfection
w hich G od demands, said he, is the
perfection o f love. Sanctification is
p erfect love. B u t what, w e m ay ask,
is perfect lov e? A n d w e go back to
Jesus to fin d the answer, as W esley
did.
T he first of all th e com m andm ents
is, H ear, O Israel; T he L ord ou r G od
is on e L ord : and th ou shalt love the
L ord th y G od with all thy heart, and
w ith all th y soul, and with all thy
mind, and with all th y strength . . .
th e secon d is like, nam ely this, Thou
shalt love thy n eigh bour as thyself.
T h ere is non e oth er com m andm ent
g rea ter than th ese (M ark 12:29-31).
H ere in a few w ords is an existen­
tial interpretation o f holiness that
respects, yet cuts through all intel­
lectual and creedal form ulations and
lays bare the hum an heart b efore its
truth. W hen w e say, “ I love the L ord
w ith all m y heart,” w e have this
standard b y w hich to ju d ge ou r sin­
cerity, and it can be a v ery hum bling
experience.
4 (292)
These w ords o f Jesus com pel a co r­
rection to e very lo w v iew of sanctifi­
cation. First, it is a definition, w ith
intellectual content in contrast to
em otionalism and irrational systems.
L ov e is a hard w ord to define. N o
N ew Testam ent w riter attempts a
form al, abstract definition of it. The
reason is that love is n ever an ab­
straction. It cannot be defined apart
from description or illustration, and
that is precisely what Jesus does. A n d
it cuts to the quick, just as P a u l’s
description of love in I Corinthians
13 cuts to the quick. If it isn’t lived,
it is too h ot to handle.
B ut secon dly, the definition b y w ay
o f intellectual content is so stated as
to expose lack o f sincerity and to
force a genuine personal decision. A n
exam ination o f the setting of the text
show s that Jesus had b een under
attack from the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the scribes. T h ey had asked
a nu m ber o f trick questions in an
attempt to trap Jesus. Th e question
asked about the m ost im portant com ­
m andm ent was p rob a b ly another trick
question. Jesus answ ered as the text
indicates— and “ no m an after that
durst ask him any m ore questions.”
W h y ? B ecause H e had trapped them
b y an existential interpretation o f the
law. It was no longer sim ply an in­
tellectual gam e, but a deadly serious
condem nation o f m oral failure, and
they kn ew it. W hat m attered w hether
the com m andm ents w ere correctly
evaluated? S u d d e n l y , corrections
ceased to be an intellectual matter
only, and becam e a m atter of exis­
tential concern. D o I keep the com ­
m andm ents? D o I k eep them in the
w a y that I k n ow they ought to be
k ep t? These are alw ays u n com fort­
able questions.
A n d thirdly, Jesus put this very
personal relationship to the law at
the v ery heart o f religion. H ere is
obedien ce to G o d taken out o f the
The P rea ch er's M agazine
realm o f m ere duty or superficial
m oralism and put into the realm of
love. It is life crow d ed to its out­
side limits w ith service. H ere is not
a com partm entalized life— c h u r c h
duties, hom e duties, personal rights—
and sacred duties and secular duties,
^ ] F t O n V T the E D
w ith always a question as to w here
one ends and the other begins— but
life lived in a prodigality o f love for
G od and others that leaves no room
for questions o f religious legalism.
(T o be continued)
IT O
R
The Purpose of a Vacation
is u s u a l l y vacation
even though som e pastors
are finding real value in a w inter va­
cation or a split vacation. B ut because
of the problem s o f the kiddies in
sch ool and the possibilities o f m ore
favorable w e a t h e r conditions, the
sum m er is thought o f as the best time
fo r the parsonage vacation. The exact
pattern, of course, w ill need to be
w ork ed out b y the particular fam ily
and w ill be that w h ich best fits the
particular desires, needs, and circu m ­
stances. H ence, in m ost m inds sum ­
m ertim e is vacation time. In the
light o f this com m on understanding
I should like to raise a question fo r a
b rief study. Parsonage vacation, for
w h om ?
u m m e r t im e
S time,
First, the vacation should be a va­
cation. If there are good reasons for
a ch u rch to give its pastor tim e off
from his regu lar duties, he should
be fair to m ake this tim e w hat the
ch u rch intended it should be, a vaca­
tion, a rest, a tim e o f rebuilding
depleted energies. Som eon e defined a
vacation as “ tw o w eek s o f anticipa­
tion, tw o w eek s o f realization, and
tw o w eek s o f recu peration ” ! F or
July, 1958
m any this is true. There are times
w hen w e need ou r vacation time to
m ake a trip to the “ folk s” even w hen
they live 2,000 m iles away, so that
that w hich was started as a vacation
b ecom es a driving m arathon. H ow ­
ever, as a usual pattern w e should
let a trip be a trip and a vacation be
a vacation.
T o b e true, a change o f scenery and
a change of pace w ill frequen tly do
just w hat the parsonage fam ily needs,
and perhaps a trip should be planned
w ith certain o f the prim ary requisites
o f vacation inserted so that leisure,
sight-seeing, and lack o f pressure to
m ake reservations and destinations
w ill be its principal feature. There is
little differen ce betw een the nervous
tension w hich a pastor builds up in
caring for his church and that w hich
he builds up on a trip w ith one eye
on the clo ck and the other on the
road m ap to the extent that every
delay for road repairs o r because of
detours sends his ulcers into con ­
vulsions. So the vacation should be
just that fo r the pastor’s b od y and
n ervous system.
It should be a vacation also for his
m ind and soul. W hile w e have not
(293) 5
usually thought o f this because our
vacation times are so short, yet there
is a principle here w hich w e could
w ell note. I talked w ith a minister
from C hicago a few years ago on his
w ay to M ontana for his vacation. He
told m e his pattern. He spent his
time in a rem ote m ountain com m unity
w hich had been picked out b y his
church and in w hich they sponsored
a church program . His vacations w ere
spent supervising this p roject and in
fishing and the like. H ow ever, in
addition he planned tw o to three
hours every m orning to read and
study, not for serm ons, but to “ catch
u p ” on areas of study w hich he did
not get time for during his regular
w ork. This was “ relaxed reading” as
it were, reading just because he
w anted to, and yet reading w hich
w ould enrich his mind and soul. It
occu rred to me as w e conversed that
many of us have thought of ou r bodies
and felt the need of relaxation and
rest but w e have forgotten that our
souls need refreshing too. A vacation
could w ell incorporate some time for
meditation, a time w hen our souls can
catch up with ou r bodies. M editation,
introspection, soul searching, soul en­
riching can becom e a lost art in this
busy, high-speed day. W e as ministers
must hang on to this if w e are to
grow as m en o f God.
The vacation should be for our
families too. N otably the preacher
has time fo r nearly everyon e but his
own. The year-rou n d schedule takes
m any nights away from the family.
The pastor’s w ife carries consistently
heavy burdens for the church as w ell
as fo r the family. A n d so, in w orking
out plans for the annual time away
from the church, the pastor should
ask first, not, “ W hat w ill do me
g o o d ? ” but, “ W hat w ill do m y fam ily
the most g o o d ? ” Perhaps just being
together w ill be the best tonic— time
6 (294)
to be w ith the children, play with
them, have fun w ith them. B u t w e
must w atch lest that w h ich seems to
be the best for the grou p does not
heap a still greater hardship u pon the
pastor’s wife. “ R oughing it” in the
hills m ay be grand fo r the spirits but
it is hard on the one w h o has to
p rovid e meals and k eep the kiddies
clean. A n d so care should be taken
that what proves to be a vacation to
som e o f the fam ily does not becom e
an added burden to others.
Perhaps here is the place to say
a w ord about the pastor w ho takes his
vacation time in holding a m eeting
in another church or in caring for
other ch u rch business. This indeed
m ay be the change of pace w hich w ill
give him the biggest boost, and yet it
does not provid e the tim e with his
w ife and fam ily w hich is so needed.
A church should allow its pastor some
tim e fo r such m eetings and certainly
it should con sider that time spent at
the cam p m eeting, you th camp, or
b oy s’ and girls’ cam p is not vacation
time. U sually if the pastor keeps his
concepts of what the vacation is for
clearly in his ow n mind, others w ill
see it also.
W e must guard lest a false idea of
responsibility to the ch u rch and the
K ingdom cut short ou r years o f e ffe c­
tiveness. It is true that w e must be
absorbed with ou r w ork. It is true
that w e must have a sense o f com ­
passion about the souls o f m en and
have an u rgen cy for ou r task. H ow ­
ever, the scrap pile of exhausted and
physically useless m inisters ought to
warn us and help us to see that to
vacation is not folly; it is necessary
if w e are to give m axim um service
to G od and the ch u rch fo r the longest
possible time.
H appy vacation! A n d m ay you r
vacation this year be to you and you r
fam ily all that it can and should be.
The P reach er's M agazine
A M essa ge from the Past
The Ministry of the Hard Pull*
By J. B. Chapm an
A
p a s t o r w r i t e s that he has had
a good m any “ hard p u lls” in his
efforts to preach lately, and that he
has been tem pted to discouragem ent
because he has seem ed to be shorn of
p ow er and w anting in liberty. A n d
his w ords describe m y ow n exp eri­
ence in a good m any instances during
the last thirty years. I have had an
“ o ff d a y” right in the m idst o f a
period of unusual freedom in preach­
ing, and I have had periods of days
and w eeks w hen I seem ed to fight the
air one tim e after another.
Perhaps these periods o f dullness
are not necessary in the preach er’s
life— there m ay be som e preachers
w ho do not exp erien ce them. H ow ­
ever, I question that there are m any
preachers w ho are always at their
best.
B ut I am not interested in com ­
parisons— not even in analyses. I
think w e w ou ld all p refer a considera­
tion o f w hat to do in these times w hen
preaching is irksom e and unsatisfy­
ing. A s fo r m yself, the best thing I
have ever done at one of these times
is to “ press harder than e v er.” I have
studied harder, prayed m ore, hum bled
m y soul m ore com pletely, and made
the strongest “ effo rt” in the pulpit in
times like this. I have not always
foun d im m ediate deliverance; I have
not always experien ced som ething in
the nature o f a crisis w hen escaping
from one o f these d ry places. B u t so
* R e p rin t fr o m " P re a c h e r 's M a g a z in e /' F e b ru a ry ,
S elec ted by L eR oy G u y e tt, O m aha, N ebr.
July, 1958
1930.
far I have always pulled out in some
w ay and at the expiration of a longer
or shorter time, and this is w h y I
venture these few w ords o f personal
testim ony and experience.
In the beginning of m y m inistry I
preached a num ber of times before
I found any conscious unction, and m y
faith and efforts w ere rew arded. A n d
what I have done in the “ dry tim es”
since is not unlike the first exp eri­
ence; hence I believe this is one w ay
to do it.
Let the preacher w ho is passing
through a desert tim e not take to ac­
cusing him self o r to condem ning
others. L et him, above all else, exer­
cise patience and em ploy persever­
ance. L et him put forth his very best
and m ost sincere efforts in prepara­
tion and in d elivery and in exhorta­
tion. L et him take special care in
these dry times not to preach too long,
fo r besides w earyin g the people, it
w ill try his ow n tem per and tend to
discourage. L et him put his best
thoughts into his sermons and give
them the best fo rce he can w hile pray­
ing and waiting for the unction and
p ow er o f the Spirit to com e again
upon him. A n d if he w ill do these
things, m y experien ce is that he w ill
not on ly com e out into a w ide place
b y and b y, b u t that he w ill bring
from the period of hard pulling some
of the finest gems w hich his heart
and mind w ill ever produce. In this,
as in every good w ork, “ L et us not
be w eary in w ell doing: fo r in due
season w e shall reap, if w e faint n ot.”
(295) 7
The Preaching of George Sharpe
By George Fram e*
“ The M an B orn to B e a P reach er.”
R ev. Jack Ford, in his M iller L e c­
tures, draws a vivid pictu re of the
fou n d er and founding services o f the
C hurch o f the N azarene in G reat
Britain.
“ Th ey w ere lively services. G eorge
Sharpe was a gripping preacher, with
dram atic style. I have been told b y
som eone w ho was present in those
days that there w ere occasions w hen
he w ou ld w ave his handkerchief and
lead his people in w alking around the
aisles. H e was the m ost A m erican of
the British H oliness leaders, not only
in his m ethods but in a slight A m eri­
can accent and in his sym pathies.”
Dr. Sharpe cou ld w ell be described
as “ the man b orn to be a preach er.”
H e was rich ly endow ed with the
natural gifts that go tow ards m aking
a great pulpit orator. D ignified in
appearance and com m anding in pres­
ence, he stood out in his you n ger days
as a leader am ong m en and as a
patriarch in and out of the pulpit,
and w hile at times he cou ld break
loose under the inspiration o f the
Spirit, he did so w ithout a loss of
dignity o r the sacrifice o f pulpit de­
corum that contributed in no small
m easure to the authority of his
utterances.
Called to preach soon after his con ­
version w hile listening to H udson
Taylor, the great m issionary hero, he
played Jonah, and tried to run away
from it b y crossing to A m erica to train
*
D is t r ic t
S co tlan d .
8 (296)
S u p e rin te n d e n t,
N o rth
B ritis h
Isles,
Glasgow,
fo r a business career. B ut he was
destined to be a preacher. H e was
greeted on landing at N ew Y o r k with
the news that the firm had gone out
o f existence. W ithin ten months he
was in a M ethodist college training
fo r the m inistry.
B orn in M ay 1865, in the small
m ining com m unity o f G raigneuk, near
G lasgow , Scotland, G eorge Sharpe
was converted at eighteen years o f
age. W hile serving in his third M etho­
dist E piscopal pastorate in Chateaugay, N ew Y o rk , he was gloriously
sanctified in a revival in his ow n
ch urch con du cted b y M a jor M ilton
W illiam s of the Salvation A rm y , in
w hich 500 souls sought God.
A call from the A rdrossan C on gre­
gational ch u rch was accepted as a
challenge and a sum m ons from G od
to return to his native Scotland to
preach fu ll salvation. R evival blessing
follow ed his preaching and brought
him another call to G lasgow . B itter
opposition as w ell as great blessing
was generated b y his dynam ic p rocla ­
m ation o f fu ll salvation, to the extent
that within tw elve m onths the m a­
jority o f the congregation voted for
his m inistry to cease. B u t eighty
m em bers rallied to his support and in
N ovem ber, 1906, he com m en ced h old ­
ing services in a B illiard Hall, situated
in Greast Eastern R oad, Parkhead,
Glasgow . These m ark the beginning
of the C hurch o f the N azarene in
Scotland and are the historic services
described b y Mr. Ford.
“ Man, he was a preach er— a prince
of p reach ers!” is the typical com m ent
The P reach er's M agazine
o f one privileged to sit under him in
those m om entous and dram atic days.
W hen I listened to him in his later
years he was still outstanding in a
land fam ous for its pulpit oratory.
Dr. Sharpe filled with distinction the
seem ingly distinctive roles of a h oli­
ness preacher and evangelist.
In this respect he was akin to that
fam ous M ethodist preach er and leader
Sam uel C hadw ick, w ho for three
years preached through the three
volum es o f P o p e ’s T h eology to o v e r­
flow ing congregations of 2,000 or m ore
hardheaded Y ork shire folk in his
Sunday evening evangelistic services.
Friends still rem em ber the serm on
outlines that Dr. S harpe’s preaching
etched on their minds forty and fifty
years ago. The logical mind that made
him a great ch urch statesman as w ell
as an orator is everyw h ere evident in
the serm ons contained in his b ook
The C reed of Jesus ancl O th er H oli­
ness A ddresses. Each of his printed
serm ons has a clearly defined outline
that presents an ord erly and p ro­
gressive developm ent of the chosen
theme.
A good exam ple o f this is his ser­
m on on “ The T w o W orks of G race.”
H e links together three texts: Rom ans
5:8; R om ans 4:25; and Ephesians 5:
25-26. H e introduces his them e with
the tw o opening sentences: “ These
passages speak o f the divine love and,
also, plainly speak of sinners and the
church. Therein do w e approach the
tw o w ork s o f grace.” A n d that his
text is m ore than a p retext is shown
b y his closing sentence, “ B oth w orks
of grace w hen preached and w hen e x ­
p erienced add to G o d ’s glory on earth
and truly exalt the salvation that
Jesus purchased with his ow n blood,
am en.”
T he them e is developed under three
headings and their subheadings. Let
us consider:
July, 1958
I. The relation of these tw o w orks of
grace
a. It is not one of superiority.
b. It is not one of extrem e diversity.
c. It is not one of separated values.
II. The reasons for their existence
a. T heir existence was necessary
for the fulfillm ent of the love of
God.
b. Their existence provides the
p roof that Jesus can save from
sin.
c. Their existence solves the con ­
viction m ade b y the H oly Ghost
and the W ord.
III. The things that con cern their ac­
ceptance
a. Justification is for the sinner.
Sanctification is for the same in­
dividual n ow a believer.
b. Justification is the act of God.
Sanctification is the act o f God.
c. Justification is based u pon the
m eritorious w ork of A nother.
Sanctification is based upon the
same w ork.
The same hom iletical structure is
exem plified in his serm on “ Sanctifi­
cation the O u tcom e,” based on H e­
brew s 2:11. The language of the text
leads (I) to the first conclusion— that
there is a Sanctifier, (II) to the
second conclusion— that there are
sanctified people, (III) to the third
conclusion— that unity exists betw een
the Sanctifier and the sanctified,
(IV ) to the fourth conclusion— that
the sanctified have the first favors of
the Sanctifier.
A ll the sermons in this volum e The
C reed of Jesus are strong meat in­
deed. E xpositions of the Beatitudes
and kindred scriptures, they are d oc­
trinal to the point of being prosaic.
Th ey have a close affinity to W esley’s
sermons, that, although today they
are referred to as authoritative state­
ments of doctrine, nevertheless, w hen
(297) 9
delivered, brought full salvation to
multitudes.
C om pare these subjects and titles
with our m odern topics: “ Spiritual
Fullness,” “ P urity with P rivilege,”
“ The T w o W orks o f G race,” “ P erfect
L ov e— the Basis of Christian P erfec­
tion,” and “ Truths of the Incarnation.”
The su bject matter matches the
titles as this extract, from Dr. Sharpe’s
serm on on “ Sins and Sin” reveals.
“ W hat true believer delights to
keep the old man with his deeds?
K n ow ledge of this state means a cry
for deliverance.
A n d deliverance
com es w hen the believer believes (1)
that the state of sin exists, (2) that
Jesus has provided a cure in the sacri­
fice of himself, (3) that through faith
the rem edy for depravity can be ap­
plied now , (4) that follow in g com ­
plete and entire consecration the H oly
Ghost com es destroying sin in the
heart, filling the temple, thus instan­
taneously sanctifying the believer
w h olly so that thereafter the result
is holiness of heart and life. This is
the second w ork of grace.”
This is massive preaching b y tod ay’s
standards. L ogical preaching of this
caliber w ould all too often be like
damp gu npow der in ou r hands— with
w hich w e cou ld hardly m ake su ffi­
cient impact as to arouse the interest
of our hearers, m uch less hold it. Y et
Dr. Sharpe m ade it the evangelistic
m edium that generated revival, p re­
cipitated c r e a t i v e crisis, brought
transform ing life to thousands, and
raised up a virile witness to full sal­
vation in an intensely Calvinistic
environm ent.
This is both hom iletical preaching
and preaching genius of the highest
order; the product of reason and
imagination, ability and passion, edu­
cation and consecration, natural gifts
and the Spirit’s fullness, and blood,
sweat, and tears.
10 (298)
B ut not all was ponderous and
theoretical. W ith a tou ch o f genius,
doctrine w ou ld b e turned into gu id­
ance for dow n-to-earth living, th eol­
ogy w ou ld be m ade to live b y a
dram atic interlude, and th eory w ou ld
w alk and live am ong us through some
hom espun illustration.
“ H oliness people need a w arning
h ere,” he interjects in an exposition
on “ B lessed A re the M eek .” “ W e are
liable to run ou r doctrine to seed by
travelling over and over again the
same ground. W e need m ore B iblical
truth that digs into the daily life and
brings us ever to the realities as here
outlined in The C reed of Jesus.”
Y o u can imagine w ith w hat dra­
m atic pow er a passage such as occurs
in “ A fte r These T hings” w ou ld com e
to a congregation w ho up to this time
had been listening to a doctrinal
exposition.
“ In all this A bram forsook his ow n
com fort. It was m odern w arfare in
ancient times: plans in the night,
m arches in the night; fights in the
night, no rest, no sleep, only earnest
vigilance and intensified labour to o b ­
tain the desired end. The tables had
to be turned. H e laboured for v ic­
tory. The prisoners had to be set free.
H e laboured fo r the lives of others.
The spoils had to be retaken. He
laboured for the w elfare of the people.
“ H e was no arm chair critic, no fire­
side enthusiast, no ease-loving friend.
M odern Christianity should take a
lesson from this w on d erfu l man of
God. M any sing, ‘W e are out today
on the firing lin e’ ; but it is on ly a
song, it is not a fact. That is w h y G od
n ever speaks to them and w h y he
never w orks for them.
“ The secret is out. T o hear God
speak and to realize His pow er, we
must seek the souls of others, rescue
the prisoners in captivity and defeat
the enemies of light and truth and
godliness.”
The P reach er's M agazine
One serm on stands out in the m em ­
ory o f those w h o heard Dr. Sharpe
preach: “ The Lost S h eep.” Still vivid
and living in their m inds is the illus­
tration that he gave concerning his
you n g b roth er’s getting lost.
A s I listened to m y friend retell it,
I fou n d m yself reliving the incident.
I stood b y the side of the distracted
m other in that hum ble m in er’s home.
I went out into the dark and cold
of the night and join ed the fam ily
and friends in their harrow ing search.
I shared the relief of the searchers
w hen w ord was brought to us that the
elder brother— G eorge Sharpe— had
found the little fellow . I sat around
the tea table and join ed in the simple
celebrations in w hich all shared the
jo y of Father and M other.
The hom espun illustrations in his
pointed serm ons have little appeal to
the m odern mind. B ut how appropri­
ate and dram atic must have been
som e o f those original illustrations—
w hen a secondhand retelling after an
interval of forty years could thus
m ake it relive in m y mind!
Thoughts on Prayer
Contributed by W illard Taylor*
J. B. C h a p m a n : “ I heard that a
wise general never attempts to de­
fend too long a line. F orty years is
a long time, as men count, and there
are abundant reasons w h y the ac­
cuser can file charges against m e for
thoughts and w ords and actions in
the interim. I have n ever been a
form al backslider. There has not
been an h ou r in all these years that
I did not profess m y love for Jesus
Christ and m y faith in Him as Sav­
iour and Lord. But the line is too
long, and I am not content to let m y
present standing and future destiny
depend u pon an un broken linking up
with that first touch H e gave m y un­
w orth y heart. A h, no. H e touched
m e tw enty years ago, ten years ago,
one year ago, last month, last w eek,
this m orning. Y ea, I say it to the
praise of His m ercy, H e has touched
m e today. A t the m orning watch He
cam e along and laid His hand on me.
"'P res id en t, C an ad ian
July, 1958
N a zare n e C ollege,
Red
Deer, A lb e r ta .
C loser still, and praise be to His
matchless name, H e touches m y spirit
now. I account all the past as cleared
and approved b y the fact that this
side of everything else I have felt
and know n His tender touch, and if
I have ever done anything for w hich
rew ard is due, I am paid in full and
up to date by the sheer jo y m y poor
heart feels and know s in this m om ent
of assurance and rest.”
( The Touch of Jesus, pp. 15-16)
H e n r y D r u m m o n d : “ Five minutes
spent in the com panionship of Christ
every m orning— ay, tw o minutes, if
it is face to face and heart to h e a r t w ili change the w hole day, w ill make
every thought and feeling different,
w ill enable you to do things for his
sake that you w ould not have done
for y ou r ow n sake, or for any on e’s
sake.”
(299) 11
siEi^nvEOisr of tne nvEOisrTiri
Blood-bought Freedom
By Ivan A. Beals*
e x t : If the Son th erefore shall m ake
you free, y e shall be fre e indeed
(John 8 :3 6 ).
T
Freedom has always been a thrilling
thought— especially to those w ho have
know n bondage. Throughout the ar­
chives of history w e find that the
desire for freedom resides deep in the
breast of mankind. In achieving free­
dom there is a price to be paid. Ofttimes ensuing conflicts are fired by
the fervor burning within the hearts
of oppressed men to be free. In our
ow n nation’s history, because of the
selfish encroachm ents of the British
upon the Thirteen Colonies, on July 4,
1776, the D eclaration of Independence
was resolved.
The m en w ho bold ly affixed their
signatures to the D eclaration realized
that freedom of a bound people can­
not be attained by em pty phrases or
earned by spasm odic efforts, or p u r­
chased except at the cost of valuable
lives. B ut in time, b y m ortal com bat,
ou r forefathers struggled through the
labor of giving birth to a free nation.
It w asn’t until O ctober 19, 1781, that
ou r freedom was secured through the
paym ent of m isery, suffering, and
life’s blood.
Since that time our country has en­
gaged in other arising conflicts, m ain­
taining the liberty purchased over a
century and a half ago. M ore suffer’'“P a s to r,
12 (300)
W a te rlo o ,
Io w a .
ing was endured, m ore b lood flow ed,
and m ore lives w ere sacrificed that
our land m ight continue to be free.
O nce there was also a struggle among
ourselves as to the credibility of set­
ting a captive race free. A braham
Lincoln, a president adhering to the
principles of freedom , issued the
Em ancipation Proclam ation on Janu­
ary 1, 1863, declaring all N egro slaves
within the federal boundaries to be
free.
A G r e a t e r P r ic e
The gospel is even m ore thrilling
and of infinitely greater consequence
than the stirring, vital m om ents of
ou r nation’s progress in securing civil
liberty. The glad tidings of G od are
the fact that H e gave His only b e ­
gotten Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the
suprem e price, purchasing ou r free­
dom from sin. It surpasses human
understanding to k n ow the cost of
such divine condescension. Little can
w e realize the royal state Christ left
to b ecom e the “ S u fferin g Servant,”
or fathom the hum ility involved. At
the expense of utmost ignom iny the
L ord identified him self with hum ani­
ty ’s sin, endured the untold agony of
separation from the Father, and suf­
fered torm ents of physical pain at the
hands of ungrateful mankind.
Even so, from the foundation of the
w orld the counseled mind of the
Triune G odhead was to thus provide
The P reach er's M agazine
the means w h ereby rebellious hu­
m anity cou ld be saved from ever­
lasting destruction. M an w ou ld have
rem ained forever estranged from the
h oly Creator w ithout hope of re­
dem ption except for the love that con ­
strained G od him self to pay the
necessary ransom. The price paid for
m an’s freed om from sin was the great­
est possible prem ium of purchase. The
suffering, dying form of the only b e­
gotten Son of the Father met the
curse of sin in our stead.
A lien ated from G od b y sin, A dam 's
race was condem ned to bear the curse
of physical and spiritual destruction.
N o longer was man a ch oice com ­
panion of G od, but instead a grovel­
ing slave to Satan. From a life of
beauty, purity, and bliss man becam e
ensnared and bound by deplorable
shackles of sin, in utter depravity.
N othing good cou ld man provide to
cover the cost of his redem ption. No
redeem ing quality was present or
available in anything on earth. Sin’s
stain had penetrated b eyon d outer
garments and polluted further than
w ater could cleanse. Sin had defiled
the w h ole fram e of m an’s existence.
N one was w ithout blame. The entire
hum an race was enslaved to the evil
designs of Satan, lost to the purpose
of the A lm ighty. A greater offering,
a greater ransom, a greater price was
necessary than man could pay in sac­
rifices, in m oney, or in his ow n flesh
and blood.
Y e t in the fullness of time G od in
loving m ercy provid ed the atonement,
w h ereby fellow ship m ight be restored
b y destroying the hearts of sin. Thus
H e com m issioned His on ly Son, Jesus,
w ho w illingly laid aside His princely
glory to descend to earth. H e offered
him self a com plete, perfect, and final
Sacrifice for all the sins of m ankind.
The shedding of Jesus’ pure and in­
nocent b lood becam e the atonement
for our sin, purchasing the redem ption
July, 1958
of every believer unto repentance.
B ecause of C hrist’s vicarious death,
because of His rising again in victory
over all adversaries, every sin-chained
soul of A d a m ’s race can look to Jesus
to be his Saviour, his Justifier, his
Liberator. Praise G od that the pow er
of Christ is abundantly able to set
every sin-captive free, for He paid
the greater price!
A G reater F reedom
The freedom our forefathers pur­
chased was of a lim ited nature be­
cause the liberty has been maintained
by other necessary sacrifices beyond
the original price. H ow ever, Jesus
said, “ If the Son therefore shall make
you free, ye shall be free indeed.”
A lth ou gh Jesus of Nazareth becam e
the propitiation for our sin about two
thousand years ago, that unvarying
circum stance still makes possible the
freedom of us all. Through the final
yet continuing sacrifice of Jesus, G od
has grace sufficient to enable a b e ­
liever to withstand any temptation
and destroy any sin.
N ot only was m an’s sinfulness to be
forgiven, but his depraved bent to
sinning purged. N othing short o f this
is in harm ony with G o d ’s intention
and provision. M en ’s strivings may
free them from bondage to other men,
but only G od can give destitute hu­
m anity the greater freedom of release
from sin’s fetters. G o d ’s redem ptive
plan reckons sinful man as righteous,
the penitent heart being washed and
cleansed through Jesus’ blood till man
can again show forth the likeness of
his M aker. Such regenerating free­
dom is applied to every contrite heart.
O nce attained, it is a continuing e x ­
perience as long as man keeps the
cleansing p ow er applied b y w alking
in the light of God. The A postle Paul
admonishes in Galatians 5:1, “ Stand
fast therefore in the liberty w herew ith
Christ hath m ade us free, and be not
(301) 13
entangled
bondage.”
again w ith
the y ok e
of
Freedom in Christ is a spiritual lib ­
erty that transcends physical b ou n d ­
aries, releasing us com pletely from
the dom inion o f sin and Satan. In
spite o f erroneous thought, freedom
from sin is not a w ild dream or an
unattainable ethic. Jesus’ vicarious
p rovision m akes it a necessary, conse­
quential characteristic of all w ho
w ou ld enter the fam ily of G od. W hen
Jesus said, “ If the Son therefore
shall m ake you free, ye shall be free
indeed,” H e affirm ed that the sin
problem w ou ld be com pletely solved
through His atonement. Christ de­
clares that freedom from sin is an
available experience, not b y ou r ow n
w orks o f righteousness, but b y His
matchless grace.
It is vain im agination to think that
G od w ou ld ever be satisfied with any­
thing short o f holiness of heart and
life in His children. Just as the de­
signers of the D eclaration o f Inde­
pendence intended to be free from
the dom inion o f England entirely, so
did G od purpose to provid e a greater
freedom , a plan o f salvation w hereby
all partakers w ou ld b e w h olly set free
from the tentacles of sin. Paul testi­
fies in Rom ans 5 :20b-21, “ B ut w here
sin abounded, grace did m uch m ore
abound: that as sin hath reigned unto
death, even so m ight grace reign
through righteousness unto eternal
life b y Jesus Christ our L ord .”
W e m ay strive for freedom to do
as w e like: to speak, to publish, to
worship. G od releases ou r hearts from
the shackles of sin so w e can do as
w e ought, becom in g totally dead to
sin and com pletely alive unto Jesus,
the A u th or and Finisher o f ou r faith.
There is no other w ay to be in the
fam ily o f G od except b y repenting of
ou r transgressions and subm itting our
beings in fu ll consecration, allowing
14 (302)
the H oly Spirit to purge the resident
sin nature enthroned b y the fall of
A dam . F o r this cause Jesus Christ
shed His blood , and that B lood is the
purchasing elem ent of ou r m ore e x ­
cellent freedom . It is efficaciou s to
cu re ou r entire lack o f purity, being
abundantly su fficient to recon cile us
into com m union with the Father.
In Psalms 51:1-2, 5-7, 10, 12, we
read the pleading, trusting w ords of
David, “ H ave m ercy upon me, O G od,
accordin g to thy lovingkindness: ac­
cordin g unto the m ultitude o f thy
tender m ercies blot out m y transgres­
sions. W ash m e throu ghly from mine
iniquity, and cleanse m e from m y sin.
Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and
in sin did m y m oth er con ceiv e me.
B ehold, thou desirest truth in the in­
w ard parts: and in the hidden part
thou shalt m ake m e to k n o w wisdom .
P u rge m e with hyssop, and I shall be
clean: wash m e and I shall be w hiter
than snow. Create in m e a clean
heart, O G od; and ren ew a right spirit
w ithin me. R estore unto m e the joy
o f thy salvation; and uph old m e with
thy free spirit.”
A G r e a te r I n h e r it a n c e
The sacrifice o f ou r forefathers was
not in vain. T h rou gh their strenuous
effort a freed om -lovin g nation was
born, and su rvivors o f the struggle
lived to see even their ch ildren ’s
children en joy the lib erty w rou gh t by
their sacrificial purchase. N ow , dis­
tant sons and daughters are blessed
b y inheriting the sam e principles of
freed om instituted b y the courageous
patriot-fathers. Y e t m aintaining the
inheritance has almost unceasingly
required a further price. Th ere is a
greater inheritance just as a greater
price and a greater freedom . Christ’s
sacrifice bought us freedom from sin
w h ereby w e m ight inherit, not only a
better life, but a better eternal coun­
The P reach er's M agazine
try also. The freed om w e gain through
Him b y obedien ce is the legal binder
w h ereby w e b ecom e adopted sons of
G od and joint heirs with Jesus, our
Lord. This all-im portant rew ard of
life awaits all w ho w ou ld seek Jesus.
Rom ans 8:14-17 verifies, “ F or as
many as are led by the Spirit of God,
they are the sons of G od. F or ye
have not received the spirit of b on d ­
age again to fear; but ye have received
the spirit of adoption, w h ereby we
cry, A bb a, Father. The Spirit itself
beareth witness w ith our spirit, that
we are the children o f G od: and if
children, then heirs; heirs of G od, and
joint-heirs w ith Christ; if so be that
w e suffer with him, that w e m ay also
be glorified together.”
W e m ay have a present inheritance
of a free land fu ll of benefits here, but
it is m ore desirable to have a grand,
continuing estate beyon d the physical
realm. Even in this life w e reap
the unspeakable blessings o f being
adopted children of G od, having been
rescued from the clutches o f the task­
master of evil. There was no greater
price for freedom given than was paid
on G olgoth a’s brow . There was no
greater freedom born to hum anity
than the B lood -bou gh t freedom p re­
sented to us b y the nail-scarred hands
of ou r risen Lord. A n d there never
was a rich er inheritance p rovided b y
a loving father. Though unw orthy,
the penitent child receives a beautiful
life of purity, transplanted finally in
mansions of everlasting glory. H ow
appropriate are the thrilling w ords of
the song “ G lorious F reedom ” !
O nce I was bound by sin’s galling
fetter s;
Chained like a slave I struggled in
vain.
B ut I receiv ed a glorious freed om
W h en Jesus b rok e m y fetter s in
twain.
G lorious freed om , ivonderful freed om ,
N o m ore in chains of sin I repin e!
Jesus, the glorious Emancipator,
N ow and fo r e v e r H e shall be m in e*
A s Jesus said, “ If the Son therefore
shall m ake you free, ye shall be free
indeed.”
^ C o p yrig h t
owned
by
N azaren e
P u b lishing
House.
YO U R M INISTER’S PRAYER
I do not ask
That crow d s m ay throng th e tem ple, that standing room be priced;
I on ly ask that as I v o ice the m essage,
T h ey m ay see Christ!
I do not ask
F o r ch u rch ly pom p or pageant, or m usic such as wealth alone can b u y;
I on ly ask that, as I v oice th e m essage,
H e m ay be nigh!
I do not ask
That m en m ay sound m y praises or headlines spread m y nam e abroad;
I on ly pray that, as I v o ice the m essage,
H earts m ay find God!
I do not ask
F o r earth ly place or laurel, or of this ivorld's distinctions any part;
I on ly ask, w h en I have voiced the m essage,
M y S aviour’s heart!
— A
July, 1958
uthor
U
nknown
(303) 15
Must Christians Live by Duty?
By D. R. Gish*
C 'o
o f t e n
and so easily do w e use
^ the w ord duty that a definition
seems almost superfluous. “ D o you r
d u ty,” is one of ou r m ost com m on
m oral exhortations; and w hen we
want to com m end a man, it is likely
that we shall call attention to his
devotion to duty. N evertheless there
is some confusion among us con cern ­
ing its m eaning and status. N ot every­
one is convinced that it should be
made a factor in Christian m oral
teaching. There occur, even among
Christians, frequent conflicts of opin­
ion concerning specific duties.
G eneral definitions of duty receive
a greater degree of acceptance. Chris­
tian m artyr and m isguided heretic
alike could p robably agree upon such
a definition as that o f G. E. M oore:
D u ty is “ that action, w hich w ill cause
m ore good to the universe than any
possible alternative.” 1 A t least three
fairly com m on convictions are ex ­
pressed in this definition. First, noth­
ing w hich a man is unable to perform
can be justly called his duty. His
duty must always be for him a pos­
sible alternative. Second, no one can
have a duty to do what is evil or
sinful. G ood is always the aim of
duty. Som e undesirable consequences
m ay be entailed, but our obligation is
always to do the best possible under
the circum stances, with a view to the
long run, so that the m ost good shall
be realized. T o do evil w hen good
is possible is to fail to do on e’s duty.
] G. E . M o o re, P rin c ip ia E th ic a (C am b rid g e,
b ridg e U n iv. Press, 1 9 0 3 ) , p. 1 4 8 .
*P ro fe s o r
16 (304)
of
Philosophy,
N azaren e
E n g .;
T h eological
C am ­
S em in ary.
Finally, duties involve actions. D uty
has its subjective side, its place in
feeling, but it is pointless w ithout
perform ance.
In order to illustrate the difficu lty
of determ ining duty in specific in­
stances let us suppose a case w hose
outlines w ill be som ewhat familiar. A
pastor receives a call to another
church than the one he n ow serves.
Included in the o ffer m ade him is a
substantial increase in salary. L o ­
cated near a Christian college, the
new situation appeals to him because
his daughter is just read y to enter
college. N ot only so, but the new
ch urch is grow ing, w ell established,
and holds no building program in
prospect for years to com e. In addi­
tion to these considerations, his w ife
and fam ily m ake it clear that their
wish is to m ake the change.
H ow ever, som e disturbing thoughts
cause him to hesitate. His present
charge is involved in an urgent fi­
nancial cam paign necessitated b y the
construction o f a n ew educational
building. In the fund-raising p roject
the pastor is the k ey man. Should he
leave at this time, m any of the folk
w ho pledged funds almost certainly
w ill not pay, having m ade their
pledges chiefly out o f personal friend­
ship to him. M oreover, the call to
the n ew church stipulates that he is
to be m oved within tw o w eeks, and
this haste w ou ld m ake it impossible
for him to give proper advance notice
to his present board and district su­
perintendent. W hat is he to d o? Can
The P reach er's M agazine
hum an w isdom decide w hich course
w ou ld “ cause m ore good to the uni­
verse than any possible altern ative?”
Either course w ou ld p roduce m uch
good. H e is able to do either. It only
rem ains to decide and act.
Som e irresponsible w ays of dealing
with the problem w ill occur. One may
seek fo r a clu e b y letting his B ible
fall open to a suggestive scripture
passage, or sim ply flip a coin, sup­
posing that in so doing he is letting
G od enter the situation. A ctu a lly he
w ou ld be trying to dictate to G od just
h ow H e is to enter into it, and closing
other channels to Him.
Systems of secular ethics have p ro­
posed several w ays of dealing with
such problem s. A m on g these are sev­
eral w hich seek to ob ey the exhorta­
tion to “ fo llo w nature.” The “ m oral
sense” or feelin g for what is right is
one. A man must rely upon his con ­
science and ob ey it im plicitly, for it
is part of his essential nature. Again,
som e have thought that the true na­
ture o f things is rationality. Nature
m oves calm ly and m ajestically on,
free from fear, jealousy, or other
em otions; so ought m an to live b y
law, b y reason, and fo llo w the truth
dispassionately. This v iew w ou ld de­
clare that ou r pastor should not let
am bition, love for his w ife or his
daughter, or any other affection in­
flu en ce his choice, but sternly follow
duty fo r d u ty’s sake.
Still another m odern idea of duty
finds its dom inant principle in “ keep ­
ing our agreem ents.” E veryone makes
agreem ents, orally, in writing, or
tacitly, w ithout verba l confirm ation.
In ord er to keep ou r integrity as p er­
sons, w e m ust k eep our agreements.
W h eth er w e signed ou r names and
pledged ou r w ord or did not, w e are
u nder obligation to p erform all that
anyone has a right to exp ect o f us.
The pastor w e m entioned above was
definitely b oun d b y a nu m ber of
July, 1958
agreem ents, letters, custom , church
traditions, and his w ord, to act in a
certain w ay. Unless he cou ld find
release, his w ay was rather clearly
m arked out for him.
P roba bly none of these or o f other
view s w hich m ight be described is
w h olly wrong, but for Christians,
what w ou ld seem a m ore satisfactory
principle is that w hich m akes duty
prim arily obedience to God. The Old
Testam ent supports this: “ H e hath
shew ed thee, O man, what is good;
and what doth the L ord require of
thee, but to do justly, and to love
m ercy, and to walk hum bly with thy
G od ?”
(M icah 6 :8 )
A n d again:
“ Fear G od, and keep his com m and­
ments: for this is the w hole duty of
m an” (Ecclesiastes 1 2 :1 3 ). The N ew
Testament also teaches that obedience
to G od is of central importance.
Obedience, declares John, is the p roof
o f ou r love to G od. “ W e ought to
ob ey G od rather than m en ” (A cts
5: 29). G o d ’s great com m andm ent is
love; and w e read that “ love is the
fulfilling of the law .” In some sense,
then, love is ou r duty.
W hat of ou r troubled pastor? H ow
is he to apply all this to his problem ?
It seems that finding out what the
w ill of G od is m ay becom e as com pli­
cated as any other w ay o f determ ining
the right course of action. B ut p er­
haps the pastor can m ake use o f the
m oral sense, and of nature, and o f the
principle of keeping agreements to
find out what the w ill of G od is— for
surely G od wants us to be persons
of good conscience, reasonableness,
and m oral integrity in keeping our
pledges. O ur man must find a w ay
to keep a clear conscience, to avoid
undue em otional pressures w hich
w ou ld cause him to sw erve, and must
rem ain a man of his w ord. Surely
nothing else can be the w ill o f God!
If the pastor w ill get busy, talk with
a num ber of people, get releases from
(305) 17
his board and district superintendent,
and w ind up his present pastorate
with the good w ill of the people, it
m ay happen that he w ill have G o d ’s
endorsem ent fo r his m ove.
to p erform an act he can do it. If
with all the resources at his com m and
it is not possible, then it cannot be his
duty, but m ay be a goal tow ard w hich
it is requ ired o f him to m ove.
G oing n ow b eyon d ou r illustration,
let us ask tw o opposite questions:
Can a man do all o f his Christian
du ty? and can a man do m ore than
his Christian du ty? Jesus once said:
“ So likew ise ye, w hen ye shall have
done all those things w hich are com ­
m anded you, say, W e are unprofitable
servants: w e have done that w hich
was ou r duty to d o ” (L u k e 1 7:1 0).
This implies a yes answer to our first
question. The general definition of
duty also supports this, for nothing
is ou r duty w hich it is im possible to
perform . If anything is ou r duty, we
can do it. W hatever G od requires of
us at any m om ent, w e can do, for
w hatever H e asks of us depends upon
ou r light and capacity (w hich, of
course, increase as life goes o n ) . G od
asks m ore of us today than yesterday,
but w e can always do what H e asks.
But, som eone asks, can w e? R e­
m em ber Jesus’ radical com m ands: “ If
a man w ill sue thee at the law, and
take away thy coat, let him have thy
cloak also” (M atthew 5: 4 0); “ G ive to
him that asketh thee, and from him
that w ou ld b orrow o f thee turn not
thou aw ay” (M atthew 5: 4 2 ); “ Resist
not e v il” (M atthew 5 :3 9 ); “ B e ye
therefore perfect, even as you r Father
w hich is in heaven is p erfect” (M at­
thew 5 :4 8 ); “ Take no thought for
you r life” (M atthew 6 :2 5 ). A re these
duties? Can we fully and really obey
them ? A re they in harm ony with
other statements o f Jesus, such as,
“ M y yok e is easy, and m y burden is
light” ?
A man can do all of his duty— but
can a man do m ore than his du ty?
N otice in this con n ection the rele­
vance o f the tw o conceptions o f law
and grace. L aw is definite, precise,
exact, and is usually adjusted to the
capacities o f the average man. The
specially en dow ed often can do easily
m ore than is specifically required.
A ll have the duty to obey traffic
laws, but w hile the restless youth
can hardly restrain his im petuosity
enough to escape a fine for speeding,
the older man m ay need p roddin g to
keep him from b lockin g traffic, being
m ore conservative and cautious than
the law requires. R elevant in this
connection again are the w ords of
Jesus carrying blam e fo r not going
beyon d duty (L u k e 1 7 :1 0 ). It is
rather generally believed that deeds
o f h eroic sacrifice, acts w hich je o p ­
ardize life and lim b, are “ b eyon d the
call of d u ty,” and it is for these that
awards and m edals are often given.
There is no question but that these
call fo r a level of con du ct above the
ordinary, one w hich requires m ore
than human resources to obey. But it
is still true that if it is a m an’s duty
18 (306)
U nder grace there are som e striking
differences from the situation under
law. Instead of observing p u rely e x ­
ternal com m ands, m en under grace
are govern ed b y ideals, b y conceptions
o f what G od expects of them individu­
ally. T o ob ey the com m and o f G od
frequen tly requires m ore p ow er than
men possess, and they are com pelled
to seek m ore grace. D evou t Christians
seek ever to e xceed the m inim um
requirem ents of duty. “ M ore love to
T h ee,” expresses this longing and his
goal is realized as he appropriates
p roffered grace. “ M ere” duty can be
transcended— the w ay to spiritual ad­
vance is always open. L ivin g b y duty
can be done b y studiously observing
every requirem ent o f the law or b y a
bubbling, sparkling spontaneity w hich
The P reach er's M agazine
transcends the ordinary levels of
enthusiasm.
D uty, then, is a h elp ful and proper
con cept to em ploy in Christian living.
It m ay be thought of as a m inim um
basis for action and conduct, in w hich
failure to m easure up is at least error
and possibly sin, for hum anity was
m ade to soar above the mundane
levels of the m oral and spiritual life.
A norm ally aggressive Christian w ill
feel but few proddings o f duty, for
duty prom pts us w hen w e are slow
to start, w hen w e have slackened our
efforts or have settled d ow n to take
ou r ease. W h en spontaneity is gone,
w hen activity becom es m ere routine,
w h en ou r spirit has b ecom e p rofes­
sional only, and w hen temptations
crow d in upon our consciousness, then
we begin to think of duty and its
restrictions.
Perhaps from this it m ay be seen
w h y spiritually-m inded people fre ­
quently d ecry the idea o f duty; they
see it as a low standard, standing at
the b ord er betw een good and evil.
H ow ever, w e all need to rem em ber
that life, and Christian life as m uch
as any, has its progressive aspects.
B efore w e w alk w e m ust craw l, and
b efore w e run w e must learn to walk.
So in the spiritual life it is necessary
to craw l and to w alk b y the principles
o f duty b efore w e learn to run and to
H
in t
to
P
fly b y the provisions o f grace and
Christian love. L ove is a duty, for
it is com m anded b y ou r L ord; prayer
is a duty, one w hich m ay seem to the
active, eager, busy you n g person to
be excessively tim e-consum ing, de­
manding, and perhaps even a bit op­
pressive. B ut as one grow s older in
years and experience, he com es to see
prayer m ore as a privilege than as a
duty. His consciousness of need and
his keener insight into the value of
prayer cause him to forget about its
being a duty, and to pray ferven tly
with little o r no sense of obligation
to do so.
N o Christian is ever b eyon d some
of the pressure o f duty, fo r m en’s o b ­
ligations increase with their grow th in
grace. Y et the grow ing Christian is
constantly aiming beyon d his present
attainments— his “ reach exceeds his
grasp.” In G o d ’s plan there are m any
incentives to go b eyon d duty; w h o­
ever seeks to do m ore than is required
of him shall be blessed, and Jesus
declared, “ G reat is y ou r rew ard in
heaven.”
Preachers and Christian
educators need to teach people that
there is rigorous duty for every man
to perform ; but they must also inspire
the people w ho hear them to m ove far
b eyon d duty to an area o f spontaneous
and devoted service to G od and their
fellow men.
reach ers:
H ow ever sacred the topic, it should not be treated perpetually.
N o man has a right to turn the pulpit into a hippodrom e w here he
m ay ride his h obby. A h ob b y-rid er is half shorn o f his strength;
he goes to his task depleted. M on otony is distasteful w hether it be
that of a landscape or thought. The B ible is a harp o f 1,000 strings,
so do not play on one string too long.
— F. L
July, 1958
in c ic o m e
(307) 19
Love It and Leave It!
By C. V. Fairbairn*
w a r y e a r s have fam iliar­
us all w ith the m eaningful
slogan, A m erica ! h o v e It or L ea v e It!
Y ears of unethical conduct on the
part of some pastors w ho insist on
maintaining contact with form er cir­
cuits served convince district, con fer­
ence, and general superintendents
that such men need to adopt and
familiarize them selves with a slogan.
That Old Circuit! L o v e It and L eave
h e
c o ld
T ized
It!
The contact to w hich w e refer is
maintained sometimes b y correspond­
ence, sometimes b y personal visitation
as casual as though the form er pastor
w ere still pastor, by returning to
m arry special friends, or as in one
extrem e case, even b y soliciting calls
for service at funerals. (The w riter
n ever liked to b u ry his friends that
w ell!)
W e kn ow a pastor w ho has never
written a letter back to his form er
circuit nor written a birthday card to
anyone. Quite proper! W e kn ow an­
other w ho refused to visit form er
parishioners unless in com pany with
his successor. V ery proper! He might
have, with full propriety, first visited
the present pastor and said: “ W ou ld
it be all right with you should I call
upon B roth er G ood-M an and Sister
W ell-blest w hile I am in to w n ?” A ll
m inisterial codes of ethics admit that
to be highly proper. B ut this ever*B is h o p ,
20 (308)
Free M e th o d is t C hurch.
and-anon galavanting back to the
form er charge, with its continual e x ­
posure to being draw n out to express
opinion on present affairs or to dis­
cuss some phase of either old or new
problem s, with its faw ning on the
new pastor’s m em bers, with its tap­
ping circuit resources through volu n ­
tary pecuniary acknow ledgm ent of
such special attention, is all w ron g
and very w rong. The interloping
preacher declares he cannot see this;
the w ron ged pastor never fails to see
it. (Through him w e foun d out about
this.)
W hat are w e trying to do anyw ay?
A re w e endeavoring to w in m en to
Christ through ou r consecration of
personality to His service? O r are
w e w inning them to ourselves, w rap­
ping them about ou r fingers for
ulterior purposes? Said one, with
w h om w e had to deal officially: “ But
if I take that course I w ill lose all m y
friends.” B y pursuing his ow n course
he was w eaning folks from fu ll loyalty
to the present pastor. H e needed to
lose a fe w old friends that he m ight
be a better pastor to his n ew friends.
A n d his pastor-successor needed it
w orse than he did.
L ets’ say, over and over again until,
as a special adaptation of the thir­
teenth o f First Corinthians, it gets
dow n deeply into the grooves of our
minds and the channels of expression
o f our hearts: That F o rm er Circuit!
L o v e It and L ea v e It!
The P reach er's M agazine
Gleanings from the Greek New Testament
By Ralph Earle*
Rom ans G:G
is
one
of the k ey verses in
the N ew Testam ent for those w ho
believe in entire sanctification as a
w o rk that cleanses the heart from all
sin. B ecause of its im portance we
shall deal with it at some length.
'T ' h is
The G reek reads literally as fol­
low s: “ K n ow in g this, that our old
man was cru cified with [H im ], in
ord er that the b od y of sin m ight be
destroyed, with the result that no
longer w e should be serving Sin [the
s in ].”
The first problem that confronts us
is the m eaning of “ our old m an.”
The w ord “ m an” is anthropos, w hich
means a hum an being. It is the ge­
neric term referrin g to a person with­
out distinction betw een male and
female. The G reek has another w ord
for “ m an,” aner, w hich means man
as distinct from wom an. It m ay also
be translated “ husband,” a com bina­
tion usage w hich is com m on to m any
languages, though not prop er in
English.
The w ord for “ o ld ” is palaios.
A gain, there are tw o terms in G reek
for “ old .” The other, archaios, has
been taken over in the English w ord
“ archaic.” E tym ologically the latter
signifies that w hich has been from
the beginning (a rch e) , w hile the
form er suggests what has existed for
a long time. In usage they are som e­
w hat synonym ous. B ut Trench notes
* Pro fesso r,
July, 1958
N aza re n e
T h e o lo g ic a l
S em in a ry .
that archaios “ w ill often designate the
ancient as also the venerable, as that
to w hich the honour due to antiquity
belongs.” 1
On the other hand, palaios suggests
“ old in the sense of m ore or less w orn
ou t.” - It means “ old because it has
been superseded by that w hich is
n ew .” 3 C rem er writes: “ Palaios is
that w hich already has long been
aged, old, ancient, w hether it still is
or is no m ore.” 4 In the papyri it is
used for “ old coinage,” n ow super­
seded, or, in one instance, “ where
dates w hich had been gathered for
som e time are contrasted with new,
freshly gathered ones.” "'
A rn dt and G ingrich observe that
palaios means “ old; in existence for a
long time, often with the connotation
of being antiquated or ou tw orn .” '1
That states the case very accurately.
The N ew Testament usage supports
this definition. In the Synoptic G os­
pels it is used for “ old garm ent”
(M atthew 9:16; M ark 2:21; L u k e 5:
36) and “ old w ineskins” (M atthew
9:17; M ark 2:22; L u k e 5 :3 7 ). It
designates “ old w in e” (L u k e 5:39)
and “ old leaven ” (I Corinthians 5: 78 ). O nce it is used significantly for
“ the old testament” (II Corinthians
3 :1 4 ), or better, “ the old covenant.”
’ T rench, "S y n o n y m s ,"
- I b id ., p. 2 5 2 .
p.
:tW . E. V in e , " E x p o s ito ry
■ '"L e x ic o n ," p. 1 1 7 .
5V G T , p. 4 7 5 .
c" L e x ic o n ," p. 6 1 0 .
251.
D ic tio n a r y ,"
III,
135.
(309) 21
In tw o passages in the N ew Testa­
ment it is clearly used in a sense
w hich is not at all derogatory. R e f­
erence is made to “ treasures new and
o ld ” (M atthew 13:52) and to the “ old
com m andm ent” of love (I John 2 :7 ).
C om pleting the use of palaios in the
N ew Testament, it m ay be noted that
the phrase “ old m an” occurs in three
places (Rom ans 6: 6; Ephesians 4: 22;
Colossians 3 :9 ). It is distinctly a
Pauline expression.
C rem er says this phrase means
“ human nature as it is in contrast
with this renew al, as the individual
is naturally.” 7 A rn dt and G ingrich
say it is the “ earlier, unregenerate
m an.” 8 W estcott defines it as “ the
w h ole character representing the fo r ­
m er self” and adds this pertinent ob ­
servation: “ There is m uch in the
general tem per of the w orld — selfassertion, self-seeking— w h i c h an­
swers to ‘the old m an.’ ” <J V incent
labels it “ the old, unrenew ed self.” 10
Sanday and H eadlam say sim ply “ our
old self.” 11 D enney agrees.1- It is the
old, self-assertive self, w hich wants to
have its ow n w ay rather than letting
G od have His way. M eyer calls it
“ our old ego.13 Lange says: “ The old
man is the w hole sinfulness of m an.” 14
It is what is com m only referred to as
carnality or the carnal nature.
Perhaps the best definition of “ the
old m an” is that given b y G odet. H e
writes: “ The expression: ou r old man,
denotes human nature such as it has
been m ade b y the sin of him in whom
it was w h olly concentrated, fallen
A dam reappearing in every human
ego that com es into the w orld under
the sway o f the preponderance of
70 p . c it . , p. 1 0 5 .
s0 p . c it . , p. 6 1 0 .
" " E p h e s ia n s ," p. 6 8 .
10" W o r d S tu d ie s ," I I I ,
’ ’ " R o m a n s ," p. 1 5 8 .
12E G T , I I , 6 3 3 .
13" R o m a n s ," p. 2 3 4 .
14" R o m a n s ," p. 2 0 3 .
22 (310)
67.
self-love, w hich was determ ined by
the prim itive transgression. This co r­
rupted nature bears the name o f old
on ly from the view poin t of the b e­
liever w ho already possesses a re­
new ed nature.” 15
Paul asserts that this old man “ was
cru cified w ith ” (sy n esta u roth e) . A p ­
parently “ H im ” or “ C hrist” m ust be
added to com plete the sense.
Som e have claim ed this sim ply
means that all the elect w ere cru cified
with Christ at C alvary. B ut the idea
that I was cru cified w ith Christ nine­
teen hundred years ago does not help
me any unless there is an actual death
of m y selfish ego here and now.
C alva ry’s provisions m ust be realized
in personal Christian experience.
A few have even gone so far as to
say that this passage does not state
that the old self was killed; it only
says that it was c r u cifie d !"1 This view
m erely needs to be exposed to the
fresh air of com m on sense.
W hat was potential and provisional
at C alvary needs to be actualized in
each seek er’s heart through faith in
Jesus Christ. W hen one surrenders
him self fu lly to be united with his
L ord in obedient believing, he is
cru cified with Christ.
M ost com m entators say Paul taught
that this cru cifixion of the old man
takes place at on e’s baptism. But
A . T. R obertson affirm s: “ This took
place not at baptism, but on ly p ic­
tured there. It took place w hen ‘we
died to sin’ (verse l ) . ” 17
The next problem that confronts us
is this: W hat is m eant b y “ the body
o f sin” ? V in cent echoes a v ery w idely
held v iew w hen he w rites:
“ The
phrase body of sin denotes the body
belonging to, or ruled b y the pow er
ir,F . G o d et, " C o m m e n ta ry on th e E p is tle to th e R o m an s."
T ra n s la te d fro m th e F rench by A . Cusin (G ran d
Rapids:
Zondervan P u b lishing House, 1 9 5 6 ) , p. 2 4 4 .
10
Ib id .
17" W o rd
P ic tu re s ," IV , 3 6 2 .
The P reach er's M agazine
o f sin.” 18 W uest says: “ The reference
is th erefore to the b eliev er’s physical
b od y b efore salvation, possessed b y or
dom inated and controlled b y the sin­
ful nature.” 111 D enney declares: “ To
som a tes hamartias is the body in
w h ich w e liv e.” 20
B u t M ey er recognizes the incom ­
patibility of this interpretation with
the statement that the b od y of sin is
“ destroyed.” H e says: “ C onsequently
not the b od y in itself, but in so far as
it is the sin -bod y.” 21 Sanday and
H eadlam w rite in a similar vein: “ It
is not the b ody, sim ply as such, w hich
is to be killed, b u t the b od y as the
seat of sin.” 2- B ut what does that
m ean? The language is rather nebu ­
lous.
Lange takes cognizance of the same
problem . W ith the help o f his A m eri­
can editor, Philip Schaff, (in bra ck ­
ets) he com m ents: “ It is self-evident,
from Paul and the w h ole B ible, that
there is not the slightest reference
here to a [literal] destruction ol' the
b o d y [i.e., o f his physical organism
w hich is only dissolved in physical
death, and w hich, instead o f being
annihilated, is to be sanctified . . .
— P. S .].” 23
H ow m uch sim pler— and, it seems
to us, m ore sensible— it is to take
“ the b o d y of sin” as m eaning the
IS0 p . c i t . , I l l , 6 9 .
^ " R o m a n s ," p . 1 0 1 .
20E G T , I I , 6 3 3 .
2 ,0 p . c i t . , p. 2 3 5 .
220 p . c i t . , p. 1 5 8 .
-"L a n g e , " R o m a n s ," p.
C
203.
sinful nature, or carnality! The real
difficu lty is that m ost theologians w ill
not allow that this is destroyed. F or
instance, W uest says of the believer:
“ H e has been 'permanently delivered
from its pow er, w hen at the same
time that nature is left in him
perm an en tly.” -i
The last problem in this passage
concerns the m eaning of “ destroyed.”
C om m entators are quick to point out
that katargeo means “ render idle,
inactive, inoperative, to cause to
cease.” 23 Sanday and H eadlam define
it as “ paralyzed, redu ced to a con ­
dition of absolute im potence and in­
action, as if it w ere dead.” 211
The w ord katargeo (cf. 3 :3 ) occurs
tw enty-seven times in the N ew Testa­
m ent and is translated some eighteen
different w ays in the K in g James
V ersion. B ut the most com m on ren ­
dering (five tim es) is “ destroy.” H ere
A rn dt and G ingrich w ould translate
it “ done away w ith.” 27
The K in g James V ersion has “ de­
stroyed.” The A m erican Standard
V ersion (1901) changed it to “ done
aw ay!” B ut the R evised Standard
V ersion returned to “ destroyed.” It
is heartening to read this statement
b y G odet: “ The translation d estroyed
probably renders the thought best.” 2*
So w e can preach this great truth
w ithout apology.
2 ,0 p . c it ., p. 9 9 .
25Ib id .
2(1 Op. c it ., p . 2 4 1 5 8 .
270 p . c i t . , p. 4 1 8 .
280 p . C it., p. 2 4 5 .
ourage
The successful man lengthens his stride w hen he discovers that
the signpost has deceived him; the failure looks for a place to sit down,
— J o h n R u s k i n , S o c i a l R e f o r m e r (1819-1900).
July, 1958
(311) 23
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(313) 25
Reaching the Unchurched in Mass Evangelism
II. We Look at Our Techniques
By T. E. M a rtin *
o r d e r for us to do ou r best w ork
in reaching the unchurched in mass
evangelism, w e need to restudy our
techniques. The principle o f gather­
ing the people together to hear the
W ord of the L ord is the eternal plan
o f G od, but there are m any ways in
w hich this can and should be done.
O ur fathers w ere progressive in the
techniques they developed and w ere
not afraid of that w hich was new. W e
w ou ld not be follow in g in their foot­
steps if w e held rigidly to their tech ­
niques in ou r changing times. A s was
said earlier, there has been som e dis­
position to w on der if perhaps p er­
sonal evangelism should not take the
place of mass evangelism. Such an
idea disregards both the fundam ental
nature of mass evangelism and the
real value of personal evangelism.
Th ey need to w ork together. F or no
m atter w ho gives his heart to Christ
as a result of personal contact, he
needs to follow that personal contact
b y public confession if he follow s the
form ula given in the W ord of God.
Personal evangelism must be cli­
m axed in mass evangelism. On the
other hand, mass evangelism needs
the w ork o f personal evangelism.
T
n
W ith this in mind, I asked the m em ­
bers of m y congregation to make
*P a s to r,
26 (314)
Ham m ond,
In d ia n a .
I
special effort to brin g unchurched
people to a revival campaign. I asked
them to keep a record as to h ow su c­
cessful they w ere and w hat m ethod
they felt the m ost effective. In almost
every case they w ere successful only
w ith those of their friends w h o came
as a result o f personal invitation and
personal pressure. H ence w e con ­
cluded that the m ost effective means
of reaching the u n ch u rch ed in a re ­
viva l cam paign is the personal w ork
o f each m em ber o f the congregation.
It is true that occasion ally some
com e because of particular advertising
means, but generally speaking w e
must depend upon personal invitation
to friends, neighbors, and acquaint­
ances for getting the u n ch u rch ed into
ou r revival services. Som e use the
m ethod of pledging people either
verbally or b y signed card to bring
unsaved persons w ith them. But
w hatever the prom otional inspiration,
w e m ust see personal evangelism as
a means o f reaching the unchurched
and bringing them to the house of
G od, and mass evangelism as the op­
portunity and occasion for p u b lic con ­
fession o f faith o r the clim actic
m om ent o f decision.
It is fo r this reason that I say that
personal and mass evangelism are not
com petitive but com plim entary. They
need each other, and both are e ffe c­
The P reach er's M agazine
tive on ly as they are w ork ed together.
W hatever plans the pastor devises for
his revival should be based u pon this
fact.
A gain in our restudy of techniques,
w e m ust take a long look at m usic in
evangelism . The com petition in this
field is terrific. In the days w hen
there w ere no radios or television
people w ere hungry to hear music,
and m any an unsaved man or wom an
w ent to the revival m eeting w illing
to endure the serm on for the exp eri­
ence of hearing the music. These days
are gone! U nsaved people do not and
w ill not com e to the ch u rch to hear
m usic unless it is so spectacular or
unusual as to lead them to believe
that they w ill n ever have another
chance to hear m usic like it or of
such a nature as they w ill not see or
hear at hom e. B ecause of this we
really should not think of m usic p ri­
m arily for its ability to get an audi­
ence. It m ay have som e value in this
regard, but I think there is another
consideration of greater worth. A n d
that is that w e consider m usic for its
ability to create spirit and atmos­
phere. Not, H ow m any people w ill
the m usic b rin g ? but, W hat w ill it
do fo r those w h o com e? A n d if it
m akes this sort of contribution it w ill
add to the spirit of the service, and
in turn it w ill increase its draw ing
pow er. M usic that prepares the hearts
o f the people for the m essage is of
such value that w e cannot afford to
be w ithout it or to give prim ary at­
tention to any other reason fo r having
it. Seed grow s m ore rapidly and fully
in cultivated soil, and m usic cultivates
the soil o f the soul.
It w ou ld b e w ell fo r us to see the
true values of announcing them es and
advertising special subjects during the
revival. N o doubt mass evangelism
has suffered through an abuse o f this
m ethod and certainly cannot long suc­
ceed if w e advertise big and prod u ce
July, 1958
little. P eople m ay be fooled once or
tw ice, but that is all. H ow ever, it is
im portant to let the people and com ­
m unity k n ow that the evangelist is
discussing pertinent problem s and
that his serm on w ill center around
live controversies and questions w hich
haunt the minds o f men. T o reach
the unchurched w e must let them
k n ow that w e are anxious to instruct
them rather than to startle them. A nd
w e cannot instruct men if w e are
afraid to face the m ore perplexing
questions. If w e are going to side­
track and dodge the issue, w e do not
have a message nor a right to their
time. O f course this is not easy, but
w e must see that it is necessary. M uch
o f the unchurched w orld has left us
alone because they feel w e are
wasting ou r time, either in talking
about things that do not matter or in
side-stepping the real problem s in­
volved in living a good life. W e
w ou ld p robably help solve this p ro b ­
lem if w e gave careful thought and
w idespread announcem ent to the
themes of the meeting. One o f the
best attended and m ost effective
w eeks of the B illy Graham campaign
in N ew Y o rk was the w eek in w hich
he invaded, using the W ord of God,
the field of ju venile delinquency. A n d
what church is there w hose message
and doctrine is m ore adequately
suited to the courageous facing o f all
of the problem s of ou r day than a
holiness ch u rch ? W e believe that all
that G od says H e can do, H e can do
here and now .
(I trem ble at the
possibilities of mass evangelism in our
church if and w hen w e dare to make
it our business to confront with the
W ord o f G od the problem s and issues
o f our time.)
Finally, in this discussion of tech­
niques, w e should think about revital­
izing our mass evangelism through
the emphasis of special nights. This
is not a new technique, but there are
(315) 27
many kinds of special nights, if indeed
they are special, w hich can be effec­
tive in reaching the unchurched. In
an area such as I live, for instance,
to have a night dedicated to the people
from a certain state often w ould bring
one to church w ho otherw ise w ou ld
not com e, or a night in w hich a certain
class of w orkm en are honored. The
effectiveness of special nights depends
upon the w ay in w hich interests of
a com m unity are understood and har­
nessed. B ut if special nights are an­
nounced, careful attention needs to
be given to the w h ole service, so that
those w ho com e because of the special
night are not let dow n. O f course,
here w e are discussing the value of
secondary m otives, but through the
long history of the ch u rch m any have
been w on to Christ through secondary
motives. M any w ho cam e to look on
or even to scoff have rem ained to
pray. Tim e w ill not perm it m e to
give num erous practical suggestions,
but it is a basic principle w hich must
be applied that mass evangelism w hich
reaches the u n churched must dis­
cover the interests o f people and
capitalize on these fo r Christ.
(T o be con tin u ed )
Advertising Through Journalism
By Robert D. Rogers*
V. S e e i n g P e r s o n a l B
e n e f it s
im p o r t a n t
s t e p in the plan
fo r good advertising is that of
m aking the reader o f the publicity
visualize the personal benefit that is
to be gained b y the solution o f his
problem . This is an especially d iffi­
cult step to take. C om m ercial firm s
can resort to either com ical or frigh t­
ening cartoons or paragraphs to p or­
tray w hat w ill or w ill not happen to
the person w h o does not patronize
them. B ut the church m ust be careful
to uphold the solem n standards at­
tributed to h er b y society, especially
in publicity methods. A nyth in g that
w ou ld in any w ay tend to low er those
standards in the public mind must
be avoided. C ertainly on ly those
m ethods w hich w ill uphold the high
standards are o f any practical value
to the church. T herefore the selection
/ ''V
*E I
ne
M o n te ,
28 (316)
C a lifo r n ia .
o f these m ethods m ust in volve the
utmost p rayer and consideration, as
an u n churched individual w ill have
his first contact w ith the church
through the new spaper announcem ent
and w ill draw his first im pression of
the church from it. A n d, fo r many
people, this first im pression is the
on ly one they get.
H ow ever, there are m ethods w hich
can b e used to great advantage by
the ch urch publicist, m ethods that
uphold high standards and, at the
same time, portray the situation or
condition w hich is needed to cause
the reader to see him self as having
gained som e special benefit from the
suggestion o f the advertisem ent.
The n ew car dealer portrays a
fam ily sighing in adm iration o f their
n ew car or delightedly glim psing the
com fortable appearance o f the inside,
or perhaps he w ill show a pictu re of
a man conversing p rou d ly with his
neighbor about the speed o f the veThe P reach er's M agazine
h id e , or some such thing. A ll this is
done to illustrate the trem endous
satisfaction that one m ay get just by
obtaining the advertised product. K ey
phrases such as “ W o n ’t you discover
(such and such a p rod u ct) tom or­
r o w ? ” are used b y advertisers to ap­
peal to the individu al’s desire for
adventure. Som e o f these principles
are legitim ate m ethods t h a t the
church m ight handily em ploy.
F o r exam ple, m ilitary bases portray
a fam ily grou p with their eyes fixed
upon the Cross and countenances that
exem p lify deep inw ard peace, as an
encouragem ent for servicem en to at­
tend church. A n oth er m ethod that is
often used b y the chaplaincy is a
photograph o f a m an p rou d ly exh ibit­
ing his ch u rch to a neighbor, showing
that com m unity prestige is to be
gained b y ch u rch attendance. To ap­
peal to the man w ho is troubled, they
have pictu red a penitent sailor kneel­
ing at the altar, with an inset picture
o f Christ at w ork stilling the storm y
water. W ord pictures can be painted
from ideas such as this to illustrate
the same thoughts, and magazine
covers from religious periodicals w ill
provid e m any m ore suggestions to the
constructive mind.
The im portant thing is to so form
the advertising as to place the reader
in the position of the person featured
in the ad. This is one o f the most
im portant phases of advertising. P e o ­
ple see things the m ost clearly from
their ow n view points, and a person
w h o finds his ow n situation or feel­
ings cast into the personality o f an
advertisem ent is far m ore lik ely to
yield and do as the advertisem ent
suggests.
The fellow s w h o have been left
w aiting at the altar o f a church,
shocked and hum iliated because their
brides-to-be have failed to k eep a
w ed din g date— they have instituted
proposals, but the girls have failed to
July, 1958
act on them. A n d m any churches
exist year after year without seeing
their publicity pay o ff in spiritual
conversions of unregenerate m en and
wom en. They have failed to get the
public to act on the proposals that
they have made.
M oney and time spent on publicity
that does not get results are wasted.
Y et many congregations go on, year
after year, wasting valuable time and
funds on advertising m ethods that
serve no other purpose than that of
filling small rectangles on newspaper
pages. The type has not been changed
since the last pastoral change, except
to announce a special speaker once or
tw ice. The ads have becom e so com ­
m onplace that few if any ever bother
to read them any m ore. O ccasionally
the printer has om itted one or tw o of
them in order to m ake room for a
large camp m eeting announcem ent,
and felt no apology was necessary
since no one noticed it anyway. The
real trouble is that there seems to be
no real expectation that good p u b ­
licity m ethods w ill help a church
grow . Pastors and laym en alike need
to overcom e this error o f judgm ent
and begin to m ake fu ll use o f the
publicity means available to them.
P eople can be induced to take ac­
tion on certain issues even against
their individual wills. A u tom obile,
appliance, and real estate salesmen
are doing it daily. M ost of that w hich
people buy, they b u y because some
salesman induced them to change
their minds. M en and w om en seldom
get to the place w here they w ill not
change their minds. A n d most people
w h o are contacted b y the church
through the direct or indirect result
of new spaper advertisem ents are con ­
verted because they have changed
their minds about the w ay they want
to live.
Q uite often the last three and som e­
times all five o f the steps of the out(317) 29
line p olicy for good advertising p ro­
cedures, as discussed in previous
articles, are com prehended in one
journalistic or photographic approach.
For exam ple, consider the photograph
o f the sailor kneeling for prayer. The
need is presented; the answer to the
need is m ade clear; the question or
phrase in the caption causes one to
visualize him self as the penitent one,
and to observe m entally the inward
peace that is concom itant w ith re­
pentance; and the appeal is strong
enough to earnestly insist that the
observer take the action indicated.
There are m any w ays of m aking
this final appeal to the reader to take
action on the proposal, but the m ethod
described above, or one sim ilar to it,
seems to be the m ost ideal w ay b e ­
cause of its sim plicity. M ost church
advertisem ents need to say a lot, or
portray a lot, in a small space. T h ere­
fore sim plicity must be the keynote.
Journalism , p rop erly used, can in­
deed be a blessing to the local church.
The Ministry of the Shepherd
IV. The "R's" of the Twenty-third Psalm
By G. H. Boffey*
our
previous studies w e have
seen the m any sides of the shep­
h erd ’s m inistry; the nature and needs
o f the sheep and the shepherd charac­
ter of God. A s a final study w e w ill
see both the shepherd and sheep as
depicted in the tw enty-third psalm
and the psalms w hich surround it.
Psalms 23 emanates a tranquil,
restful atm osphere w ell suited to
human needs. B ut in this atmosphere
we can easily m isinterpret the nature
of the psalm and think it means that
all is rest and com fort.
This psalm is helpful in m inistering
to both the youn g and to the dying
but its highest application is to those
w ho are crossing the hills and dales
o f life, to those w ho are surrounded
with the dangers, the distresses, and
the disappointments of life. It holds
a secret of successful living in the
face of all adversities.
T
n
*K e n t,
30 (318)
E ngland.
Indeed it holds the secret of suc­
cessful living, for it unfolds that
Jesus the Shepherd is that secret, for
m en find the center o f life in Christ
and find the center for life in
Christ. Indeed w hen life is centered
in Christ one m ay appropriate the
wealth o f the tw enty-third psalm as
his own. “ I shall not w ant.”
The scripture says, “ I shall not
w ant,” but all have had m any wants
h ow ever closely they m ay have been
follow in g the Shepherd. W hat is the
explanation of this statem ent? If men
did not have the wants, then their
wants cou ld not be met. The m eaning
th erefore is surely that ou r wants are
not perm anent, for they w ill be met
as the Christian trusts in G o d ’s
promises.
The fear that our wants m ay not
be supplied ofttim es is a greater hin­
drance than the presence o f the need.
If persisted in, this fear can cripple
The P reach er's M agazine
the saint. E. Stanley Jones in his
b o o k The W a y records the findings of
psychologists w h o had exam ined 500
people. T h ey show ed that these p eo­
ple had about a thousand fears, all
but tw o of w hich had been acquired.
m ay be long and trying. The rough
roads, the flies, the heat, and the
jostlings all take their toll of the flock.
The L ord does not prom ise that the
w ay w ill be easy but H e does prom ise
us grace sufficient for the way.
Fear leads to failure, but the m o­
m ent w e trust, anxiety lifts and
tension goes. The inner com m unica­
tions of the b od y sing their messages
instead of shouting them and our
reserves are no longer burnt up and
w e b ecom e relaxed. B ecause w e be­
lieve, w e can afford to relax. The
certainty o f His prom ise being fu l­
filled, “ I shall not w ant,” brings
quietness and con fid en ce and strength.
Faith can then begin to operate and
things happen as a result.
D avid could speak with the deepest
feelings of the restoring grace of God.
N ot on ly was weariness his lot, but
the destructive pow ers of sin had been
let loose in his soul and he needed
the restoring hand o f G od to touch
him.
R
est.
H e m aketh m e to lie doivn.
This does not mean a lazy or shift­
less Christianity. W e rem ind ou r­
selves that sheep are not philosophers
or view ers o f the landscape. Sheep
are m ade to lie d ow n w hen danger
is rem oved. W hen they are fed, then
they rest. T h ey lie d ow n to en joy
what they have had that it m ay do
them good.
The speed of life is ever quickening
and it brings with it increasing fric­
tion and agitation to the souls of men.
L ife cannot alw ays k eep up with the
pace and trouble results. The C hris­
tian, h ow ever, faces life with a new
position garrisoned w ith the W ord of
G od and the Spirit of G od. The
Christian casts him self in dependence
upon G od and m editates in His ways.
In G o d ’s guidance w e find peace.
W ith ou r m inds thus stayed upon
Jehovah w e are not only fu lly blest
but w e are able to lie down.
R
e s t o r a t io n .
H e restoreth m y soul.
The jou rn ey from pasture to pas­
ture, from water hole to w ater hole
July, 1958
The W ord of G od says that the
backslider is filled with his ow n ways,
and what rotten w ays they are! To
all w ho have backslidden the L ord
can be the G reat Restorer.
A friend of m ine w ho had been a
preacher of the gospel backslid and
becam e the local Com m unist secre­
tary fo r a large town. H e even got
to the place of doubting the existence
of G od. H e defied ou r pleadings and
challenged them with com munism .
Then the Shepherd foun d him. It was
beyon d any hum an p ow er to bring
him back but the G reat Shepherd
kn ew just w hat to do. H e attended
the last m eeting o f B illy Graham at
the W hite City. The im pact of that
great gathering and the w ork o f the
Spirit o f G od m oved him out of him ­
self. H e cou ld get no peace and so
the next day attended the service at
the Baptist ch u rch nearby.
That
night the minister gave an appeal and
he w ent forw ard— he came back and
his soul was restored. W here for
years he had preached com m unism in
the m arket place, then he w ent out
and d rew great crow ds to hear him
give his testim ony and to let the town
k n ow that he had gone back to the
Saviour.
The police kn ew his troublesom e in­
flu en ce and thought that the w hole
thing was a trick, but in the pouring
rain the m arket place was packed to
(319) 31
hear this man tell h ow G od had re­
stored a soul from com m unism to
Christ.
R i g h t . H e leadeth m e in the paths of
righteousness.
A hum an shepherd can m ake m is­
takes. It is possible to lose the sheep,
to overdrive the sheep, to lead them
into the w ilderness instead of leading
them from pasture to pasture. Blessed
be G od, ou r G reat Shepherd makes no
mistakes. His paths are right paths
fo r our feet.
Right paths lead som ew here. They
m atch up in purpose. Th ey are p ro­
ductive. The L ord delighteth in the
w a y o f the righteous. H ow m ighty
is ou r Shepherd! W e m ay b ring ou r
tangled, troubled lives to H im and,
lo! H e brings con cord out of our
chaos, harm ony from disharm ony, and
leads us until the tragedies o f life are
turned into blessings. His paths are
right. T h ey are set forth in the prin ­
ciples o f the W ord o f God. E xperience
shows that it is best to follow the
right w ay, as the B ook outlines.
The w ays of the Shepherd are not
im posed on life like handcuffs upon
an unw illing prisoner. T h ey match
the deepest expressions of the inner
heart and w hen w e accept them our
w orld begins to sing.
R
e s u r r e c t io n .
The
va lley
of
the
shadow.
There are real valleys in life w ith
deep shadows, and anyone w ho tells
us w e can laugh these aw ay is a fool.
P ov erty and death can be terrible and
ve ry real and no am ount o f optimism
w ill turn the valley into a plain.
N ever has G od prom ised that the
Christian w ill be detoured around
these hardships. H e permits us to
pass through the valley sometimes
32 (320)
but H e gives us this assurance:
need not fear.
We
The secretary o f m y ch u rch has suf­
fered w ith T.B. for eleven years and
doctors said he w ou ld not survive
m ore than tw o years. N evertheless
this giant of a man has faced p overty
and suffering side b y side w ith e x ­
trem e weakness o f b o d y and no
natural hope of recovery, yet his spirit
has been trium phant. Last w inter he
lay with on ly half a lung and added
afflictions o f bronchitis and hernia.
Y e t today he is up again to m eet with
the people of G od in the house of
G od. His v e ry life is a trium ph of
faith w ithout fear. S uch w ill bring
deliverance.
H e w h o w ill change ou r vile bodies
and m ake them like unto His glorious
b od y enables us to trium ph b y the
way.
“M
y
C
up
R
u n neth
O
ver”
G o d ’s supply for us is for m ore than
a little w ater at the bottom of a deep
w ell, m ore than a trickling brook,
m ore than a drop in the bottom o f the
cup. G od has prom ised to the one w ho
has learned to relax, to rest, in G od
that he w ill have a cup running over.
B illy B ray, w hen accused of being
too noisy, explained his exu beran ce
this w ay. “ If you have a cup and
pou r w ater into it from a height it
w ill splash!” The crescen do of this
them e breaks upon us as w e catch
the chords and harm onies w hich sur­
round this psalm.
The W ord reveals in John 10:11
that Jesus is the G ood Shepherd, in
H ebrew s 13: 20 that Jesus is the Great
Shepherd, and in I P eter 5 :4 that
Jesus is the C hief Shepherd.
This triune emphasis upon various
aspects of ou r G reat Sh epherd’s m in­
istry to us is set forth in the psalms
w hich surround the tw enty-third
psalm. Psalms 22 shows us Jesus as
The P reach er's M agazine
the G o o d Shepherd laying dow n His
life for the sheep; Psalms 23 shows
us Jesus at the G reat Shepherd tend­
ing His flock ; Psalms 24 shows us
Jesus as the C hief Shepherd gather­
ing hom e to the eternal fold the re­
deem ed of all ages! M ay G od help
us to fully grasp the real truth of this
glorious fact and exem plify these
traits in our m inistry as w e seek to
be faithful undershepherds for the
Saviour.
The Sin of Resentment
A n A m erican preacher, w h o m ay as w ell go unnamed, m ade a
special trip to G reat Britain b efore the start o f B illy Graham ’s
Scotland Crusade. H e was not there to herald the com ing o f the
A m erican evangelist. He was there to speak against B illy Graham.
The preacher, w h o also edits a magazine, w ent up and d ow n the
country, urging the people not to listen to the young upstart. He
told them that B illy had no real standing in his ow n country and
that he preached a false gospel. A fter his return to the U nited States,
the preacher-editor continued to w rite torrid articles against Billy.
In a conversation one night, B illy said:
“ Y o u know , deep dow n in m y heart, I was beginning to resent
the man. H e was trying to destroy m y ministry. A s far as I kn ow
he has n ever attended one o f m y meetings— I w ou ld n ’t k n ow him
if I m et him on the street.
“ R esentm ent is a sin, and I cou ld n ’t go on the platform with resent­
m ent in m y heart. I cou ld n ’t ask those people to repent and love
their neighbors if I had sin in m y ow n heart.
“ One afternoon, all alone in m y room at the hotel, I fell on m y
knees b efore G od and prayed. I told G od that I was going to stay
on m y knees until H e instilled a genuine love in m y heart fo r the
man. A n d I stayed there, asking G od to do what I could not do as
a human. A fte r a considerable time G od answ ered m y prayer and
w h en I stood to m y feet I had a genuine love for him.
“ I sat d ow n and w rote the man a letter, telling him of m y re ­
sentm ent and of the v ictory that G od had given. I told him that
if he ever attended one of m y meetings he w ould be greeted in
Christian lov e.”
The letter was mailed, but the resulting answer was in the
same vein as other disparaging articles.
B illy ’s love rem ained. H e had conqu ered his problem . The p rob ­
lem o f the other man remains.
F rom Billy Graham:
A M ission A ccom plish ed ,
By G
eorge
B
urnham
(Flem ing H. R evell C o.)
July, 1958
(321) 33
Facts on File
Can Help to M a k e You a B e tte r P re a c h e r ,
T e a ch e r, or W rite r
By Honore O sberg*
of the best article and serm on
m aterial is lost forever because
it was not captured on a file card or
in a notebook. W hether you are a
preacher, a teacher, or a writer, facts
on file w ill save you r time and help
y o u in preparing you r material.
Q
ome
Out of one section of m y files, the
“ Idea B o x ,” came fou r articles. They
all hatched out from one thought, that
our w ords w ill boom erang if w e are
not careful of the things w e say. I
put the title, “ W ords That Talked
B ack ,” on an envelope in this file
and started collecting illustrations.
S oon this envelope was bulging
with m aterial about w ords, and four
articles w ere begging to be written
instead of one. The first one w ith the
original theme of w ords that b oom ­
erang was sold to Ligh ted Pathway.
“ Instruments of P ow er,” the second
article, started from a quotation. “ A
w ord may be a dagger, a bullet, a
balm, a poison, a serpent, a mine of
wealth, a dynam ite bom b. It can
build or blast a reputation. Unless
you learn to w eigh w ell you r words,
you are as dangerous as w ou ld be a
child entrusted with the throttle valve
of a locom otive.” This article on
w ords was sold to W ar C ry.
’" W r it e r ,
34 (322)
Los
A ngeles,
C a lifo r n ia .
“ Seed Grains That N ever D ie ” was
the third article w hich came from the
same envelope. The title and lead for
this article on the effect of gossip and
speech, both good and evil, cam e from
a quotation of Thom as C arly le’s.
F or instance, w h en people gossip
and say, “ Oh, a little bird told m e,”
they do not realize always that they
are paraphrasing scripture. The B ible
says, “ A bird o f the air shall carry
the voice, and that w hich hath wings
shall tell the m atter” (Ecclesiastes
1 0 :2 0 ). A n d one w ho carries secret
tales like this is called a gossiper or
babbler. In the original G reek a
babbler is a picker-u p of little seeds.
This article sold to G ospel Gleaners.
A n d enough m aterial is still left in
the envelope fo r a fourth article, en­
titled “ V olu m es for E ternity.” W hen
this last article is written, all the
m aterial from the fou r articles w ill
go back into another or general file,
under the topic of “ W ords.”
There are m any differen t w ays of
filing material, but here is the m ethod
I have foun d best to use.
M y first file is a w orkshop file, and
this I call m y “ Idea B o x .” This is a
kind o f incubator w here ideas are
deposited to hatch out into shorts,
fillers, articles, and stories. If you
The P reach er's M agazine
are a preacher, this is w h ere you r
serm ons w ill start grow ing.
U se any m ethod y ou like— 3 x 5
cards, No. 10 envelopes, or even a
notebook. H ow ever, I have found
M anila envelopes, size 7 x 10, are best
to use, as they hold m ore material.
These can be purchased in a stationery
shop.
These envelopes I stand upright in
a sm all cardboard carton, putting the
title o f each story or article at the
top of the envelope. If I have decided
on a title for m y article, it is typed
o ff on a duplisticker label (these can
b e purchased also at a stationery
store) and stuck on the top part of
the envelope.
If I do not have a title, but only
k n ow the theme, as fo r instance, “ B e
Y o u rs e lf” or “ M ake U p Y o u r M ind,”
I put that on, until I get the
title. B u t in each envelope is the
em bryo o f at least one article w hich
I have in m ind to write. Then these
envelopes are arranged in alphabeti­
cal order, accordin g to the them e or
title.
In back of these envelopes of ar­
ticles w hich are in the “ grow ing stage”
are other envelopes, entitled “ Ideas
for A rticles,” “ Ideas fo r Shorts and
F illers,” “ Ideas for Stories,” and one
called “ Titles.” In these envelopes
are clippings and w ritten thoughts
w hich popped into m y m ind and I
jotted dow n, but w hich I had not
thought through as m u ch as the en­
velopes already started. H ere is a
bank o f ideas to draw u pon w h en I
do not k n ow w hat to w rite next.
In the envelopes m arked “ Titles,”
fo r instance, are phrases from poem s
or sentences w hich strike fire in m y
soul, as “ M usic in the H eart” or
“ Lam e D ogs.” Perhaps there w ill be
on ly one w ord, as “ Jayw alkers,” “ D e­
tours,” or P ropaganda.”
A s I finish w riting m y articles or
stories, I refile m y general inform a­
July, 1958
tion or m aterial w hich m ay be used
again in the future. This used ma­
terial goes into m y second or general
file.
In this file are a variety of subjects
o f interest in m y particular field,
w riting fo r Christian publications. If
y ou r field of m inistry is teaching or
preaching, y o u can use the same
general principles in keeping you r
file.
This file has topics such as “ Faith,”
“ P ray er,” “ B ib le,” “ P ow er of Chris­
tian Press,” “ M issions,” etc. I first
started to keep these subjects in one
o f the expanding files w hich can be
purchased in W oolw orth ’s or N ew ­
b e rry ’s for about $1.50. The top of
each section was labeled b y means of
a typed duplisticker. Then the title
was taped over with Scotch tape to
k eep it from w earing o r falling off.
H ow ever, this file has grow n so
rapidly it had to be expanded. N ow
I use b oxes about the size o f shoe
boxes, and in these are kept clippings,
etc. on each subject. The b oxes are
arranged in alphabetical ord er for
easy reference.
M aterial for a file like this is gath­
ered, for the m ost part, b y reading
with a red pencil and a pair of
scissors. I m ay read and m ark an
article on “ Persistent Prayin g.” Then
som etim e later I m ay find an illus­
tration o f h ow som eone prayed until
he received an answer. These are
both cut out and go into the file b o x
m arked “ P rayer.”
Som etim es w hen I am reading a
b ook , good m aterial is found, and
since this cannot be clipped, it is
copied o ff fo r future use also. A
flash thought about some su bject may
jum p into m y head. This too is jotted
dow n and popped into the general file.
C onversation with m y friends p ro­
vides further material. A nd even in
a serm on there are illustrations w hich
often find their w ay to this file.
(323) 35
W hen I wish to w rite an article on
prayer, for instance, this file provides
the material. From here I select what
I want, w hether it is for public prayer
or private devotions, etc.
O f course these clippings are not
to use w ord for w ord, excepting
direct quotations, but only to stim u­
late on e’s ow n thinking.
W hen I reach a dead-end period
in m y writing, I often get a fresh
stimulus and inspiration by going
through m y files. A sentence or tw o
w ill start me thinking, and I am ready
to w rite again.
Pleasant surprises are a p ayoff from
these files too. D ou b le pay cam e from
one editor for a short article on
tracts. “ B ecause of the research done
on it,” she told me. The research, in
this case, had been p reviou sly done,
and cam e entirely from m y “ facts on
file.”
A series of seven short articles on
“ H ow to Find Pleasure and P rofit
from B ible S tu d y” grew out o f these
files, with a little extra research. A n d
then— another nice check!
The m ajority of the articles I have
w ritten hatched out and started g ro w ­
ing in these files. Facts on file can
help you , too, to a better m inistry
for G od!
Contest Winners
W e are happy to a n n o u n c e th e w in n e r s f o r
th e 195 7 "P re a c h e r's M a g a z i n e " contest, w h ic h
c a lle d f o r f u ll- le n g t h serm o ns f o r S u n d a y e v e n in g
use. W in n e rs , a n d th e ir a w a r d s , a re as f o llo w s :
First—F rank C a rv e r, Edison, N e w Y o rk
A w a r d : O n e y e a r's B ook C lu b selections
Second—T h r e e - w a y tie
G e o rg e W . P rive tt, Jr., D o n a ls o n v ille ,
G e o r g ia
R a y m o n d Box, M a c k a y , Q u e e n s la n d ,
A u s tr a lia
W a r r e n B oyd, C a lg a r y , A lb e r ta ,
Canada
A w a r d : Six m o n th s ' Book C lu b
selections
See pa g e s 24 a n d 25 f o r a n n o u n c e m e n t as
to th e 1958 a n n iv e r s a r y contest. A g i f t f o r e v e ry
e n try ! Extra bo n u s a w a r d s !
36 (324)
The P reach er's M agazine
Contributed by Nelson M in k *
I Go
to
P ra yer
M e e tin g
B
ecause:
1. My church grows stronger as I
grow spiritually.
2. My Christian influence s p e a k s
louder to others.
3. I help lift the burden of my pastor
and other leaders.
4. It is easier for me to be a soul
winner.
5. I am not ashamed to go and take
others along.
6. I want to live as I want to die.
7. It is the hub around which the
spiritual wheel of the church revolves.
8. The best Christians are there, and
they give me a spiritual uplift.
— Selected
S
u r p r is e s
When you get to heaven
You will likely view
Many folk luhose presence there
Will be a shock to yon;
Biit keep it very quiet
And do not even stare;
Doubtless there’ ll be many
Surprised to see you there.
—Anon.
T
hree
T
h in g s
to
C
* P a s to r,
W aco,
T exas.
oth
A
re
N
eeded
A lecturer recently said that he re­
ceived his moral training at the knee
of a devout mother, and across the knee
of a determined father. Both knees were
needed.
—Richmond, Indiana
First Church Bulletin
S entence
S ermons
“ Christians are like pianos: grand,
square, upright, and no good unless in
tune.”
“Much may be known of a man’s
character by that which excites his
laughter.”
“ A friend is one who always knocks
before entering your home, but never
after leaving.”
“A specialist is a physician whose
patients are expected to confine their
ailments to office hours.”
— Selected
A
1.
2.
3.
4.
o n s id e r :
1. Running people down is a bad
habit whether you are a motorist or a
gossip.
2. Be careful of your thoughts; they
may break into words at any time.
3. All sunshine makes the desert.
—First Baptist Church
North Wildwood, N.J.
July, 1958
B
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
T
en
-P
o in t
S p ir it u a l
P
rogram
Let us be spiritual first of all.
Let us have a revival.
Let us emphasize the Holy Ghost.
Let us maintain our identity as a
holiness church.
Let us make prayer very prominent.
Let us go in for a deeper meaning
of consecration.
Let us be of one heart and one soul.
Let us have a deep love for the lost.
Let us be governed by kindness in
our speech.
Let us live moment by moment with
God.
— N e l s o n G. M i n k
(325) 37
A PREACHING PROGRAM
for July
July 6, 1958
Morning Subject: THE IM PERATIVE OF HOLINESS
H ebrew s 12:11-17
Text:
Holiness is not a lu x u ry to be tacked on the end of
Christian experience if w e so desire. It is an im perative for the
Christian.
In t r o d u c t io n :
I.
H
o l in e s s
I s I m p e r a t iv e
for
V
ic t o r io u s
L
iv in g .
A.
V ictoriou s living demands unity of heart— holiness brings it.
1. v. 17— “ F orn icator” means “ m ixed lov es” or divided
affection.
2. U nity essential to victory in any realm.
B. V ictorious living demands purpose of life— holiness imparts it.
1. v. 12— D escribes purposeless life.
2. The w riter declares that holiness lifts up the hands w hich
hang dow n and strengthens knees feeble through lack of
purpose.
II.
H
o l in e s s
I s I m p e r a t iv e
for
E f f e c t iv e S e r v ic e .
A . E ffective service demands a characteristic passion— holiness
gives it.
1. v. 14— “ Holiness, w ithout w hich no man shall see the
L ord .”
2. E ffective service im possible w ithout a passion.
B. E ffective service demands an unlim ited vision— holiness b e ­
stows it.
1. v. 14— “ F ollow peace with all m en . .
2. H oliness gives a vision of what needs to be done for God.
III. H o l i n e s s Is I m p e r a t i v e f o r E n t r a n c e i n t o H e a v e n .
A . Entrance into heaven demands a pure heart— holiness is it.
1. M atthew 5: 8.
2. Psalms 24:3-4.
B. Entrance into heaven demands a clean life— holiness enables
one to live it.
1. The B ible holds this up as G o d ’s standard for His people.
Ephesians 5: 25-27.
2. H oliness o f heart and life is the foundation of the C hris­
tian’s hope. Titus 2:11-14.
C
The Christian life is incom plete w ithout holiness. It is
im perative for victoriou s living, for effective service, and for
entrance into heaven. D o you have it?
o n c l u s io n :
— D
arrell
M
oore
A b ilen e, T exas
38 (326)
The P reach er's M agazine
Evening Subject: THE SW ELLING OF JORDAN
T
ext
:
Jerem iah 12: 5
The river Jordan sym bolizes death to the Christian.
I wish to use this verse in that regard. The question o f the text
gives us fou r im portant facts:
A . It tells m e that I w ill have to cross Jordan.
B. It tells m e that there w ill be only one crossing.
C. The question implies that m y crossing w ill be good or bad
according to m y preparation for it.
D. “ H ow wilt thou do in the swelling of J o rd a n ?”
I n t r o d u c t io n :
I.
If T
here
Is S in
in
Y
our
L
if e
?
A.
The darkest consequence of sin is separation.
1. Sin w ill separate y ou from peace.
2. Sin will separate y ou from friends.
3. Sin w ill separate y ou from God.
The first thing sin did was to separate man from G od, and
the last act of sin w ill be to separate man from G od for
eternity.
B. If there is sin in y ou r life you are separated from God.
1. Y o u not only w ill be, but you are now.
2. A n d you w ill stand alone in the sw elling of Jordan.
II.
If Y
ou
H
ave
R
e je c t e d
J esu s C
h r is t ?
A . Christ can be rejected b y an open refusal to heed His call.
B. Christ can be rejected b y neglecting to heed His call.
C. T o either neglect or reject Christ is to say good -by to your
on ly hope of salvation.
III. I f Y o u H a v e N e g l e c t e d Y o u r L a s t O p p o r t u n i t y ?
A . The destiny of the human soul is determ ined on this side of
the grace.
B. Opportunities n ever return; they com e but once.
C. There w ill com e that last visit of G od to the heart of the
sinner. If that opportunity is neglected, there is no hope.
C
: Y o u r crossing of the Jordan w ill be good or bad a c ­
cording to you r preparation for it. A re you prepared?
o n c l u s io n
— D
S m all C
arrell
M
oore
hurches
“ B rethren, let us not grieve over being assigned to small churches.
It is good to have y ou r people feel that they are fortunate to have
such a capable pastor. H ow w ou ld you feel if they knew they could
always afford the services of som eone m ore ca p a b le?”
— H
arold
Y
o c h im
M arine C ity, Mich.
July, 1958
(327) 39
July 13, 1958
Morning Subject: THE W O R K OF THE H O LY GHOST
(A holiness serm on w ith three texts)
I.
T
he
H
oly
G
host
and
a
G
ood
H
eart
“And
hope
m a k eth
not
a s h a m e d ; b e c a u s e t h e l o v e o f G o d is s h e d a b r o a d in o u r h e a r t s
b y t h e H o l y G h o s t w h i c h is g i v e n u n t o u s ”
A. A
1.
2.
3.
4.
(R o m a n s 5:
5 ).
G ood H eart
Conspicuous for its love.
Returns good for evil.
Is saved from retaliation.
“ R ejoiceth in the truth.”
II. T h e H o l y G h o s t a n d a G o o d C o n s c i e n c e “ . . . m y conscience
also bearing m e witness in the H oly G host” (Rom ans 9 :1 ).
A . A G ood C onscience
1. G ives the countenance a peacefu l look.
2. Is q u i c k t o s t a b i f w e a r e o u t o f o r d e r , e t c .
3. Pleasing Christ— utmost aim.
4. Has conscious approval of the H oly Ghost.
III. T h e H o l y G h o s t a n d a G o o d W a l k “ Then had the churches
rest . . . w alking in the fear of the Lord, and in the com fort of
the H oly Ghost . . .” (A cts 9 :3 1 ).
A . A G ood W alk
1. Is above suspicion.
2. Inspires others.
3. Steady, restful, straight.
4. “ The steps of a good man are ordered b y the L o rd .”
■
— N elso n M in k
Pastor, W aco, Texas
Evening Subject: THOUGHTS FOR VA CATIO N ERS
esson:
John 13:1-17
H e that is washed n eed eth n ot save to wash his feet,, but is
clean ev er y whit . . . (John 1 3:1 0).
I n t r o d u c t i o n : The vacation is here. M uch traveling w ill be done.
H ere’s a serm on thought for vacationers.
S c r ip t u r e L
T
ext
I.
:
T
he
T
raveler
D
o e s n 't
N
eed
a
S econd B
ath
.
A. But he needs to be cleansed of travel stains w hich he con ­
tracted on the way.
B. W e are in constant touch with influences that contaminate.
II.
T ravel S t a in s .
A. Business w orld. There are as m any standards as buyers.
Tem ptation to low er the flag to secure business. “ I ’ll fight
it at their level since they w on ’t com e up to m ine.”
B. U nconscious influences of a w orld ly w orld: advertisem ents,
m usic, various solicitations to sin.
C. The shock o f boastful immorality.
40 (328)
The P reach er's M agazine
D.
C old and calculating selfishness.
E. Spirit o f self-seeking and w orld ly pleasure.
F. E num eration o f guilt-com plexes.
III.
C
l e a n s in g .
A . The Christian has constant cleansing through faith in the
sanctifying B lood.
B.
Secret p rayer cleanses the mind of w ron g images.
C.
Filling the m ind and heart with positive spiritual truths helps
w ard off contam inating particles.
— selected cmd adapted by
N
elson
M
in k
July 20, 1958
Morning Subject: REFLECTORS
T
ext
L o o k on us
:
(A cts 3 :4 ).
Christians are constantly being w atched— their de­
votion and con d u ct are observed. Christians are exam ples of
faith, love, patience, and good works. P eter and John engaged
in w orship— m et at gate o f T em ple b y beggar. This man had
a need. H e look ed on the church and not the w orld. Considering
this, let us be:
In t r o d u c t io n :
I.
R
eflectors of
C
h r is t in
O
ur
C
oncern for
O
thers.
A . In ou r prayers.
B. W ith our contributions.
C. F or ou r fellow man.
II. R e f l e c t o r s o f C h r i s t i n O u r C o n v e r s a t i o n B e f o r e O t h e r s .
A. O ur godliness. “ L ook on us” not as G od, but as servants of God.
B. O ur lives should correspon d with ou r testimony.
C. In holiness. A b ou t the hom e, in school, at w ork around the
church.
III.
R
eflectors
of
C
h r is t
in
O
ur
C o m p a s s io n
for
O th ers.
A.
O ur feeling tow ard the needs o f others— both physical and
spiritual.
B. T h ey turned the beggar’s attention in the direction o f Christ.
C. N ot b y ou r ow n p ow er are w e able to satisfy the desires of
others.
D. In nam e of Christ, w e urge m en to rise and repent— be
transform ed b y the p ow er of God.
C
L ook not on us for final help but to Christ fo r immediate
assistance. T u rn y ou r eyes upon Jesus.
o n c l u s io n :
— H
enry
T. B
eyer,
J r.
B aton R ou ge, La.
July, 1958
(329) 41
Evening Subject: THE UNFORGETTABLE HOUR
T
A cts 3 :1
ext:
Lam e man sitting at the gate of the T em ple— it was
the ninth hour. There are m any things w e forget in this life,
but the hour we m ade contact with Jesus should be m em orable.
I n t r o d u c t io n :
a n W a s A f f l ic t e d f r o m B i r t h
(sin p rin c ip le ).
“ B ehold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did m y m other
con ceive m e.”
A . H e was crippled and helpless. (M an outside o f Christ is also.)
B. H e was liability to the com m unity. (T hink of the billions
spent in the U.S. for crim e, ju ven ile delinquency, etc.)
I.
M
II .
H
e
W
as
U
n c o n s c io u s o f
H
is
N
eed a t
the
T
im e
.
A. L ife ebbing away w ithout trying to better himself.
B. Contented to b eg for alms. N ot interested in spiritual things.
(Tem ple near b y.)
C. H e was always near the ch u rch but n ever in.
D. He sought gold, but not God.
III.
G
od’ s
A
M
gents
ade
T
h e ir
W
ay
to
T
em ple.
A . Th ey w ere in the path of duty.
B. Th ey w ere asked for m oney they did n ’t have.
C. B ut such as they had they w ere w illing to dispense w ith
(the grace of G od, the love o f Jesus, the p ow er of the H oly
S p ir it).
D. Such as w e have; w e d on ’t have to force or d rive people.
(B ut in the name o f Jesus. A rise!)
IV .
T
he
A.
B.
C.
D.
R
esu lts
T
hat
F ollow ed
The balm applied— su fficien t healing.
H e was healed.
The praise that cam e— H e w ent straight to ch u rch — testifying.
The most convincing evidence— m any w on dered and w ere
convinced.
— H e n r y T. B e y e r , J r .
July 27, 1958
Morning Subject: IF YO U LOVE HIM
T
ext
:
L o v est thou m e m ore than th ese?
(John 21:15)
There has been m uch discussion as to w h y Jesus asked
Peter this question three times— w e are not concern ed about
that answer in this message. W e do k n ow this: Jesus had a
great w ork for P eter to do, and b efore he could do it he must
love Jesus suprem ely. Jesus did finally get the answer: “ Lord,
thou know est all things; thou know est that I love thee.” Jesus
is asking' us the same question, and if w e love H im there are
som e things that naturally follow :
In t r o d u c t io n :
42 (330)
The P reach er's M agazine
I. I f W
H
im
e
R
eally
L
ove
C
W
h r is t
e
W
il l
En jo y T
h in k in g
A
bout
.
This is the secret o f Christian meditation. W e love to think of
those w e really love. W e are losing som ething o f great value
to us w h en w e lose the secret of meditation.
II. I f W e R e a l l y L o v e C h r i s t W e W i l l E n j o y R e a d i n g A b o u t H i m .
This is the secret of daily B ible reading. Th e greatest of all
b ook s is the m ost neglected B ook.
It is a sad com m entary on you r Christianity if y o u have to
turn to the index to find a certain b o o k in the Bible.
A uth orities tell us that the greatest builder of m orale among
ou r arm ed forces is a letter from hom e. A n d certainly w e love
to hear from those w h o are away from us, the ones w e love and
w h o are dear to us.
III. I f W e R e a l l y L o v e C h r i s t W e W i l l E n j o y H e a r i n g A b o u t H i m .
This is the secret o f ch urch attendance. W e w ill want to hear
all w e can about Him. A n d if w e really love Christ w e w ill not
absent ourselves from the w orship service of the ch u rch on just
any little, trivial excuse.
IV . I f W e R e a l l y L o v e C h r i s t W e W i l l E n j o y T e l l i n g O t h e r s
A
bout
H
im
.
This is the secret o f true evangelism. W e always en joy telling
others about the ones w e love.
M others love to talk about their babies. A daddy loves to
tell about his son. It’s a real p roof o f ou r love for Christ w hen
w e take time to tell som eone else about Him.
V. I f W e R e a l l y L o v e C h r i s t W e W i l l S e e k t o D o T h a t W h i c h
Is P l e a s i n g t o H i m .
This is the secret of real Christian living and Christian service.
Jesus said o f His Father, “ I do always those things that please
him .”
“ A s m y Father hath sent me, even so send I y o u .” H e
also said, “ If ye love m e, keep m y com m andm ents.”
— F r a n k A . N o e l , Sr.
Pastor, Lancaster, Ohio
Evening Subject: GOD ’S BOUNDLESS LOVE
R om ans 5 : 8
I n t r o d u c t i o n : B efore the com ing o f Christ, m en k n ew som ething of
the w isdom and the p ow er o f G od. T h ey had seen H im in the
cloud and in the fire. B u t Jesus cam e as a m anifestation o f His
boundless love.
T
ext
I.
:
N
o t ic e t h e
O
bject
of
H
is
L
ove.
A . T h e w orld. G od m ade the w orld but it was cursed because
of sin. It is to be redeem ed through Christ.
B. H e loved sinners. A ll kinds o f sinners. E very person you
meet, fo r every one in every house in every street— even
y ou and I are the ob jects o f His love.
C. A s sinners, w e all need a Saviour. W e are helpless to save
ourselves. N one b u t Christ can redeem a soul. H is love is
July. 1958
(331) 43
commended toward us, for while we were sinners Christ
died for us.
II. N o t e t h e W a y H e D i e d .
A . His death was shameful. On a Rom an cross. N othing m ore
sham eful or hum iliating than to be condem ned to die b y
crucifixion.
B. His death was substitutionary. H e died, not fo r His ow n sin,
but for ours. H e took ou r place. H e bore ou r sins and paid
the “ sin-debt.”
C. His death was vicarious. His shed b lood m akes an atonem ent
for our sin. W e have n ow received the atonement.
D. His death was victorious. H e took ou r sins, nailing them to
the tree, putting them out of the w ay, for H e b ore ou r sins
in His ow n b od y on the tree. L iberty is declared unto all w ho
believe.
E. His death was glorious. In His death the ransom was paid,
the plan of G od was com plete. Jesus said, “ It is finished.”
H e died, but He cam e forth from the grave with all p ow er
in heaven and earth given to Him, and H e is able to save
all w ho believe.
III. W h a t B e n e f i t s t o U s?
A . Forgiveness of sins.
B. A changed nature, a “ n ew creature in Christ Jesus.”
C. N ew relationship. O nce the children of wrath; n ow the chil­
dren of God. H e is not ashamed to call us His children.
D. The privilege of fellow ship in prayer. H ow w on derfu l!
E. A w on derfu l inheritance. Heirs of G od and join t heirs with
Christ. Eternal life in a w orld most glorious.
C
o n c l u s io n :
“ L o v e s o a m a z in g , s o d i v i n e , d e m a n d s m y s o u l , m y l i f e ,
m y all.”
— F
rank
A. N
oel,
S r.
JESUS— THE LIGH T OF IN D IA
S c r ip t u r e :
I. I
Esther 1 : 1
n t e r e s t in g
In d ia
Size, literature, population, climate, languages, etc.
II. N
eedy
I n d ia
M edical, educational, spiritual
III. D
evout
I n d ia
R eligions, cerem onies, etc.
IV. I DOLATROUS INDIA
Gods
V. A p p e a l i n g I n d i a
Aw akened, responsive
John M
cK a y
,
M issionary
India
44 (332)
The P rea ch er's M agazine
by Allie Irick*
Scriptural Reasons for
Believing in Holiness
I Peter 3:15
Holiness not mere human
opinions and notions and ideas. It will
require what God saith about our
deathless souls, future welfare, and
eternal state.
I. God is holy—His children must be
partakers of His holiness. This is what
we forfeited in the garden—and can
enjoy by His grace and power.
II. Heaven is holy— a holy environment,
and we must be made in harmony with
Him and His if we enjoy endless fe­
licity and happiness.
III. The Bible is holy—inspired by holy
men of old, written as they were
moved by the Holy Ghost—the mind
of God.
IV. Scriptural reasons—hear the law
and prophets:
A. God wills it (I Thessalonians 4 :3).
B. God calls to it (I Thessalonians
4:3).
C. God commands it (I Peter 1:15).
D. God provides it in this life (Luke
1:73-75).
V. A fundamental necessity (Hebrews
12:14).
VI. The Christian’s privilege (I Thessa­
lonians 5:23, 24).
VII. The infinite cost—suffering, igno­
minious death, shame, reproach.
Text:
I n t r o d u c t io n :
Christian Holiness, or the
Trinity of a Great Truth
I. The Glorious Doctrine of Full Sal­
vation
II. The Blissful Experience of the Sanc­
tifying Power
III. The Beautiful Ethical Form of This
Pearl of Great Price
* Lufkin, Texas (deceased).
July. 1958
Holiness— Heaven’s Ultimatum
Psalms 93:5
The reverent approach
and addressing of Deity
A. The Lord is King.
B. He reigns.
C. Rules in righteousness.
D. His sovereign power—over all.
I. The fundamental standard of heaven,
of eternity, holiness.
II. The consistent ideal of man.
A. His first estate
B. His capacity for God
C. Upward flight
III. The nature of his warfare demands
this full equipment. Sin, darkness,
ignorance, carnality.
IV. The mission, message, and ministry
of his church requires holiness in form
and spirit.
V. The eternal consistency of it—heav­
en, destination.
T
ext
:
I n t r o d u c t io n :
The Price of Christian Purity
Hebrews 13:12
The Book of Hebrews is
one of the most wonderful, charming,
and fascinating books of the Bible. The
reason, one of poetry, prose, pictures,
and scenes.
I. All commodities and stations of life
have their price, cost and place.
II. The greater the value of anything,
the greater price to be paid.
III. Twofold price to holiness of heart
and life. One is the infinite, the other
the human.
IV. Behold the price Jesus paid—He
went, He suffered, He died, He arose,
and now at the throne.
V. The Christian’s part—consecration,
dying out, giving up, going through,
bearing His reproach, self-denial.
T
ext
:
I n t r o d u c t io n :
(Continued on next page)
(333) 45
Holiness, a Fundamental Necessity
The Significance of Pentecost
Text:
Acts
2 :1
I. It was prophesied.
II. It was promised by the Father
Son.
III. It was bought by Blood.
IV. It was providentially planned.
V. The outstanding and essential
nificance of this memorable day.
C o n c l u s io n :
Have you received
Holy Ghost? Onward, upward,
Godward.
Text:
Acts
and
sig­
the
and
1 :8
The Bible filled with
marvelous events. The Saviour’s birth,
His crucifixion, resurrection, the fiery
baptism with the Holy Ghost.
I. The history of Pentecost—fiftieth day,
the Jews had three great national
days:
1. Passover
2. Pentecost
3. Tabernacles
Pentecost was fifty days after Cruci­
fixion.
II. Pentecost secures inward purity.
Purity of heart gives beauty, strength,
and effectiveness to service.
III. Pentecost provides spiritual power
-—for personal character and service.
Power over weakness and enemies.
IV. Pentecost safeguards the prayer life.
This is our method for personal ser­
vice and public advancement.
V. Pentecost enlarges Christian effi­
ciency.
VI. Pentecost endowed them with dis­
criminating power, insight, and sage
methods of leadership and protection
from shams, fakes, foes, frauds, and
hellish intrigues and schemes. Clear
discernment and insight and a thor­
ough spirituality and no mixture of
mere human sentiment, sinister m o­
tives, or methods for self or selfish
gains or ends.
VII. Pentecost spells triumnhant victory
for the Church and individual.
46 (334)
ext
:
I n t r o d u c t io n :
Personal Aspects of Pentecost
I n t r o d u c t io n :
Hebrews 13:12
Holiness is not a fad,
hobbyhorse, excitement, fanaticism,
com e-out-ism , or church-splitting, etc.
I. The universality of this great doctrine.
A. Sought by heathen
B. Taught by pagan
C. Believed by the Christian
II. God’s standard communicated unto
the Church, and Manual. There must
be the ideal, then the manifestation,
the concrete doctrine, experience, and
examples. The divine image restored
in man.
III. This manifestation must be on the
plane of faith, buttressed by the Scrip­
tures. Hence is rational and practical.
IV. Behold the loss of man— inner loss,
in the garden, in history, all along.
See His redemption— cost of his salva­
tion, pardon, purity, and complete
salvation.
Sin separates man from God, but holi­
ness unites him back to God.
V. Holiness, a fitness for life’s battles.
VI. Holiness qualifies one for heaven.
VII. The reproach, cost, cure.
T
The Rationality of Holiness
I Peter 3:15
Not a doctrine of mere
forms, wild ideas, human opinions,
fanaticism, or extreme notions.
I. It is a scriptural doctrine— 600 state­
ments in the Bible on first aspect of
salvation— regeneration and its con­
comitants.
II. Commanded from heaven. This bears
upon the ability of God for us. He is
holy—we must be.
III. Called to holiness. In Bible by the
Holy Spirit— in the word through the
ministry— in providence and by and
through Christian experience.
IV. Willed of God— importance of will.
V. The eternal purpose— through Christ.
VI. Provided in the atonement.
VII. Oath-bound—to enjoy and live it.
VIII. Bought by Blood, sealed by the
Holy Spirit, appropriated by faith.
T
ext
:
I n t r o d u c t io n :
The P reach er's M agazine
Book of the Month Selection, May, 1958
A G A L A X Y O F S A IN T S
B y Herbert F. Stevenson (Marshall, Morgan, and Scott, $2.50)
This is an unusual and splendid study of those persons in the Scriptures
who might be called “ lesser lights.” Most of them have been overlooked
in our search for spiritual celebrities. They suffer from the same anonymity
that is always the lot of small hills anywhere in the environment of a great
mountain.
Stevenson picks up these lesser lights and lets us see the unusual
qualities that made up men and women who would be classified as ordinary
folk. I think his study of Seth is really a gem. Also that is true of Leah,
Baruch, and the lesser known apostles.
When he introduces you to such persons as Simeon, Anna, Barnabas,
Silas, Titus, you feel like you are meeting the common run of neighbors
right along the street—people so much like us.
In the author’s treatment of Demas there is an upthrust of Calvinistic
bias. In fact it makes me wonder how Paul Rees could give his unqualified
endorsement in the Foreword.
But all in all, the book deserves a reading and from its fertile pages
will sprout sermons with bent-over heads.
TH E LIF E A N D T E A C H IN G O F JE SU S C H R IST
By James S. Stewart (Abingdon, $1.50)
This is a study of the Master well written and doctrinally acceptable.
It is the kind of book that could well be used for teaching a training course
on the life of Christ or collateral reading for Sunday school teachers and
pupils when Sunday school lessons are in the area of the life of Christ.
T E E N -A G E R , C H R IST IS F O R Y O U
By Walter Riess (Concordia, $1.00)
The title of this book is very attractive and appealing. It was your
Book Editor’s deep hope that the book itself might be as worthwhile as
the title is intriguing.
The book is written in good teen-age style, but it is strongly Calvinistic
and denominationally beamed for the Lutheran church to such an extent
that we would find very little use for it.
W HO GOES TH ERE?
By J. Wallace Hamilton (Revell, $2.50)
The author of this book is one of the unusual preachers of the day.
He is the pastor of a drive-in church in Florida. Great throngs attend his
preaching. Read this book and I think you will understand why. He has
tremendous appeal. His preaching style and his ability to get into the
heart of the man on the street—that becomes the heart of this book.
It is not doctrinally strong. It is not evangelically warm, and there
are some inferences of liberalism sprinkled in it. But if you want to read
a book that tells you how a minister preaches to the man on the street,
this will give distinct insight.
July, 1958
(335) 47
TH E SEC RE T O F R A D IA N T LIF E
By W. E. Sangster (Abingdon, $3.00)
This is a terrific book in scope, quantity of material, and practicability.
Sangster finds the enemies of radiance to be such down-to-earth, right-athome things as inferiority, fear, resentment, self-absorption, jealousy,
whining, negativism, materialism, petulance, and lustful thinking.
And having completed the diagnosis, he carefully outlines the path to
inner radiance. His suggestions are clearly incisive and carefully spiritual.
True, he calls in the aid of psychology, but always psychology is an ally
and not the leader—Christ is.
But Sangster reveals what many of us have felt from former writings.
He does not stand clear on Wesleyan “ Christian perfection.” He lures his
readers on, but when he should thrust in the sword and have done with
sin he side-steps. He is one of the best “ almost Wesleyans.”
With this understanding that Sangster stops short of eradication clear
and full, this book should be read and done so in installments, so digestion
can keep up with consumption.
E G Y P T IN B IB L IC A L P R O P H E C Y
By Wilbur M. Smith (Wilde, $3.50)
This is a study of the place Egypt fills in Biblical prophecy. To students
of Egyptian history and all scriptural prophecy, this book is a real find.
There is nothing objectionable or nothing weak in it. It is absorbing read­
ing and a tonic to faith. Let’s be fair and say that casual readers won’t
stay with this throughout. People who read only what can be reproduced
immediately in sermons had better save their money. This is definitely
for those who have a distinct interest in the study of prophecy. For them
it is invaluable.
W . E. M c C u m b e r
D A N G E R O U S F A T H E R S , P R O B L E M M O T H E R S A N D T E R R IB L E TEEN S
By Carlyle Marney (Abingdon, $2.00)
Any young parents and couples who are engaged and planning for
marriage will do themselves a favor if they will read this thoroughly and
prayerfully. It is a very frank discussion of the weaknesses of fathers and
mothers and frankly diagnoses those causes of home breakup that have so
desperately affected the American scene.
Don’t read it unless you are prepared to face yourself very frankly
and look your idiosyncracies square in the face. If this were read by
every young couple in the opening years of married life, it would help
avoid many of the pitfalls that bring on divorce and tragedy later on.
The one reference to movies being acceptable we wish would have
been eliminated, but the book is so predominantly good that we feel it
deserves to be read.
THE P A S T O R A L E PIS TLE S
By Donald Guthrie (Eerdmans, $3.00)
For the minister who has need to strengthen his library at the point
of the Pastoral Epistles, this is worthy of serious consideration. This book
gives thorough exegesis to the pastorals, always maintaining the con­
servative and evangelical points of view. It deals with the text largely
from the point of view of language interpretation. It is warm in its treat­
ment and nowhere has strong theological difference. It shows exhaustive
research, especially relative to the problem of authorship.
48 (33G)
The P reach er's M agazine
Almos t 5 , 0 0 0 sermon outlines!
THE
• A rich and useful treasure house of ser­
mon outlines, opened up again for those
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• Serm on outlines by som e of the greatest
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Em m a
OUTLINE
Here's w h y THE SERMON OUTLINE BIBLE should be in your lib ra ry
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C ontributors to TH E SE R M O N
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