Full Text for CTM Miscellanea 16-12 (Text)

860 Miscellanea Miscellanea The "Watchman-Examiner" on Dr. Engelder's Book "Scripture Cannot be Broken" We have no doubt that our readers will share with us the joy we experienced in reading a commendatory article in the Wat::hman­Examiner on the book of our esteemed colleague just mentioned, if this article is submitted to them. The writer of the article is Dr. Faris D. Whitesell, who is professor of evangelism and director of field work in the Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, Chicago, Ill. We reprint the article without omissions: "A few books in each generation are epochal. All the others are soon gone with the winds of time. A truly epochal book for Christianity is Scripture Ccmnot be Broken, by Dr. Theodore Engelder, professor of dogmatics at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri (Concordia Pub­lishing House, St. Louis. $3). Not since Dr. B. B. Warfield, of Princeton, wrote Revelation and Inspiration has such a stout defense of the doctrine of the verbal plenary inspiration of Scripture been made. Dr. Engelder utterly devastates and annihilates the arguments of the opponents of verbal inspiration and tears to shreds the substitutes they offer for this glorious Scripturai doctrine. Every minister and Christian worker who has any doubts at all about the complete verbal inspiration, inerrancy, and infallibility of the Scriptures should read and master this book. "The author takes up six widely used objections to verbal inspira­tion and shows how that in the light of Scripture and sound reason nonE of these objections can stand. The six objections are thrown into the form of questions as follows: Does the Bible contain errors? Has the Bible moral blemishes? Does the Bible deal in trivialities? Is verbal inspiration mechanical inspiration? Does verbal inspiration imply an atomistic conception and use of Scripture? And, does verbal inspira­tion establish a 'legalistic authority of the letter'? To each of these questions Dr. Engelder gives a resounding and well-established 'No!' He proves that verbal inspiration is really the only kind of inspiration that can exist; that this is the inspiration taught by the Scriptures themselves; that this inscription is psychologically, scientifically, and intellectually a fact. "The writer quotes copiously from the modernists and liberals to prove that their views on inspiration are conflicting, confusing, uncer­tain, and ultimately destructive of genuine Christianity, He says, 'The theology of the anti-inspirationists [meaning anti-verbal inspirational­ists] is from beginning to end a theology of uncertainty and doubt. It is throughout guesswork. They do not know how much of the Bible is of the substance of revelation and how much is the human forms.' (P.416.) Again we quote: 'Have we the full sense of the grave peril confronting the church? Here is the plain truth: the denial of verbal inspiration is destructive of Christianity. It involves the loss of the Bible; this carries with it the loss of Christian doctrine; and all of Miscellanea 861 that means the destruction of the Christian religion. Unless Scrip­ture is verbally inspired, it is n0t inspired at all. And only because it is verbally inspired is it the firm foundation of the faith.' (pp.422-23.) "Dr. Engelder says that the opposition to the doctrine of verbal in­spiration can be traced back to human pride, indwelling carnality, Satanic opposition, and intellectual rebellion against the sovereign authority of Almighty God. Acceptance of this doctrine creates faith, humility, peace, and not a legalistic bondage to a book, but rather a holy and joyful bondage to God's words. 'The Christian gives willing obe­dience to the Word of God. . .. And here is Christian liberty! Spiritual liberty springs from obedience to God. The knowledge and acceptance of the truth makes us free (John 8: 31 fl.). Liberated from the bondage of error and sin, and endowed with the Spirit of God, we are free to folloy; His leading and enjoy something of God's liberty. . .. He enjoys true spiritual liberty who is able to give free assent to every word of Scripture .. " It gives the believer the wonderful spiritual strength to suppress the strong carnal impulse to belittle God's Word and exercise mastery over it. It causes him to honor and magnify every word of Scripture.' (Pp. 389, 390.) "This is a large book of almost 500 pages containing hundreds of long quotations from both modernistic and conservdtive writers. It is a liberal education in modern theological thought and shows clearly the main issues in the spiritual warfare going on within the ranks of Christendom today. The book has a strong Lutheran flavor and gives great weight to the writings of Martin Luther, but all Baptists would receive vast profit from reading and studying this book. The only true basis of unity and harmonious co-operation in t..h.e work of the Lord for Baptists, as for Lutherans and all othel' ChrlsLi