Book Review. -\3itercttut. 313 Book Review. -£itCflltUf. The Interpretation of St. John's Gospel. Book Concern, Columbus, O. 1931. $4.50, net. By R. O. H. Lenski. Lutheran 1,418 pages, 5%X8%. Price, The author of this volume is well known to the Lutheran clergy of this country on account of his long literary activity, in the course of which he issued a number of exegetical studies, which have been widely distributed. His teaching career in the theological department of Capital University, of which he is dean, naturally brought about an intensive study of many parts of ScriptUTe. He was for years especially interested in the Gospel according to St. John and has now produced this magnum opus. -This latest book by Dr. Lenski shows that the author has sympathetically and lovingly searched the text of the inspired account. It is a scholarly production, but one which does not exhibit a ballast of scholarly effort. The reviewer has taken sections from various parts of the book at random and has always been rewarded with some form of stimulating thought. The viewpoints and the method of the author are so well known that it is possible to form an opinion of the entire production from the following sample, taken from the interpretation of John 6, 37: "But in these expressions: 'All that the Father gives' and 'All that He has given,' Jesus speaks of all believers of all ages as already present to the eyes of God, He also thus giving them to Jesus. This Jesus does repeatedly: v. 65; 10, 16 and 29; 17,2 and 9 and 24. There, however, are not a fixed number in some mysterious way [!] chosen by an absolute [1] decree of God to be such a gift to Jesus. Such an exegesis is wholly dogmatic and carries into what Jesus says a thought that is not in His words. On the other hand, equally dogmatic is th(J view that they who constitute Goers gift to Jesus are those who are morally [!] better than the rest in the first place or who at least act better than the rest when the Gospel is brought to them. These words of Jesus are without trace of either predestinarianism or synergism. God's grace is universal. He would give all men to Jesus. The only reason He does not is because so many men refuse obdurately to be part of that gift. On the other hand, God's grace alone is efficacious. Every man who believes does so only and wholly by virtue of this grace. Thus the words of Jesus concerning the Father's gift to Him and its getting to Him raises the question for these Galileans: Did they want to be a part of this gift, or do they mean to exclude themselves? 'Shall get to Me' implies that Jesus accepts the Father's gift. . .. 'Him that comes to Me' makes the matter individual, personal, and a voluntary act. 'I.'he Father's drawing (v. 44) is one of grace alone, thus efficacious, wholly sufficient, able to change the unwilling into the willing, but not by coercion, not irresistibly. Man can obdurately refuse to come. Yet when he comes, he does so only by the blessed power of grace. Him that comes thus (the present participle only describing the person as such) J esns 'shall in no wise cast out,' a strong litotes for 'shall most certainly receive.' The Son could not possibly contravene the Father. Back of the individual's coming to Jesus lies the Father's giving (and 314 Book Review. -mteratut. having given, v. 39) that individual to Jesus. And in the same way getting to Jesus means complete reception by Jesus. And this reception is so strong, not because Jesus would refuse no one coming to Him, but because Jesus could not possibly deviate from His Father's will." -The language of the author is not always as clear and concise as one should like to have it, and therefore the reader sometimcs has difficulty in getting the author's thought. Which reminds one of the fact that it would be a boon to the Lutheran Church of this country if the exegetical lectures of the late Dr. Stoeckhardt on the Gospel of St. John could also be offered to our pastors. Possibly this ean be accomplished within the next few years. P. E. KRETZMANN. iEtuttoartcr m i 6 n f d ) e ~ 91adjfdjfaociUcd. ~ u 1 ) a n g aUt 0tuttgattet :SuOiliinmse Oibe!. !mit erWirenben ~ n m e t f u n g e n . 0tuttgart. !j:\tibilegierte ~ t i r b tembetgifdje lBibdanftaH. 778 0eUen 6%X9%. :iDojljleUeinen, gegliittetcr lRotfd)nitt, j}utteral: M. 6; .\'dalbfran3, gegliitieter lRotfd)nitt, j}uttetal: M.8; l3eiler, gegiiittetet f f i o t l c ~ n i t t , j}utteral: IvL 10.50. :iDiefet !j:\tad)tbanb ent1)art: ~ i n f t i 1 ) r u n g in bie .\'deilige 0d)tift, l3utl)ets s n o r ~ reben, @ebete aus lBengelil lJ1euem :tefiamen±, lBefd)teiliung bes .\'deiligen l3anbes, @efd)id)te bes snoUes :Sswd, 9 l a t u r ~ unb snoHSleben im l3anbe ber millel, ( ! ; r ~ UiitUng ein3einer Wotier, ~ o r t f o n f o t b a n 3 , Sl:onfotban3 bet ~ e r i o n e n ~ unb snoHernamen, Sl:onforbam gur :tojlograjl1)ie bes .\'deiligen l3anbes, Sl:onfotban3 ber lnid)t1gften lliblifd)en megriffe, snergldd)cnbe {lufammenfteUung ber brei erften (!;bangeliften, 0d)tiftlnotte unb 0d)riftabfd)nitte mit l3eitlnorten ftir liefonbete {leiten unb j}aUe bes l3ebens, lBibeHefetafel unb bie iilllid)en l3anbfarten. 0elbfte betftanbIid) l)aben Inir in ber fUt3en {leU feU ~ m j l f a n g bicies mud)es nid)t aUe :teilc genau jlriifen fonnen; bod) 1)aben Init in ben r.onlotban3en, bie einen groflen :tcil bes mud)es ausmad)en, bide Gtid)jlrDoen gemad)t, Die fiimlid) 3ur boUfiiinbigen 18efriebigung ausgefaUen finb. l3ut1)ers snorrebcn finb nut im ~ u s ~ aug gegebcn. l3etbcr ift ein :tei! ber , , ~ i n f i i 1 ) r u n g in hie .\'dciftge 0d)tift" aU ~ n ~ fang bes lBanbcs un3uliinglid) unb irrefti1)tenb, fd)on untcr "A. :iDer iiuflere m e ~ ftanb bet lBibel", Ino gefagt Initb, bafl lIllie 0d)riften bes lJ1euen :tefiaments In 0 1) 1 all e [1] aus bem ctften : ; S a ~ r 1 ) u n b e r t nad) ~ 1 ) r i f t o l l ftammen. ~ a s ~ a j l i t e l tibet :SnflJitatton bet .\'deiligen 0d)rift ift befonbets fd)lnad), Inei! barin eigentltd) nut bon dnet fubieftiben ~ r l e u d ) t u n g bie lRebe tft. :iDod) nimmt Diefe ganae , , ~ i n f t i ~ t u n g l l nur fed)3efJn GeUen ein, unb bet lut1)erifd)e : t ~ e o l o g rann ben gan3en :teil unfmtiC£fid)t1gt laffen, ba et an bem tibtigen lBud)e fdne fJeUe j}teulle 1)alien Inirb. :iDer snetlag oemerti einleitenbetlneife: ,,1J10d) fet bie lJ1oti3 beigeftigt, bafl bas ,lBioItfd)e lJ1ad)fd)lagelnerf' nut fO lange ag 00nberbanb b a t ~ geboten Initb, bill anaune1)men ift, bafl fief) bie biS1)etigen lBefiter ber : ; S u b i l i i u m s ~ bibd [niimlid) ber Intitttemoetgifd)en lRebifion] biefe ~ t g i i n 3 u n g befd)afft 1)aben. mon ba ao lnhb bas ,lJ1ad)fd)lagelned' nut nod) 3uf ammen mit bet : ; S u b i l i i u m s ~ bibe! 3U l)aben fein." ~ . (j;. £l't e t man n. !iYleifdj unD @Jeift nadj . 2 u t ~ c r l i l . 2 e ~ r e , uuier oef onbetet merUc£fid)tigung bes megriffs "totU8 homo". mon ~ r b man n 0 ef) 0 t t, Lie. theo!. 95 0eiten 6 X9. ~ . ~ d d ) e t t f d ) e snerlagsllltd)1)anblung, D. Werner 0d)oU, S3d\l3ig. 1928. !j:\reis: @e1)eftet, M.3.50. Wieber dne 0d)tift, bie in bas 0tuDium S3ut1)cts 1)ineintreilit. 0ie betont Die lutfJetifd)e l3e1)te, bafl ber ted)tfettigenlle @laube fid) aUein aUf bas Wort ber 0d)rift grtinllet. lIl3ut1)et formuliert betanntnd) ben 0at: Sunt duo toti homi-Book Review. -.\3iteratm:. 315 nes et unus totus homo. (!ill. Ill. II, 586, 16 f.) ~ i n e r f e i t s bin td) j}leifd), unb a n b m r f e i t ~ bin id) ®elft; bas finb hie griiilten ®egenfiite, unb bod) ift es b ( l g ~ ieUie ,:;Sd)'. i'jur .\3ofung bes bamit !uq umtiffenen qltoliiem§ wHf bie foigenhe Illrlieit einen meitrag Iiefem." [5 l)ei\3t bann weiter: lI.\3utljcr lennt 3wei ® r u ~ ~ .):len ilon j}feifd)esmenfd)en, hie et gelUiiljnlid) sinistrales unb dextrales nennt. stlie sillistrales finh bie gtolifinnlid) eingeftellten SJJ1enidjen; bie dextrales b a ~ gegen ljarten etwa§ bon !illeisljeU unb ®eted)tiglett unb finb ftol" fie 3u befiten. stlie eine 'Illrt bonSJJ1enfdjen bergeffen ®ott uber iljten j}teuben; bie anbern b e ~ burfen ®ottes nidjt, wet! fie an iljren :tugenben genug BU ljaben meinen, mon biefen bdben ~ r f d ) e t n u n g s f o r m e n ber caro, Me bon .\3utljcr immer lUieber ! o n ~ ftatiert lUerDen, ift bie Bweite Me fd)limmete." (6. 6.) , , ~ s ift bcr !illille bes n a t i i r ~ lidjen 5JJlenfd)en, nid)tS anberes aIS bas ,®efuljrte', bas [inleudjtenbe, bas bem natiitlid)en stenlen qllaufibile geUen 3U laffen." (6.10,) "stlie caro wHf audj bie ®ottesgctcd)tigieit nur aIS erfaljrene unb etfebte geIten laffen." (6.22,) lI\)1adj .\3utljers djaraUetifttfdjet llluffal1ung benutt bel' aUe Illbam audj bie :tljeologie, urn fdne 6ad)e 311 bet±te±en,1I (<6. 30.) ,,5E)us neue £3enen bes ,getftrtd)cn' men::: fd)en unterfd)eibet fid) bon bem .\3eben bes aHen Illbam ausfd)lieillidj burd) ben ®fauben an ®ottes !illott." (6, 14,) "stier ganBe (fljriftenftanb aUf (,I;rben ift ciuc 'ltpjJeUation bom ,UHdjtftuljl' Bum ,®nabenftuljI'." (6,69,) j}ilt aUes W e t ~ ben teid)lid)e melege aus .\3utljer beigelnad)t, unb bas '5d)hlfllUort lautet: IIstlal)er mUgt bie .\3eljte bon ben ,Bluei Gansen SJJ1enfd)en' 31uat in einen 6eufier aus: ,:;Sdj elenber 'JJlenfd), iDer witb mid) etlilfen bou bem .\3eilic bicies :tobes l' alier bod) in einen 6euf3cr boU geiDiffefter, froljeftcr i'juberfid)t: ,:;Sd) banle ®ott ilutd) :;'5[fum (fljriftum, uniern ~ ~ r m . ' ' ' :;sn bem ' l l n ~ a n g , "lRed)tfertigung unb , ® e ~ red)tmad)ung' /I, luttb bie falfdje l R e d j t f c t t i g u n g s l e ~ t e ~ o U s unb 6eeliergs b e ~ i.):ltod)en, /l6eebet\! fagt: ,stlie bon ®ott an bem 6unber attsgefuljtte lRedJtferth gung ift cine fortgeljenbe reale [iUlUirfung aUf bie 6eele, butd) bie biefe a U m i i ~ l i d j gered)t witb.''' (6.84.) 6d)ott feloer bklUt nid)t aUf bet recl)±en maljn, wenn er bie Sad)c io barfteUt: "stlie lRed)tfettigung ift Me (,I;rneuetung bes SJJ1enfd)en UUD Die ®md)tmad)ung bie Illustreiliung bel' ,reliquiae carnis'./I (6, 91.) stlus ftinunt nidjt mit feinen fonftigen 'l(usfuljrungen: ,,'llUein bie qlrebigt bon bem ,(fljriftus fur uns' giUt uns ein gutes ®eiDiffen. stlas ljeiilt aber: (fljriftus lommt fut ben ®laubenben in etfter .\linie nid)t aIlJ ber in metradjt, ber in i ~ m luirft unb iljn fid)tbar unb f i l ~ l b a t umgeftaTtet." (6, 37.) (l;in Durd)aus fid)erer !illeglueiier burd) .\3utljers Sd)dften ift bies Q3ud)lein nid)t. [5 Metet bie1 ®utes, abet nid)t immer lommt .\3utljers :tl)eo logie Bur red)ten stlatfteUung. i'j. m . .\3ut1)ers .\3eljte bon ber ~ r i D i i ~ 1 u n g s g c w i B l j e i t iDitb fa1fdj b a t ~ gefegt. 6. 80 ff. iDitb bon "bem etgcntiimlid)en g(ebeneinanbet bon lRed)tfctttgungsgeiDiilljeit unb ~ r i D i i l j 1 u n g s u n g e i D i i l 1 ) e i t , bas bet .\3ut1)er BU affen i'jetten beftanb", gerebet. ,,91ur aUf Me 6elbftbcobadjtung, aUf bas itulj!en, lonnte fid) bie ~ r w i i l j l u n g s g e l u i i l l j e i t ftuten. . .. lilleH wit nie geiDiji finb, Db wit audj ben ®lattben beiDaljren iDerben, fo ift es bei uns, iDenn aud) nidjt bel ®ott, ungeiDiil, ob luit etwiiljlt finb." stlas ljat .\3utljer nid)t geleljrt. .\3utl)et 3ei9t bie1meljr bem (fljriften, aUf ilJeld)em jffiege et ietne ewige ~ t i D i i l j l u n g et!ennen unb betfelben gewill WetDen lonne unb fOlIe. 0;1: fagt: /lUnterftelje bid) nid)t, ben Illbgrunb giittlidjet m e t f e ~ u n g mit bet ll3etnunft BU erforfd)en, fonft iDitft bu gewiji brilbet im, beqiDeife1ft entiDebet ober fd)liigft bid) gar in bie fre1e 6djan3'; fonbcrn ljalte bid) an bie merf)eijiung bes ~ b a n g e 1 t t . . .. ~ r g r e t f f t bu ®ottes l l 3 e r ~ c i i l u n g , glaubft bu, bail er ein batmljeraiger, iDaljrljaftigcr ®ott fei, bet trcuHd) ~ a 1 t e , iDas er gmbet lJalie, ... fo 3iDeifle nidji baran, bu geljiireft unter bas &;?iiuflein 316 Book Review. -£itet"atUt. bet" ~ t r o a ~ ( t e n . " (IX,I115.) lIed)aue an bie iIDunben [ ~ t i f t i unb fein mlut, bas et fUr bid) betgoffen flat; batau5 roitb iJie m e t f e ~ u n g ~ e t b o t f d ) e i n e n . " (II,181.) ed)ott feroet sHied a ~ n H d ) e eteUen, 5. m.: lliIDenn iJet ®lauoe roo!)l geUot unb gettieben roitb, fo roitft bu 5ulett bet ead)e getoiflll (iID.Ill.14,23,IO-I9; et.£.Ill. IX,1354). (6. 81.) eo geroifj bet [fltift feines ®lauvens ift, fo geroifj et ber ®nabe ®ottes ift, fo geroifj ift et feinet ~ t t o i i 9 1 u n g . ed)ott ,itlett 3um ~ t r o e i s feiuct me!)au.ptung 5teUen roie biefe: IISDatum ball bet WCenfd) nid)t roeifj, 00 et oleieen roctbe bot bem Illnftollen bet Illnfed)tungll (j[ll. Ill. 10, I, 1. 332; et. £. Ill. XII, 211). (e. 82.) SDa legt abet £ut!)et bie 5d)tiftroa!)rfleit bar, ball bet [!)tift fid) fiets mitil'utd)i unb Sittern bie WCBglid)teit feines IllbfaUs b o t ~ a { t . Sut felVen Sci! \lJeifj et im ®lauoen, bafl ®ott if)n bot 'oem ~ l b f a U b e r o a ~ t e n roetbe. 5d)oit fcfJeint aUf einen lllugenoHd betgeffen au fJaben, tvas et aUf 5eite 79 fd)iin batIegt: IISDamit bet [!)tifi biefe ted)te WCittelfh:alle i n n e ~ a u , mUll er 3roifcfJen bet ,Seit bes ®efetes' unb ,bet Seit bet ®nabe' untetfd)eiben fiinnen. ,Seit bes ®efetes' ift, roenn in meinem ®eroiffen ober in meinem iHeifd)e bie eUnbe a u f ~ road)t. ,8eH bet ®nabe' Dagegen ift, menn S'deq unb ®emiffen &cfriebet unb e t ~ fteut finb butd) bas giittlicfJe metfleiflungsroott. Sroifd)en biefen beiben ,Seiten', bie, miigen fie aud) begriffHd) aUfs Uatfte untetfd)ieben fein, bod) in bet i I D i r m c f J ~ feU bell .pft)d)ifd)en 53ebenll aUfs innigfte betounbcn finb, mUll bet [ ~ t i f t aUmiif)HcfJ untetfd)eiben retnen; 'oenn in bet Sei! bes ®efetes mUll et fid) an 'oie ®na'oe ~ a l ~ ten, um nid)t bet meqroeiflunQ .pteisgegeoen au fein; in bet SeU bet ®na'oe mufl et fid) am ®efete .ptitfen, um nid)t betmeffen 3U toctben." (W. Ill. 40, 1. 524 f.; 40, 2. 42; 5t. 53. ~ l . IX, 451. 641.) 5t I). (!; n gel bet. The Religion of Israel. By George A. Ba1·ton. The University of Pennsylvania Press. 280 pages. Price, $2.50. The author is well known as an Assyriologist, particularly because of his interpretation of the origin of cuneiform characters, his several volumes of inscriptions, and his popular Aroheology and the Bible. Our readers will perhaps recall that he participated in a lengthy debate with the late Professor Clay of Yale in the attempt to disprove the latter's Amurru thesis. His distinctions as an Assyriologist, however, do not justify the extremes which are again presented in this second edition of a text-book for the religious courses of a number of our colleges and universities. Barton starts with one of his favorite theses, developed in his Semitio Origins, to the effect that Sumerian society was originally matriarchal and that survivals of this primitive matriarchy are found in the feminine associations of Yahweh. After tracing the early Semitic background as he claims it developed from this matriarchy, the author presents the early Biblical narratives and insists that, while at best they portray certain tribal and historical facts, they are not to be taken as real history. He then proceeds to reject the Biblical account of the origin of the Hebrews, distinguishing between the Leah tribes and the Rachel tribes (emphasizing the totemistic theory) and their separate entrances into Palestine. Jehovah was a God of the Kenites, adopted by the Hebrews. The Hebrew festivals are Canaanite holy days with a new religious veneer. Amos is the prophet of practical monotheism, although the Babylonians and Egyptians had made close approaches long before. Deuteronomy was born of Hezekiah's reformation. The "Holiness Code" is postexilic. The Psalter is the Book Review. -.l3iteratut. 317 fruit of legalism. Angels are Persian and largely late. -These snatches from Barton's book, only too familiar to anyone acquainted with the extremes of modern criticism, illustrate the damaging influences to which our Christian students at our colleges and universities are exposed. While a volume of this kind can render certain, largely negative, service to professional investigators, it ought to serve as a challenge for increased zeal in behalf of our university youth. W. A. MAIER. The Lutheran Hour. By Walter A. Maier, Ph. D. 324 pages, 5XS. Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, Mo. Price, $1.50. This might have been a book of sermons; but it is not; for it does not present the sermon as it is taught in our homiletic classes at our seminaries and as we are accustomed to hear it from our Lutheran pulpits. It might have been a book of instruction in the Christian doctrine; but it is not that; for then we should expect a different arrangement and expect the topics systematically and more fully treated. It might have been a book of Christian apologetics; but it is not that; for then it would have to present, in a larger measure than it does, the defensive proofs of Christianity over against the many errors of our day. All this the book might have been; but it is not that; for the words which it reprints were spoken in response to a very unusual opportunity given to our Lutheran Church of the Missouri Synod, to wit, that of broadcasting religious programs over a coast-to-coast network under unusual circumstances. The half-hour broadcast cost approximately $5,000, only twelve to fifteen minutes were allotted the speaker, the number of months on the air was ulleertain, a large unseen audience was desired, and yet such a nation-wide undertaking does not easily and quickly register with the masses. The speaker therefore in his own way sought to make the most of such an unusual opportunity under trying circumstances and delivered what he himself calls radio messages, the purpose of which was to tell over the "Lutheran Hour" once a week to the large non-Christian population, and ;1]80 to the many non-Lutherans, of our country what the Lutheran Church stands for, believing that a clear presentation of the truth of the Bible would also at the same time be the best refutation of error. The many letters received are evidence that Dr. Maier's radio messages seneel that purpose. Dr. Maier gave his service to the "Lutheran Hour" broadcast without any remuneration; the broadcast was sponsored by the Lutheran Laymen's League. Jo H. C. FRITZ. Let Us Keep Lent. By Gerhat·a E. Lenski. Harper & Brothers. 104 pages, 4 X 6. Price, $1.00. The publishers tell us that "the author is minister of the Grace Lutheran Church in our nation's capital. He believes that the simple story of the Cross is more vital and far more valuable than all the doctrines that have come from it." Consequently we looked in this booklet for the story of the Cross told in words approximating as closely as possible the narrative as penned by the four evangelists. vVe were disappointed in this respect, since this-narrative does not occupy the place of pl"Ominence that one would expect in view of this announcement, and we were saddened to see that just those doctrines which are clearly broug-ht out in 318 Book Review. - ~ i t e r a t u r . Holy Scripture concerning the meaning and purpose of the Cross of Christ are l"endered extremely doubtful. We were grieved to read on such an important and clearly revealed doctrine as that of vicarious atonement meditations such as follow:-"Vicarious Love. 'The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.' Meditation: Christ 'died for our sins, according to the Scriptures.' He 'bare our sins in His own body on the tree.' God 'made Him to be sin for us who knew no sin.' What do these statements mean? .Are they to be accepted literally and at face value, or are they merely Oriental speechfigures, beautiful for color and extravagance, yet in no sense accurate and truthful? "A word of caution may be in order for the eager mind that faces this problem and the many others involved in the matter of human guilt, its curbing and its cure. Though each mind must of necessity abide by its abilities to observe and to decide, it is certainly not fair in any judgment that God should be limited by merely human conceptions or that Jesus should be appraised in any final way by men who know neither His mind nor the power that resides in Him. Barbarian minds are likely to be poor authorities in the field of art. The earth-worm, clever creature though it may be, can hardly hope to be an interpreter of the dreams that fill man's heart. In a like manner honest interpretation is bonnd to recognize human limitations in the presence of the Eternal, nor will it dare to apply the yardstick to measure the things of the Spirit which know neither beginning nor end. "Here another difficulty may be recognized as inviting an even greater humility on the part of the investigator. Mere words are such poor means of conveying spiritual truths. Redemption, like beauty, is so hard to compress into the mold of definition and doctrine. Paul's experience with the Cross is so much more clear to Paul than are his words concerning it to us. But be that as it may, Paul's experience like that of the prophet of old is real, and, more than obviously, he wants us to share it with him. His desire in this matter is so sincere and so generous that to deny it is to be guilty of discourtesy and spiritual aloofness. Why should we not share his experience, especially since he proclaims it as one so gloriously good? After all, many things are true even though they have never been defined and needful in our lives even though their workings are hard to explain. "For those who veer away from Christian experience and who see little of the hand of God in the Bible and little of His heart in Jesus Christ there is still one common observation within the reach of all which may serve to make a substitutionary interpretation of the Cross both rational and acceptable. The noblest outreach of human love is invariably sacrificial in its character. As Luthardt expresses it: 'Love is by nature vicarious.' As Jesus phrased it: 'Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.' If God be consistent, if He be good, if He be the possessor of those virtues which are best in His own creatures, then, instead of being unreasonable, might not this strange doctrine which proclaims that God is in Christ and that He is dying in the sinner's stead, be the very one which shall be found to accord most with our highest thought of Him?" (Pp. 54-56.) Book Review. -53iteratut. 319 "He gave Himself for Us. 'Behold, we go up to Jerusalem.' Luke 18, 31. Meditation: He gave Himself! Very clearly Palm Sunday sets this solemn fact before our minds for such use as we may be able to make of it. He gave Himself! He came to Jerusalem not so much because He had to come as because He wanted to come. He came to die upon the cross, not merely as one who bears with all bravery the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, but, far more, as one who is Himself shaping circumstances and guiding them in His own way for some purpose He has willed and wanted. "He gave Himself! The explanation that He died a martyr's death for conviction's sake; the explanation that He suffered death in order to teach us how to meet life's deepest emergency; the explanation that He identified Himself so closely with humanity that He felt the sins of men upon His own conscience as though they were actually His ownall these are interesting explanations, and they do set forth truths that are helpful and uplifting. At their best, however, they are only broken lights, revealing partial truths. When we think of the determination that actuated Him and that led Him on, when we recall that instead of being a passive victim, He freely gave Himself, then these explanations do not suffice. They do not do justice to the purpose that so plainly motivated Him. They do not honor the aim He must have had in His mind. "He gave Himself! Why? There is one explanation -per haps it can hardly be called an explanation since it invites questions as much as it answers them -that will do justice to the incidents of the Biblical narrative. He gave Himself for us. He was our Ransom, a Substitute for sin in our stead. The question is bound to arise: Can Christ be that? Can He, the Innocent One, be made sin for the guilty? Is such a thing intelligible? Is it fair? Howeyer one may question the statement itself, the fact remains that this is the view that dominated the minds of those who were the closest to Christ and who loved Him best. It is further a fact not lightly to be set aside which declares that this is the view which the apostles preached, the view that changed their lives and transformed the lives of multitudes of others. Summing it all up, seeking for some version of the case that will serve as a common denominator for the facts that history presents, a final conclusion may be in order, namely thisthe disciples of Jesus, following Him, believing that He died for their redemption, entered into a different, a higher, a holier experience and understanding than auy that is accorded to other men. "Saul of Tarsus, to begin with, did not want to follow Jesus. Stin less did he desire to believe that Jesus died for him. When Saul became Paul, the follower of Jesus, that which had been hateful to his soul became his heart's delight. The thing he had sought to destroy he now sought to propagate. In that experience new light seemed to come. Finally the day came when this Paul, himself under the shadow of death, could say: 'I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.' Can Paul's experience be the explanation we need to make the Cross clear to our minds? Is this the way toward the light -not to stand off at a distance and ask questions about Jesus, but to be converted and then to 320 Book Review. -.Iliteratut. walk with Him and, by experience in Christian living, to learn of Him 1" (Pp. 85-87.) We have given these two meditations complete, so that our readers may judge for themselves that this assuredly is not the spirit of Luther, but of Modernism, which we did not look for in the American Lutheran Church. TH. LAETSCH. G:iugegllugeue 2itetlltut. Proceedings of the Sixteenth Convention of the Central Illinois District, October 7-13, 1931. Doctrinal essays: "Article XIX of Augustana: Cause of Sin" (German), by Prof. F. Wenger; "The Agencies in Use in Our District for the Christian Education of Our Youth," by Rev. Ed Sommer. For sale by Concordia Publishing House or by the Secretary of the District, Pastor E. C. Wegehaupt. Price, 25 cts. The United Lutheran Publioation House:-Ris Glorious Rour. A Passionale. By P. Z. Strorlaoh. Price, 20 cts. Calendar of Lenten Devotions. Ash Wednesday to Easter, 1932. Price, 10 cts. Proceedings of the Ev. Luth. Synod in Australia, Eastern District. Twenty-fifth regular convention, held at Nhill, Victoria, March 20 to 24, 1931. The Australian Lutheran Almanac for the Year 1932. The Lutheran Publishing Co., Ltd., 172 Flinders St., Adelaide, South Australia. 124 5eiten 5%X8%. ! 1 S t e ~ : 1 s. 6 d. 8ritfditift fut fl.lftemntifdie ~ ~ e l ) l l ) g i e . ~ e t a u s g e g e b e n bon .R a d 5 ta n g e unb anbern. fSettelSmann, ® i l t e t s l o ~ . 9. ~ a ~ t g a n g , 3. i B i e t t e l j a ~ t ~ e f t . 5ieM: , , ~ i e altfacf)fifcf)e ®enefis"j . I l o ~ m e 1 J e t : "iBon fSaum unb ~ t u c f ) t " j .8anfet: , , ~ i = faiof1Jne ~ ~ e o u bet !1Saulus"j .Ililtgett: "[albinll . I l e ~ t e bom 5cf)iij>fet"j 5tange: , , ~ t e cf)tiftlicf)e iBotfteUung bom ~ i l n g f t e n ®eticf)t" j ~ e t m a n n : , , [ ~ r i f t i iBetbienft unb iBotbilb"j ®ogatten: , , ~ e t l I D a ~ t ~ e i t s a n f j > t u c f ) bet ~ ~ e o l o g i e " j 5teinbecf: , , ~ i e cf)tiftlicf)e !natutj>tebigt"j lIDebet: "iBom ebangelifcf)en iBetftanbnill bell lIDods" j ~ l e t t : ".8ur ~ e t m i n o l o g i e bet 5taatSle!)te Wlelancf)t!)ons unb fcinet 5cf)illet"j 5cf)ian: ,,5icf)t'liate unb unficf)t1late .Ritcf)e"j f S o m ~ a u f e t : , , ~ i e 5ama= titet bes !neuen ~ e f t a m e n t ! l " j 5cf)abet: , , ~ i f t o t i f c f ) e ~ ~ e o l o g i e unb \/teligions= gefcf)icf)te." \.I1eue ~ i t d i n d i e 8ritfdirift. ~ e t a u l l g e g e b e n bon ~ o ~ . fS e t g b 0 I t unb anbem. ~ e i c f ) e t t , .Ileij>3ig. 42. ~ a ~ t g a n g , 12. ~ e f t . ~ o ! ) . 5cf)neibet: , , ~ i f t o t i f c f ) e unb j>neumatifcf)e ~ t e g e f e " j ~ . Wlelaet: "iBilmat als .Ilitetat!)iftotifet"j lID. [afj>ati: , , ~ a s altteftamentlicf)e !liott" j ~ O ! ) . fSetgbolt: .8eitfcf)riften=\/tunbfcf)au. ~ ~ e l ) r l ) g i e bet @egentuntt. ~ e t a u s g e g e b e n bon .R. fS e t ~ unb anbem. ~ e i c f ) e d , .Ileij>3ig. 25. ~ a ~ t g a n g , 11 unb 12. ~ e f t . ~ . 5ttat!)mann: , , ~ i e neumn ~ t b e i t e n illiet bas !neue ~ e f t a m e n t " (aUgemeinesj !)eUeniftifcf)e \/teligionsgefcf)tcf)tej ~ u s l e g u n g j ~ ~ f u s j !1Saulullj ®efcf)icf)te bell Utcf)tiftentumsj ®efcf)icf)te bet neu= teftamentlicf)en ~ o t f c f ) u n g ) . Please Take Notice. Kindly consult the address label on this paper to ascertain whether your subscription has expired or will soon expire. "April 32" on the label means that your subscription has expired. Please pay your agent or the Publisher promptly in order to avoid interruption of service. 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