Full Text for CTM Theological Observer 6-5 (Text)

(ttnurnrbta lUqrnlngtrnl anutqly Continuing LEHRE UND WEHRE MAGAZIN FUER Ev.-LuTH. HOMILETIK THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLY-THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY Vol. VI May, 1935 No.5 CONTENTS Page Notes on Chiliasm. Th. En&,e1der ••••••••••••••••••••••• 321 Der Zeitgeist und die zeitgemaesse Predigt. J. H. C. Fritz •• 335 Das Verhaeltnis der Apokalypse zu den prophetischen Schriften des Alten Testaments. P. E. KretzmaDD • • • • • •• 340 Der Schriftgrnnd fuer die Lehre von der satisfactio vicaria. P. E. Kretzmann • • • • • • • • •• 347 An Anniversary We Forgot. Theo. Hoyer • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 349 Sermon Study on 1 Tim. 2, 1--6. Theo. Laetach • • • • • • • • • •• 356 Dispositionen ueber die altkirchliche Evangelienreihe ..... 365 Miscellanea. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 376 Theological Observer. - Kirchlich-Zeitgeschichtliches. . . .. 379 Book Review. - Literatur. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 391 EID Predlger muss nlcht aIleID tociden, also daaa er die Scbafe unterweise, wle .Ie rechte Obrl~ lOlleD aelD, 80ndem auch daDeben den Woellen toehr,"" daaa ale die Scbafe nloot angreifen und mit blocher Lehre veduebren und Jrrtum eln· fuebren. - wIlier. E. 1st kelD Ding, daa die Leate mehr bel der Klrche bebaelt denn die &'Ute Prediljt. - Apologie, Arl. 4 Ii the trumpet give an UDcertaln sound, who shaU prepare hlmaelf to the battle ' 10or • .q,8. Published for the Ev. Luth. Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States CONCORDIA PUBLISHING HOUSE, St. Louis, Mo. 379 Theological Observer. - ~irdjndj~3eitgefdjidjtltdje~. I. .2lmertkll. The Machen Trial. - Our readers undoubtedly would like to be in- formed on the developments in the ecclesiastical trial to which Dr .. J. G. Machen, favorably known for his opposition to Modernism, is subjected. A correspondent of the Oh1'istian Oentu1'Y s€'I1ds the follO'lving report from Philadelphia: - "Other than Pres,byterian eyes a,re focused at Trenton, N. J., upon the trial of Dr. J. Gresham Machen, professor of New Testament in Westminster Seminary, Philadelphia" and president of the Independent Boa,rd for Pres- byterian Foreign Miss:ions. To Dr. Ma,chen and his independents the issue is twofold: freedom from official Presbyterian agencies and a, doctrinal attack upon the Presbyteria,n Boa,rd of Foreign Missions. But, unlike the Briggs and Smith trials, his case is rega,rded not as an accusation oof heresy, but a, violation of discipline. Both liberahl and conservatives in this prosecution a,re united; the cha,rge is of secession from one of the official agencies of the Presbyterian Church. "Oontrary to previous intima,tioon by the commission clerk, the com- miss.ion a,t the :first meeting,. Februa,ry 14, announced tha,t all llea,rings would be public. Dr. Ma,chen had prootes,ted against the pra.ctise of secret courts. The defense then presented challenges aga,inst every member of the coommission. All except one of these challenges a,t the second meeting, February 26, were disallowed. "Four Rulings Made by Ohurch OOU1"t. FOUT rulings were made by the commission a,t the third meeting, March 7, a,E! follows: - " '1) That it cannot accept and hear any further arguments or in- ferences based on the Auburn Affirma,tion or on its: signing by certain members of the Pl-esbyterian Ohurch in the U. S. A. "'2,) That it cannot ace-ept and hear any further a,rguments or infer- ences aga,inst the Board of Fore,ign Missions of the Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. " '3) Tha,t it cannot accept and hea,r any further a,rguments or infer- ences based on the Princeton'"W'estminster Seminary controversy. We can- not entertain any arglllnents directed aga,inst any individuals, boa;rds, agencies,. institutions, judica,tories, against which no' cha,rgesl have been presented in the Presbytery of New Brunswick and which are not on trial before this judicial commission. "'4) Tha,t it cannot accept or regard any a,rguments, questioning the legality or validity of the manda,te of the General Assembly in reference to the "Independent Boanl fOT Pres,byterian F'oreign Missions." It is oone of the well-established and fundamental principles of the Presbyterian system tha,t a, subordinate judica.toTY cannot sit in judgment upon thel acts or deliverances of a superior judicatory, whether or not we think those acts or deliverances have been wise, equitable, and for the edification of the Church. So loong aH such acts and deliverances stand, this commis- sion has no powe,r but to obey.' 380 Theological Observer. - Ritd)1id)~3eit\1efd)td)t1id)d. "Dr. Maohen Protest8 Against Rulings. Against these rulings Dr. Ma- chen protests tha,t the commission 'exhibits a blatancy of unfairness beyond what might have been expected from so partisan a, court,' and, Bays he, 'that prejudices my whole case without even allowing me a hearing. I am to be condemned on the gronnd that I ha,ve disobeyed a, la;wful order, but not allowed to be heard when I oft'er to prove tha,t the order is unlawful; condemned for making false assertions against the Boa,rd of Foreign Mis- sions, but not allowed to be heard when I oft'er to prove tha,t those asser- tions are true. It is difficult to Bee how ruthless unfairness could go much further than that.' "'I cannot be a pa,rty to any such concealment,' says Dr. Machen. 'I must, in fulfilment of my ordination pledge, do all I can to let light into this da,rk place. I shaH be condemned by this commission for doing so·. But I cannot regard it as any grea,t disgrace to be condemned by a, com- mission tha.t has unanimously confirmed as its presiding officer a, s,igner of a, document, the Auburn Affirma,tion, that casts despite upon the holiest things of the Christian religion_ This commission ha,s dishonored Christ before it dishonors me.''' In explanation of the above we ma,y say that the Auburn Affirmation is a, Modernistic document which declares tha,t "the doctrines of the inspi- ration of the Scriptures, the virgin birth, the vical'ious atonement, the bodily resurrection of Chris,t, and the performance of real miracles by Christ belong tOo the unessential elementfl, of Christian thought and belief and that a, person's status as a, Christian is no,t aft'ected by either accep- tance or rejection of these doctrines." More complete comments will be made when the trial is terminated. A. The National COouncil Oof the PrOotestant EpiscOopal Church Oon the Situation in Mexico. - When several dioceses asked the Na,tional Council of the Episcopalians regarding affairs in Mexico, the reply given wa.s, a very guarded statement, designed not to take sides either with the Roman Catholic Church or the Mexican Government. ]'rom the sta,tement we take over those sections which appear to throw light on the general situa- tion in tha,t country. "No Property Confiscated. From autho'ritative reports. which am avail- ahle to us we may say to the Church that no property of the Episcopal Church ha.s been eonfisca,ted during the episcopa,te of Bishop Creighton or that of Bishop Salinas y Velasco, "Our church-buildings and redories, i. e., buildings for worship and the tBaching of Christian principles as maintained by our Church, have been 'manifested' tOo the' civil a.uthoritie~ to comply with the law. This law goes ba,ck to the constitution of 1857. All religious bodies which erected church-buildings, pa,rish-houses, rectories, theological sChools, or other buildings. for worship and the teaching of religious doctrines after that date had full knowledge of the la,w and itsl implications. Church property is considered as belonging to the nation, but the religious corpora- tion which built it is, entitled to use it for the purpose intended. "Under the personal restrictions imposed by the constitution, our bishop and his clergy are performing their pastoral duties and proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They a,re registered for the localities in which Theological Observer. - .Ritd)1id)~~eitgeld)id)m~~. 381 they are officia,ting and are complying with the regulations which require all acts of public worship to be performed inside th" church-buildings. "Schools in Mexico are rega,rded as centers for secula,r education only. Religious education must be confined to tea~hing in the family and in the church-building. As long as we do not perform religious ceremonies within the school-buildings, we a·re permitted to carryon secular educational work. "Hooker School Work. In the case of Hooker School, Casa Ho(yker, a home for girls, where they a,re kept under Christian influence and from which they aJ'e taken to church-school and to services in one of our duly registered churches, is separa,ted from the school proper by a, wall. This home is suppo·rted by the Ohurch. The conduct of the s,chool has been placed in the hands of a group of the Hooker School graduates who are also graduates of government normal schools and so fulfil gove·rnment requirements. They are all members of our Ohurch, experienced teachers who have worked for many yea,l'S! in government schools. This a,rrangement ha.s, proved entirely sa,tisfactory and meets the moral, pra~tical, adminis- trative, and legal problems ra.ised by the new regulations on educational ma,tters. The school is entirely self-supporting. The salaries of the tCiLchers and an other expenses come from the fees pa,id by the pupils. Cas a, Hooker is, ho,wever, supported by an appropria,tioil from the National Council. "Deplore Some Local Action. We ha,ve not joined in any prO'test. We deem it wise to' study the situa,tion more thorouglily, being not yet convinced that there is an actual persecution by the government on re- ligious grounds. We deplore, however, the action of certa.in local author- ities,. for instance, in the state of TabascO', which seems to UB to be violative O'f the principle of religious freedom and O'f the individual rights secured to the citizens of MexicO' by their constitution. "Article 130 of the constitution as generally interpreted, gives each state the right to designate the number of clergymen to officiate within its borders. This has been used by certain local governors as an excuse for making the free exercise of religion almost prohibitory in their states. Yet the fact remains that there is no record of an appeal to a federal court having been made by those affected. "In the face of a, trying situa,tion Bishop Salinas y Velasco has given wise and courageous, leadership to' the members of our Ohurch in Mexico. Our work has not stood still, but has gone steadily forwa,rd. With full confidence in him and his ability to handle the affairs of our O'hurch we a,sk the prayers of our people in the United Sta,tes for him and Ilis clergy, for our JliIexican church-members, and for all the people O'f 11exico." A. Difficulties for Baptists in MexicO'. - Secretary O. E. Maddry of the Foreign Mission Board, returning from a meeting of the Texas Baptist Convention at San Antonio, was in the office last week. For several months serious trouble has been brewing in Mexico, and for weeks we have been expecting our fO'reign missionaries to be expelled from that country. All of the Mexican missionaries met the secretary at San Antonio for a con- ference as to what was best to' be done with respect to the cO'ntinuing O'f our foreign missiO'n-work in MexicO'. The government O'f Mexico has put on an extensive socialistic program 382 Theological Observer. - ~itd)Hd)~Seit\Jefcf)id)tIicf)es. of education throughout the republic. They have placed a ban on the teach- ing of all religions. The Bible is excluded from all schools, and they have now closed our Baptist Theological Seminary at Saltillo. All church prop- erties being "federalized," they have passed into the hands of the govern- ment. Some of our Baptist churches have already been taken over as offices for school superintendents, mayors, and other public officials, and the Mex- ican flag is now flying from the steeples of Baptist churches. The Mexican missionaries reported to the secretary in San Antonio that in all probability all of our seminary and school property, together with church·building and pastors' homes, will be "federalized" within a few weeks. The seminary at Saltillo has enrolled sixteen students this year and will be moved to Laredo, on the Texas side of the River, where Mis- sionaries Branch and Neal will try to complete the year's work. Secretary lIfaddry has arranged with the Texas State Board for the transfer of several of our Mexican missionaries to the State Board of Texas for work among Mexicans in South Texas, the Foreign l\i[ission Board paying the salaries and the Texas Board paying their expenses. This is a temporary arrangement, awaiting the day when, it is hoped, our mis- sionaries may go back into Old Mexico. Five Mexican missionaries, who have attained the age of sixty-five years, have been placed on the pen- sion rolls. The Mexican government is determined to exclude Catholicism in all of its phases from the republic, and in doing so, of course, they are ex- cluding all Baptists, Presbyterians, and Methodists alike. The outlook for our work in Mexico is dark indeed, and our people everywhere are nrged to be much in prayer that God may overrule this turn of events in our neighbor republic to the glory of His name. Ohristian I ndem (Southern Baptist). The Social Gospel in Baptist Churches. - If the present trend continues, it may soon be difficult to find Christian denominations in our country which are not expending their energy chiefly on the discussion of social and economic problems. One of our exchanges reports that a com- mittee of nine which represents the Northern Baptist Convention is spon- soring what is called "frank discussion of bUl"ning issues." The various large cities are visited, conferences are held, and these issues are threshed out. What are they? Here is the list as given by the exchange:- "What attitude should the Christian take toward birth control? Can the splendid aims of the Baptist Convention regarding industrial relations be effected without basic change in the present economic structure? How effect the subordination of the profit to the service motive? Is assumption of racial superiority supported by science? Is it justified by Christian ethics? Is total abstinence or temperance the goal? Should a prohibition amendment be restored? Should government systems, such as representa- tive democracy, socialism, fascism, and communism, be supported or op- posed? In view of the rapid extension of governmental aid to the hungry, should Baptists maintain unaltered their historic position regarding the complete separation of Church and State? Should they be isolationists or internationalists ?" This is symptomatic. Other denominations are navigating on the same ocean of social ethics. Will it be long before the Rock of Ages will entirely be lost to view? A. Theological Observer. - mrdjHdj~nobalbetidjt bet <2:>~nobaIfonfetena ent~iiU flJIgenbe tteugemeinte, etnfte @!rinnetung: ,,~iefet !ittoft Ii:if3! e£), aumar angefidjNl bet bom ~ntidjriften ftei£l bro~enben ®efa~t, nidj! au, bat mit mU13ig baf±e~en obet unfete 3ett mit ~llo±tia bet±tabeIn. ,<2:>0 fte~et nun, Hebe mtubet, unb ~aIte± an ben @Jatungen, bie igt geIe~tet fei1~, e£l fei butdj unlet lffiort obet @!pifteL' &jiet 1ft un£l unfete ~ufga()e lTat botgeaeidjne±: ,&jartet an ben @Jatungen, bie i~t gere~tet feib.' SDa£l ift eine einfadje, abet alle£l umfalfenbe ~ufgabe. . .. :.tIa£l ift etne einfadje, ba£l ift eine gtOllC ~ltfgabe, bic aU UHf ete Shiifte in ~nfptudj nimmt, ja bie unf ete Shiifte tlleit iiberfteigt. lffiatum mollen hrit un£) nidj! aUf biefe ~ufgabe fonaen±tieren? lffiatum mollen mir, be£) aUen @!bangeHum£l iiberbriifiig, un£l e±tlla auf social gospel, ffiepriftination bon gefallenen Shtr±u£lformen, ltntetl)ar±ungen aUer ~rrt llnb bergleidjen ~inge merfen, aI£l Db bmnit bem ffieidj cr~rifH beff er gebient Inerben fanne? lffiatum mollen hrir berfudjen, ben \!Sapft am 6±immfaften au befiimpfen? :.tier \!Sapf±, bom 6a±an geIegcl, berftegt fidj aUf bie fdjmutige \!SlJntif bier belfer af@; mir. lffiit fpieIen band! ben Stampf fellift auf ein ®ebie± ~iniiber, auf bem bet \lSapft au &jaufe ift. Theological Observer. - Rir4Jn4J~.8eitgei4Jid)md)e~. 387 @elllij3 Illerben roir aI~ \Burger unfere !]3fHdjt audj am IStimmfaften tun; aber unfern SfamlJf gegen !Rom fiiljrcn !nir aUein mit ber jffiaffe, bor ber ber 2fntidjrift !ReflJeft ljat, niimIidj mit bem @eift be~ munbe~ (fljrifti, mit ben ,E)atungen' bon ber !Redjtfertigung aHdn au~ @naben, bie !nir geleljret finb. jffiarum roo Hen Illir berludjen, burdj !]3rolJaganba unfern ~amen be~ Iannt au madjen unb bor ber jffieH au lJrangen? ~er !]3ontife6 au !Rom ift ein bier gefdjicr±erer \jSomlJife6 ag toir. jffiarum rooHen roir burdj bie !]3ffege be~ lBerein~lllefen~, burdj bie )BUbung bon aHerfei .8toecfberbanben, bie 1S0li~ baritiit ber @emeinbe gefiiljrben? jffiarum uberljaulJt liefonbere .8lllecfber~ lianbe, aI~ oli bie bon CSljrifto geftiftcte @emeinbe iljrer 2fufgalie nidjt ge~ roadjfen fei, eigentIidj einen l3'eljlfdjlag liebeute? ,ISo fteljet nun, Helie \Bruber, unb ljaItet an ben lSatungen, bie iljr geleljrei feib.'" ()Beridjt ber 34. lBerfammlung ber lS~nobaIfonferena, 1934, IS. 47 f.) @i. "Christians" to Observe Yom Kippur. - This is a bit of news reported by Tirne. It says: "Last week (Tirne, March 4, 1935) United States Christians were pondering a proposal that they join with 4,000,000 United States Jews in celebrating this high holy-day. The proposer was the Rev. Charles D. Brodhead of Bethlehem, Pa., who said: 'In this period of wide-spread anti-Semitic pressure it would be a timely witness to our oornrnon religious bond with the Jews.' The Ohristian Oentury, able inter- denominational weekly, found the idea good, chiefly because Yom Kippur 'emphasized the sense of individual sin, which contributed to, and merged with, the sins of the nation. The analogy with our present economic and cultural plight is thus complete. Through our sense of guilt, as indi- viduals and as a nation, we would ... devote a day to spiritual stock- taking.' Furthermore, declared the Ohristian Oentury, 'the day does not lend itself to commercializing, as do Christmas, Easter, and Thanks- giving.''' To explain to tl1e uuinitiated what Yom Kippur is, it writes: "Yom Kippur is the Jewish Day of Atonement, which culminates the ten penitential days after Rosh Hashanah (New Year). Yom Kippur falls next on October 7. A taper, tall enough to burn for twenty-four hours, flickers in memory of the dead. The pious abstain from food, drink, and all other gratifications of material desires from one sunset until three stars may be seen in the heavens the following night. God is balancing His books for the year. In the home it is well to examine one's soul; in the synagog to chant 'Kol Nidre,' petitioning forgiveness for vows made and inadvertently unfulfilled." Well, why not? Modernists do not recognize the "high holy-day" on which Christ, who was prefigured by the sacrificial lamb slain on the Old Testament Day of Atonement, died for the sins of the world; hence their celebration of Yom Kippur witnesses indeed to their "cornrnon religious bond with the Jews" or, let us say, to the shameful denial of the holy name which they still bear though they are not worthy of it. J. T. M. The Lutheran Church of America in 1934. - Under this heading Dr. G. L. Kieffer, in the News Bnlletin Special, publishes the following in- teresting data, on the Lutheran Church in the United Sta,te,s and Cana,da: - "The Lutheran Church in the United States and Canada, during 1934 showed a smaller increase in baptized membership than in previous years, this increase being less than 5 per cent. There was, however, an increase 388 Theological Observer. - Ritd)Hd),,3eitgefd)idjtltdje§. of 1 per cent. in confirmed,. or co=unicant, membership and of 1.5 per cent in communing membership. The sta,tistics for 1933----34 for the United States and Canada, were a,s follows: Pastors, 12:,143; congregations, 16,5,76; ba,ptized membership, 4,519,926; confirmed, or communicant, membm'ship, 3,042,705; communing membership, 2,503,415; church-schools, 20,838; officers and teachers, 163,79'3; scholars, 1,880,92,6; value of church property, $35!},913,628; congregational expense" $30,475,140'; congrega- tional benevolence, $7,081,836; total expenditures, $37,556,9'76. The peT- ca,pita, gifts were: fOT congrega,tional expense, $10.01; for congregational benevolence, $2.33; for congregational expenditure, $12.34. "In 1934, in the United States and Canada, the Lutheran Church maintained 27 semina,ries, 30 colleges, and 83 junior colleges" academies, and schools, with a total enrolment of 30',307 scholars, 2,139 instructors, endowment amounting to. $16,352,586, and property value of $44,799,294. Lutheran inner-mission institutions, such as deaconess homes, hospitals, old people's homes, orphanages, i=igrants? and seamen's homes number 425, with an endowment of $6,513,056 and a, property value of $52,239',314. During the year they sheltered, cared for, and ministered to, 9,716 children and 1,955,708 men and women at an annua,l expense, of $12,245,0'64. In addition to, the institution wo.rk congregational and society inner-mission work was done a,t an expense of apprnxiruately $10,000',000. "The work of the American Lutheran churchefl in fields outside the United States and Canada was carried on principally in India, Africa, Japan, China, New Guinea, Argentina, Brazil, and British Guiana, in charge of 376 pastors serving 2,870' cdllgregations aud missions, with 293,489 baptized members, 140',731 confirmed members, 137,871 co=uning members, 3,411 schools, 1,4(}2 officers and teachers, and 145,473 scholars. The property value walO $4,387,25(}; local congregational expenses, $17,693; benevolence, $349',906; total congrega,tional expenditure, $367,599'. The income of the various Foreign Mission boards was $1,348,228; the expenditures were $1,266,935." J. T. M. II. 2{u5lanb. @~rnd)er ShlmlJf um bie ~arJr1Jctt lieffer ar~ 1tne~rfhfJe~ ~eri1tfd)en ber fonfefj'ionetien (lJegenfiifie. Un±er biefer iilierfdjrif± vUier± bie ,,3'rei~ firdje" einen ;iteH eine~ aUf ber S'jerlifitagung be~ Si'afl)olif djen ~fabemifer~ berlianbes (~uguft 1934) bon einem namfjaften romifdjen $tlJeologen ge~ fjartenen )!5ortrag~, bex feitbem audj un±er bem ;ititd ,,~a~ )!5erqartniS bon Sfa±qoriaiSm~ unb ~xo±eftantismus in bex @egenhJart" im ~rucl' erfdjie~ nen iff. ~ir refen ba: "Cifs mut uns um bes Cifrnfte~ ber ~aqrqei± hJiIIen Helier fein, hJenn hJir statqorHen bon einem $tlJeologen hJte Si'arI )Bar±q fdjroeren S'jeraen~ unb unlief±edjIidjen @)inne~ als @Iieber bet Si'itdje bes Wntidjrif±en traHifiaiert roerben. ~ies, fage idj, mut uns Heuer fein, ag roenn Cifrnft )Bergmann (einet bet )!5orliimpfer fUr eine fjeibnifdj~germanifdje ,mationalfixdje', bie a II e )!5 0 r B g en 0 ff e n umfaffen IDiIO flir bie niidjften fUnfaig :;Safjre ben fatfjoHfdjen ~rief±er unb einiges borlaufig nidjt au en±liefjrenbe ober nidj± au umgeqenbe ~xum unb ~ran bes Si'a±qoliais~ m~ in feiner mationaIfirdje bulben unb bulbenb bomeftiaieren mill. ~it mnnen es rufjig unb gleidjmlitig ertragen, ia hJir follen lln~ gerne wieber baran geroofjnen, hJenn ber ~rj)teftmltiS11l1lS audj unf erex stirdje gegen~ Theological Observer. - .reird)lid)'3eitgefd)td)tHd)es. 389 uoer Wieber feine llOile @5prad)efinbet, aud) wenn nur biefe @5prad)e bas Widlid) reTigiofe unb tfjeofogifd)e WnTiegen ber !Reformation ilum Wu§brucf bringt unb nid)± irgenbweId)c ,fur±urliimpfcrifd)en' SDinge meint. SDer ~aljr­ ~eit wirD beffer gebient, wenn wir un§ Wuge in Wuge gegeniiberf±e~en .... SDie IDUigHcljifeit, bie trennenben SDif±anilen irgenbeinmaI au iiberWinben, ift groner, wenn bie SDiftanilen Haren @:Seifte§ gemeffen, ba§ ~rennenbe cr- mcffen unD eri1)ogen wirb." SDie nzsrcifird)e" fd)rd6± ljierilu: "SDa§ ift gana unfere Elleinung, uub wir werben batum fortfa~ren, mit Eut~er unb unfern ~iitern bas ll3apft- tum af§ ba§ !Reid) be§ Wntid)riften mit ~affen bes @:Seifte§ ilU befiimpfen, weir Wir iiberileug± finb, ban e§ einen faTfd)en ~eg aur @5eTigfeit Ieljr±. Wu§ bemfef6cn @:Srunbe aoer miiffen iDir aud) aile anbern ~rdeljren, bie ben ~eg aur @5eIigfei± berbunfeIn, befiimpfen unb bie (£~riften bor iljnen warnen. " ~1l bemfef6en @5inn, be~uf§ eljrTid)er Wu§fprad)e, fd)reibt ber Watohman- liJxam'in6r (21, zsebruar 1935): "In the religious world many people re- gard dismiss'ion [Eeljrauseinanberfd,lltngen] as full of peril. They regard absence of discussion as a token of harmony, whereas it frequently indi- cates indifference to the great matters concerning which the minds of men should be aroused. The periods of exoiting religiotts oont1'oversy, like those in which Athanasius, Augustine, and Luther engaged, have been epoohs of intense spiritual vitality. [~urfibfd)rift bon un§.] In our time it is already evident that the attacks upon the Scriptures are beginning to re- sult in a clearer and stronger conviction as to their unique authority. Discussion is one of the principal ways to arrive at truth. A belief that cannot be defended and that cannot maintain itself against all comers certainly needs reconstruction. The net result of the expression of opinion has not been to strengthen eccentric opinions, but to demonstrate that the common beliefs of our churches can be rigorously defended. Unless we gravely mistake, debates have been a powerfuL foroe of wm·king towards the essential harmony of our churches." @!§ fiub' bie£l wid)iige !lSunHe, aUf bie aud) wir in Iutljeriid)en ~rd)en un£l ilU befinnen ~aben. [lei ailer ~ereinigung§Iuft mut uni3 bod) bies W6iom in ailem ooenan fteljen: ,,@!ljr- hd)er SPampf UUl bie lffialjrljeit ift beffer aI§ une~rIid)e§ ~erlufd)en bet IonfeffioneIIen @:Segeniiite." @:SeTtung ljat biei3 fd)HetHd) aber aud) im eige- nen engeren ~ei§, innerljalli ber fl1nobalen ~erbinbung. :;So )to Ell. llBidjtigl' ::\)uten ii6er illigeria, llBeftafrifa. ~ett, ba ein bon ber @5l1no- baIfonferena oeauftragtc§ survey committee in iRigeria bie bortigen Ellif. fion§fdber e61lIorierl, biirfte eine ftatiftifd)e iRotia intereffieren, bie bie "iReue WIIg. Elliffion§3eitfd)tif±" in iljrer ,,!Runbfd)au" bringt. lffiir Iefen ba: "SDie im ~aljre 1931 bon b£r D'l:egierung borgenommene ~oIf§3al)lung in iRigeria giOt intereffante WUffd)Iiif]e tiber bie [leboUerung bicfe§ groten ®ebiet0. SDie brei grEn±en @5tiimme in iRigeria finb bie ,~ aUf a, bie :;s b 0 unb bie g) 0 rub a, bie ie uber brei ElliIlionen @:SHeber aiiljlen. SDie nid)±- eingeborne QJebEfferung oetragt 5,442. :;Sn ber [lebEIferung h.JUrbe bei 2,055,305 feine D'l:eIigionsBugeljorigfeit fef±gefteIIt. SDie Balj! ber Elloljam- mebaner betriigt 7,709,807, bie ber Wnimiften 7,543,220. SDie ll3rotef±an- ten aiiljlen 710,453 @:Semeinbegfiever unD Die !Romifd),~~a±ljoIifd)en 188,507. iJligeria aiiljrt 36,626 @5d)ulen mit 380,305 @5d)uIfinbern. linter ben Eelj- 390 Theological Observel·. - RirdJndJ~8eitgefdJid)tHdje!l. rern gibt e6 240 ®uropaer unb 8,815 Wfrifaner. l80n ben @5djulen fte~en 2,678 mit 135,162 @5djiiIern unier ber l8erlnartung ber ffiegierung unb bon ®ingeoornen." ~er @5iamm ber SJaufa ift ftad mo~anUltebanifdj. Un6 ~a'6en bie ~oo nadj WfrHa gerufen, unb unter i~nen bie fogenannten ~oioio6, beren @5iamm etlna eine NCillion @lHeber aa~rt. !Bi6 aUf etlna taufenb, bie fidj aum (Djrif±en±um oefcnnen unb bon benen ber SJHferuf an un6 geridjiet Inurbe, finb bie ~oioio6 Wnimiftcn, o'6ltlo~I audj ~ier fidj foldje finben, bie fidj bem NCo~ammebani6mu6 3uneigen. ~. :it. NC. Is This Really Lutheran? - The Gospel Witness, a, monthly maga- zine published by the Federation of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in India" in its issue of December, 1934, prints a, lecture delivered by the Rev. E'. Wengsjoa (Waengsjoe), in which the following sections occur:- "We have got a new view of the Scriptures. The Bible is not, like other religious books of different religions, a document of human piety and of religious personalities and religious experiences. Its own ex- clusive concern is to witness about God's revelation of Himself to man, a, revelation which is personified in Christ. Therefore Christ is, as already Luther cleaJ:'ly put it, the hea,rt of the Scriptures. About Him all the books of the Bible bear witness, and only so far as they do that, they are God's Word to us. [Italics our own.] Such a view is really a great relief, as it automa,tically solves all the problems of the human elements in the Bible. 1ind it is the true Lutheran view of the Scriptures. [Italics our own.] At the samH time our knowledge of the actual ways of that divine rHvelation has been. immensely enrichened and deepened through the new light thrown upon the human sides of the prophets and apostles as well as of J csus Himself, a gain for which we should only be gra,teful even to thH so-called liberal theology which has now gone to the grave. "We have, also got a, new view of the history of religions. Religion is one thing; divine revelation is something quite different. Religion is man's seeking for God, re~elation is. God'El answer to that seeking. In Christ, and in Him alone, God seeks us. Christianity as a religion is a human thing as all other religions and in principle on the same plane as they. Therefore there is no meaning in claiming any SUPHriOrity for the Christian religion over other religions, such as, e. g., Hinduism or Buddhism. To use an illustration of one of the friends of Barth, all re- ligions, inclusive of Christianity, form a circle in their common seeking for the center of that circle, God. They can never reach it. But from that center there goes a radius to one point of the circle. That radius is Christ, in whom God meets those who seek Him, and the point where that radius touches the circle is the beginning of Christianity. It should fill us Chris- tians with deep thankfulness that God has chosen so to reveal Himself to us, but it can never justify any claim that our religion as such is superior to any other." Isn't it a pity that the foregoing should pass for the "true Lutheran view" in India? Surely our brethren over there have a divine call to "lift up their voice like a trumpet." FREDERICK BRAND.