<1!nurnrbtu m4tnlngiral 6tutItly Continuing LEHRE UNO WEHRE MAGAZIN PUER Ev.-LuTH. HOMILBTIK THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLY -THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY Vol. X May, 1939 CONTENTS The Archeology of the Sacraments. P. E. Krehmann No.5 Page 321 The Christian Congregation: Its Rights and Duties. J. T. Mueller 330 Die Pastoralkonferenz zu Milet. F. Pfotenhauer . _. 345 The False Arguments for the Modem Theory of Open Questions. Walther-Arndt ... _._ ... _ 351 The Saxons Move to Perry County. P. E. Krefzmann Predigtentwuerfe fuer die Evangelien der Thomasius- 358 Perikopenreihe ......... _._._ ..... . ..... . 370 382 ._ ..... _ .... 393 Theological Observer. - Kirchlieh-Zeitgeschichtliches Book Review.-Literatur ...... . J:lD PredlSer mUllS Dlcht alleln 1IId- <14m, aDo dua er die Schafe unter- welH. wie lie rechte ChrI8ten BOllen seiDl sondern such daneben den Woel- ten lIIeh1'IIn, dua lie die Schafe Dlcht anare1fen und mit tal8cher Lehre ver- tuebren und Irrtum elntuebren. Luthe1'. Ea 1st keJn DIn& daa die Leute mebr bel der X1rche behaelt deIIIl die gute PredIgt. - AIIOIoQte, An. 14. If the trumpet give an uncertal.b sound who IIhall prepare hlmMIt to the battle? - I eM. If, B. Published for the Ev. Luth. Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States CONCORDIA PUBLISHING BOUSE, St. Louis, Mo. RCHIVE Book Review - \3iteratut 393 Book Review - 2H,tratur The New Testament and the Laws of Evidence. By Harry Rimmer, D. D., Sc. D. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Mich. 1938. 119 pages, 51fzx8. Price, $1.00. With pleasure we announce the appearance of another volume from the prolific pen of Dr. Rimmer, known as an intrepid defender of the divine character of our Bible. In tilts with enemies of the Scriptures this book can render valuable services. Its aim is to show that, if the New Testament books are examined according to the well-established laws of evidence, their trustworthiness and reliability will become mani- fest. The writer has acquainted himself with legal procedure and ad- duces a number of interesting court decisions that have a bearing on his thesis. Quite fascinating and amazing is the account of the trial in which a professor of the University of Chicago, a higher critic, employing the methods he uses in establishing relationships in the Old Testament, en- deavored to show that H. G. Wells, the famous English novelist, in a cer- tain instance was guilty of plagiarism - an attempt which one tribunal after the other called ridiculous (cf. p.14 ff.). The four chapters of the book have these captions: 1. "The Legal Value of the Gospels as Evi- dence"; 2. "The Integrity of the Witnesses"; 3. "The Amazing Record of Critical Injustice"; 4. "The Firm Foundation of the Christian Revela- tion." In general we have found the presentation clear and convincing. Here and there the author under the impulse of passionate zeal indulges in an overstatement. His book would be more effective if he refrained from judging the motives of the higher critics (cf.p.73). We wish that, if a second edition should be called for, the author would carefully scru- tinize every statement and either expunge or modify those that cannot be proved. W. ARNDT ':Der ~emge (llllttei3. ~l:ine eftHiutetung bes lJJlartusol;I;bangeHum§. mon Lic. efbuatb efUwein, 112 6eiten G%X9%. ~~t.d(aifetometlal1, 9Jhindjen. Sflteis: RM. 2.80, :Dicfe futse, 1Jactenbe, fUt bas ~~tiftenboIf beftimmte eftWitung sum efban~ geliften lJJlartus erfdjien 3uetft swifdjen 1936 unb 1938 in bem mlatt ,,;tIeutfdje ~bangeIifcl)c eft3ie~ungll, fanb ba abet cine foldj giinftige lRufna~me, bat ite nun in mUcl)fo em crfdjeint. 6ie tum bet geiftndjen lRuferoauung unb <5tiirlung bet 0lemeinhe Menen unh ~at, mie her lRutot fagt, nut ein ein3iges IRnIiegen: bat bet ".\;)eiIige 0loites" auel) uns ~eiIig wetbe, mefannt ift ~Uwein aiS metfaff et berfcUiebenet t~ellfogifdjet lillede, oefonbets abet als ftbetfetlet bon 53ut~etS mor~ Iefungen lioer ben lRomerliricf. :;5n feiner ~tWitung regt et bas gUll3C ~ban~ gefium alS bcrbinbfidjen 'tett crus, o~ne bat bie wiffenfcl)aftlidje ~rtenntltis baud 3U fUt3 fommt, in 3eI)n ~a1Jiteln: ;tIet SUnfang, bas etfte lRuftteten :;5~fu in ®afiHia, bie Sfl~arifiier im lillibetf1Jtudj mit bet fteicn 0lnabe :;5effu, ®Ieid)niffe, lillunbettaten, meUm lillitffamfeit :;5~fu in 0lamaa unb in ben angten3enben 0lebieten, bet lilleg gUt S{\aifion, Ietlte lillidfamfeU :;5l;1;iu in :;5etufalem, bie 53ei~ bensgefd)idjte, Dftettt. :;5n futBen 6atlen unb lRufdjnittcn finbet man ~iet biel ttefge~enbe ~begefe 3ufammenge1Jactt, abet boc9 audj nidjt 3U fdjwet fUt bas molf. 394 Book Review - mtetatut SJ.nand)mal ftimmt man bem sautot nid)t su, 3. IS. in feinet ~luslegung bet ~orte ~(ffu I/(f~ fte~en etltcge ~ie, hie hJetben ben ::tob nid)t fcgmecfen, lii~ ba% fie fe~en bas !Reid) ®ottes mit .lhaft tommenl/ (5. 57). (hfiil1t ~at jicg Diefe ~eisfagun\l ~~tijti bod), unb juft f 0, luie bies bet 5d)teibet, hJenn aud) ethJas unllejtimmt, anbeutet. @Octne Sttitif iibet ben teid)en :;Siing1ing (5. 68 f.): I/:Dies ganse, fteie ©eqe fiit ClJott, bus fel)It i~m", ift bod) tuum geniigenb. (f~ fe~(te biefem :;Siing~ Hng hJul)rlid) noef) IneH mel)r. :Bod) ftih:en biefe llneben~eiten nid)t ben ®enu% be~ lSiicf)leins alS ®an3cs. ffi.lit hJiinfd)en, man ~iitte fOlcge ffi.lerfe ~iersulanbe in engfijd)er 5.prud)e. f.\ilr unfere t~eologifcge :;Sugenb, bie im :Bcutfd)en 3umeijt fd)hJud) ijt, em.pfelJlert luir bicfe Cl'rfIiirung aud) gerabe hJegen be~ einfad)ert, eblen :Beutfd), bas bet ~lutot fo fein 3ll fcgreibert bermugj fiir uns fe!bft hJar es ein jeltenet ClJenuu, bas ®anse bon Unfang Dis 3u Cl'nbe lefen 3U biirfen. :;S.::t. SJ.niiffet The Religion of Jesus the World Religion. By W. L. Evans. Fleming H.Revell Company, N. Y. 63 pages, 71f2X5. Price, 75 cts. The following extracts characterize the theology and aim of the social-rehabilitation churchmen. "Jesus taught a world-religion of one God for all, and it was a pure religion free from all forms and certainly was undefiled. It was the kingdom of heaven in the hearts of men, and its component parts were 'brotherhood, creative service, and self-forget- fulness.''' (P.59.) "Abraham Lincoln was once asked why he had not united with some church or denomination; to which he replied: 'I have not felt myself free to unite with any church because of their long statements of creeds and doctrines. But when any church will inscribe over its altar as its sole qualification for membership the condensed statement of Law and Gospel by our Savior: "Thou shalt love the Lord, thy God, with all thy heart," and: "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," that church will I join with all my heart and with all my soul.' This great American emancipator had a spiritual kinship with the greater Emancipator of all mankind." (P.39.) "The two great commandments of the Bible, the Sermon on the Mount and the Golden Rule, all empha- sized by Jesus, would heal all our social and economic ills and bring in the kingdom of heaven on earth. This is the great objective in the religion of Jesus." (P. 50.) "The state and nation can solve all their problems with the religion of Jesus if the great principles of Jesus be applied to our needs. All wars, of every nature, economic, political, social, and religious, would be no more. Mutual trade relations between all nations would be established, and all helpful relations on a coopera- tive basis between states and nations would be worked out for the mutual good of all. This would bring to pass a new world-order of things and would bring to pass the kingdom of heaven among men." (P.13.) - The foreword was written by Dr. L. R. Scarborough, president of the South- western Baptist Theological Seminary and president of the Southern Baptist Convention. TH. ENGELDER 9ladifulge. lEon S)iettid) lSon~iiffet. ~~r.~.Raifer~lEetfag, SJ.niincgen. 229 5eHen 6%X9%. ~reiiJ: RM. 4.40, ge~eftetj 5.60, gebunben. :;Sn feinem lSeftreben, bol1en Cl'rnft mit bet rrtuthJenbigfeit bet ©eiligung im d)tiftficgtn ~eben au macgen, bertoifcgt bet metfaffer leiber ben llntetfcgieb ahJifd)en ted)tfedigtnber unb ~emgenber ®nabe. 6ein etftet 6at rautet: "lSiUigt ®nabe Book Review - mteratur 395 ift ber stobfeinb unferer ~irdJe./I ~uf berfelben <5eite fdJretbt er: /l18iUige ®nabe ~eifit ®nabe al~ Xle~re, al~ !l\tin3iV, al~ <5lJftem; ~eitt <5unbenbergebung aIS aUgemeine Illia~r~eit, ~etfit mebe aIS d)rtftHd)e ®otte~ibee. Illier fie beia~t, ~at fcf)on 113ergebung feiner <5unben./I ,,~n Diefer ~ircf)e finbet bie lllieH billige 18e~ bedunl1 iljter <5unben, bie fie nid)t limut unb bon benen fret 3U hlerben fie erft recf)t nid)t hlunfd)t./I ®ehlifi, es gibt etnen illHfibtaucf) ber freten ®nabe ®ottes, unb gegen biefen 5JJ1ifibraucf) mUfi bet !l\rebiger mit ber <5cf)rtft aUfs ernfHicf)fte 3cugCU. ~bet ba~ betecf)tigt einen nun nicf)t, mit bem 113erfaffet ben betljangnis~ boUen \}ef;JIet 3U begeljcu, in bie S\)efinition bet tecljtfertigenben ®nabe bie &jeh Iigung als dnen hlefentlicf)en steH auf3uneljmen. Illift lefen 3. 18.: ,,~s hlar Die~ ferbe ®nabe <,rl)rifti, ... bie ben untteuen !l\ettus in bie lette ®emetnfdJaft bes 5JJ1artlJriums tief unb iljm bamit aUe <5Unben bergab. ®nabe unb ~acljfolge ge~ I)iiren fUr ba~ Xleben bes !l\etrus unaufljiirlicf) 3ufammen./I S\)er lette <5at ift ia un3hleifell)aft hlal)r. ~ber nid)t hlal)r, hleH ber Haren <5cf)tift hliberfl'redJenb, ift bie 18el)auVtung, bafi bem !l\etrus erft bamit aUe <5Unben bergeben hlurben, bafi burclj bie ®nabe er in bie lette ®emetnfd)aft bes 5JJ1attlJriums getufen hlurbe. 113ergebung be! <5Unben I)atte er etn3ig unb aUein um bes boUfommenen 113er~ bienftes <,rljtifti hlillen. Illieiter fagt bet 113erfaffer: /llllienn Xlutl)er bon bet ®nabe fVtad), fo meinte et fein eigenes Xleben immet mit, ba et butclj bie ®nabe erft in ben bollen ®eljorfam <,rl)tifti gefteUt hlotben hlat. ~r fonnte gat nicljt anbers bon ber @nabe reben, als eben fo. . .. s\)ie ~rfenntng ber @nabe hlar fUr il)n bet lette tabHale 18tuclj mit bcr <5Unbc feines Xlcbens, niemaIS aber il)re !Recljt~ fertigung. . .. <5ie hlar i!jm ieloeifs ,!Refurtat', freHiclj gottlicf)e§, nicljt menfcf)~ lid)es !Refultat. S\)iefes !Refurtat aber hlutbe bon ben 91acljfal)ten 3Ut l'tin~ 3iVieUen 1130rausfetung einer ~anulation gemacljt. S\)arin lag bas gan3e Unl)eif. ~ft ®nabe bas .bon <,rl)tiftus feIbft gefd)enUe ,!RefuHat' cljtifUicljen Xlebens, fo ift biefes Xleben feinen ~ugenbHd biSVenfiert bon ber ~acf)folge. ~ft abet ®nabe Vtin3ivieUe 1130tausfetung meines cljriftrtd)en Xlebens, fo I)abe idJ bamit im boraus bie !Red)tfettigung meiner <5Unben, bie icf) im Xleben in ber lllieH tue. ~clj fann aUf biefe @nabe I)in fUnbigen; bie lllieIt ift ia im !l\tin3il' burclj ®nabe ge~ recf)tfertigt./I (<5.7,8.) S\)er 113erfaffet tut Xlutl)er unrecf)t ober I)at il)n grUnbltclj miflberftanben. XlutlJer hluflte hlol)! 3U unterfcf)eibcu 3hlifcf)en recf)tfertigenber unb l)eHil1cubcr @nabe. ®eroifi, bie rcd)tfertigenbe @nabe lJeHigt auclj ben 5JJ1enfcf)en, unb roer nid)t Durd) Die ®nabe l1el)eHigt hlitD, ber ift aucf) nidJt geredJtfertigt ober I)at Die recljtfertigenbe ®nabe hlieber berfcf)er3t. ~ber roenn Xlutl)er bon bet recf)tfertigenben ®nabe rebet, fo fcf)liefit er nie fein burclj bie ®nabe in ben boUen @el)orfam <,rlJrifti gefteUtes Xleben mit in ben 18egriff bet recljtfertigenben ®nabe tin, fefbft hlenn Dies Xleben bas bon <,rlJtifto gefcljenfte !RefuHat ift. Xlutl)et fcf)ltett bieImel)t mit ber <5cljtift gefliffentHcf) ieglicljes Illied unb stun bes 5JJ1en~ fcljen, fei es burclj natUrltclje ~rafte ober butcf) bie ®nabe ~etbOtgebracljt, bon ber redJtfettigenben ®nabe aus. 5JJ1an lefe boclj !Rom. 3, 28; 4,1-5; 11, 6. 5Det 113erfaffer bergitt, bail naclj Xlutljer unb bet <5cljrift Die fteie ®nabe ®ottes in <,rl)tifto Vtin3il'ielle 1130tausfetung ber !Recf)tfertigung fohlie ber &jeUigung ift, ol)ne hleIcf)e 1130rausfetung es Uberl)auVt feine 5JJ1iigHcf)feit cljriftHcf)en ®laubens unb cljriftHcfJen Xlebens gint. ~adJ !Riim. 5, 18 unb 2 ~or. 5, 19 ift eben <5Unbenber~ gebung cine "aUgemeine Illial)rl)eit/l, I)at ®ott fcljon in <,rl)rifto Die lllieH mit ficf) felber betfiil)nt, il)r bie <5Unbe nicf)t 3ugerecf)net, ift fcf)on butdJ e in e s ®eredJ~ tigfeit bie !Recf)tfertigung bes Xlebens uber aUe 5JJ1enfcf)en gefommen. 5Der !menfcf) nimmt biefe langft gefdJel)ene !RedJtfertigung unb 113etgenung im ®lauben an unb Ilelanllt fo in ben 18efit ber fur ilJn erhlorbenen, fUr i~n bor~anbenen, i~m im 396 Book Review - .\.litctatut mlod angebotenen ffi:edjtfettigung. :iDas ift nate .\.le~te bet @3djtift, bie bem ~orwurf bes ~erfaffets, bab man bann aUf @nabe ~in fUnbigen barf, allen @yunb nimmt, mom. 6. :iDiefe ~etmifel)ung bon @efell unb t:rbangcLium 3ie~t liel) butdj bas gan3c mudj ~inburel), fo bab man mit gtouer ~otjiel)t aUes tJttifen mull, 3uma1 bet ~etfaffer audj in anbent '13unften bon @ottes ®Ott abird. @30 fagt et, bab '13aulus ,,@!ieb\cl)aft am .\.leive (i1)rifti gan3 an bie beiben @3arramente tinbct". "IJCid)t bas ®ort bet '13tebigt belDirlt unfctC (ljemcinfel)aft mit bem .\.leibe (&!)tifti; bas 5aftament mull 1)in3ufommen." (@3. 163.) t:rr bringt mit aHem t:rntf! aUf @emeinbe3Ud)t, audj .\.le1)t3udjt, bon ber er bie ±refflidjen ®otie fag±: ,,:iDurd) fa1fdje .\.le~re roitb bie DueHe bes .\.lebens bcr @emeinbe unb bet @emeinbc3Ucl)± bet~ borten. :iDatum loiegt bie ~erlUnbigung grgen bie .\.le~re fcl)wCtct aIS bie 'Ber~ fUllbigung im [\Janbe!." (@3. 212, ~lltm. 20.) :Doel) nennt et ben tiiglidjen .I;lirten~ bieltft bes ~mtsttiigers bie etfte 5tufc bet .liitel)en3uel)t, Die btUbetfidje ~enna\J~ nung bet 0jfiebet untminanbet bie 3weite. (@3. 209.) :Det '13tebiget, ber fidj bot ben :;5rttUment bes muel)eS 3n ~titen weill, fann mit 'BorteH bie mandjen treff~ liel)en \~lusfU~tungen lefen. :t~ . .\.l ii t f d) jRcuc iBeittiigc 1IlIt (SSefdjidjtc bct bcutfdjcn ~ibel im ~JHtte!a!ter. Sderau5~ gegebm in @emeinfcljaft mit £ltto @riitets unb «hidj .(limmermann bon ~rof. Dr. Sdans ~oHmer~Sdamb1ltg. mit cinet fEeigabe: "Sdanbfel)tiftlidje c\:intrCigc in fEibefn unb @cjangbUel)cm 1mb beren [\Jert fUr j}amHien~ unb boHStiimlidje ffi:eIigionsfunbe" bon fEnmo @ofbjc[)mit. ~fabemifd)e ~etfagsgcjcllfd)l1ft ~t~C1taion, ~ot5bam. 176 @3eiten unb 25 @3citen 6l/2x9l/2. ~TeiS: RM.24. SDiefes 11Cnefte Sdeft in ben ~etJjffent!iel)ungen bes :iDeutfdjen mibc1ardjibs in .fdamlmrg bietet einej}iiHe intmifanten :materialS nie!)t nut fUr ben @3acl)ber~ ftanbigen unh @3tJe3iaIiften, fonbcrn aud) fUr ben ~lidjtftJe3ialiften aUf bem @cbiet bet mibc1fotfdjung in beutfcl)Clt .lJanben. ~uf DO @3citen bietet ~tiel) .(limmet~ mann eine Teidj~aftige ~lusfU~tung tiber "SDie beutfdje fEilie1 im tefigiiifen .\.leben bes @3tJiitmittelaltets", Inot1n et unter anbetm audj einge~enb bie 115erbteitung bet beutfel)Cll fEibc1 ill bicfer .(leit~eri[)be befel)rdbt. @an3 befonbers inteteffant jinD bie '13aragratJ~en Hber bie ~erlltCihmg ber fEioel lmter ben SJaien. ~t fel)reilit Hutet llitbetm: ,,50 finb beutfd)c fEibe1n in .\.laicnfreifen ~au~tfiiel)licl) bei j}i\tften, wo~lf)abenben ~bHgen unb ~atti3iern 3U finben, nur felten in ben unteren @3djidjten." (5.73.) - :iDer 3rodte steil bes Sdeftes bietet cinen ~uffall Uber "SDie beutfel)e mibelbidjtung bes 9J1ittefaIters", bet biele bisf)et uiel)t gebtucfte fEruer)~ ftuefe bringt. Sl)ie bier bcigegellC1len fEHbtafeht erl)o~en ben ®ert bes muc!)es fUr ben Si'rnner. mltt ftimmen bem 'Betleger bure0aus bei, wenn er fdjrcibt: "Inucl) hiefer manb, fUt ben stf)eologen, ben Sdiftotifet unb ben .liultutfc!)tiftftellet bon ~Jjcl)ftem ®ert, etiiffnet neue, auffdj1ullteidje ~inb1icfe in bas gTofje unb teidje Si'atJitcl: )Stud, bcutfdje @3tJtadje unb 'oeutfdje reHgHije ~oIghmbe." ~. C\:. £, ret man n Professor J. Gresham Machen, His Life and Defense of the Bible. By W. Masselink. Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Mich. 175 pages, 5%X7%. Price, $1.00. Prof. J. Gresham Machen is well known to the readers of the MONTHLY on account of his conservative doctrinal standpoint and his vigorous defense of the Bible, and some will be glad to know a little Book Review - iJiteratur 397 more of his life and his life's work. He was indeed an outstanding man in the conflict with Modernism during the last fifteen years. The book consists of five parts: 1. The Life of Professor Machen. 2. The Modern- istic Movements which Machen Opposed. 3. The Methods of Machen's Apologetics. 4. What Machen Defended in His Apologetics. 5. Apprecia- tion and Criticism. Our readers know, of course, that Machen was an outspoken Reformed theologian. So is his biographer, a member of the Christian Reformed Church and pastor of a church of this denomination in Grand Rapids, Mich. But he has made quite a thorough study of Machen's life and work, tells us of his youth as the son of a prominent lawyer in Baltimore; of his studies at Johns Hopkins University, where Prof. B. L. Gildersleeve, the foremost Greek scholar of our country in his day, was his teacher and stimulated Machen's love for the Greek lan- guage; of his theological studies in Princeton Seminary, where Dr. Fran- cis L. Patton, president of the seminary, William P. Armstrong, the head of the New Testament department, and Benjamin B. Warfield, the dogma- tician, were his teachers; of his years spent in Germany, where he studied at Marburg and Goettingen and was brought into contact with the foremost Ritschlian and religionsgeschichtliche scholars of those days: Hermann, Juelicher, J. Weiss, Knopf, Bauer, Schuerer, Bousset, Heit- mueller and Kattenbusch, some of whom he combated vigorously in his later works; of his teaching days at Princeton Seminary and West- minster Seminary; and of his outstanding books, The Origin of Paul's Religion; What Is Faith? The Christian Faith and the Modern World; Christianity and Liberalism; The Christian View of Man; and what seeIns to the present reviewer the foremost of his works, his brilliant apologetic The Virgin Birth of Christ. Machen was a born fighter, and even his commanding stature and his firm and determined speech and delivery impressed the casual observer. He believed in, and defended, the divine origin and inspiration of the Bible and the reconciliation of sinners through Christ's blood; but he also defended the erroneous Reformed doctrines, as every one knows and as is also stated very emphatically in this book. It was a distinct loss to the American Church, which nowadays is so largely tainted with Modernism, when Machen in the prime of his life died on January 1, 1937, in Bismarck, N. Dak., to which place he had gone in the interest of conservative theology. And no one reading this book can fail to be impressed by his personality, his achievements, his scholarship, and his apologetics. Whenever Machen came to St. Louis, he spoke and preached in the interest of his theology, of his Furrdamentalist convictions, and of the institutions which he rep- resented, either at the Xenia Seminary of the United Presbyterian Church, when this institution was still located in St. Louis, or at the Memorial Presbyterian Church, founded by the well-known preacher J. H. Brooks and upholding the conservative standpoint to the present day. He also visited our Concordia Seminary and on several occasions mentioned it favorably. I shall not forget his parting words on the occasion of his last visit, when we had discussed theological questions and church conditions. He stated: "We can never get together. You are a Lutheran, I am a Calvinist; our going together would be unionism; but we can, and ought to, defend, every one in his sphere, the divine 398 Book Review - 53iteratu! ongm, inspiration, and authority of Holy Scripture and the redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ, the divine Savior." After he had returned home, he sent me a copy of his book The Christian Faith and the Mode1·n World. L. FUERBRINGER My Reasonable Service. By Deaconess Ingeborg Sponland. Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, Minn. 158 pages, 5% X8. Price, $1.00. May be ordered through Concordia Publishing House, 3558 S. Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, Mo. This is the autobiography of Deaconess Ingeborg Sponland. She was born in Norway, where she also received her deaconess training and served in several hospitals for seven years, until her coming to America, in 1891. Here she had charge of the Deaconess Hospital in Minneapolis for thirteen years, during which time she was instrumental in estab- lishing six hospitals in North Dakota and Minnesota. She became Mother Superior of the Lutheran Deaconess Home and Hospital in Chicago in 1906 and did active service for thirty years there. She retired in 1936 and now, at the request of many friends, has pub- lished her life's story. It is evident that the long years of service in her chosen field has closely associated Sister Ingeborg with the history of deaconess work in our land. Her story is told in a simple straightforward manner and covers in three chapters her childhood and youth, her preparation and early service in her native land; in five chapters her work here in our country is related from her pioneering in the Northwest to her work in Chicago, and a world tour is also described. Our pastors will find the story of Sister Ingeborg refreshing. So will their wives and ladies' aid societies. W. G. POLACK The Work of the Lord. By Walton Harlowe Greever, D. D., LL. D. Fleming H. Revell Company, New York, London, and Edinburgh, 1938. 142 pages, 5X7. Price, $1.25. In this book, well written, Dr. Greever, the well-known secretary of the United Lutheran Church in America, presents a wealth of thought in reference to the work of the Lord which the Christian is called to do in this world, individually and in cooperation with his fellow-Christians. What the author is aiming at he tells us in his Preface: "Why do the great causes which the Church presents in its program for the advance- ment of work of the Lord in the world suffer so tragically for proper support? That question challenged an adequate answer. In the search for that answer other questions were raised, and their answers led toward the roots of our deplorable delinquencies. It has become apparent that these great causes are scarcely in the minds of multitudes of the people in the Church at all and that many others who are induced to think of them do not regard them distinctly as the work of the Lord but as enterprises of a few men who call for support in the name of the Church." (P.7.) The true and clear ring of such statements as the following has impressed us: "The Church requires purity in doctrine and consistency in life from those who present evidence of the divine call to the ministry of the Word." (P.40.) "The call to worship God is a challenge to the value the individual places upon his personal re- Book Review - 13itetatut 399 ligion. The appreciation which one shows for the privilege of worship reveals the place he gives to his religion in his life. If he prefers sleep for his body, the call of the flesh is put above the call of the soul. If he prefers visits with his friends, human social pleasures are put above divine spiritual communion, etc." (P. 52.) "Christian stewardship is exercised to the greatest satisfaction when it is sincere and honest. Very few are enjoying the practise of stewardship in the fullest degree. One is almost horrified at times by the inconsistency between profession and practise." (P.72.) "It takes a strong character to accept proper adapta- tions without compromises. Individuals and established congregations should support the policy which places choice men in home mission- fields and should not seek to call them away except where justification is very clear." (P.107.) In the last chapter on Social Relationships hardly enough space is devoted to the subject. Dr. Greever, speaking of public movements says: "It is always safe for the Christian to ask: 'Is the cause involved in this movement included in the program of the Church?' If it is a cause which is essential to the glory of God and the welfare of man, it should be found in the program of the Church, or at least should be such that the approval of the Church can be assumed, as in certain purely com- munity or civic movements. If not such a cause, it does not merit the interest or support of Christians; for notwithstanding what good or importance might be attributed to it, its support would involve diversion from causes of far greater good and importance in the program of the Church." (P.135.) The Church does not as a Church concern itself with purely community or civic movements. These are not within its sphere of activity. But, indeed, the Christian as a citizen should concern himself about these things. Speaking of the means of grace which God uses, Dr. Greever says: "The Word is the means by which God both reveals and communicates Himself. He cannot be separated from His Word. It is not merely a message recorded or sent or proclaimed, but, as such a message, it is the use of language as the medium in which He dwells and through which He gives Himself. God Himself, not language, is the Word, and the living Truth bears the saving, transforming grace for God's work in the human soul. Language is the form in which man receives and trans- mits the Word, which is the definite means of grace by which the essen- tial work of the Lord is done." (P.37.) According to these statements not the written Word, whether read or heard, is the means of grace but God Himself. That is not the conception which the psalmist had when he said, "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path" (Ps.119: 105), nor that of Christ, who in His sacerdotal prayer said: "I have given them Thy Word .... Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word," Joh.n 17: 14-20. The very idea that God through certain means imparts His grace postulates a distinction between God and those means. Upon the whole the reading of this book is stimulating. It may well serve as an examination of the Christianity of our day and at the same time as an encouragement to greater Christian virility in the life of the individual Christian and that of the Church. J. H. C. FRITZ 400 Book Review-13itetaiut Jesus Appeared. By William Dallmann, D.·D. Northwestern Publishing House, Milwaukee, Wis. 87 pages, 5X7%. Price, 30 cts. Order from Concordia Publishing House, 3558 S. Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, Mo. "This is what the appearance of the risen Redeemer did for Paul. What has the resurrection done for you?" This concluding paragraph contains the theme of this well-written and stimulating booklet. Dr. Dall- mann reviews the historical events of the eleven appearances of Christ to his disciples and shows from the subsequent events in the lives of the apostles how they went forth courageously in the faith of the resur- rected Lord to evangelize the world. Pastor and people (for whom the booklet is particularly intended) will receive new courage and strength for the great work of the Church. The booklet merits wide distribution. F.E.MAYER Martin Luther in English Poetry. Selected and edited by W. G. Polack. Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, Mo. 80 pages. Price, 25 cts., postpaid; dozen, $2.40, and postage. In our utilitarian age a book that does not claim to offer assistance for the work and strife of every-day life is welcomed with a little sigh of relief by a reviewer. Evidently there still are people who take time to sit down now and then and offer heart and spirit something higher than the daily grind. May their tribe increase and induce publishers to issue more books like this! Oh, for English equivalents of Gerok's Palmblaetter, Theiss's Gepflueckt am Wege, Herzberger's PilgeTklaenge, Hueschen's Wa Gattes Bruennlein rauschen! - This booklet has, of course, an additional appeal. Every Lutheran will naturally be inter- ested in what the great poets have said about our Luther. From a great wealth of material Professor Polack has culled 60 selections covering outstanding episodes in the great Reformer's career. The booklet, bound in gray paper covers, with black title on maroon panel, is recommended particularly as a gift for birthdays or in the Christmas season. THEo.HoYER NOTICE TO OUR SUBSCRIBERS In order to render satisfactory service. we must have our current mailing-list correct. The expense of maintaining this list has been materially increased. 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