Full Text for CTM Theological Observer 10-10 (Text)

(!tnurnr~iu m~rnlngttal :!Inutltly Continuing LEHRE UNO VVEHRE MAGAZIN FUER Ev.-LUTH. HOMILETIK THEOLOGICAL QUARTERL Y-THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY Vol. X October, 1939 No. 10 CONTENTS Pap Lather's Position on the Lord's Supper. H. B. Hemmeter _ ___ m Kleine Prophetenstudien. L. FuerbrlDger ______ ___ __________ 742 The False Arguments for the Modem Theory of Open Questions Walther-Guebert ____ ._ .. ___ .. ___________ 752 Predigtentwuerfe fuer die Evangelien der Thomasius- Perikopenreihe __________ _ .._________________________ .. ______ .. ____ 758 Miscellanea _______ . __ . ______________________ _ 7n Theolorical Observer. - Kirclilich-Zeitgeschichtliches ___ ._ .. ___ 7'19 Book Review.-Literatur ______ .... __ .... ___ ._._ .. ____ .. _________ .. _ 793 EID Predl8er mUll! Dfcht aIleln toet- cleft. 1180 da8I er cUe Sc:hate unter-we_ w1e lie rechte Chrlaten IOllen IeIn. IODdem aueb daneben den Woel- ten to.lan". d ... lie dle Schate Dlebt lIII"lten UDd mit talacher Leme ver- tuehren UDd Jrrtum elntuebren. Luther. Es fat kel.n DIn& do dIe IAutI mehr bel der ltlrche behaalt dena die lIUte PredfCt. - ApoloQte. At1. ... If the trumpet I1ve lID UDcertaJn IOlDld who aball prepare Idm8alt to the battle? -1 Cor. If ••. Published for the £Yo Luth. Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States CONCORDIA PUBLISHING BOUSE, St. Louis, MOo 779 Theological Observer - ~irdjndj~geitgefdjidjmdje~ Dr. Reu on Scripture and Its Divine Origin. - In Kirchliche Zeit- schrift, July number, Dr. M. Reu has published a scholarly and intensely interesting lecture on "What Is Scripture, and How can We Become Certain of Its Divine Origin?" Dr. Reu points out that Scripture is more than a code of morals or of divine teaching; that it is "the book of the history of God's dealings with men, of His revelation and of the reaction of man toward this revelation." "It is the history of salvation, the history of the preparation of salvation in the Old Testament and the history of the establishment of salvation in the New Testament." Regarding the origin of Scripture Dr. Reu emphasizes strongly verbal inspiration, for instance, in the excellent interpretation of 2 Tim. 3: 15-17, which culminates in the verdict that here "the statement is made about the written Word of the Old Testament in its whole extent that it has been produced by the breathing of the Spirit of God." Regarding the recent attacks on verbal inspiration Dr. Reu says: "Verbal inspiration was the storm center during the last 150 years, and is so still today. It is true, there is a theory of verbal inspiration that must be refuted. It is that theory of inspiration that degrades the authors of the Biblical books to dead writing-machines, vrho, without any h"'Uler participation wrote down word for word what was dictated to them by the Spirit. We meet this doctrine in the Lutheran Church occasionally already during the sixteenth century, more frequently in the seventeenth century, although it can hardly be called the earmark of the presentation of all orthodox dogmaticians; later it is limited to popular writers, and today it is found only in some fundamentalist camps. This theory is in direct contradiction to everything that Scripture says elsewhere about the influence of God upon human personality, and several facts in Scripture itself speak against it. When, however, during the last years a hot pursuit ,vas started agai.:n.st this theory in some quarters of our Church, this appears to me to be nothing more than a 'fight against windmills,' because there are hardly many among us who cling to this mechanical theory. Alas, not seldom this pursuit aims at the verbal inspiJ:ation in every form, and thus the combat becomes a fight against the testimony of Scripture concerning itself. We do not want to empha- size at present the fact that without verbal inspiration we lack every guarantee that the divine content is expressed in Scripture correctly and without abbreviations; we rather stress the fact that Scripture itself demands it. It is demanded by the form of the quotations: 'The Holy Spirit speaks'; 'God says'; furthermore, it follows from the fact that Jesus as well as Paul draw important conclusions from the wording of Old Testament passages, a few times even from a single word, as D'::i'.~ in Ps. 82: 6 or CJ3tEQIW. in the story of Abraham; and in particular does·· it follow from 1 Cor. 2: 12, 13: a %aL AaAOU/-LEV 01)% EV Ih/)u%'toI, aVllQ())ltLV'Y]C; crOqJLUC; MYOLC;, aU' EV /)L/)u%'toIc; ltVEU!-I(X'tOC;, ltVW!-IU'tL1WLC; ltV8U/-LU'tL%U crUV%QLVOV'tEC;: 'Of these we also speak - not Lll words which man's wisdom teaches us, but in those which the Spirit teaches, inter- 780 Theological Observer - 2if~n~'8titttf"tcfJtl_ preting spiritual (things) by spiritual (words).' Here concerning the words spoken by the apostle and his coworkers we find expressed both the operation of the Spirit and the cooperation of the apostle." From many other interesting passages that we are tempted to quote we choose the following: "By this unique operation of the Spirit upon the holy writers a Scripture came into existence which in all its parts is God's infallible Word for mankind for the purpose of its salvation. It is well known that not a few limit this infallibility or inerrancy of Scripture to those parts that pertain to our salvation. And, indeed, this is the chief thing; and when we remember the purpose for which according to 2 Tim. 3: 16 the inspired Scripture is given, and the emphasis with which we stressed the fact that Scripture is the history of the divine revelation for the sake of our salvation, then, no doubt, the inerrancy of the parts mentioned is nearest to our heart and our first care. Scripture is no text-book on history or archeology or astronomy or psychology. But does from this follow that it must be subject to error when it occasionally speaks of matters pertaining to that field of knowledge? A certain holy awe kept me always from the assumption of errors in the original copies of the Scripture and its parts; even the mere possibility of errors seemed to me excluded by this reverential fear. However, this reverential fear alone should not hold one back from a serious reckoning with this possi- bility. It may be the result of training, and this training may have been wrong. Then there is the difficulty of drawing an absolutely correct line of demarcation between those parts that pertain to our salvation and those that do not. With some passages it might be drawn success- fully; with others, not. Passages that today apparently do not belong to the sphere of salvation might in the course of history be experienced by the Church at large or by individual members as pertaining to that sphere. These are serious considerations, but none of them is decisive. The testimony of Scripture alone is decisive. And here 2 Tim. 3: 16 and Johnl0:35 again stand before our eyes. If in 2Tim.3:16 of 'all the Scripture' is said that it is -&EOitilEUcr'tO~, brought forth by the Spirit of God, does this not exclude every error from the original copy, to which the term itE01t'VEUCfto<; alone can refer? If in John 10: 35 the general rule 'The Scripture cannot be broken' is applied to a single, one might say incidentally written, word (if in Scripture we may term anything at all as casual and incidental), which was indeed important for the under- standing and time of theocracy but has nothing to do with our salvation, have we then a right to assume errancy for any part of Scripture?" F.H.BRUNN ;£)ie ~ebeutultg ber Illt\Jroteftllntifdjen ;£)ogmlltif fnr Me ilRiffion. linter Mefer iUierfdjrift bntcft bie "SfirdjIidje 2eitfdjrift" (&ug. 1939) aus ,,®ban~ geIifdje :itljeofogie" (1939, S?eft 1) eine bon Lic. !ffiarter S?oIften geHeferte grnnbIidje unb erfreuIidj obieftibe Unterfudjung liber bicfcn \jSunft ab, bie audj in unf ern Sfreif en bielen intereff ant f ein blirfte. !mir fonnen ~ier allerbings nur toenige 6ate bamus toiebergeben, in benen SJolf±en feinen 2efern gleidjfam V:jema unb rnefurtate feiner &rbeit badegt, ~offen aber, bamit bie &ufmerffamfeit unferer 2efer aUf ben &rtUel ;;u lenfen unb fie fo Bum 6tubium besfelben au bemnlaffen. &Ilem ffiefagien toirb man frei~ Theological Observer - .Ritd)lid)~3eitgefd)id)tHd)e§ 781 ridj nidjt 3uftimmen fonnen; audj ~ier finben fidj ®egenfiiJ;le, bie eincm aUS iiberflJannt erfdjeinen, unb Wu~fagen, bie au llJeit geljen. W"nregenb, feljrreidj unb intereffant, llJefentriclj auclj llJaljr, ift aber ber W"rtifeI bennodj. Lie. ,\?or~ lten fcljreiOt: ,,!fier ber t)'rage [nadj bern UdeiI ber aItlJroteftantifdjen ~og~ matif tiber bie WliHion 1 nacljgeljt, mUB aUerbing~ aUli) dne nicljt unllJicljtige filnberung in feinem !BUb bon ber Wlinion~ g e f clj i dj t e borneljmen, llJenn er e~ burclj bie 6tanbarbllJetfe ber Wliffion~llJiffenfcljaft emlJfangen ljatte. Wlan befommt faft in biefen ben ~inbrucf, aUS fei bie aItlJroteftantifdje ~ogmatif ein 6tiicf au~ einem Wlufeum~fcljranf, auf beffen 6eIifamfeiten man ficlj mit WU0rufen be0 6taunenG unb ~olJffdjiitteIn~ im moriiberge~en aufmerffam macljt." ,\?oIften beudeiIt bann bie oft fritifiede 6teUung ber ~ogmatifer 3ur ,\?eibenmiHion unb aetgt, baB "gefilrcljtete 6treittljeologen", llJie ~ljiIilJlJ 9lifolai (De regno Christi, 1597) unb naclj i~m ber groBe ,,6djuI~ unb 6treittljeologe" ~oqann ®erqarb eine burcljauG recljte 6tellung aur WliHion eingenommen qaben. ~r fcljreibt: ,,9lifolai ift nidjt ein einfamer 6tern am bunfIen ~immeI aItlJroteftantifcljer Clt±~obo);ie. (lir llJiirbe bann ba, WO naclj ber !Bebeutung ber artproteftantif cljen ~ogmatif ftir bie Wliffion gefragt llJirb, nicljt au befragen fein. (lir mag freiHdj in fetner umfaffenben ~ircljen~ unb 9Jciffion~fenntni~ einfam bafte~en. Wber mit feiner 6djau ber ~inge, mit ben @eficljiGpunfien, unter ben en er fetnen gellJaItigen 6toff fieljt unb barf±errt, unb unter benen er bie ~inge beudeirt, fteljt er fef± in ber @e~ meinfcljafi ber Iutljerifcljen ~ogma:tifer fetner :Beit. . .. 6ie finb niimIicii feim~llJegi3 mit 6cljeuHappen burclj bie ~eIt gegangen; Die tljeologif dj reprii~ fentiede @ef±aIt eine~ ~oljann @erljarb liellJetf±' llJie gern man bie burcfj 9lifoTai bermitteIten ~enntniffe al1fnaljm, oerucffidjtig±e, berrJenbe±e. S\)a§ 9Iuge iener ~ogmatifer llJar burcfjaw nicfj± in iljre (Sorianten unb in ein Ielien~frembe~, IlJoljI gar bern .2elien ber stircfje frembe~ 6cfjema geliannt: e~ ging biefmeljr in bie gan3e !fieHe ber !fielt unb ber ~irdje." 6e~r frin licurtcift ,\?olf±en ba.i3 9lein ber ~ogmatifer iJur !Begriinbung ber Wliffion mit bern Wliffion~liefeljI Wlattlj. 28, "bie af§ ungufiiffige, ljiiretifclje merllJecljflung bon WliHion unb ~(poftorat cmpfunbcn llJurbe". ~at biefei3 9lein in einer notigen ~oIemif iljre !fiuqd ljatte, 3eigt ~orf±en f eqr fIar; e~ if± baljer aucfj ein jeljr reIatibe~ Wein, llJomit burcfjau~ nicl.jt bie WliHion an unb filr ficfj berneini llJurDe. m:lier llJomit liegriinbeien bie ~ogmamer bann bie WliHion? ,\?oIfien fcfjreilit: ,,!fiir macfjen alfo bie erftaunlicfje t)'eftftellung, baB im 6inn ber Iutfjerifcljen Clriljobo);ie bie Wliffion nicl.ji mit bern WliHion~~ vefcqI au liegriinben, fonbern af§ :r a t be r .2 i e li e 3U berfiefjen ift. (li~ lJfIegie lii~ljer feIlifiberftiinbficfj au fein, baB e~ bern ~ietii3mUi3 eigen jei, bie Wliffion mit ber .2ielie 3U liegriinben. ffieforma±orifdjer ,\?altung eniflJrecfje e~ meljr, fie aUS @ e lj 0 r f a m gegen ben WliHion~befcljI au bcrftefjen. IDSir llJerbcn biefcG ~ogma forrigieren, ia umfeljren miiffen. @erabe bie 6aulier~ leit reformatorifcfjen ~enfeni3, llJie ei3 bon ber Iutfjerifcfjen Clrtljobo);ie ge~ Wegt llJurDe, berIangt aI~ )Begriinbung ber Wliffion bie .2iebe. S\)enn bie Wliffion geljort in bai3 @ebiet bet ~tljif, uno bas cfjrif±fidje ~anbeln iteljt unter ber .2ielie. SDaburdj fomm± in ben 2ufammenljang bon Clrtljobo);ie unb ~ieti5mu~ neue~ .2icfjt. 6ic qi:ingen feljr eng gUlammen; bie .2iebe af§ Wliffion~motib qat ber ~ieti~mu~ bon ber Cldfjobo);ie empfangen. ~ie !Be~ beutung ber aItlJro±eftantif cfjen SDogmatif filr bie Wliffion ift [bafjer 1 fIar: jenc ~ogmatif ljar uber bie ffieinqeit be~ ®faulien5 gellJacfjt; ber @Iaulie, tilier beffen ffieinfjeit fie llJacfjie, ift ber @Iaulie be.i3 ~ieti~muG." (ftberfefjen 782 Theological Observer - ~itd)1id)~.8eitgefd)id)md)eiJ batf man babd abet nidjt, ba\3 beim ~ieti§mu§ getabe in beaug auf bie Sfem~ !Jltnfte, !Jtedjijeriigung unb S)eUigung, bie djtiftHdje Cfdenntni§ fidj felit trilote.) ,,\1(n WCiHion£lfinn 1111b WCiHion£lgebanfen lint e£l iljt [bet aHprote~ f±antifdjen Sl)ogmatif] nidjt gefeW; bon iljt ljat fie bet ~ietii8mUi8 iiliet~ rommen. \l(oet freHidj: bie aItptoteftantif dje Sl)ogmatif I e lj t t e ben @Iau~ oen, im ~ieti£lmUi8 routbe et t ii t i g. ~ene roeift aUf bie meoe liin, biefet fro± fie." (ilJCan betftelj±, tuotauf bet ®djreiOet mit biefem @egenfal,} aoaiert. \1[10 aUgemein 11Jaljt aoet ra\3± fidj biefer @egenfat nidjt ljarten; er ftimmt aud) nidj± mit bem, roai8 bet \l(utOt frilljer gefagt ljat.) "illienn bie WCiHion£l~ taten bet Driljobot;ie fo rummerlidj erfdjeinen gegenilliet bem reidjen WCif~ fion£iIeoen be£l ~ieti£lmu£i, fo geljt ei8 l1idjt um Sl)ogmatif, fonbem um ®tljU, um ben @Iauuen, bet in ber meoe tiitig if±. " (Sl)amit auet foU nidjt gejagt fein, ba\3 bel ben grauoigen Sl)ogmatifcrn ber @Iauoe n i dj t in ber Bieoe tiitig roar; benn an (ftlji! mangeHe e£i iljnen um fo l1Jeniger, getabe l1JeH iljnen @oitei8 illiori ein fo gto\3er (frnft roat. ~ljre meIie tuitfte fidj eoen anber£i unb auf anberm @euiet aU£l.) ,,\l(udj roenn tuit biefet ®djranfen un£i fo Har oetuuf3± finb, ettueif± fidj bie mebentung bet aItptotef±antifdjen Sl)og~ matH fUr bie Wciffion bodj a10 unettuade± gro\3 unb pofiti\:). ~ljt iff £0 au berbanren, baB bai8 WCiffion£lroed be£l )j3ieti£imu£i nidjt romifdje illiedetei, fonbern ~at, mebe£ltat, be£i ebangeIifdjen @Iauoen£l 11Jutbe." [loU unb gana geroilrbigt ift mit bem Ietten ®at ba£l, roa£l eine fpatete abgIeifenbe Beit bet ar±proteftantif djen Sl)ogmaHt berbanft, burdjaui8 nidjt. \l(uer babDn genug. ~l(m: nodj ein anbeter ®ebanfe. illienn lllir Ijeutautage in unferet ilJh±±e aum ll.Jliffion£lroerf aUf @runb bon WCaitlj. 28 unb WCad. 16 ermaljnen, fo tun roit bie£l mit boUem !Jtedjt Sl)en11 roaljrenb ja bie guten WCiffion£ltuerfe, roie aUe anbern guten illietk au£i @Iauoe unb mebe fIie\3en, fo etfdjeint un§ bodj auclj in WCattlj. 28 unb WCad. 16 @otte£i flatet illiiUe an aUe CIljtif±en. WCan llergleidje 1 ~etr. 2, 9. @u±e illierfe ljaoen eli en bie Cfigenari, ba\3 fie forooljI nadj ber Worm be£i @efei,?e£l a[£l audj in ber Bieoe gefdjcIJen. ~. 5t. ';J)'C. Preparations for the Lutheran 'World Convention. - Our readers have been informed that next year, from May 24 to June 2, the Lutheran World Convention will meet in Philadelphia. The News Bulletin of the National Lutheran Council reports that a commission is drawing up a document which expresses Christian attitudes concerning basic social problems. This is a part of the study the commission is preparing on the topic "The Church in the World," which study is to be used as a basis of considera- tion at the World Convention. To keep our readers in touch with developments, we print the fol- lowing additional information from the Bulletin: "According to the commission's statement the first part of the study will concern general principles 'setting forth the nature and mission of the Church in the world with special reference to the contrasts and conflicts between the ideals of the Church and those of the world. This introduc- tion also sets forth the distinctive principles by which Christian civiliza- tion is developed.' It is the hope of the commission that this portion of the study will be of so 'timeless' a character that it will never be out- dated. The body of the report, however, 'proposes to deal with social questions which characterize all generations in all countries, but with special reference to the social questions of the present.' "The commission's statement indicates that this practical section of the Theological Observer - Sfird,JHdv3eitgefd,Jid,Jtlid,Jes 783 study will be divided into five parts: 'The first will deal with problems of the more intimate social life, as sex, marriage, home, and such asso- ciated subjects as employment of women in industry, child welfare, divorce, etc. "'The second part will deal with problems pertaining to the State, with authority and forms of government, duties and responsibilities. "'The third part will deal with problems connected with economic relations, with reference to problems between labor and capital, between production, marketing, consumption, etc. "'The fourth part will deal with problems involved in cultural rela- tions, ideologies, traditions, customs, race, and types of civilization. " 'The fifth part will deal with Christian education in the application of Christian truth and principles to science and philosophy as they affect life in its social relationships.' "According to the Rev. Dr. Walton H. Greever, chairman of the com- mission, the purpose of the Lutheran World Convention and the work of this commission is 'to make the best possible contribution that the Lu- theran Church can make on this subject at the present time, recognizing the world-wide interest of Christians of all denominations in these vital social problems. This report will be prepared and presented with the definite purpose that it may become the basis of definite programs by which principles and applications may be made known to the whole body of the Churrh, and publicized to the utmost degree. It is not the ex- pectation of the committee that any specific program of action may come out of this, but that the whole Church may be moved to the possibility of an effective educational program. It is also expected that what is pre- sented through the report in condensed form may stimulate production of a continuous stream of special literature on specific subjects.' "So wide and varied is the field of study that the members of the commission during their recent meeting accepted tentative oral reports and disbanded to return to their homes to prepare their revised papers there. The completed reports will be turned over to Dr. Greever and on September 1, he and the Rev. Dr. Conrad Bergendoff, president of Augus- tana College and Seminary, Rock Island, TIL, will unify them. Mimeo- graphed copies will then be sent to the three foreign members of the commission for their approval. "In addition to Dr. Greever and Dr. Bergendoff, members of the com- mission are: the Rev. Dr. Bernhard M. Christensen, president of Augsburg College and Seminary, Minneapolis, Minn.; the Rev. Dr. Thaddeus F. Gullixson, president of Luther Theological Seminary, St. Paul, Minn.; the Rev. Dr. Emil E. Fischer of the Philadelphia Lutheran Theological Semi- nary; and the Rev. Dr. Edward C. Fendt of Capital University, Colum- bus, O. The Rev. Dr. Lars W. Boe, president of St. Olaf College, North- field, Minn., and a member of the Lutheran World Convention executive committee, is serving the commission in an advisory capacity. The European members of the commission are the Rev. Dr. Paul Althaus of Erlangen University, Erlangen, Germany; the Rev. Dr. Alfred Jorgensen, Denmark; and Bishop J. Sandegren of Trichinopoly, India. "Except for a single American respresentative on each the personnel of the other two commissions preparing studies for the World Convention 784 Theological Observer - .Rltd)Hd)·8eitgefd)id)tlid)el! was chosen from the ranks of the leading European theologians. Their studies concern 'the Church, the Word, and the Sacraments,' and 'The Church and Other Churches.' Each topic relates to the general subject, 'The Lutheran Church Today.' " A later issue of the Bulletin contains a further sketch of the planned convention and its program. "The group of official delegates will be comparatively small, but an effort will be made to secure the participation of the prominent leaders in all spheres of church activity. According to the decision of the execu- tive committee there will be a total of one hundred and sixty delegates- forty to be chosen from among the Lutheran churches in America, forty from the Scandinavian countries, forty from Germany, and forty from the Lutheran churches in other nations. "During the initial convention session, Friday morning, May 24, the delegates will be divided into three sections, each charged with the re- sponsibility of studying, and acting on, the reports of the three Conven- tion commissions. These working sessions will continue until Wednes- day, May 29, when the first section will present its report on 'The Church, the Word, and the Sacraments' to the assembled delegates. "On Thursday, May 30, the second section will report on 'The Church and Other Churches.' The third and final section report, on 'The Church in the W orId,' will be heard and acted on the following d~-- A -'--le op- porttmity will be given for study and discussion. "Six American and three European Lutheran theologians are prepar- ing the study on 'the Church in the World.' Except for a single American representative on each the personnel of the other two commissions has been chosen from the ranks of the leading European theologians. Each topic relates to the general convention theme, 'The Lutheran Church Today.' "In addition to devoting many hours to the three basic studies the delegates will hear and consider reports concerning the great projects of the Lutheran World Convention which are being undertaken in many parts of the world. "Yet this is but a fraction 0:£ the complete Convention program. Be- ginning on Thursday, May 30, Philadelphia will be the scene of about a dozen Lutheran conferences, all to be conducted as integral parts of the World Convention. One, an international Youth Congress, will rally Lu- theran youth from Europe and America. Appropriately, the theme of this conference will be 'Tomorrow's Lutheran Church.' The Rev. Dr. N. M. Ylvisaker of Minneapolis, executive secretary of the Luther League of the Norwegian Lutheran Church, has accepted the chief responsibility for the organization and projection of this portion of the program. "Arrangements are being made for foreign- and home-mission con- ferences, meetL1'lgs for Lutheran editors, nurses, educators, a..?J.d Sunday- school teachers. All Lutheran men's groups, women's organizations, and inner-mission agencies will also send representatives to participate in the special conferences. Organizations such as the Lutheran Inner Mission Conference, the Foreign Missions Conference, and the Educational Con- ference have already arranged to hold their 1940 sessions in Philadelphia as a part of the Lutheran World Convention meeting. 78~ "On Memorial Day, May 30, all Convention visitors will take an ex- cursion to Valley Forge, the Trappe Church, and Muhlenberg's grave. For the occasion special patriotic services are being arranged. "Climax to this greatest of all Lutheran assemblies will be the final service and choral concert in Philadelphia's Convention Hall, Sunday afternoon, June 2. "The American section of the Lutheran World Convention executive committee is directly in charge of all arrangements for the Convention gathering. Members of the committee are the Rev. Dr. Frederick H. Knubel, of New York City, president of the United Lutheran Church in America and vice-president of the World Convention; the Rev. Dr. Ralph H. Long, executive director of the National Lutheran Council and assis- tant treasurer of the World Convention; the Rev. Dr. Lars W. Boe, presi- dent of St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn.; and the Rev. Dr. Abelel Ross Wentz of the Gettysburg Theological Seminary, Gettysburg, Pa." What the Lutheran World Convention should do is discuss seriously the defections from sound Lutheranism of which many of its members are guilty, in order that true unity in the faith may be established. A. Why a Deacon Resigned from the Presbyterian Church, U. S. A. - John A. Heckel, member of the Rutger Presbyterian Church, St. Louis, Mo., and deacon in that church for many years, recently resigned from his various offices and his relationship to the denomination. In his resignation declaration, as reported by the Christian Beacon (Aug. 3, 1939), he stated as the first two reasons for this important step the following: "During the early months of 1939 I learned facts which are not generally known by the laity of the Presbyterian Church, U. S. A., but which we have every right to know. The following are some of these facts: 1. In 1923 approximately twelve hundred Presbyterian ministers signed a document called the 'Auburn Affirmation,' in which the verbal inspiration and inerrancy of the Scriptures is denied and the virgin birth of Christ, the blood atonement of Christ, the bodily resurrection of Christ, and the miracles of Christ are declared to be 'one of many theories.' This affirmation was blasphemy and a sin beyond description, and yet not only did these men escape discipline, but today every board of the denomination has these men on its councils. 2. While the above- mentioned apostates were not dealt with, the Presbyterian Church, U. S. A., did not hesitate to unfrock men of God who chose to obey Him rather than men and who put God's Word and conscience above the dictates of human agencies; such men were Doctors Machen, Laird, McIntire, Griffiths, and others. Other ministers, whose sympathies are with these men, are not standing with them for fear of action by the powerful ecclesiastical machine. This most certainly is not the faith of our fathers." J. T. M. Southern Minister Attacks the Verbal Inspiration of the Bible.- Under this heading the Christian Beacon (Aug. 3, 1939) reports an attack upon the Biblical doctrine of Verbal Inspiration (called by the Beacon "the historic position of the Presbyterian Church") by Rev. P. McGeachy, Presbyterian minister in Decatur, Ga. The article appeared in the Presbyterian of the South (July 26, 1939), in a section entitled "Pres- 50 786 Theological Observer - RttdJltd)~3eitgefd)id)tltdJel! byterian Round Table." In the article Dr. McGeachy declares: "I am a believer, and a loyal Presbyterian believer, but I am frank to say that I take my stand with Barth and Brunner," viz., in regard to the doctrine of Biblical inspiration. The declaration is far too long to be quoted in full; yet the following paragraph may interest our readers since it closely resembles the standpoint taken by many writers in the United Lutheran Church in recent years. Dr. McGeachy says: "It is not in my mind to deny Verbal Inspira- tion. There must be some sense in which the words which convey an idea are inspired if the idea itself is inspired~ Undoubtedly there are actual and definite words in the Bible which we would not lose for any- thing. There are words that are music and light in their very syllables .... What I do object to, however, and what is turning a great and helpful fact into a hurtful lie [Hear! Hear!] is the idea that the Bible is to be taken in a hard and fast sense, just as, for example, we must take the multiplication table. I insist that such an idea is contrary to Pres- byterianism and contrary to all that the Bible itself has in mind. And yet this idea is rampant among us at this moment, and it is causing schism and turmoil and is all unintentionally holding back the coming of the King and His kingdom. I say that this holding back of the kingdom is unintentional. Men who take this stand are sincere and earnest, and they feel that in defending their position they are really defending God's truth. They think that, because some of us do not go with them, we have gone off into heresy and that we are guilty of treason to Christ and His Church. They think this; they say this; and so far as they are able, they carry out their thoughts in deeds. They have created division; they have accused men who are equally worthy and sincere with them- selves; and they have shed abroad among the professed followers of the God of love a spirit of criticism and of censure that sha.rnes the cause and must surely hurt the heart of our Master. And my insistence is that in all this they have been emphasizing something that is usually not a matter of importance and that is often an actual hindrance to progress in the fellowship of Hi.rn who said: 'Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.''' Very moderately Dr. Carl McIntire replies to this attack editorially: "The position taken by Dr. McGeachy is similar to that taken by the late Dr. Charles Briggs of Union Theological Seminary, New York, for which in 1893 he was suspended from the ministry of the Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. One wonders what the brethren in the South are going to do about this subtle, insidious, and yet open attack upon the historic position of the Protestant Church that the Word of God is infallible, pure, and without error. If it has errors, it is not infallible; if it is infallible, it does not have any errors and is trustworthy." The last words of the editorial are directed especially against the final paragraph, in which Dr. McGeachy sums of his viewpoint thus: "I am insisting on the idea of revelation. But I am not saying that, in order to have revelation, we must have what some brethren seem to demand. These brethren say that the Bible must be absolutely accurate in every detail or else it cannot be the Bible at all. They think of the Book as a sort of Prince Rupert's Drop: you must not break even a tiny Theological Observer - Ritd)Iid)~8eitgefd)td)tlid)es 787 fragment from it; for if you do, then the whole Book flies into dust and nothingness. I had a man say precisely that to me within the last month or so. He held that the Bible must be exact in literally every- thing or else it was all gone for him. These brethren frequently say that it is dangerous to admit that there may possibly be a flaw aJlywhere from Genesis to Revelation. Now, I insist that that fear is not Pres- byterian doctrine; it is not the doctrine of the Bible about itself." As the reader peruses this viciously controversial article, which, let us bear in mind, was written primarily for Christian laymen, he is amazed at the satanic cleverness of the writer's paralogic argumentation. First he pretends to accept verbal inspiration. Next he claims that the Bible cannot be regarded as inerrant in all its parts, since that is contrary to the Bible itself. Then he accuses those who defend Biblical infallibility as holding back the Kingdom, creating division and hurting the heart of the Master. Lastly he dismisses the entire subject as unworthy of so much consideration, since after all the doctrine of Biblical inerrancy is not a matter of importance, but claims that often it proves an actual hindrance to progress in the fellowship of Christ. This is destructive cunning and a saddening attempt to dynamite the foundation of the Christian faith by denying the infallible authority of God's Word, concerning which the Christian Church has always judged: Quidquid Deus revelavit, infallibiliter veT'Um est, J. T.M. Methodists Too Liberal Concerning Grounds fo:;: Divol'