Christian Chronicle (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 3, No. 39, Ed. 1 Wednesday, February 27, 1946 Page: 2 of 8
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PAGE TWO
UNIVERSAL
Number 39
February 27, 1946
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The Revised Standard Version
in the last day.”
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The Divine Standard
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Editor’s Note: The adjoining article appeared in the
leading dally papers of Oklahoma City, sponsored
by the churches of Christ in that dty. From week
to week we reproduce articles which are published
in this series as material for or examples of such
articles to be used by churches everywhere In their
local work.
Each week the editorial article which is adjudged
most timely and valuable will be printed on
this page of CHRISTIAN CHRONICLE.
THE LAST DAY
. , . ... —... „» -■ J. ...r* — .......—
ARTICLE OF THE WEEK
By Frank Winters
One of the commonest expressions we hear from the lips of
religious people is that “it doesn't make any difference what
church a man belongs to, just so his heart is right with God.”
Like many popular' sayings, this is only half true. And in the
sense in which it is ordinarily used it is certainly not true
at all.
fe;j
• * * •
A man that is young in years may be old in hours, if he
, has lost no time.—Bacon.
» ./ ♦ • • ♦
> All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I
Kindness in ourselves is the honey that blunts the sting
of unkindness in another.—Landor.*
• • ♦ •
Temptations are sure to ring your door bell,
FEBRUARY 27, 1946
It s a man’s inalienable right to make a fool of himself, •
but he should not use up all his privilege.
• ♦ • •
Obedience to God is the most infallible evidence of sin-*
b right with
the heart
eUreped you." (Rom. S;17).
God Himself declares that
STAFF MEMBERS
Entered as second-class matter October 18, 1944, at the Post Office
at Abilene. Texas. under the Act of March 3, 1879
ILB 1
cere and supreme love to Him.—Emmons.
11 - a • ’ \ s • • • •
A being in the shape of a man that makes no distinc-
tion between right and wrong is a thing.—J. D. Freeman.
1 ■ ....... .■ •
..... 1 |
There has been more speculation
on the last day and the things
which are to occur on that day
than on any other subject in the
Bible. Men have been guessing
when it will be, have been setting
dates, but they have missed every
time. But in spite of this people
still put their faith in such men
and are looking for the last day
and the coming of the Lord at any
moment.
But some one is ready to say
that the Bible teaches that the
coming of Jesus is at hand. If it
teaches that now, it taught it 1800
years ago, when it was first wrlt-
en. But if it taught 1800 years ago
that the last day and coming of
Christ were at hand, it taught
what was not true. The fact that
the Lord has not come yet proves
that his coming was not at hand
1800 years ago.
And all the fanciful interpreta-
tions of prophecy mongers from
the first to the last can not over-
throw or get around that patent
fact. But another says the apostles
confidently expected the Lord to
come during their lifetime. Well,
if so, they were disappointed. And
if they expected the second coming
of Christ in their lifetime, it is
certain the Holy Spirit did not
lead them to that conclusion. The
conclusion was false. The Holy
Spirit taught the truth. Therefore
the Holy Spirit did not teach the
apostles to expect the Lord to re-
turn in their day. But Peter did
not look for the Lord’s return in
his day, for the Lord showed him
what manner of death he should
die. (John 21:19).
And he wrote letters telling peo- th*
pie how to live so they would have
such teaching after his death.
4' ’* «
have not seen.—Emerson.
-
*
fer -
* * * *
If you hold your religion lightly you are sure to let it
The lions* would not eat Daniel because he was all back-
bone.
■ .
■i H ■
• • • a
You can’t prove the reality of your religion by its rack-
of The New Testament
It is too early to predict what will be the general con-
census of opinion regarding the recent translation pro-
duced by the new revision committee on the New Testa-
ment. We have not had time to scrutenize it carefully or
completely; hence any judgment passed upon it now would
be based upon partial study. But, frankly, we are very much
^&Mpointed in it. *
It purports to maintain the same excellent accuracy in
translation attained by the American Standard version of
1903, while recapturing the simplicity and dignity of the
English characteristic of the Authorized or King James
Version. But it does neither.
As for accuracy of translation: The men who have serv-
ed on the new revision committee are mostly modernists.
Regardless of their attainments in scholarship, they are
not characterized by that deep respect for the text as were
the translators of previous times. They play fast and loose
with the text, sometimes adopting, textual emendations,
which, no matter how ingenious, are largely conjectural.
Secondly, too often their version is simpjy an interpreta-
tion or commentary, and not a translation. For example,
in Romans 6 where Paul is teaching a lesson whose force
depends upon a play on words, the lesson is obscured—not
to say lost—by the new interpretation. Paul wrote “Form of
doctrine, parallelling baptims and the death, burial and
resurrection of Christ. The new version reads, “The stand-
ard of teaching,” disregarding the figure and thus destroy-
ing the primary force of the passage. Mark 16:9ff. is re-
’ legated to a footnote. Where the Hebrew writer spoke of
Esau as a “profane” person, the nc-w version reads, “im-
moral person,” thus not only contradicting the nature of
the sin involved, but mistranslating the word. Esau may
have been immoral, but this passage does not say so. The
sin here considered was not of a moral nature, but was the
disobedience of a positive command. Hence, the word “pro-
fane.” He held God’s command in contempt.
As for the majesty and dignity of the diction: The lang-
uage, although given much to the use of one syllable and
simple words, nevertheless is stilted and affected. Time
and again sentences are pedantic and involved. It reminds
one of the man who reaches around the back of his head to
scratch his ear.
This is not to say it does not have many merits. It has
some fine and excellent features. Some of the translations
of difficult passages are marvelously cleAr and helpful.
Every preacher and teacher ought to have and acquaint
himself with it, for comparison’s sake. It will prove valu*
able, but cannot be accepted as a truly trustworthy trans-
lation. It will be good for your library as a commentary or
interpretation.
If a man’s "heart is right with God," he will belong to the
Lord’s church. For no man can have a heart that is right in
the sight of God while he is either refusing or failing to ren-
der obedience to the commandments of Christ. Christ him-
self said, "If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments.”
(John 14:15). We do not concede it to be possible, therefore,
for any man to love the Lord—to have his “heart right with
God”—and neglect to do those things commanded by the
Lord. And the things commanded by the Lord will always
make a man a member of the church of the New Testament.
That a man can be honest and sincere, and at the same
time honestly mistaken, is too obvious to need much proof.
We see is illustrated a thousand ways in daily life. It is al-
so profoundly true in religion. See, for instance, the case of
Saul of Tarsus. This man lived "in aU good conscience;" yet
at the same time he persecuted the church of God. In the
popular usage of phrases his heart was certainly “right with
God" even while he was giving himself to the murder of
. innocent Christians; for was he not honest? Was he not sin-
cere? Was he not Indeed sealous in the religion of his fa-
thers.
Honesty and sincerity and seal are not enough—It abio
takes, truth. These fine qualities of heart and soul must be
controlled and directed by the truth. The Bible—not our
sincerity and seal and honesty—is the standard by which
judgment shall be rendered at the last day. The Bible, of
course, includes these qualities; but It also embraces some-
. thing greater than all of them, that is “the truth.” Christ
\ said, “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you
In order to make certain that your "heart L
God," be very sure that you have "obeyed from
that form of doctrine which was dellvi
Then there can be no mistakt; for
such a mm h "right" with Him.
E-
BRO
i
«’w.wutrwuwwaveaa0 WAV. QU1C W A Illg JTUUA UUUL
your fault if you ask them to stay for dinner.
e O 0 0
.. —
that judgeth him: the vrord tty
I spake, the same shall judge mm I
(John 12:48). doubtful
Some one is to be judged the last
day. Who? Those who rejected
Jesus, and received not his say-
ings. This was addressed to the
people who lived in the time of
our Lord; so the Lord is on rec-
ord as saying that the wicked of
his time will be judged on the last 1 ment of our Lord,
But if such passage is found
that teaches a thousand years
period between the resurrection
of the good and evil, the second
thing it would do Is to prove that
Jesus did not know what he was
talking about when he said the
righteous would be raised on the
last day. If there are a thousand
years after the resurrection of
the good, there will be 365,000 days
after their resurrection. Jesus said
they are going to be raised on the
last day.
But If the theory is true, this
day on which the righteous will
be raised will not be the last day,
not by 365,000 days. Did Jesus tell
the truth when he said the right-
eous will be raised on the last day?
Will the day of their resurrection
actually be the last day Or will
there be a thousand years after
It? The veracity of Jesus is at
stake here.
|
Jesus Is Coming
The fourth thing to take place
on the last day is the coming of
the Lord. “For the Lord himself
shall descend from heaven, with a
shout, with the voice of the arch-
angel, and with the trump of God:
and the dead In Christ shall rise
first; then we that are alive, that
are left, shall together with them
be caught up in the clouds,
meet the Lord In the air: and so
shall we ever be with the Lord.”
(I Thess. 4:16-17).
The dead In Christ are the \
righteous dead. But here Paul says
they are to be raised when the
Lord comes. Jesus said they will
be raised on the last day, (John
6:44). If they are raised oil the
last day, and Jesus comes that
day, It follows that Jesus will
come on the last day.
In this passage many think they
have proof of the resurrection of
the righteous a thousand yean
before the wicked are raised. “The
dead In Christ shall rise flnt.”
First, before what? Paul is talk-
ing of two classes of people. First,
those who have died in Christ;
second, those who are alive in
Christ at the time of his coming.
Now, he says the dead in Christ
shall rise flnt, that Is, before the
living In Christ are caught up to
be with the Lord. The wicked are
not mentioned in this passage of -
scripture; only those in ■ Christ,
the living and the dead.
But some one Is ready to say, I
know there is to be a period of a v
thousand yean on this earth af-
ter Jesus comes. And I ask. How
do you know it? The Bible no-
WICKED WILL BE RAISED
Yes, the wicked will have to be
thk Christian
■
--
Volume 3
—---—---
Published Wednesday of each week except the last week in June
and the last week in December at Abilene, Texas
32.00 Per Annum in Advance
Send all communications and articles to Box 1158, Abilene, Texas
OLAN L. HICKS _____________Editor and Publisher
raised either on or before the last
day if they are to be present for
their judgment. But where is the
scripture proof? “The hour com-
eth in the which all that are in
the tombs shall hear his voice, and
shall come forth} they that have
done good, unto the resurrection
of life and they that have done
evil, unto the resurrection of judg-
ment.” (John 5:28-29). The hour
cometh.
An hour is a fractional part of
a day. In that hour all, ALL, shall
come from their tombs. Who are
included in that all? The good and
the evil. So according to Jesus
both the good and the bad shall
come forth at the same time. The
good are to be raised on the last
day. (John 6:44). Therefore the
wicked will be raised on the last
day, since they are to come forth
on the same day as the righteous.
But some one says there Is to
be a thousand years between the
resurrection of the wicked and
that of the just. And where does
the Bible say so? They are still
hunting for the passage. But just
suppose there is a passage some-
where that says the wicked are to
be raised one thousand years af-
ter the righteous. What then?
In the first place it would prove
that Jesus did not tell the truth
when he said all that are In their
tombs shall come forth at the
are plain post-
I live V/S VUJ
ing is not couched
BY ROY H. LANIER
(H Pet. 1:13-15) Neither did Paul
look for the Lord to come in his
lifetime. (H Theas. 2: Iff) The sub-
ject is far too big to be covered
thoroughly in such short space,
but we will suggest six things
which are to happen on the last
day, and things not In the realm
Of speculation.
.. The Righteous WiU Be
Raised
“No man can come unto me, ex-
cept the Father that sent me draw
liim: and I will raise him up in the
last day.” (John 6:44). Some one
is to be raised the last day. Who?
Those who come unto Jesus, so
the righteous. This is one thing
that is going to happen on the last
day just as surely as the Lord told
the truth. .
Wicked Will Be Judged
“He that rejecteth me, and re-
celveth not my sayings, hath one same time. These are plain posl-
that judgeth him: the word ttjat tlve words of our Lord. His mean-
l In symbols
of interpretation. It is
even difficult to misunderstand
them. Now if a passage is found
In which a number of symbols are
used, the meaning of which Is at
best obscure, we must not give
that passage an interpretation
| which contradicts this plain state-
day—the same day on which the
righteous will be raised.
Surely the Lord will judge
one in his absence. The courts of
our land will not conduct a trial
and condemn a man in his ab-
sence. This necessitates the resur-
rection of the wicked before they
are judged, so we conclude that
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Hicks, Olan L. Christian Chronicle (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 3, No. 39, Ed. 1 Wednesday, February 27, 1946, newspaper, February 27, 1946; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1305898/m1/2/?q=Lamar+University: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.