Eutychus and His Kin: November 23, 1959

THE MAN WITH THE BOOK

Now I saw in my dream, as Christian went on his way toward the City, reading from the Book, that he came upon a toll gate at the entrance to a great highway, and there he beheld a marvelous chariot which dazzled his eyes. And in the chariot sat a man in strange garments with his head shorn.

DR. IVY: Hop in, Dad; want a lift to the city?

CHRISTIAN: What manner of words are these? And whither.…

IVY: Just sit down. I’m in a bit of a rush. What’s the matter? Too fast? This Jag has a lot of soup. Where are you from? Destruction? Can’t say I ever heard of it. Sounds like a good place to be from! What’s the book you’re carrying?

CHRISTIAN: Sir, this is the Book that leads me in the path of righteousness. Because of what I have read in it I am journeying to the City. Are you bound thither at this fearful rate, or is this the broad highway that leadeth to destruction?

IVY: Not a bad term for this pike; it does lead the nation in traffic deaths. But don’t be alarmed; I’ll get you to the city. I’m glad you read the Bible, but isn’t it a bit ostentatious to carry it in your hands that way? It suggests Fundamentalist bibliolatry.

CHRISTIAN: I know not who these are whom you scorn, but did not Moses bear the Words of God in his hand as he came down from the mount?

IVY: To be sure, but you can scarcely conform your daily behavior to the myths of Heilsgeschichte, however meaningful they may be as witnesses to redemptive action. You don’t follow me? After all, we know nothing about Moses. The Sinai tradition was Israel’s way of historicizing the Babylonian New Year mythology. What is significant is the philosophy of history that arose in Israel in which Israel’s past was related in mythological language to the act of God.

CHRISTIAN: But did not the King say, Moses wrote of me?

IVY: No doubt Jesus accepted the traditions of his day as to the Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch; but we must distinguish between the man Jesus and the Christ-event.… DON’T OPEN THAT DOOR! I’m stopping!

Now I saw in my dream that Christian picked himself up from the ditch, and with great haste fled away from the highway, holding both his ears as he ran.

EUTYCHUS

DURABLE DEBATE

To my way of thinking this is one of the finest and greatest and most informing issues you have published (Oct. 12 issue). I started reading and could not quit until I had finished. That “Debate over Divine Election” is a most interesting conversation by great and well-informed thinkers.

WM. B. EERDMANS

Grand Rapids, Mich.

You and your associates have done a magnificent job in your treatment of Divine Election (Oct. 12 issue).… Your debate shows that when the evangelical—be he Calvinist, Arminian or Barthian—contemplates divine election he bewails his own helplessness, magnifies God’s saving grace, and entrusts himself afresh to Christ his righteousness.

May the writer offer one question? Is the treatment of Calvinists and of Calvinistic interpretation offered in the name of Barth quite true of Calvin himself? For example, Calvin repeatedly asserts: “No man is loved by God but in Christ; he is the beloved Son in whom the love of God perpetually rests, and then diffuses itself to us: so that we are accepted in the beloved (Eph. 1:6, Institutes III.ii.32; III.xxiv.5; II.xvi.4). Thus he insists that “we shall find no assurance of our election in ourselves; nor even in God the Father, considered alone, abstractly from the Son”; rather our eyes must be directed to Christ, because it was impossible for the Father to love us except in him. Here for Calvin as for Luther, Christ the Mediator is the mirror of election (III.xxiv.5); for Calvin, as later for Barth, Christ as God the Son is the Author of election (III.xxii.7); and for Calvin, following Augustine, Christ as a mortal man of the seed of David is the brightest example of gratuitous election (III.xxii.1).

As Berkouwer (Faith and Justification, pp. 164, 168, 165) shows, “the Reformers, no less than Barth, willed every believer bound to Christ and every path that turned away from him rejected as speculation.” In that God’s mercy comes to us in history, we are guarded against speculation. “For confronting us is the mirror of our election, Jesus Christ” which is “the deepest intent of the thought of both Luther and Calvin.”

Again thanking you and every one of your notable panel for their scholarly and evangelical testimony.

WM. C. ROBINSON

Columbia Seminary

Decatur, Ga.

How much there was said in that debate, but how little of importance.

HERMAN D. MIERINS

Chatham, N. J.

Excellent … issue, particularly the interview on divine election.

WILBURN C. CAMPBELL

The Diocese of West Virginia

Charleston, W. Va.

The brethren … have sufficiently muddied the theological waters so as to have left the layman and the average cleric at sea.… With respect to man, God predestined character and nothing else.

G. C. MCCRILLIS

Bisbee, Ariz.

If one picture is worth a thousand words, surely one debate such as the one over divine election is worth at least a dozen treatises on the same subject.

GARY M. HIGBEE

The Alliance Church (C.&M.A.)

Hood River, Ore.

The participants waded around in the shallows of traditional theologies and at no time did they get beyond their depth. Therefore the traditional obscurities were stirred up and no aspect of the debate was settled.… In biblical theology of the New Testament there are frequent examples of the will of God being conditioned by the will of man …, indicating … that salvation is possible.

THOMAS D. HERSEY

Methodist Church

Popejoy, Iowa

Just about the most stimulating thing I have read in a long time. Any time a Baptist, an Anglican and a Nazarene can get together to discuss one of the doctrines generally considered a Presbyterian exclusive, you have ecumenicity of a sort that organic church unions can never breed.

LOREN V. WATSON

First Presbyterian Church

Appalachia, Va.

This is as clear a presentation of the issues as I have seen in recent literature. It is also a singularly fair and objective discussion. I feel that this article will go a long way toward establishing the belief on both sides that there are actually evangelical Christians in the Arminian as well as in the Calvinistic camp. Thank you for rendering this service to the English-speaking world.

DONALD E. DEMARAY

Dean

School of Religion

Seattle Pacific College

Seattle, Wash.

Wonderful.… As an evangelical Arminian institution we have been hoping for some top-level discussion such as this.

KENNETH R. MAURER

Dean

Evangelical Congregational

School of Theology

Myerstown, Pa.

Reminded me of the dangers in Calvinism and strengthened my Arminian convictions. Surely if God loves, he loves all men and desires their salvation.

CHRISTIANITY TODAY has been a great blessing to my ministry. Many of my Methodist preacher brethren find inspiration in its pages to continue in the evangelical tradition.

EDMUND W. ROBB, JR.

First Methodist Church

Hamlin, Tex.

Dr. Wiley so ably presents the viewpoint of the Arminian position that one cannot help but see its support in the Holy Scriptures.

S. L. NUSSBAUM

Allen Street Methodist Church

Centralia, Mo.

Dr. Wiley … and Dr. Bromiley together revealed the affinities between Arminius and Barth.… Arminius … was clear on one central point …, that Christ is really the object of the divine election.

CARL BANGS

Olivet Nazarene College

Kankakee, Ill.

It is probably true that Arminianism as a theological system more so than Calvinism often has lapsed into humanism, but this fact does not incriminate true Arminianism as such.… The fact that Arminianism makes such a delicate, but nevertheless careful, scriptural distinction at the point of divine sovereignty and human freedom does mean that the greatest of diligence is necessary to safeguard the exegesis. Of course, anytime human opinion usurps the authority which belongs only to the Sovereign Word of God, Arminianism like Calvinism becomes an easy prey to the egocentric schemes of liberalism.… I rejoice in the Arminian faith which declares the absolute Sovereignty of God, the utter lostness of man, but the inexhaustable possibilities of redemption through the Gospel of grace in Jesus Christ our Lord. Moreover, it would seem to me that this is the practical faith of most Calvinists in the front line of evangelism—in fact, I suspect on the whole our Calvinist brethren today are better Arminians than most Methodists although I don’t expect them to admit it.

ROBERT E. COLEMAN

Asbury Seminary

Wilmore, Ky.

I have the feeling that it illustrates with some degree of persuasiveness that the purely biblical point of view must somehow accept both positions, admitting meanwhile, the impossibility of complete reconciliation.… Our activity in obedience to the requirements of the Gospel must be governed by both positions. We must preach to men’s wills, and we must depend on the Holy Spirit’s sovereign operation.

SIGURD F. WESTBERG

Chicago, Ill.

To my surprise nothing was said concerning Emil Brunner’s attempt to wrestle with this problem in his Dogmatics.

FRED L. HOLDER

Iowa City, Iowa

I consider it very unfortunate that a Lutheran theologian was not included in this conversation. There is a unique Lutheran stand on this subject, quite distinct from the Calvinist-Arminian tug-o’-war, as a glance at the Book of Concord will reveal.

DON BARON

Bethesda Evangelical Lutheran Church

Newark, N. J.

I find that nearly all of our evangelical Calvinistic preachers and evangelists very definitely step over into the Arminian realm when they minister to believers—Calvin for birth; Arminius for growth and service.

MILES J. STANFORD

Warrenville, Ill.

I read with relish.… Could you get together a group of scholars who would debate with the major premise being: “The Scripture says” rather than “I believe” or “so-and-so has said.” On that basis we would have an answer to the Scripture where it says, “The spirit quickens.” Or “Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated.” Also, sticking close to the Scripture it’s quite obvious that Judas had no alternative but he wanted none. While he may be called a robot on that basis the fact yet remains that he had no choice in those innate factors of life with which he was born by which he was the type of man who willingly served as the instrument of God in doing what God had ordained. Accepting the fact of Scripture, God is the author of evil, remembering Job, or there is another force greater than God who has control over evil? In that event, of what value is God?

W. L. MARGARD

Calvary Evangelical and Reformed

Crestline, Ohio

Calvinists know that the biblical fact of the fall makes necessary individual election if any fallen son is to be saved; but do the Arminians?

LONNIE L. RICHARDSON

Roanoke, Va.

Since when does a sinner deserve mercy? Therefore, what has “justice” to do with the selective exercise of God’s sovereign mercy to sinners? That is to insert into the Gospel of Grace the error of French egalitarianism, which Communism seeks to implement materially.

Since it is the nature of men to believe, why may not God hold men responsible to believe simply on the objective reality of the Cross and Resurrection? “He that believeth not God hath made him a liar.” Has the revelation of God’s redemptive love toward a lost world relieved men of the responsibility to believe Him? (St. Jno. 3:18).

How can there be a “class” of the elect, apart from individuals elected?…

Election to redemption (Rom. 8:29), that God may, despite the moral incapacity of men to believe Him, fulfill His Purpose to reconstitute the universe, nowhere in Scripture implies reprobation as an act of the Divine Will.

God’s wish that all men might be saved may not be used to contradict the sovereign exercise of the Divine Mercy by which, through His election of some, He implements His Purpose to bring into being a New Heaven and a New Earth: the salvation of the universe, but not the universal salvation of all men.

ELBERT D. RIDDICK

Portland, Ore.

THE SYNOPTICS

This whole discussion on the Synoptic Gospels and the … “Mark-theory” (Sept. 14, 28 issues) seems to me to reflect on the inspiration of the gospel writers and on the integrity and native ability of the authors of the three Gospels. Since all three had full access to the oral tradition, and had had firsthand experience either with Christ himself in the days of his flesh, or with those who had, why should any one of them be dependent on the writings of either of the others?

WALTER MCCARROLL

Lomita, Calif.

Having made a very intensive study of the modern theories regarding Matthew during the past twenty years I have come more and more to the conclusion that the apostolic authorship of the First Gospel is unassailable. Only an eyewitness like the former taxgatherer Levi (alias Matthew) could have written the First Gospel. Linguistic resemblances between this Gospel and Mark can be explained in many possible ways without sacrificing the acceptance of the apostolic authorship of the Gospel of Matthew.…

I feel that evangelical scholars who follow the Streeter line of thought regarding the supposed dependance of Matthew on Mark do not realize the serious implications of such a standpoint. The recent article (George E. Ladd, Mar. 2 issue) … pleading for the priority of Mark proves no more than that Luke used Mark and definitely does not prove that Matthew used Mark.… Through an intensive study of Huck’s Synopsis one can see how impossible it is to accept the theories of Streeter cumsuis regarding the use Matthew is supposed to have made of Mark.

J. NORVAL GELDENHUYS

Capetown, South Africa

These … articles … should help dispel the notion that an evangelical faith must reject the critical method.

LEE GALLMAN

Jackson, Miss.

FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING

As the moderator of the General Conference Mennonite Church, I … want to say we appreciate the contents of the article … “Mennonites Reaffirm Biblicism and Pacifism” (Sept. 28 issue).… There is general agreement on our Seminary campus that you did a fine job … and have thus made a significant contribution toward better understanding among evangelical Christian groups.

ERLAND WALTNER

Mennonite Biblical Seminary President

Elkhart, Ind.

I want to express … my appreciation for your fine story on the two Mennonite General Conferences. I think you did an exceptional job of sensing what happened, and we appreciate very much your intelligent and fair description.

PAUL ERB

Executive Secretary

Mennonite General Conference

Scottdale, Pa.

A LOST WORLD

It was with interest and sorrowful affirmation that I read “The Campus: A Lost World?” (Sept. 14 issue). Having just come from a summer school session, and having lived for 25 years on the campus of a large university as a faculty wife, I can underscore the truth of what [Harnish] has written.

MRS. LESTER HORN

Cicero, Ill.

I wonder if the campus is as much a “lost world” as the pastors who are unwilling to change their vocabulary.… If Pastor Harnish felt frustrated by his “tradition-laden vocabulary,” why didn’t he lash out at us preachers to bring our preaching and teaching up to date and be prophets that can be understood by our own generation—especially if it is a generation of higher learning and higher standards.

If Dr. Harnish thought these nice fellows seem clean-cut because they don’t smoke, he should pop in at a Friday dinner and hear what they sing. I know. I lived with them. Remember the Greeks—they used masks in their drama. There are some masks on the campus too, along with a drama of which magnitude the church can only begin to realize.

RICHARD E. MAGNUSON

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Salem, Ore.

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

I have read every issue of your paper since it first came out, but I believe …, to me, the August 31 issue was the most meaningful and enjoyable one of all. It contains few words I shall not, in some way, try to get across to my people.

O. E. SANDEN

Warrendale Presbyterian Church

St. Paul, Minn.

Your articles on Christian education are terrific. I plan to reread them and then share my magazine with the church school superintendent … and the chairman of the department of Christian education.

LEWIS L. CORPORON

Minister of Christian Education

Central Christian Church

Enid, Okla.

The fact that you have devoted so much space … to Christian education is most encouraging to me personally and I pray it will find acceptance with many of your readers.

As a pastor please accept from me these suggestions: First, the Christian education program of every local church must always be the responsibility of the entire church, and never of the pastor alone.… Second, the Sunday school can never succeed in being anything other than an appendage, as long as it is considered, as per your editorial, as “an agency (along with other agencies) in the Church.” It is or must become THE CHURCH in its teaching task.… “Teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you.…” Too many Sunday schools have become “agencies” using the same facilities and competing, often unfairly, for the loyalty and attendance of the same people.… Third, the Church must awaken to the fact that no Sunday school teacher however consecrated, well-trained and fortified with the best lesson materials can “make disciples” of people they see only once a week, even for two or five hours. Christian nurture begins, must continue, but must not end, in the home. All the Sunday school can hope to do is to supplement what the parents are inspired by the Holy Spirit to do, by way of example as well as precept. This is where the minister must put his best efforts, as pastor and preacher. He cannot hope to do all the details you lay on his back.…

W. FREDERICK WILLS

First Presbyterian Church

Santa Barbara, Calif.

This is the first time in 25 years that I have written any magazine. However, I can’t resist complimenting you on the thorough job you are doing. Having read each issue since the first one …, as a layman, I especially enjoy the regular feature by Dr. Bell, but this letter is prompted particularly by the excellent piece by Prof. Doll, “Shall We Close the Sunday Schools?” By all means, let’s have additional articles from his perceptive mind.…

FRED R. ESTY

Summit, N. J.

Dr. Bell’s “Teaching the Bible” is a truly fine and powerful page!

L. V. CLEVELAND

Canterbury, Conn.

It seems that [Dr. Bell’s] objection to the discussion method of teaching is far too strong. No one will justify [it] when it is a pooling of ignorance, but competent leaders in the field of Christian education point out that the learning process is heightened when the pupil is active in that process.… Discussion: enables the student to direct questions to the teacher regarding areas … where the teacher is not clear …; helps the pupil to verbalize what has been taught …; enables the pupil to share related experiences …; opens [new] areas of thought …; enables the teacher to be more certain that the lesson truly has been learned.…

Apart from this rather mild criticism, I feel that the article was quite to the point, and its message ought to be pondered by every … teacher in our church schools.

WILLIAM S. SMYTHE, JR.

Centre Presbyterian Church

Maxton, N. C.

The fathers of compulsory education over a century ago claimed that compulsory “education” will eliminate vice. They were mistaken. Education is blind without schooling and schooling is empty without education, in our century. Schooling and education had to be separated and brought in a synthesis on a higher level. On the American scene where school and church are separated, the church can play the most decisive role by relating the function expressed by school marks and the firmness of a sequence of [character] traits. This method is eminent in the prevention of delinquency.… Education, as well as preaching, begins when we can state in simple terms of faith—“God exists!” When this supreme truth begins to grow clear in a mind, then obedience becomes operative. God must be given the focal point in a mind.

EUGENE F. MOLNAR

St. Luke’s Presbyterian Church

Bathurst, New Brunswick

DISCIPLE DISAGREEMENT

I would like to voice strong disagreement with Brother Murch’s report of the Christian Church convention (Sept. 14 issue), in which he says that the United Christian Missionary Society receives little or no support from Bible-centered churches. While some liberal churches do support this society, my experience in the Christian Churches as minister for 13 years indicates that most of the churches supporting the UCMS are “Bible-centered.” … Cooperation does not eliminate the possibility of being “Bible-centered.”

TOM PEAKE, JR.

Highlands Christian Church

Dallas, Tex.

All Disciples, whether they support a cooperative program or go it alone as “independents,” hold to a firm belief in Jesus Christ (our only real test of fellowship) as revealed in the Scriptures.

JAMES L. MERRELL

Indianapolis, Ind.

The purpose of Resolution 52 … was to try to do something to face up to this problem [of] … a small but vocal group who seem called upon to try to disrupt … churches by methods which are anything but Christian.

GENE ROBINSON

First Christian Church

Billings, Mont.

I wish to thank you for your succinct and discriminating report of the Denver Convention …, reprinted in Christian Standard for October 3. Such efforts, I believe, go a long way in encouraging those in all groups who hope to see again something like real unity in our brotherhood.

LOUIS COCHRAN

Santa Monica, Calif.

ALTERNATIVES

With reference to [Mr. Rasmusson’s] letter (August 31 issue), I venture to submit the following:

“The only alternative to His Virgin Birth would be a natural birth. If He had been thus born, He would have had a sinful nature, as all mankind. If He had had a sinful nature, He would have been a sinner. If He had been a sinner, He would have needed a Saviour, and could not have been the Saviour of other sinners. No sinner can atone for the sins of others.” (Author unknown.)

HAROLD H. COOK

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

THE FORGOTTEN MAN

“Japan: A New Christian Hope,” by Dr. C. F. H. Henry (Aug. 3 issue), points up one more distressing fact about Japan, beyond those mentioned by the author. The additional fact is that the country evangelist is the forgotten man of Japan’s missionary community.… Has any visitor ever visited Shikoku, the least known island of Japan? Presbyterian missions began on this island, and churches are seen in many smaller towns.… There are approximately nine churches in the city of Kochi alone, a city of 190,000.

Dr. Henry’s analysis of the frustrations and encouraging signs is good. Let’s just not become more frustrated by letting every visitor visit Tokyo alone. Welcome to Gifu!

HAROLD BORCHERT

Gifu City, Japan

Have something to add about this? See something we missed? Share your feedback here.