CHRISTIA f TY TODAY - ~ ~ --~============i'~~j~==========~~--­.~ A PRESBYTERIAN JOURNAL DEVOTED TO 5T A TING, DEFENDING III AND FURTHERING THE GOSPEL IN THE MODERN WORLD III SAMUEL G. CRAIG, Editor H. McALLISTER GRIFFITHS, Managing Editor Published monthly by THE PRESBYTERIAN AND MID-AUGUST,1931 $1.00 A YEAR EVERYWHERE REFORMED PUBLISHING CO., Entered as second ..la .. malter Mal' 1 " 1931, at Vol. 2 No.4 the Post Office at Philadelphia, Pa., under the 501 Witherspoon Bldg., Phila., Pa. Act 01 March 3, 1879. The Cosmic Significance of Christ N a previous issue (September, 1930), that He sustains to men as teacher, friend, all things consist" (Colossians I:15-1 7') • I under the title "CHRIST and Chris­ example, saviour, master, and such like, It is not enough, then, that we think tianity," we pointed out the place that but at the same time they clearly teach of CHRIST as the Saviour of the world CHRIST occupies in the religion that He that He occupies a position in the universe and as the LORD and Life of humanity. founded-a place so central -that CHRIST as a whole that is nothing short of central. We gladly admit that those who see in Himself is Christianity to such an extent JOHN and PAUL spoke not only for them­ Him their Saviour as well as their LORD that apart from Him there is and can be selves but for all the writers of the New and King have laid hold on that which is no such thing as Christianity in any Testament when with JESUS in mind they most vital ·for them; and yet it is by no proper sense of the word. wrote: "In the beginning was the .Word, means a matter of indifference whether It is evident, however, that we cannot and the Word was with GOD, and the men see in Him at the same time-as did see in CHRIST a proper object of religious Word was GOD. All things were made JOHN and PAuIr-the creator, sustainer, worship-in harmony with the New Tes­ through Him and without Him was not and goal of the universe as a whole. tament and the great historic creeds­ anything made that was made" (John I: There are various considerations that without seeing in Him one who sustains 1-3) ; "Who is the image of the invisible indicate the importance of our keeping relations to the universe as a whole as GOD, the first born of all creation; for in in mind the place that JESUS CHRIST well as to mankind. If we saw in JESUS Him were all things created, in the heavens occupies in the universe as a whole. The simply the first Christian-so that to be a and upon the earth, things visible and following may be mentioned: Christian is to believe like JESUS rather invisible, whether thrones or dominions 1. Unless we see in JESUS one whose than in or on JEsus-there would be no or principalities or powers; all things have rank in the scale of being places Him by occasion for our thinking of Him in been created through Him and unto Him; the side of GOD, and so one whose place cosmical terms. It is otherwise, however, and He is before all things, and in Him in the universe is such a place as GOD when we see in Him an object of worship. occupies, we cannot believe in the incar­ Unless JESUS occupies a position in the nation as taught in the New Testament; universe as a whole that warrants our because the thought most essential to such calling him GOD, we can worship Him only IN THIS ISSUE: an incarnation is the thought that GOD at the cost of rendering to a creature what Some Supernatural Marks in the Old himself in the person of His Son assumed belongs only to the Creator. This means Testament.. 4 the flesh of our humanity, and "so was E. Van Dousen that what we regard as the Christian atti­ and continueth to be GOD and man, in two tude toward JESUS is rooted in the convic­ Notes on Biblical Exposition... ... 6 distinct nature.s, and one person, forever." tion that He not only occupies the central J. G. Machen 2. Hack of the conviction that JESUS place in Christianity but a central place in Authority in Religion.... ....... 8 is Saviour of men and their rightful LORD the universe as a whole. Wm. Bittle Well~ and King, in the New Testament meaning What has just been said might seem to Books of Religious Significance. .. 11 of these terms, lies, expressed or unex­ imply that the place that CHRIST occupies pressed, the thought of the relations He in the universe as a whole is a truth we Questions and Answers ............. 13 sustains to the universe as a whole. Deny infer from what the Scriptures teach Letters to the Editor ................. 14 these wider relations and only those who rather than a truth explicitly taught in Current Views and Voices. .. 16 fail to think their convictions through the Scriptures. No such implication is would be able to see in Him their Saviour intended. It is true, of course, that most Ministerial Changes ................. 18 and LORD-for time and eternity. Only frequent mention is made of the relations News of the Church. .. 19 one who sustains such relations to the 2 CHRISTIANITY TODAY August, 1931 universe as f1 whole, as according to the it is grafter1. :;-ahuE' 'mel grac8, ordinary better that we neglect this world and its New Testament JESUS sustains, could be knowledge amI l'eyeald Knowledge, are activities than that we neglect JESUS and our Saviour and Lmm in the full rich not to be conceived as independent still His gospel. If- we had to choose between sense in which He is set forth as such in less as antagonistic entities. '1'hey are being mere secularists, mere worldlings, the New Testament. related vitally and organically; and and being monks and nuns, it would be that because JESUS is the source and 3. The place that JESUS occupies in the the part of wisdom to take our stand with head both of the kingdom of nature and universe is the presupposition of Chris­ the latter. "For the things which are seen the kingdom of grace. It follows that tianity's claim to be the final religion. are temporal; but the things which are not there can be no real contradiction be­ Unless we see in JESUS one whose position seen are eternal." But we are under no tween science and faith, i. e., between­ in the universe makes Him a proper object necessity of making such a choice. This what may be learned from the study of religious worship, it is readily conceiv­ world is not evil in itself. JESUS Himself of nature and what may be learned from able that as MOSES and the prophets have created it. Moreover, His prayer for His the Scriptures. There may, of course, be been surpassed, so JESUS will be surpassed; disciples was not that they be taken out of a real contradiction between certain inter­ and hence that Christianity is only pos­ the world but that they be kept from the pretations of nature and certain inter­ sessed of a temporary significance. Such evil in the world. Still further the object pretations of the Scriptures; but in view a notion, however, is inconceivable if He of CHRIST'S saving work was not simply of the fact that JESUS is ultimately the be really a proper object of worship; for individual sinners, it was humanity itself author of both, it is obvious that when in that case the universe contains nothing together with the world humanity in­ both are rightly interpreted there can be higher than He, so that the religion that habits. He came to save the world itself no real contradiction between them. centers in Him is necessarily the final and and His task will not have been fully done Those who are aware that JESUS is Crear absolute religion. This thought is com­ until "the creation itself shall be delivered tor as well as Saviour will not be in con­ mon to the writers of the New Testament. from the bondage of corruption." With stant fear lest discoveries in science will It is in the Epistle to the Hebrews, how­ all its sin, "the earth is the LonD's and disprove the contents of Christian faith. ever, that it finds fullest expression. Its the fulness thereof." Hence our watch­ They may be fearful lest men through author argues that Christianity is the word as Christians should not be separa­ wrong interpretations of nature be led to final religion because of the superiority of tion from the world but only from what reject the Christian faith, or vice versct, JESUS not only to all who had preceded is evil in the world. We are indeed pil­ but they are certain that ultimately it will Him but to all who might come after grims in this world, but pilgrims with be clear to all that there is no real contra­ Him. If JESUS were but a creature it many tasks to perform ere we leave it. diction between true science and true were conceivable that the religion He Moreover we should remember that this faith. Doubtless there is a contradiction, established should be superseded by world belongs to our I~ORD and Saviour for instance, between Naturalism in all its another and more perfect religion; but and that it is our privilege' to enjoy its forms and Christian faith, but that finds since He is "the effulgence of GOD'S glory blessings with thanksgiving.