Herald of Holiness Volume 65 Number 07 (1976)
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Olivet Nazarene University Digital Commons @ Olivet Herald of Holiness/Holiness Today Church of the Nazarene 4-1-1976 Herald of Holiness Volume 65 Number 07 (1976) John A. Knight (Editor) Nazarene Publishing House Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.olivet.edu/cotn_hoh Part of the Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, Christianity Commons, History of Christianity Commons, Missions and World Christianity Commons, and the Practical Theology Commons Recommended Citation Knight, John A. (Editor), "Herald of Holiness Volume 65 Number 07 (1976)" (1976). Herald of Holiness/ Holiness Today. 1185. https://digitalcommons.olivet.edu/cotn_hoh/1185 This Journal Issue is brought to you for free and open access by the Church of the Nazarene at Digital Commons @ Olivet. It has been accepted for inclusion in Herald of Holiness/Holiness Today by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Olivet. For more information, please contact [email protected]. H e p q L D CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE / APRIL 1 —General Superintendent Eugene L. Stowe The Cross—God’s Ultimate Answer F THIS ANNUAL TREK to Calvary is to be a three-volume “ Theology of the Cross” to . more than just a sentimental journey, we gratify their intellectual insistence, they Imust survey the Cross with an eye to its real brand Calvary as foolishness. significance. The facts of the matter are, both God’s Corinthian Christians were reminded by intervention and interpretation are clearly Paul that this sacred symbol was “unto the illustrated in the atoning death of the Sav Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks iour. Believing is seeing! “To those who have foolishness” (1 Corinthians 1:23b). heard his call, Jews and Greeks alike, The former were looking for a sign and the [Christ is] the power of God and the wisdom latter were seeking wisdom. James S. Stew of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24, NEB). art identifies these as the two fundamental At the Cross God’s intervening omni demands which men make on God. potence was convincingly demonstrated as Christ dealt a deathblow to sin, hell, and the In all ages those who seek signs are ask grave. There is no greater power than this. ing for divine intervention. They want God to At Calvary Jesus convincingly interpreted do something supernatural that will demon His Father’s grand design for the salvation strate His power. Healing miracles have al of lost men. His last words of compassion, ways attracted crowds of those who are commitment, and forgiveness are classic looking for the spectacular. To these the in their spiritual wisdom. Cross is often irrelevant or embarrassing. Hymn writer Thomas Kelly exalts the true Rather than strength it depicts weakness. meaning of the Cross in these poetic words: Instead of victory it seems to depict defeat. The crucifixion of Jesus says to them, “Your The Cross! it takes our guilt away; God is dead!” It holds the fainting spirit up; Just as persistent is the demand for wis It cheers with hope the gloomy day, dom — divine interpretation. There will al And sweetens every bitter cup. ways be the “Greeks” who demand a The balm of life, the cure of woe, rational explanation for everything that their The measure and the pledge of love, God does. Anything less than this is un The sinner’s refuge here below, satisfactory. When our Lord does not supply The angel’s theme in heaven above. □ HERALD OF HOLINESS The Man _ _ _ _ / v g a ' n S t ~ ^ Others By W. E. McCUMBER Eastern Nazarene College Quincy, Mass. had become “ hypocrites”—pretenders who bent the law to their own advantage, preening in self-righ teousness while condemning, exploiting, and despis ing others. They kept rules, but broke people! They made long prayers “ for a pretense” while devouring widows’ houses.” They tithed even their herb gardens, but did not observe “justice, mercy, and faithfulness.” They championed abstract law while caring nothing for suffering people, as their persistent opposition to our Lord’s sabbath healings makes plain. They were outwardly righteous and inwardly cor rupt. Like a cup washed on one side and dirty on the other. Like a whitewashed tomb, spotless in outward appearance, but filled with putrefaction. Jesus was firmly and passionately against such IETRICH BONHOEFFER, martyred German men, men who were conservative, religious, zealous; theologian, called Jesus “the Man for oth but cold, greedy, and loveless. ers.” The phrase became popular, especially withIt seems to me that our very commitments as a Dthe radical theologians who wanted to “ secularize” church expose us to the peril of becoming “scribes Christianity. Some of them used it as if no other and Pharisees, hypocrites.” description of Jesus were valid or permissible. We are committed to orthodoxy in our creed, bas But Jesus also is the M an against others. In the ing our convictions of what is true upon the uncom Gospel of Matthew we hear Him saying, “ Woe to you, promised authority of the Scriptures. scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ...” A severe We are committed to behavior patterns that are set denunciation of these men follows (23:13-36). Indeed, forth in “general” and “special” rules which decry the “woes” in Matthew 23 equal in number the worldliness and demand that we be “ separatists.” “blesseds” in M atthew 5! Jesus is as strongly against This is good, so long as our com mitm ents incline us some as He is for others. to judge ourselves, not others; to humble our hearts, Why is Jesus against these men? Not because they not become inflated with self-righteous pride. This were scribes and Pharisees per se. is good if our separation is for as well as from the The scribes had a long and honorable tradition as world, preparing us to serve the world in love, evinc students and teachers of the Law of Moses, a tradi ing a Christlikeness in compassionate ministry to tion which stemmed from Ezra, who led a national “ the least, the lost, and the last.” reform by reading and expounding God’s Word. The If our devotion to the Bible and to holy standards office of the scribes was enhanced by the glory of the makes us the constant recipients of judgment and instrument that called it into being! grace, filling us with humility and love, then Christ The Pharisees had a long and revered history also, will be for us. He is not against the Scriptures or the dating from the intertestamental period. In times of highest morality inculcated by them. But if our devo moral laxity they had been the “separatists” who tion to creed and rules becomes a conscience-salving loyally and scrupulously adhered to G od’s law. Theirs evasion of our responsibility to live for others, then had been an inspiring patriotism with a needed con Christ will be against us! servative influence. Shall He say to us “blessed” or “woe”? The an Jesus was against them precisely because they had swer depends upon whether we are loving or legal betrayed their heritage and distorted the law. They istic. □ APRIL 1, 1976 3 JOHN A. KNIGHT, Editor in Chief IVAN A. BEALS, Office Editor Contributing Editors: FAITH * LEARNI V. H. LEWIS • EUGENE L. STOWE EDWARD LAWLOR • ORVILLE W. JENKINS GEORGE COULTER • CHARLES H. STRICKLAND IN A General Superintendents, Church of the Nazarene SECULAR U IN THIS ISSUE By LESLIE PARROTT Olivet Nazarene College ARTICLES Kankakee, III. THE CROSS—GOD’S ULTIMATE ANSWER .......................... 2 General Superintendent Eugene L. Stowe THE MAN AGAINST OTHERS .......................................................3 What Jesus denounces W. E. McCumber FAITH AND LEARNING IN A SECULAR WORLD ...........4 I HE MISSION of a Nazarene college is not sim- Give glory to God Leslie Parrott X ply a balanced budget, new and bigger build OUR TREASURED HERITAGE OF ings, or more and better departments. Our mission is NAZARENE HIGHER EDUCATION ............................................6 quality education which takes into full account the Dreams, toil, sacrifice Edward S. Mann heritage of our Christian faith and relates it to life in LORD, COULD WE TALK FOR A W HILE? ...............................8 a radically changing world. The divine Teacher Bonnie Monson My mental picture of education in a Nazarene col FREEDOM OF CHOICE ..................................................................9 lege consists of two mighty rivers, each turbulent and Faith chooses right Kenneth H. Pearsall strong, flowing unrelentingly through many genera THE “LOW COST” OF EDUCATION ..........................................10 tions of history called Western civilization. These Cheaper than ignorance Donald Irwin two mighty rivers which came together to form West PRO FIT ................................................................................................ 10 Poem Charles D. Mosher ern civilization are the secular culture of Greece and Rome on the one hand, and the Hebrew and Chris RIGHTFUL OWNERSHIP ............................................................. 11 Everything belongs to God Ivan A. Beals tian religious heritage on the other. Our mission is to comprehend truth in the secular THE THREE TENSES OF SALVATION ................................... 12 Rightly dividing the Word A. R. G. Deasley traditions of the Greek and Roman liberal arts, while SPEAKING THE TRUTH ................................................................13 teaching full appreciation for truth in our Hebrew- Helps to holy living Gerard Reed Christian heritage. The tendency in many classrooms THIS IS WHAT LENT MEANS TO M E ........................ 14 is to appreciate one or the other of these rivers of Alice Mortenson knowledge, but not both. LET US BE LIKE TREES .,........................................................... 15 The society of the Greeks and Romans gradually Poem Jerry D. Hull came to agree on those arts which were peculiarly IN THE BOOKSTALL ...................................................................... 15 appropriate to the education of its ruling classes. C. Neil Strait These arts which spawned the academic disciplines EDITORIALS ......................................................................................16 of the modern university are basically secular, deep- John A. Knight rooted in this world’s concerns.