election
Having recognized the sovereign right of God over His creation and having assigned to Him a rational purpose in all His plan, the truth contained in the doctrine of election follows in natural sequence as the necessary function of one who is divine. When there arises unbelief and resistance in the human mind against the tenet of divine election, it is engendered only because this larger conception of divine necessity has not been considered. It is hard, indeed, for men who have adopted the idea...
prophecy
Prophecy is a distinct and unique feature of revelation wholly foreign to human ability. It amounts to history being prewritten, therefore must prove a great phenomenon. Its fulfillment in the past is unquestionable, standing as indisputable evidence for inspiration. 1. As Prediction. Predictive prophecy is to be distinguished from preaching or forthtelling, itself a kind of prophetic ministry. 2. Its Extent. Predictive prophecy occupies almost one quarter of the text of Scripture. It reaches...
blasphemy
No sin of man is more obviously a repudiation of God and insult to His holy Person than that of blasphemy, which sin in its usual form consists of taking a name of Deity upon the lips in an empty, idle, and trifling manner. There is such a sin as that of addressing God Himself with blasphemy. In his coming day the beast, or man of sin, will assault God and His name Rev. 13 6 , and thus in the hour of God's judgments upon men they will blaspheme God and curse His name Rev. 16 9, 11, 21 ....
elders
Since elders or bishops are the divinely ordered rulers in the local, visible church, the general doctrine of the local church as regards its government may rightfully be introduced under this heading. The term elder is common to both Testaments and in general contemplates those of maturity and authority. No mere novice was to be made an elder cf. 1 Tim. 3 6 . The first reference to elders in the Old Testament seems to take recognition of their advanced years. Old men by reason of their...
demonology
In considering demons and the service which they render Satan, it is important to distinguish between demon possession or control and demon influence. In the one case the body is entered and a dominating control gained, while in the other case a warfare from without is carried on by suggestion, temptation, and influence. Investigation of the Scriptures in regard to demon possession reveals First, that this host is made up of bodiless spirits only. The following Scriptures verify such a...
foreordination
The entire field of God's revealed purposes will be seen only when all the various approaches to His decree have been noted. This theme includes the doctrine of decrees, of election, of predestination, of foreordination or divine choice, of foreknowledge, of efficacious call, and of the free will of man. In its simplest form, the one phase of foreordination means ascribing to God the ability and sagacity to provide with infinite precision the things which form the ongoing of the universe He has...
forgiveness
The correct understanding of the teaching of Scripture on forgiveness will go far in the direction of clarifying other doctrines of the Bible. Because of the fact that this theme is so constantly misunderstood, special attention should be given to it. Forgiveness on the part of one person toward another is the simplest of duties, whereas forgiveness on the part of God toward man proves the most complicated and costly of undertakings. As seen in the Bible, there is an analogy between forgiveness...
atonement
Complexity arises in some minds respecting the use of the word atonement and this is due to certain facts. 1. In the Old Testament. So far as the English translation is concerned, the use of the term atonement excepting the mistranslation of Romans 5 11 is restricted to the Old Testament. Though there it is a translation of two Hebrew words, but one of them, kaphar, is generally in view and it is used about seventy times. Its meaning is 'to cover.' This, the distinct and limited meaning of the...
carnality
Together with two other doctrines that of the natural man and that of the spiritual man the doctrine of the carnal man completes the threefold division of the human family in their relation to, or attitude toward, the Word of God. The designations in the original text are uxiko , which indicates the unchanged, unregenerate man nveu atiKoq, which designates the spiritual man or one who is characterized by the presence and manifest power of the Holy Spirit and oapKiKoq, which denotes the carnal...
healing
Spiritual believers in all past generations have experienced divine favor, healing included. The claims of so-called divine healers, however, assume and imply that to secure such healing it is needful to go to them. At least seven errors are nevertheless to be found in their teaching, and these should be taken up separately. 1. Healers alone control God's healing of the body. But any company of spiritual believers, if asked to do so, would testify of divine curing far beyond the claims of...
glory
Since glory is one of the greatest themes related to God and to heaven, it is important that its outreach should be understood so far as human minds may proceed to comprehend. It would be natural enough to conceive of glory as some supernal illumination with an appeal to the range of human vision, but it rather includes the ecstatic state of mind and physical enjoyment which belong to celestial realms. In the case of the boundless glory of God, it is said to be both essential or intrinsic and...
infant salvation
Many and varied problems are discovered in a study of the doctrine of infant salvation. Like all salvation issues, the doctrines here involved must ever be correctly stated and harmonized election, Anthropology, the fall of the race, Soteriology, together with redemption. The entire field of sovereign grace toward a lost world is in view. No theology is established or complete which does not account for the salvation of those who die in infancy. This company is great numerically, and without...
apostasy
Two words of quite different meaning are often confused, namely, apostasy and heresy. The former describes one who has first embraced some creed or doctrine and afterwards turned from it. Apostasy is well described as a total departure from one's faith or religion abandonment of creed and renunciation of religious obligations Standard Dictionary, 1913 edition . On the other hand, heresy refers to a belief which is held in variance with standards or accepted features of doctrine. The term...
blood
In spite of the fact that circulation of the blood as the current through which all vitality moves and waste is eliminated was not established by science until 1615 a.d., the body's blood has in all human history been recognized, though it involved mystery, as the container of life and the symbol of relationships. The shedding of blood has always been accompanied by some degree of fear and daring. Bloodshed spells the taking of life. None who consider the Scriptures can doubt the truth that God...