Steinbach Bible Institute - Star Yearbook (Steinbach, Manitoba Canada)

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10 STEINBACH BIBLE ACADEMY YEAR BOOK MR. A. F. PENNER, B.A. Theology, Exegesis Pedagogy, Notation, Prayer The Christian - A Servant Servant, minister, steward, slave —• these are the names describing the Christ¬ ian’s obligation to God and his fellow- man. He is a servant because of his uni¬ que position between God and man. God has chosen to bless the world through His own redeemed children. He has chosen that they must be the bearers of the Gos¬ pel. The Gospel was made by Christ, but it was written by Christians. Christ in¬ deed preached the Gospel initially, but He chose the twelve and the seventy through whom already during His lifetime He touched the lives of many. Since that time He has depended completely on those who have obeyed His departing command. Not only has the Gospel been written and preached by Christians so that a sinful, dying world might hear, but it is also the Christian church which has been the only repository of the blessed message. It has cost blood, sweat and tears to retain the Gospel when the enemy bent every pos¬ sible effort to stamp out the Christian re¬ ligion, because, to destroy Christianity, the Word of God must be destroyed. And, again, it is the Christian who has made the Bible a world book. He was respon¬ sible for its translation and dissemina¬ tion. But earthly gain and temporal bene¬ fit were not his motive in these activities. The Christian does all this because he is a servant of Jesus Christ and of his fel- lowman. Also, the Christian is a servant because he has chosen Jesus as Master. Did not Jesus say expressly that He had not come to be ministered unto but to minister and to give His life as ransom for many? The servant is not above his master. As Jesus therefore ministered and served so must they who will be called by His name. Lastly, the Christian is a servant be¬ cause of his organic connection with the human race. The total life of a Christian falls into two parts in terms of service. He is either in service to God and man or, else, he is in dis-service. Here seems to be no neutral ground. He serves God and man when he helps to contribute to the fulfilment of God’s design for mankind. It is God’s design for man which is man’s highest possible good. But when the Christian hinders the realization of God’s design upon earth, he stands, it is clear, in a place of dis-service. He stands in dis¬ service to God because he does not help God to fulfil His purpose. He stands in dis-service to man because he hinders man’s realization of his highest good. These are solemn things. Do they not call for a new inventory of the Christi¬ an’s life and work? Notice that it has been stated that it is the total life that can be analysed thus. It is not only an era here or there of a Christian’s life that must be submitted to this analysis. Nor is it only the life’s work of service for the Lord which the Christ¬ ian has chosen which is subject to be con¬ sidered as service or dis-service. It is rather the whole Christian — his acts, his thought-life, his character, his per¬ sonality, what he hates, what he loves, and all that goes to make up life — who stands in service or dis-service before his God. Thus the Christian in the totality of his life stands in the stream of mankind. He makes his indelible impact upon it. Man¬ kind can never be the same after it has passed him as it was before him. A ser¬ vant he is by virtue of this connection with the human race. What kind of ser¬ vant he is will be decided by the kind of impact he makes. Each of the four words used to des¬ cribe the Christian’s obligations emphasiz¬ es its own particular aspect of service and each carries its own directional idea. Ser¬ vant and minister show more the man- ward obligations of the Christian, while steward and slave more the Godward. Neither the Godward nor the manward obligations can be fulfilled alone. The Godward relation must produce the ful- Continued on page 11

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STEINBACH BIBLE ACADEMY YEAR BOOK 9 pie peutfcBe g prad)e in 6er Stteindad) Sic beutfdje Spradfe ift in bar 93ibelfdjule nur eine gebulbete, ein ,,electit e”. Su barfft fie nefemen, f ' annft ifer aber aud) ben 9fiiden gufeferen. ©a ftcfet fie nun unb fcfjaut bemfenigen luefemutiboll nad), ber fid) bon if)r abmenbet! ' -Bin id) bod) beinc SUiniter, bon ©ott bagu be. ftimmt, Ijabe id) bod) an beiner SBicge geftau= ben, unb nun loenbcft bu bid) fdjnobe bon mir ab! Slber meine HRutterliebe ift fo grofg, baf3 fie Sir betmod) ben mutteclicfeen Segen nicfet oor ent£)d(t. $d) mbcfete ben toerten Sefer einmal an einer beutfdicn Spradjftunbe teilnefemen laffen. @§ gilt fa oor ailen Singen eine ricfetige STugfpracfee ber Bautc. So fetid nun unferetn mennonitifdjen breiten DJfunbe nid)tg fo fdftocr auggufprecfeen line bag ,,ii”, bci it)nt gibt eg nur ein ,,i”. @r fiifelt gang angenel)tn, loenn er fagt: „$ibertg Seter treibt bie £ ifener iber ben £ igel in bay igiifenerfeaug!” $n bent Ofer beg Se rerS fefeneibet eg luie mit einem SSJeffer. ,,9teinl £ i ibertg ' fSeter treibt bie £ ufener Tiber ben g)iigel in§ £itfenerfeaug!” SJiunb fpifel Per platte SUennouit glaubt aud) nid)t an ein „eu”, bei ilfrn ift atteg „ei”. 33ei ifem ift ,,Sie greube unb freien” ein unb bagfelbe in ber Slugfpracfee. Sic greube ift eine ©efiifefg aufjerung, ,,freien” tann man aber nur urn eine Jungfrau. SBag benft man fid) bei bem Safe: „$d) freie mir fefer?!” (Sine Sigentihnlidjfett ber bcutfdfen Spra. die ift fa bag ©efcfeledjtgtoort ber, bie, bag oor bent Singtoorte. 75 ifkogent ber Stubenten fagt: Sag Sloget, bie Slffe, bie 23Ieiftift. „9Tein! ber SSogel, ber Stffe, ber 23Ieiftift.” „2Barum fo?” fragt jemanb. „Sag iiutf? fo, meine SJiut ter feat fo gefprodfen, bauti ift bag riditig!” (Sine fd)luere SIrbeit erforbern bie SBerfedlL niSmbrter. @g finb Heine SB order, aber un= barmfeergig in iferen fyorberungen. @§ gilt bei ifeneit bag ©efefe ber fbleber unb SSerfer. „9Jiit bie SJcutter, mit bag tflferb i” Sag ftingt fdjrecHid)! Ser Stubent befeauptet, bci ifem ift barin fein Unterfcfeieb, cr fiifelt toenig fteng nid)t. ilcbc bid) nur flcigig nad) ber SJie gel, unb bu loir ft balb bein ©efiifel enttoief ein! ” 2Be(d)c greube befeelt bag iperg beg Sefererg, menu er nad) langerer Seit merit, baft, menu ein Stubent fagt: „aug bie Sircfee” unb bann Tiber bag ©efiiifet ber auberen Stubenten ein ironifdjeg Sacfeetn glcitet. Ser Seferer fagt fid) banti, feaft nicfjt erfolglog gearbeitet, fie fans gen an gu fitfelen. 2Bir feaben Stubenten gefeabt, bie mit einem fefer fdUoadjen Seutfd) in bie Sdjule eintraten, unb naefe 3 iyaferen treuer SIrbeit oerliefteu fie MR. J. N. WITTENBERG Bihle History, Mennonite History German, Orientalism biefclbe mit einer anftdnbigen beutfefeen Spra. cfee. SBo ein SBille ift, ba ift aud) ein SBeg! SUL gemein mirb befeauptet, bag in feber Spracfee ein ifer eigentiimlicfeer ©eift lebt, mclefeer ben il)fenfdjeu befeerrfcfet. So begeugten bie alien Dtbmer, bag bie ©ermaneu in iferem SBefen feufd), loafer unb treu maren. SSSefee ben jugenblidfen fBerfonen, loeldjc bag ©cbot ber Steufcfefeeit iibertreten fearten. SGeradftung benen, bie alg unloafer er funben lonrbcn, unb aug ber Sippe ( amilic) lourbe ber auggeftogen, melcfecr ficfe alg tin rreu erloiefen featte. Soflten loir bci bem SBedifcI ber Spradic biefe Don ©ott in ung feineingelegten Sugen ben oerlieren? Stud) bie 33ibel fagt: „Sie SBcigfeeit Don obenfeer ift aufg erfte feufd) . . £sac. 3,17. SBeiter, liebe Sriiber. loag loaferfeaftig ift . . . bem benfet nad). ' Bfeilipper 4,8. 9inn fud)t man nidjt mefer an ben gjaugfeaf tern, benn bag fie treu erfrtnben loerben. 1. .Vtorintfe. 4.2. So feat in ber Steinbad) 33ibel= fcfeule bie beutfd)e Spradje ifere Steflung unb ©eltung, aber ber Sicfeter fagt: ,,9codi eine feofee Saule geugt Don perfcfeiounbner 5fSrad)t; boefe biefe, fifeon geborften, faun ftiirgen Tiber 9iad)t.” $. 9i. SBittcnberg.

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STEINBACH BIBLE ACADEMY YEAR BOOK 11 Peace? Peace! Peace The crying little youngster running home to his mother, may be coming from the neighbor’s little boy. The two probab¬ ly had a quarrel. If we should ask the reason for the sudden break of friendship, we might learn that they had thought differently about a matter, and neither was willing to give in to the other. Other persons are similar to these boys. Nations also are similar to these boys. Man does not want to submit to anyone but himself. Is it any wonder, then, that we find so little peaceful living in this world of ours? Yet we are continually looking and longing for peace. Politically, committee after committee, and organiza¬ tion after organization, is struggling with the problem and solution to peace. Still, we are confronted with the fact that all human endeavors are futile. Where shall we find peace? The ages have produced many indivi¬ duals who cried: Peace!, with it, teach¬ ings that should bring peace — peace to the individual and peace ' to the nation. These persons led, and are leading many astray. As eager eyes are searching for a ray of hope, where are we Christians stay¬ ing with the message of The Peace that passes all understanding? Finally, we come to the peace that su¬ persedes the peace with its many ques¬ tions, and also the peace with its many ex¬ clamations. This peace is peace. In its arms the most wretched person can find perfect consolatory peace. Soothing, soft- spoken words of harmonious comfort are uttered to the man who puts his trust in Christ — God’s son. It is the Comforter C. WILBERT LOEWEN, B.A. B.Th. Church History, Exegesis, Sunday School Administration that speaks. Shall we heed the bidding of His commands? Let us determine to pro¬ mote peace, by proclaiming the gospel of peace, and live consistently by it, in all circumstances of life. If we will, we shall see those same two youngsters reunited, playing together in peaceful friendship. Continued from page 10 filment of the manward obligations, or else, the right relation with God does not exist. And, in fulfilling the manward obli¬ gations, the Christian fulfills his Godward obligations. For, can a child of God love God and not love his brother? Or, can a man truly love man without loving God? Does a man love God more than he loves the man whom he loves least? The cross on which the Son of God died did not only have the pole pointing heavenward, it also had the crossbar to which His hands were nailed. If the one reminds us of the heavenly relation then the cross¬ bar reminds us of manward relationship. It is as if our dying Lord points with His outstretched arms and says, “ to serve me go and serve your fellowman; go everywhere; give all.” But let it always be remembered clearly that God’s design and love for man is re¬ demptive. He deals with man in terms of his salvation. The story of the Bible is the story of the redemption of man. The centre of the Bible is the redemption wrought by the Son of God. This is the highest good of man. The acme of the Christian’s service to man finds itself, therefore, in bringing about the personal salvation of his fellowman. It is the Gos¬ pel, and only the Gospel, that has been de¬ signed by God for this purpose. It alone is the “power of God unto salvation”. From this, it follows clearly, that the center of all service, which can truly be called service, must be the propogation of the glad news of redemption in Jesus Christ. Only as all else is subject to, and a contribution of this central function of the Christian, is he a true servant of Je¬ sus Christ. Finally, all the needs for effective ser¬ vice of the Christian have been provided by God. The very moment man becomes a Christian through faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to take up his abode in Continued on page 24