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

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REV. BEN HOEPPNER GERMAN, PRAYER. OLD TESTAMENT SYNTHESIS. HOMILETICS, CULTS, BIBLE HISTORY, DEPARTMENT SPECIALIZATION. CHRISTIAN EVIDENCES, AN BAPTIST HISTORY. PEDAGOGY Die Bibel — Gottes Wort Eine segensreiche Wahrheit! Gott redet. Der Mensch glaubt, tut Busse ueber die Suende, vertraut auf Christum, erhaelt die Vergebung, geniesst die Gewissheit und erwartet die Vollendung. Wie herrlich! Die Bibel — Gottes Wort. Leider haben viele nicht diese herrliche Erkenntnis noch Erfahrung. Manche be- haupten wohl, an die Bibel als Gottes Wort zu glauben, aber beweisen es nicht in ihrer Praxis. Sie lassen sich bestimmen von ihrer Tradition. Kommt eine theologische Oder ethische Frage auf, so handeln sie nach Gewohnheit, ob die Handlung nun biblish sei oder nicht. Andere sind atheis- tisch und ignorieren die Bibel als Gottes Wort. Noch andere behaupten, sie enthaelt nur Gottes Wort. Um zu wissen, welcher Teil der Bibel Gottes Wort ist, muss man sie lesen, und was glaubenswuerdig ist, als Gottes Wort annehmen. Das Resultat die- ser falschen Auffassungen ist, dass man sich auf eigene Erkenntnis und Wohlden- ken verlaesst, sich seinen eigenen ethischen Masstab aufstellt, und so sich selbst in die ewige Verdamnis fuehrt. Dass die Bibel voellig Gottes Wort ist. sieht der Glaeubige aus vielen inneren und aeusseren biblischen Beweisen. Die inneren Beweise, d. h. die Beweise, die die Bibel selber gibt fuer ihren goettlichen Ursprung, sind klar im Wort zu finden. Man lese z. B. Heb. 1:1, 2; 2: 3, 4; wie auch 2. Pet. 1: 21 und 2. Tim. 3: 16, 17. Zu diesen klaren Schriftstellen beweisen auch die Geschich- te Israels, die biblischerfuellten Verheissun- gen und die grossen Wundertaten dieselbe Wahrheit. Neben den inneren gibt es viele aeussere biblische Beweise. In erster Linie sind hier zu erwaehnen die erfuellten Prophezeiun- gen. Man vergleiche die biblischen Ver- heissungen der Zerstoerung Jerusalems mit den historischen Berichten der Zerstoerung, wie sie in der Weltgeschichte zu lesen sind. Dr. Pierson zeigt, dass die fuenfundzwanzig Verheissungen alle buchstaeblich erfuellt wurden. Dazu beweist er auch, dass diese Verheissungen vor der Zerstoerung gege- ben worden waren, und dass diese erfuell¬ ten Verheissungen nur durch goettliche Hand ausgefuehrt werden konnten. Einen weiteren aeusseren Beweis sieht man in dem Vergleich der Ortsbeschrei- bung der Bibel mit der Altertumskunde. Viele von den Oertern, die in der Bibel be- schrieben worden sind, haben die Alter- tumsforscher durch ihr Ausgraben genau so befunden. Ein dritter aeusserer Beweis gibt tins die Voelkerkunde. In 1. Mose 10 gibt uns die Bibel die Zerstreuung der Voelker. Die¬ se Zerstreuung ist durch die Altertumskun¬ de zu beweisen. Die Bibel berichtet, dass urspruenglich die Hamiten Kanaan be- voelkerten. Die Weltgeschichte dagegen lehrte, es waren die Semiten. Die Alter¬ tumskunde aber fand es, wie die Bibel es berichtet. Ein vierter aeusserer Beweis ist die chro- nologische Zeitrechnung. Es ist alien wohl bekannt, dass wir nicht eine genaue Zeit¬ rechnung in der Bibel haben. Doch wenn man die biblisch-historisehen Ereignisse mit der Zeitrechnung der Aegypter, der Assyrer und der Babyloener vergleicht, so sieht man eine genaue Parallele. Die Bibel zeigt, Josia als Koenig Judas, da Necho der Pharaoh Aegyptens war. Die Bibel zeigt Hiskia als den Koenig Judas zurzeit Tir- haskas, und Rehabeam zur Zeit Sisacks. Diesselbe sieht man in der Voelkerzeit- rechnung. Was die Bibel auf diesem Gebiet sagt, beruht auf Tatsache. Ein fuenfter aeusserer Beweis ist der ge¬ naue Gebrauch und die chronologische Auf- zaehlung der Namen der Koenige des Al- ten Testaments. Ungefaehr 300 Koenige ha¬ ben zur Zeit der israelitischen Monarchic (1000-400 B. C.) in verschiedenen Laendem gelebt. Siebenundreizig regierten in Israel und Juda. Die mathematische Moeglich- keit, um all diese siebenunddreissig Koeni¬ ge in richtiger Reihenfolge zu nennen, sie richtig hinzustellen in ihre Gebiete, und sie in die richtige Zeit der Weltgeschichte zu stellen, waere eins aus 220,000 mal 1,000,000 zu dem achten Exponenten. (Man siehe “The Basis of Christian Faith” von F. E. Hamilton um die Sache vollstaendiger zu Continued on page 40

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REV. B. D. REIMER PRINCIPAL NEW TESTAMENT SYNTHESIS, MISSIONS PERSONAL WORK, CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE, BIBLE INTRODUCTION, CULTS God ' s Need — Your Responsibility Ever since that fateful day Adam and Eve disobeyed the command of God and were separated from Him, God has been seeking man. From God’s “Adam where art thou?” as recorded in Genesis, Christ’s statement reported by Luke “For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost,” to the plea of the Holy Spirit as revealed in the last chapter of Revelation “the Spirit and the bride say come,” we have a portrayal of the burden and longing of God to bring lost man back into fellowship with Himself. God used divers means at different times to speak to men, trying to bring them to their senses, convict them of sin, and produce a volun¬ tary turn about in repentance and return to God. Now in the time of grace, or the Church Age. He has appointed to use the men and women who have been bom again. The Bible clearly shows our God to be a holy God. As such He can use only clean vessels. Since man is made in the image of God with a free will of his own, God can touch lives only through those who are clean, and voluntarily yield to His con¬ trol and direction. It follows then that only those Christians Will bring full glory and honor to God who can be used in this way. Are you one of these? This crucial question dares and chal¬ lenges every Christian. The answer to it depends entirely on you. God does desire to use you. He has promised to be with you. He has provided everything necessary for a successful and fruitful life, a life that will honor and glorify Him, “But,” you ask, “How can I?” Come aside with Isaiah into the presence of the Holy One of Israel, or accompany the Apostle Peter into the presence of the Lord Jesus, and you will confess that you are a sinful creature. This is an absolute need for a successful ministry. A person must begin to realize the sinfulness of sin; and the hatred a holy God has of every sin. Enter¬ ing into the presence of God always brings an old fashioned conviction of sin, the first step to cleansing and a fruitful life. So then, live in close fellowship with God. This will naturally result in genuine repent¬ ance, which includes confession of sin, re¬ stitution, and a change of life and purpose. This in turn brings cleansing from and by God, who, if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. This cleansing brings man within hearing dist¬ ance of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, the Commander of the Army of the Lord, and puts us in the position where He can direct and guide. After he had been cleansed by the coal of fire from off the altar, Isaiah heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Isaiah was honest, alert and ready. He said, “Here am I; send me.” This is where so many Christians make their great mistake. They are not prompt to move to complete con¬ secration at the voice of God, and so fail to be commissioned. God wants voluntary, willing and conscientious service. He did not ask Isaiah to confess his sin, nor did He ask him to serve Him. After Isaiah’s confession and cleansing, God asked, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Isaiah came back with a “Here am I; send me.” Isaiah offered himself. Upon this offer God commissioned Isaiah, and told him to “Go and tell.” The one who of¬ fers himself is the one whom God com¬ missions. Student, friend, reader — to be used of God for the great business of building the temple of God with living stones; to be used in seeking for salvation those who are lost, we need to come into God’s presence regularly and keep our vessels cleansed. Then, when God speaks, be ready to offer our service. Upon this God will commision and empower. Can God depend on you? B. D. Reimer

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MR. EDWARD REIMER DEAN The Art of ' True Friendship “Friendship is unselfish love between two hearts. It is the highest born, and longest lasting, and finest woven of any tie that binds human hearts together.” Gushing forth from the eternal fountain of God’s own love, true friendship can never be broken, but will continue to flow in an ever deepening and widening stream throughout eternity. Thousands of people go through life never knowing the joy that affectionate friendships can bring, w hile thousands of others are starving for their friendship. There are in every community enough friendless people to surround with affec¬ tion every individual in need of friends. If you are in need of friends do not wait for others to seek your friendship, but offer yours to those who need it. Many a lasting friendship has been built upon a warm handshake or a sympathetic smile in time of trouble or bereavement. How blessed the Christian community would be if less people would search in vain for lasting friend¬ ship among the popular or befriended, and more would prepare feasts for “the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind,” Luke 14:13. Friendship is not much dependent upon similar interests and personalities; it fol¬ lows those who are genuinely kind, and sincerely interested in the well-being and happiness of others. One who tries to de¬ termine the interests of the other person; who listens with enthusiasm to that which enthuses a friend; who listens with sympa¬ thy to the thing that troubles another; who ENGLISH GR. X, NOVEL AND COMPOSITION GR. XII, CHEMISTRY GR. XI, PHYSICS GR. XI makes the next one feel that his enthusiasm is warranted and his troubles are real — he is the one who has friends. Cause a person to realize that he makes a difference in your life, and you have won a friend. Another way of saying the same thing is, “A man that hath friends must show him¬ self friendly.” Proverbs 18:24. True friendship, like God, is no respecter of persons or circumstances. It has the same warmth in the poverty of the slums as in the luxury of the king’s palace. It is often the warmest between those of great difference in age, or position in life. There is none too poor or too feeble to pay the p rice. As the warmth of the sun will draw a pure white lily forth from the black slime at the bottom of a pond so the warmth of Christian friendship will draw forth a sanctified soul from the filth of human depravity. True friendship is characterized by a willingness to sacrifice. It is a sacrifice that thinks not so much of the cost as it is concerned with the giving of self to someone in need. A friend chooses to give of self without expecting any return. He has the courage to stay true even in time of adversity. He is willing to give of him¬ self even when it is not convenient. Christ, the supreme example of true friendship, never turned away a soul in need or troub¬ le, regardless of how inopportune the time. He also taught us that the culmination of true friendship is laying down one’s life for a friend. John 15:13. A true friend is also willing to play the part of a surgeon, to take the razor edge blade of God’s Word and permit it to cut away any bad growth that could cripple a friend for eternity. This is not easy, it requires utmost skill, but it is the acid test of true Christian friendship. “Friendship has the daring courage of the man defending his home; the clinging tenacity of the mountain goat on the dizzy heights of the far cliff; the soft tender¬ ness of a mother with her new bom babe; the rare judgement of a wise woman in her gentle-voiced counselling; the unfailing faithfulness of the heavenly Father in his dealing with sinful men; the unselfish steadiness of the skilled surgeon swiftly plunging his blade into the living flesh; and the fine grained strength of the Son of God as He climbed the Calvary steep.” Edward Reimer