THE DOGMATIC SPIRIT--BENJAMIN B. WARFIELD (1851-1921)

What is called the dogmatic spirit is not popular among men. It is characterized by an authoritative method of presenting truth; by an unwillingness to modify truth to fit it to current conceptions; by an insistence on what seem to many minor points; and above all by (what lies at the root of most of its other peculiarities) a habit of thinking in a system, and a consequent habit of estimating the relative importance of the separate items of truth by their logical relation to the body of truth, rather than by their apparent independent value. 

Such a habit of mind seems to be the only appropriate attitude toward a body of truth given by revelation, and committed to men only to embrace, cherish, preserve, and propagate. It seems to be, moreover, the attitude toward the body of revealed truth commended to those who were to be its "ministers" and not its masters, by the Lord and his apostles, when they placed it as a rich treasure in the keeping of stewards of the mysteries of God. But it is irritating to men. They would discuss rather than receive truth. And, if they must receive it, they would fain modify it here and there to fit preconceived opinions or permit cherished practices. Especially in a busy age in which Pilate's careless question, "what is truth?" represents the prevailing attitude of men's minds, the dogmatic habit is apt to fare somewhat badly.

An illustration of what is meant by the dogmatic spirit may be found in a passage in the biography of that great servant of Christ, Caesar Malan, who is forgotten already in the land which he served so nobly in the gospel of Christ, but to whom, under God, along with his compeers, Merle D'Aubigne and Louis Gaussen, Switzerland owes her awakening to the light of truth in this century. It is, perhaps, none the worse as an illustration that it presents the dogmatic habit in an extreme form, and, in the opinion of the biographer at least, in perverted action. The biographer is pointing out what he believed to be Malan's greater fitness for the missionary than for the pastoral office. He thinks his habit of mind, firing him with zeal for the whole truth, eminently fitted him for the one function and somewhat unsuited him for the other. "Called to be a witness, a confessor, an apostle," he says, "we may say of him what the chief of the apostles scrupled not to say of himself, that 'he was not sent to baptize, but to preach the gospel.' ... Looking at everything from the most serious point of view, tracing each offense not to its secondary or accidental source, but to those abstract principles which his spirit so rapidly divined, and the issues of which be so vividly apprehended ' it was too probable that with him every act of heedlessness would be a crime, every unenlightened sentiment a heresy," [the spirit by] which the dogmatic habit is exposed. It may be misled into harsh judgments of individuals by its own clear view of the consistency of truth, and its own vivid realization of the significance and issue of special errors and shortcomings. 

But its essential virtue is also here presented before us. Its clear insight into truth as a body and in its parts; its rapid perception of and firm grasp upon determining principles; its vivid apprehension of the logical and ultimately the inevitable practical effects of this and that apparently unimportant modification of truth; its consequent zeal to preserve the truth from corruption and its devotion to its propagation: these are the elements of the true dogmatic spirit. It is, accordingly, as Malan's biographer forcibly points out, the true missionary spirit--the spirit of the Apostle Paul.

We may observe its working in Paul, in the Epistle to the Galatians. Here burns the purest zeal for that gospel which he had been sent to preach. Doubtless the preaching of the Judaizers appeared to the Galatians as but a slight modification of that of Paul--a modification which did not affect the essence of the gospel, and which presented many advantages. The Judaizers also preached Christ. They preached Christ as the promised Messiah of Israel, only through the acceptance of whom could entrance be had into the messianic salvation. To them, too, therefore, the promised redemption was unattainable save through the promised Messiah. But though they preached that only in his name could salvation be had, they denied that it could be had in his name alone. Something else was requisite. Men must accept the Messiah; but men must also be circumcised--men must keep the law-men must enter into life by the gate of Judaism. It was this teaching-not the proclamation of an entirely anti-Christian system-which Paul brands as a different kind of gospel or rather no gospel at all, but only a troubling of Zion by those who would pervert the gospel of Christ.

Was Paul narrow-minded and over-severe in this? Evidently there were many Galatians who thought so. Why harshly pronounce those "accursed" who taught fundamentally the same doctrine of the Messiah; and only differed in this, certainly very minor, point of whether the keeping of the law was not necessary too? How can the violence of asserting that if circumcision be received Christ will profit nothing, be possibly excused? Is not this the very embodiment of narrow-minded fanaticism yielding to the odium theologicum? There are apparently many today who would sympathize with the Galatians in so arguing. Paul, however, thought in a system; traced apparently small differences back to their principles; perceived clearly the issues to which they tended; and condemned according to fact and not according to appearance. He is the type of the dogmatic spirit. And we who would be followers of Paul, even as he was of Christ, may learn some very valuable lessons from him.

Primarily, we may learn this lesson: that it is not a matter of small importance whether we preserve the purity of the gospel. The chief dangers to Christianity do not come from the anti-Christian systems. Mohammedanism has never made inroads upon Christendom save by the sword. Nobody fears that Christianity will be swallowed up by Buddhism. It is corrupt forms of Christianity itself which menace from time to time the life of Christianity. Why make much of minor points of difference among those who serve the one Christ? Because a pure gospel is worth preserving; and is not only worth preserving, but is logically (and logic will always work itself ultimately out into history) the only saving gospel. Those who overlay the gospel with man-made additions, no less than those who subtract from it God-given elements, are not preaching "the gospel" in another form, but are offering a different kind of gospel, which is essentially no gospel at all. They are troublers of Israel, who are perverting the gospel of Christ.

Then, we may learn this lesson: that it is not a matter of small importance for the servant of Christ to begin to seek to please men in the gospel which he offers them. Doing so, he ceases to be Christ's servant, performing his will; and becomes the slave of men, veering hither and thither according to their beck and call. So doing, he is no longer the teacher of the truth to men, but the learner of falsehood from men. It doubtless seemed to the Judaizers very proper to adapt the mode in which they presented Christ to man, to the views of the community on which they had to depend for their first hearing in every fresh city. Paul says that in so doing they won not the blessing of God but his curse. After all, what is required of stewards is that they be found faithful.

And then we may learn this supreme lesson above all: that it is of the very gravest importance to keep clearly before our and others' minds and hearts the great fact that in Christ alone is there salvation. In Christ alone; and that in both senses of the word "alone." Not only can there be no salvation except in him; but in him is all that can be needed for salvation. Jesus only! Paul determined to know nothing in Corinth but Jesus Christ and him as crucified. The only saving gospel is to find in him all. There needs no supplement to his work. His work admits of no supplement. To depend on aught else-aught else, however small it may seem-along with him is as truly to lose him as to depend on aught else instead of him. 

The solemn words of Paul, "Behold I, Paul, say unto you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will profit you nothing," have their multiform application in these modern times. And it behooves us so to live and so to preach, today, that we can say now, as he said then, that our only trust and our only glory is in the cross of Jesus Christ; and that we find in him and his work alone the beginning and the middle and the end of salvation. He is not only the author but also the finisher of our faith.

A Christless cross no refuge is for me;  

A Crossless Christ my Savior may not be;  

But, O Christ crucified! I rest in thee.

 This short essay was originally published in The Presbyterian Journal, Oct. 11, 1894, p. 648.

WHEN THE LORD GIVES MEN OVER TO THEIR TRANSGRESSIONS

BY JOSEPH CARYL (1602--1673)

A child is sent away, sent to himself, or put into his own hands. A child sent away to himself, brings shame, that is, will certainly run into vile and enormous courses to the shame of her that bear him. A child left, or sent to himself is one that has no guide, no governor, no instructor but himself. A man that will learn only of himself hath but a fool to his Master, How much more than a weak child, what a master, what a tutor hath a child, if he have none but himself. To be left or sent to themselves is to have none to counsel or advise them the right way, or to give them any stop and check in an ill way. The c character that Paul and Barnabas gave of the former times, when they preached to the Heathens at Lystra, was this (Acts 14:16). WE exhort you to turn unto the living God that made heaven and earth, who in times past suffered all Nations to walk in their own ways. He let them go, and never stayed them at all, they had no bridle, no restraint, not so much as  a word to bring them back; he suffered all nations, as if he had said, He left them in the hand of their transgression, that their own evil hearts should do what they would with them. In which sense we may also understand that place (Acts 17:30).

When Paul at Athens disputed with the philosophers, he tells them that now God began to look towards them, and had sent them knowledge of Christ, he times of that ignorance winked at; but now he called all men everywhere to repent. The words undergo a twofold interpretation. Some thus, to note the indulgence of God, The time past of that ignorance God winked at; that is, he did not deal severely and strictly with them, when they sinned, because they had no means, or so little means to keep them from sin. And there is a truth in it, for though ignorance does not totally excuse sin, yet it does abate the degree and measure of sin.

But there is another sense which I rather embrace, The times of that ignorance God winked at; that is, in those times wherein there was so much darkness, and blindness in the world, God let me go on in their sin: they sinned, and he never called upon them, he never opposed them, or sent any to teach them better. God did not manifest his will to them as unto the Jews, Psalm 147:19, 20. He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and judgments unto Israel; he hath dealt so with any Nation &c. So that this winking is opposed to favour than to justice. To have the eye upon a place, or upon a person, is to show them favour, 1 King 8:29. The later branch clears this meaning, But now he called all men everywhere to repent: now he does not leave men in the hands of their transgressions: he does not wink and let them do what they like; now Gospel light has risen to the world, and there are many sent tout to call in and reclaim wandering prodigals, many to cry, Return, return.

He speaks of it as of the mercy and privilege of that age, beyond what the former ages enjoyed. That of the same Apostle hath a parallel sense (Rom 1:20 & 26) where describing the dealings of God with the gentiles, which sinned against the light of nature, he concludes, therefore God left them in the darkness of nature, in the worst of nature: they came not up so high as the principles of nature in the things of man, He gave them up to vile affections which is as much to say, He put them in the hands of their transgression. And ver., 28. He gave them over to a reprobate mind, to a mind that could not judge aright, which had not a true understanding of anything: hence they elected the worse and reprobated the best things. The like we have (psalm 81:11) of God's own people the Jews, so I gave them up to their own heart lusts; and they walked in their own counsels. The Hebrew is, I sent them into the pertinancy of their hearts, because I had so often called upon them, and they would not hearken, not return unto me, therefore I said, forasmuch as you will not hear, you shall not hear; because you will not obey, you have none to call you to obedience; follow the counsels of your own hearts, as long as you will.

TRUTH UNPOPULAR--W. F. BELL

                                                                             

            A Commentary on the Times (But not aired on CNN)

   "Any pastor desiring to carry the torch of truth today need not expect to have many friends."  So wrote Chuck Baldwin in a recent article for The Covenant News.  Baldwin also said, "It has never been harder to continue to carry the torch of truth than it is today," and "Truth has been replaced with entertainment."  Well said, absolutely true.  (Note, these very words are not popular.)

  

    It's hard to write truth today.  (Try it sometime.)  It's even harder to live truth.  Friends and family leave us one by one when we stand firm for truth.  Congregations dwindle.  Readers move on to something more soothing and comforting.  We're called "unloving."  In a word, truth is very unpopular.

  

    Let's get specific.  The truth about God makes us unpopular, for few really seem to care for biblical theology.  "Theology" is even a word that turns people off today.  What about the glory of Christ?  Another unpopular subject.  What about personal holiness, or proving that we are justified by sanctified living?  (Bad question.)  Shouldn't we just be mostly concerned with church growth, accommodating our message to the masses, being friendly, being emergent-minded, being entertaining, concerned with the overall numbers -- isn't this what matters?     No, not really. (And no apologies.) 

  

   Anyone ever read the Bible?  (Bad question.)  Well, though unpopular, here it is:  "Buy the truth, and sell it not" (Proverbs 23:23).  We "buy" truth by believing it, living it, honoring it.  And we must never "sell" it, no matter how tempted we are to do so.  Proverbs 23 contains particular instructions for children to know how to "be wise" in life, by "listening" to fathers and mothers who "guide" them "in the way" (verses 19-22).  Don't Christians in general need this also?  Truth is built on the solid foundation of God Himself, and His infallible Word.  The modern church needs to get back to this solid ground, for apart from the truth of Christ, "all other ground is sinking sand."   And there goes my popularity.  But no matter, "a remnant" shall hear!  Selah. 

FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD-- WILLIAM CAREY

‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…’John 3:16

How big is your God? Is He bound by the limitations of what you can see, hear, and think? Or do you have a God who can do anything at any time? Today, let’s consider a great man who believed in a great God—William Carey, the father of modern missions. Carey lived by the motto “Attempt great things for God. Expect great things from God.”

  For centuries, worldwide missions had come to a virtual standstill. But William Carey, a cobbler who lived in England in the eighteenth century, explored God’s Word and became increasingly convinced that God was concerned about the whole world—“For God so loved the world.” This conviction began a burning in Carey’s heart. He envisioned millions of people perishing throughout the earth, people who needed to hear about Jesus Christ. Being a man of action, Carey convinced a group of ministers in 1792 to form the first foreign missionary society. But that was not enough. Carey himself felt led to the mission field, so he traveled to India. He mastered more than a dozen Indian languages then translated the entire Bible or portions thereof into those languages. Every day, he preached to the natives. The result? Not one single convert among the Indians for seven years. But Carey persevered, believing that God could and would do great things. Finally, in 1800, Kirshna Pal was the first convert of the modern missionary movement. Soon hundreds, thousands, and millions followed!

  In the thirty-five years after Carey went to India, missionary societies sprang up all over Britain, Europe, and America. The result was an outpouring of missionary activity, labor, and zeal, the likes of which had not happened since the first century! All of this came about through the hard work of a humble cobbler who believed in God’s greatness and obeyed God’s call. When ordinary people with ordinary talents yield fully to God, He uses them to accomplish extraordinary things

What can you do for God today?

When I am gone, speak less of Dr. Carey and more of Dr. Carey’s Saviour.
WILLIAM CAREY

        (From Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, Fort Lauderdale, FL)

TAKE IT SERIOUSLY----ARTHUR W. PINK

 Here are some wise words for us from Arthur Pink. Heeding these words will help us greatly. Let's do it! May God help us here!

Oh, my friends, we are playing at things. We have not begun to take religion seriously, any of us. We profess to believe in the coming of Christ, and we profess to believe that the one reason why Christ has not come back yet is because His Church, His Body, is not yet complete. We believe that when His body is complete. 

He will come back. my friends, His "body" never, never, will be complete until the last of His elect people will be called out, and His elect people are called out under the preaching of the gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit, and if you are really anxious for Christ to come back soon, then you had better be more wide awake to your responsibility in connection with taking or sending the gospel to the heathen!

IGNORANT FORMAL CHRISTIANITY-J.C. RYLE

I am convinced that one of our grave defects today, is a most serious diminishing of the good old custom of private reading of the Bible.  Between the growth of Christian periodicals and books, I have a strong impression that Bibles are not read as much and as carefully as they were two hundred years ago. Neglect of the Bible, is like disease of the body–it shows itself in the face of a man’s conduct.  It tells its own tale.  It cannot be hidden. I fear that many neglect the Bible–because of the enormous ignorance of true religion which everywhere prevails. There are thousands of professing Christians in this country, who know literally nothing about the Gospel. They could not give you the slightest account of its distinctive doctrines. They have no more idea of the true meaning of conversion, grace, faith, justification, and sanctification–than of so many words and names written in Arabic! And can I suppose that such people search the Scriptures? I cannot suppose it.  I do not believe they do! I fear that many neglect the Bible–because of the utter indifference with which they regard false doctrine–as if it did not signify much, and was all the same thing in the long run–whether one was a Roman Catholic, or a Socinian, or a Mormonite, or a Deist, or an Agnostic. And can I suppose that such people search the Scriptures? I cannot suppose it.  I do not believe they do! I fear that many neglect the Bible–because of the readiness with which they receive false teaching. They are led astray by the first false prophet they meet with, who “comes in sheep’s clothing,” and has a pleasant voice, a nice manner, and a gift of eloquent speech! They swallow all that he says without inquiry, and believe him as implicitly as papists believe the Pope! And can I suppose that such people search the Scriptures? I cannot suppose it. I do not believe they do! I declare my firm conviction, that an idle neglect of the Bible is one cause of the ignorant formal Christianity which is so widely prevalent in these latter days! Brethren! We are drifting, drifting, drifting–and what the end will be–no man can tell.

ASSURANCE---THOMAS WATSON

We cannot come amiss to him that hath assurance---God is his. 

Hath he lost a friend?---his Father lives. 

Hath he lost an only child?---God hath given him His only Son. 

Hath he scarcity of bread?---God hath given him the finest of the wheat, the bread of life. 

Are his comforts, gone?---he hath a Comforter. 

Doth he meet with storms?---he knows where to put in for harbor. 

God is his Portion, and heaven is his haven. 

--Thomas Watson. 1662.