Journal: Emmaus Journal
Volume: EMJ 01:1 (Winter 1991)
Article: Editorial
Author: Anonymous

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EmJ 1:1 (Win 91) p. 3

Editorial

The year 1991 marks the fiftieth anniversary of Emmaus Bible College. For fifty years Emmaus has been faithfully teaching the Word of God in the classroom and disseminating the Scriptures through its world-wide correspondence ministry.

This year also marks the inception of The Emmaus Journal, a biannual publication of the faculty and alumni of Emmaus Bible College devoted to the exposition of the Bible, biblical doctrines, and practical issues from a biblical perspective. Emmaus has through the years been a part of the Brethren movement which began in the latter part of the 1820s in Ireland and England. There are significant issues which that movement is facing today, and Emmaus seeks to deal with these also from a biblical and historical perspective. We are writing for the Bible College graduate and the serious student of Scripture, yet we are also seeking to write in a popular and practical way.

It might be asked why Emmaus is beginning this journal now. The answer is very simple. The assemblies need this kind of teaching, and there is at present very little competition. Many will remember a day when there were numerous Bible study publications in the assemblies. What is there today for the serious student? Many will remember a day when the average Christian in an assembly was characterized by a deep knowledge of the Scriptures. Other evangelicals would acknowledge that “those brethren really know their Bible.” You don’t hear that statement any more. Tests show that a generation ago incoming students to Emmaus generally were ahead of incoming students at other Bible schools in their knowledge of Scripture. That is true no longer. In fact our incoming students are starting out behind those attending other Bible colleges. This is an indication that our young people are not learning the

EmJ 1:1 (Win 91) p. 4

Scriptures in their home assemblies. It is also probably another evidence that the adults are not studying and do not know the Scriptures the way they once did.

The implications of this for the assembly movement are not encouraging. The assemblies have contended against a clergy/laity distinction and against a one man ministry in favor of a ministry by those who are spiritually gifted. But spiritual gifts need to be developed. One with the gift of teaching will not have an effective ministry if he does not study and learn the Scriptures so that he has something to teach. If an assembly does not have in it those who are committed to study and preach the Word, then there are only two directions it can go. Mediocrity in ministry will lead to the starvation of the saints and the extinction of the assembly, or that assembly will go out and hire someone who does know the Bible and will be their teacher. W...

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