Scripture Cannot Be Broken -- By: John Henry Bennetch

Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 102:408 (Oct 1945)
Article: Scripture Cannot Be Broken
Author: John Henry Bennetch


Scripture Cannot Be Broken

John Henry Bennetch

(Concluded from the July-September Number, 1945)

3. Does the Bible deal with trivialities?

Modern scholars have still another grievance against the Word of God. Those portions which treat of purely secular matters, common household affairs, petty concerns of men, etc., they say do not belong to Scripture. “It is inconceivable that, when the Holy Ghost inspired the saving Word, He should have bothered about the marital affairs of Isaac and Rebecca. The moderns are complaining that their sense of the fitness of things is outraged when they are asked to believe that it was by divine inspiration that Paul wrote to Timothy about his cloak.” In reply Dr. Engelder has formulated three lessons to be learned from the Bible’s levicula: (1) “God loves men in all their smallness.” (2) “Prayer involves confidence that God takes interest in the individual who prays, a tender regard for his petty cares and troubles.” (3) “Whoever imagines that these levicula are unworthy of the Holy Ghost, knows little about the Holy Ghost or about the Christian life and conduct.” His conclusion, therefore, must be that “the triviality-charge indicates low intelligence, spiritual dulness, and wicked self-conceit.”

B. Manly’s words on 2 Timothy 4:13 bear repeating, Engelder decides: “Consider the case about this much-complained-of cloak. Here is a man who some thirty years ago renounced ease, fortune, popularity, brilliant prospects—all for Christ, in order to do good to the souls of men. He has had his reward all along from the world and from his nation in stripes, in rod-beatings, in stonings, in imprisonment, in treachery and deadly conspiracy, in unblushing

falsehoods, in unassuaged malice. And now his end is near. He is advanced in years, in his last prison, his usefulness accomplished, his course finished. He is just awaiting the sentence of death. Bravely, cheerfully, triumphantly, he writes his last letter to his dearest friend, his son in the Gospel. Not a note quivers, not a word hints at gloom or threat. But he is shivering with cold. Winter is commencing. He is in want of clothes. And in that prison he is lonely…. Only Luke is with him. He has come to stand by Paul to the last. But the good man wants his books, especially certain beloved precious parchments. They would cheer his lonely hours. He needs his cloak; he wants his manuscripts. Is there nothing touching, nothing affecting in this?”

A final word of caution proceeds from the author ere he finishes Chapter Three. “We, too, are apt to stumble when we read these Biblical ‘trivia...

You must have a subscription and be logged in to read the entire article.
Click here to subscribe
visitor : : uid: ()