Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 181:723 (Jul 2024)
Article: From The Editor
Author: Anonymous

From The Editor

In honor of the centennial celebration of Dallas Theological Seminary (1924–2024) we include in this issue a reprint of an article by the second editor of Bibliotheca Sacra after DTS purchased the journal in 1936. Lewis Sperry Chafer served as editor from 1940 until his death in 1952. He was born in Rock Creek, Ohio, where his father, Thomas, was a pastor. He attended Oberlin College for several years, where he met and married Ella Loraine Case. The newlyweds formed a traveling evangelistic team; he sang and preached, and she played piano. In 1924, he was part of a group of men, including W. H. Griffith Thomas, who founded the Evangelical College, renamed Dallas Theological Seminary in 1936. Chafer served as president of the seminary until 1952.

Although he wrote many theological and scholarly articles, Chafer never lost his passion for evangelism and missions. In this article, “A Love Story Infinitely True,” originally published in 1948, Chafer’s devotion to the character of God and love for the gift of salvation are on full display. He focuses his readers’ attention on the biblical teaching of the love of God, emphasizing that what motivates God to act toward us is his infinite and unchanging love. God’s love is not conditioned upon human faithfulness to him; his love is persistent and consistent. Salvation, redemption from sin, is motivated by God’s love. In short, salvation is a gracious gift from a loving God.

Glenn R. Kreider