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In the fourth issue, we have added this column, and many have echoed their approval. Booksellers often use advertisements to attract people to buy their books. Buyers are often cheated through oversight. Many booksellers have only one goal in mind, which is to make money. They sell all kinds of books, from those which are orthodox in their faith to those which are not. It is not uncommon for pastors and preachers to spend some of their savings to buy useless books. This is why we want to review books and magazines in this column honestly, fairly, and scripturally, so that the readers will know what to choose. [Editor's note: Following this is a list of magazines whose faith is unscriptural, a list of magazines whose faith is mixed, and a list of magazines whose faith is pure.]
In the last issue, we intended to publish a letter from Pastor Tsui Ai-kwang. Unfortunately, the letter was lost. What that letter said was mainly concerning the need for stern critical works on reviewing books and magazines in this age of apostasy. As for the reviews made in the issues prior to the last one, they were all done by the editor.
A few years ago, when I was a one-year-old believer, I obtained this book in English and received much help from it. Two years ago, I heard that it was translated into Chinese, but did not know who the publisher was and could not secure a copy for myself. Although this book is small, it contains many practical points. It also contains many moving stories. Chapter seven on prayer is the most valuable article. The author of the book is the founder of a certain group in England. The group is not a church, but an organization established solely for the salvation of souls. The method the group uses is to write down in notebooks names of friends and relatives according to the leading of the Spirit and to pray for them. At the same time, the gospel would be shared with them until one by one they are saved. When I first became a Christian, other than The Pilgrim's Progress, this book rendered me the most help.
Writer: Scofield. Publisher: Morning Star Publisher, Chefoo. Price: Five cents. This book is a popular booklet among Western spiritual believers. The greatest problem with modern Bible expositions is that men do not rightly divide the teachings in the Bible. Instead, they mix up the teachings of various biblical dispensations, such as those for the Jews and those for the church, and those concerning grace and those concerning the law. In this book Dr. Scofield made clear distinctions between the different teachings. Those believers who want to study the Bible without confusion should study this book.
Writer:______. Translator:______. Price: Sixty cents. The first point about this book is that it is too expensive. A book with so-called social reform in its title is enough to make a person who firmly believes in the Bible sick at heart. Those in the Young Men's Association group talk daily about social reforms. But what I want to know is how many societies they have reformed. As long as the Christian church is here, it proves that the world cannot be reformed. If society can be reformed, then the Lord would have reformed it already. Why is there still the need for the church to be established? (The word church in the original language means "the called-out ones." If society can be reformed, one can live inside it; what need is there to be called out?) The writer wrote on page 10 about "the ideal society according to Jesus." I do not know if the Lord Jesus showed one time what an ideal society should be. The writer is a person who does not believe in the vicarious death of the Lord Jesus for sinners. He considers that the Lord Jesus only "sacrificed for His teaching," "was martyred for His teaching," and gave Himself to a "risky endeavor" (p. 20). More absurd than this is his assertion that the gospel that the Lord Jesus proclaimed was merely a "philosophy" (p. 22). He thought that when the ideal society of the Lord Jesus would appear, all the good things would happen. Later, he said that "such a world would be paradise indeed" (p. 22). Can the world become a paradise through certain kinds of philosophies? We know that the Bible never intends to reform the world. God's intention in this age is to select men out of this world for His name (Acts 15:14). He is not selecting the whole of humanity. In expounding the story of the rich man and Lazarus, the writer said, "The uneven distribution of wealth between the rich and the poor..filled Jesus with righteous indignation! Probably He thought He could change this" (p. 26). Fortunately, he used the word probably! The Lord Jesus never considered the uneven distribution of wealth between the rich and the poor as something that could be changed. The rich man was still rich at the time he died! And Lazarus was still poor at the time he died! If there was any change at all, it was after they had died! Yet even after they had died, there was still the distinction --Lazarus was still not with the rich man in the same place! In talking about social struggles, the writer quoted 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, 17-22. But I do not know how these verses can have anything to do with the social struggles that the writer talked about. On page 39 the writer talked about the "kingdom of heaven"; then on page 112 he explained the meaning of the "kingdom of heaven." The kingdom of heaven to him is just the ideal society of the Lord Jesus. He does not recognize the existence of a real kingdom and is the same as all the other modernists. On page 115 he said, "The new citizens are those who can build up Jesus' promised kingdom of heaven." That means they do not necessarily have to be saved Christians! Page 34 talks about how these new citizens come about; they come about through regeneration. "Jesus called regeneration the rejuvenating experience of confessing oneself to be a child and responding to the love of God." Is this the regeneration that the Bible talks about? Can one be regenerated just by "confessing oneself to be a child"? The reason there is regeneration is that the "self" is unreliable. Can one be regenerated without the bearing of sins on the cross? The writer did not recognize the total depravity of humanity either. "According to Jesus' teaching, everyone has a good nature within him and has the ability to do good" (p. 170). He just said this capriciously and could not quote one verse to back him up. We do not know how the writer would explain John 3:6. Can those born of the flesh evolve into a spirit? The Lord Jesus thinks that it is impossible, that there is no goodness in man. On page 183 the writer mentioned the death of the Lord Jesus as "a martyrdom," and not an act of redemption. The translation of this book is very fluent. If a reader has the intention to study sociology, he will be impressed by the beauty of the style and will recognize the Lord Jesus as the best social reformer. But this book is completely useless, even harmful, to the salvation of the soul and to leading others to believe in the Lord as their Savior. After reading this book, I was amazed by one thing: the writer only called Christ as "Jesus"; he did not call Him "Lord Jesus." The Judas of old and this writer today are of the same category. "No one can say, Jesus is Lord! except in the Holy Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:3).
Bi-monthly. One dollar per year. This bi-monthly magazine is a combination of the famous modernistic Life Monthly and Weekly Truth magazines. This magazine continues with the purpose of the two previous papers. Although the name of it is Truth and Life, I am afraid that what it gives to others is only "Error and Death." Most of its articles have a critical attitude toward the Old Testament, and they are concerned merely with social issues. It has nothing to meet men's spiritual needs.
(This magazine is only responsible for the books that it considers good; we are not responsible for all the other books published by the same publishers that are not reviewed by this magazine. Do not think that just because one book is good, all the books published by the same publisher are also good.)
Free. Address:______. This is a non-periodic publication. All those who want a copy of it can ask for a copy from the correspondence address. This paper is published by a few saints who love the Lord around the Shangtung area. Its goal is: "to remind the church to forsake worldliness and to guard against the teaching of modernism, so that believers would not be shaken by all unscriptural teachings and drift away from their original faith; to encourage men to advance in doctrine, in heart, and in spiritual life through keeping the will of God." Its purpose is: "specifically given to the preaching of the genuine voice of God, the gospel of salvation, the soon coming of the Lord Jesus, the expounding of the Lord Jesus as the Son of God, the Savior of all mankind, and the Christ." We thank and praise the Lord that in this dark and apostate age, there is another paper for the Lord's testimony. I truly hope that those brothers and sisters who are rich in faith and material goods will follow the Lord's leading to work with this paper and to help its advance. Concerning the goal of this paper, I would humbly and gently say a few words. The church is a congregation called out of this world already. Unfortunately, the present church is no longer the church, and I say this with a sorrowful heart. Hence, there is this need "to remind the church to forsake worldliness." However, according to the prophecies in the Bible, it will be the remnant of God in the church who will forsake worldliness and human organizations and who will cleave unto the Lord. There is no such thing as "the church forsaking worldliness"! Both the world and the church will become progressively worse day by day. Hence, dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, if you see the church not forsaking worldliness, but rather rejecting the Lord's Word, do not be disappointed. Finally, I pray that God would bless the Small Voice magazine, the Spiritual Light magazine, the Bible magazine, the Revival magazine, the Morning Star magazine, and the Lamp to My Feet magazine. May the Lord bless them, and may the Lord bless The Christian!
Twenty cents. This book was translated from English. The translation is average. The writer has provided a number of helpful points concerning the interpretation of the book. After reading the book, the reader will have a clearer outline concerning the book of Galatians. The most difficult portion in the whole book of Galatians is 3:15-20.
By Dr. Torrey. The outline of this book was published in the Lecture Notes of the Encouragement Society last year. Dr. Torrey has already given this lecture in many nations and has helped the faith of many people. Dr. Torrey was able to use the simplest language to explain the deepest truth. In this book, he presented the Bible as the Word of God in a brief way. Those who are unprejudiced will find the truth in this book.
Dr. Scofield was an American Bible teacher greatly used by the Lord. He inherited the riches from great Bible scholars, such as Darby, Kelley, and Grant, and digested their writings to put together this systematic course. He has, indeed, produced the consummation of Bible scholarship! He has even developed and carried their teaching further.
This Bible correspondence course can be considered the most complete correspondence course there is in the whole world. What is contained there is not only what Dr. Scofield had received during his lifetime, but it is the culmination of the writings of God's teachers of the truth, men such as Darby, and so forth. Dr. Scofield passed away four years ago. But I believe that "though he has died, he still speaks." We are very happy that many of our teachings take the same stand and hold the same view as Dr. Scofield. Now this course has gradually been translated into Chinese, and in February of 1927 the course will begin in Nanking. We introduce this course to our readers with much recommendation. Finally, a word of warning: any magazine or Bible correspondence course can only lead us to the springs of living water; they are not the springs of living water themselves. To study many books and courses about the Bible without studying the Bible itself is a great danger!
Those who are interested in applications to this Bible correspondence course should write a post card to "The Scofield Bible Correspondence Course, Han-si-men Orphanage, Nanking," and you will receive detailed instructions on enrollment.
Ten cents. This book was written by a British teacher. Its clarity in exposition and depth of knowledge has been welcomed by most Bible-believing men. In an age when the modernists have greatly criticized the historical value of the book of Jonah, this author boldly proved the story of Jonah as a history and not an allegory. This book is knowledgeable and contains much spiritual insight. The translation is not bad. It is a suitable book to give to those seminary students who are deceived.
Writer:______. Fifty cents. This is an instruction manual based on psychology for those teaching Bible classes in schools. We find many suggestions in the book interesting and valuable. But we cannot fail to find one great mistake and disastrous lack in the book! The Christianity described in this book is only one which teaches men to behave according to Christian principles. It is not concerned with regeneration, the receiving of a new life by a sinner. Like all other modernist books, this book does not offer a gospel to sinners. Instead, it only leads men to receive some Christian ethics and moral laws. This is again the arguments of the Young Men's Association. We often ask these ones: "If Christ is superior to others only in His moral and ethical teachings, why do we have to lead others to believe in Him? There are so many people in this world who talk about ethics and morality already!" What sinners need is the gospel, a gospel that will save them, and not better examples.
Since the inception of this Bible correspondence course at the beginning of this year, over one hundred sixty students have enrolled for the course. Many readers of this paper have enrolled themselves in this course, but I myself wish there could be more readers who would enroll in it. Scofield's correspondence course can be considered the most complete for those seeking foundational knowledge of the Bible. If a believer receives the foundational help from Scofield, he will be able to do deeper research on the Bible at a later date. At this juncture, while this paper is being suspended, I would take this opportunity to remind all to pay attention to this matter. Of course, if we study merely with our mind, the harm of reading the Bible is no less than anything else. This is something that we should be careful of. Detailed instructions for enrollment can be obtained from Mr. Chen Chi-kwei in ______, Nanking.
Watchman Nee
