#7. “Foundation Day”, 26th May, 1945.
A summary of two addresses given by the Principal.

Inspiration, and right-division of the Scriptures.

“Something new” will always catch the ear, but a good preacher can invest the most orthodox of subjects with all the interest of the heterodox if he knows his business. This standard we shall most certainly aim at when we have the joy and privilege of training others to take their place among the ranks of those who have been found “apt to teach” (II Tim. ii. 2, 24); it is fitting, therefore, that the speaker to-day should live up to this searching test. With four such themes as the basic tenets of the Berean Forward Movement to be dealt with in two short meetings, there will be little or no room for anything more than a statement of the truths involved; nevertheless, even though most, if not all, assembled on this occasion believe and know quite intimately these precious doctrines, they must be re-stated this day as though they were being propounded for the first time, or defended against opposition.

Without subscribing to any existing creed, it is very evident to all who know The Berean Expositor and those concerned with its production, that we have most definite views concerning the doctrines contained in the Scriptures, and these doctrines have been maintained, by the grace of God, since The Berean Expositor was first published in 1909, and it is hoped that they will continue to be maintained until faith is exchanged for sight.

On a number of occasions Paul makes it manifest that he had a great aversion to labouring “in vain”, and enjoined upon Timothy to have “a form of sound words” which he had heard of the Apostle. When, therefore, the Berean Forward Movement was instituted it became necessary to state and include in a Deed of Trust the basic doctrines of such Movement, so that the work inaugurated should continue, and the labour already expended should be fruitful.

The simplest basis was sought, and it was felt that this must include statements concerning The Word and The Lord. Consequently the Inspiration of all Scripture, and the Deity of Christ were set down as fundamental. It was then realized that the great work of Christ must be included, and so His One Sacrifice for sin was added. These it was felt would prove sufficient, and not impose shackles upon those who follow. It was however realized that there were many Protestant and other Societies that would endorse these three doctrines, but who would not subscribe to the central feature of our Witness, namely, the subject of Dispensational Truth; therefore it was considered essential that the Principle of “Right Division” should be included.

Our doctrinal basis therefore is fourfold:--
(1) Full inspiration of the Scriptures.
(2) Right division of the Scriptures.
(3) The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
(4) All sufficiency of His one Sacrifice.

These basic tenets were included in the Deed of Trust, but as is well known, Deeds of Trust do no implement themselves. Unless Trustees are faithful, and unless the company of believers constituting the Movement are made aware of them, it is possible for such tenets, in the course of time, to become a dead letter. They may be “safe” in the Black box in which they are kept, but they may also be “dead and buried” therein.

With this in mind it was deemed desirable that:

(a) From time to time the foregoing basic doctrines be brought prominently before those constituting the Movement, at what is to be known as “Foundation Day” Meetings, to be held on the last Saturday in May each year. These to take the place of the old Annual Meetings.
(b) Whoever should speak at these Meetings, their subject must be one or more of the four basic doctrines or their interrelationship.
(c) At the first of these gatherings it was considered fitting that the Principal should be the sole speaker, and deal with all four basic doctrines, two in the afternoon, and two in the evening.

For the afternoon, the Inspiration and Right Division of Scripture was the theme, and in the evening The Deity of Christ and His One Sacrifice were dealt with.

It was pointed out that the Inspiration and Right Division of the Scripture were really inseparable. Both are maintained in one epistle, namely in II Tim. iii. 16 and II Tim. ii. 15, and all Scripture cannot be accepted as true unless Right Division is applied. This will be demonstrated presently. First, however, let us present the case for the Inspiration of Scripture.

Three passages provide all that we need at the moment, II Tim. iii. 16; II Pet. i. 19-21; and John xvii. 8, 14, 17. They are as follows:

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God” (II Tim. iii. 16).
“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation (or, of its own unfolding); for the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (II Pet. i. 19-21).
“I have given unto them the words which Thou gavest Me” (John xvii. 8).
“I have given them Thy word” (John xvii. 14).
“Thy word is truth” (John xvii. 17).

It is noteworthy that both Paul and Peter wrote the above words in view of imminent martyrdom, even as John xvii. is uttered in view of the approaching death on the cross. This adds to the solemnity of the utterances, and the obligation under which such passages place all believers.

“Right Division” is a basic principle of interpretation. The meaning of the term is best understood by consulting Prov. iii. 6, where the Septuagint reads “He shall rightly divide thy paths”. Full acceptance of inspiration is jeopardized where right division is not observed. For example, Exod. xii. 14, 15 declares that “that soul shall be cut off from Israel” who fails to observe the law concerning unleavened bread, and the commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy, which was enforced even by the death penalty (Numb. xv. 32-36), cannot be correctly understood in the light of such passages as Rom. xiv. 5, 6, or Col. ii. 16 unless the distinction between dispensations is observed.

Our Lord’s recognition of the principle of right division is clearly seen in Luke iv. 16-21, where He stopped short in the quotation of Isa. lxi. 1, 2 because of the two time periods found in that passage. The two commands “Go not” of Matt. x. 5 and “Go ye” of Matt. xxviii. 19 only makes sense if right division is observed. Mark xvi. 17 declares that “these signs shall (not may) follow them that believe”, and apart from right division it is difficult to see how believers to-day can have any assurance of their salvation. The scientific student as he observes the strata of the earth, the composition of the chalk cliffs, the coal deposits, the fossils embedded in the rocks, is stumbled by the teaching that creation took place in six days some six thousand years ago; indeed, Hugh Miller was driven to suicide by conflicting loyalties, yet the observation of right division allows the Scriptures to be implicitly believed and accepted.

Other matters like the use of the Lord’s prayer, the special word translated “daily” in that prayer, and the specific meaning of the “temptation” for which deliverance is sought, are discoverable when Kingdom is distinguished from Church and the prayer seen in the light of the book of the Revelation.

In the evening the subjects were The Deity of Christ and the meaning of the Atonement.

------------------------------

(From The Berean Expositor, vol. 33, page 124).

-------------------------------