Article April 4, 1964 Issue

Signs of the Times

Merrill C. Tenney

Christian Herald

Dr. Merrill C. Tenney Wheaton College, Illinois
in the Christian Herald
New York, New York

If it is true that the Church is always living within one generation of extinction, it could also be true that it is always living within one generation of victory. ..... Three words can summarize the equipment necessary for victory: authority, vitality, unity. These three qualities are indispensable to success.

Authority is necessary if the Church expects to command attention for its message. The empirical temper of a scientific age is impatient with any sentiment that cannot be substantiated by facts. Tradition is insufficient, for it may be unreliable; experience is inadequate because the feelings and acts of one imperfect man cannot constitute a norm for others. Only the revelation of God in Christ, communicated through the Scripture, can be an adequate guide for thought and action .... All must ultimately return to the fountainhead of truth contained in the Bible. A church that cannot say, "Thus saith the Lord," has lost its spiritual assurance and has substituted speculation for certainty.

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