Article #81
Subject: Thoughts on some Watchword articles
Author: Andrew W. Harrell
Posted: 9/18/2011 04:43:03 PM

Thoughts on some 19th century watchword articles by Dr. Gordon
(you can google A.J.Gordon, Watchword to find these which are available for
free pdf. Download)

We recently celebrated his 175th birthday in a small church in the woods near
the town of New Hampton New Hampshire. In the May 1879 Watchword sermon,
Love conquered by love he speaks of why the Christian cannot love both the
World and God. Scott Gibson in his book on him, entitled A.J. Gordon an
American Premillenist he mentions the five ways the Methodist Richard Neibuhr
explained that a Christian can relate to the world 1) Christ against culture,
2)Christ in agreement with culture, 3) Christ above culture, 4) Christ and
culture, 5) Christ transforming culture. A.J., being a pre-millennialist was
eliminated from the 2nd and 5th ways. And, yet the Bible says “God so loved
the world that he gave it his only Son”. I see this as another subtle way
God’s narrow dividing line between Truth in the World and His Truth inside of
ourselves works to save us all.
My great-grandfather in a May-June 1883 Watchword article
on “Modern Evangelism”, saw his Calvinist Baptist ministry as a “witness of
the Word”, while that of the Methodist John Wesley as the “inner witness of
the heart.” For Protestant Christians who worship with both these confessions
I see it as an instance of what my great-grandfather noticed as these twofold
nature of Biblical Truth…Biblical Life…our Biblical Divine Self…Jesus Christ.
The Christ is the witness of “the Word” and Jesus is Its/His “inner witness
inside our human heart”. My Hindu/Christian Divine Self, Swami
Vishnudevananada said shortly before he died: “If you cannot find God within
the human heart…then you cannot fine Him anywhere”. To worship God as
Spiritual Oneness and Glorification of Himself and His Truth in you as you
represent Him to others is the real lasting way to worship. This was spoken
about as absolute Gospel Truth by our friends and partners in Christ: Jesus,
Andrew, Peter, James and particularly John (in his Gospel).

If you read some of A.J.’s articles on pre-millennism in the Watchword (Aug.
1879,”Pre-Millennium views”,April 1886, “Pre-Millennism and Missions”,“Feb.
1889,”Ends of The Age”, Jan. 1889, “Programme Of Redemption”) you see as you
would expect that they are all based on Bible verses. In addition to passages
from Corinthians and many references to the seven church passages in the Book
of Revelations and in the interesting 1889 articles he refers to seven
parables of Jesus which someone grouped together (maybe for this reason) in
the 13th chapter Book of Matthew.

In the first parable of the group the seed is sown as “the word of the
kingdom”. It is sown in three parts falling into unfruitful ground and with
only one part into good ground. In the second parable the field (to be later
identified as “the World” in Mt 13:38) is readily receptive. It is so
receptive that the first stages of apostasy appear (the bringing on
unregenerated men into the Church of Christ and mixing them with true Saints…
Rev. 2:9). The third parable compares the development of the Church..in the
Pergamos period of her development Rev. 2:12… unto the mustard seed grows
into a tree in which the evil “birds of the air” rest in its branches. The
fourth parable, the parable of the yeast, shows the further result…in which
the Church penetrates gradually into the World, but the growing prosperity of
the Church results in the complete corruption of her life and doctrine. My
great grandfather cites the passage of 1 Cor. 10:17 which points out that the
Church is one loaf of bread: “For we being many are one bread”.and warns
against what can happen when the “leaven of malice” enters into the load. A
bold statement for a conservative Calvinist-Protestant. In the fifth parable,
starting at Mt. 13:44 the Kingdom of Heaven is compared to something a
something precious buried in a field (perhaps the Sardis period of the Church
according to the author of the Book of Revelation). Likewise, the teaching of
the sixth parable, that of the pearl which corresponds to the Church of
Philadelphia. In the final parable of the Chapter, the seventh, we are told
that “Again the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net that was cast into the
sea, and gathered of every kind.”

Jesus Christ has said, speaking to all of us that, “Immediately after the
tribulation of those days…they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds
of heaven with power and great glory.” The fall of the Empire of Constantine
was certainly a period of great tribulation for the Christian Church. But,
the nation of Israel was not reestablished then. I do not see how anyone
studying World and Church history during World War II and the reestablishment
of the nation of Israel afterwards could not consider this the period of
great tribulation for both the Gentiles and the Jews.

It is not true that everything is good, nor is it true that everything which
is good is God, or that everything or everyone is God. But, it is true that
everything and everyone that is God is good, and that good and God is in
everything and everyone.

May we see that which is good and God in everything and everyone more
clearly, may we Love Them more dearly and follow Them more closely

Article #86
Subject: further thoughts
Author: Andrew W. Harrell
Posted: 10/17/2011 01:17:05 PM

What is a liberal Protestant? It is easiest to say what we are not. It is not
belief in the Pope, or the Bible, the Talmud, the Kabbalah, or any Church as
the only source of absolute Truth. Liberal Protestants complain a lot. We
may suffer the fate of Laconis the ancient Greek hero of Troy who tries to
warn his friends that God is conspiring to defeat them. But, eventually,like
Jesus, we have to not complain and be obedient to the Truth when it appears
in us. The difference is that, Jesus having gone before, if we see ourselves
as one in Him and with Him there is always hope. There is always a way to
interpret what has happened afterwards it does as being for the best. In this
sense, He is there to mediate and help us when this happens. Our Elohim
Father God has created the World in six days through His Son the Logos
(Divine Principal) and those in His Church, resting on the seventh. But on
the eighth day He redeems us all through His Holy Spirit dwelling in us all.
But on the eighth day He redeems us all through His Holy Spirit dwelling in
us all.


In Genesis chapter one it is explained that God Created humankind in his
image and His likeness. In his book on theology for every other part of his
doctrine Calvin takes the Bible as the fundamental authority, but not in
discussing this passage. God would not have used two different Hebrew words
here if He didn't think it was important But mr. Calvin says both words mean
exactly the same. Why did he say this? You figure it out. Whether you are
interested in criticizing him or promoting his point of view you can make a
case for either. There is a reason for both perspectives.
The image of God or icon and the likeness is the Word or Logos. Plato teaches
us that the icon (being perceptive) should be considered an illusion on a
cave wall, while the Truth or the Logos has a more absolute existencele
visiting the Ukrainian city of Yalta two weeks ago our tour guide Ludymila,
talking about her country's economy said "our politicians have promised us a
lot, especially before the elections." I said it is the same in our country.
I suspect it is about to happen to us again in 2012.

cf John Calvin: An Introduction to his Theological Thought by Marc Vial
Book 1, chapter 13,section3. Institutes of the Christian religion

Article #89
Subject: further thoughts on this
Author: Andrew W. Harrell
Posted: 10/23/2011 11:38:02 AM

Actually, the precise English translation of Gen.Chapter 1 verse 27 is: And
God (Elohim) created (Boray) the man (Adam) in His image (tzlemu), in the
image(tzlemu) of God (Elohim) He created (Boray) him, male and female He
created them (ie. in one substance or soul and out of one substance and
soul). So, the Christian translation of in the image (the 1st act of
creation) and the likeness (the 2nd repeated act of the 1st) is the most
accurate way to understand this passage. Calvin is correct that in this sense
likeness means the same thing as image. But, it is misleading to suggest that
both acts of creation occur simultaneously. Even, as Jesus Christ was born,
died, resurrected and returned the 1st time...so God will redeem his soul,
resurrect him and also return Him to us a 2nd time. When ths happens can be
considered God complete fulfillment of the Truth of Himself dwelling in us as
the Christ. Andrew