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DR. BROUGHTON’S CALL FOR THE AT
LANTA BIBLE CONFERENCE.
March 7-16, 1913.
Once again the time has arrived for issuing
our call for the Atlanta March Bible Confer
ence, and I take great pleasure, as the Director
of the Conference, in announcing to the public
that this Conference will begin, D. V., the night
of March 7th, and end the night of the 16th.
As usual, there will be six services a day. We
have been fortunate this year in securing Con
ference speakers. We are specially fortunate
in securing Dr. G. Campbell Morgan, of Lon
don, who will arrive in Atlanta with me,“in
time for the opening of the Conference, and
remain during the entire session, speaking
twice a day. Besides, we have secured Dr. J.
M. Gray, of the Moody Bible Institute, of
Chicago; Rev. J. I. Vance, D. D., of Nashville,
Tenn.; Dr. W. R. Wedderspoon, of Washing
ton, D. C.; Prof. J. R. Sampey, of the Southern
Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Ky.;
and Prof. Pierce, of Chicago, Secretary of the
International Sunday School Committee.
Altogether, this is one of the strongest plat
forms that the Conference has ever been able
to secure, and we are looking forward for
great blessing to attend their labors.
As far as possible it is our purpose to key
the Conference this year to sane evangelism,
which must incorporate a most thorough line
of Bible teachings.
In making this call, I take it for granted
that a personal word will not be out of place.
For fifteen years I have had the pleasure of
presiding over this Conference, and while its
constituency is now enlarged so as to make it
representative of all the evangelical Churches
of Atlanta, it is, so far as its teaching work
is concerned, to be operated on the same plan
as heretofore carried out. I am looking for
ward with anticipations of great pleasure to
being in Atlanta after a year’s residence in
London. The thought of meeting once again
the friends of the years past, is almost equal
to real intoxication.
So far as I am able to direct the Conference,
it is to be an occasion for instruction and in
spiration. Local problems, and civic issues
have never had any place in the Conference
program; only as they are embraced in the
larger, and more important scope of the Chris
tian Church. It has always been our object to
give ourselves at that time to the consideration
of such questions as involve the Church at
large, without regard to particular local situa
tions, and without regard to denominational
lines. We meet under one banner, the Banner
of Jesus Christ as Lord and King.
We shall endeavor to make this Conference
specially conspicuous in this respect, and cor
dially invite those from all parts of the coun
try who feel the need of just such a gathering,
to join with us in making it a great feast in
spiritual things.
Fraternally yours,
LEN G. BROUGHTON.
P. S. —Those desiring further information
are requested to write Rev. John W. Ham, the
Secretary, 78 Luckie Street, Atlanta, Ga.
UR study begins with the 26th. verse
of the Ist chapter of Genesis, and
extends through the entire 2nd.
chapter.
There is so much to be said, and
so many things we are liable not to
say, in going over these first chap
ters of Genesis, that I find it is al
most impossible for us, in a single
O
hour, to do justice to any one separate section
of it.
You will see that we are still considering the
creation. In Chapter 1, the word “created” oc
curs three times. In verse 1, “In the begin
ning God created the heavens and the earth.”
In verse 21, “And God created the great sea
monsters and every living creature that moveth
wherewith the waters swarmed, after their
kind; and every winged bird after its kind.”
Then, again, in verse 27, “And God created man
in His own image.’”
It will be seen, that it is used with reference
to the beginning of the world; to the beginning
MAN AND HIS DOMINION Genesis 1:26--IL
Wednesday Night Bible Lecture by Rev. Len G. Broughton, D.D., of Christ Church, London
The Golden Age for February 6,1913.
Reported for The Golden Age by M. I. H.—Copyright Applied for.
of sea creatures and birds and to the begin
ning of man and woman.
It is a significant fact, with reference to the
beasts of the earth, that it is said in Gen. 1:25:
“God made the beasts of the earth after their
kind; and the cattle after their kind; and ev
erything that creepeth on the ground after its
kind.” It is clear, that this is not an acci
dent; that there is a profound reason for this
difference. The word “created,” is taken
from the Hebrew word “bara,” which literally
means, “a new something brought into exist
ence from nothing.”
The word “made” is derived from the He
brew word “asah,” and means to fashion out
of existing material; so, this word “made” con
veys the idea of pre-existing materials. The
reason “creation’*is used of sea creatures and
birds, and not beasts, is because they possess
a peculiar life principle which could not be
fashioned out of anything existing. Now, you
will see where these words come in; you will
find, if you are at all familiar with Hebrew,
the first word is a word used in all three of
these instances of realism. It is the word
“bara” —something out of nothing.
In the next place, where you see it stated
that God “made,” the word “asah” is used,
which implies pre-existing material. And then,
when you come across the word “formed,” the
word “yatza” is used, which implies putting
something already made in shape.
So, God created the heavens and the earth
out of nothing. He created the peculiar life
principle of sea creatures and birds out of noth
ing. He created man out of nothing.
At Present We Are to Concern Ourselves More
About Man.
Let me stop here to say that the skeptics
have made a good deal out of the fact that the
story of the creation in Chapter 2 is another
story, and differs from Chapter 1. It is not
so. It is simply another chapter of the crea
tion story. We must remember that the whole
of this account of the first days, is in the brief
est form. Verse lof Chapter 1, for example,
is a chapter in itself. It is more I It is a book
with many volumes, and covers perhaps mil
lions of years!
In connecting verses 1 and 2, and all the
rest that follows, we make it appear that God
created the heavens and the earth, without
form and void; which is not true. The expres
sion, “without form, and void,” is an improp
er translation. It is the influence without a
question of doubt, upon the translators, of those
old coas legends. According to the best He
brew scholars, the noun rendered, “without
form,” should be rendered “ruin” or “desola
tion.” It is unthinkable, however, that God
created the heavens and the earth as a mass of
ruin or desolation. For we read in Isaiah 45:
18: “Thus saith the Lord that created the heav
en; God himself that formed the earth, and
made it; He created it not in vain—without
form and void.” Or to be very correct, “not
in ruin.” This is a distinct contradiction of
the view that God created the earth without
“form and void ” and shows that there was a
period of time existing between verses 1 and
2.
The true interpretation, as I see it, is that
God created the heavens and the earth not
without form, not in ruin or desolation; but as
a perfect creation; as beautiful and as fruitful
as the creative touch of God could give it.
Subsequent to this—and perhaps millions of
yers—there was a great catastrophe of some
kind, which rendered the earth without form,
in a state of ruin and desolation. And all
that we have described in these succeeding
verses, belongs to the period of time since that
catastrophe. And man, as we now know him,
and all other forms of life, were created after
this catastrophe, and after God the original
creator of the heavens and the earth, readjust
ed the earth following this great upheaval,
which changed the original order.
There is no doubt but that the earth, prior
to this catastrophe was clothed with vegetation
of all sorts, and inhabited at least by animal
creatures of rare character. This is establish
ed by geology. The rare specimens of fossil
ized animals and minerals, which, according to
the most accurate calculations must have been
in existence for millions of years, show that
there was life in these various forms upon the
earth, prior to the time reckoned by those who
connect verse 1 with the rest of the creation
story.
But what of man during that pre-historic pe
riod—the period of Genesis 1? Was there a
race of men during that time, and was this
race destroyed in the catastrophe like all other
forms of existing life? There is no definite
Scriptural answer to this question. It would
seem, from the fact that there has been no such
thing found as fossil man—while other fossil
specimens of this period are common—that man
as we now know him, must not have existed at
that time. It will be remembered that God
commanded Adam “to be fruitful and multiply
and replenish the earth.” Exactly the same
words are spoken to Noah after the flood:
“Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the
earth.” This would look like there was some
form of man before this great material catas
trophe or smash up. It is impossible to replen
ish a thing that has not previously existed.
. Many, however, hold that the earth, at that
time, was the abode of Satan and his hosts —
that he was the king absolute of that period of
the world’s history; that he reigned then in his
unfallen condition. Ido not argue this. I
merely state it for what it is worth in the way
of stimulating thought.
There does seem, however, to be something
in it, when we study the history of Satan.
But what I want to insist upon at present
is, first, that there was a difference in time, cov
ering perhaps millions of years, between Gen
esis -:1, and all the succeeding story of the
creation. Second, that there is no evidence
that the world was not created as a perfect
and finished product; and that whatever forms
of life there was, was not of the highest order.
Third, that at the lapse of this period of time—
perhaps millions of years, there was a great
catastrophe, which wrecked the earth, leaving
it a mass of ruin and desolation. Fourth, that
the present order of the earth and forms of life
belong to the period following this catastrophe,
and begin with Gen. 1:2. Fifth, that the geo
logical specimens and fossil remains of lower
animals found, undoubtedly belong to the pe
riod of the earth covered by Genesis 1, which
was before the great catastrophe, which ren
dered the earth without form and void. Lastly,
that all this sets at naught the criticism of sci
ence concerning the Bible record of the crea
tion, both as to time and manner, and leaves
the Bible account absolutely unshakable in its
declarations.
This brings us again to the consideration of
man. And there are three questions which,
naturally present themselves for our consider
ation. First, How man came; second, When
man came; third, What man is? For the want
of time, we shall endeavor to answer all of
these, under the question, “How man came?”
. First, we have the Bible account in Gene
sis 1:27, “And God created man in His own
image—in the image of God He created him.”
(Continued on Page 14.)