The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-06-12
~ WILLIAM ID. ELLIs.


Faith" Hebrews IL: lao.
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.
Somebody has characterized this as
the age of faith. Specifically. it seems
an age of doubt. Yet deeper look
the spirit of confidence in what can
not be seen. The twentieth century'S
plans outrun all in exact computations
that man can make. We are tunnellng
our cities and rivers. planning contln-
entail networks of railways. building
confidently upon trans-oceanic condi-
tions that are yet to be developed, and
plotting highways in the air. Modern
commerce, which is so often remark
ed for its "hardheadedness, really
possesses the eye of faith.
For faith may not by any means
be limited to the realm of the spirit.
Wherever mems confidence out
reaches their actual knowledge they
are In exercise of faith Browning
glimpsed the human capacity for the
exercise OF this high quality when he
cried, "a mans reach must exceed his
grasp. else what's a heaven for?" In
the olden day which forms the theme
of these Sunday school lessons 1t was
faith in q message which sent Apostle
Paul and his associates pioneering IN
to heathendom with their missionary
gospel 1t was a simple faith IN the
present power and ultimate conquest
OF the ElSSH AIlLtsL lli<Lt lOANAAASA
for all their ordeGls and enterprises.
That same faith created the early
Christian church. Faith In Jesus made
him ga living. bright reality" to the
rapidly Increasing company or flrst
century people whose eyes had never
looked upon him. The apostle said:
WHOM having not seen we love-.
Seeing is believing" says the modern
proverb, which is no more true than
most proverbs. Our own times. which
accent the witness of a deeper sense
than that of material sight, and which
attest the existence OF faculties truer
than any of the five senses so subject
TO illusion. is reader to declare. Be
Heving is not seeing"
This letter to the Hebrews, with its
thrilling roll call OF the heroes OF
faith was written to one of the early
missionary churches, possibly at JeT-
usalem, possibly at Alexandria or at
Rome. It's purpose was to quicken
the faith Of the disciples who had
come out from Judaism, and to show
them that Christ was the fulfilling or
the law Because. the King James
version bears under the title of this
book the name of the Apostle Paul
most people believe that the great
apostle was its author. This is far
from being a certainty the Welght
of critical research goes the other
way The letter was more probably
written by Barnabas. Paurs associate,
although Luther, in agreement with
other students. considers Apollos to
have been the writer of IT, Whatever
the authorship, there is no doubt
about the books right to place IN
the New Testament Canon.
How Faith Comes.
Moody once said in my hearing;
"For long time / prayed Tor talth,
but it did not come. Then L began 10
read my Bible in pursuit of faith
and I quickly found it" Naturally
for the true word declares Faith
comes by hearing, and hearing by the
word of God" The person who is
concerned about his lack of faith may
more profitably dwell in these great
than spend nights agoniZing in prayer.
for here, at the mouth of many wit
nesses, is the reality Of faith estab-
lished, and its nature set forth.
Many persons are Specializing about
spiritualities. trying, like the spider,
to spin a life line out of their inner
selves, when it is really by searching
the Scriptures that spfrituaiities pc
come realities. For listlessness of be-
lief for a dimmed zeal for spiritless
PRAYING the one remedy is to turn to
the Book which imparts knowledge
Of the divine will. The faith-filled
disciple is the Bible-reading disciple.
The strong, spiritual and successful
church is the church of Bible-readlns
What Is Faith7
The somewhat archaic expressions
of old Foundations are an obstacle
10 clear thinking and to unclouded be-
lief. The King James version. dear as
are many of its peerless passages, has
yet been a hindrance to a perfect I'M
Outstanding OF the Scriptures. Ignor-
ant persons long rallied at revisions
OF the Bible, unwittingly taking the
position that It is the English trans
1ation that Is inspired Nowadays the
most practical as we'll as the most
scholarly teachers are advocating for
general use the latest and best YER
sion. The Vatican has a commission
at work at the present time upon the
revision of the Vulgate of st. Jer-
ONE. There is an edition of the Scrip
lures in rather free and colloquial
translation called the twentieth Gem
fury New Testament It's specific
object is to render the original Greek
into the language of today. In many
cases it gets close to the real mean
ing of the writer where the more
cumbersome and stately language of
the accepted revisions is difficult of
comprehension. New light Is shed
upon the meaning of the writer of
the letter to the Hebrews by these
quotations from this modern version:
Faith is confidence in the realiza-
ton OF ones hopes; it Is a conviction.
recording things which are not yet