University of South Carolina Libraries
- THE CHRONICLE StriTes To Be m Qean Newspaper, Complete, Newsy, and Reliable. ffllittton If Ton Don’t Rend THE CHRONICLB You Don’t Get the News. VOLUME XXXIX CLINTO^j, S. C., THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1939 NUMBER 51 THE STORY BACK OF THE CHRISTMAS STORY By Rev. Walter L. UnRle, D.D., President of Davidson College. In The Christian Observer, Dec. 6, 1939 W« usually think of the Christmas iStory as beffinninc with the birth of the Christ Child in Bethlehem a'lit tle more than nineteen hundred years ago. It beeran long before that. The Apostle Peter, "in writing about the Christ,, says: “Who wrily was fore ordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last thnes for you.” So, according to the Apostle Peter, the story really began before the foundation of the world. The Apostle John takes us further back than that when he says: “In the beginning was the Word.” According to John the story began somewhere back in the counsels of eternity. Tlie biith of Jesus was unhke the birth of any other child who ever came into the world. His life did not begin with his birth. John says that "in the beginning the Word was with God and the Word was God.” Jesus on the night before His Cnici- iixTtm prayed: “0 Fathm*, f^rify Thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee be fore the world was.” His^ birth was His Advent from another world into this world. It was the Incarnation of the only begotten and eternal of Gotl. . - fessor of English to give her the' name of the best book of short stories that he kn<ew' anything about. He promptly replied: “The Old Testa ment.” The Hebrew language was admirably adapted to what we'-may call the kindergarten period of the world’s history, but ft was not well suited for the messages which the New Testament writers had to bring. Alexander Ote Great founded the City of Alexandria in Egypt in 333 B. C. In dtie time there were more Jews in Alexandria than there w-ere in Jerusalem. The children of these Alexandrian Jews learned to speak Greek, and it was not long b^ore there was a demand for a transla tion of the Old Testament from He brew into Greek. This translation was begun about 250 B. C. and com pleted long before Jesus was bom. Thus the OW Testament Scriptures were made available for the w^hole Greek-speaking’world. In these Scrip tures they could read not only the history of the religion of the Jew's but they could al.so read the prophets and their prophecies concerning the coming of the Mes.'^iah. This same Greek language, with its many fine shades of meaning, w'a.s ready at ham! for the New Tt-stament y riters when they w’ent to wriU* tin- (Josinds and the Kpi.'vtles. Of course, we cannot l^in U> trace’ winm Paul and Silas wantt*<l to go the story from all eternity up U>^ the missionaries to .Ysiii Minor, (lit-ece, night of the birth of the Christ Child Rome llH‘y did not have to sjH'tid in Bethlehem. We do-not have suf- y,.jirs K-arning k new language, .\lex- ficient infomiation. So we will have bwd made Greek the language to betnn with time. We find a vcr>' „,ost of th<*se aivus.j It was spoken significant passage from the pen of,^,y^.|| Palestine, espt*cially aroumi the Apostle Paul in Galatians Galilee. Greek culture But w'hen the fulness of time wras||^,^ philosophy also did their part, come, God sent forth His Son, madet’pjj^y people to think, of a w-oman, made under the law, to ^vhen Paul-wrote his P^pLstles he was ledeem them that were under the e\T<Jently under the impression that law’, that we^ might receive the adop- ,^.^5 wriGng to people w'ho had tion of sons.’ learned to think. If you do not un- il have just said that as wre could derstand w'hat I mean by that state- not begin with eternity we would try to read through the Epistle have to liegin with time. In the pas- F^phesians at a sitting. Or you ►•gv juS't quoted Paul speaks of the try his F>pistle to the Romans, “fulness of time.” According to the gt^ry of the way God used the* }>assage quoted above from the first Alexander the Great in EpaM.le of Peter the plans for the g^etting the world ready for the corn- coming of the Christ were made be- 5,,^ of Christ is a wonderful stoiy in fore the foundation of the world. The Rsolf. time w’a.s fixe<i. When that time ar- i *• 1 11 The latin language was sjxiken by the Romans. Their power continued of His Son (is still another marvelous! story in itself. I The phrase “the fulness of thne”| means a great deal more than I have yet been able to put into words. In the first chapter of First Corinthians we find this statement: “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by (its own) wrisdom knew not God, it pleased God by foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” The world was not ready for a Sav iour until men had learned that their ow’n wisdom was not adequate and that the gods which t(hey had crMted could not save. Someone has said that “men had climbed up into Olym pus and found no gods there.” From a moral and spiritual point of view, the fulness of time had come. The world had continued to sink deep er and deeper into sin and moral degradation. Read Paul’s description of the moral corruption of the world as he described it in the latter part of the first chapter of Romans. Look at this description given by a histo rian: “Family life was unspeakable. 'Tyranny and cruelty were rampant. The people were degrated and brutal ized. Their favorite amusements were the hideous slaughters in the arena. Slavery was the curse of the empire. Two men out of three who walked the streets of Rome were slaves, and two women out of every three, and two girls out of every three subject to evei'y whim of their mastei-s, to every sugs^tion of pas sion or lust. The slaves were wretch ed. The best of them crowded to Christianity when came. The worst of th<*m (lebauched Rome. They brought in new nnnatural vices. They cornijited their ma.Nters. They cor- ruptetl the children. Every pa.s.«ion of the golden youth of Rome was ministereil to by them. The R<yman toys grew obi and ja<led and i-otten with vice before they were out of their t*H*ns.” Surely the fulnt-ss of time ha<l conn*. Thoughtful men b<*- gan to i-ealize that the worbl nwile^l a Savious. It was into such a w’tu'ld that (bnl sent .His Son. In that pa.s5tag«' quot- e<l from the fourth cheivtcr of Ga latians Paul ttdls us why He sent Him. It was “to redeem^ them that are under the law, that’ we might receive the adoption of sons.” He sent Him upon a mission of redemp tion by the way of the Cros.s. He .sent His only beg(ttten and eternal .Son into the world that we all through His redeeming love might l>ecome the sons of ^ni. No, the Chriirtmas story dj<i not begin on that night in Bethlehem ninete<*n^ hundred years ago. It begun in the heart of God before the* foundation of the world. George Holtzclaw Taken By Death chruch in flpartanburg county with |Janie Gathcart Holtzclaw, three , Rev. Ralph D. Hughes in charge, as-jJ. G. Holtzclaw of dinton, T. L, sisted by Rev. CuUen Cttxxdt. Inter- Hohzclaw of diirton land T. P. HoitB- Iment followed in the church ceme- ■tery. ' claw of Arcadia; two daughters, lira. George R. Holtzclaw, 80, died lasdi**®^. ' N. F. littlefield of Roebuck and Friday at the home of his son, J. G.! He is eurvived by his wife, Mrs.{Mrs. H. W. Aiken of Spaitanbuig. Holtzclaw near here, after a linger- ing illness. A native of Spartard)ui'g county, w-here he had spent the mort of his life, Mr. Holtzclaw was the son of the late George W. and Elizabeth Dillings Holtzclaw. He was a mem ber of Mt. Lebanon Baptist church in Spartanburg county. Funeral services were held Sunday afternoon at FViendahip Baptist was ignominous. Y’ou committed sui cide.” The I>aily Mail said it “acknowl- deges the ineviaitble superiorty of the Briti.sih sea power ... for the F'ue'hrer the moment of this decision must have been the bitterest expe-* rence of his life.” (DNB, official Gennan news agen cy, announced Adolf Hitler, a.s su preme comtnandieFor’Germany’s arm ed forces, gave the order to blow up the armed raider.) The Admiralty said a tempoirary hospital ship had been dspatched from Buenos Aires to take care of the <k>ad and W'oundt*d on the Exeter, which was 'h<‘ade<i for the Briti.sh naval base in the F'alklund Islands. rived it was “the fulness of time. It was God’s appointed time. Per- u long after the power of tlH' Greeks haps we have sometimes wondered l_ ” , l_ ^ j had l>een broken. God also use<l why the Redeemer did not come into .. - ' , , . , . , .i. ^ II them in getting the world rea<lv for the world immediately after the fall .. . ^ / .u , • .1. . the coming (>f His .Son and for the in F>den. The simple answer is that t r n i i -nu ,, . , ^ ti spread of Hi.s bleswu Gospel. The the world was not ready for Him. iT . . ^ u. .u « I r .• L 1 . . I Romans by sheer force brought-the The fulness of time had not yet come. . # ..u 11 1 ,, .u j ^ .1. r M • t-j .1 greater jiart of the w’orld under one r rum the day of the fall in F<den until ” . u -i. j 1 ^ » goi’omment. They built g<KKl r<iads the night of the birth of the Chn.st ... v Vu .■ r o *1.1 u i- J L ... **1 over their empire. At the time of in Bethlehem God was busy getting .. . ^ • * ..u v i u w. ,J 1 ^ IT- • Tj t.he birth of Christ they had brought the world ready for His coming. He .. u . . . ^ , the world into a state of peace. Of used many men and nations in getting . .u ij J t .u # -T tt was a peace that was the world ready. In the forty-fifth 1 . . j • j l. r __ .. . achieved and maintained by the force chapter of Isaiah the Lord aays to . , . 1 .. ... . , . (Of arms, but, nevertheless, rt was tl>« W »“* '■■'Pr ’in mimi wh«> Vy mniof P«« on So during the ages He has usd many,^ . , 'n * «r ^ w J ' 'earth and good wiU among men. To men and nations who did not know or , ... . • - , I J TT- -iM. . L L be sure, they were thinking of a very acknowledge H»n. The story back . .. ^ i,- a t *1. . • .J. _ different kind of peace, the peace <rf Ohr.i«m.. <«ry « d.. ^ the «n wh^ Cod prep^ ^ cannot take aw'ay. the world for the coming of hia Son,. ■' We can only sketch the story. ; Think of -what it meant for a mis- We are toW that when Jesus was hke I^ul to be able to go crucified there was an in.scriptionRoman Emphv under placed over His Head and that thej^^e proteetkm of the Roman govern- inscription was written in Hebrew,;■*»ying: I am a Roman citi- in Greek, and in Latin. These three 1*^"- Think also what the good languages represented the three pre-j*"P**^* to him and other mis- <kMTimant influences in the known I•* they carried the Gospel world at that time. Each of theae, Joru.salem out to the uttermost under the hand of God, contributed ^ known world. The way a large part in getting the world. ^’hich God used the Romans to ready for the Christ and His Gospel. coming Let us look first at some of the spread of His contributions which the Greeks made. another wonderful story in The Greeks were noted for their lang- uage, literature, philosophy, art, and But (5od u.sed the Hebrews more culture. Greece reached the zenith than all the rest. Through them He of her glory several centuries before revealed Hiuiseif to humanity. When the birth of Jesus. Before her glory o*her nations apound were worship- faded, Alexander the Oeat came ping many gods they were ^worship- akmg. He was born in 25 B. C. We ping Che only true and living God. are told that Aristotle was his teach-, Through their Scriptures as they were er and that under his tuteiage Alex-1 read in the orginial Hebrew and the ander learned ao to love the poetry,Greek translation they gave to the of Homer that he always carried a.vrorid not only a iweiation of the aopy of Homer with hhn. Well, we'character of but a revelation of all learned as children that Alexander j Hit wHl concerning the kind of life the Great conquered the world and that He expects us to live. At the then sat down and wept for more amne time they maintained the wor- provinces to conquer. He did all this ship of the true and. living God. In British Power On Sea Shown Lotulon,—New pi-aiM* was hi-aixxi on crews of the British warships which drove the German pocket bat- tb-ship Graf Spe<* -to cover today while relief was expi'esse<l that the !(b'ath list in Wednesday’s fourteen- 'hour battle was no .higher than 72 |dea<l and 31 wounded, j F’inrt lord of the admiralty Win ston Churchill and other high rank ling naval officers remained at their desks until late last night receiving repcirts of the battleship’s de<«truction but declined to issue a rtaement. The I>aily Herald commented: “Goo<l-by, Graf Spee! Your end as a vxrjr young man, for be <tiad at the age of tthiity-three. the meantime, their prophets told of the coming of the Messiah. When Alexander never knew that he was .the Jews were carried into captivity helping to get the worid read|y for the and dispersed throughout the world, coming of the Prince of Peao^ but helthey carried their religion, their was. Wherever he weiA he carried'Scriptures, and their hopes of the the Gireek language, cuHure, Htera-looming of the Messiah with thMn wherever they went. So as the ful ness of time approached there wenre many people, even in the Gentile Old Testament was origioaBy Witten j world, in a riate of expectancy. The in Hebrew. H is not a higMy ksfleet-' tune, and phBosophy. Think foif a moment of what the Greek language alone has meant to dirtstaaiiity. The ed language and is not capable of expraasiiig fine Aadea of IHaaaver, is is a uage, the iatagmgo of the atoey drfkr. 1 once heard a lady aak a grant pro- vrise men in the East were evidently expecting Him and knew His star wheB4i^ saw it. The etory of the way the Bebeews were need in get ting Ha irpfM >^ad7 for the coming The good will of the Christ mas season reminds us of your good will throughout the year, for which we give our heartfelt thanks. We wish to thank our friends and cttstomera for their gener- ouB patronage during 1939 and hope that our service has pleased you. Our desire is' to serve you often and better in 1940. CHRISTMAS CHEER AND HAPPINESS IN THE NEW YEAR Is Oar Wish For Each of You. W. J. BENJAMIN t Standard Prodnets floaty Broad Street GIVE THE CHRONICLE FOR A CHRIST.VIAS PRESENT MERRY CHRISTMAS GREETINGS CHRISTMAS—a day of Peace on Earth and Good Will to Men. It is the day when we delight to ex- pres.s our gratitude and friendship to those patrons to whom we owe success, and sincerely thank you for your patronage the past year. j. E. BENJAMIN & SONS PLUMBING AND HEATING SERVICE ANNOINCING NEW LOW PRICES ON GOOD/tEAn TIRES V09 tt\e« aTS' 5.2^' 5.5?; %* 6^ .\6 I N THE face ol rinng ptices of crude rubber and other row materials. Goodyeeg has been able, through lac- locy and sales economies — to reduce tire prices, bringing the cost ol the Goodyear Pathfinder easily within the reoch of millionsl Ton now got the Greafesf Tire Volues fai Goodyeor History! These great low- priced Goodyears mast deliver the goods because they carry Goodyeor's "UfetioM Gaoraatee”! Our stock is cdl new. lactory-lresh—no '’seconds.** blemished, or shop-worn tires. So—-bsy sow. Get the world s fa vorite three—and get Big Extra Savings. STANDOUT FEATURES ot fkh Gesvlse Goodyear Caafar Tractiaa Salafy ifagp aon-alM blecfca la tba caatar al Ha kaod ier qaidwr alaitittg and alap- piag — blocks arauad far .\6 ,ld 0th** tian- blodm to protaci ogabMl curba and nita. LONO-tUN MtLIAOl —flat arida. axtra hnaky traad—riding ribi far slew, avan waor. aaoiar staacing. •““V.VJi?*”' -HNieATAffiAIUI^ ~eoap«MBien-preoi card >-4andaoma aidawnlla— Ib eTary pty—aidawiUI bnoky traad. MORE PEOPLE RIDE ON GOODYEAt TIRES THAN ON ANY OTHER KIND '' Viricanizing Works PHONE NO. 2 — CLINTON, S. C. ~L i. Ml ilk!