FIVE STUDENTS:  A PARABLE
			      -------------------------

	Five theology students sought an audience with the biblical scholar
in regard to a matter that agitated their minds.  The scholar received them
graciously and prepared himself to answer their questions.  He knew that 
there is nothing new under the sun and that any questions the students might
ask, he had heard before and thus he had a ready answer.

	The students said "Sir, we have made a discovery.  Here, in the book,
"Visions of the Night", the prophet states that two plus two equals five."
This one was easy.  The scholar had dealt with it before.  He pulled from
his shelf the book "Inspiration Revisited" and read to the students that two
plus two equals four.  "So you see, gentlemen, there is really nothing to be
concerned about."

	And the first student went away rejoicing, for he was satisfied.

	The second student was somehow not satisfied.  So he asked the 
scholar, "But, sir, isn't there, in the two quotations, as it were, something
of a conflict?"  The scholar answered kindly, "There's no conflict: the second
statement is merely an amplification of the first."

	And the second student went away satisfied.

	The third student asked respectfully:  "But from a strictly 
*mathematical* aspect, sir, isn't there a difficulty?"  "Well," answered the
scholar, "she never claimed to be good at mathematics.  I have a statement
here from her son which states, 'Mother never claimed to be a mathematician.'"
"Furthermore," said the scholar, "we mustn't be hasty.  Science may yet find
that in certain but rare instances, two plus two does indeed equal five."

        And the third student went away satisfied.

	The fourth student, however, still stood by.  "You see," continued
the scholar, "the two passages may indeed conflict.  But that doesn't matter,
for we don't believe in verbal inspiration or infallibility."  Actually, the
scholar had always believed in these things, but at a recent Bible Conference
he had witnessed verbal inspiration and infallibility getting kicked about.  
"Then the prophet could have made mistakes?" asked the fourth student.  "Of
course," replied the scholar.  "We have never denied it.  We have always been
open about it.  But if you properly understand the nature of inspiration, you
will find that whatever we find in the prophet's writings can be squared 
right up."

	And the fourth student went away and became a great theologian.  He
not only learned the use of taking a proper foglike position, but he became
an expert in adopting the theory of the nature of inspiration to each new
scholarly discovery about the Inspired Borrower.

	The fifth student alone remained.  He said, "Sir, I don't demand
perfect mathematics.  It's not my best subject either.  But shouldn't a
theological work be judged by how it squares with the Word of God?  I have
learned that the centerpiece of the Gospel is the article of Justification
by Faith in the merits of Christ and by grace alone.  The doctrine of the
Investigative Judgment denies this.  Or take the scene in heaven at the
time of Adam's fall, as depicted by the prophet.  She reveals a picture of 
consternation and unpreparedness on the part of the Deity.  Christ had to 
consult three times with His Father before He received approval of a plan 
for man's salvation.  This is not only contrary to the Scriptures, it reveals 
a total lack of a grasp of the nature of God.  These are merely examples; 
I could give many more from the writings of the Inspired Plagiarist."

	"Young man," said the scholar sternly, "you are treading on dangerous 
ground.  What you need is humility.  *True* humility; the humility of a child
who kneels prayerfully and asks only that he be instructed by the penwoman of
the Lord."

	The fifth student slipped out quietly.  He decided not to join the
system, but he did feel a calling to preach the Gospel.  He began by 
ministering to the spiritual needs of a small group of Christians who were
excited by the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ.  His fellow
students warned him that if he cut himself off from the organization, he 
would not only bear the stigma of an offshoot but without the backing of the 
organization his statistics would suffer.  He consoled himself in the belief 
that God is interested in individuals and not numbers.  He remembered 
Deuteronomy 7:7 which says that:
	"It was not because you were more in number than any 
	 other people that the LORD set his love upon you and 
	 chose you....it is because the LORD loves you."

						Ronald B. Maddox, MD
						April 1980
						[Used without permission]