In a day of confusion and uncertainty, when many old landmarks seem to have vanished, and dear old cherished beliefs are tottering; when the questions are many and satisfying answers few, it is good to find some things that are undeniably true upon which, as on foundation stones, we can safely build. Four such indisputable things I wish to point out.

      I. The first is that there is no book like the Bible. That the Bible stands among books in a class by itself, that it is different from all other books in the world, that it is the most remarkable and wonderful book in the world, is really not open to dispute. From any standpoint the Bible is a wonder.

      1. Take it as to its age--where else can authentic writings of such age be found? Its newest portions are near 2000 years old; its oldest part 3500 years. "Time," said a wise man "is a terrible sifter of books. Most books die in the year in which they are born. If a volume survives five or ten years it is above the ordinary. If it continues to hold interest for 50 or 100 years it has some special worth. If it is preserved even longer there must be some sort of pure gold in it." Judged by that standard, the Bible stands pre-eminent [1] and commends its worth and value by the mere fact of its great age and its power to hold its own in the test of time.

      2. There are indeed other ancient writings with us, some which have been preserved for their merit and excellence--for example philosophical works of Greece, the poems of Homer, or the writings of ancient Latin poets and authors. But who has seen them outside the schoolroom and the libraries? The Bible, however, is not a book of mere antiquarian or scholarly interest. Though old, it is not outworn and dead. It is a living book. It is not found by isolated copies in the great graveyards of ancient lore, or alone on the dusty shelves of the musty halls of learning, but by numberless copies in the countless homes of the common people. No modern book, no other book whatever, can compare with it as to circulation. The sum total sold of a hundred of the "best-sellers" taken together does not anything like equal the number of copies of the Bible that are sold every year. The great printing presses working day and night, year in, year out, cannot produce enough Bibles: the demand is always greater than the supply. It has been translated into more languages than any other book. In an editorial headed "Five Million Chinese Bibles," one of our editors marvelled at the fact that the Bible Society had received an order for five million Chinese Bibles that year. "What do the Chinese want with a book," he asked, "most of which consists of the affairs and history of an obscure little nation that lived long ago in a small strip of land at the back side of the Mediterranean? Is it for its interesting and pure narrative prose, or is it for its beautiful poetry, or for the marvellous eloquence found in portions here and there, or for its high ethics that men are interested in it? But there are many other volumes of fine prose, of great poetry, of fervid eloquence, of lofty morals, of profound wisdom, which have hardly produced a ripple in comparison with the tremendous waves of interest this book has created." His final conclusion was that the Bible contained something over and above all common excellence--something that grips the heart of mankind universally. What is that thing?

      3. Again the sage of this world who told us how time so terribly sifts the books of men, spoke of the writings of Plato--how that, in his judgment, there were never more than a dozen people living at any one time who could fully understand and appreciate Plato; and [2] for the sake of that dozen persons (he said) those writings have been tenderly handed down through the centuries. "Tenderly handed down"! That is said of ancient Plato's writing. But with the Bible it was far otherwise. No other book has ever outweathered such storms of opposition, malice, and hatred. Through long periods, kings and rulers, civil and ecclesiastical authorities joined their efforts to destroy this book from the earth; and even unto this day in some parts of the world has the ruthless power of despotism sought to extirpate this Book. "Fifth-columnists" also boring from within, have all along tried to undermine the divine authority and message, have denied it, reviled it, ridiculed it. Critics have "unmasked" it, and shot it full of holes. For all that the old Book is marching on triumphantly, sublimely indifferent to all hostility, and in greater force than ever before. The very hatred and opposition it has stirred up testifies to its greatness and importance. Was there ever any other book like that?

      4. Nor is that all. It is fairly demonstrable from historic fact and record that this book was about 1600 years in the making. Different men of different degrees of culture and different stations of life--kings, princes, shepherds, fishermen--men writing in different languages (Hebrew; Aramaic; Greek) at widely separated times and places, have independently contributed to this collection of writings which make up the Bible. And yet the Book, though it deals with many great and difficult matters on which men always among themselves disagree, is a harmonious whole. From the first chapter of Genesis to the last of Revelation, throughout all its pages one increasing purpose runs. What has its beginning in the first book of the Bible finds its glorious consummation in the last. Some years ago Dr. Howard Kelly of Baltimore (a scientist of high standing, both in his own chosen line of gynecology, and in other departments of science--a fellow of all the greater scientific fraternities and societies of the world) addressed a meeting of ministers in this city. Among other things he explained the use of a button he carried on the lapel of his coat--a brass button with a great question mark on it. "This," he said, "opens the way for serious conversation. People ask me what the button means. 'That stands for the great question,' I tell them. 'And what is the great question?' they always ask. 'What shall it profit a man if he should gain the whole world and lose his own soul?' And then I talk to them about God and Christ, [3] about life and death, about sin and judgment, about forgiveness and salvation. 'But Dr. Kelly,' some of my scientific friends will say, 'you don't mean to say that you believe in the Bible?' 'I certainly do'--'But--do you believe in miracles? Do you believe that Joshua made the sun stand still and that the whale swallowed Jonah?'" "Yes," he answers them: "when dealing with Almighty God all things are possible. But there is one miracle I don't believe." "And what is that?" they ask. "I don't believe that this old book came into existence of itself." And then he tells them the story of the Book, as strange as any miracle. It is truly a wonderful book, and it has proved its worth and power in its fruit throughout the centuries. A tourist armed with his guide-book went up to the curator of the famous Tribuna of the Ufizzi gallery at Florence, Italy, and said, "Are these your master pieces?--I certainly don't see much in them myself."--"Sir," said the curator, "these pictures are not on their trial: it is the visitors who are on trial." Neither is the old Book on trial; but it tries and tests and judges every soul to which its message comes. There is no book like the Bible.

      II. The second indisputable fact is that there is no God like the God of the Bible. That is to say that in all the lore and all the religions of mankind there is no God who could hold a candle to the God of the Bible. Some may think that this can be disputed. Very well: let them bring out their idols of gold or silver or wood and stone; or the more modern gods that have sprung out of man's fancy or philosophy--strip them of all the features that have been borrowed and plagiarized from the Bible--and see what you have left. The sublime teachings concerning our God in such passages as Isaiah 40, Jeremiah 10, Amos 4, Nahum 1, Micah 7; the grand display of His character and ways in His dealings with Israel in the Old Testament; His wonderful love and holiness set forth in His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who is "the effulgence of His glory, the express image of His substance," are utterly beyond comparison; and none of the gods fabricated by men's hands and minds can be mentioned alongside of the God of the Bible.

      III. The third indisputable fact is that there is no Savior, but Jesus. My first point was that there is no book like the Bible; the second that there is no God like the God of the Bible. But now I am not saying that there [4] is no Savior like Jesus--for that might imply that there are other saviors around--what I am saying is that there is no other Savior but Jesus. There is no competition here. There are none who even so much as pretend to be saviors. All your uplifters and reformers and educators and culturists, must have something to begin on: Only Jesus bids me come "just as I am, without one plea," and promises that him who cometh He will in no wise cast out. A Chinese student is credited with the following parable, which sums up the matter admirably: A traveler in the night lost his way and fell over a precipice, and lay mortally injured and broken at the bottom. Along came Gautama Buddha--a kindly, sympathetic soul, and said to him, "Son, it grieves me to see you in this miserable state. But all I can tell you is that you must gather yourself together and climb up out of this pit; then take the path that leads to yonder blue hills far away, and ascend them step by step. When you have reached the highest crest you will pass into Nirvana, where never pain shall trouble you again nor fears molest. Behold, that is the way of the Karma. Good bye." Next came Confucius. He is a dry and dour sort. "Ah," he said, "I see what has happened to you. Did I not warn you of this? If you had followed my teaching you would not be where you are. Well, son, you have made your bed, and now you must lie on it. Good bye."--Then came Mohammed and viewed the wreck. "Too bad, too bad," he said, "but it could not be helped: it had to be so. That is Kismet (which means Fate). Good bye."--At last came the Lord Jesus Christ, and saw the wretched, helpless victim. He tenderly lifted him and healed his wounds and bade him stand upright; then led him by the hand and set his feet upon firm ground and lovingly said, "Come follow me." None other can do that, but He can and does, and a myriad of witnesses do testify to the fact.

      IV. Finally, the fourth absolutely indisputable fact is that there is no life so good and pure and true as that which is lived in conformity with that Book and the will of this God, and the salvation of this Savior. This needs no argument. Some may try to deny this on the ground of the faults and sins of some professing Christians. But we are not speaking of that. The fact remains that in all the world the noblest, purest, most unselfish and self-sacrificing life is that which [5] is lived in closest conformity to the old Book and its God and its Savior. When Henry M. Stanley found David Livingstone in Ujiji, and abode with him about a month, his soul was deeply impressed with the greatness of the man. "Here is a man," he wrote afterwards, "who is manifestly sustained as well as guided by influences from heaven. The Holy Spirit dwells in him. God speaks through him. The heroism, the nobility, the pure and stainless enthusiasm at the root of his life, come, beyond question, from Christ. There must therefore be a Christ, and it is worth while to have such a Helper and Redeemer as this Christ undoubtedly is, as He here reveals Himself in this wonderful disciple." And like things can be said of many who have committed themselves to this Christ, the Christ of the Bible, Jesus the Son of God.

      On these four indisputable facts you can safely build your house of hope, my friend; and by these four sign-posts you can find your way through all the labyrinth of tangled paths, back to God and heaven and home.

In Zimbabwe contact: Church of Christ Mission,
N. Khumalo, P.O. Box 2032
Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, or
R. L. Garrett
Box 30
Ruwa, Zimbabwe

In South Africa contact: Raglan Broderick
P.O. Box 2752,
Pietersburg 0700, North Providence

Church of Christ Mission,
P.O. Box 406
Glenmora, LA 71433 USA [6]

[FIT 1-6.]

      The electronic version of R. H. Boll's Four Indisputable Things (Ruwa, Zimbabwe: Church of Christ Mission, 1998) has been produced from a copy of the tract in the Alex V. Wilson Collection. Thanks to Mr. Wilson for supplying a loan-copy of the printed text. The essay was first published in Word and Work 36 (December 1942): 330-334. Its first appearance as a contribution to a book was in R. H. Boll's Soul-Stirring Sermons (Louisville, KY: The Word and Word, 1944), pp. 1-5.

      Pagination in the electronic version has been represented by placing the page number in brackets following the last complete word on the printed page. Inconsistencies in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and typography have been retained; however, corrections have been offered for misspellings and other accidental corruptions. Emendations are as follows:

            Printed Text [ Electronic Text
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 p. 2:      geat grave- yards [ great graveyards
 p. 3:      "That stands for [ 'That stands for
            the great question," [ the great question,'
            "And what is [ 'And what is
            the great question?" [ the great question?'
            "What shall it [ 'What shall it
            his own soul?" [ his own soul?'
 p. 4:      "But Dr. Kelly," [ 'But Dr. Kelly,'
            "you don't mean [ 'you don't mean
            in the Bible?" [ in the Bible?'
            "I certainly do"-- [ 'I certainly do'--
            "But--do you [ 'But--do you
            swallowed Jonah?" [ swallowed Jonah?'"
 p. 5:      "Come follow me," [ "Come follow me."
 

      The following apparatus details the differences in the text of "Four Indisputable Things" published as a contribution to a book in Soul-Stirring Sermons, pp. 1-5, and as a separate publication here, Four Indisputable Things (Ruwa, Zimbabwe: Church of Christ Mission, [1998]):

 SSS  / FIT       As Contribution to Book [ As Separate Publication
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
 p. 1 / p. 2:     great graveyards [ geat grave- yards
 p. 2 / p. 3:     the- making [ the making
 p. 3 / p. 3:     'That stands for [ "That stands for
                  the great question,' [ the great question,"
                  'And what is [ "And what is
                  the great question?' [ the great question?"
                  'What shall it [ "What shall it
                  his own soul?' [ his own soul?"
      / p. 4:     'But Dr. Kelly,' [ "But Dr. Kelly,"
                  'you don't mean [ "you don't mean
                  in the Bible?' [ in the Bible?"
                  'I certainly do'-- [ "I certainly do"--
                  'But--do you [ "But--do you
                  swallowed Jonah?'" [ swallowed Jonah?"
                  myself." "Sir," [ myself."--"Sir,"
                  there is no Savior, [ there is no Savior,
 p. 4 / p. 5:     like Jesus-- [ like Jesus--
                  "Come follow me."  [ "Come follow me,"
 

      Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.

Ernie Stefanik
Derry, PA

Created 6 January 2001.
Updated 20 June 2003.